What inspired you to write your memoir? This is my first attempt making my writings available to the public. I felt the story of a married couple leaving family and friends behind to chase a better way of life in the Middle East would be interesting. Writing about personal events in our lives was a new direction from the horror and political stories I've worked on privately. The idea of using pictures and commentary on social media helped family and friends experience our adventure in very … [Read more...] about Leaving America by Rick D. Jolly
Miracle on 91st Street: Surviving the Impossible by Joseph Parenti
What inspired you to write your memoir? I wanted to share my story hoping to inspire others. It proves the power of determination and perseverance in overcoming obstacles in a devastating situation. In addition to my fighting to survive the injuries of the accident that almost ended my life, I had to battle the incompetence of the western medical health care system. Readers of this memoir will be encouraged to forge ahead and trust their own instincts when faced with any challenges in their … [Read more...] about Miracle on 91st Street: Surviving the Impossible by Joseph Parenti
It’ll Feel Better when it Quits Hurting by Lisa Orban
What inspired you to write your memoir? I have always been a storyteller, after many years of listening to my stories and making people laugh at the comedy of errors that is my life, my friends began to encourage me to write them down. Then one day about three years ago, I sat down and began to write. About your Book: Many years ago my friends and I would sit around and play what we called "Jerry Springer: the Home Game". The object of the game was to see how many upcoming shows we … [Read more...] about It’ll Feel Better when it Quits Hurting by Lisa Orban
Going Gypsy: One Couple’s Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All by Veronica James
What inspired you to write your memoir? After setting out on an empty nest adventure we found that many people were relating to our story through our website. That led us to writing Going Gypsy as an account of how we set about our journey. About your Book: Almost every couple faces a “now what?” moment as their last kid moves out of the house. There’s a big empty nest looming over this new and uncertain stage in their lives. David and Veronica James chose to look at this next phase of … [Read more...] about Going Gypsy: One Couple’s Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All by Veronica James
Say Uncle by Chris Voisard
What inspired you to write your memoir? I have the kind of childhood, that upon revealing, often elicited the response, "Wow, you should write a book!" I was in a writing group with Adair Lara and found myself writing stories about growing up in my unconventional family. Eventually I decided to string them together into a cohesive tale, partly to make sense of my childhood, partly for catharsis, partly for the record. About your Book: Say Uncle …a memoir When the author of Say Uncle, … [Read more...] about Say Uncle by Chris Voisard
Softbelly by Robert Epperson
What inspired you to write your memoir? I wanted to know how the onset of bipolar disorder happened by examining my life. I thought that if I could identify the major triggers of my first mania, the mental illness community could potentially benefit. I'm not necessarily discovering new knowledge, but I might serve as an example of how there's truth in some of the theories out there that aren't acknowledged much by mainstream psychiatry. Finally, I knew I had an entertaining story and wanted … [Read more...] about Softbelly by Robert Epperson
Searching for Malumba: Why Teaching is Terrible… and Why We Do it Anyway by Luther M. Siler
What inspired you to write your memoir? I taught in urban schools for fifteen years, and during that time did a LOT of writing about teaching. SEARCHING FOR MALUMBA is the best of that fifteen years of writing; I am primarily a science fiction/fantasy author but I always wanted to do a book about teaching as well. This is it. About your Book: Luther M. Siler's long-awaited book about teaching, SEARCHING FOR MALUMBA collects nearly 150 of the best of his essays and blog posts from 15 years … [Read more...] about Searching for Malumba: Why Teaching is Terrible… and Why We Do it Anyway by Luther M. Siler
Between Two Harbors, Reflections of a Catalina Island Harbormaster by Doug Oudin
What inspired you to write your memoir? I moved to Catalina Island in 1978, planning on a one-year chance to do something different. Thirty-two years, two sons, and a lifetime of unique and interesting experiences on the Island, I retired. Along the way I became harbormaster. As harbormaster, my interactions included my involvement with the death of actress Natalie Wood, and dozens of other events that I always wanted to share with others, but did not have the time to dedicate to … [Read more...] about Between Two Harbors, Reflections of a Catalina Island Harbormaster by Doug Oudin
Fred’s Diary 1981: Travels in Asia by Robert Fear
What inspired you to write your memoir? I have always had an interest in books and literature but never considered myself to be an author, more of a diarist or a travel memoir writer. I have dabbled with short stories over the years but had never published anything before. My published work is called Fred’s Diary 1981 and is the edited version of a handwritten diary that I kept during my travels in Asia. This was the only time in my life that I recorded almost everything I did. The trip … [Read more...] about Fred’s Diary 1981: Travels in Asia by Robert Fear
The Forests I Called Home: A Memoir of Living, Leaving, and Loving the Woods and Sea by Jodi Auborn
What inspired you to write your memoir? I was inspired to write my memoir from my life growing up in the Adirondack Mountains, and the other places where I've lived and vacationed. I was also inspired by my childhood pets and camping trips that influenced my life and made me who I am today. Shortly after my first novel, "Stormwind of the North Country," was published, my publisher sent e-mails to their authors saying that they were seeking memoir manuscripts. I wondered if I should bother … [Read more...] about The Forests I Called Home: A Memoir of Living, Leaving, and Loving the Woods and Sea by Jodi Auborn
Loveyoubye: Holding Fast, Letting Go, And Then There’s The Dog by Rossandra White
What inspired you to write your memoir? When my husband of twenty-five years started disappearing for weeks at a time without explanation or apology (stonewalling me at every turn), I hung tight. I loved him. There was too much at stake. So I started writing about it. I poured all my hurt, anger, and confusion onto the page. Articulating my feelings gave me a sense of release and power. I love what Linda Joy Myers has to say about writing memoir. "It draws on all aspects of who we are, body, … [Read more...] about Loveyoubye: Holding Fast, Letting Go, And Then There’s The Dog by Rossandra White
My Hilarious Sex Life by Andy Halmay
What inspired you to write your memoir? Good question. Two experiences led to it. A publisher had read a screenplay of mine and wanted me to give them a book adaptation. I lacked time and interest but they offered to have it ghost-written and still pay a decent royalty. They wrote it badly, I edited it and they ignored my edit. I gave them the cover layout and elements and they messed that up. Then they pulled a bogus bankruptcy and left me with bad taste in my mouth. A few weeks later … [Read more...] about My Hilarious Sex Life by Andy Halmay
