Mental Pause

by Anne Louise O'Connell

Abbie Slocum, a forty-something, average, middle of the road, housewife and mother of teenage twin boys, tries desperately to keep her outwardly idyllic life together while spiraling into a dark pit of menopausal insanity. Her mind races with suicidal, murderous thoughts so outside of her normal character that it frightens her. The only person she can share the graphic images from her hormonally addled mind with is her best friend, Rachel, recently separated, and the mysterious and titillating Joan, a new friend from Rachel's singles support group. Women have survived this female passage of life since the beginning of time! Why was Abbie having so much trouble handling it? As the battle to maintain her sanity rages on, Abbie, Rachel and Joan stumble into unfortunate, borderline comical, circumstances that lead to wild nights, experimenting with drugs and two suspicious deaths. Abbie's cop husband, Conrad, tries desperately to understand what's happening to his normally sweet wife. While vying for promotion, his family gets embroiled in a media frenzy that swirls around a murder trial in which Abbie is the primary suspect. Abbie takes the reader on an old jalopy ride of uncharacteristic outbursts and wild escapism that leads to tragedy and finally, into court where she just might have to plead 'temporary insanity'. "Astonishingly honest, this novel will take you on a wild ride with its unforgettable protagonist, a woman who is on a journey of shocking self-discovery. A book like 'Mental Pause' is long overdue and I am sure it will speak to millions of women who like me, identify with its message." Zvezdana Rashkovich, author, Dubai Wives "This novel zips along at a cracking pace and is full of fun. I loved it." Jo Parfitt, author and publisher "Abbie is riding the hormonal roller coaster and hanging on for dear life. She finds herself in a body she no longer recognizes, a marriage that feels overwhelming, and she questions her very sanity. Her existence has become one big hot flash inflamed by killer moods. A chance meeting seems to give her the escape she's desperate for but at what cost? Accused of murder she finds herself in a jail cell accompanied by her regrets and the gnawing fear that her life may be changed forever. It's a kind of mental pause that Abbie has never imagined, in a story that offers no letup from start to satisfying finish. Change of life, anyone? Mental Pause promises to take you way beyond." Stacey Donovan, author/editor, Donovan Edits "Love, attraction, hot flashes, pending empty nest, sizzling nights, shifting identity, the meaning of friendship, surprising twists and missteps galore -- it's all here! Anne O'Connell has written a fun debut novel about one menopausal woman's desire to let her hair down, and the trouble that can result." Linda A. Janssen, author of The Emotionally Resilient Expat

220 pages, Paperback

First published February 21, 2013

About the author

Author, developmental editor and partner publisher, Anne Louise O’Connell, was an expat from 1993 to 2016, then returned to Canada after enjoying the sun and sand of Florida, Dubai and Thailand over a span of 23 years. Anne worked in the PR field for 17 years and then decided it was time to just write. Since 2007, Anne has been writing books while freelance writing, editing, author mentoring and social media consulting, along with conducting writing retreats and workshops. While living the expat life, she contributed to Wall St. Journal Expat, Global Living Magazine and Expat Focus. She has a passion for travel and that adventurous spirit has taken her all over the world. Anne grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and has a bachelor of public relations and a certificate in early childhood education from Mount St. Vincent University. In 2016, she established OC Publishing where she mentors other authors, does developmental book editing and partner publishing.

Reviews

[Lyn Thomson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given to me as a ‘cozy mystery,’ but cozy it was not. Abbie, suffering extreme menopausal symptoms, refused hormone therapy because of breast cancer in her family, but also rejected the idea of trying any natural treatments. She opted for temporary insanity instead--in gay bars, dance halls, a tattoo parlour, and a toilet stall—and learned she wasn’t averse to taking drugs that were illegal. When she awoke in a motel room, not knowing who was running water in the bathroom, she didn’t hurry home to her family in remorse. Instead, she chose to run away, cross the state border, and hide in a cabin in the woods. Her story ran as she did, downhill, while the promised mystery emerged. The last half of the book deals with the consequences of her time-out from normalcy.

This was an easy and entertaining read, and most women of a certain age will readily identify with the idea of the trials of menopause sometimes being worse than those of puberty. Perhaps the point of the story is that Abbie’s antics were rather like those of a teenage girl suffering the woes of adolescence, meeting the new friend her mother warned her against, and falling under the spell of the forbidden. Of course, I didn’t like the new friend even a little, and often had trouble being sympathetic with Abbie. The characters I liked best were the ‘minor’ ones, the teenaged sons. I feel this book makes an interesting parallel: often women in the throes of menopause are dealing with issues similar to those their children are facing with their own hormonal pangs.

