With Love and Theft: A Memoir of Mental Illness, I am joining others in tackling the stigma that surrounds mental illness. I write about depression, mania, psychosis, and anxietytopics so many people understand, whether through the struggles of a friend or family member, or their own personal experience. My story begins innocently enough with a high school fear of public speaking, and picks up horrors as it rolls through my life. By the end of it, I am exhausted. My illness - schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type - is serious, and has knocked me down countless times over the years. But Love and Theft also documents how I fought back, how I struggled to reclaim my life. Maybe this book will surprise you with its nuggets of joy and flowers that bloom, despite the crossroads I'm standing at.