By Susan Stoker
Macie met Colonel Colt Robinson at Truck’s wedding when he took it upon himself to help her through her anxiety attack. He became her anchor, the only person she felt who could help her overcome her fears, especially when she was dealing with her ex who was hell-bent on causing her trouble.
In this story featuring Macie Laughlin, Truck’s (Rescuing Mary) estranged sister, Susan Stoker brings focus to anxiety disorder, an illness often misdiagnosed or not given importance.
According to doctors, “anxiety attack” is not a formal, clinical term. Instead, it is used by many people to describe a wide array of feelings, from feeling worried about an upcoming event to intense feelings of terror or fear “that would meet the diagnostic criteria for a panic attack.”
Most often, those suffering from anxiety disorder feel as if they are not being taken seriously. They hear words like “it’s all in your head,” “you’re just acting out,” etc. Sometimes they are told that their fears are insignificant and that there are bigger problems than theirs. Words that, in effect, only help to pull them into a downward spiral of insecurity, self-doubt, and yes, despair.
I cannot believe the courage of this author for doing her very best to shine a light on topics most often shunned by many. Yes, her work is fiction, but the issues she writes about—this time, on anxiety—are most definitely not.
I hope, dear reader, that you see what she wants you to see beyond the pages of her books. That you, dear reader, are important, that you matter, and that you, yes, you, are allowed to reach out, that there are lifelines everywhere, and all you need to do is ask.
As to Stella Bloom, Susan Stoker’s wonderful narrator—words are not enough for me to say that you, my dear, have a lifelong fan in me.
Bitch N Books 
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