[Tricia M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Abbie having to go through night sweats, mood swings and more. As she starts hanging out with her friends a little more and getting to know herself again so many curves thrown her way.
When she comes face to face with her new friend's murder & being charged with it she has to confront everything she's been going through face on.
I was hanging onto every page.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abbie Slocum (40+, housewife/mother) was fixing breakfast for Trevor (17, 1st born teen twin son/boy, U of Mass), Winston (17, teen twin son/boy, Penn State), & Officer Conrad (husband/father, PD).
Rachel (BFF), Joan Bezanson (BFF, lesbian), & Abbie were organizing a fundraiser for breast cancer research.
Rachel & Joan just listened with sympathetic ears as Abbie opened-up about her personal mental issues.

The 3 of them have hair appointments & pedicures scheduled at Randy’s Salon at 1:30 pm.
Jack (sommelier (wine steward) served them.
Abbie also got a tattoo.
Abbie informed Rachel & Joan about a flasher in the bushes while she was out at night taking a walk.
Rick’s Place bar. Girl’s night out.
Next stop the Orchard bar.
The next morning, Abbie caught a bus back to Portsmouth, NH.
Mark Waller Joan’s soon to-be ex-husband had been killed.
Abbie was told Joan was dead also.
New Bedford (Bristol County) MA. Ben Hurst (attorney) went to see Abbie in jail.
All rise. The District Court of Bristol County is now in session, the Honorable Courtney Rayburn is presiding.
Prosecution: County prosecutor Kate Masters; Defense: Ben; Abbie.
There will be no bail & the defendant is remanded into custody. Hearing date set for 2 weeks from today.
Kate informed Abbie the deal is involuntary manslaughter on both counts 5 yrs. for each; sentences to run consecutively, & eligible for parole after 6.
No deal.
Conrad & the boys: Trevor & Winston came every day to see Abbie.

Day, 2, 3, All rise. The District Court of Bristol County is now in session, the Honorable Courtney Rayburn is presiding.
Prosecution: County prosecutor Kate Masters; Defense: Ben; Abbie.
Witnesses called/cross examined: Bruce Platt (P; New Bedford county coroner); Detective Jacob Stanley (P; CSI); Brian Scully (P; The Orchard bouncer); Simon Brady (P; Joan’s friend, gay, transvestite); Peter Riley P; PI); Rachel Moore (D; Abbie’s BFF); Jim MacKay (D); Jami Wilson (D; lesbian lover); Dr. Lillian Hamilton (D; MD, licensed Obstetrician & Gynecologist, Certified Menopause Practitioner); Abigail Slocum (D).
Kate presented her summation.

Ladies & gentlemen of the jury, the prosecution & defense have presented their respective cases & have offered their final arguments. You now have the responsibility of reviewing all the evidence presented in this case, evaluating the arguments presented by both sides & rendering a verdict. The charge facing the defendant is murder in the 2nd degree, which is a killing that is not premeditated or planned or committed in a reasonable heat of passion but where there is intent to cause the death of another person or there is reckless indifference to human life.
If you are to consider a guilty verdict, make certain that you know for sure, beyond a reasonable doubt. Good luck with your deliberations. You may retire to the jury room until you have come to a unanimous decision. The jury is excused.
What will the jury’s decision be?

I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.

Warning: This book contains adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material (bi-sexual, transvestite, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader. If you are especially sensitive to this type of material, it is strongly advised not to read any further.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written crime thriller
book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great description list of unique characters, settings, facts etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great crime thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV. A very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author (s); Goodreads; MakingConnections; Making Connections discussion group talk; Create Space; Author; PDF book.
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Tim Covell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abbie is a bored housewife whose life is fine on the surface - steady husband, good kids soon to leave for university - but challenged with the symptoms of menopause. This, and an exciting new friend, leads her into a rather wild 'girl's night out' and some risk-taking (though noteworthy that at least some of this is reliving college days rather than trying new things). The first half of the book reminded me of Judy Blume's Wifey.
The wild night out ends with Abbie waking up in a sleazy motel room, with someone in the shower. She doesn't know how she got there, or what happened. We've all been there.
The second half of the book is courtroom drama, somewhat reminiscent of Agatha Christie's The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories. Abbie finds herself charged with two murders, and Chekhov's dead dog from chapter 1 doesn't help matters. (Having a character kill a dog is a very risky move for an author, but it was a) an accident, and b) a very bad dog.)
The tone is a little uneven, at times comic while at other times rather dark, but that perhaps suits the theme. The book is relatively short and a quick, fast-paced read. I found it difficult to sympathize with Abbie, but recognize that her behaviour, flaws, and challenges are the essence of the story.

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This debut offering from independent author Anne O’Connell is poignant, funny, shocking and provides a moment of “maybe I’m NOT the crazy one here” for readers. Abbie is peri-menopausal with all of the symptoms that are alluded to, but never wholly defined or described to women in a way that every reader can empathize, sympathize or nod their head in agreement. Wholesale personality changes have taken over the formerly competent and functional wife and mother, and no one seems to understand why: least of all her.

