Call Me Crazy Blog Tour: Interview & Review
Welcome to my stop for Call Me Crazy Blog Tour!
I have a review of the book and an interview with Quinn Loftis for you.
Tour Schedule!
I have a review of the book and an interview with Quinn Loftis for you.
Tour Schedule!
Author: Quinn Loftis
Release date: May 31st 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: N/A
Age Group: Young Adult
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Add to your library: Goodreads
“I’m looking out from inside the chaos. It must be a one-way mirror because no one seems to be able to see back inside to where I am. The looks on their faces, the judgment in their eyes, tells me everything I need to know. The most frustrating part about the whole messed up situation is that even though I’m the one that they stare at in shock, I am just as shocked as they are. I know no more than they do of why I lose control. What they don’t know is that I am more scared of myself than they could ever be.” ~ Tally Baker
After a devastating turn of events, seventeen year old Tally Baker is admitted to Mercy Psychiatric Facility where she is diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. She has come to a place where she honestly believes that her life is over. Her mind tells her that she will never smile or laugh again, that she will never be normal again. It is in this unlikely place that she meets two people, different in every way, yet both critical to helping her realize that she has so much more living to do.
Candy, a cantankerous sixty year old Mercy Psychiatric patient, is hell bent on driving everyone as crazy as she is. Candy shows Tally that, regardless of her diagnosis, the ability to push on and live her life to the fullest is her choice and hers alone. In the midst of Tally’s oftentimes humorous, sometimes heart-wrenching, escapades with Candy, a new patient is admitted to Mercy—a native American woman named Lolotea. Along with this new patient comes a daily visitor, her son, Trey Swift. At first glance, it is obvious to Tally that he is incredibly handsome and unbelievably caring. But what she learns through her second glance, and many thereafter, is that there is much more to Trey than he ever lets on. It is during these daily visits that Trey and Tally build a friendship far deeper than either of them truly realize. With Trey, Tally feels for the first time since being admitted that someone is looking at her as a person and not as a disease. Trey begins to make it clear that he wants more than friendship, but she knows that she can never give him more. How can she, when she won’t even give him the truth? Tally doesn’t tell Trey that she is a patient at Mercy, and she doesn’t ever plan to. Her plans go up in flames when she finds out that Trey is a new student at her school, the school where her brokenness was found out in the floor of the girl’s bathroom in a pool of her own blood. (via Goodreads)
INTERVIEW
Q: I’m great, happy to be here!
N: I'm majoring in Psychology that's why I became interested in Call Me Crazy. What was your inspiration in writing this novel?
Q: Well, I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder when I was 21, I went through 5 years of hell trying to find the right medication combination, 5 psychiatrist and 5 years of counseling and I finally become stable, with only small fluctuations and occasional medication adjustments. I wanted people to see what mental illness really is and how it affects not only the people who suffer from it, but those who love them as well.
N: How were you able to gather facts about people who have the disorder? Internet? Personal encounters?
Q: It was mostly from my personal experience, and the facts of treatment were from all the things I learned through counseling and psychiatric treatment.
N: What were the struggles that you faced in writing this one?
Q: Dealing with emotions that I would rather not, and remembering things better left in the past. It was an extremely difficult book to write and I actually had to have my meds adjusted while writing it because I began to get very depressed.
N: Which character were the easiest and hardest to write about?
Q: Tally would be the first simply because every emotion I wrote about for her was from my own personal experience. I was basically reliving all of it. And then Trey was tough because I remember what my amazing husband went through and how he loved me through some very dark times.
N: I'm majoring in Psychology that's why I became interested in Call Me Crazy. What was your inspiration in writing this novel?
Q: Well, I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder when I was 21, I went through 5 years of hell trying to find the right medication combination, 5 psychiatrist and 5 years of counseling and I finally become stable, with only small fluctuations and occasional medication adjustments. I wanted people to see what mental illness really is and how it affects not only the people who suffer from it, but those who love them as well.
N: How were you able to gather facts about people who have the disorder? Internet? Personal encounters?
Q: It was mostly from my personal experience, and the facts of treatment were from all the things I learned through counseling and psychiatric treatment.
N: What were the struggles that you faced in writing this one?
Q: Dealing with emotions that I would rather not, and remembering things better left in the past. It was an extremely difficult book to write and I actually had to have my meds adjusted while writing it because I began to get very depressed.
N: Which character were the easiest and hardest to write about?
Q: Tally would be the first simply because every emotion I wrote about for her was from my own personal experience. I was basically reliving all of it. And then Trey was tough because I remember what my amazing husband went through and how he loved me through some very dark times.
N: Which of the characters you loved the most and why?
Q: I love Candy, she was refreshing to write and it was nice to have escape from all the heavy emotions.
N: What is in Call Me Crazy that readers will expect? Why shall they read it?
Q: There is no doubt some difficult, painful emotions to handle, and I think people will learn a lot about mental illness, but there is also a lot of laughter, love and most of all hope. I think they should read it because mental illness is something that is very common, but there is still a big taboo around it and people need not be afraid of it or those with it, but instead try to understand the disease and the person with it.
N: Have you ever wonder what will happen to your life if you have Bipolar Disorder?
