[00:00:00] This is the Vanessa Barrington Show.
[00:00:05] Vanessa Barrington: In today's episode, I sit down with Shelly Hill, author of Only Joy Bites, to talk about what it truly takes to go from carrying a story inside of you to holding that finished, published memoir in your hands.
[00:00:22] In today's episode, Shelly shares the real unfiltered journey of writing her book, the transformation that happened along the way for her and what it meant to publish through Healing House Publishing.
[00:00:35] This is not a conversation about having it all figured out. It's about saying yes to your story before you feel ready and discovering what waits for you on the other side of that.
[00:00:45] In today's episode, I'm really exploring what finally moved Shelly to write the memoir that she had been holding onto the transformation that she experienced through the writing process itself and how she met her edges through that process, what the publishing journey looked like for her and what she really hopes to achieve with this story.
[00:01:06] If your story has been waiting for you and you feel like you are ready to finally unlock it and get it out into the world, Shelly's journey might be exactly the permission slip that you have been waiting for and didn't know that you needed at all. Enjoy.
[00:01:22] Hi, I'm Vanessa Barrington, also known as the book Doula, founder for Healing House Publishing Psychic Medium, and a woman on a mission to heal the world through stories. If you're a healer, coach, creative, or expert, I help you turn your. Story into a published book and a global movement that builds authority, impact, and legacy.
[00:01:44] This is not a writing podcast. It's a show where I explore voice, truth, spirituality, and what it really takes for you to trust yourself and share your story with the people who most need it. This is the Vanessa Barrington Show.
[00:02:00] Vanessa Barrington: In this week's episode, it is my absolute privilege and honor to welcome Shelley Hill to the show.
[00:02:08] Shelley joined my book Doah program a few years ago, and we have been on quite the journey together. Over the, last few years for Shelley to write her debut memoir Only Joy Bites, so I'm gonna introduce her in a second.
[00:02:23] But before I do that, I wanted to share just a tiny little sticky beak behind the scenes of what the book is about. So essentially, when a drug scandal ends Shelley's police career, she spirals into a raw search for truth and identity and her memoir and her story, which we're gonna. Dive a lot more into today is really such an incredible and gripping very raw memoir and story about shame, survival, and really what happens when life grabs you by the throat.
[00:02:58] And so without further ado, I'm gonna welcome the incredible formidable Shelley Hill to the show. Welcome Shelley.
[00:03:06] Shelley Hill: Hi Vanessa.
[00:03:07] Vanessa Barrington: How you going?
[00:03:08] Shelley Hill: Nice to it's, I'm good. Nice to see you. Nice to be on the show. Thanks for inviting me.
[00:03:14] Vanessa Barrington: Here we are. Hey, all those years later, after going, am I really gonna do this?
[00:03:20] And here you have, you've got the book with you today, don't you?
[00:03:23] Shelley Hill: I do, I do. I've got it right here. So, yeah. I'm excited to share my journey with everybody and, How important the book doula process was in that.
[00:03:32] Vanessa Barrington: Well, and how important your story is as well. I would say, Shelley, I'm not letting you get away with that too.
[00:03:38] Yeah.
[00:03:41] Well, listen firstly, thanks so much for agreeing to come on, and I, I'm sure that you know many of the people that. Listen to this podcast are often, you know, at different stages of their own writing journey. And I know you know, I think the more that we can shine a light on the struggles and the trials and tribulations of that process, the more helpful it is for people that are traversing that.
[00:04:03] And a lot of people, as you know, that come into my world often have gone through. significant trauma and, you know, big life events. I would love for you to just share a little bit more without giving too much away of the story a bit about your story and you know, what happened to you to then want to write a book in the first place, I suppose.
[00:04:23] Shelley Hill: Yeah, look I think it's something I've always wanted to do is to write a book, and you know, there was a lot of events in my life that were actually made public one being the drug investigation while serving the police. And the second one my journey with contracting a deadly form of malaria.
[00:04:42] So I think with those two significant life changing events, I felt this urge to, to get it out there, to, to share it with. With the world, I guess. And it, it, look, there is a lot of moments where I embark on, you know, that real search for identity and the, the processes that go along with that including shame and not feeling good enough.
[00:05:09] And I think. You know, most of us have, you know, experienced that within our lifetime of not feeling good enough. And
[00:05:17] I'm putting my hand up.
[00:05:18] Yeah. Yeah.
