Guest Blog by Sara Hathaway

I’m privileged to host another Awesome Author this week! Sara is in one of my author learning groups, and we connected from across the world recently. I keep thinking how privileged we are to live in this time, when technology makes so many opportunities available to us. On the other hand, technology can also be used to destroy. And that’s exactly what Sara writes about. If you’re interested in self-growth and enjoy fiction, this book is a delicious combination with food for thought. How would YOU handle the Day after Disaster?

Day After Disaster is an apocalyptic, adventure in which a dynamic woman, mother and wife struggles, against all odds, to find her family, dead or alive, in a world being tormented by Mother Nature. During her adventure, the main character, Erika, encounters many challenges that cause her to face her inadequacies and grow as an individual trapped in an alternate world. The adventure was written to trigger self-growth opportunities within the reader and open the reader’s mind to the destructive possibilities of the world we inhabit. There are many self-growth tips that can be gained and applied to everyday life from this survival story.

Erika’s survival journey is a hard reality to face. She is separated from her son and her soul mate and must face the journey alone. Often she feels she does not have the strength to go on but her will to survive for the sake of her family drives her onward. She uses her focus on the end goal of reuniting with her family to fuel her ingenuity and conquer any obstacle obscuring that end goal. Sometimes these obstacles are people. She must face the fact that in this world survival may mean taking someone else’s life. This is a decision that she does not take lightly but when survival is on the line it becomes a necessity.

I wrote Day After Disaster to cause the reader to reflect on some issues that are extremely relevant but often swept under the rug in favor of a busy lifestyle and the next cool toy out on the market. First of all, I wanted the reader to realize how fragile the world we live in is. The power we rely on, the computer networks that run our world, and the food that fills our stomach all supported by a delicate system. One hiccup in this system could cause major problems to our modern day lifestyle that we take for granted.

Secondly, I wanted people to realize the importance of the people in your life. The family and friends that support us and bring us so much joy are often the ones we put off in favor of working to earn more money. Yes, we all need money, to support that family and do nice things with friends but there must be a balance.

The last thing I wanted readers to reflect on is the need to embrace nature and learn to live with it, even in urban centers. If a disaster were to happen, chances are it is the ability to navigate the natural world that would keep you fed and alive. If you are a foreigner to that land and depending upon it for survival chances are you are not going to make it very far.

Take-away tips:

1.  Life is often oppressive, have the will to survive. When depression knocks at your door you must power through with a strong will to survive and thrive. Look for the positives in life and dwell there.
2.  Focus on your goals. Having a strong sense of focus will give you a sense of purpose in life. Achieving those goals will give you the sense of accomplishment but sometimes the struggle toward the end goal was more about the journey and the self-growth that can be obtained there.
3.  Life will always give you obstacles, how you choose to navigate those challenges will dictate your future character.
4. Appreciate the ease of the world we live in. Today as always, there are hardships but we live in a world where we have time to be leisurely and we exercise for fun. This was not the case a couple of decades ago and we need to take a moment to appreciate what we have.
5.  Give love to the people in your life who deserve it. Don’t take them for granted. They may not be here tomorrow. Tell them you love them. Remember hugs heal!
6.  Get into nature! Sure it may save your life but beyond that it relieves stress! Studies have shown that listening to the sounds of nature for two hours per day may relieve stress up to 800%. Sounds good to me. So, get out there and learn. You may get dirty but you will have fun!

Meet Sara Hathaway

Sara F. Hathaway is the international author of the fictional novel Day After Disaster.

She is an avid student of Wilderness and Urban Survival, as well as book marketing ideas and techniques.

To receive a special gift of “The Go Bag Essentials” and access to the full virtual book tour visit: www.authorsarafhathaway.com