Author

I’ve always been fascinated by people and their relationships. This is why, upon completing my undergraduate studies, I went on to get a Master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. I have gained a wealth of both theoretical and practical grounding in transactional analysis and a great insight into human nature working with clients in my private practice. Post-graduate studies have further deepened my understanding of the individual, human emotions, and relationship dynamics. After closing my private practice, I am now devoted to writing books full-time.

 

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I like to observe people in their intimate moments and make them up from scratch to live in my stories. I am often amazed by how different we all are, and how we connect with one another. We relate mostly through context: similar interests, through collaboration at work, gathering at parties, or simply by sharing a common past. In our adult lives, the busyness of everyday life doesn’t allow us to get to truly know somebody new who isn’t already part of our household.

This is what intrigues me and fires my imagination. Who are all these individuals? What are their stories? I try to discover the clues and write about it. If by chance, my readers recognize themselves in one of my characters, they might also discover something about themselves that they hadn’t noticed before… And thus, I would joyfully fulfill my purpose.

 

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We reveal ourselves to those around us in different ways every day. Everything we say or don’t say, and do or don’t do, reveals a part of the truth of who we are. Every individual experiences intimacy somewhat differently, and for each one this experience is shaped to a considerable extent by key experiences in earlier relationships: first with their parents or caregivers in early childhood, and subsequently with friends, neighbors, and partners.

Intimacy can be experienced even when we’re alone, in moments when we feel at peace, relaxed, and in equilibrium... Real intimacy typically begins with two people knowing one another for a significant amount of time and then eventually making the transition to a long-term relationship. In lasting relationships, we are called upon to strike a balance between our individuality and our connectedness, without being deprived of either. And thus, our capacity for intimacy is put to the test.

 

Helen Greenwald, author

Books

Millennial Disquietude

Short stories

Millennial Disquietude is a collection of twelve short stories that combine fiction with a slight hint of psychology and philosophy. The characters are somewhat neurotic souls, mostly stuck in their everyday situations, who seem to have been given a chance to reflect on their lives and maybe even try something new. Most of them venture through their life circumstances through reminiscing, daydreaming, pondering and analyzing with no apparent endeavor. Eventually all of their attempts to start anew turn out to be in vain.

On the surface the collection might come across as a light read with a slight satiric touch. However, the resolutions, though somehow familiar, may well end up leaving the reader feeling slightly uncomfortable nonetheless.

 

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"...A woman stepped into the stall next to hers and she instantly realized that the walls of the stalls did not extend down to the floor. The person next door could see someone else’s legs and have the full soundtrack of them peeing. What a strange country, indeed. Back home we keep our shit to ourselves. Closed doors, walls built to the floor, properly insulated against… sounds. Most people back home were very private, with different eccentricities. It’s funny how something like a toilet could so easily expose such cultural peculiarities. Just when Margaret was about to leave her stall, the woman next to her asked loudly: “Honey, I’m out of toilet paper. Could you pass me some down here?” She saw the woman’s hand stretching under the wall. How strange and lovely at the same time. For some reason she immediately thought of Robert De Niro’s famous line: Are you talking to me? But she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud, even as a joke, mainly because of her horrid Slavic accent, so she just passed the woman the toilet paper.

Right then and there, in the middle of the restroom, it suddenly hit her: What on earth am I doing here?..."

 

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You can get your own copy of Millennial Disquietude on Amazon.

I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Won’t you please consider leaving a review? Even just a few words would help others decide if the book is right for them.

I’ve made it super simple: just click this link, your reviews will be appreciated!

Thank you for buying and reading my book!

Helen

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Contact

Astrea Publishing LLC
TC Viktorija
Pot za krajem 38
4000 Kranj, Slovenia, EU
+386 41 333 056