Janni Styles

"Thanks to all kind souls for reading my journey through lands both familiar and foreign to us all. May your day be as pleasant as you have just made mine."

Smiles,

More?

When I announced to my first grade teacher, "I know what I want to do when I grow up - I want to make books!" - I had no idea what lay ahead. Until you "make it" in the eyes of many, writing is nothing but a nice little hobby. Writing from as far back as I can remember, I recall my bedroom as a teenager, a small room used as an office in a former school house converted to a home, with the walls of my room covered in my poetry. Mom never gave me heck for that but I think she liked it, I did it artfully and with tidy penmanship. (Now we pay good money at stores to get writing for our walls!)

Writing is breathing and breathing is writing...

Still more?

Every experience I have ever had not only contributes to my writing in this world but also to the person I am and the better person I strive to become, better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today... if you don't fight the good fight for yourself, who will...

BLOG

Blogging here is all I really have time or energy for at the moment and some days now, thanks to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, even that is in question so I post old works or previous works or short poems. Told by a writing instructor that we need to write a million words, I believe it was from this quote:

“Start early and work hard. A writer’s apprenticeship usually involves writing a million words (which are then discarded) before he’s almost ready to begin. That takes a while.” ~David Eddings

Well, I've done my million... I think, lol... here's the short version:

BOOKS

One Part Good, a collection of short stories

Spiritshine, a collection of poetry

(have written four other novels, all of which need revising or polishing but hope to one day get them out there even if I have to publish them free as I did above two works.)

SHORT STORIES

First Place 2001: Non-fiction (creative non-fiction) :http://www.siwc.ca/

Honourable Mention: Fiction 2000http://www.siwc.ca/

First Place 2003:Christmas theme story local newspaper contest (Vancouver BC)

Writer's Union of Canada:Shortlisted 2002 (for short short)

Third Place 1998:Copper Beech short fiction contest

Canada wide Essay Contest:First Place

Honorable Mention for short fiction work 1997(1500 words): Tickled by Thunder Magazine

POETRY- Second place: Tickled by Thunder Fiction & Poetry Magazine- Quarter Moon Quarterly, two poems published- The Year's Best Anthology: No Knight So White PUBLISHED 1990-2012- Reviews: Live performance, movie and restaurant reviews (Man of Steel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Bonnie Kilroe, Susan Jacks, The Vagina Monologues, The Good Lovelies, restaurants...etc)- Various:Public relations material from brochure content for Interior Design College Instructor to poetry in Quarter Moon Quarterly and 5000 word piece on Domestic Violence for Ministry of Attorney General publication. OTHER WORK

CHILD DAYCARE for preschool age children;INFORMATION OFFICER for childcare program; VICTIM SUPPORT WORK for Ministry of Attorney General

EDUCATION

- Anxiety Management; Coping Skills for Survivors of Physical, Mental and Emotional Trauma

- PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (identifying, coping/living with)

- Boundaries and Healthy Communication;Dynamics of Healthy Relationships

- Interior Design Consultant Diploma

- Creative Writing Diploma

- Cross Cultural Awareness

- Victim’s Services Certificate, Attorney General

- Victim’s Assistance Volunteer Trainer’s Certificate, Attorney General

- Lay Counsellor Training, Victim’s Assistance & Sexual Assault Centre

- Stopping the Violence Conference(s) and Specialized Training

- Conflict Resolution & Mediation, Levels I-IV

- University English Literature

- Business Communications, Supervision and Management Credits

- High SchoolHonours Graduate

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCECommunity Coordinated Justice CommitteeBoard of Directors – Women’s Rape and Sexual Assault CentreNeighbourhood Blockwatch Program LeaderBoard of Directors – Communities Against Substance Abuse SocietyPublic Relations Committee, Information & Volunteer CentreOffice Assistant – PublishingAnimal Rescue REFERENCES

Plenty …

Impeccable are both personal and professional references yet all completely useless because she is not who she once was.

She can no longer do what she once did.

She feels it is a good day now when her shoes match.

This is the realm of living with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

When shell-shocked, you do not lose your intelligence. Merely your coping skills, your ability to focus and comprehend are all impaired as though you are drunk or have the flu. But you are not and you do not. You battle the fog daily and wonder if it will ever get any better. You wonder if this is as good as it gets.

When you realize that this may be so, you grieve another loss. The loss of yourself as you knew you. You come to terms with where you are and realize, if this is as good as it gets,