A new book…and a few jitters

Right now, I’m filled with mixed emotions. After a lengthy, learn-as-you-go-along process, I’ve just published my first book. It’s called It’s Not Personal: Lessons I’ve Learned from Dealing with Difficult Behavior.

After all the writing and editing…and rewriting and reediting…and designing and formatting…and uploading and proofing…and reuploading and reproofing, my book is now listed on Amazon.com through Orange Sun Press.

I’m happy, but also a bit nervous. After all, why should I be qualified to write a book about dealing with difficult behavior? I have my moments, just like everyone else. And my degree is in journalism…not theology or philosophy or psychology.

My only explanation is that I felt compelled to write this book.  For me, the decision was a syllogism:  God called me to be a writer…and God allowed me to experience a variety of difficult situations.  Therefore, I was supposed to write about those difficult situations and what I learned from them.

Still, I was a bit reticent. Many of those situations involved my deceased mother. The stories are personal and sometimes painful. But in learning to understand and deal with these difficult situations, I realized I was absorbing spiritual lessons along the way. Increasingly, I grew convinced that I was being called to share my stories and lessons because they might help others who are going through similar situations.

People have been writing about their struggles with difficult behavior since recorded time.  In that sense, I know I’m not breaking new ground.  However, I also believe that writers have a duty to retell timeless truths through current language and modern stories. So that’s why I wrote It’s Not Personal.  I hope you find the book as helpful to read as I found it cathartic to write.