Over the last weeks and months, I’ve been thinking about this moment—the time when I would tell you about my latest endeavor. I’ve wondered what to share. Why share it at all? And how do I talk about this journey that I’ve been on?
And the time has finally come for me to share. I wrote a book. Yes, I finally wrote my first book. But the book wasn’t the one I intended to write all those years ago when I would hole myself up in my childhood bedroom back in Apple Valley, MN. Back then, I wrote countless story after story—all fiction, of course. So when I would think about writing a book off and on for all these years, I assumed that’s what it would be—a fictional story.
But the story I ended up telling wasn’t the one I had planned. It turned out to be my story. The one that happened in real life.
My Upcoming Book Launch: Perseverance. Reinvention.
So, yes, it’s true. I wrote a book. And from what I can tell, I’m just weeks, if not days, from the book being available to purchase. And as such, I have a lot of emotions racing through me. Will people like it? Will they buy it? Why would they want to tell others about it? Do I want them to?
While writing the book was a very cathartic process, approaching this date when the book is real and available for others to consume has brought about new emotions—fear, reservation, regret, hope—they’re all there. And quite frankly, they are all-consuming.
But the decision to write this book stemmed from a desire to process and reflect upon my own experiences and a deeper motivation to connect with others going through their own life’s challenges. I still stand by this decision today because while the narrative of my book tells the real-life tale of divorce—a 23-year journey that reshaped every aspect of my life—the true essence of this work goes far beyond my personal story.
Surviving Divorce and Coming Out Better on the Other Side
I wrote this book for anyone facing their “worst thing.” This is a term borrowed from a colleague who shared his darkest days and a tragic loss in his own recent publication. It’s about understanding that while these experiences can break us down, they also hold the power to build us up. We can become stronger and more resilient than before. This book affirms that survival is possible, and surviving post-trauma is attainable.
The story I share is deeply personal yet universal in its themes of loss, change, and transformation. It’s not just a recount of the difficulties endured but that light at the end of the tunnel for anyone who finds themselves lost in the shadow of their trials. It’s a testament to the fact that, yes, you can emerge on the other side, not just intact but with new strength and wisdom.
As I prepare to release this book to the world, I hope that it will inspire readers to recognize their potential to overcome and reinvent themselves, no matter the adversity they face.
Am I Good Enough?
Yesterday, as I emailed back and forth with my publisher, discussing the details of how and where the book would be published, I felt a pressure growing in my chest. And it was a sensation I had felt before—the same pressure I experienced the day that I realized that my husband at the time no longer wanted to be married to me. That he had indeed pursued a relationship with someone else, something I had suspected for a long time.
The feeling in my chest was—and is—anxiety. Those same feelings I had on that day my now ex-husband nodded at me after I voiced the realization, “you don’t see us being married,” came rushing back. That fear that I was no longer wanted, no longer accepted. That fear of being pushed away. It was as though everything I thought I had solved for myself throughout the cathartic process of writing the book, had resurfaced.
But over the course of the next several hours as I worked through my feelings and fears, I realized that this time, the anxiety was a bit different. Now, I wondered to myself—can my story help others? Is my story similar enough to someone else going through the very same thing now, that I can provide some hope? Will my book give them some fodder and the right tools to pull themselves forward? To understand that they, too, can persevere and reinvent themselves?
Why My Story Matters to You: Why I Decided to Write a Book
Like many of you, I’ve faced life’s ordinary yet profound challenges. I’ve been through miscarriage, divorce, and the heart-stopping fear of nearly losing a child to illness. These experiences could have broken me, but instead, they became my teachers. Those experiences taught me resilience. They taught me how to transform pain into strength—not just for those I love but, seriously, for myself as much as anyone else.
This path I have been on of healing, growth, and falling in love again is what ignited that fire in me to share my story. In “Perseverance. Reinvention.”, I lay out my trials and tribulations, not to dwell on them but to offer hope and guidance to others facing similar struggles.
This book is my story. It’s told from my heart. My hope is that this book will resonate with you. I hope you will take the gamble and buy the book. And I hope it will help you find your own strength, and inspire your personal transformation. So, let my book be it if you’re looking for a sign that it’s possible to come out stronger on the other side of adversity. And if I can say this in advance—thank you for giving me the opportunity. I am thankful for the chance to reach out. I’m thankful if I can possibly help you navigate your own path of perseverance and reinvention.
Stay Tuned for Book Updates
So, what now? Well, now we (mostly me) wait. We wait for the official announcement that the book is available for purchase. And I need to decide who will help me share the news. Selfishly, I hope many of you will help me in that endeavor.
I’ve talked many times over the last five years about how women have armies. We are blessed with woman after woman who will lend a hand. Those will will offer a should to cry on, and will hold you up when you can’t stand on your own. I am reaching out to all those women now (and the amazing men in my life, too). I hope you will all help me get this story out there. If I, if we can help just one woman pick herself up and come out stronger on the other side. It will all be worth it.
UPDATED 8/5/24: Please check out all the great places you can buy my book!
- Amazon
- Walmart.com
- Barnes & Noble
- Valley Bookseller in Stillwater, MN
- Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, MN