By Jeff Pederson-Pedal Down Promotions

(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) April 21, 2021 – After losing her 18-year-old son, Dillon, to an undiagnosed allergic reaction to a bee sting in 2014, Mishicot, Wis. resident Angel Mueller found comfort and clarity in writing religious-based poetry as a way to work through her grief.

Nearly seven years after Dillon’s passing, Mueller has released her debut poetry book “Wheels Up – Grief to Peace,” inspired by Dillon’s live-in-the-moment youthful vigor and uncanny ability to engage people through his dynamic personality. The book also chronicles Mueller’s complex process of dealing with the deep-seated feelings associated with her youngest son’s sudden death.

Published by Pedal Down Promotions of Manitowoc, Wis, Mueller’s first book release is designed to help others dealing with the loss of a loved one, provide a glimpse into Dillon’s short, but impactful life and continue the mission of Dillon’s Law by pursuing similar life-saving epinephrine legislation throughout the United States.

“The suffocating, unbearable pain of losing my 18-year-old son, Dillon, to an undiagnosed bee sting allergy is what led me to write these poems,” Mueller said. “They are more like prayers on paper, gifted to me by God. It was when I was emotionally at my worst, the urge to write came on strong.  The poems in the book are  in order as I wrote them so the reader will journey along with me from ‘Grief to Peace.’

“The tone of my poems start out very gloomy and dismal, expressing the indescribable gut-wrenching pain I was feeling,” she said. “Next comes the ‘aha’ moment and divine words of wisdom which comforted me. Every single poem will leave the reader feeling inspired and hopeful. These words came to me straight from Heaven, so quickly, that I grabbed whatever was close to write with and on, including napkins. The message is, ‘We are never alone.’ The tiniest bit of positivity or faith, whatever the reader wants to call it, can spark the slightest motivation to slowly lift ones foot to take the very next step. How we carry our burdens, and we all have them, can make the trip as easy or hard as we choose. We are ultimately, with God’s help, in charge of the destination.  I chose peace.”

After engaging in various forms of writing as a hobby throughout her life,  “Wheels Up – Grief to Peace” serves as a launching pad for what Mueller hopes will be a lengthy career as an author.

“I have written a little poetry prior to this mostly in the form of children’s stories to tell my kids at bedtime,” Mueller said. “I was always good at language arts and spelling, calling myself the ‘word girl’ before it was a real character. Telling made-up stories to our boys when they were small is a fond memory I will cherish forever.”

Mueller says the process of transforming her very raw and personal poems into a professional published book for public consumption included a substantial learning curve.

“The process leading to publication of these poems into book form was not an easy one for me,” she said. “For a few years, I had been daydreaming about turning these poems into a book, or even music. Sharing my poetry on Facebook and word-of-mouth lead me to Pedal Down Promotions. With their guidance, I took the steps necessary to convert my hurried writing, which looked like chicken scratch, into typed material. From there, I needed to proofread them several times, not so much to correct spelling errors, but to add necessary punctuation to ensure the reader feels the exact same emotion I was feeling at that moment. Revisiting these writings stirred up emotions with a peaceful intensity and a tear here and there, but I soon realized I am still Dillon’s mom and I still love and miss him every day.

“I also wanted to add pictures throughout the book to depict Dillon’s personality,” Mueller said. “These photos and Dillon deserve an honorable caption. This was grueling for me as I struggled with ‘self-imposed’ responsibility to make the ‘essence’ of Dillon palatable.  I was reassured, through prayer, that it would all be ‘just right.’”

Mueller’s ultimate goal in releasing “Wheels Up – Grief to Peace” is to provide inspiration and renewed purpose to those that may be dealing with pain, grief and any form of loss in their lives.

“My main goal in publishing this book first and foremost is to offer hope to those who may feel there is no way out,” Mueller said. “Losing a child in the prime of their life to such an extraordinary event can throw anyone into a deep dark place with no life preserver available. This book of heartfelt, spiritually intuitive poetry is a life preserver I’m throwing to those who feel there is no way out of that dark place, no matter what circumstances put them there.

“The second goal in publishing this book is to open the eyes of every reader and their family and friends to the fact that allergies are real,” she said. “Allergies can be fatal. There is a common sense solution, easily delivered, at little cost, that has already been proven to save lives. Dillon’s Law NEEDS to be nationwide. Get trained. Carry epinephrine. Save a life. Let’s do it for Dillon.”

Through her drive, determination and talent for public speaking, Mueller is aiming to share her book with the public without rest until her mission is complete.

“Looking ahead I hope to promote this book across the state and the nation,” Mueller said. “Book signings and personal presentations are my goal.  I hope to see this story offered in churches, libraries, clubs and support groups of all kinds. This is a story which needs to be told. My hope is that this topic of death, grief and healing and by divine intervention will open the flood gates to legislation across the country. The Amber Alert was our template. That was birthed from tragedy. This too can do the same. ‘Something good from something bad, it’s the only dream I ever had.’”

Mueller will hold a book launch party for “Wheels Up – Grief to Peace” on Saturday, May 22 at Port Sandy Bay, located at 6421 County Road O in Two Rivers from noon to 3:30 p.m. Mueller will be signing copies of the book, which will be available for purchase during the drop-in event.

“Wheels Up – Grief to Peace” is now available for purchase for $17 at Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, or by contacting Angel Mueller directly at brothersracing@live.com.

Additional information on Dillon’s Law can be found by visiting www.epifordilly.com.

For more information, contact Pedal Down Promotions via email at pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com, by phone at 920-323-7970 or by visiting www.pedaldownpromo.com.