Where They Came From
Relative Strangers is a moving collection of personal stories exploring how adoption, donor conception, unexpected biological connections, and family secrets shape identity, belonging, and our understanding of kinship. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Adoptees, donor-conceived people, and others who’ve had an NPE (not parent expected) experience are often discouraged from telling their stories, are asked to keep secrets—even to be secrets—and it can be a great burden to shoulder those secrets and not be able to tell one’s truth. That silencing often arises from shame or guilt, and that shame spills over onto people who had no control over the circumstances of their conception and who never agreed to keep secrets or preserve others’ anonymity. This collection was created to give voice to these stories—to express the profound impact of secrecy, family discoveries, DNA surprises, and encounters with previously unknown close family.
Your introduction is deeply personal. How did your own experiences with identity and kinship influence your approach to editing the collection?
My own story is perhaps more complicated than most since it involves both maternal abandonment and an NPE experience, along with the discovery of an unusually large number of siblings. It was also somewhat unusual in that almost all of the relatives I discovered were warm and welcoming, and so it was a story that may have had more joy than many NPE experiences. What I wanted the collection to convey, however, was the broad range of experiences, the different emotional and practical repercussions, the often messy complexities of search and reunion, and the many ways different individuals ultimately define family.
Grief appears in many forms throughout the collection, including mourning relationships that never fully developed. Why was it important to make space for these less recognized forms of loss?
Grief is a thread that runs through each of these stories, and it arose naturally — that is, contributors were not asked to address grief — it emerged as one of the most consistent experiences related to these family discoveries. And that, I believe, is because there are few places where the particular kinds of grief that are so common among people who’ve had these experiences can be shared and understood. Overwhelmingly, the grief expressed is disenfranchised grief and ambiguous loss—that which is not acknowledged by society and for which there’s no source of support. As one contributor said, no one brings a casserole for this kind of loss. This is the pain of discovering a father who’s been dead for 20 years, or learning that the parent you’re seeking died two days before you reached out, or that you have family that would have loved to know you across a lifetime if they’d only known about you. These are losses that individuals typically have to mourn alone, or that are dismissed by others as insignificant. That trivializing of their experiences is a further kind of grief.
After readers finish the anthology, what do you hope they will reconsider about family, inheritance, and the meaning of belonging?
I hope that individuals who’ve never experienced the revelation of a significant family secret or had a DNA surprise will come to understand both how important it is for many if not most individuals who have had these experiences to learn more about where they come from and who their parents were. People who know their parents and have had no such surprises take for granted that privilege and I’d like for these essays to increase their awareness, promote empathy and compassion, and let them realize that all adoptees and NPEs want is to know what everyone else knows about themselves, and when they reach out to biological family, they’re merely looking for acceptance and recognition.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
Choices That Shaped The Man
After Survival is an inspiring memoir of resilience, faith, family, and personal growth that explores how surviving a life-threatening childhood accident shaped your journey toward finding meaning and purpose in life. Why was this an important book for you to write?
For most of my life, I never imagined writing a book. I certainly never considered my story any more important than anyone else’s. But as the years passed, I began reflecting on the extraordinary people, experiences, and choices that shaped the man I’d become.
When I was ten years old, a terrible accident nearly ended my life. My survival was nothing short of miraculous, but I’ve come to understand that surviving was only the beginning of my story.
The decades that followed brought tremendous blessings, heartbreaking losses, difficult choices, personal failures, and experiences that challenged my faith and understanding of life.
I wanted to preserve those experiences, especially the stories of people who stepped into my life when I needed them most. Some probably never realized the difference they made, yet their influence has remained with me for decades.
But there was another reason I felt compelled to write. I wanted readers to recognize something of themselves in my experiences.
We all endure hardships, make mistakes, experience loss, and encounter moments when we question the direction of our lives. We don’t always get to choose what happens to us, but we often have a choice in how we respond.
If my experiences can help someone find hope, extend forgiveness, recognize their own worth, or simply take another step forward, then sharing my story has served a worthwhile purpose.
