Tim Phelan : Romance, Riches, and Restrooms

Humorous, offbeat IBS memoirs – apparently they’re not just for IBS sufferers anymore. Well, that’s the message that I took away from this latest book review, which was posted this morning by the blogger known as POD Critic. Of course, you’ll want to read the entire critique, but here’s a little preview to tide you over:

“Tim Phelan’s Romance, Riches, and Restrooms treats us to something quite rare: we get to peer into the mind and life of an individual who, through this unabashed memoir, allows us to become intimately familiar with him, and his “functional” disorder. Peppered with humor and the hilarious situations experienced by the author, the book expertly demonstrates the great burden shouldered by IBS sufferers, who must daily walk a tightrope of social scrutiny that no human being should be forced to. 

The author’s struggles with the disorder are penned with a rare precision that is at times enrapturing—given the level of writing—and at times as suspenseful as anything I’ve read in a good mystery. Some scenes will leave you on the edge of your seat…

In short, the book is an impressive contribution that is as important for its subject matter as for its entertainment value.”

It’s worth noting that POD Critic is the lead editor at a small New York publishing house, who, for the record, does NOT suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. And to me, that’s what’s so significant about his review.

Now, I’d always hoped (and half expected, honestly) that my memoir would one day be received enthusiastically by fellow IBS sufferers, and maybe, if I was very lucky, even by their friends and family, too. And, happily, I’ve been extremely fortunate to see those hopes realized in spades, which has been enormously gratifying. Similarly, I’ve been absolutely blown away to find out that the book has built up a cult following among people afflicted with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colits – honestly, I never saw that one coming.

But, all the while, I had an even bolder vision for how my story might raise public awareness for IBS on an even larger scale. Ignoring many relevant facts – for example, I’d never written a book before and was blissfully ignorant about the depressingly long odds of succeeding in the publishing business – I had somehow managed to convince myself that my quirky little memoir would find a wide audience beyond the IBS community.

The publishing industry uses the term “crossover” for a title that breaks out of its niche and unexpectedly goes on to enjoy broad, mainstream appeal. Don’t get me wrong – I realize that Romance, Riches, and Restrooms is still a long, long (LONG) way from achieving that kind of mass readership. But in my mind, reviews from publishing professionals like POD Critic offer validation that my wild dreams might not be so unrealistic after all.

-Tim

If you look at my “Reviews & In the News” page, you’ll notice a new book review for Romance, Riches, and Restrooms written by Sophie Lee. She’s the IBS sufferer in the U.K. who created IBS Tales - a wonderful site where people with IBS can connect with each other by sharing their experiences with what is so often an embarrassing and isolating disorder. I bookmarked her site several years ago and have been a frequent visitor ever since.

Yet, despite spending hours reading through the site’s hundreds of personal stories (I’m masochistically partial to the “Embarrassing Tales” category), I somehow missed what is perhaps the site’s true gem. You see, in addition to running IBS Tales, launching a separate IBS treatment review site, and frequently updating her own blog, Sophie also found the time and energy to write her own E-book. It’s called IBS and Me: Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I recently had the pleasure of reading it.

Wait. I left out one very important point that will only make the case for reading this E-book even more compelling. It’s FREE! That’s right, you can read Sophie’s story on her site or download a PDF file by subscribing to her newsletter. Now, on to the review…

When you first look at the length of this E-book – at 62 pages, it’s certainly compact – you might assume that it’s light on substance. But that would be a mistake because the “good things come in small packages” principle definitely applies here.
Putting her professional experience as a journalist to expert use, Sophie manages to skillfully compress fifteen years of living with constipation-predominant IBS into an engaging, easy-to-read, and yes, quite often funny, “mini-memoir” that just about any IBS sufferer will easily identify with. She carefully selects only the most relevant personal anecdotes, wisely avoids overloading the narrative with too much dry, factual IBS information, and picks just the right spots to lighten up the mood with refreshing doses of dry, self-deprecating British wit that will definitely make you chuckle out loud.

What I liked most about this story is its focus on not only the physical symptoms, but also on the day-to-day psychological mindset and the toll that IBS took on her confidence. As I know from personal experience, once IBS hits your confidence, every aspect of your life becomes exponentially more challenging and difficult to cope with.

The main reason Sophie shared her personal journey in such a public way was because she wanted to let other IBS sufferers know that they are not alone with the life challenges they face, and she also wanted to share all the helpful information she’s accumulated over the years. And she’s really done a terrific job. But don’t take my word for it. Go check it out for yourself! You’ll be glad you did.

- Tim
 

This came out yesterday, and it made me laugh so hard that I had to share it here. In my opinion, the blogger/book reviewer, who goes by the name “Tabitha,” has penned one of the most original, amusing, and creative (not to mention enthusiastic!) reviews I’ve seen for my book. THANKS, Tabitha!!

I’ve posted the entire review below, but to see the original post and also read some of Tabitha’s other book reviews, go directly to Tabitha’s site.

-Tim

Monday, March 12, 2007

A HUGE thanks to “Gastro Girl” (aka Jacqeline Gaulin, the editor for digestive matters over at the recently launched mega-health site, RevolutionHealth.com). Today she used her blog to shine a light on the uniquely embarrassing challenges that single people with IBS - and digestive diseases like Crohn’s and Colitis - face every day in the already-daunting dating arena.

Oh yeah, she also gave my memoir a big, old plug. Yee-Ha!! Take a look for yourself…

Irritated and Single? You can find love!

Tim

I just want to extend a big personal ”Thank You!” to the editors at Daily Candy for enthusiastically recommending my book to their legions of loyal subscribers. So far, the response has been overwhelming!

In case you missed it, here’s the Weekend Guide of last Thursday’s Everywhere Edition:

For those of you who asked about the details of this afternoon’s interview, here you go:

I’m going to be interviewed by Dr. Brent Ridge, who hosts a live program called The Visiting Hour on the Martha Stewart Living channel on Sirius Satellite radio (it’s channel #112). From what I understand, today’s entire show, which will run from 1:00 to 2:00 pm (EST) is going to focus exclusively on IBS. I am scheduled to be the show’s wrap-up guest from about 1:40 to 2:00 pm.

If you want to listen in today but you’re not a subscriber to Sirius, I learned you can go to the Sirius web site and sign up for a free 3-day trial which takes about 30 seconds to sign up for.

Thanks,

 Tim

I am proud to announce the release of Romance, Riches, and Restrooms on Amazon.com and at Barnes and Noble.