Mental Health Bookclub discussion

Debbie HartungHello fellow mental health book club members. I hope everyone is doing well and thriving as best they can :-)
I would love to share my recently published memoir with you all. I hope I give a voice to those who have ended up involuntarily on a psych ward.
I want my book to be read not for sales (as I self published,I am making very minimal money anyway!) but to raise awareness-patients are still treated like criminals without the care,compassion and treatment they deserve. My book,though intense and extremely descriptive, also has humor and ultimately hope. I wrote this 100% true memoir as therapy and a way to heal, which it has,although it was a very triggering process. I would love to your thoughts. My website is: thefactoryofmaladies.com. Thanks so much!

Hi all,

Looking for a romance that doesn’t shy away from real mental health struggles?
Alaskan Heartbeat might be the story you’re looking for.
Alaskan Heartbeat: A small-town, enemies to lovers, slow burn, opposites attract, plus size, military & mental health romance


This contemporary small-town romance follows Matt Johnson, an ex-Navy SEAL returning to his hometown of Takaani Creek, Alaska, after years of service and trauma. He’s dealing with PTSD, depression, and panic attacks, and trying to find peace in a place that once felt like home.

Enter Emma Nolan, a curvy redhead from New York who’s healing from emotional wounds of her own after her ex dumped her. She didn’t expect to find anything more than solitude in Alaska—but slowly, and imperfectly, she and Matt begin to connect.

This is not a “love heals everything” story. It’s a romance rooted in vulnerability, emotional honesty, and the slow process of building trust—with someone else and with yourself. Matt’s mental health challenges are portrayed with care, including flashbacks, avoidance, fear of emotional intimacy, and moments of spiraling—but also hope, growth, and resilience.

If you enjoy character-driven stories with emotional depth and realistic depictions of what it means to live and love with trauma, Alaskan Heartbeat may resonate with you. There’s also plenty of small-town charm, quiet humor, and a soft but powerful love story that doesn’t flinch away from the hard stuff.

🫶 TW: PTSD, panic attacks, emotional abuse (off-page), depression, alcohol misuse

Alaskan Heartbeat is available on Amazon in all formats + free on Kindle Unlimited.
Let me know if you’d like to chat about the book—I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks and all the best!