2. What was the most challenging part of writing such a personal memoir?
The most difficult part wasn’t remembering what happened. It was allowing myself to experience those moments again and finding the courage to share them honestly.
Some memories brought tremendous happiness and gratitude. Others reopened wounds I thought had healed long ago.
Writing about the loss of my sister Michelle, the consequences of difficult decisions, and the pain experienced by people I loved required a level of vulnerability I hadn’t anticipated.
I also had to confront my own shortcomings. It’s one thing to tell a story about surviving something extraordinary. It’s quite another to acknowledge mistakes you’ve made, people you may have hurt, and lessons that sometimes take years to understand.
I didn’t want to portray myself as a hero or suggest that I’d somehow figured everything out. I wanted readers to see the life I’d lived, including the parts that weren’t particularly flattering.
There were times when the writing was emotionally exhausting. But those difficult moments often brought unexpected understanding, gratitude, and even healing.
I’ve come to appreciate that our struggles and imperfections are often where some of life’s most meaningful lessons are found.
3. What did your missionary experience in England teach you about compassion, service, and human connection?
Serving as a missionary in England from 1985 to 1987 was one of the most formative experiences of my life.
I went there as a young man believing I had something important to share with others. What I didn’t fully appreciate was how much those same people would teach me.
I met individuals from vastly different backgrounds, each carrying their own struggles, disappointments, hopes, and beliefs. Some welcomed us warmly, while others wanted nothing to do with us.
One of the most meaningful relationships I developed was with a man named Pat McConnell.
Pat struggled with alcoholism and circumstances that many people might have found difficult to understand. His life was complicated, and he had experienced considerable hardship. Yet beneath those struggles was a human being who deserved kindness, dignity, friendship, and the opportunity to make another choice.
I learned that genuine compassion requires looking beyond someone’s circumstances and recognizing their worth as a person.
Pat taught me lessons that have remained with me for nearly forty years. He helped me understand that service isn’t about what we expect to receive in return. Sometimes it’s simply about being present, listening without judgment, and offering someone a little hope when they may have lost sight of it themselves.
Perhaps one of the greatest lessons I learned was that we don’t always recognize the purpose behind the people who enter our lives.
Looking back, I realize that some of the people I thought I’d been sent to help were actually helping shape the rest of mine.
4. If readers remember just one lesson from your memoir, what would you want it to be?
That our past doesn’t have to determine our future.
Every one of us will face circumstances we didn’t choose. We’ll experience disappointment, grief, hardship, and sometimes the consequences of our own decisions.
We can’t always change what happened yesterday, but we still have a choice about what we do today.
I’ve come to believe that our lives aren’t defined by a single tragedy, failure, or even a remarkable moment of survival. They’re shaped by the choices we make afterward, often in the quiet, ordinary moments when nobody else is watching.
And sometimes, the smallest act of kindness can change the direction of someone else’s life in ways we may never fully understand.
My faith has taught me that we’re never beyond the reach of hope, forgiveness, or the opportunity to choose again.
If someone finishes AFTER SURVIVAL with a little more hope, a greater willingness to forgive, or the determination to take one more step forward, then sharing my story has been worthwhile.
Author Links: Website | Goodreads | Facebook
It isn’t.
It’s the story of what happened after survival.
In this deeply personal memoir, Shane Neilsen recounts the moments that truly shaped his life: unimaginable loss, enduring faith, the influence of remarkable parents, the power of forgiveness, and the daily choices that transformed tragedy into purpose.
With honesty, humility, and moments of unexpected humor, he invites readers to consider how every setback can become the beginning of something greater.
More than a story of survival, this is a story about what we become after life changes us forever.
Ultimately, this isn’t a book about surviving tragedy. It’s about what we choose to do with the life we’ve been given.