[00:05:19] Vanessa Barrington: If you're watching on YouTube for a hundred percent. Right. And I think a lot of creatives face into that. You know, especially if you've gone through any kind of even childhood trauma or any of those experiences.
[00:05:31] Shelley Hill: when I was writing the book, I didn't necessarily think I'd be searching as deeply as the book took me. I think writing all the, the things that I'd done in my life and really having to own it was the clincher of. I really was ashamed of myself or I really have not felt good enough since I was a young person.
[00:05:53] And, you know, the process of therapy different healing modalities enabled me to, to dig deep. And that's what this book's about.
[00:06:03] Vanessa Barrington: Yeah, it's, I, I mean it's huge. And you know, you mentioned about, you know, obviously getting kicked outta the police, that's a huge like I can't even imagine how that must have felt.
[00:06:16] But then to go on and, you know, you were volunteering in Cambodia, right? With elephants. And do you wanna share a bit about what happened when you came home from that?
[00:06:26] Shelley Hill: Yeah, I went to Cambodia alone. It was my first trip alone. it was just to get away from just a relationship that was turning a bit sour.
[00:06:36] So I just thought I'd go and give back and volunteer with some elephants, in the jungle of Cambodia. And, I got back home. And was quite sick, you know, but I'm quite a robust sort of person. But I was, you know, it was more than the flu and I just thought, I didn't think too much of it until, I ended up going to the doctors and getting some bloods done, and that came back with 247,000 parasites of malaria falciparum, which is a deadly form of malaria, running through my body.
[00:07:07] So I was rushed to emergency at, then I was put into an induced coma so they could try and get my organs back working again 'cause I went into multi-organ failure. and as a result of that, the blood had to obviously pump through my, my body to, keep me alive. So my fingers and toes, initially went purple and they turned black, like black, hard, necrotic sort of stumps.
[00:07:35] And they were, later amputated. So I now live with a disability with no fingers and toes. And that event was really something that I had to, embody and embrace the, the label of a disability, but I didn't wanna let it destroy me. So, yeah, in that process, I've overcome a, a lot of hurdles since then.
[00:08:04] Including writing the book.
[00:08:05] Vanessa Barrington: Absolutely. And it's such a, you know, you've heard me say so many times, like, so many people want to do it and you know, it's like 80% plus of the population that say they wanna write a book one day, but then that actual follow through and the discipline and, and you know, as you also highlight there, the ways in which you meet yourself that you weren't expecting to
[00:08:29] meet yourself, and I'd love to hear your thought, Shelley, on that specifically. You know, you are very well educated. You ended up doing a psychotherapy, was it a degree? I should remember this from the book. Yeah, sure. It was a degree, right?
[00:08:44] Shelley Hill: Yeah.
[00:08:44] Vanessa Barrington: let's go back before that, before you joined my program.
[00:08:49] Where were you at in terms of writing? Like what was going on for you at that point in time?
[00:08:55] Shelley Hill: Hmm. Had done a couple of writing courses just online when COVID was around. that really got me excited about learning how to write. that was the beginning and then. I journaled all my life so I had, you know, multiple books of little bits and pieces of my life scattered over pages. and I was just at this sort of stuck point, before I met you, as I didn't know really how to do it on my own. I had a few tools up my sleeve, but I didn't really know how to put this into some sort of format that looked like a book.
[00:09:29] So I was stuck.
[00:09:31] Vanessa Barrington: Mm.
[00:09:31] Shelley Hill: Yeah. Before I met you.
[00:09:33] Vanessa Barrington: Did you have any sense at that time, Shelley, of what you would I wanna say? 'cause ' the malaria had only happened really a short period of time before we connected and. You know, some would say, and I hear this often actually with writers, that, you know, they, they really feel the pull to want to write, but they also are struggling with, well, I feel like I'm still in it.
[00:09:59] Like I'm still in my healing journey. I'm still living the ending of my story. Mm. I'd love just to hear your own thoughts on what that was like for you at that time and like, did you have any sense at the very beginning of the process of. What that was going to, what you would gain from it, I guess on a personal level.
[00:10:21] Shelley Hill: Hmm. I think, you know, thinking about the events in my life, and writing them were two different things. writing them brought it all back to the surface and there were moments where I could only write for a couple of hours because I was right back in it. I was literally back in that trauma
[00:10:40] and so it felt like I had to like embody, really embody all these little stuff ups that I, done or, including the police stuff, like I said, it was okay just to know that it happened. and have a laugh about it sometime. But on the other hand, writing it out again, just reintroduced it.
