Today it’s been a year since my memoir was officially launched.
More than 65 events, 103 online reviews (and counting), and three awards later, what a year it has been.
Thanks to your support, Pieces of Me has enjoyed national attention, and has garnered international fans as well. None of this would be possible without your support. There just are not enough thank you’s to go around.
The gifts that followed after publishing my book are the relationships that have been strengthened, the new friendships made, and the opportunities to talk with family, friends, and strangers about issues that have been traditionally have secret. Like family violence. Parental child abduction. Intergenerational trauma.
When giving presentations to high school and college students, I love recalling that pre-internet time when people across the community united to help me bring my kidnappped daughters home. What a diverse group my support network was made up of, and their generosity was duplicated in beautiful Greece. And what a special time it was in history in general when people actually spoke to one another instead of at each other. It reminds me that together, we can accomplish most anything. It reminds me that when we are divided, we accomplish very little.
There have been some stressful times promoting the book. I ruffled a few feathers. I got very tired. And I relived some very horrible moments in my family’s history. But the good has far outweighed the negative.
I have some more events coming up. Indeed, I am about to get on a plane and speak at it conference this weekend. But after October, it is time for me to slow down and work on my next book. I’m excited about it, having pitched it to a literary agent at a writer’s conference last weekend, who deemed it the “most promising manuscript,” of those pitched to her in that event.
I plan to begin charging for book trips that cost me both money and personal leave time so I can break even financially. But I have treasured this year and these moments together.
I will continue to work toward getting my memoir into universities, and welcome any help to that end.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
XOXO,
Lizbeth
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