Q: I know what will happen. I can either continue to make healthy choices, take my meds, see my psychiatrist, exercise, get rest etc. and continue to have a life full of hope and joy or I can choose to let the illness rule me and not only ruin my life but those I love most dear.
N: What is your personal opinion on Bipolar Disorder? Do you think that it is just a figment of one's imagination or is it really a disorder that needs to be treated? What will you tell people who are having hard times coping with this disorder?
Q: It’s very real. They actually have scientific evidence that the brain of someone with Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia actually looks different than that of a person without mental health illness. Both of these disorders are progressive and get worse over time if left untreated. Most importantly I would tell people who have BPD to get help and accept that they can’t have a healthy life without help. Bipolar disorder is a body problem not a choice. It is a disease just like cancer or Alzheimer’s, and it has to be treated in order for a person with it to get better.
N: About your future plans, will you continue to write contemporary novels or will you focus on writing fantasy ones?
Q: I think my love is mostly for paranormal and I will definitely keep writing those, but I might also write a contemporary romance every now and then just for fun, though probably not one as heavy as Call Me Crazy again.
REVIEW
First off, I didn't know that Quinn has a Bipolar Disorder. I didn't know until I finished the book. I was left breathless because all throughout while I was reading, I felt Tally. It was such an amazing yet a painful read.
Everything that happened in Call Me Crazy felt so real. No kidding. I signed-up for this book tour since I've been wanting to read books with characters who have BPD. I was caught off guard because everything that Quinn had written was so true. Especially when Tally was having attacks. I know because I have a very close friend who has sort-of BPD and my friend wrote me letters containing almost everything that came inside her head. It sort of became a defense so that she wouldn't really burst out. And man, those letters made me cry. I felt so helpless as a friend. I know my words weren't enough to be much of comfort. She was so scared but I still did my best to convince her to seek professional help. My friend was diagnosed with mild BPD. She told me that the psychiatrist told her that her condition is just mild and still not really BPD. With therapies and meds, she'll be okay. She went to therapies and took meds. She became okay. But there were times when I know she just can't help it. She becomes paranoid all of a sudden. The worst was when she thought of actually jumping of from her condo unit which is like 16 floors high. Goodness, when she sent me a message saying how it's just easy to jump off from there and everything will go away. It's just so painful to see that someone undergo that kind of pain. It's unnerving because I can't do something to help her. Although I always do my best to ease her with words and love. Right now, she's fine. Even though I don't really know because she's in a foreign country having her internship and God, everyday I pray that she'll be fine. Please pray for her too?
Alright, back to the review. I'm sorry but I cannot just go on without talking about her. And really, there are not enough words to express how much I love Call Me Crazy. EVERYONE NEED TO READ THIS. So that everyone will have a feel of how it is to have this disorder. Even if it will not suffice to what people who have BDP really feels. So that everyone will know that is it not f***ing easy. So that everyone will know how to accept people who have this disorder and even those who have other mental illnesses. So that everyone will learn how to respect them.
Of course, people who have BPD need to read this. Not to be depressed. But to know and believe that there's hope, you know? That someone out there is willing to be with you. That's what Trey made me feel. That guy! I pray that every girl will meet her Trey. Trey really has an old soul!
Another thing that made it so real, Tally's parents and her schoolmates. God, I've never been so mad. I want to punch and kick them. Tally's classmates were obviously that naive and stupid. But I can't accept Tally's parents. They were the adults. Damn. How can they do that? They're true, you know. These people inhabit our world. May God just bless them.
Oh, I wouldn't even forget to mention Tally of course. I absolutely love Tally. She is a brave young lady. I just totally felt her. I know there are a lot of Tallys in this world. I really hope and pray that they'll see the light. I can't even remember how many times Tally made me cry. The feels I have when she was having her attacks. The pain shot through my skin up until my soul. That's a lot, I guess.
I actually agree with Quinn's answer for the 2nd-to-the-last question. Most of the mental illnesses have shown difference on the brain structure of the normal ones. I've seen some honestly. It's just so amazing in a way, not that people have disorders. I mean, like how can just a tiny little piece of this tissue or other part of the brain will be displaced or deleted then everything changes. Even the smallest things can bear the biggest change in us.
I know this isn't much of a review. It's just that, there are no words to properly review this. It's just so real. You have to read it to experience it.
Call Me Crazy is like a journal of sort. You'll get to experience a reality like no other. It will be painful, yes, but that's part of the reality. Especially the ones who have Bipolar Disorder. I really do hope that everyone will read this. Because it's an amazing book that can teach you a lot of things.
P.S. I'd like to thank Quinn Loftis for writing this. Even if I know it was hard, she did it. Congratulations, lovely lady! You are truly an inspiration to everyone out there.
About the Author
Quinn is a 32 year old wife, mother, nurse, and writer, not necessarily in that order. She lives in beautiful West Arkansas with her husband, son, Nora their Doberman pinscher and Phoebe their cat (who thinks she is a ninja in disguise). She loves writing, reading, and crocheting. Her favourite holiday is Christmas, favourite book(s) is Pride and Prejudice, The Alpha and Omega Series by Patricia Briggs, and the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. She loves to be silly and have fun, loves music and thinks there is no greater sound in the world than that of her little boy's laughter.
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