And Now for the Rest of the Story, Arranging a Dream: A Memoir #memoir #motherhood #flowershop

 

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story blog.

BWL Publishing released my memoir, Arranging a Dream: A Memoir in January 2021. Now there is more to the story.

What is the story? 

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir
by J.Q. Rose

From the back of the book:

In 1975, budding entrepreneurs Ted and Janet purchase a floral shop and greenhouses where they plan to grow their dream. Leaving friends and family behind in Illinois and losing the security of two paychecks, they transplant themselves, their one-year-old daughter, and all their belongings to Fremont, Michigan, where they know no one. 

Will the retiring business owners nurture Ted and Janet as they struggle to develop a blooming business, or will they desert the inexperienced young couple to wither and die in their new environment?

 Most of all, can Ted and Janet grow together as they cultivate a loving marriage, juggle parenting with work and root a thriving business?

Follow Ted and Janet's inspiring story, filled with the joy,and triumphs and the obstacles and failures experienced by these blossoming entrepreneurs as they travel the turbulent path of turning dreams into reality.

A snapshot of the flower shop on the first day we saw it in July 1975

Yes, we purchased the shop and greenhouse operation and lived out our dream to be entrepreneurs. It was a risky chance, but we were young and innocent enough not to know what we faced in the world of business. 

I remember how thrilled I was when we decided to become shop owners. I remember how frightened I was to move away from Central Illinois where we had a team of supporters in our family and friends. The small town in West Michigan was filled with strangers. We knew nothing about the retiring owners. We had to trust and pray they were good people.

Sara, Easter 1976 
16 months old

The most upsetting time for me was, after nursing my baby girl for nearly a year, I would have to give her up to a daycare worker who I did not know in order for me to work full time at the shop. 

Leaving her all day was the most difficult decision I ever made in my life! But let me assure you, she grew up to be a wonderful woman, the mother of two boys, active in her community and church, and operating two businesses. FYI--She gained a sister in 1978 who is also a fun-loving woman, the mother of two boys and a girl, active in her community and a city clerk performing her duties for her city as well as for the state's city clerk association.

SPOILER AHEAD: 

We purchased the shop and opened for business, on January 2, 1976, and sold the business on March 1, 1995. 

In 1982, we purchased property about two blocks from the original chalet building and erected three greenhouses, each 50' x 150', for a garden center. In 1986, we opened our new flower shop and garden center which was attached to the greenhouses. 

The floral shop, garden center and greenhouses in one location
1988

Imagining the building was one thing, but planning and building it were another. Dreaming of it was thrilling. Building it was frustrating when we couldn't get the builders to show up and get it done as quickly as we wanted to! But decorating the interior and ordering inventory, moving in...all those things and more were exciting and scary all at once. Figuring out how the design room should be set up, managing the shelving for the shop and garden center, decisions on how to create  welcoming, but efficient spaces were just a few of the responsibilities. 

We celebrated our new facilities with the community with a grand opening in November 1986. That day and the excitement of our customers and visitors still swirls in my memory as one of the best days at the flower shop.

Now, the rest of the story:

The owners who originally purchased the shop in 1995 are still in business, however, they sold the shop and property to Aldis grocery store last month. Aldis will bring in the wrecking ball soon to knock down that building pictured above and clean up all the reminders that the shop ever existed. I'm a bit melancholy about that, even if I haven't been working in the shop for 27 years.

I am glad I have wonderful memories of the times and photos of that era of my life  because there is no longer any physical evidence of those times. The original chalet building was knocked down several years ago. Only a grassy lot with a  For Sale sign remains where the old shop was located. 

But I have the memoir that leaves our legacy stories for our family and friends and future generations to read and learn how we worked hard to make our dream of owning a floral business and greenhouse operation come true.

****

Your Words, Your Life Story

My message to you is to consider jotting down memories for your family. Or record them using your phone. Your story could be an important piece to encourage others.

To help you spark your memories, check out my eBook and Paperback with lined pages for journaling about telling your life stories, Your Words, Your Life Story.

