Finding My Sunshine by Shannon Leith McGuire | Author Interview, Spotlight, Giveaway
A book blog tour from iRead Book Tours.
Thank you to the author, publisher, & Lauren at iRead for providing me with the information for this tour. 
Book Details
Finding My Sunshine by Shannon Leith McGuire Published by Independent on February 15, 2021
Genres: Non-fiction, Memoir, Self-help, Social Themes, Special Needs
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 206
Buy on Amazon“What if that someone was you?”
The question stunned her...She had always believed the problem was everyone else.
Shannon had been so quick to blame others for her anger. She knew she was drowning in darkness and pain; being born with a learning disability made her feel defeated by life. She tried drinking heavily in order to quiet the demons.
But the demons were her own voice, telling her she wasn’t good enough, she wasn’t smart enough, she didn’t deserve good things in her life.
Kicked out of college, Shannon took a leap of faith and started working in a nursing home; that’s when her angels appeared and the miracle began. The insight and wisdom she gained from those elderly new friends led her on an inspiring journey of discovery and self-acceptance.
Each of us has our own path. Some of us just need angels to help us find it.
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Purchase Links for Finding My Sunshine
Amazon Amazon UK BookShop/IndieBound
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About Shannon Leith McGuire
Shannon Leith McGuire was raised in a small town in Eastern Montana, where you leave your car keys in the ignition and your front door unlocked all the time. The kind of place where sunsets and sunrises can be seen for miles on the horizon. Where the spring crickets and frogs resting in the irrigation ditches helped transition the days into a calm resting night. Where the winters can get so cold, the air can freeze.
It was only after she was academically suspended by the college she was attending, that she became a Certified Nurses Aide (CNA). She did her training in Billings, Montana and it was there she learned how to take care of others and bonded with the geriatric population.
For over five years, Shannon worked in the same nursing home where she received her training. The work was hard, but it grounded her and helped her find balance in what had become a deeply unbalanced life.
It was not until she was a CNA, at one of the hospitals that she had a dream three nights in a row that she was going to become a nurse.
She currently resides in Tampa, Florida, where you may hear her laughing with her husband of over 10 years, scuba diving in the ocean, taking walks with their rescued pit-bull dog- Darby, or dancing together to life's music.
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Interview with the author of Finding My Sunshine
*What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your book?
As I was sharing the stories from my residents, I learned I was not as truly alone as I made myself believe. While in counseling I learned coping skills; I learned I did not have to carry the weight on my own, that there were people just like me (Clinically depressed, learning disability). I wanted to quit counseling more than once because the work was intense and hard to process sometimes. But I knew I was in the dark. I kept going.
Sometimes you surprise yourself and you do not know how strong you really are until you are being pulled down in an undertow, about to go under and only you can save yourself because no one else is going to do it for you. Depression is like that; your body wants to kill you off while your spirit whispers “keep going.”
*What was the inspiration for the story?
There was a lot of inspiration. First, I wanted to give the elderly a voice. I wanted them to know I heard them and that someone cared. The world is very noisy, and the elderly tend to be overlooked. I wanted them to know how much I appreciated their help, trust, and kindness. I also wanted families to understand this: sometimes management says one thing and does another. They want your business; they do not know what goes on in the units. So, it is important for family members to do their part and check-up or drop in and visit their elderly parents.
There are up to ten residents or more to one aide on any given shift. Some things get overlooked, mostly because they are not working with a full floor staff. The staff can get very busy, even overworked. No one is held accountable for missed chores, and the resident, your loved one, will ultimately pay the price. That is why it is important for families to be proactive in their care.
I also wanted to share my story of being an underdog like so many of the residents I took care of. I was born with a learning disability. I was clinically depressed and living an unbalanced life for a long time. I wanted to share how much a little bit of love can really help change someone’s life. Just that one extra minute you give to someone can really help them feel they mattered.
*Share about your first published book. How you felt when it was released, how you feel about it now, and how it sold.
