Memoir Explores Firefighter Hero's Legacy, Caregiver Survival, and the Unvarnished Truth of Grief

Kitty Mae Reed's raw and deeply personal memoir honors a thirty-year veteran firefighter while chronicling the resilience of a struggling wife, mother, and indie author navigating suspected CTE, financial ruin, and the healing power of humor.

When a storm sweeps the plains, most animals flee. The bison takes a different approach, charging directly through the tempest. For Kitty Mae Reed, that image became a defining blueprint for survival.

In her unvarnished new memoir, I'm Happy You're Dead, A-Hole!, published by Jesari Beale Publishing, Reed pulls back the curtain on three decades of marriage to Raphael, a heroic career firefighter. Yet, when severe illness, paranoia, and suspected Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) brought the storm inside their home, Reed found herself fighting an exhausting battle: as a devoted wife, a protective mother, and a struggling independent author.

The book captures the messy, heartbreaking intersection of a woman pushed to her absolute limits. She navigated the grueling demands of full-time caregiving, sleepless nights, and the trauma of watching a loving husband transform into a volatile stranger. She bore the quiet guilt of family isolation and financial collapse. Simultaneously, she multitasked at all hours on a dying laptop, pouring her stress into writing books to survive the chaos with self-deprecating wit.

Throughout the book, humor serves as an indispensable lifeboat. Recalling her frantic push to launch a midlife book during a family crisis, Reed writes: "My one book sale is to my cousin... You know, sometimes you gotta laugh so you don't cry."

By balancing devastating vulnerability with laugh-out-loud Mid-Southern humor, Reed refuses to offer a sanitized portrait of loss. She validates the complex dichotomy of grief and relief, giving voice to caregivers who feel broken or forgotten.

I'm Happy You're Dead, A-Hole! is available in paperback and digital formats through major online book retailers, including Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFH44L3C, Barnes & Noble, and IngramSpark.

About the Author: Kitty Mae Reed is an author who holds a Master's degree in psychology. Drawing on faith and Mid-Southern wit, she writes candidly about grief, caregiving, and midlife resilience. Learn more at https://www.kittymaereed.com.

About Jesari Beale Publishing: Jesari Beale Publishing is an independent imprint dedicated to producing authentic, unvarnished memoirs and transformative personal narratives.

Media Contact

Kitty Mae Reed

Jesari Beale Publishing

4518 Legend Hollow Ln, Atlanta, Georgia

4047977806

https://www.kittymaereed.com

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