I was inspired to write Brave in a New World: A Guide to Grieving the Loss of a Spouse, by the events that took place in my life. In 2008 my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He subsequently passed away in January 2009. I felt as if a part of me died with him. I experienced anxiety, nervousness, claustrophobia, and agoraphobia. I felt as if I was losing my mind. Every new day I was greeted with the same empty feeling and I felt myself plunging deeper into the depths of despair and depression. Eventually,I decided to seek help and after a long while I would begin to feel as if I was regaining my footing as I faced a new life in a new world without my husband. As time wore on, I began to wonder if I was the only grieving spouse who was having a difficult time coping with the traumatic emotional upheaval that I was experiencing. In time I would discover that many who have lost a spouse had some variation, if not the same experience as myself. So my question was, “Why don’t people share their experiences with grief, loss and mourning?” I decided to share the story of my painful grief journey with the hope that it would assist and comfort those who grieve. The reader will find a grief guide that helps one to understand what they are feeling. They can see the various stages that they are going through from the beginning stage of numbness to the desired end result: a light at the end of the tunnel and reawakening.The book also offers suggestions on how someone can navigate successfully through the grief process.I wish there had been a book like this for me when I was in the early stages of grief.I wrote this book so that others will have an opportunity to have a handbook that will bring them comfort, assurance and hope as they grieve the loss of a loved one.