When my book was published. I felt all kinds of emotions go through me. Did I tell my story in a way people can relate to and understand; could I help them? Did I give my residents the respect and recognition they deserved? Did I explain God and how he works to people who do not understand Him?
My anxiety went sky high; I asked myself, what did I just do… I just exposed my life, my demons, my truth. I was not sure how my memoir was going to be received. But then I remembered it is no longer about me, it is about how I can help people find their sunshine and dance to life’s music and help them live their truth.
It is sold on Amazon, with positive reviews.
*What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
I hope I helped people that are suffering from depression, or who have a learning disability learn to accept themselves and know that it is all going to be okay. Yes, you will cry a lot. You will cry so much you could fill an ocean with your tears, but the sun does come out, and it will shine on you. You will learn to laugh again, and dance in the sun.
If you need to take an anti-depressant to help, do it. I wished I allowed myself to take it back in the 8th grade, maybe my dark days would not have been so dark. And, don’t forget about your grandparents; share stories with them. Because once they are gone; you will wish you had. I have told family members my favorite memory of their loved one, and many times they say, “I never knew.”
*What is the best part of your day?
Listening to my residents and their life stories. I was sitting with a lady the other day, and her daughter was also there visiting. I asked the resident if her husband was a good dancer. She gave out a deep belly laugh and cried from laughing so hard before she could answer. Her daughter looked concerned and said she had never heard her mother laugh like that before. Her mother said “you never asked me, and no, he was a terrible dancer. A brick had better rhythm than he had.” Then she burst out laughing again. Afterward, she said it had been a while since she laughed like that.
It helps me remember they were young and wild once. They may be old, but not dead. I see storybooks yet to be written, stories yet to be shared. Laughter is the best part of my day.
*Talk about the book’s title and how it relates to the book’s contents?
Finding My Sunshine is about being in the dark for a long time. It was only after I accepted myself as I was that I was able to find my sunshine and dance to life’s lessons. I felt defeated before I got out of bed in the morning. I compare that with how my residents feel; at times they too feel defeated and not heard. Finding My Sunshine reminds us we can all dance in the sun regardless of our struggles.
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Giveaway!
Signed copy of FINDING MY SUNSHINE (a memoir) by Shannon Leith McGuire (one winner) (USA only) (ends Dec 10)
FINDING MY SUNSHINE Book Tour Giveaway
Please visit more stops on the tour for extra chances to win!
Nov 15 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight/author interview/giveaway
Nov 15 –Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight/giveaway
Nov 15 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight/giveaway
Nov 15 – Kam’s Place – book spotlight/author interview
Nov 16 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book spotlight/guest post/giveaway
Nov 16 – fundinmental – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Nov 17 –Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight/giveaway
Nov 18 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book spotlight/author interview/giveaway
Nov 19 – I’m All About Books – book spotlight/giveaway
Nov 22 –Laura’s Interests – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 23 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – book spotlight
Nov 24 – Books for Books – book spotlight
Nov 26 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight/author interview/giveaway
Nov 29 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight/giveaway
Nov 29 – @books_and_bagels – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 29 – StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Nov 30 –Cheryl’s Book Nook – book spotlight/giveaway
Nov 30 – @soph_life.pages – book spotlight
Dec 1 – Pick a Good Book – book spotlight/author interview / giveaway
Dec 2 – Westveil Publishing – book spotlight/giveaway
Dec 3 – Literary Flits – book spotlight/giveaway
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Purchase Finding My Sunshine online from a local book store.
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Finding My Sunshine: A Memo...Shop on Amazon 
Finding My Sunshine: A Memo...Shop on Amazon Finding My Sunshine: A Memo...Shop on Amazon
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Book Title: Finding My Sunshine (A Memoir)
Author: Shannon Leith McGuire.
Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 198 pages
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Sunshine Street Press
Release date: March 2021
Tour dates: Nov 15 to Dec 3, 2021
Content Rating: PG+M for bad language, anger, and suicidal thoughts, clinical depression, and assault
[…] Finding My Sunshine by Shannon Leith McGuire […]
Thank you so much for reading/posting my memior! This means the world to me! – take care- SLM