Sam isn't just your average shy kid. She struggles with a great deal of anxiety in a lot of different settings; most especially in social settings. She doesn't really mean to be an introvert or to come across as aloof - it's just that being friendly and participating in activities with kids her own age creates such a high level of distress that she finds it easier to just keep to herself. She often wonders what her life might be like if she was normal, outgoing and confident like other kids. Lately, her frustration and desire to be "normal" has been creating a sequence of unusual dreams. In these vivid nighttime adventures, she feels and behaves like the confident person she's always wished to be. Yet, even more incredible than that is the presence of a boy who she feels so at ease with. She's completely aware that none of it is real and yet she can't help but wish that her life was more like her dreams and that the boy that her subconscious mind has created was actually real.
About the Author: Mitzi VanCleve is a self-published author who began writing out of a deep desire to provide awareness, support and advocacy for those who share her experience of living with anxiety disorders. She was particularly inspired to share her experiences within the body of Christ in order to help eliminate the stigma, lack of understanding and lack of support for Christians who suffer from mental illness. Mitzi experienced distressing bouts of anxiety in the form of obsessional themes and social anxiety from childhood to early adulthood. Sadly, she remained unaware of her disorders up until her mid-twenties which resulted in her feeling isolated, alone, and, as she puts it; "like some sort of freakish anomaly." At that point in time she began to experience debilitating panic attacks which led to the discovery that she had Panic Disorder. Mitzi was immensely relieved to find out that she had an actual disorder which could be managed, but still remained unaware that some of her longest and most excruciating seasons of distress were due to type of OCD called Purely Obsessional OCD. That answer didn't come until, at the age of fifty, she went through yet another crushing season of anxiety due to severe obsessions about her faith in Christ. As Mitzi became educated about OCD and was able to obtain professional help, this resulted in a greater level of relief as she became more skilled at learning how to manage the OCD. Eventually, she began to communicate through online forums with other Christians who were afflicted with anxiety disorders and found that she was able to provide a great deal of comfort, encouragement and hope to those who were suffering in isolated silence. This is what led to her publishing her first book: "Strivings Within - The OCD Christian." After publishing that book she felt a desire to reach out to teens because that's when anxiety disorders will typically become much more distressing. Mitzi thought that the best way to do that would be in the form of an easy read/ fictional novel which portrayed what it's like for a teen who is struggling with some of the things she went through at that age. This is how "In Your Dreams" was born. Mitzi resides in Michigan with her closest friend and supporter; her husband Dennis. They have been married for thirty-eight years and have three children and seven grandchildren.