Come Back To Who You Truly Are
The Weird Fish follows Pearl, a colorful young fish whose family’s abandonment leads her to hurt others before rediscovering her joy in being herself. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for this story came from my own childhood experiences. Although I was never abandoned, I often felt disconnected from my family. Feeling misunderstood and alone affected how I viewed myself and the world around me. Over time, those feelings led me to become someone I wasn’t truly meant to be. Through Pearl’s journey, I wanted to explore how our experiences can shape us, sometimes causing us to lose sight of who we are at our core. Her story is a reminder that, regardless of what we experience, we can find our way back to ourselves.
How did you shape Pearl’s cruelty toward Mrs. Starfish and her classmates to help children understand the relationship between suffering and causing harm?
I wanted to highlight a truth that applies to both children and adults: sometimes, people who are hurting end up hurting others. We are all flawed, and our pain can influence how we treat the people around us. I wanted to tell the story of a character who might initially be viewed as a bully, while encouraging readers to look beyond her behavior and consider what might be happening beneath the surface. There is often a deeper story behind the way people treat others, and unresolved pain can sometimes be part of it. However, understanding someone’s pain does not excuse the harm they cause. Through Pearl, I hope children learn the importance of empathy, accountability, and recognizing that how we treat others matters, even when we are hurting ourselves.
What role does the mysterious older fish play in Pearl’s recovery, and why does her own reflection ultimately prompt her recognition?
As I’ve mentioned, The Weird Fish is loosely based on my own journey of self-discovery. The older fish represents an elder who once came into my life and shared a message that deeply resonated with me: “Come back to who you truly are.” Those words challenged me to reevaluate myself and recognize the ways I had changed in response to my experiences.
Similarly, the older fish serves as a catalyst for Pearl’s transformation, encouraging her to look beyond her pain and reconnect with her true self. However, the pivotal moment comes when Pearl sees her reflection and realizes she has become someone she no longer recognizes. She must confront the pain, hurt, and feelings of abandonment that have shaped her behavior. That moment of recognition opens the door to healing and change. For me, this represents an important part of self-discovery: sometimes, we must be willing to face what we have become before we can return to who we truly are.
How did you develop Pearl’s changing colors, particularly her blue, tearful reflection in the bottle, as a way of expressing her inner life?
I wanted Pearl’s changing colors to reflect how I see the world through the contrast between light and darkness. In the beginning, Pearl is bright, happy, vibrant, beautiful, and different. She embraces her uniqueness and takes pride in who she is. However, when she experiences abandonment, those qualities seem to fade as her pain begins to overshadow her sense of self. Her outward appearance changes to reflect the darkness she feels within.
I chose blue for her tearful reflection because the color is often associated with sadness. I wanted readers to see that Pearl’s physical transformation was connected to her emotional state. Her changing colors symbolize how deeply our experiences can affect the way we see ourselves. At the same time, they reinforce one of the story’s central messages: even when pain causes us to lose sight of our light, that light has not disappeared. We can rediscover it by embracing who we truly are.
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Secrets of the Emerald Tablet
Stewart F. Brennan’s Secrets of the Emerald Tablet brings ancient Egyptian mysteries into a world of surveillance drones, neural implants, and powerful institutions with plans for everyone else’s future. It’s a speculative thriller with a strong spiritual streak, built around David Collins, a mysterious crystal artifact, and the people determined to protect the knowledge it represents. The story moves between Canada, New York, and Egypt, combining the atmosphere of an archaeological adventure with the urgency of a resistance struggle. Brennan imagines an advanced civilization whose legacy connects science, consciousness, and humanity’s relationship with nature. That combination gives the book its particular appeal: you’re following people through immediate danger while sharing their curiosity about a much larger history.
What I enjoyed most was the warmth among the central characters. David’s concern for Alène, Markus’s enthusiasm, and Emily’s confidence give the story personality. Their teasing, friendships, and everyday routines make the stakes feel personal. Brennan spends time on meals, reunions, hospitality, and the reassurance people offer when someone they love is in trouble. Those moments matter because the novel’s vision of a better world begins with people caring for one another. Its communities and alliances also bring Egyptian traditions, Chinese practices, and Indigenous spirituality into a shared fictional framework. There’s a sincere belief running through these relationships that knowledge carries responsibilities, and that loyalty means showing up when someone needs you.
