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
Publication Is In the Works
The publication of my memoir Biography of a Friendship is in the works. I am grateful to the Tule Publishing Group. As a traditional yet independent publisher, they took a chance on me and my work. The manuscript is undergoing proofreading. I will then say goodbye until it comes back as a book. Meanwhile, theContinue reading →
A Time of Light and Shadow — by Ella Harvey
A Time of Light and Shadow by Ella Harvey is a page-turner book. It is the physical, visual, and romantic account of a female solo traveler back then. It is also the emotional account of a nurse who doesn’t hesitate to veer from serene sceneries to humanitarian devastation. The book is an escape for womenContinue reading →
Publication in Sight
You have heard it: Things happen to those who keep trying. I have known this to be true for one reason: it didn’t happen to those who gave up. And yet, one can’t help thinking there is luck in it. After much research and hesitation, I was about to sign a self-publishing contract with aContinue reading →
Lessons from Readings by Writers
A book reading entertains an audience and gives authors a venue to sell their books. So was the case at the Vancouver Public Library on June 27, 2023, where the event Writers Showcase featured four established and emerging authors. Furthermore, attending a reading is also how fellow writers can improve their craft. Below is myContinue reading →
Vancouver – Bears, Birds, and Lumberjacks
I am standing next to two speechless children twenty feet from two grizzly bears. Had we been on a trail, it would have triggered sheer panic, although it’s best to stay calm and retreat slowly. We are in Vancouver where the wild is part of life. Birds of prey soar over Stanley Park, raccoons sip fromContinue reading →
Upholding My Update
Since my last post about my publishing journey, I didn’t get the results I was hoping for, perhaps from my own doing. My submissions to literary agents seldom yielded even a rejection. Then I connected with two agents via their workshops. One asked for a full (my entire manuscript plus my book proposal), and theContinue reading →
Vancouver – Golf with Dogs on Bowen Island
I am sailing to a golf course, unaware that I’ll play golf with dogs. Meanwhile, the mountain views widen as the Queen of Capilano ferry is on the twenty-minute crossing from Horseshoe Bay to Snug Cove, a village of heritage cottages. Something About Bowen Island Past the only thoroughfare with cafes, restaurants, and trendy boutiques,Continue reading →
Glossary Gleaning – Images
The word cliché jumped from the upper middle page of my notebook and I noticed the underlined word overused. How to avoid clichés was Antoinette Brim’s Pocketful of Images IWWG webinar, September 18, 2020. A celebrated poet, she knows about “the power of imagery and metaphor to give concreteness to abstraction.” It was time toContinue reading →
Tahiti – Conundrum on Raiatea Island
I amble through the untidy streets of Papeete wondering what happened to the blissful postcard image of the capital of French Polynesia. The lush canopy of the jungle in the distance and the teeming marine life suggest that paradisical islands such as Tahiti have their dilemmas. Something About Tahiti After a seven-hour flight from LosContinue reading →
Hawaii – Deep Sea Fishing off Kauai
I am stepping onto the boat unaware that I’d end up with two options on this deep-sea fishing trip: using a rod or a bucket. Unbeknownst to me, the seas are rougher off the coast of Kauai than off any other Hawaiian island. And as I’d find out once more, good sea legs plus aContinue reading →