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When Spring Remembers

Posted on by Posted in Audio Books, Book recommendation, Books, Bosnia, eBooks, Haunting from the Past, Holidays, New blog post, Prijedor, Purchase Books, Remember Me, Sanela Ramic Jurich

Some springs arrive in silence. Others arrive in fire.

 

March 1st. The first day of a new month, bringing us closer to spring—renewal, hope, life. But for Bosnia and Herzegovina, March 1st marks something far more profound. On this day in 1992, my homeland declared independence from Yugoslavia… and that’s when all hell broke loose. What followed was hell on earth, a darkness that shaped my past and found its way into my stories.

It shaped the child I was, the woman I became, and the writer I had to be.

📚 Remember Me (Sjeti me se), Haunting from the Past are more than books—they are my truth, my memories, my way of ensuring that what happened is never forgotten.

But even after the harshest winter, spring always comes. And so, we remember, we honor, and we move forward. 🌿✨

 

About the Author

Sanela Ramic Jurich is a survivor of the Yugoslav war and the 
author of several novels inspired by lived experience. 
She writes to remember, to honor, and to ensure that even 
the darkest chapters are never erased.

View Sanela's complete profile

 

When the Smile Feels Heavy

Posted on by Posted in Audio Books, Book recommendation, Books, Haunting from the Past, Purchase Books, Remember Me, Sanela Ramic Jurich, Short stories

“All it takes is a beautiful fake smile to hide an injured soul and they will never notice how broken you really are.” —Robin Williams

I’ve spent a lifetime learning how to survive. No one told me surviving could hurt this much.

Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’m fading behind my own smile. The older I get, the harder it is to keep pretending I’m okay. I show up at work, answer emails, make small talk, and laugh when I’m supposed to — but inside, I feel like I’m running on empty.

At this stage in my life, I thought I’d have more peace by now. More understanding of who I am, more calm in my mind. Instead, anxiety and depression have settled in like old ghosts that refuse to leave. They sit quietly in my chest while I talk to people, whispering that I’m not doing enough, not being enough, not keeping it together well enough.

Most days, I wake up already tired. Not from lack of sleep, but from the effort it takes to be fine. I get dressed, put on makeup, and tell myself, you can do this, even when all I want is to hide somewhere no one can find me. There are moments at work when the tears come out of nowhere — that deep, heavy sadness that doesn’t ask permission. And I have to swallow it down, breathe through it, and keep smiling. Because that’s what functioning adults do, right?

But pretending takes its toll. I’ve learned that smiling for the world doesn’t mean I’m happy. It just means I’m trying — trying to survive another day, to hold on to some kind of normal.

I can’t afford therapy. There’s no professional help waiting around the corner for me. So, I try to help myself the best I can. I go for walks. I eat healthy when I can. I remind myself to breathe. Sometimes, I just sit outside and let the sun touch my face, hoping it burns through the fog, even just for a minute.

And then, there are my sons. They are my reason. When I’m with them, I remember that there’s still love and laughter in this world — that there are people who need me, even when I feel useless. They remind me that I still have a place here, even when my thoughts try to convince me otherwise.

Still, some days it feels like too much. I pray for peace, for relief, for just one morning where I wake up and don’t feel this heavy. I pray for strength to keep going, to keep showing up for the people I love, and for myself — even when I don’t believe I deserve it.

Maybe part of this weight comes from where I came from. I grew up in the former Yugoslavia — a country that no longer exists, destroyed by war. I survived things no one should have to survive. The fear. The loss. The silence that followed. I became a refugee, and even after finding safety, the memories never really left. They live under my skin, quiet but constant.

That’s what my books Remember Me and Haunting from the Past are about — not just the ghosts of war, but the ghosts we carry inside us. Writing them was my way of letting the pain speak, of giving it a shape and a voice. Every page is a piece of the healing I never found in therapy, a way to understand how trauma reshapes us, how it lingers long after the world has moved on.