Click the links below to download or order the paperback.

UNIVERSAL LINK FOR EBOOK 

AMAZON LINK PAPERBACK JOURNAL  

ARRANGING A DREAM: A MEMOIR

Janet and Gardener Ted

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir

Click the links below to download or order the paperback or hardcover

UNIVERSAL eBOOK LINK  

PAPERBACK at Amazon: 

also available in hardcover

 

Mother's Day Excerpt from Arranging a Dream, Happy Mother's Day, Working Moms

YouTube VIDEO: Mother's Day Excerpt from Arranging a Dream

Hello and welcome!

I wanted to pop in to wish you moms, grandmoms and those who are special in a child's life a very Happy Mother's Day!

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir is not only about the triumphs and failures we faced to make our dream of owning our own business come true. It is also my story of a mother of a one-year-old baby girl navigating the muddy waters of guilt for "abandoning" her baby to the care of a stranger and learning her job as a floral designer and enjoying it. Dealing with the guilt will resonate with many working moms, as well as juggling a job, childcare, responsibilities at home and self-care.

Overcoming these obstacles to make a dream come true will inspire women to step on the path toward fulfilling their dreams.

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir by J.Q.Rose

Click here to download the eBook from your favorite digital bookstore.

Click here to order the paperback, hardcover or eBook from amazon.

Happy Mother's Day from J.Q. Rose

A Bittersweet Moment by J.Q. Rose #MFRWHooks

 

   

Book Hooks Blog Hop #MFRWHooks

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story Blog. Today we're joining the Book Hooks Blog Hop sponsored by the Marketing For Romance Writers Group. Each participating blogger shares an excerpt from their book. Today, I share an excerpt from my memoir, Arranging a Dream: A Memoir, released on January 1, 2021.

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir
by J.Q. Rose

BACK OF THE BOOK: Arranging a Dream: A Memoir

In 1975, budding entrepreneurs Ted and Janet purchase a floral shop and greenhouses where they plan to grow their dream. Leaving friends and family behind in Illinois and losing the security of two paychecks, they transplant themselves, their one-year-old daughter, and all their belongings to Fremont, Michigan, where they know no one. 

 Will the retiring business owners nurture Ted and Janet as they struggle to develop a blooming business, or will they desert the young couple to wither and die in their new environment?

 Most of all, can Ted and Janet grow together as they cultivate a loving marriage, juggle parenting with work, and root a thriving business?

 Follow this couple’s inspiring story, filled with the joy and triumphs and the obstacles and failures experienced as they travel along the turbulent path of turning dreams into reality.

☘☘☘☘☘

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir

EXCERPT: Chapter 13, The Funeral Business Keeps Us Alive

    A few months into the winter season, I had the sad task of creating a small casket spray of white roses for a baby. This order was the first one I would design on my own since the baby’s visitation and funeral were scheduled on a Sunday. I waited until Sunday morning to go downstairs to the silent shop to design the miniature casket spray. 

    Switching on the lights didn’t chase away the gloom that winter morning in the design room. I noticed the chill and dampness in the air as I gathered everything I would need to create the piece. 

    I soaked the foam used as the base to hold the flowers. It had to be a small piece to fit the small baby casket. I went to the cooler and took out the white sweetheart roses, greens and baby's breath and set them on the design table. I wrapped the block of foam in green foil and taped it onto a papier-mache tray. A casket saddle used as the base for an adult-sized casket spray that fits on the foot of a casket would have been too large. 

    I set the prepared foam block next to the bucket of flowers and greens. I could not stop thinking of the heartbroken mother and father of this baby. My eyes brimmed with tears when I thought of losing Sara. How does one get through the crushing grief? The loss?  

    I prayed, “Please, Lord, be with this grieving family. Give them strength to endure the loss of their beloved baby. Give them comfort and peace. Be with their friends to help them through this unimaginable grief and loss. Be with me as I design this loving tribute to their baby. Bless my hands and sharpen my skills to help bring peace to their grieving hearts. Amen.” 

