Learning the Hard Way

Learning The Hard Way is an overview of events that have shaped the author's life and the lessons that were learned along the way. Challenges, obstacles and setbacks are shared in this book to illustrate the resiliency and strength that the author found on her life's journey. Readers are given an intimate look into the author's untold past and how this shaped her into the person she is today.

Learning The Hard Way is a candid tell all of the author's life with many events shared that have been kept a secret until now. A whirlwind of painful, difficult and occasionally humorous events are shared to give the reader a peek into the life of the author. However, Learning The Hard Way is not simply a book of stories about the author's life. Its main theme is the lessons that the author learned from each event, both negative and positive, and the impact they had on her life. Challenges and obstacles that led to pain and heartache segue into what the author learned from them and how she came out of it a better person. The author's experiences spanning from childhood to present day comprise the book along with several "life lessons" that she learned on this journey. Readers will experience a variety of emotions as the events unfold, ranging from sadness to anger to laughter. The author encourages these emotions through her writing, asking the reader to remain empathetic and open to the experience. The author's hope is that the reader will take something from the stories and lessons shared and be able to apply it to their own life in a positive way.

Crystal Stansbury Sullivan, BS, MSW, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who is new to the world of writing. She is a graduate of Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts in Natchitoches, LA. She has also earned degrees from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette, LA and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. Working as a social worker and case manager in a medical hospital and being a wife and mother of three children ages 15, 10 and 7 have given her plenty of material for her book. She lives in a small town in Louisiana with her husband, Jay and her children, Tristan, Holden and Bella. Learning The Hard Way is her first endeavor as an author.