The Story Behind the Story with Author Nancy Cusack of N.B., Canada.

 

The Scribbler is most fortunate to have Nancy as our guest this week.

She has kindly agreed to share the SBTS of her new book with our readers. 

The story has received rave reviews and five star ratings.

Read on my friends.

 

Nancy Cusack is a licensed counselling therapist working in private practice in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Francis Xavier University, a Bachelor of Education degree, and a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology degree from the University of New Brunswick. Nancy is a Certified Canadian Counsellor with the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association and licensed through the College of Counselling Therapist New Brunswick. Nancy is a certified EMDR therapist, and has been helping clients overcome PTSD, anxiety, and other mental health issues for almost 20 years. She resides in Rothesay, New Brunswick, with her husband Patrick. She has two grown children, Jack and Annie, and when not working or writing she can be found at her camp exploring the immense ATV trail system New Brunswick has to offer or working on a quilting project with her many cats offering their assistance.

 

 

Title: Yesteryear Meets Today

 

Synopsis:   Growing up on a farm in New Brunswick at the end of World War II, Ruby Cusack had a childhood filled with animals, chores, visits to the fishing hole and rebelling against hair bows and box socials. It was a different time, before social media, cell phones, and television. A time of community and small town life, where everyone knew each other. A time when people were born, raised, married and went on to have their own family all in the same small place.

It was also a time of storytelling, and Ruby Cusack was good at that, sharing stories of her childhood with her own children. Stories of what she called yesteryear, the magical time of her own childhood, growing up on the family homestead in Titusville.

Original photo taken by school teacher Florence Folkins. 1950.

Her daughter, Nancy Cusack has gathered together some of Ruby's stories, using them as examples as she shares her own expertise in mental health. Taking her cues from her mother, Cusack, a licensed counselling therapist with twenty years of experience, shares her knowledge with compassion and a touch of nostalgia.

Spend some time with Ruby and learn of shivarees and how they could help lay the foundation for a strong marriage. Learn about quilting bees and how they brought women together, what the once extinct eastern panther can teach you about how your brain works to keep you alive, and why it's human nature to seek revenge, even though it doesn't usually work out too well for anyone. Be reminded that darkness happens everywhere, that love takes many forms, and the comfort that can be found in community.

Read Ruby's story, learn from Nancy's wisdom, and be treated to a touch extra with Ruby's famous line, 'Oh, by the way...

Spend some time with Ruby in Yesteryear, and with Nancy today. You'll be glad you did.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story:   My mom, Ruby was a teacher, genealogist, writer and story teller.  She wrote a genealogy column for the telegraph journal for over 20 years.   At the beginning of each genealogy column would be a little story about her growing up in rural NB.  When she died in Feb 2022,  her stories of growing up in rural NB kept swirling around in my head.  One night while I’m about to fall asleep I hear my mother’s voice telling me to pair her stories with mental health issues that I am familiar with..  Get writing basically.  “ That story about Ralph Floyds house goes nicely with phobias”.  “ That story about the substitute teacher goes nicely with learning styles”,  “ Nancy, that story about the hard butter goes well with seasonal depression”.  In the coming days I reached out to the telegraph to pitch a continuation of moms column with a different twist. They said “No”,  so I had no other choice than to write a book!  MY goal was to finish it before my dad died.  Dad was very sick with dementia in a nursing home.  My dad and mom lived in the same small community and went to the same one room school house in Titusville. So Mom’s stories were really his stories too.  I dedicated the book to my Dad, and when I received my very first book on June 20th, 2024, it went to my Dad.  I would read to him every visit, and he would remember the stories!  Dad died Aug 8, 2024.

 

Website: Please go HERE.

A question before you go, Nancy:

Scribbler: What is the ideal spot for you when you write your stories? Music in the background or quiet. Coffee or tequila? Messy or neat?



Nancy: My ideal spot to write is at work, in my office with light music playing, and my colleagues chit chatting in their offices, and common areas. When Im at the office I do not worry about the laundry, the dishes, the dust, or letting the dog in, and then the cat out, then in again, and then out, then in. 

***Nancy was recently interviewed by the Saint John Telegraph Journal. Visit her website to learn more.

Congratulations on the great write-up. 

Thank you for being our guest this week, Nancy. We wish you continued success with your stories.

And thank you to our terrific Readers and Visitors.