Memoirs – Page 12

My 52 Weeks of Worship: Lessons From a Global, Spiritual, Interfaith Journey by Pamay Bassey

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What inspired you to write your memoir?
In 2010, I completed a project called My 52 Weeks of Worship. I made a personal commitment to visit a different place of worship every week – whether that place of worship reflected my religious tradition or not. The project began as a way to deal with grief, personal loss, and disappointment—in the previous year, my father and grandmother died, and the most significant relationship of my life also ended (which is no small thing for a woman in her late 30s who was dreaming of marriage and family and all of that). I had to do something to rustle up some hope and optimism for my future, rather than dwelling on the pain, regrets, and sadness from my past, and/or looking for quick, ineffective, or self-destructive fixes to deal with my grief and loss. My 52 Weeks of Worship became a meaningful and life changing experience.

During my year-long spiritual journey, although I was based in Chicago, I visited 61 churches, temples, mosques, synagogues and gathering places in the US, Mexico, the UK, South Africa and Nigeria.

My book: My 52 Weeks of Worship: Lessons from A Global, Spiritual, Interfaith Journey is based on my experiences during the first 52 weeks of my project. It is a spiritual memoir – so it is a compilation of stories and experiences – each chapter talks about my time visiting a different worship community – how I felt when I entered, what I experienced, how it touched me as I moved through my grief journey, what I learned, who I met – their stories, and how it contributed to my 3 main needs – healing, connection, and remembrance.

My journey was a personal one, and I didn’t initially intend to write a book. But as the subtitle of the book states – I learned many lessons over the span of my global, spiritual, interfaith journey, and I wanted to share them – the lessons and the stories.

About your Book:
Suffering the loss of her father and grandmother, and dealing with the ending of a relationship left the author tired, bereft, disappointed, emotionally drained, and feeling like God had forgotten her. She wondered what she could do to heal from this holy triumvirate of personal pain.

She decided that spirituality would be the context from which she would make her journey back to herself. If she felt like God had forgotten her, then she would look for Him everywhere and in the eyes of everyone she met. She made a commitment to visit a different place of worship every week for a year, whether that place of worship reflected her Christian religious tradition or not. In total, she visited sixty-one churches, temples, mosques, synagogues, and gathering places in the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Nigeria and South Africa.

My 52 Weeks of Worship is the story of one woman’s courageous journey. Read and see-will her journey lead her to deep, dark places in her soul or help her find peace and acceptance?

Author Bio:
Pamay Bassey is the Chief Experience Officer of the “My 52 Weeks of Worship Project,” which started when she made a commitment to visit a different place of worship each week in 2010 – whether that place of worship reflected her personal religious tradition or not. As a result, in one year she visited 61 churches, temples, mosques, shuls, synagogues, covens, living rooms, and other places of worship in the USA, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Nigeria and South Africa.

She has written a book about her experiences, My 52 Weeks of Worship: Lessons from a Global, Spiritual, Interfaith Journey (Balboa Press, 2012). She also maintains a blog about her on-going experiences (www.my52wow.com.

Pamay is the president of The Pamay Group, an e-learning design and strategy company, and has over 18 years of experience in designing and developing online learning courses for K-12, community organizations, corporate and virtual universities, computer-based training, and day-in-the-life simulations. She has worked and consulted for such companies as Coca Cola USA, McDonald’s, Mabam! Entertainment, Accenture, and Sanofi. She has served as an educational researcher/consultant for projects at Northwestern University and the University of Michigan, and has also served as a faculty member for several online universities, including Cardean University, American Intercontinental University Online, and the Art Institute Online, where she has taught User Experience, Computer Applications, and Information Technology courses.

Pamay holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University, a course of study that draws from computer science, philosophy, psychology, and linguistics, which she earned at the age of 20. Her concentration of study there was Artificial Intelligence. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Northwestern University. She received a Project Management Certification from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and a Master Online Teacher Certification from the University of Illinois, Springfield.

Pamay is also a graduate of the acclaimed Second City Conservatory program in Chicago, Illinois, which is an advanced study of improvisational comedy and theatre. She has performed as an improviser, comedian, actress and public speaker all over the United States and in West Africa.
Pamay was chosen as Today’s Chicago Woman’s “Woman to Watch” in 2001. She was selected as one of the “Top 40 Nigerians under 40 in the USA” in 2005, serves on the Chicago Board of the African Women’s Development Fund, and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Ms. Bassey has also been professionally profiled in Afrique Magapaper, Essence Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune.