    I stepped back from the design table, closed my eyes, and pictured the small casket spray. This floral spray was the most important piece I had ever made. I took my time to place the dainty flowers and ribbons into a design to convey how special their baby was. 

    Working on this spray brought home the bond that I had with the families, my customers. My work was woven into families’ celebrations through weddings, graduation parties, and through their trials of sickness and death. I would be a part of the highs and the lows in people’s lives. I felt the weight of this huge responsibility and was humbled by the honor of being trusted to be a part of their life-changing moments.

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir is available at major online booksellers. Click the Universal Link to find your favorite retailer.

UNIVERSAL LINK  eBooks from your favorite digital bookseller.

 Paperback from amazon

Thank you for stopping in!

↪Click here to visit bloggers participating in the #MFRWhooks  Blog Hop!

☘☘☘☘☘

About JQ   

Author JQ Rose

Whether the story is fiction or non-fiction, J.Q. Rose is “focused on story.”  She offers readers chills, giggles and quirky characters woven within the pages of her romantic suspense novels. Her published mysteries are Deadly Undertaking, Terror on Sunshine Boulevard and Dangerous Sanctuary released by Books We Love Publishing. Using her storytelling skills, she provides entertainment and information with articles featured in books, magazines, newspapers, and online magazines. 

 Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games and travel are the things that keep JQ out of trouble. She and her husband spend winters in Florida and summers up north with their two daughters, two sons-in-law,  four grandsons, one granddaughter, two grand dogs, four grand cats, and one great-grand bearded dragon.

☘☘☘☘☘

Click Here to receive updates from J.Q. Rose, articles, newsworthy events, giveaways in the Rose Courier. 

Delivered to your inbox once a month.   

Thank you!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

A Snowy Morning in 1975, #MFRWHooks, VIDEO

   

Book Hooks Blog Hop #MFRWHooks

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story Blog. Today we're joining the Book Hooks Blog Hop sponsored by the Marketing For Romance Writers Group. Each participating blogger shares an excerpt from their book. Today, I share an excerpt from my memoir, Arranging a Dream: A Memoir, just released on January 1, 2021.

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir
by J.Q. Rose

BACK OF THE BOOK: 

In 1975, budding entrepreneurs Ted and Janet purchase a floral shop and greenhouses where they plan to grow their dream. Leaving friends and family behind in Illinois and losing the security of two paychecks, they transplant themselves, their one-year-old daughter, and all their belongings to Fremont, Michigan, where they know no one. 

 Will the retiring business owners nurture Ted and Janet as they struggle to develop a blooming business, or will they desert the young couple to wither and die in their new environment?

 Most of all, can Ted and Janet grow together as they cultivate a loving marriage, juggle parenting with work, and root a thriving business?

 Follow this couple’s inspiring story, filled with the joy and triumphs and the obstacles and failures experienced as they travel along the turbulent path of turning dreams into reality.

A cup of tea and a "warm, enlightening memoir"

If you are experiencing snow during January, you may want to snuggle into your comforter with a cup of tea and read this excerpt about the snowy morning I experienced in 1975. We had just moved into our apartment in West Michigan the day before. My first wake-up in our new home did not go as planned.

You may watch the video of the reading or scroll farther down for the excerpt.

VIDEO: Settling In

VIDEO: Settling In

Excerpt from Arranging a Dream, Chapter 7, Settling In

EXCERPT: Beginning of Chapter 7, Settling In 

The next morning, the first wake-up in our new apartment, a yelp of surprise and delight erupted from me as I surveyed the snow-blanketed landscape out the front apartment window overlooking the street below. From our second-story perch, I could see all the way to Fremont Lake. Tall pine trees bowed with the weight of the snow. Overnight the view had changed and now reminded me of a painting in a children’s picture book in grays, whites, and blues.

For a girl raised in the middle of the cornfields in Central Illinois, the landscape’s beauty was one I had never experienced. Snow fell in Illinois, but rarely like this.

