A Home for All of Us received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Nancy Lorraine.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
A Home for All of Us: A Memoir published December 22/2020
What’s the book’s first line?
“There are many days when I wonder if my heart is big enough. Am I strong enough, conscious enough, to continue to hold two loves in my heart?”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
This is a story of unconditional love and unconventional solutions to challenging life events. Love, from my husbands, children, and parents, helped me to meet and overcome many traumatic life events; including the serious brain injury of my first husband. This is our story.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
I was inspired to write the story of Adam. He was a very good and loving man who suffered serious depression and then a traumatic brain injury. A car accident devastated his brain. Very little personality remained, except his enduring love for his wife and children. And then there was Michael, a man whose love encompassed me, my children, and my husband. It was kind of miraculous.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
I hope our story will educate the reader about depression, traumatic brain injury, and serious physical illness, from the perspective of a wife, who is also a therapist, and the family. I encourage readers to be compassionate with themselves as they negotiate life’s challenges; and to believe, despite the darkest of days, that love and hope can lie just around the corner.
When did you first decide to become an author?
My first books were a natural outcome of the stories I would tell my grandchildren about the flowers and critters in our extensive butterfly garden. The memoir was much more difficult to write. It meant revisiting some very sad times in my life. I wrote it in stages over the last ten years.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
No, I self-published two children’s books about butterflies, one butterfly coloring book, and one book for parents to use in helping a child deal with grief. The illustrations in the books were done by a watercolorist. They are beautiful. The titles are: The Butterfly Adventure (hardback and paperback), Tatty, the Monarch Butterfly (paperback), The Backyard Butterflies Coloring Book, and Dixie and the Sunshine Butterflies: A story of Grief and Recovery for Parents and Children (paperback).
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I have a Ph.D. in Social Work; I worked with individuals and couples in therapy for over thirty years. I retired twenty years ago. Now I read, volunteer in my community, and work in my garden.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
I have complete control over what and how I write, which of course is both the best and the worst part. I belonged to a writer’s group for many years. They gave me helpful feedback on my writing.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
For any writer, seek out other authors for support.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
Yes, because it is very difficult to get publicity for an indie book. It is against my nature to “sell” the book. Your newsletter and review are very helpful.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
I’m 76 years old. I don’t need fame or fortune; but I know my story is unique. My way of coping with traumatic events worked out for me. I hope others will take encouragement from my story to find faith in themselves as they cope with the speedbumps of life.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
I read a lot, at least a book a week. My taste is eclectic, depending on my mood. There are many authors whose writing I admire. Off the top of my head: Diana Gabaldon, William Krueger, Louise Penny, Kristin Hannah, Daniel Silva, and Mary Alice Monroe.