A native New Yorker turned Castle Rock resident, Amanda McKoy Flanagan takes a pragmatic, yet soulful, approach to loving and losing. She is no stranger to either, which she shares in her debut book, Trust Yourself to be All In: Safe to Love and Let Go.
“I never had a lifelong dream to write a book, even though I'm an English major,” Amanda says. “I've always been interested in the written word and communication, and I also have a master’s degree in social work as well.” But Amanda’s children were older a couple of years ago, and she began to think about the next chapter in her life. “I was thinking about my education, my natural abilities, and what I'm passionate about. And I wanted to bring all those things together. Then, I was out running one day, and it just kind of hit me—I was going to write a book.”
Trust Yourself to be All In is an honest and raw memoir that describes in heartbreaking detail what Amanda calls the “false myth of generational family dysfunction"—that everyone leaves you or hurts you. Compounded by the trauma of losing her brother to an overdose, Amanda says, “I shined up the emotional armor I wore to protect myself from pain and soldiered on.” After a decade of self-reflection and personal growth in 12-step recovery, she experienced a spiritual awakening that radically transformed deeply engrained lies about love, loss, and connection.
Amanda is also an inspirational speaker and co-founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Castle Rock Clubhouse, a recovery clubhouse that serves as a meeting space for various twelve-step programs, Amanda is passionate about sobriety, meditation, and spirituality. Learn more at amandamckoyflanagan.com.
