Dear Readers:
Goodbye for Now True Stories of Life, Love, and Loss All of us have lost someone dear to us—a grandparent, parent, sibling, spouse or partner, child, grandchild, uncle, aunt, cousin, friend, or pet.
They are looking for contributions that tell your story of life, love, loss, and how you said goodbye to your loved one.
Submissions should be 800–900 words maximum and include a photo of you with your loved one. You don’t need to be a strong writer. Each contributor will receive support from a team of experienced editors throughout the publishing process.
Please communicate your interest to Sandre Griffiths, Associate Editor, at:
goodbyefornowbook2024@gmail.com
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your journey to becoming an author?
I am a recently retired elementary school principal and currently an Assistant Professor of Education at Western University (Limited Duties). I wrote my first book eleven years ago after I completed my doctorate. It was about addressing inequities in education. From that, I started my publishing company, Word and Deed Publishing Inc. My goal for the publishing company was to provide opportunities for educators to share their ideas and experiences. As a result, although I have done a lot of editing, I have not done very much writing since that first book.
How do you think your personal background and experiences have shaped your writing?
I have always learned from listening to people’s stories and narratives; my years as a school leader and teacher have reinforced the importance of stories and experiences.
Please introduce us to your latest book. What is it about, and what inspired its story?
The
latest book is titled, Goodbye for Now: True Stories of Life, Love, and Loss. It’s
a collection of short narratives written by people who wish to memorialize a
person they have mourned. Over the years, I have had many people tell me
stories involving the loss of a loved one. I often found these stories to be
moving, powerful, inspiring, and enlightening. We thought this book would be a
good way to have various people share their story, as a tribute to the person
they have lost.
Right now, we are in the process of collecting contributions to the book.
Can you share a bit about the research and preparation that went into writing this book?
Aside from reflecting on our own losses, we have been reading about grief and mourning. We found the work of Dr. Alan Wolfelt especially inspiring since he speaks of the importance of telling your story as part of the mourning process.
What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
I hope it provides them with the feeling that they are not alone, and the sense that is okay to tell their story as a form of healing.
Are there any themes or messages you wish to highlight through your story?
We want to highlight the importance of sharing your story as a way to help yourself and others.
What are your other passions or hobbies?
I love being involved in sports (watching them now more than playing them) and my dream one day is to open a dog rescue place. Dogs teach us so many things and my current dog, Maggie, just turned 14.
What projects do you have in store looking to the future?
Please visit our website at wordanddeedpublishing.com. We are also on Instagram (@wordanddeedpublishing), LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (@word_deed).