This book reminded me of Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol. Both books connect secret fraternities, ancient wisdom, and questions about the relationship between science and spiritual experience to a suspenseful adventure. Brennan gives that combination an expansive fantasy dimension and a forceful political voice. The Collective, the organization opposing the protagonists, embodies concentrated economic power, invasive technology, and control over public information. Its presence makes the struggle over ancient knowledge part of a broader argument about freedom and who gets to shape society. Readers who enjoy Brown’s scholarly conversations and hidden histories will recognize some of the same pleasures here. Brennan’s emphasis on intuition, energy, and connection gives his imagined world its own sense of possibility.
The writing is earnest, descriptive, and very clear about its moral commitments. Brennan gives the settings a strong physical presence, whether he’s describing autumn in Quebec, the forests of Northern Ontario, or an Egyptian historical site. He also likes to explain how things work. Security briefings, travel arrangements, and extended discussions of ancient civilization occupy considerable space, and they sometimes slow the momentum. Dialogue frequently spells out feelings and ideas that the surrounding scene already makes clear, while the villains’ emphatic cruelty gives them a fairly uniform tone. Tightening those passages would sharpen the pacing and let the characters’ choices carry more of the story. Even so, the book’s curiosity and affection for its characters remain appealing. I’d recommend Secrets of the Emerald Tablet to readers who enjoy mystical adventure, outspoken conspiracy fiction, and stories where friendship and the pursuit of knowledge belong at the center of the action.
Pages: 338 | ASIN : B0HJK6L5C4
The Beauty of Nature
Manipulation of a Photo explores how digital editing tools, artificial intelligence, and creative experimentation can transform ordinary photographs into vibrant, imaginative works of art. What motivated you to write this book?
I wrote this book to show how someone can create art with a photo and some apps or photo editors.
Your floral images feature vivid colors and unusual patterns. What draws you to flowers as subjects for photographic manipulation and artistic exploration?
Flowers are an easy way to show off the beauty of nature.
How do you decide which editing techniques to apply to a photograph, and what role do unexpected results play in your creative process?
When you start with a photo you can make it a sketch or a painting with different apps.
What do you hope readers discover about their own creativity after exploring your artwork, and how would you encourage beginners to start experimenting?
A person only really needs some photos and apps. I did create a photo from two colors as well. It is a hobby for me.
Author Links: Facebook | Instagram | Website
Make Your Break
Make Your Break by Jai Long is a personal, energetic book about building a creative career and taking ownership of the decisions that shape it. Long mixes stories from his life with advice on resourcefulness, money, confidence, relationships, and the work of getting an idea into the world. His central belief is that opportunity grows through action: asking questions, making connections, learning skills, and giving yourself permission to begin while you’re still figuring things out. The three-part structure moves from foundations to taking a chance to developing mastery, and the voice stays direct throughout. Reading it feels like spending time with an enthusiastic business coach who’s willing to talk openly about the experiences behind his convictions.
The personal material gives the advice its weight. Long writes about hardship, family, ambition, and self-doubt with a candor that makes his interest in creative independence feel deeply rooted. I found the book most engaging when he connects those experiences to the everyday choices involved in running a business. His discussions of listening to criticism, looking after existing clients, and learning the skills that support your craft are especially useful. There’s also a generous view of professional relationships here, with collaboration and sharing treated as sources of growth. The distinction between your larger purpose and the particular business or project you’re using to pursue it is one of the book’s clearest ideas. It gives readers a useful way to think about changing direction without dismissing the work they’ve already done.
Long’s style runs on short sentences, pointed questions, humor, occasional profanity, and repeated encouragement to act. That rhythm makes the book easy to pick up and gives its exercises a welcome sense of immediacy. The reflection questions invite you to look closely at your habits, assumptions, and use of time, so the reading can become quite personal. The repetition does become noticeable across the chapters, especially around commitment, fear, and persistence. His confidence also sometimes turns lessons from his own experience into sweeping claims about how success works. The passages on risk and burnout have that same forceful quality, and I wanted more room for the different obligations readers bring to those decisions. These tensions make the book most convincing when its practical examples and personal observations lead the discussion.