Life kept throwing obstacle after obstacle my way — each one heavier than the last — and somehow, I kept jumping, climbing, crawling my way through. But the truth is, even when you survive everything, survival itself can be exhausting. Sometimes, I think that’s what my depression really is — the echo of a life spent fighting to stay alive.

I don’t have advice or answers. I don’t have a way out of this fog. I just know that for now, I’m still here — and maybe, for now, that has to be enough.

“Readers will discover that Jurich writes with the credibility and authenticity of a person who witnessed and experienced what took place in the Balkan countries during the 1990s.” –Gregory S. Lamb, Author of The People in Between

The day I left my home country forever was August 26, 1992 — my sixteenth birthday. As I stood on the street, waiting for a bus to take me away to an unknown hell, I was feeling ashamed of my own thoughts. I was brooding over my birthday. I was being a typical sixteen-year-old; a teenager. I wanted a birthday party. I wanted my friends and family to fuss over me. I wanted the sweet in the “sweet-sixteenth.” Why couldn’t I have all that?! Why was I being robbed of that?! For whom?! Instead of getting a birthday party, I was being forced out of my home. Being forced to watch as evil men killed my family, friends, neighbors. Being forced out of my freedom! Had to stay quiet as they called me names and tried to touch me inappropriately — had to let them do it! Had to keep quiet as they stole every single possession my parents and I owned. Why?! For whom?! For what?! CONTINUE

 

 

New Year New Chapter

Posted on by Posted in Between the Worlds, Book recommendation, Books, eBooks, Haunting from the Past, Holidays, New blog post, New Year, Purchase Books, Remember Me, Reviews, Sanela Ramic Jurich

A New Year, a New Chapter: 2025 Begins with Promise

This book was awarded the AudioBookReviewer’s Choice Award as it was deemed to deserve a higher rating than the standard 5-star review allowed. —Reviewer’s Choice at Reviewer.com

 

 

As the calendar turns to a fresh page, I find myself reflecting on the beautiful duality of new beginnings: the excitement of what lies ahead and the quiet gratitude for the journey that brought me here. Each New Year feels like a blank canvas, waiting for us to paint it with our dreams, our efforts, and even our stumbles. This year, 2025, feels especially significant. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life, one that I’ve been quietly anticipating for a while now.

While I can’t share all the details just yet, I can say this—there are incredible things on the horizon. It’s a strange and wonderful feeling to hold a piece of good news close, knowing it will soon unfold into something even more meaningful. For now, let’s just say that 2025 has already surprised me in the best way, and I can’t wait to see where this year takes me.

One of the greatest joys of stepping into a new chapter is looking back at the love and support I’ve been fortunate to receive. Recently, a few reviews for my books reminded me why I embarked on this writing journey in the first place. One reader wrote: “Listening to Remember Me by Sanela Jurich was an emotional rollercoaster that left me feeling shaken, heartbroken, and deeply moved.” Another said, “Sanela Ramic Jurich has a gift for sharing the very real feelings of her characters with the reader.”

Knowing my stories resonate with readers, especially those who have shared their own reflections with me, fills my heart with gratitude. Writing can be such a solitary endeavor, but moments like these remind me of the incredible connection stories can foster.

As I look ahead, I’m filled with hope. Hope for the stories I’ve yet to tell, the journeys I’ve yet to take, and the opportunities waiting just around the corner. This year, I’ll continue to write, to dream, and to embrace the challenges and triumphs that come with any new chapter.

Thank you for being part of my journey. Whether you’ve read one of my books, left a kind review, or simply cheered me on from afar, your support means more than words can express. I hope 2025 is a year of new beginnings for all of us—a year filled with growth, love, and the kind of magic that makes life so extraordinary.

With all my love,

Sanela ♥

 

 

 

 

A Beautiful Blend of Fantasy and Emotion

Posted on by Posted in Between the Worlds, Book recommendation, Books, eBooks, Ella Rees, New blog post, Purchase Books, Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Blend of Fantasy and Emotion

 

Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2024

Verified Purchase

A fantasy novel about romance, deep connections, and enduring emotions, it blends fiction with personal insight. A beautifully written and captivating read.