How did you decide how to publish your book and where is it published through:
I did some research into traditional publishing avenues, and talked to some agents. But I ultimately chose to self-publish through Balboa Publishing, the assisted publishing arm of Hay House publishing – a publisher that does a great deal in the area of spirituality and self-help books. I knew that eventually I would like to move forward as a professional speaker – sharing my story with as many audiences as possible, and building that career on the foundation of my book. So, time was of the essence, and self-publishing seemed to be a better approach.

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Book On Amazon
Link to Book on Barnes and Noble
Link to Book for sale via other sites

Curbchek-Reload

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Curbchek-Reload is a dark account of the streets as they were worked by Zach Fortier, a dangerously deranged cop. Welcome back to the inner city and the twisted mentality of Zach Fortier. Patrolling the streets, broken and mentally damaged from years of urban violence, Zach fights a loosing battle to maintain a hold on reality. Join him in the passenger seat of a police cruiser for more of the darker and meaner side of life: The inner city. In Curbchek-Reload you get a front row seat to an attempted murder of a cop, suicide attempts, rapes, and DARK cop humor. Curbchek-Reload – Fasten your bullet proof vest and buckle your seatbelt, it is gonna be a wild ride!

Zach Fortier has experience as a Military Policeman, Deputy Sheriff, and Police Officer. Serving on two SWAT teams. He has held positions as a K-9 handler, gang unit detective, sex crimes investigator, domestic violence crimes investigator, bike patrol officer, school resource officer and has been assigned to the COPS section (community oriented policing). He was diagnosed with acute PTSD in 2003. Currently living in Denver Colorado. He has three adult children, and is married to an amazing woman. Hobbies include photography, weightlifting, and hiking.

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Book On Amazon

My Grandfather’s Uncle: a Memoir by Philip J McQuillan @matarburros

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What inspired you to write your memoir?
I was inspired by the life of my father Philip Louis. Big Philip, as he was called in our family, was a unique and somewhat enigmatic figure, who loomed very large in our family circle. His “pursuit of happiness” was different from the norm; he was a bit peculiar, but in a good way. After his passing, we naturally went through some of his old documents. We discovered things about him that we never knew before; these findings explained a lot of his mysteriousness. These things and other fragmented memories remained in the back of my mind for about 18 months after his death. Then, I began jotting down words and phrases that he used frequently. I never really thought about it much, but words have a way of working wonders and transforming a person—the outlines of a book began to appear in my mind. There was another catalyst. It happened like this:

My sister and her husband were planning to visit Norway, the birthplace of our maternal grandfather. She was going to spend most of her time in Bergen so I began reading about the town and about Norway on the Internet. I also began to do a little research on various find–your–ancestors websites, hoping to unearth more about my mother’s father. There wasn’t much I could find out about him. I searched a great deal and became frustrated because I wanted to surprise my sister with information that she could use to visit the area of his birth, and then maybe even contact long-lost third or fourth cousins. That’s when I realized that, despite our great love and appreciation for this man—our father—he too was destined to meet the same obscure fate as my forgotten grandfather. I began to think of them both as “undocumented Americans.” Next thing you know, I’m working seriously on my father’s memoir.

About your Book:
Growing up during the Great Depression, Philip had to contend with scarcity, hand-me-downs and a dearth of education options. His older brothers and sisters had all been “guided” into a convent or the priesthood. So how did Philip become a stalwart family man and neighborhood icon? All by accident…he met our mother!

Philip had a passion for cooking, quoting Shakespeare and standing on his head. He could say stuff like “Anything you can do I can do better” and yet remain a humble man. He had to be humble as my mother was a hard taskmaster. He once said that his existence under her driving force was “survival of the shittest.” Not one to complain much, normally he was willing to be at Jean’s beck and call—perhaps for the sake of his sanity.

His story begins with a glimpse of his pre-Depression origins, then fast-forwards almost forty years to his colorful home life, favorite hobbies and the mini-obsessions that made him such a memorable character. Philip’s little recipes, his night job as a radio announcer, his board game “crimes” and his love for horse racing, golf and gardening all combine to paint the richly detailed portrait of a man we cannot help but grow to love.

