The #HoldOnToTheLight blogging campaign returns for a second year with a mix of new contributing authors and new posts by returning authors, all with a goal of encouraging supportive inclusiveness for mental health issues in fandom.
#HoldOnToTheLight is a blog campaign encompassing blog posts by fantasy and science fiction authors around the world in an effort to raise awareness around treatment for depression, suicide prevention, domestic violence intervention, PTSD initiatives, bullying prevention and other mental health-related issues. We believe fandom should be supportive, welcoming and inclusive, in the long tradition of fandom taking care of its own. We encourage readers and fans to seek the help they or their loved ones need without shame or embarrassment.
New authors joining the campaign this year include: Elizabeth Bear, Kat Richardson, Lucienne Diver, Beth Cato, Monica Valentinelli, Chris A. Jackson, Karen Bovenmyer, Molly Reed, Matt Forbeck, Faith Naff, Alisa Schreibman, Susan Simko, April Hawks, M.B. Weston, Aurryn Manwoody, Andrea Judy, Donald Kirby.
Returning authors so far include: Jennifer St. Giles, John Hartness, David B. Coe, Josh Vogt, Jaym Gates, Gregory Wilson, Leona Wisoker, Sascha Illyvich, Gail Z. Martin, Danielle Ackley McPhail, Leanna Renee Hieber, Ken Schroeder, Mark Van Name, Nancy Northcott, JeanMarie Ward, J.F. Lewis, Dianna Gunn, Rick Gaultieri, Selah Janel, and Michael J. Allen.
New 2017 posts so far:
(Note: You can cut and paste and signal boost by retweeting these pre-formatted tweets!)
David B. Coe: Beyond The Dark Place @DavidBCoe on grief for #HoldOnToTheLight http://bit.ly/2h3AYCq
JeanMarie Ward: Pain, loss and cat pictures @Jean_Marie_Ward for #HoldOnToTheLight http://bit.ly/2xBrh5a
Allie Schreibman: Owning my crazy @SoSayethAllie for #HoldOnToTheLight http://bit.ly/2wdBRil
Gail Z. Martin: Why Fandom is my Family & Family Don’t End With Blood @GailZMartin #SPN #FDEWB #HoldOnToTheLight http://bit.ly/2xMz5jJ
Ken Schreder: Worth the Struggle @KenSchrader4882 on bullying & selfconfidence for #HoldOnToTheLight http://bit.ly/2xDMIzN
Dianna L. Gunn: The Darkness of Our Minds @DiannaLGunn on depression for #HoldOnToTheLight http://bit.ly/2fukqzz
John Hartness: Living with Bipolar @JohnHartness for #HoldOnToTheLight http://bit.ly/2xBd47Y
John Hartness: Not my typical blog post @JohnHartness on suicide for #HoldOnToTheLight http://bit.ly/2xOsJjN
Take This: Authors share mental health stories for #HoldOnToTheLight @Takethis.org http://bit.ly/2wn8g1S
Susan Simko: Remembering Dad, by Susan Simko, an essay on grief for #HoldOnToTheLight http://bit.ly/2wlXSre
Robin Hobb: Blame it on the Neanderthals @RobinHobb on dealing with depression for #HoldOnToTheLight http://bit.ly/2i5m4dv
Authors who participated in 2016 included: Robin Hobb, Jody Lynn Nye, Cat Rambo, Laura Anne Gilman, Chuck Gannon, Catherine Asaro, Gaie Siebold, Karen Miller, Rowena Cory Daniels, David B. Coe, Marc Tassin, Jonathan Oliver, Jeanne Adams, Nancy Northcott, Aaron Rosenberg, Jennifer St. Giles, Mark Van Name, Juliet McKenna, Jennifer Brozek, Darynda Jones, Christopher Golden, Clay and Susan Griffith, Gregory Wilson, Josh Vogt, Darin Kennedy, Jon Sprunk, James Maxey, Karen E. Taylor, Justin Gustainis, Misty Massey, John G. Hartness, Gail Z. Martin, Jean Marie Ward, Jaym Gates, Laura Taylor, Weston Ochse, Ron Garner, Kathy Lyons, Mari Mancusi, Leanna Renee Hieber, Cheryl Wilson, Rod Belcher, Travis Heermann, Cara Santa Maria, Michael J. Allen, Trisha Wooldridge, Alyssa Day, J. F. Lewis, Joshua Palmatier, Keith DeCandido Mindy Mimudes, Emily Leverett, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Tera Fulbright, Tamsin Silver, Stuart Jaffe, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Eric Asher, Rick Gualtieri, Chris Kennedy, Ken Schrader, Samantha Dunaway Bryant, Valerie Willis, Alexandra Christian, Jake Bible, Matthew Saunders, Jay Requard, Vonnie Winslow Crist, Kelly Harmon, Sascha Illyvich, Kelly Swails, Bishop O’Connell, Sherwood Smith, Peter Prellwitz, Tracy Chowdhury, Trevor Curtis, Alma Alexander, Natania Barron, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Addie J. King, Joelle Reizes, Gabrielle Faust, Selah Janel, Whitney Evans, Tom Leveen, Deborah J. Ross, Tally Johnson, Calandra Usher, Jada Diaz, Harry Markov, Brian Rathbone, Robert Greenberger, Linda Robertson, Leona Wisoker, Dianna L. Gunn, Emmie Mears, Lyndsey Harper, Tom Wells, Wendy S. Delmater, S.H. Roddey, Jeri Smith-Ready, Delilah Dawson, Phil Giunta, Myke Cole, Diana L. Gunn, Amy Bauer, Theresa Glover, Vickie Hartman DiSanto.
Please consider donating to or volunteering for organizations dedicated to treatment and prevention such as: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Hope for the Warriors (PTSD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Canadian Mental Health Association, MIND (UK), SANE (UK), BeyondBlue (Australia), To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
To find out more about #HoldOnToTheLight, find a list of participating authors and blog posts, or reach a media contact, go to http://www.HoldOnToTheLight.com and join us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WeHoldOnToTheLight
#HoldOnToTheLight 