I heard Ted at the kitchen door stomping the snow off his shoes before stepping in on the kitchen floor. The sound of the door slammed shut behind him. I rushed to the kitchen to see him headed for the coffee pot. Unfortunately, he didn’t remove his shoes and tracked snow across the floor.

 “Isn’t it gorgeous outside?” I flung my hands to the window that faced the back yard of the shop.

When he turned from the coffee pot with mug in hand, I nearly gasped seeing his scowling face. For sure, he had no appreciation for the beauty of the snowfall.

“What’s wrong?” I stepped nearer to him, hoping our conversation wouldn’t wake Sara.

“Look outside. The U-Haul truck is buried in the snow. I’ve been out there shoveling. But there’s no way I can do it. I’m going to have to get somebody to tow it out of there.” He took a sip of hot coffee.

My happy countenance turned to malevolent dread. We had to return the truck to the company before noon or pay for another day’s rental.

“I’m going to call the Ford dealership, Wiersema Ford, across the street from the shop. I hope they can help us out.”

“Well that’s one way to meet the new neighbors,” I joked. He didn’t laugh.

After the phone call, the tow truck arrived and easily towed the truck out of the snow. What a great neighbor we had. We returned the truck to the U-Haul dealer in town on time.

I had no idea on that first morning that I wouldn’t see bare ground in Michigan again until May!

Nothing could ruin that day for me. After the months of planning, the sale of our home in Marseilles, the floral design schooling and absence from Sara, the packing and finally the trip north, I was anxious to make our dream come true. I hoped our bright dreams of a smooth road to success wouldn’t turn into a bumpy, curvy road of regret.

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir is available at major online booksellers. Click the Universal Link to find your favorite retailer.

UNIVERSAL LINK  eBooks from your favorite digital bookseller.

 Paperback from amazon

Thank you for stopping in!

↪Click here to visit bloggers participating in the #MFRWhooks  Blog Hop!

Click Here to receive updates from J.Q. Rose, articles, newsworthy events, giveaways in the Rose Courier. 

Delivered to your inbox once a month.   

Thank you!!

New Release: Sandra Cox's Western Novel--Gwen Slade, Bounty Hunter

 

Gwen Slade, Bounty Hunter by Sandra Cox
Western

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story blog! Today is a special day for me in two wonderful ways. First, my friend and talented multi-genre author, Sandra Cox, is visiting today! Her latest Western novel, Gwen Slade, Bounty Hunter, just released this past Monday. 

I love her Westerns which I never read until I opened the first page of Sandra's Western novel, Thunder Tree. I was taken back to the "good ole days" of watching movies starring Roy Rogers, Rex Allen, Randolph Scott and TV shows, Gunsmoke and Bonanza. Sandra writes scenes so you actually believe you are in the 1870s when you read them. I fell in love with the Western genre again. 

Thunder Tree by Sandra Cox

Now you may think I am biased because Sandra and I consider ourselves "cousins" because her name is Cox and there are members of the Cox family in my family, however...Anyway, we aren't really cousins, but we've had a lot of fun with it. Let me just tell you, cousins, or not, I am honest when I say her Westerns are great reads!

I am now going to bow out and let Sandra take over because I am answering some thought-provoking questions about writing my memoir, Arranging a Dream,  at writing buddy and memoirist, Nancy Sanders Pokerwinski's amazing blog, Heartwood, today. My second reason for making this a wonderful day.

Congratulations, cuz, on the release of this new Western, Gwen Slade, Bounty Hunter. Thank you for stopping in today to tell us about the book, share some western trivia and allow us to take a peek at an excerpt from your new release.

Gwen Slade Bounty Hunter by Sandra Cox

A huge thank you to J.Q. Rose, my honorary cousin, for letting me visit today and talk about my new release GWEN SLADE, BOUNTY HUNTER.

First, a little Old West trivia.

VESTS. They were more than just a fashion statement.

Cowboys inevitably wore vests. Their shirts had one pocket at best and they couldn’t get to their pants pockets when they were in the saddle. The vests had good deep pockets—usually at least four—and held their smokes, snuff, pocketknives, tally books and other cowboy necessities. They added an extra layer of warmth in cool weather. In summer, they just left them unbuttoned. Besides being practical, the cowboys considered them stylish.

