To Those Who Battle in Silence

authorhannahcurrie


Hi everyone! I’m Hannah Currie and I write Young Adult Contemporary Christian Romance books with royal characters (aka YA Princess books, which is way easier to say!). I’m also a very proud Australian. G’day from Downunder! You can learn more about me and my books on my website and on Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub.  My latest release, Heart of a Princess, is the second book in my Daughters of Peverell series.

To the watching world, Princess Alina has it all – maids to serve her, a kingdom to revere her, a prince to marry her, and a wardrobe filled with enough frills, flounces and shades of pink to rival a flower shop. But behind the smile and designer clothes, Alina has a secret. She’s barely holding it together.

After a moment of panic almost ends in tragedy, Alina is sent to a refuge far from the palace to recuperate. Her family claim it’s for her own good but – faced with cows, knife-beaked ducks and far too many of her own insecurities – Alina is pretty sure it will kill her first. And Joha Samson, infuriating man that he is, will laugh as it does.

Only there’s more to Joha than she realises, and more to herself too. When the time comes to take a stand, will she find the courage?

You can read the first two chapters here.

To Those Who Battle in Silence

As you might have figured out from the blurb, Princess Alina has pretty bad anxiety, something I never actually planned on writing about but somehow made its way into Alina’s character despite me. Likely because it’s something I’ve struggled with in my own life since my late teens. Not enough to incapacitate me like it does Alina, but always there. In every decision. Every minute of the day. That voice in my head – sometimes whispering, sometimes so loud it blocks out everything else– taunting me. Telling me I’ll never be enough. That everything is going to fall apart and it’ll be my fault. Playing through ‘what if’ after ‘what if’ after ‘what if’ until I’m all but curled up in a ball from the pressure of it all. 

Anxiety, like many mental battles, is an invisible fight. A silent one. One that more people than you know are probably fighting. One that you, yourself, might be fighting. Especially this year when, along with every new day, comes a new set of news reports, restrictions, and reasons to fear.   

Not giving away any major spoilers here but in Heart of a Princess, Alina never gets over her anxiety. It doesn’t magically go away. She still struggles just as badly with it at the end of the book as she does at the start. What she does find, however, is hope amidst the battle. A hope that helps her to fight.

Today, I wanted to encourage those of you fighting too. Those who don’t wear a cast but ache just as much. Those who are silent on the outside but, inside, screaming to be heard. Those who worry, who wonder, who overthink, and are broken over and over by the little things that they know shouldn’t matter but do.

You are seen. 
You are valued. 
You are enough. 

God sees your battle. He knows how much you struggle. He’s holding you together on those days when even deciding what outfit to wear is one thing too many. 

You don’t have to climb a mountain for him to be proud of you. Take courage, and take the next step, even if it’s more of a shuffle than a stride. Because even on those days when it feels like you’re all alone, you’re not. You are seen, dear one. You are valued. You are enough.

Published by authorhannahcurrie

349 thoughts on “To Those Who Battle in Silence”

  10. I’m glad I followed the scavenger hunt. I haven’t come across your books before. Oh I’ve subscribed to your newsletter

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    1. Thanks Hadassah! (Which is a very cool name, by the way. My friend’s daughter is called Hadassah but I’ve never heard of any others. Nice to meet you!) Hope you’ve enjoyed the hunt.

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  21. I’m someone who struggles with high-functioning anxiety as well. I so look forward to reading this book! (And this whole series)

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    1. 😦 Sending you hugs. (Unless you’re one of the people who that stresses out more, in which case, I’ll take it back :p) Sorry you’re dealing with anxiety. It’s a tough thing to fight. I hope you enjoy Alina’s book and find hope in the journey ❤ Thanks for stopping by 🙂

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    1. Right?!?! I would love that dress. It’s so pretty!! (Although I doubt I could get away with wearing that colour… still, I’d totally do it just because it’s so pretty. ha!) Thanks for stopping by. Hope you’ve enjoyed the hunt 🙂

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  23. Ooh, I really enjoyed your first book. Thank you for the chance to win your book! I follow you on Facebook and am a subscriber too.

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  27. You will be a new to me author. This is so exciting. I am now a subscriber too. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

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  29. Pingback: Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt – Cowgirl Mama

  32. I am excited to put your books in my TBR stack. I enjoy a good royal story line. But more so, heroines who struggle just like me. I loved the wisdom in your quotes. Truth always encourages…even when it is correcting you to take a different path.

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  43. This sounds like a good book as I struggled with anxiety for 30 years. The Lord finally set me free from it last year! So so thankful!

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  46. I am subscribed to your newsletter and following on Facebook I have never read you before but looking forward to reading you. Thanks for the chance.
    Tighefan42argmaildotcom

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  48. I subscribed to your newsletter.
    Boy, can I relate to the Princess’s anxiety! I attempted suicide over 35 yrs ago, but still deal with depression to this day. God has brought me through some very difficult times.

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    1. 😦 I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with depression for so long. Anxiety and depression are such tough things to live with. Thanks for continuing to fight. The world needs you here ❤

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  50. I totally need to read this. I battle with this to the point that it renders me unfunctional or whatever the word is. THanks for being here and writing this book. 🙂

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