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Book: Letters To My Father: 7 Steps To Healing From The Loss Of A Parent

Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

I am Vernae Taylor, NJ based Authorpreneur, Speaker and Mentor and I help people move from a place of loss and grief, step into their confidence and break through to live life on purpose.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Letters To My Father: 7 Steps To Healing From The Loss Of A Parent’ book?

The first challenge I had while writing this book was that after losing my father back in 2011, I began writing in a spiral notebook every Father’s Day, every birthday and every anniversary to simply honor him and reflect. I never imagined that I would someday be sharing this journey with the world, so I had to reformat the entire book from scratch into a guide to help others along the process of loss and grief. I faced the challenge of staying focused and motivated in the midst of a pandemic and unimaginable uncertainty. Although my father has been gone for quite some time, I also felt myself being triggered by constant loss around me and my family, due to Covid-19.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

Sista Souljah, The Coldest Winter Ever; all of Langston Hughes’ poetry and writing, which always reflects the black voice; Alice Walker, The Color Purple, Terry McMillan, Disappearing Acts; Joyce Meyer, Beauty for Ashes; Stormie Omartian’s praying books; Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

My favorite place to visit is Miami, Florida in the U.S. It’s special to me, because it represents the perfect balance of relaxation, good food and electrifying music that makes you dance all night long.

Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?

Fortunately for me, my books have not required much preparation, as I believe my story and my experiences have already been written in some regard. I say that with great confidence, because writing poetry, journaling and cataloging written reflections have always been a daily practice for me ever since I was a child. The most involved process would be the publishing and marketing of the book, upon completion.

Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Letters To My Father: 7 Steps To Healing From The Loss Of A Parent ‘ book?

You’ll never believe it…but I DO have an award to prove it. I completed my manuscript in just 2 days!

Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘Letters To My Father: 7 Steps To Healing From The Loss Of A Parent’ book to buy?

By direct order (autographed with added gifts) at http://www.letters2myfather.com or personal website http://www.vernaetaylor.com

By email request at vernaetheauthor@gmail.com

Amazon central (author page) https://www.amazon.com/author/vernaetaylor

Amazon kindle edition

http://www.goodreads.com

http://www.amazon.co.jp

http://www.amazon.de

http://www.amazon.ca

http://www.amazon.co.uk

http://www.amazon.fr

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Letters To My Father: 7 Steps To Healing From The Loss Of A Parent’?

While writing in that old spiral notebook, it was always titled “Letters to my Father.” The subtitle came later, as to clearly identify to the readers what to expect and what they would learn by picking up and reading this book.

When I thought of the word letters I immediately envisioned frayed written letters (in cursive) scattered about, along with a pen. Initially I was going to use the colors black and white or gray to represent the timelessness of these letters. However, after receiving the first draft, it gave me a feeling of weariness and sadness. So we had to go back to the drawing board.

I absolutely love purple and any color within that same family, so that’s where the lavender orchids came in. After seeing that second draft, my mood immediately perked up and a feeling of hopefulness and enlightenment came over me. That’s the feeling I wanted and needed my readers to have after experiencing the devastating loss of a parent.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I’m not sure if I truly focused on the idea of freshness as much as I did on authenticity and transparency. Whenever I’m writing, I want it to be as honest and raw as possible. Remaining true to my authentic voice and point of view within that present space and during that period of the actual loss is what was most important to me.

Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

There are two amazing human beings and writers (Alessandro Cerdas and Edna Frate) who I am honored to call lifelong friends that popped in and made a contribution in two separate sub-chapters. After reading, can you guess where these two people showed up?

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Letters To My Father: 7 Steps To Healing From The Loss Of A Parent

Book: The Meal Deal

Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

My name is Lisa, and I’m not really sure how to define myself since I’m always changing and evolving. I’ve been many things in my life so far, from a graphic designer to an economist to a freelance writer to a wellness coach. I’ve never been one to have a straight path in life, but rather tend to live more organically and follow my heart to the next project. I’ve also never followed societal norms, and have a different definition of success than a lot of people – one that’s defined more by growth than by material or job-related expectations. But writing has always been my first love (since I was very young), and everything I’ve done has involved the craft in some way. I’m an avid reader, cook, non-competitive athlete, certified nutrition coach, and I love doing what I can to help others find their own way.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘The Meal Deal’ book?

I’ve always had a severe lack of self-confidence, so I finally had to confront that with a therapist to help work through a lifetime of self doubt and the feeling of not believing what I had to say was worthy of being out in the world. I also had to work with an incredible editor to figure out the structure of the book, because in the beginning it was just a bunch of bulleted lists with no real actionable steps.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

Michael Pollen is my icon in terms of food writing. Herman Wouk for his literary flow and humor. Any author who has the enviable trait of being able to get their point or story across succinctly but with finesse (for example, “Catch -22,” by Joseph Heller, and more recently Matt Haig). Elizabeth Gilbert and Stephen King’s books on writing were instrumental in helping me develop as a writer and nurtured my creativity.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

Bodega Bay, California. My Mom has a home on the coast with stunning panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. I’ve been going out there so long, it feels like a second home. We love to visit the vineyards and the wonderfully quaint small towns, but just staring out of the windows from the house at the vast ocean and being mesmerized by its beauty is perfection.

Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?

I think it depends on the book. I imagine some books take years of research before you can begin writing, and then they kind of write themselves in a way because you’ve been plotting the story as you’ve been doing the research. For “The Meal Deal,” I basically just started with a brain dump, and then made an outline and tweaked it too many times to remember.

Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘The Meal Deal’ book?

It felt like forever. I’d say it was probably 10 years from putting pen to paper (and then to computer) and publishing. But a lot of that time was because I got stuck on thinking it would never be good enough, so I’d put it away and then come back to it over and over. But it’s something I couldn’t stop thinking about, so I never let it go completely.

Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘The Meal Day’ book to buy?

Right now you can find it on Amazon: (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1610059743?ref=myi_title_dp)

Booklogix: https://www.shop.booklogix.com/The-Meal-Deal-22313.htm

And on my website: https://lisakschreiber.com/the-meal-deal-book

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Meal Deal’?

The main title came to me pretty quickly as I was playing around with words and phrases I thought would represent the book well. The subtitle was a joint effort between my husband and me. He and I were talking about finding an active subtitle that would encompass what the book was about at dinner one night, and we were throwing out ideas and that one stuck. I felt like it was dynamic and explained just enough of what readers could expect to find. Then I worked with a very talented cover designer at my publisher’s and she asked if I had anything in mind for the cover. I mentioned I loved the idea of having a menu board, like the kind you’d find outside a restaurant to get people excited about their food, and she ran with it (and, I thought, did a superb job).

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I think I try to keep things relevant to what’s currently going on, but also timeless so that it’s something readers can relate to, hopefully, for many years. And I always try to keep in mind the big overall concept so that I never stray too far and have readers wondering why something is there. That also helps me refine as I go instead of wasting time throwing in the kitchen sink (which I tend to do anyway – that’s why editors are a must).

Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

While the book is aimed at helping readers set up their surroundings to make meal planning a way of life, it’s also meant to be like a mini-coaching session. I hope readers will learn to trust that they are the ultimate authority on their lives, and they don’t need to compare themselves or compete with others in any way. It sounds like an easy concept, but these can be hard habits to form. I ask readers to repeatedly practice self-compassion and self-acceptance because these are fundamental concepts that, if practiced over and over, give people room to grow through their lives. I also ask readers to break down their big “why.” Getting to the heart of why they want to change their eating habits can help people remember the deeper purpose and motivate them to keep going when things get challenging.

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

The Meal Deal