GWEN SLADE, BOUNTY HUNTER BACK OF THE BOOK:

Bounty hunter Gwen Slade always gets her man. Until she meets charming outlaw Jordie Kidd.

After Jordie saves her family, she finds she can’t in good conscience turn him in, even if he is worth a thousand dollars dead or alive. Instead, she sets her sights on the meanest, most-wanted gang in Kansas. Gwen always works alone until she goes after the gang then finds herself partnering with an unlikely source.

This time around, not only her life, but her heart is on the line.

SHORT EXCERPT:

Jordie Kidd’s long-legged Appaloosa ate up the miles as it galloped farther and farther from Dodge City and Gwen Slade. Once again Lady Luck taunted him. When the bounty hunter came galloping into the yard and reined that palomino of hers into a rearing halt inches from his nose, the sun silhouetting her like an avenging angel, he’d felt a punch right to the belly. He still had that picture imprinted on his mind.

Of course, he’d heard of her. Who hadn’t? Especially someone with his face on a wanted poster. What he hadn’t heard…she had blue-black hair that resembled a sheath of silk, blue eyes like a pretty lake he’d seen once and skin that just begged to be touched.

He enjoyed women and, Lord bless them, they gave every appearance of enjoying him. They came in all shapes and colors, always entertained and never bored. But he’d never had a reaction to one quite like this. He had a feeling that no matter how much distance he put between them he wouldn’t be leaving Gwen Slade behind. Just his luck, he’d fall for the best bounty hunter in the business.

Click here to order GWEN SLADE, BOUNTY HUNTER  at amazon.

 

 

ABOUT SANDRA COX:

 

 

Sandra is a vegetarian, animal lover and avid gardener. She lives with her husband, their dog and cats in sunny North Carolina.

Sandra Cox, author

Her stories consist of all things western and more.

She can be found at http://www.sandracoxwriter.com.   If you’d like to stay abreast of what’s going on in her world and any new releases you can send a note in her comment form while you are there.  Or simply sign up on the follow by email request form. Her Twitter handle is: Sandra_Cox and her Amazon page is http://tinyurl.com/SandraAtAmz 

 

 

 

 

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir Winter Virtual Book Tour

Book Tour Schedule for December and January (so far)

Winter Virtual Book Tour Schedule

I am so looking forward to the tour and visiting with these wonderful hosts. I hope you will come along and enter at each stop where a lucky commenter will be drawn to win a copy of the memoir! Watch for updates and addresses. 

You can read about arranging flowers now at my first stop at Sandra Cox's blog, Sandra's Place. Click Sandra Cox to take you there.

Click here to come on over to Nan's blog, Heartwood, to see how I answer her questions about comparing the creation of fiction novels vs nonfiction stories and how to spark memories when writing a memoir. A lucky commenter will win a free eBook of Arranging a Dream: A Memoir.

Santa JQ and an unknown elf

Click here to sign up for the Rose Courier so you can stay up-to-date on all the news about freebies, blog posts, articles, guest authors and fun facts.

Thank you for stopping by today. 

 

 

 

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir Excerpt: Thanksgiving 1976

 

Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving Dinner?

Thanksgiving is a special time of year for all of us. It's a reminder to be "in the attitude of gratitude." I wish we could remember to be thankful for the little things and the big things every day. 

This year's holiday celebrations will be different for many of us due to the COVID crisis. Get-togethers will be smaller, if at all. We may be eating turkey in separate houses, but we can still be together through the phone and the Internet and always connected from heart-to-heart.

Thanksgiving 1976 was a peculiar one for my hubby, GT, our 2-year-old daughter, Sara and me. We had moved from Central Illinois to a town in West Michigan. We had no family or friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. 

Here's an excerpt from my memoir about that first Thanksgiving in our small apartment over the shop where we lived our dream of having a floral and greenhouse business.

