Goodbye 2021. Welcome 2022.

End of the Year Reflections

To say that 2021 was quite a year for me and my family is an understatement. 

Our family welcomed another healthy grandson (that makes FOUR).  We celebrated the engagement of our son to a kind, intelligent young woman and can’t wait for their spring 2022 wedding.

The pandemic forced us to reevaluate our housing situation and retirement plans. We sold our family log home in Montana, and then moved out of a small Florida condo unit and into a house with a garage and plenty of guest rooms. While we all miss the ski place, these changes feel right.

2021 was also the year that Twice a Daughter, the memoir about my adoption search (a book project that I spent ten years researching and crafting) finally made it out of my computer and into the world. The book released right after Mother’s Day. I liken my first publishing experience to that of an expectant mother: nervous, hopeful, and relieved once it’s over.

In just over seven months, Twice a Daughter appealed to over 4000 readers in either paperback, eBook, or audiobook. It garnered over 400 reviews on Amazon and received five literary awards. The book’s success humbles me. My heart is full of profound gratitude.

In addition to the book launch, I guested on numerous podcasts, presented writing webinars through the Author Learning Center, and spoke in-person at regional book events such as the Chicagoland Assistance League’s Books N Brunch. The publicity world has been kind and generous with me online, on the air, and in print. I’ve had fun with all of it.

Most importantly, I never tire of communicating with readers and connecting with my “tribe” of fellow adoptees, birth and adoptive parents and their extended family and friends. Keep your comments and emails coming. I appreciate your support and promise to respond!

All in all, I finished out 2021 grateful for all the opportunities and blessings that came my way. 

Looking ahead to the New Year

On top of the Omicron variant disrupting holiday celebrations, the year ended with a personal curveball. My husband’s bladder cancer made an unexpected comeback. As we navigate treatment, I will be scaling back on book related events. I regret bowing out of the January TEDx talk in Big Sky, MT. Topic: When it comes to adoption, conversations matter. I’m hoping to reschedule this for a future date.

Looking on the bright side, more downtime will afford me oodles of writing time (and perhaps a few more hours on the tennis courts!).

I continue to work on the prequel to Twice a Daughter, which is due out in Spring 2023 (She Writes Press). Currently titled, And the Angels Will Sing, this second memoir is about my experiences as a twin and adoptee raised in a large family whose stability is constantly challenged. 

This past fall, I worked with an editor to compile select personal essays from my That Girl This Life blog and monthly column at The Beacher Newspapers (Michigan City). I’m thrilled that my publisher, She Writes Press, is interested in publishing this collection in Spring 2024. 

Here’s to 2022! I hope it exceeds your expectations.

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On January 28, I will be the guest on Diane Dewey’s radio show, Dropping In, Voice America. This will be a panel discussion centering on adoption and identity with Marcie Keithley from NAAPunited. 

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