What inspired you to write your memoir?
I worked in the medical field for 20 years and had many interesting experiences. Some are funny, others are dramatic, and many are poignant. I’ve been writing for many years, so I knew I would be able to write a memoir others would find enjoyable to read.
About your Book:
As a single mother in 1973 in MN, I search for my professional passion in life. I take my three-year-old daughter’s hand and move to Hawaii where I become a Medical Technologist. While taking courses, I learn to stick needles into people while my hands shake. I work in the laboratory at Kapiolani-Children’s Medical Center which Queen Kapiolani began to help island women survive childbirth. I perform a fetal lung test on amniotic fluid of a pregnant Polynesian woman suffering from complications. Is the baby all right? A Hawaiian lady gives birth to a one and a half pound baby, but will they survive? Our lab plays a critical role in the trial of a Mafia hit-man of rape and attempted murder. Will he be convicted? I move to Arizona where I work in a free-standing emergency center. I help diagnose a philandering husband with gonorrhea. What is his wife’s strange reaction? A gunman enters the center looking for drugs. Does he get any? A male patient comes in with pain and says he has sickle cell anemia. Does he really, or, is he just a drug-seeker? A male with an infected eye leaves the Center. He tells me the receptionist wouldn’t check him in because he’s homeless. Does he go blind in that eye because he doesn’t get treatment? The emergency center closes and I’m transferred to the main hospital where the Trauma ER is located. I’m not used to the high tension and stress of trauma. The laboratory staff does not accept me. Trauma doctors scream during Blue Alerts. I help a nurse during a Blue Alert but the nurse doesn’t reciprocate and the doctor yells at me for not finishing faster. I discover a dead woman in a room and the doctor yells at me for not drawing blood. An ER nurse accuses me of stealing from a patient. I work on an AIDS patient who shot himself, with blood all over. Can I ever get used to this tense atmosphere? All in all, a 20-year career is covered. I also interweave my personal life as I balance single motherhood with work, and search for a soul-mate. The various vignettes in this memoir are humorous, dramatic, and poignant.
How did you decide how to publish your book and where is it published through:
I self-published through Amazon. It’s in Kindle version and also paperback. I found a professional, Travis Miles, to do my cover for a reasonable price. I was very pleased.
How do you see writing a Memoir as different from writing other genres of books?
Memoirs are very emotional-driven. And obviously in first-person. I have written two memoirs and found that writing them was very cathartic. They both have received wonderful reviews.
Author Bio:
Elizabeth Blake is an American Society of Clinical Pathologists certified Medical Technologist. She worked in the medical field for twenty years. Then she taught high school science in an inner-city school for four years before taking care of her invalid mother for eight years. She began her writing career by writing short stories about her ancestors and family, most of which sold to various magazines. She is married and has one daughter and three grandchildren, all of whom live in Arizona. She likes to swim, walk, travel with her husband, read, write, and play with her Chihuahua named Sahara.
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Author Home Page Link
Link To Book On Amazon
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http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2039780.Elizabeth_Blake
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