7:30 A.M. EST for about an hour,
Taking part in a Book Festival in Sedona, Arizona for 8 hours including 15 minutes of fame,
Back online from 7:30 p.m. on for several hours.
It's the best I can do to be two places at once.
Most of my books are about interesting characters I met in the 1970s in Cave Creek, Arizona, but the one I am concentrating on for the book fairs is titled
WIDOWHOOD HAPPENS. It' s about people who told me their own personal stories about their losses. And they are all different. Not everyone has the
same reactions. They live in different circumstances — wealthy versus poor, for
instance. They have different personalities, and were married to spouses who also had their own strengths and weaknesses. Some are young, some
middle-aged, and others old. We, as readers, see their predicaments with money, plumbing, moving, self-blame, and friends and relatives who are both
helpful and a hindrance. Funerals and memorial services are also discussed. The only list in the book is a very important one given by an attorney who had
a lot of insight into the lives of her clients.
In between the poignant personal stories are interviews I held with professionals and heads of organizations that deal with the problems of
widowhood. A psychologist, lawyer, medical doctor, protestant minister, and a Catholic priest, for instance. I do not push any particular agenda. I wrote
about a non-denominational group that held a therapeutic weekend designed
to untangle the morass of guilt, a social club, and a group that prepares
widowed and divorced women who have been out of the work force for many years to re-enter the work force. It's main thrust is to sharpen the skills and bolster self-confidence of its clients. These are non-profit groups.
There are examples of what can happen to widowed people all through the book, without my giving any advice except for two important pieces of information directed at friends and relatives: LISTEN and DON'T JUDGE!
I have a special offer: Every 10th book sold during the conference will be free. In order to do this please e-mail me at gkgarrison@commspeed.net and let me know your mailing address. If you need to talk with me, leave your phone number.
This book, and my others, may be ordered online, through bookstores, or directly at the publishers by phone: 1-888-795-4274, but the free-book-offer cannot apply in this case.
I look forward to hearing from you in the online discussion.
I am LadyGene, but my real name is Gene K. Garrison.
