by Ana Jolene
He’d been the one to say “I love you” first, but I suspected I had loved him before that. It was why I’d been so terrified of my secret getting out. I didn’t want my friends to think I was crazy. If Hastie had been one of those people who had turned away when he learned about my disorder, I didn’t think my heart could’ve taken it. It made me thankful to have someone like him in my life.
Hastie stepped in beside me as my lips tipped down in a frown. “What’s wrong?” he whispered, holding me up against his sturdy body. I hadn’t realized it but my body was shaking. “Do you need to sit down?”
The concern in his eyes broke me. I couldn’t dare lose this. Not when Hastie had shown me strength. In a world filled with uncertainties, it was often hard to keep the right perspective. But as long as I had Hastie, it didn’t matter about the state of my mind. Hastie would love me regardless. “Indy,” he prodded again. “Should we go back down?”
I met his eyes, shaking my head. He was always there to make sure I was okay. “No. I’m fine. I’m just overwhelmed.”
Confusion marred the beautiful features of his face. “Of the view?”
Of everything actually. For once I was looking forward to the future. “Thank you for letting me have that moment alone to myself.”
“Of course, baby. Whatever you want.”
That was the great thing about Hastie, whether I was in a hypomanic or depressive state, Hastie stood by in silent support. I settled deeper into his arms, resting my head against his chest. His heartbeat was a rhythm that hooked me like a fish, pulling me out of the dark depths. My mind and body were finally in perfect harmony.
The future for Hastie and I remained uncertain; he would always ride on the precipice of danger, and I would always be on the knife’s edge of sanity. I couldn’t predict what lay ahead of us any more than I could determine whether or not I’d experience a depressive or a hypomanic phase next. But at least we had each other now to rely on in this chaotic world.
Glory MC had come into my life like a meteor, unexpectedly fast and blazing. It changed my life and while being with Hastie would never make sense of the emotional duality of my mind, in our own way, in my mind, we were finally free.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
When the story for GLORY came to me in 2013, I was busy working on another book so I resisted writing it for a long time but there was something about Indy and Hastie that just didn’t want to leave me alone.
I remember stopping to jot down the idea, just so that I wouldn’t forget it but the notes soon transformed into the opening scene and then, about a month and a half later, I realized that I had finished writing the entire book. I almost couldn’t believe it! GLORY was by far the quickest book I’ve ever written but it certainly wasn’t the easiest because of the sensitive nature it tackles.
It means a whole lot to me that you’re intrigued enough to know more about Indy and her mood disorder. Bipolar disorder is a serious condition that affects a person’s life wholly. But in addition to managing that, people often suffer from the discrimination and stigma associated with mental illness. As a result, it stands in the way of people seeking treatment.
I hope that in reading Indy’s story you get a sense of what bipolar disorder is like and can accept her, with and without her flaws. The mistakes that Indy makes throughout the story aren’t simply because of the disorder, but because she is scared of what people will think of her.
I think it’s about time we stopped thinking of people with mental illness as troubled and crazy and be more sympathetic to what they are going through. They are only trying to live a normal life, just as we are. Maybe the next time you meet someone who has a mental disorder, be polite and ask him or her how their day is going. You may get a long drawn out life story or they may simply say, “Good. And yours?” The fact that you cared enough to ask may very well make their day.
And if you are someone with bipolar disorder, remember that you don’t have to do this alone. There are people around you who can help. And believe me, it does get better.
A few minor changes to the disorder were made to better fit this alternate world. My immense gratitude goes out to the readers for taking a chance on this book. I hope you enjoy the Glory MC world as much as I loved writing it.
Of course, this book would not even exist if it weren’t for my extremely talented editorial team. Thank you Tanya and Marlene for helping me whip this book into shape. Thank you to Helyce for being such a great, supportive friend. And thank you to Ariel for always being there when I needed you the most.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ana Jolene is the author of the Glory MC series, a New Adult Dystopian and the Contemporary Romance series, Moonrise Beach.
Growing up as a rebellious kid didn’t allow for much reading time. It wasn’t until Ana was in university that she found her passion for books and has since then devoured every book placed before her. Ana holds a B.A. in Psychology and has worked in both IT and Administration. But she’s had the most fun in the bookish world, working as a reviewer, columnist, and assistant to multiple sites and best-selling authors.
Ana currently lives in Toronto with her family and an extremely lazy Shih Tzu whom she adores. To learn more about Ana and her books, please visit her website www.anajolene.com and subscribe to the newsletter to be notified of the hottest new releases and giveaways!