[00:10:59] So it took a long time to sort of get the book, underway because I had to take a lot of breaks or avoid certain things that I was writing about. It didn't just flow. It was, it was quite disjointed at times until I really. Embodied it and went, you know what, this is my life.
[00:11:18] This is my story. We've all got one and we've all made mistakes and we've all got struggles. So that, just knowing that helped me to heal from it and to allow the book to go out into the world.
[00:11:30] Vanessa Barrington: Mm, that's right. And that's, you know, it's so interesting, isn't it? Like I felt that very much on my own spiritual journey.
[00:11:37] Like there can be a real difference between either like knowing something like knowledge wise or knowing something that has happened to you and then actually integrating it and being able to really accept it. And the word that comes up for me there is detachment and, you know, a level of kind of being able to.
[00:12:00] Step outside of it, but acknowledge it face on as well and go, yeah, this is, this isn't just something that happened to me. This is something I went through and learned from and transformed from, and I can, you know, accept all those parts of me.
[00:12:15] Shelley Hill: Yeah. Absolutely. It's just that I think that struggle that we all have with identity and who we really are.
[00:12:22] Is quite the theme throughout the book. And avoidance and detachment was definitely the way that I, I was writing at first. I think the ending of the book. Feels a bit more cohesive. Some of the, the beginning phases are a little bit of my life. We're a bit sketchy, so I really had to go into memory or remember a scene for example, that I could then write about that would make sense to readers.
[00:12:49] Vanessa Barrington: Mm, yeah.
[00:12:50] Shelley Hill: Yeah.
[00:12:50] Vanessa Barrington: I mean, memory's a slippery thing, isn't it? We don't always. Yeah, like I know for myself in my own experience with writing my memoir, like there's a lot of things that I've blocked because when you've had trauma, that's just your trauma response is, I mean, you would know more than I would there in terms of being a psychotherapist.
[00:13:09] Coming back to the, you know, your own healing journey, would you say that writing the book was a healing process for you?
[00:13:17] Shelley Hill: Yes, it definitely was a healing process. Once again, because I had to go through it again. I had to be in it, I had to accept it. So in all of those moments, it was definitely a very healing process.
[00:13:32] It was cathartic, it was traumatic, it was funny. it took me to a, a place that I, I just didn't think I'd want to go back to or have to go back to, but I. I did have to go back there in order to get this out. So, yeah. Healing for sure.
[00:13:48] Vanessa Barrington: Yeah. Yep. And there's other, like, obviously there was so much in your toolkit and things as you mentioned, like when you had the amputation, it's like you have to really draw on.
[00:14:01] All of the reserves and, and that led you on a path. You also talk about in the book that you explored plant medicine as part of that healing journey. Do you wanna talk a little bit to that?
[00:14:12] Shelley Hill: Hmm. I went on a journey with ayahuasca and I did three ceremonies. It was, some, wasn't something I jumped at because I was quite scared of in this, this LSD sort of, approach to it that people.
[00:14:28] Were talking about I was a bit scared that I was gonna be, you know, vomiting in front of other people. A couple of friends had done it, who, and it was probably, it took me a couple of years to actually go, okay, I'm, I'm ready, or I've got the calling to actually do this. And. The first ceremony was extremely profound and extremely powerful.
[00:14:50] I felt like I'd had 10 years of therapy in one night. Just remember we, we'd take the medicine and there was lots of sort of shamanic music playing. And once the medicine came on, I just remember just slumping. In absolute grief and just tears pouring out my eyes about what had happened with malaria because I'm quite a stoic sort of person.
[00:15:16] I hadn't really cried that much. I just thought, oh, we've just gotta get on with it. But this plant medicine took me to the grief that I needed to explore, and in that I would, I felt the, the, the courage and the, the drive to, to do two more ceremonies after that. And that also included opening up my voice.
[00:15:39] I'm quite shy at times, so I had to really remember. No, like they call the plant mudra was saying, open up your throat, people wanna hear you. So that also excited me because that led me to, to keep writing.
[00:15:57] Vanessa Barrington: Mm-hmm.
[00:15:58] Shelley Hill: Yeah. So it was a com com I would, I would do another one. For sure. It was something that I really, that really resonated with me as a healing modality.
[00:16:08] Yeah.
[00:16:08] Vanessa Barrington: Mm-hmm. It's interesting, I was chatting with someone last week in the States and we both mentor under the same shaman. And his view on Ayahuasca is that he doesn't recommend it to his clients, I believe it's only because he feels like it really does break apart your entire being into collective consciousness.
