A special Memoir of a Daughter, Bethany's Calendar by Elaine Marie Cooper

My dear writing friend Elaine Marie Cooper, whom I've also been blessed to spend face-to-face time with shares from her latest book. It's a family story, a family history of a sort, a saga like no other, one that no one hopes to encounter. Read Bethany's Calendar and find peace, hope, and love.

~Lisa

About the Book:

In January of 2002, Elaine’s world flipped upside down. What started out as a beautiful New Year for the mom of three, turned into a living nightmare when her 23-year-old daughter, Bethany was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor.

In the months to come, Elaine not only used her nurse’s training, she learned to recognize the hand of God on her daughter’s life. Bethany’s Calendar tells the story of Elaine and Bethany’s journey and the many ways God helped their family to survive.  It is a story of fear and faith, commitment and compassion, told with gut-wrenching honesty while sharing unwavering faith in God.

Print: $12.99 

170 pp
Release Date: December 12, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-936501-22-9

Link to Order

This was a deeply personal project for you and the family. What did you learn about yourself in the process?

I learned that it was OK to be transparent, as long as I didn’t hurt others in the process. Some of the things I shared in Bethany’s Calendar I had not shared in public before. It made me feel so vulnerable. Yet if I was not open and honest or if I glossed over the hard parts, I knew I would be doing a disservice to my readers. Others in similar circumstances could only be ministered to if I was honest about my struggles and pain.

What do you want readers to know after putting down your book?

That God is REAL and our very Source of comfort if we will lean on Him and HIS strength.

What tips do you have for others who’d like to write a memoir?

Always make yourself out to be the bad guy. I know that sounds funny but a memoir should not be an attempt to get back at others who don’t measure up. It should be a revelation of your own thoughts, feelings and responses to the stuff life throws at you. What did you learn? How could you do it better? What did God teach you during those difficult times?

Anything else you’d like to share?

Writing a memoir is a truly unique experience that I only recommend if you feel you MUST write it. There should be a reason to reveal. Otherwise, some stories should just stay hidden in your heart or shared with a friend. Our lives should not be Reality TV.

About the Author:

Elaine Marie Cooper has released her first non-fiction book, Bethany's Calendar. It

is a personal memoir of her daughter who died of a brain tumor and how the Lord was their strength during the darkest journey of their lives.

As a novelist, Elaine Marie Cooper has written Fields of the Fatherless and the Deer Run Saga. Her passions are her family, her faith in Christ and the history of the American Revolution, a frequent subject of her historical fiction. She grew up in Massachusetts, the setting for many of her novels. Visit her website at: http://www.elainemariecooper.com