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Books | Love Unboxed | Placida Acheru

Placida Acheru is the author of Love Unboxed, a collection of personal short stories from 20  women who have shared their ‘Love Journeys; to heal and empower.

Placida says “This book is not just about wanting to share our painful stories. Our single desire is that any woman who reads this book will find answers within its pages. It takes a lot of courage to share one’s deep personal moments with another person and a lot more to share them with the world. We understand that, in times of pain, some are unable to seek help and that is why these courageous women, in spite how they feel, have shared their stories, so others may find answers and courage to face their own demons.”

Placida, is a well-respected Business Coach and International Bestselling Author. In her work, she hears many stories of women who have fought their way back after finding themselves in real adversity. We caught up wth her to find out more…

Why did you choose to compile these stories of love?

Love is a topic that will often come up in discussions when a group of girls gather, whether they are 7 or 70.  It is also a topic that many avoid engaging in especially if it has not been favourable. The topic of love is not only about romance, it is about the love of self.

Growing up, I have gone through the many paths of love. The He loves me; He loves me not; I hate myself. I am the best thing God created. The “I am lonely”; “OMG what is wrong with all these men?”. Why are men like buses? You wait ages for one then two or three arrive at the same time. Thee are many flavours to “Love”. It is a bittersweet emotion.

The different stages of love can make or break you. It can elevate or diminish you. When going through these emotions, there is a tendency to think you are alone. Love Unboxed reveals that you are not.

What were your goals and intentions for the book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?

I feel there are lots of women out there who have given up on themselves. Some have even contemplated suicide. If you look deep down, it’s all to do with loving oneself.

Love Unboxed was created to be a manual for those who are in an abusive relationship, who are at the point of giving up, who feel no good can come out of them and who can’t speak up about what’s going on in their lives.  By bringing together this collection of courageous women to share their raw undiluted love journeys, we show the readers that they are not alone.

Can you share some stories about the women you met while compiling the book?

Love Unboxed features 20 women from eight different countries. Each story is unique, the tears and the pain are the same. One lesson; “race does not make the hurt less painful”. There are three stories of sheer bravery that quickly come to mind. Without giving the story away, I’ll give you a hint.

One lady was recommended to me (to feature in the book) by her friend because her friend thought she was in a beautiful relationship and could share her journey. While interviewing this lady to see if she was a good fit for the book, it turned out she was in a relationship which she couldn’t wait to get out of. And while we were working on the book project she found the courage and filed for divorce to exit a very abusive marriage that had taken away all her self-esteem.

Another story is of a very vibrant woman whose has a contagious cheerfulness. She is someone you’d want to be around. Her story is one where she has lost three partners shortly after marriage.  You need to read her story to discover her secrets and how she is coping in her fourth marriage.

This final story is a lady who attempted suicide in the name of nobody loves and wants me. Today she is happy.  Now she’s using that hurt to inspire and empower women in the UK

What was the hardest part of compiling the book? How did you overcome the challenge?

The hardest part was in the editing process, as each writing style was different. I wanted to keep the voice and writing style of each woman.  It was important to me that the reader travels with the writer on their journey and to come out on the other side ready to BE More.  There was a lot of going back and forth between myself and the writers. When we were all happy, the book went through another three editors, and believe this, we still found errors after publishing!

What did you enjoy most?

Bonding! Connecting with these amazing women, watching them bond and become sisters. Seeing the joy on their faces when we climbed the rank on Amazon to become #1 International Bestseller in five countries. I think that was the icing on the beautiful cake we had just baked together.

What inspires you?

Life. Creation. People and the diversity of this great world we are all hanging out in.  Have you ever seen a baby smile? You can’t buy that.

Who are some of your favourite authors and did they have any influence on this project?

I am not sure if I have a favourite author but I can tell you that after publishing this book I was introduced to Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. Watching a recent documentary on Maya Angelou got me even more inspired to produce more books.

I have always loved listening to other people and their life journeys. I was that child who listened in on my parent’s conversations with visitors. I didn’t talk about it to anyone, I just wanted to learn from experiences.  Today, I just read, to mature to ease drop on conversations.

What process did you go through to get your book published?

A lot goes into publishing whether you are going with a traditional publisher or you are self-publishing. I chose to launch a self-publishing business to help support my goal, which is to help 200 women become published authors by 2019.

What makes your book stand out from the crowd?

It’s an anthology featuring women from eight different countries, I think that alone makes it unique.  I would like to add; the content is raw and undiluted. It takes the reader on a personal journey with each writer. It is more than just any book, it is a manual for life change, creating a transformation movement for women globally.

What do your plans for future projects include?

Books and more books!  We are already working on Love Unboxed Part 2 and it’s exciting!   I am also, working on two new titles “Hot Flushes and Sweats” – Menopause Reality and a third book “Biz Hacking: No Codes, No rules, Women just doing it.

 

Website: http://placidaacheru.com | Connect with Placida:  https://twitter.com/Placida_Acheru

 

 

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