[00:16:34] And then really you need to put yourself back together again almost. And not everybody is equipped.
[00:16:43] Shelley Hill: Hmm
[00:16:44] Vanessa Barrington: to be able to do that, if that makes sense. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that. 'cause I know it's, you know, some
[00:16:51] Shelley Hill: Absolutely. Yeah.
[00:16:52] Vanessa Barrington: Really beneficial.
[00:16:53] Shelley Hill: Absolutely. I agree with that because I mean, I very fortunate that I'd done a lot of therapy on myself and, and then became one.
[00:17:02] So, I had the tools on the back end of that, those experiences to be able to to piece it all together. Whereas I think if you went in without having. Those tools or maybe have not done any sort of therapy. It could be a little unwavering and unsettling and, and yeah, a bit scary really. I think you definitely need some tools on the other end to support that, that process
[00:17:26] Vanessa Barrington: and the integration.
[00:17:28] Yeah, yeah, for sure. For sure. So I would love for you to share how you discovered the book doula program you came in, in 2023 through a mutual friend, I suppose, of ours. A hairdresser, no less. A bit bit of a different referral. Yeah. Me, a bit of a different sales strategy for me.
[00:17:46] Shelley Hill: Yeah.
[00:17:47] Vanessa Barrington: I could do with her today.
[00:17:48] Actually, with this rain, it's kind of the humidity's killing my hair.
[00:17:53] Shelley Hill: yeah. Look, I I, I had this great hairdresser up here and in the northern rivers and we als always used to do tarot readings every, every session or every head, head resting session and, we connected in that spiritual level and she'd just done a a spiritual workshop and you were in it.
[00:18:12] And she
[00:18:13] Vanessa Barrington: knew I was, I think,
[00:18:13] I'm sorry to interrupt,
[00:18:14] but I think that was the one for anyone who's followed my story, my psychic awakening had just happened and I was invited to this. Wisdom Workshop through one of my spiritual mentors, Gail Warwick. And I, I, it was an invite only thing and I walked in the room to like a full room of psychic mediums and was kind of like, what the FMI doing here?
[00:18:40] And that was really, like, that particular session was really where I started to, you know, I think Gail said something like, you've put yourself on trial that ends. Here today and really was kind of making me confront the fact that you have a mediumship ability and you are totally in denial about it. And that ends today.
[00:19:02] Shelley Hill: Yeah. Yeah. It was a random a random conversation was but yeah, she, my hairdresser ended up giving me your number. And I was a bit terror. I was, well a bit, I was terrified to, to connect 'cause I thought this, this could really be real. You know, this could, you know, it is a big commitment. So I did a bit of research on the book doula program and it sounded really good and.
[00:19:28] I think I emailed you because I was a little bit too scared to pick up the phone, but you got me, you rang me back and we had a chat and, and I went, you know what? Let's just do this. So I signed up and yeah, I.
[00:19:41] Vanessa Barrington: The
[00:19:42] Shelley Hill: rest is history.
[00:19:43] Vanessa Barrington: Right? A trick.
[00:19:46] Shelley Hill: Yeah. Cornered me.
[00:19:49] Vanessa Barrington: Well, you, you you know, for all the procrastination and the, you know, riding around the edges of the story as all of my clients do at different stages you got there in the end and you really, it did really pour out of you from, you know, I think in parts, although I fully recognize that.
[00:20:08] That's, it's not always an easy process. What did that writing process feel like for you?
[00:20:16] Shelley Hill: the writing I What the, the, the good thing or the best thing about it was, the structure of the program and having the support with other people in the program, and plus you as a mentor. So the, the process became a lot easier.
[00:20:32] I felt like I was. I had deadlines, which I, I worked really well for my personality type
[00:20:39] Vanessa Barrington: me too. That's why I structure it that way.
[00:20:43] Shelley Hill: So I had a purpose. It gave me a purpose. It gave me a purpose to get this done. The writing process itself, as I said. Previously it was a healing one, a traumatic one, a cathartic one.
[00:20:55] But with the structure of the book doula program, I felt like I was just getting somewhere for the first time since I started back in 2019. So, yeah, it felt like I was really getting somewhere.
[00:21:10] Vanessa Barrington: Yeah. Amazing. What changed for you after you applied what you learned in the program?
[00:21:18] Shelley Hill: My writing style changed. I In
[00:21:20] Vanessa Barrington: what way?
[00:21:21] Shelley Hill: I felt that I was able to describe events or objects or people with a lot more clarity and. Descriptive overtones.