Chapter 26--Autumn's Lights, near the end of the book. I deleted some lines that contained "spoilers."

Hattie is the previous shop owner.

Fairview Floral, our shop and greenhouses in 1976. The apartment was over the shop.

I looked forward to Thanksgiving Day, a non-holiday for florists since, like Easter, folks spent their dollars on a turkey and all the fixings, not flowers. I relaxed during this beautiful time of year taking time to give thanks for my family, our new life in Fremont and for the opportunity to grow our business.

I was thankful for returning customers like Galloping George who picked up a rose, babies’ breath and greens for the lady friend of the week and Frenchy who owned the tavern in Holton. He faithfully ordered funeral flowers for his patrons who passed. The Hesperia funeral home called us for family flowers. Friends from church ordered flowers when it was their turn to provide flowers in the sanctuary. And yes, many of Hattie’s customers stayed with us.

I thanked God for Sara Elizabeth and cherished my role as a mother. She turned two-years-old in November. How different mothering a toddler compared to a baby. She had developed her good-natured personality with her likes and dislikes. She toddled around the shop and greenhouse, charming customers, and she loved accompanying Daddy on deliveries. And I should say, Daddy loved her company.

We were alone to celebrate turkey day because we had to prepare for the long Christmas holiday ahead instead of making a trip to Illinois to be with our families. Having Ted and Sara with me was enough. Ted prepared the festive bird and I did my best to add delicious side dishes like sweet potatoes, canned jellied cranberry sauce, which he loves, corn and pumpkin pie that I had learned to make in high school home-economics class.

We sat at our dining room table graced with a floral centerpiece of fresh fall-colored flowers and lighted by the hanging lamp Ted had gifted me. Expressing out loud what we are thankful for has become a family tradition for us. For me, choosing just one was difficult.

As we held hands and said grace, my body relaxed with contentment remembering the blessings we had received through that year. Squeezing Sara’s and Ted’s hands with that extra touch of love completed my thanksgiving prayer.

I am thankful this year for the opportunity to finish writing my story, Arranging a Dream: A Memoir. At first, it was hard to focus on my life 45 years ago because of the uproar and anxiety during the COVID crisis. But eventually, the writing became a safe place for me to leave the reality behind to disappear into the '70s. 

I have written mysteries and non-fiction articles for years, so the memoir became a mix of fiction and non-fiction. The facts and emotions are true. The elements of fiction are also in the story with the people in my life becoming the characters, the conflict we had with the previous owners, as well as the stress and anxiety of being a new mom. Having to learn about operating a business and become a floral designer over night certainly conflicted my emotions. Our small town of Fremont, Michigan could have been fictional. In fact, my romantic suspense, Dangerous Sanctuary takes place in a small town very similar to Fremont. But in my memoir, our beloved little city is the perfect backdrop for this real story.

I am also thankful to you for your support and encouragement throughout these years of writing.

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir by J.Q. Rose
This is the story I worked on during the COVID crisis.

Back of the Book:

In 1975, budding entrepreneurs Ted and Janet purchase a floral shop and greenhouses where they plan to grow their dream. Leaving friends and family behind in Illinois and losing the security of two paychecks, they transplant themselves, their one-year-old daughter, and all their belongings to Fremont, Michigan, where they know no one. 

Will the retiring business owners nurture Ted and Janet as they struggle to develop a blooming business, or will they desert the young couple to wither and die in their new environment?

Most of all, can Ted and Janet grow together as they cultivate a loving marriage, juggle parenting with work, and root a thriving business?

Follow this couple’s inspiring story, filled with the joy and triumphs and the obstacles and failures experienced as they travel along the turbulent path of turning dreams into reality.

---

The print book is available now. Click here to order from amazon.

Pre-order is available at your favorite digital bookseller with a pre-order price of $2.99. The eBook will be delivered to your reading device as if by magic on Launch Day, January 1. 

Happy Thanksgiving!
What 3 things are you grateful for today? Please leave a comment below.

To those who celebrate the holiday, 

I wish you a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving in the USA!

