Show Notes:

In this powerful episode of Healing Doesn’t Have to Be Heavy, host Angie Berrett sits down with Amanda McNeil for an honest, deeply human conversation about trauma, addiction, and the long road to recovery.

Amanda opens up about her personal journey and how childhood trauma shaped her path, how addiction took hold, and what it took to begin healing.

Their conversation touches on the emotional significance of trigger warnings, the comfort and stability pets can bring during recovery, and the strength Amanda found through her faith. She also discusses her work as an author, creating recovery-friendly literature that offers representation and hope to those who need it most.

This episode is a reminder that healing isn’t linear, but it is possible. Whether you're navigating your own path or supporting someone else, Amanda’s story will move and inspire you.

Bio*

Amanda McNeil (she/her) writes stories where healing and imagination meet.

She’s a queer woman in long-term recovery from alcoholism who writes recovery-friendly fiction across sci-fi, fantasy, romance, and horror. Even when her stories explore darkness, they carry a spark of hope. Her work centers themes of resilience, identity, and personal growth, dusted with the magical, fantastical, and speculative. Amanda’s short fiction has appeared in Decoded Pride, Solarpunk Magazine, and The Last Girls Club, and she’s the author of three books: Waiting for Daybreak (a woman finds sobriety while surviving the zombie apocalypse), Bloemetje (a queer-inclusive space fantasy retelling of Thumbelina), and Ecstatic Evil (a grumpy/sunshine paranormal romance). She lives in New England with her spouse and their talkative tortie cat. You can find her work at opinionsofawolf.com/publications.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opinionsofawolf/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@acutelyamanda

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mcneilauthor.bsky.social

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