[00:21:32] I think when I first started writing it was very police like, it was very like, that happened and then that happened and that's the end.
[00:21:39] Vanessa Barrington: I think I joked with you, didn't I? I hope you don't mind me sharing. I was like, but you know, Shelley, that was actually one of your natural abilities, which was brilliant. That 'cause often when people are writing trauma, they can really go into. To their bullshit, excuse the French, and really put a lot of, you know, put a lot of drama and whatever in it.
[00:21:59] And the fact was, your story was dramatic without the drama. And what I think was really great about your natural ability as a writer is that, and possibly, yeah, because of your background as a cop, you were able to just write the facts and in fact, writing trauma sometimes one of the issues that I see can be that people go way too much into the emotion and they don't write about the action, and it's like.
[00:22:26] The events are traumatic on their own. They're dramatic enough as they are, like, we don't need all the BS that gets thrown in there. Just tell us the facts.
[00:22:35] Shelley Hill: Yeah.
[00:22:35] Vanessa Barrington: So it can be a good and a bad thing. Right. But I'm sure I made that joke with you at one point. I was like, it's like bit police.
[00:22:42] Statementy. Let's,
[00:22:43] Shelley Hill: yeah. You definitely did it well and it, you it was, it was yeah, it was a bit like a police statement. So I, I really learned to to go into some emotion and to feel The traumatic events that had occurred by writing about them and, and leaning into them rather than just writing the facts.
[00:23:05] So it, my writing style expanded.
[00:23:08] Vanessa Barrington: Mm-hmm.
[00:23:09] what, if any sort of specific results or personal transformation did you experience from that, do you think,
[00:23:16] Shelley Hill: I think I gained a little bit more confidence along the way. I certainly wouldn't be doing what I'm doing right now, you know, four years ago. I'm still nervous about it, but, i, I feel my confidence has grown as a person. And I've learned a lot about self-acceptance through the process.
[00:23:36] I guess to put your, your story, to put my story out there to the world, you know, I have to, I have to embody it, I have to embrace it. Otherwise it's, it I'll just. Keep avoiding. So yeah, confidence, definitely. And the ability to not strangle my life force anymore. I think growing up in a, in a very rigid sort of household with as an only child with two dysfunctional parents, I was just always the good girl and.
[00:24:08] I felt like I finally had found my creative flow.
[00:24:12] Vanessa Barrington: No more hiding now. Right? Like there's nothing like putting your soul into book form and then putting it out for the world for people to judge it to get over any visibility, fears.
[00:24:24] Shelley Hill: That's, that's right.
[00:24:26] Vanessa Barrington: And you had such a beautiful book launch in Bangalore here in Nor like in Northern New South Wales, which I loved attending with you.
[00:24:35] What for you has been the highlight since the book's come out or just in that process?
[00:24:40] Shelley Hill: Hmm. I think getting it published was, you know, it was such a big high and I, I had a lot of people come out of the woodwork that I hadn't seen in years and school friends that audited or I'd sent copies off to people.
[00:24:56] And they, people gave feedback and a lot of people really enjoyed it, and that, that felt really good. I, you know, people took the time to say, Hey, I really enjoyed that, or that was really raw, or that was really courageous. And I think to be acknowledged on that level for someone like me was, was really important.
[00:25:18] Yeah, that, that definitely, that acknowledgement and being seen. I think I've been hiding away for so many years that I finally felt seen.
[00:25:27] Vanessa Barrington: Yeah. No more hiding anymore.
[00:25:29] Shelley Hill: Mm-hmm.
[00:25:29] Vanessa Barrington: so for you now shell, you are, you've obviously gone through so much in your own journey back to self love and that generational trauma and, you know, living with a disability, all of those things.
[00:25:43] Your, how do you feel now about, 'cause I know you've had some media inquiries and you know, the book. I often say like, once the book gets birthed, it kind of takes on a life of its own where it reaches where it needs to. How do you feel showing up in those spaces now?
[00:25:59] Shelley Hill: Oh yeah. I've had a bit of a chat with a b, C conversation. So I'm just waiting to. See if they're sorry. Lola. Lola
[00:26:09] Vanessa Barrington: the dog. If you're watching, if you're watching the video, the dog has just come. The animals always wanna come and chat when we chat, don't they, Shelley?
