Welcome to my journey!
Writing is Living is the official website for my memoir, Biography of a Friendship.
"After one of her typical bouts of wit one day, I told my friend I would write a book about her life. I wanted to give her one last gift. A glimpse of a future she would never know."
(PHOTO CREDIT: JAMES MICHAEL ARNOTT 1974-2024)
BIOGRAPHY OF A FRIENDSHIP
ISBN 978-1-962707-68-8 (Ingram)
Biography of a Friendship is a deeply personal memoir and the fulfilment of a promise the author made to her dying friend, diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.
How can the author be the friend she needs?
With the flow of a novel, this candid story shows what it’s like to accompany a friend to the end of her life, while transporting the reader to France and Switzerland.
As they navigate the illness, often from a distance, the author supports her friend through thought-provoking perspectives on life and death while experiencing that being in 'her conversation' is the only honest way to help.
This emotional story shares the candid moments that shaped their lifelong friendship, the misunderstandings that tested them, and the hidden truth that unsettles the author before their final goodbye.
The story continues with the author being drawn into an introspective journey until she discovers the healing power of forgiveness from lessons she had learned but not applied.
Discover the sights and scenes of the story on my Pinterest board!
I am a Goodreads author.
Interview - July 22, 2024
PRAISE FOR BIOGRAPHY OF A FRIENDSHIP
“As a travel writer, this journey of a friendship, that shows and not only tells, took me on a different type of trip, one that made me reflect on my own experiences of loss, soothing those memories. I could not put the book down.”
—Karen Berger, New York Times bestselling author, 'America Great Hiking Trails'
“From the opening chapter of this beautiful story, I was invited into the heart of a friendship and the memories of an incredible woman. This memoir reads like a novel and takes the reader on a journey through the intertwined lives of two strong, funny, unapologetic, and colourful women as they navigate love and loss, strengthen their friendship over distance and time, and learn how to let go and say goodbye. This book will make you laugh and cry, and will serve as a reminder of the precious nature of life.”
—Kate Gajdosik, Producer, IMDb
“A compelling story that leads the reader into the warp and weft of the timeless meaning of friendship between two women. Time can heal, sometimes in unexpected ways.”
—Laila Radage, co-author, 'Through the Golden Age'
“From the perspective of grant donors, to help advance better treatment of pancreatic cancer, this book eloquently informs of the reality of patients and their families after diagnosis. It highlights the difficulty of such an emotional journey without the support of an organization such as PanCAN. It’s also the captivating story of a friendship.”
—Steve, and Cheryl Kole - PanCAN PurpleStride Silicon Valley/Promise & Progress Team Captain
Memoir Writing is More Than a Literary Genre
As I reconnect with my platform at large, I am reminded that I wrote the memoir Biography of a Friendship as a promise to my dying friend. I wanted to give her a future she’d never know, show that there was more to her life than her illness. Most of all, I wanted to help twoContinue reading →
Gaining a New Perspective
Life happened since my last post: illness… loss… illness… recovery… I now approach the New Year soulful, grateful, and hopeful. Since my previous blog, I have gained a new perspective on my book, Biography of a Friendship.
Germany – Berlin Past and Present
Nearly twenty years after a shore excursion to Berlin with the Regent Seven Seas cruise of the Baltic Sea, our high-spirited guide’s comments resonate again, as if the past is repeating itself only as a different story. Memories as Facts The agricultural land along the 180 kilometers (112 miles) from the German port town ofContinue reading →
People Read More
Fresh from the Vancouver International Publishing Conference on June 8, 2025, I am happy to share my insights after attending sessions with panelists from Doubleday Canada, Penguin Random House, Douglas & McIntire, Scribd, and other experts in the field. Publishing generates a $30 billion annual revenue for the American market. According to Publishers Weekly, sales roseContinue reading →
holden now and before – by Tara McGuire
This is a book like no other, despite the sad and all-too-common subject of mental illness and drug overdose. Only a memoir could extract such soul-searching and gut-felt emotions. Yet Holden after and before by Tara McGuire includes fantasy, investigation, meditation, and more, illustrating the struggle of the author who tries to imagine what was goingContinue reading →
Australia – The Great Barrier Reef
The Coral Sea was gloomy gray under a typical March weather, not a sign of smooth sailing. Lightly equipped, we reluctantly left the Shangri-La Hotel in Cairns, walked to the nearby marina, and boarded a high-speed catamaran in rain and hair-frizzing humidity. Like other determined tourists that year, we were on our way to theContinue reading →
A Review About… Reviews
I haven’t posted an update for some time due to a devastating family loss. I am now ready to continue sharing my journey as an author. First, thank you, readers. I appreciate your support and your messages about Biography of a Friendship. As an unknown author, getting visibility is difficult and takes time. I filedContinue reading →
Promotion… Promotion
Publishing a book is much different than writing–it is said that writing is an art and publishing is a business. And then, juggling the promotion of Biography of a Friendship with a family priority was awkward, yet it had to be done. Still, promotion is the bane of a writer… Before the release date, IContinue reading →
About Publication Day
This is it… My first book, Biography of a Friendship, is about to take flight after safely landing at Tule’s nonfiction imprint, and next to its amazingly imaginative fiction authors. It took ten years to complete, including much time spent in the doldrums for me, and in a drawer for my manuscript. When I promisedContinue reading →
The Broken Places – by Frances Peck
I wasn’t sure I was ready for a book about the ‘Big One’ — you know, the long-feared earthquake said to be looming along the West Coast, but Peck had a way of getting me to turn the pages.Intrigued by the characters, I almost couldn’t wait for the Vancouver ground I live on to shake,Continue reading →