It’s 8am and I’m in Colorado. The house is quiet and I’m sitting by the window looking out at aspen trees, their leaves quivering in the breeze. The sun is shining and the forecast promises that today will be beautiful.
In 2016, I reached out to writing coach, Shari Caudron, to inquire about writing a memoir, I was excited simply thinking about embarking on a major life goal. We met in Boulder while I was home from Saudi Arabia, visiting family for the summer. Shari and I discussed details, and from there, I consulted with her regularly. She guided me through my essays, and helped me dig deep. I learned about dialogue, plot, characters. Pretty much, I learned how to write.
“How long does it normally take your clients to get published?” I asked her.
“Many years,” Shari replied.
I refused to believe that I would be one of those slowpoke clients. I’m going to publish in two years–max.
After I wrote the bulk of my essays for this memoir, I set them aside. Some of the topics I covered had dredged up feelings I thought I no longer felt. Before I could move on, I had to dive deep and come to terms with past events and a few difficult relationships. I needed to heal.
Committing to this memoir forced me to grow up more than I thought I already had, and it allowed me to let go of shame, pain, embarrassment, and anxiety I had been hanging onto. A couple years passed, and one day I decided I was ready to take the next step. I hired Diana Rico, who helped me edit and revise, many times over, all the stories I wanted to share while honoring the events and people I had written about.
I have to laugh at my 2016 self, so fresh to the process and naïve about what writing and publishing a memoir would entail. Thank goodness I had the team at Girl Friday Productions to guide me.
Today is indeed a beautiful day, and I’m tickled to realize that I am back in Colorado, where I first met with Shari six years ago. It would seem Colorado is special to me, in a different way than Hawaii has been.
I’m so pleased and proud to say I’m now officially a published author. If you didn’t pre-order Salted Plums, it is now available for purchase HERE. And kindly tell your friends about it. I hope you find value in the stories I have shared.
Thank you for joining me on this journey.