[00:26:18] Shelley Hill: Yeah. Yeah. So I'm hoping that the, I might get a, a little gig on a, b, c conversations. Another, a friend from college from my psychotherapy days has done a little interview on me. She's, has a little radio gig on a radio station in Sydney. So I'm just sort of letting it do its thing. I've Instagrammed as much as I possibly can at the moment.
[00:26:41] I'm instagramed doubt. So I'm just letting it do its thing right now and just. Divine timing is my two key words.
[00:26:52] Vanessa Barrington: Yeah, it's so true, isn't it? And you know, and detachment, surrender, all of those things. What would you say to someone that is, you know, sitting with a story that feels really big like yours and.
[00:27:07] You know, do you have any words of wisdom for that person that's kind of, besides do my program? I'll say that. Just kidding. No, but seriously, like what, what would you, what advice would you have for someone that's, you know, 'cause oftentimes like, it, the stories can feel huge. Like, where do I even begin with something like this?
[00:27:33] Shelley Hill: I think you, you know, to lean into. It just comes straight into my, to my mind. I think that if you, if people. It's, if it really is that sort of destiny or life purpose, then to just to keep leaning in and if you need to get some support from, you know, external sources, therapy or something to help you, then I think that's also a very good process to go through.
[00:28:01] And it's not easy but there are times when. It just flows and that feels really good. And you know, when you've, I I, there was times when I knew that that actually sounded okay. There are other times and I was like, oh, that sounds really clunky. And I think that's just normal. So yeah, just lean in, explore it, be playful with it and you know, hang on for the ride.
[00:28:27] Vanessa Barrington: I love it. And the PO I'd love for you to talk to. 'cause I often, I try and w warn authors like when it comes out there is a post. There's such a thing as the post book launch come down. Mm. Have you felt that at all?
[00:28:44] Shelley Hill: Yeah, definitely. Look you know, I think that, you know, there's such a hype. I know I've written a book, you know, wow, you're, you're an author.
[00:28:51] I still find it hard to sort of even say I'm an author. Probably still trying to lean into that one myself. Yeah, there's definitely a, a high. You know, once it's done and you know, you've got all your loved ones around you celebrating this huge achievement. And then, you know, everybody once that's over and life just continues on yeah, definitely.
[00:29:13] There's a little bit of a, a post book launch come down for sure.
[00:29:16] Vanessa Barrington: Mm-hmm.
[00:29:17] Shelley Hill: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:29:18] Vanessa Barrington: And on that note, what next for Shelley do you think, have you kind of formulated what. What you might do next with all of this new found inside and information about your own journey. You know, I can imagine a lot of people that are living with a disability, you know, finding your story so inspiring.
[00:29:38] Shelley Hill: Yeah. Look, I'd, I'd love it for it, the book to be some sort of educational tool. I think that for people in Australia, I don't think we're, we might be not that knowledgeable about the, the signs and symptoms of malaria, for example. Or. You know, being more proactive about going overseas and, and having, you know, taking prophylaxis or medication or whatever for mosquitoes.
[00:30:07] You know, I just thought, for example, that that just happened to little kids in Africa.
[00:30:11] Vanessa Barrington: Hmm.
[00:30:12] Shelley Hill: So I was quite, you know, my head was quite in the sand in terms of my knowledge around malaria and learning and living with a disability. Yeah, it has, its, it definitely has. Its, its down times and sad times.
[00:30:25] And I know there's a lot of people out there with, with disability whether it's a mental or physical disability. So if there's anything in the book that might resonate on that search for, you know, that search for yourself in this new, for new form of a then. Yeah, if, if the book can resonate in any way, shape, or form on that level too, that would make me really happy.
[00:30:50] Vanessa Barrington: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well, I'm sure it will. And for anyone listening, you can purchase only Joy Bites at all good bookstores online, Amazon, it's also available on the Healing House publishing. Website. How can people find you, Shelley, if they want to connect with you, whether it be to speak at an event or work with you in some capacity?
[00:31:13] Shelley Hill: Just mainly on Instagram. Like Instagram, which is Shelley 1111. That would be the best way to, to get in contact.
[00:31:23] Vanessa Barrington: Amazing. Well, thank you so much for sharing your story with everyone today. I'm sure there'll be many writers and people that are on that journey that are gonna gain so much from it, and it was just such a privilege and honor to walk beside you to do it as well 'cause you've done it.
[00:31:40] Shelley Hill: Yeah. Look, thanks Vanessa. Like it has been a huge journey and you've just been a great support. I know I've said it before, but I couldn't have done it without you. And thanks for having me on the show.
[00:31:52] Vanessa Barrington: My pleasure.