IWSG Blog Hop: Writing to Discover and Understand Me

 

Hello and Welcome to the Focused on Story Blog 
AND the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop

Always on the first Wednesday of the month.

#IWSGbloghop

What is the Insecure Writer's Support Group?

Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database, articles and tips, a monthly blog posting, a Facebook and Instagram group, Twitter, and a monthly newsletter. To find out more, click this link:  Insecure Writer’s Support Group

The purpose of the group is 

* to share and encourage. 

* Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. 

* Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. 

*It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! 

You're invited to become a member of this supportive group. Click here to sign-up to join.

✰✰✰✰

The awesome co-hosts for the November 4 posting of the IWSG are Jemi Fraser, Kim Lajevardi, L.G Keltner, Tyrean Martinson, and Rachna Chhabria!

Question of the month

November 4 question - Albert Camus once said, “The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.” Flannery O’Conner said, “I write to discover what I know.” Authors across time and distance have had many reasons to write. Why do you write what you write?

I just finished my final manuscript for my memoir, Arranging a Dream: a Memoir, and sent it off to my publisher yesterday. Do you feel like I do when I "let it go" out into the world? Scared to hear comments about it, but glad that I have the opportunity to enrich a reader's life with my words.

Arranging a Dream: a Memoir by J.Q. Rose

Official book launch January 1, 2021

I have written mysteries to entertain readers, but along the way, a message comes through without my knowing it until the book is done. A memoir, also known as creative non-fiction, is so different from writing fiction where everything is made up. The writer can go hog-wild and write about alien worlds, space operas, contemporary romance and no one cares if it's true. I stay away from historicals because I know the readers are well-versed in the era and can pick up on details that are not true to the times.

A memoir tells the truth about real life. That is very difficult for a fiction writer! A memoir only covers a slice of life, not the entire life from beginning to present. 

I wrote my story thinking it would be for my kids. I wanted to encourage our kids to dream big for their lives. I chose to write about the first year we were in the flower business. That was our dream--to be entrepreneurs in the greenhouse business. Somehow, we fell in love with a greenhouse operation attached to a flower shop. What's your passion? Find your passion and go for it. 

As I wrote it, the story turned into something like fiction because I had the character, me, and conflicts, the previous owner and not knowing a thing about business or floral design, and such a great setting. I thought this story could inspire folks not to give up on their dreams. To go for it. That's when I decided to approach my publisher to see if she would consider publishing my memoir, and she said yes. So the book's official launch date from BWL Publishing is January 1, 2021. What a way to start the new year, eh?

"I write to discover what I know."--My discovery, as I looked back through the lens of time, is how much the previous owner and I were alike. In fact, I treated the young couple who bought our business just like Hattie treated me! She was condescending to me and took on the role of my sixth-grade teacher always finding fault.

Now I know why--because they, like us when we bought Hattie's business, wanted to change things. I understand why Hattie would get upset with us. Change is hard. The fear that the change will ruin the business for the new owners and for the seller is real. I never made that connection until I finished the book. 

Memoir writing does that for those who visit events through a new perspective--time. Writers discover more about themselves during the journey. And that's what it is--a journey for a new understanding.

I hope you will try it. So much fun sharing the good old days with friends and family and getting their perspectives on what occurred so many years ago. Believe me, each person will have a different recollection about past experiences even if you were there with them. 

November is National Life Writing Month

November is National Life Writing Month. Time to break out a journal or notebook and make some entries about your life. If you don't know how to begin, google "life story writing prompts" or "memoir prompts." 

Your Words, Your Life Story: A Journal for Sharing Memories
by J.Q. Rose

I can also offer a shameless plug for my book on telling your life story which helps spark memories. I cannot help it. I am a life storytelling evangelist!

Click here for the book, Your Words, Your Life Story packed with tips to get you started and keep you going on your journey.

 And an invite to my private FB group for life storytellers. Click here to join Telling Your Life Story and Memoirs Circle.

Thank you for stopping in.  Click here to visit more participating bloggers.