Fascinating Authors

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Tell us a little bit about your book.
Author: Tiny Toes is a personal story of one couples journey from infertility to parenthood. In the book the story is supported with medical details of their journey to help other couples who might be struggling with one or more of their same challenges (infertility, premature birth or depression). It is a very open account of friendships and family relations and how these relationships can become strained during times of crisis.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What inspired you to create a work of non-fiction?
Author: A few of my friends who are authors encouraged me to write a book about my story because I was able to turn something horrible into a happy ending. I decided to incorporate the medial details of both infertility treatments, preterm labor and premature babies into our story because I wish I would have read a story of another couple with these details included.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What did you do to prepare – such as research – to write your book?
Author: I used a lot of my personal medical records within the story. However, there were many medicines, tests, and procedures that I didn’t know so I researched the terminology and such to make sure my facts were correct. I used the March of Dimes website for many of the statistics on premature birth. I used the Center of Disease Control reports on the Assisted Reproductive Technologies for statistics and information on infertility treatments.

As far as research to write the book, I purchased a few books on writing non-fiction. One book was especially helpful Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave. Even though Self-Editing is meant for fiction writers, I gained a lot of good ideas from the information they provided. Things like dialogue mechanics and breaking up topics/paragraphs were simple techniques that I applied to my book during the editing process.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: How did you decide which information to present in your book?
Author: There were a lot of details that I left out of my book because I didn’t think it would add any value. For example, Tiny Toes discusses the conflict I had with my in-laws during our infertility and the subsequent premature birth of our twins. However, I decided to leave out the details of when and how the conflict between me and my in-laws began. Although some of my readers have been curious, it wasn’t important information for the book and it would have upset my in-laws for me to include those details.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What do you hope people will gain from reading your book?
Author: I hope that couples who read the book will be more comfortable with the tests, procedures and stress of infertility treatments. Also, my husband and I hope that by sharing our story, other couples won’t do what we did and recognize early in the process that infertility can be stressful on a marriage and it takes a lot of teamwork and effort to keep the marriage strong. I also hope that couples will consider more conservative fertility treatments so that they don’t experience the heartache of a premature baby and the possible short-term and long-term consequences this event can bring into their lives.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: How long did it take you to write the book – (was it longer or less time than you expected)?
Author: It took me about nine months to write Tiny Toes. This doesn’t include the editing process. I had expected it to take me nine to twelve months, so I was right on track with my anticipated writing time. However, it took another 12 months to get it edited, designed, and published. The post-writing process really takes a lot of time and I wasn’t prepared for that timeline.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Did you seek the support of a writer’s group or class?
Author: Yes, I did see the support of a writer’s class. I attended a few trainings about writing and book publishing. Although, I’m not sure I was still fully prepared for the time associated with the marketing efforts of a book.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What surprised you the most about this process?
Author:  How many wonderful people I have met all because I wrote a book. There are people that have come into my life that I doubt I would have had the pleasure to meet had I not had Tiny Toes. It has truly been a pleasant surprise and a blessing to connect with these amazing people.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What tips would you offer to anyone writing nonfiction for the first time?
Author: Write from your heart. You can always go back and remove the stuff that might be too personal or unnecessary. I wrote by hand, not on the computer, and I think this allowed me to really open up and write my story as honestly as possible.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What can we look forward to in your next book?
Author: I do have two book ideas, but they are still in the idea phase. One idea is a book on breastfeeding and the other is to help new parents with a baby in the NICU.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Is there anything we haven’t covered that you would like to include?
Author: Thank you so much for helping bring awareness about infertility!

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What advice would you give anyone with a friend or family member who is experiencing infertility?
Author: When a friend or family member is experiencing infertility it is easy for someone to say, “Relax, you’ll get pregnant” or “It will happen you just have to have faith (or relax or go on vacation)”. However, these innocent comments can be hurtful to the person struggling with infertility. They are looking for support for a disease that is commonly misunderstood to be a lifestyle choice. Instead of offering advice, provide a supportive ear. If you cannot be that person for your friend or relative, be honest with them so they know whether or not they can count on you to help them through this crisis.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What are some key ways that couples who are struggling with infertility can learn to cope?
Author: There are many ways a couple can cope with their diagnosis. A few of ways I coped were through counseling, researching our medical issues and possible treatments, and found a friend to lend an ear. There are many websites with information about infertility, support and ideas/articles.

FASCINATING AUTHORS:  What should family, friends, etc. look for to recognize postpartum depression and how should they help?
Author: Postpartum depression (as with most depression, I think) is something the woman needs to acknowledge and accept. One of the ways my husband let me know I wasn’t myself was to make comments about my behavior. For example, he would make a comment like, “Are you ever going to stop snapping at me?” Before our infertility and birth of our girls I hardly ever snapped at him. His comments made me take note that I wasn’t being myself. Granted, at first they irritated me, but after the third or fourth time I started to recognize that he was right, I was snapping at him all of the time! Once I accepted I wasn’t myself it was easier to take the steps to get better. This is a tough place for a loved one to be – trying to convince their wife or daughter they might be depressed.

There are many ways to seek help from postpartum depression. Diet and sleep are huge factors in depression so dietary changes might be necessary. Some women are willing to try anti-depressants while others prefer not to use medications. Counseling can help as well as non-traditional methods such as acupuncture or massage. It probably depends on the severity and what a woman is willing to try to get better.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Thank you for taking the time to be part of this interview!

More information about the Author and the book may be found here – www.TwinPeas.com