With every stroke of her pen, Ella Rees casts a spell woven from the raw fibers of emotions, entwining readers in a spellbinding dance of heart and mind.

 

 

 

 

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Have you ever met someone for the first time and felt like you’ve known them forever?

Against all odds, you know deep inside that you know them. They feel familiar and comforting. You are drawn to them, but you only just met them. How can that be? Could it be some kind of a karmic connection? Soulmates? Could it all be just a figment of your imagination, or could there be an actual rational explanation for feeling this way? Is there a scientific explanation or is it fate?

Sarah Wilson’s existence takes an unexpected turn when her ex-husband’s violence leads to her untimely demise. It’s in that moment of passing that Sarah ventures to a place she recognizes as home, where memories of her true self and her soulmate, Jachin—now known as Jack Adams—resurface.

Throughout the tapestry of time and myriad incarnations, one steadfast presence endured—their undying love for each other.

 

Between the Worlds: The Story of Us is free on kindleunlimited. 

Also available in paperback on Amazon.

 

REMEMBERING 1992 KOZARAC

Posted on by Posted in Book recommendation, Books, Bosnia, Genocide, New blog post, Prijedor, Purchase Books, Remember Me, Sanela Ramic Jurich

“The initial takeover included the attack on the town of Kozarac near Prijedor, on 24 May 1992, which included two days of artillery barrage and an assault by a mechanised brigade of troops. As a result, some 800 civilians out of a population of around 4,000 were killed.” ~Source 

 

 

This time of year always brings up feelings of fear, overwhelming sadness, and a sense of not being wanted in the world or in life in general. 

I witnessed the most horrible things happening to my family, friends, neighbors, and ultimately to me… I survived, but many didn’t.

The year was 1992. It felt like hell on earth. In Europe, in a country called Yugoslavia, in a smaller place called Bosnia, and an even smaller town called Prijedor with its surrounding municipalities, everything was being torn apart. People I loved were consumed by evil: murder, torture, concentration and rape camps… Why?

This year marks thirty-two years since the attack on Kozarac. 

I would like to share  an excerpt from a book called Love Thy Neighbor: A Story of War by Peter Maass (An American Journalist).

I highly recommend this book. It is the first book I have read on the subject that describes Bosnia and Croatia in 1992 and 1993 exactly as they were, exactly how I saw it, but from a foreign person’s perspective.

Peter Maass worked as a foreign correspondent from 1983 to 1995, based in Asia and Europe. His articles have appeared in the Washington Post, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and The New Republic. His wartime dispatches from the Balkans led to his selection as a finalist for the 1993 Livingston Award for International Reporting. He is currently a magazine writer and lives in New York City. 

Nationalist Serbs staged a nighttime coup to take over (my town) Prijedor. There wasn’t much fighting because the Serbs were well armed and there was no resistance to speak of. No one else was prepared for war. The man named Kovacevic organized the takeover. 

In this excerpt, Peter Maass talks about the attack on Kozarac. Continue reading →

Q&A Time

Posted on by Posted in Author Interviews, Between the Worlds, Book recommendation, Books, eBooks, Ella Rees, Haunting from the Past, New blog post, Purchase Books, Remember Me, Sanela Ramic Jurich

 

Welcome to a rare midweek treat! It’s Wednesday, and I’ve decided to spice things up by answering some of the intriguing questions you lovely folks have sent my way over the past couple of weeks.

 

 

Q: Do you believe in ghosts? This isn’t about writing I just wanna know.

A: Well, sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. It depends on whether I’m in a well-lit room or if I’m alone in the dark with a creaky floorboard and a spooky noise. So, I guess you could say my belief in ghosts is as fickle as a cat’s loyalty!

Q: If you had to give up your keyboard and write your stories exclusively by hand, could you do it?

A: Yes, I could definitely write my stories by hand, but deciphering my handwriting would be like trying to read an ancient scroll written by a very caffeinated chicken. So, it might turn into a mystery novel for anyone trying to read it!