How did you decide how to publish your book and where is it published through:
I have purchased so many things, including books, on Amazon that it was an obvious first venue of choice. The fact that Amazon makes it easy to self publish means that the marketplace becomes the ultimate decider. You don’t have to convince anyone but yourself that you can put out a product that readers will want to read.

How do you see writing a Memoir as different from writing other genres of books?
No, I believe that the craft of writing can be applied with almost equal results across all book genres.

Author Bio:
Philip J McQuillan was born in 1954 in Michigan, spent his early school years in Philadelphia, PA and Vineland, NJ. After a brief career in commercial shipping, he moved to Costa Rica and spent 20 years there raising a family, teaching English and learning Spanish in his spare time. In 2001, he returned to the US with his second family, and eventually moved back to his hometown to spend more time with his father in his waning years.

A first-time author, Philip draws inspiration from his father Philip Louis.

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Book On Amazon

Your Social Media Links
http://twitter.com/matarburros

Who Was Nelson Mandela?: (Who Was…?) by MJ Williams

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One day when Nelson Mandela was nine years old, his father died and he was sent from his village to a school far away from home, to another part of South Africa. In Johannesburg, the country’s capital, Mandela saw fellow Africans who were poor and powerless. He decided then that he would work to protect them. When the government began to keep people apart based on the color of their skin, Mandela spoke out against the law and vowed to fight hard in order to make his country a place that belonged to all South Africans.

Kadir Nelson tells the story of Mandela, a global icon, in poignant verse and glorious illustrations. It is the story of a young boy’s determination to change South Africa and of the struggles of a man who eventually became the president of his country by believing in equality for people of all colors. Readers will be inspired by Mandela’s triumph and his lifelong quest to create a more just world.

This latest biography traces Mandela’s complete life story.

Targeted Age Group:
All

What Advice Would You Give Aspiring Writers?
Always write good content

Author Bio:
Playwright Tennessee Williams was born on March 26, 1971, in Columbus, Mississippi. After college, he moved to New Orleans, a city that would inspire much of his writing.

Website(s)
Link To Buy Book On Amazon

Daddy, this is it. Being-with My Dying Dad by Julie Saeger Nierenberg

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What inspired you to write your memoir?
My father lived an inspiring End of Life, and before he passed, he encouraged me to share the story of his transition. After his passing, I found that writing about him and the journey we shared helped me to integrate and process my grief.

About your Book:
My dad faced his metastatic cancer diagnosis by living fully for the rest of his days. When treatments beat him down, he set small physical goals and systematically met them. Time and again, his doctors preserved the human body where the tumors grew, until there was nothing more they could do to prevent the inevitable. But Dad didn’t feel like dying. He felt full of life and longing to live. He was angry and sad, disappointed and confused, scared and brave, unaccepting and, finally, accepting. With courage and amazing grace, he lovingly prepared our family for his passing. As our time together came to an end, I was grateful to be present. Although death is an inevitable part of life, how we choose to be-with the dying and the bereaved is up to us. I encourage you to prepare and to embrace the possibility of a lovingly supported transition and, to that end, I include some resources that may assist you. Being ready to be-with is a wonderful way to live.

How did you decide how to publish your book and where is it published through:
I had good experiences using CreateSpace and self-publishing through my own company: CreateWrite Enterprises. I wanted the Kindle and paperback features provided by Amazon.

How do you see writing a Memoir as different from writing other genres of books?
For me, this was a heart-opening experience. There was no element of fantasy or character development; every word I wrote was a direct reflection of my time being present with my dad and my family.

Author Bio:
Julie Saeger Nierenberg is a writer and editor who coaches other writers to pen and publish their work.

After growing up in rural Oklahoma, she lived in Indiana, Mexico, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Toronto, Ontario. Julie enjoyed a variety of career foci in the sciences, education, sales and marketing, copy writing and editing. She was a creative caterer Once Upon a Time and her studio art, primarily landscapes, hangs in novel locations around the world.

Presently, Julie is immersed in the rich variety of themes she and her author clients choose in their personal memoirs, historical fiction, romance, adventure, spiritual and personal development writing.

“Passionate pursuit of the art of communication – through words, stories and overarching purpose – is bliss.”

Website(s)
Link To Book On Amazon
Link to Book on Barnes and Noble

Your Social Media Links
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18008443-daddy-this-is-it-being-with-my-dying-dad
https://www.facebook.com/daddy.this.is.it

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