Progress Progress Progress.....

Sorry I am a slacker in the update department, but here is the latest news.  As of Friday Sept 23, 2011 seven people have the book and are reading it.  Mainly I just want to see if it flows and makes sense.  One person who offered to read it, was a childhood friend of my sisters in Iowa.  

Interesting story:  (I love stories in case you have not noticed that yet!)  A childhood friend of my sister found me on Facebook and said "You are Traci's sister!!  You look just like her!!"  I vaguely remembered Lana. Traci and Lana went all through school together.  She wanted to get a hold of Traci and I had no idea how to do that (we have since remedied that situation!). Lana was friends with Cara and I remembered her family living up the street from us.  So then I connected with Cara and her mother.  They barely remembered me, they knew Traci more and heard the stories about me.  So now Cara is one of my readers!!!  Kind of cool huh?

I am hoping to have the book published by November so we can get it out for Christmas.  I was debating if I was going to self publish or try for a bigger publisher and decided to go with the self publishing.  We will see what happens from there.  A friend told me Saturday night, "If you write it they will come."  Ha

Faith right?  Anyway the book is one step closer to being finished.  I think I am going to release it on both Blurb and Amazon.  Blurb, because we can get "hard copy" for those who want it signed.  Ha Ha And Amazon because you can download it to your Kindle.  I am taking this one step at a time and learning as I go.  I know next time I will be a bit wiser!

Hugs all around....Laura

Final Two Chapters

I just finished editing the last two chapters of the book, Waiting on Life and the Conclusion.  I did pretty good not breaking down till these last two chapters.

I am glad I did this.  Waiting on Life is about my friend Mitch.  I miss him. Life has definitely been a journey.  There have been mountains to climb, and wolves to beat off.  But through it all I made it!  I made it!!!  Still alot more mountains to climb, but I can do it.

Thank you for all your support in this project!!!  Look soon for the release date!!!  This week I am going to get it ready to send to publishers!!!  WOW!!  Scary stuff!!!

Forever Friends.....

Last night my friend Ramona and I went through the final editing for a chapter entitled Forever Friends.  It was about my friend Cindy and our friendship.  She has been gone for a few years now, and the last time I got to see her was in 1977, maybe once in 79.  I seem to vaguely remember going to her house when I was home for that summer. 

None the less, I am missing her so much today.  I think of her life and the hardships she had but through it all there was always a smile in her voice, and hope in her letters.  How many of us can say that?  Or say that about other friends?  I never heard her ever get down about anything.  Even when life got hard.

I look back now and wish I could have taken so much of her hurt away.  But I didn't know how.  Her boys grew up without her, but had their loving father. Our lives were so different. 

I truly hope with Friends.....Lessons of Life I can help people understand, "It doesn't matter where you have come from only where you are going.".  I also think one of my most favorite lines in the book is in this chapter. 

The situation reminded me of my favorite Roadrunner cartoon where they Coyote finally catches the Roadrunner and holds up a sign saying, "Now that I have them what do I do with them?"

You will have to read the book to understand that line in the book!!!  

 

Is it prideful to say I am loving my book?!  So far there are  sixty six pages in my book with six chapters completely finished.  WOO HOO!!!  We are going to work on another two chapters today....maybe three.  I am shooting for the end of Sept to be completely finished and ready to publish.  Think I can do it?

Thanks for all your support!!!!  I could never have done it without you!!!

Remembering 10 Years Ago.....

On the morning of 9/11/2001 I was getting ready for work listening to the news.  I remember hearing the report of a plane crashing into one of the Twin Towers.  My first thought was, "What is wrong with that pilot?"  Even though I had never been to the Twin Towers in person I had seen pictures.  The Twin Towers were huge!!  How could anyone fly into them?  My second instant thought was, "It had to be on purpose".

I didn't want to think, that my country and my home was under attack.  I stayed glued to the news as it all unfolded and I watched the second plane crash into the second tower.  I hurried off to my office that was 5 minutes away. I didn't want to be alone. They already had the radio going, and the reports came of the other missing planes.  I was shocked, stunned and numb.