Q: Write a short love letter to your readers.

A: Dear Amazing Reader,

Every time you turn a page, my heart skips a beat. Your eyes tracing my words are like a gentle caress, igniting sparks of inspiration in my soul. Together, we create a world where wit and charm dance like no one’s watching.

Stay fabulous, stay curious, and always remember: you’re the plot twist that keeps me writing.

With all my literary love,

Sanela

Continue reading →

Finding Beauty in the Chaos: My Rollercoaster Start to 2024

Posted on by Posted in Between the Worlds, Book recommendation, Books, eBooks, Ella Rees, Holidays, New blog post, New Year, Purchase Books, Sanela Ramic Jurich

It’s time to make old mistakes in different ways. Hurray! Happy New Year!

Well, well, well, 2024, you playful little rascal, you’re not exactly off to a flying start for me.

Picture this: New Year’s Day, 2024. I wake up feeling a bit wonky. Sore throat, chills, fever – the whole shebang. Is it the flu? Covid? Just a run-of-the-mill cold? I’m playing medical detective with my own symptoms. Fast forward to the third day of this saga, and I’m blessed with waking up to my left eye looking like it tried to arm-wrestle a bee and lost. Swollen shut and crusty – the glamorous life, I tell you.

Off to the doctor I go, who, after a dramatic drumroll, declares it’s strep throat causing the pink eye extravaganza. Absolutely fabulous. A week of antibiotics later, the fever is gone, but I’m still clinging onto “under the weather” like it’s a security blanket.

But hey, let’s not let that cramp our style. Writing took a backseat, but fear not, my literary endeavors shall rise like a phoenix from the ashes!

And then today happened. I wake up to a winter wonderland – 7 inches of snow painting my world in frozen magic. Picture me, sipping coffee by the patio door, witnessing the snowfall turn my backyard into a Narnia-level masterpiece. It’s the kind of serene and wonderful that makes you forget strep throat ever existed.

 

© Sanela Ramic Jurich

 

So here’s to kicking 2024 where it hurts and embracing the unexpected beauty it throws our way. Bring it on, 2024 – I’m ready for the rollercoaster! 🎢✨

May this year be a kaleidoscope of health, prosperity, serenity, love, laughter, and kindness. 

~Sanela

Short excerpt from Between the Worlds: Sarah describes a nightmare caused by memories

 

Between the Worlds

The backhanded slap sent me sprawling. The shock of pain blinded me. When I tried to roll into a protective ball, he dragged me across the marble floor by the hair.

I denied and wept. He accused. Until he got tired, leaving me to crawl away and sob in a corner.
But this time, in this dream, I crawled off into my forest, where the air was warm and the ground welcoming.
And there, where the stream gurgled over its smooth rocks, I slept.
Then awoke to the cannon-blast of thunder and the jagged rip of lightning. Awoke to terror. Confusing the blasts of thunder with the blasts of the grenades destroying my grandfather’s town. His house. My parents, my grandpa…
When I fell asleep again, I was back in my forest. Running. Instead of fighting, I was running. Too afraid to turn around and face what pursued me. Finally, I reached the lake. The vast glorious Lake Michigan and decided to plunge into the water. And the trees of my forest all tumbled in after me.
Between the Worlds is available on Amazon. Click to buy!
 

 

  

About the author

Sanela Ramić Jurich is a distinguished author and accomplished public speaker with a compelling background. Hailing from Prijedor, Bosnia, she entered the world in 1976, just as the complex tapestry of the Yugoslav war began to unfold in the early 1990s. Precociously navigating the challenges of those tumultuous times, Sanela was merely fifteen years old when the conflict erupted.

Her literary contributions, exemplified by notable works such as “Remember Me” and “Haunting from the Past,” stand as poignant testaments to her lived experiences during the war. These masterfully crafted books not only showcase her prowess as an author but also serve as powerful conduits through which she shares her personal recollections of the era.

