Dr. Diana Raab Shares Here on Book Readers Heaven - Enjoy Her September Message!

"Keep your face toward the sunshine—

and the shadows will fall behind you."



~ Walt Whitman

This is a captivating family story that takes place in the 1970s and delves into subjects so many of us will be able to relate to, such as young love, parenthood, illness, accidents, trauma, LGBTIQA children, family conflicts, and divorce. Her character descriptions are crisp and vivid. Eleanor, the mother and main character loses her parents at an early age, and successfully manages to raise three wonderful children. Her escape was making children's books. She loved to draw. "Something happened when she drew. She left the world for a while and stepped into a new one." This is exactly how I feel when I'm working on a writing project.

 

Intertwined with the plot, Maynard carefully interjects many words of wisdom for the reader to ponder such as: "A parent could no more protect her children from sorrow and loss than she could keep the sun from setting or rising again the next day."

 

She reminded me of my favorite Hawaiian prayer: Ho'oponopono which means: I'm sorry. I love you. Thank you. Please forgive me."

How the Light Gets In  by Joyce Maynard (novel) This book was released a few months ago and recommended by a dear friend. Only after purchasing this book did I realize that it was a continuation of Count the Ways. The book follows the family from 2010 until 2024, and Maynard craftfully mixes some current events and politics into this fictional story. Maynard wisely states: "There can be no repairing the old mistakes. All a person could hope for was to do better in the future," and "When you can't fix a problem, the best thing you can do is learn to live with it." Maynard is now one of my new favorite writers. The last time I heard her name spoken about was the story about when she was 19, and had a short (11-month) relationship with J.D. Salinger which she claims has changed and affected her entire life. Both these books are page turners (and I'm a slow reader) which I read in less than two weekends! Writing Prompts! Write about what the fall season reminds you of. Write about your favorite subject in school. Write about a book that you recently read. Write about your earliest memory. RECENTLY PUBLISHED WORKS “Wishing Well.” (poem) Literary Cocktail Magazine. July 2024. "Artificial Intelligence and the Evolution of a Long-Held Passion." (article) Sixty and Me. August 1, 2024. "Sweet Wonder." (poem) Young Ravens Literary Review. August 2024. “There are None." (poem) Random Sample Review. Issue 10. August 2024. "How AI Changed Me Creatively." (article) The Good Men Project. August 8, 2024. "Finding Your Passion...Again." (article) Best Self Media. August 13, 2024. “Message to My Grandchildren.” (poem) Bronze Bird Books: Love Anthology. August 2024. “Coping with the Loneliness of Cancer.” (article) redrosethorns online journal. August 16, 2024. "Are You Affected By Intergenerational Trauma?" (article) Psychology Today. August 16, 2024. "Life Journey." (poem) Bluebird's Scribe Review. August 19, 2024. "Are You Affected by Intergenerational Trauma?" (article) Medium. August 26, 2024. RECENT INTERVIEWS “Interview with Teri Wellbrock: ‘Hummingbird: Messages from My Ancestors.'” The Healing Place Podcast. July 26, 2024. UPCOMING APPEARANCES September 19, 2024 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.  "Hummingbird: Messages from My Ancestors" Book Signing and Reading Godmothers: A Bookstore & Gathering Place 2280 Lillie Avenue Summerland, CA **** September 22, 2024 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Writing Workshop Series: "How to Connect With Your Ancestors" Mystic Journey Bookstore 2923 Main Street Santa Monica, CA MY DAILY OM WRITING COURSES Top-selling course! Write. Heal. Transform: A Magical Memoir-Writing Course To register: Click here Missed my last newsletter? Click here for past newsletters OR Share with a friend An exclusive course! Therapeutic Writing To register: Click here   Diana Raab, PhD PO Box 5831 | Santa Barbara, CA 93150 US www.dianaraab.com | diana@ Sweet Wonder  Perhaps you have felt it too-- there’s someone over your shoulder and you turn around and nobody is there and then you hear a voice of someone saying they love you and you turn again and they’re gone, yet their fragrance lingers and you realize that it was the familiar voice of your long-gone father who died when the oxygen tubes suspended from his nose ran dry and could no longer supply enough, and then, you got there in time to say good-bye and snip off a locket of his hair to carry with you until you would meet again. ~~~ Diana Raab, MFA, PhD, is a memoirist, poet, workshop leader, thought-leader and award-winning author of fourteen books. Her work has been widely published and anthologized. She frequently speaks and writes on writing for healing and transformation. Her latest memoir is Hummingbird: Messages from My Ancestors, A memoir with reflection and writing prompts (Modern History Press, 2024). Raab writes for Psychology Today, The Wisdom Daily, The Good Men Project, Thrive Global, and is a guest blogger for many others. Raab lives in Southern California. Visit her at: https:/www.dianaraab.com. Hi Everybody, If you enjoy all that Dr. Raab is doing, please take the time to sign up for her email messages! God Bless Gabby