Audley Enough follows Audley’s journey through “The Matrix,” specifically his mental health.
Welcome to one of the May 3rd stops on the blog tour for Audley Enough by Patricia Lavoie & Lesley Whyte Reford with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for more exclusive excerpts and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
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About the Book
Audley Enough
A Portrait of Triumph and Recovery in the Face of Mania and Depression
by Patricia Lavoie & Lesley Whyte Reford
Published 29 December 2021
Tellwell Talent
Genre: Non-Fiction, Biography
Page Count: 158
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Audley Enough follows Audley’s journey through “The Matrix,” specifically his mental health. The book describes his adventures into his mania and depression that occurred during the peak employment years of his life, from 27 to 38 years old. It takes one through the spiritual essence of his being, and gives one steps to travel through mania and depression. After reading his book, one comes out stronger with multiple coping tools. The book is about Audley refusing to let his bipolar diagnosis define him, nor stop him from leading a mentally, healthy, and productive life.
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Exclusive Excerpt
In 1968, at the age of 10, Audley and his family took a leap of faith and moved to Toronto. He says he came with hopes and dreams, almost like he was part of a fairy tale. Excited with this new adventure, he arrived at the Toronto airport, experiencing snow for the first time . . . nothing but white snow all around him. He says that he didn’t even feel the cold because of his excitement.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long before his eyes were opened to another cold reality…the snow wasn’t the only “white” surrounding him. It was the first time in his life that he felt the divisive impact of racism. Audley quickly learned what it meant to be “black” and the inherent gap that came with it. Despite being told that “Canada was not racist” and that “it’s better than a lot of other places,” for Audley, it was like a virus. As he said, “it’s not loud, but it’s deadly.”
The Coleys settled into Toronto, first living in the Annex in the area of Bloor and Bathurst Streets, a lively and bohemian neighbourhood in the downtown core. In order to accommodate extended family, the family then moved east to Regent Park near Parliament and Dundas Streets, a neighbourhood known for discount supermarkets, homeless shelters, low-income housing, and crime and drug-dealing. It was here, at Lord Dufferin Junior and Senior Public School, that Audley felt the full impact of them versus us. For Audley, it was more than the typical childhood bantering and teasing that he was well familiar with and could cope with in Jamaica. Now there was a real division. He recalls kids saying “You’re black and I’m white, so we can’t be friends,” or being called “chocolate face” or “monkey.” Even teachers treated him differently, giving him less attention than the others. Audley says it was almost like the kids believed they had a right to treat him this way because he was intruding on their premises, whether it was in the classroom, the neighbourhood, or even the country as a whole. While his mother told him to try to ignore the taunting, it was very difficult for him, as it would be for anybody. As he puts it, he was “out of his element.” Coming from Mandeville, where everybody was more or less black and he was part of the majority, in Canada Audley became one of the minority. And, as he says, the more he tried to be accepted, the more he lost who he was. His parents tried to understand, but didn’t really “get it” as they held on to their Jamaican mentality and had never really experienced the childhood cruelty that can occur in any classroom which for Audley and his siblings was augmented with prejudice. Audley felt very deflated and alone as he adjusted to his new reality.
About the Authors
Audley Coley is a mental health coach, a philanthropist, the subject of a book and a Friend of the Bell Let’s Talk campaign. He is often called upon to host forums on mental health awareness and was more recently seen on CBC’s You Can’t Ask That describing his life with bipolar disorder and on Facebook, hosting the live broadcast to the Alianait Arts Festival for the Nunavut community alongside his lovely daughter.
His ability to soar above mental illness is something he credits to many things. His support system: a strong Jamaican, God-fearing, and closely knit family, first. Sports and physical activity come in at a close second. Audley has always been extremely active. He played hockey, soccer and was a dancer/choreographer, most of his life. At the fine age of 62, he can be found at the Atwater Club teaching a class that could put people half his age to shame. Just ask his Yummy Mummies who subscribe to his workouts and carefully crafted playlist. And then, it’s about food for Audley. He perfected his culinary skills working as a chef in Frobisher Bay (Iqaluit) and today, cooking is truly his labour of love. He takes his vitamins (his medication) regularly and frequently visits to Up House, a place where he goes to get centered and to give back to those who once gave to him. The last and perhaps most important box he checks off on his self-care list is REST.
Audley’s objective is to tell his story often so people may recognize themselves, to provide hope for families of those affected, to share a recipe for success that he knows works and to have the opportunity to change someone’s life in the same way that Patty Duke’s openness changed his.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
LESLEY WHYTE REFORD is a seasoned writer who has a passion for communications and storytelling. She obtained her Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Queen’s University in 1993 and went on to build her career in Corporate Communications and Public Relations in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. As she raised her two sons, Lesley put her career on hold but continued with her writing when time allowed. Engaging in small contract freelance opportunities and volunteer work, Lesley published a centennial book commemorating the Montreal Children’s Hospital’s contribution to the Montreal community titled “100 Years of Stories” in 2004. In 2013, she collaborated with Audley Coley to author “Audley Enough”, an inspiring resource to share his journey with bipolar disorder and help combat the stigma of mental health issues. Lesley is currently a full-time grant writer at One Tree Planted, Inc., a global reforestation non-profit organization.
PATRICIA LAVOIE has been writing and producing feature films and television series for many years including seventeen seasons with Sesame Street (CBC) in Canada where she honed her pre-school expertise. She developed the original concept for and produced the first Heritage Minutes, a multi-million dollar television and cinema project based on anecdotes of Canadian history, as well as many award-winning preschool and family productions for broadcasters such as CBC, Radio-Canada, YTV, Treehouse, Animal Planet, TVOntario, TFO, Télé-Québec, Discovery Channel USA and PBS.
Ms. Lavoie also co-produced several feature length films with international partners in Australia, New Zealand, France, Japan and the USA. Her online game productions were created for PBS, National Geographic, CBC, Radio-Canada and Treehouse.
As a broadcaster, Ms. Lavoie also served as interim Director of Yoopa, a multiplatform brand comprised of a television channel, an online community for children and parents and a magazine for parents.
Audley Enough is her third book.
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Giveaway Alert!
Lesley Whyte Reford & Patricia Lavoie will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayDisclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Thanks for hosting!
Thank you for sharing the authors’ bios and book details, this biography sounds like an excellent read
Looks like a very interesting book. Great cover!
On behalf of Audley Coley, I would like to express our gratitude for sharing this excerpt from his book on your website and for the fun giveaway. He hopes that readers will find inspiration and strength in his story. His recipe for soaring above bipolar disorder began with admitting there was a problem.
Audley’s mission is to make a difference by telling his story. He wants people to know they are not alone.
With gratitude,
Christine Bode (Bodacious Copy) for Audley Coley
https://audleycoley.ca/