Sometimes completely sobering then venturing into almost farcical situations, Abbie and her cohorts wander into situations and circumstances as they ‘go with’ their curiosity and let their impulses take command of their adventures. Unfortunately, being the chief suspect in a murder trial doesn’t soothe Abbie’s frayed emotions or ally her symptoms, and everyone is wondering if she truly is insane.

Mixing humor, real life symptoms and extreme reactions, O’Connell manages to create Abbie into a character that speaks to many, stronger than she appears yet wholly fragile and driven by impulses that she doesn’t always understand she is delightfully wacky and fun while still maintaining a sense of realness. The outrageous circumstances behind the murder charge, and the husband that is a cop and completely confused but trying to be supportive are well-played and keep the reader entertained even as we know that she is not the murderer. Friends also play a large part in this story: finally at the point where women are less about ‘competition’ and more about support and real friendship – it was nice to see a portrayal of female relationships that didn’t digress into mean-girl syndrome: where the bond and the support were more important to all of the friends.
I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Melanie Adkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abbie's boys are headed to college and she's feeling the empty nest syndrome kicking in. Trying to keep herself busy is complicated by the fact she's going through peri-menopause. Hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety and depression to the extreme. While her husband Conrad and her boys, Trevor and Winston try to understand, they really just know Abbie isn't herself. Rachel, Abbie's best friend, tells her she needs to let loose and relax. They do just that with a new friend of Rachel's. Only a girls night out becomes so much more. Abbie wonders if life will ever be normal again.

TERRIFIC! FANTASTIC! APPLAUSE! It's about time someone was willing to write a book about how women's bodies change. Anne O'Connell step out there and hit a grand slam home run with this one! Descriptive, accurate and well written, this book will keep you moving until the end. You'll fall in love with Abbie and her family. What's not to love? They are really a supportive team. This one should be winning awards for many reasons in the months to come. Check it out and see if you don't agree the twist in this book is breathtaking.

I found no issues in this one.

I gave this one 5 cheers out of 5 because it discusses something NO ONE wants to talk about. Hurrah for Anne O'Connell!!
~Copy of book provided by author in exchange for a fair review~

[Jen Warren · Rating 1 out of 5]

The blurb for Mental Pause is essentially this: woman going through menopause finds herself questioning her sanity through a series of remarkable events. What's not to like, right? Well, let me tell you...

This book needs an editor. I'll be the first to admit I'm a harsh critic. I notice missing commas and scowl at the screen. I'm not talking optional Oxford commas, but those utterly necessary direct-address punctuation marks that keep us from suggesting something like, "Let's eat Grandma."

I'm also a stickler for formatting. I like to see justification. I need to see dialogue and choreography set up correctly within the text. There are established rules regarding formatting that authors should not disregard. To do so leave the reader confused, annoyed, and glaring at the book.

I wanted to like this, I really did, but I spent the bulk of this novel wishing for a red pen. Not a recommend.

[Jan Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this author may have created a new genre: meno-mystery!

Who would ever think of combining menopause and murder? Your answer to that question probably depends on whether you have gone through menopause! Anne O' Connell does a great job of describing the physical and emotional turmoil that menopause causes. The fact that she manages to do this in a story that is both humorous and suspenseful makes this an enjoyable read. If you have already gone through "the change" you know that her descriptions of it are not all that exaggerated. If you haven't, this book may cause you to go out in search of some supplemental estrogen. Plagued by hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and anxiety, Abbie needs a break! What starts out as a lark with friends ends up with Abbie being charged with murder and the story keeps rolling along at a fast pace from there.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review: A character I can so identify with. Abbie a peri-menopausal woman is perfect till her hormones take over and she sees red. A woman that her family and even herself does not recognize. I for one was hooked immediately. The unfortunate new friendship with Joan who ends up dead in a motel after girls night out with Abbie takes a sinister twist after Abbie is accused of not only her murder but also that of Joan’s ex-husband.This is a great who done it and I enjoyed it a lot. The book is well written and edited there is some formatting issues that threw me off at first but I as I got interested in the book I could over look them. I give this book 4 1/2 stars would have been 5 without the formatting.

[Sue Slade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although outside my normal genre, the back of the book piqued my interest because I have been in the menopause stage of my life for the past decade. Honestly, while the author does an incredibly detailed job of explaining and describing symptoms and emotions of people going through menopause, I thought, given the premise that it could have been a little funnier. People who love the show Law and Order will enjoy this book as the last half of the book reminded me of late nights watching the show and while I was reading each day of the court case, I imagined the ding, ding that Law and Order is famous for. As the Author’s debut novel, I would read others written by her.

[Jae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book in the very same week that a character on Eastenders refused to acknowledge that she was menopausal (nope - not ashamed - love the soap!) and it got me thinking that there really are so many women out there for whom this must be a no-go area. So well done, author, for having pushed the issue of what it does with our bodies and brains right out there. If you think you are the only women going crazy during this period of your life, think again and be reassured by the pages of this fab book. Funny, sad, poignant, it is thoroughly deserving of your time.

[Glenda Bixler · Rating 5 out of 5]

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