I look back to this time, and see now the healing that has taken place with me.  For one, ten days after 9/11 I got on a plane to Dallas, Texas to meet up with old classmates.  I also began the healing process with my family as I met a cousin I had not seen since I was six.  I gained more respect for those who serve us everyday.  I have learned of little ways to give back to those who protect me everyday. I don't have alot of money to donate but I can do small things and spread the word to be charitable. I have also learned to be more forgiving of those that hurt me and those things that I love so much.  I have learned I will not fear again.

I will never forget 9/11, those we lost and those who became heroes.  I also will never forget the lessons I learned to be grateful for the things I do have and know in my life.  Not everyone is as lucky as I am.  Yesterday, I finished two more chapters for the final edits for Friends....Lessons of Life. My mind went to the memories of 9/11 and how grateful I am to live in this country.  God Bless America!!

Ten Years in the Making

It seems hard to believe it was almost 10 years ago that I started Friends.....Lessons of Life.  Never in a million years did I ever think that would be possible.  From about 1996 on, I began to see small changes in my life.  More and more as people learned bits and parts of my story, they encouraged me to share it.  I never thought I could.  In 2002, the Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games had just wound up and I went back to the reality of the workplace.  When I learned my office would be shutting down, I went looking for another job.  I have never found one that replaced the pay or love I had for that job.


In April of 2002, I was watching the TV show Friends, when the title came to me.  It was almost if I could see exactly how the book was to be written.  I had tried once before to put my thoughts down on paper, but it didn't seem right.  That night watching Friends, I took out a piece of paper and began to write down people who came to mind and the lessons they had taught me.  When it was all over, I had 25 names with lessons.

I had been praying to find a job, but the book weighed heavily on my mind.  Seeing how the book was to be written, I remember praying again for a job.  But the answer was loud and clear, finish the book and you will find a job.  For two weeks I wrote the basis of the book.  Writing down thoughts and remembering things that happened.  Triggers went off in me that took me back to the pain I had suffered through many episodes.  It would be nothing to the pain I would truly need to go through in order to heel from my life. After those two weeks and writing the last chapter of the book, I got a call for a job. 
Not a great job, but a job.

This journey has not been easy.  There have been times I have had to put the book away and not think about it.  Still today as I go through and do a final edit one last time, there are places that are still hard for me to. Like with my cousin and learning about my Dad, leaving home at 18 on a Greyhound bus for Salt Lake City with only $200.   I find I am opening myself up in ways I never thought about.  I could finish this book and then decide not to publish it.  I don't think that will happen.  Many who have read a chapter have told me, "You need to share your story!!  You can help so many others."

That is my goal; to help others.  I know we all deal with life differently.  Sometimes we think we are the only ones going through that particular trial. We look at our friends who seem so happy and not a care in the world.  How do they do it when I seem to have the world on my shoulders?  I hope this book will help you learn how to do just that. Others think you do not have a care in the world.  It doesn't mean you won't, but it means you are learning to deal with trials and challenges.  When you learn to deal them, life is a whole other ballgame.

A New Phase

It has been awhile since I have updated this site, but felt it was time to finally do so. I have some updates for you on Friends.....Lessons of Life.

As you have probably noticed, I have taken down the chapters that were on the site. Mainly because the book is getting ready to be published!!! The chapters that were up were very rough copies of what will be coming out in the book. I did the best I could with what experience I had to get them as professional as I could. Several people who have taught writing and English classes, told me the same thing. "Laura, you have a story to tell, but the technical part of the writing needs help." I took that to heart and put the book away for a while.

Last fall a patron came into the Family History Center. We became friends, and when I found out she was a writer and English minor, I snatched her up!!! I could never have gotten this far on the book without Carol.

We have worked through the first run of editing on the chapters. I am almost done with the second series of edit, then we will both work on them one more time together. It is close!!

The other cool thing is that I have a book cover. Tell me what you think? Yay or Nay?

 I just really wanted to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all your support.  I am excited that a new phase of my life will be opening soon.