Currently residing in the vibrant city of Chicago, Sanela Ramić Jurich has established a harmonious life alongside her two cherished sons. Her journey from the ravages of conflict to her present abode is a testament to resilience, determination, and the indomitable human spirit. Through her words and public addresses, she continues to captivate audiences, shedding light on her remarkable narrative and the broader lessons that can be gleaned from her compelling journey.

Fueled by her passion for writing, Sanela was eager to take on a new writing endeavor. Utilizing a pseudonym presented her with the chance to engage with a fresh and diverse audience. She recently published her first contemporary/fantasy novel titled “Between the Worlds”. This captivating tale explores the themes of soulmates, profound connections, the allure of home, and the strength of emotions. 

With every stroke of her pen, Ella Rees, the alias she wears with pride, casts a spell woven from the raw fibers of emotions, entwining readers in a spellbinding dance of heart and mind.

 

FALL FEELS AND TURKEY MEALS: A GRATEFUL TWIST

Posted on by Posted in Between the Worlds, Book recommendation, Books, eBooks, Ella Rees, Holidays, Purchase Books, Sanela Ramic Jurich

“The turkey. The sweet potatoes. The stuffing. The pumpkin pie. Is there anything else we all can agree so vehemently about? I don’t think so.” – Nora Ephron

I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you purchasing, reading, and reviewing my books. Thankful for You.

The weather did a swift 180 from perfect to downright chilly, making it a challenge to convince myself

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that it’s still prime leaf-peeping time in the good ol’ USA. Yet, despite the sudden cold snap, there’s a silver lining – and it’s not just the frost on the pumpkins. Drumroll, please… enter Thanksgiving, the pièce de résistance of this glorious autumnal saga!

Sure, I’m thankful for the pumpkin pies and apple delights, but let’s not forget the real MVPs – the friends and family who gather around the table to tackle those desserts with me. And topping the gratitude list? The sheer privilege of calling this country home.

As I mentally brace myself for the impending winter blues, I’m determined to squeeze every ounce of joy out of fall.

Winter may be knocking, but for now, let’s soak up the fall vibes like there’s no tomorrow – or at least until the turkey coma kicks in. 🍂🦃

So, as I bid a not-so-fond farewell to the thought of winter’s icy grip, I’m raising a pumpkin-spiced latte to autumn and all its glory. Let’s cherish these moments, from the laughter around the dinner table to the crunch of leaves beneath our boots.

Here’s to embracing the warmth of gratitude, the joy of fall, and the anticipation of a holiday season that promises not just cozy nights by the fireplace but an abundance of love and laughter.

Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with warmth, joy, and a whole lot of pumpkin-flavored everything! 🍂🍁🦃

~Sanela

BETWEEN THE WORLDS EXCERPT

Posted on by Posted in Book recommendation, Books, Ella Rees, Sanela Ramic Jurich, Short stories

EXCERPT, BETWEEN THE WORLDS

 

Time for a peek at Between the Worlds. 

Click to Buy!

Here’s a short/sweet description:

Have you ever met someone for the first time and felt like you’ve known them forever? Against all odds, you know deep inside that you know them. They feel familiar and comforting. You are drawn to them, but you only just met them. How can that be? Could it be some kind of a karmic connection? Soulmates? Could it all be just a figment of your imagination, or could there be an actual rational explanation for feeling this way? Is there a scientific explanation or is it fate?

Sarah Wilson was a woman of extraordinary powers descended from a legendary figure known as Air. Joined by her two sisters in power, Sarah’s existence took an unexpected turn when her ex-husband’s violence led to her untimely demise. It was in that moment of passing that Sarah journeyed to a place she recognized as home, where memories of her true self and her soulmate, Jachin—now known as Jack Adams—resurfaced.

But the sisters in power intervened, bringing Sarah’s spirit back to life, empowering her to confront her assailant. With her rebirth as Sarah Wilson, a flood of memories from her past lives and her connection to home surged within her being.

 

You can read the first chapter here: Between the Worlds excerpt.