In My TBR Stack:

What I Wish I'd Known: Finding Your Way Through the Tunnel of Grief
by Kristi Hugstad
Morgan James Publishing
Trade Paperback

In What I Wish I'd Known, Hugstad shares her own personal experiences with grief and explains how she overcame those difficult times in her life. After her husband's sudden suicide, Kristi Hugstad had to not only deal with her grief in a healthy way, but also find a way to move on and live a happy life once again. She knows firsthand the emotional turmoil that a tragic life event can bring, and desires to help others who are currently experiencing the same thing that she has.

Hugstad also discusses the healthy solutions she has found for dealing with tragic situations. She hopes to inspire others to change their negative way of thinking and experience a permanent restoration of peace. What I Wish I'd Known encourages readers who are going through tragic or life-changing events that this is not the end for them- there is a way out of the "tunnel of grief" and hope for them on the other side.

R U OK?: Teen Depression & Suicide

by Kristi Hugstad

Dog Ear Publishing

Trade Paperback

Sometimes, the thoughts we leave unsaid are the most dangerous.

Such is certainly the case for those feelings - however fleeting - that leave you sad, anxious, afraid and hopeless. If you're a young adult who suffers from depression or other mental illness, your own mind might seem like a prison of negativity, your own thoughts too great a burden to bear.

Whether you, a friend or a loved one suffers from depression or is at risk of suicide, you can find hope in three life-changing words: R U OK?

R U OK? offers teens, young adults, parents and educators a toolkit for dealing with mental illnesses, depression, addiction and suicide - for yourself or your peers. Addressing relevant issues like cyberbullying, technology addiction, substance abuse, gender confusion and suicide ideation, R U OK? helps bring light to otherwise dark - but critical - topics.

After losing her own husband to suicide, Kristi Hugstad understands the patterns, warnings and risk factors she failed to see during his life. As a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist and credentialed health educator, Hugstad combines her firsthand experience with researched-backed, clinical methods to help prevent suicide and address important mental health issues.
Whether you feel scared and misunderstood or are worried about a friend or family member, there is a powerful hope in asking - and answering - a simple question: R U OK?