I’d recommend Make Your Break most strongly to creative freelancers and small business owners who have an idea they keep postponing, or an established practice they’re ready to rethink. Photographers, designers, musicians, and other people balancing their craft with the demands of earning a living will recognize many of its concerns. It’ll also appeal to readers who enjoy a candid personal story alongside questions they can apply to their own work. Long’s enthusiasm is a big part of the attraction, particularly if you respond well to direct encouragement and a coach who keeps asking what you could try next. For me, the book’s lasting value is in how it brings ambition back to specific behavior. It encourages you to choose a direction, make something, listen carefully, and keep developing the judgment and skills to carry it forward.
Pages: 323 | ASIN : B0GX32MWZC
Combating the Stigma
A Trial Lawyer’s Journey from Psych Ward to Wellness chronicles your journey through mental illness and recovery, revealing how resilience, humor, meaningful relationships, and everyday wellness practices can transform adversity into purpose and hope. What motivated you to write this book?
Combating the stigma that folks with mental health disorders, like I have, have to fight against. I want to encourage everyone who needs help to be willing and able to ask for it.
How did your experience with psychiatric hospitalization change your understanding of mental illness, both personally and as an attorney advocating for vulnerable individuals?
It made me aware that in the US we fail to reach many people who need support and mental health support. There are too many barriers to receiving help such as the high cost and limited availability.
As a criminal defense attorney, how did witnessing injustice and representing vulnerable clients affect your mental health and understanding of secondary trauma?
Yes, visiting client on death, having client’s beaten by police and then falsely charged, and having a teenage client commit suicide all were traumas that affected me during my 43 year long career.
Annie Oakley brings humor and companionship to your story. What has your relationship with her taught you about emotional resilience and everyday wellness?
Having a beloved pet is essential to my mental health and well being. Psychiatrists and therapists should write prescriptions for companion animals. Annie is a rescue dog who rescued me.
Author Links: X | Facebook | Website
Concise, intimate, and encouraging, the book offers an accessible portrait of recovery rooted in companionship, purposeful activity, and care.
So You Want To Be An International Aid Worker
Linda Soules’ So You Want to Be an International Aid Worker invites young readers into a world where compassion, courage, and practical skills come together to help people facing extraordinary challenges. This engaging children’s book explores the work of humanitarian aid professionals, from delivering clean water and medical supplies to helping communities rebuild after disasters. Soules takes a big, complicated subject and makes it understandable through clear explanations, relatable situations, and an encouraging conversational style. The book speaks directly to children who are curious about the wider world and might be wondering how they could make a difference. Its central message is that helping others begins with recognizing their humanity, listening to their needs, and treating everyone with dignity and respect.
One of the book’s strongest features is the way it introduces the many different responsibilities involved in humanitarian work. Kids learn about emergency relief, long-term development, supply chains, education, healthcare, and the importance of working alongside local communities. Soules explains concepts such as neutrality, impartiality, and independence in language young readers can understand. She also gives attention to the personal qualities that make someone effective in this field, including patience, humility, resilience, and problem-solving skills. Sections describing a typical workday, the challenges aid workers encounter, and the unexpected skills they use help children imagine what the profession actually involves. There’s also some welcome humor, including encounters with mischievous animals and the surprising role professional clowns can play in humanitarian settings.
The illustrations bring considerable warmth and personality to this picture book. Soft, earthy colors, expressive faces, and detailed backgrounds create inviting scenes of aid workers interacting with families, distributing supplies, organizing relief efforts, and collaborating with community members. The images convey kindness and connection, particularly when adults and children are shown sharing conversations or working together. There’s a pleasing sense of movement in the busier scenes. The visual approach makes unfamiliar environments feel accessible while reinforcing the book’s emphasis on cooperation. The illustrations also offer younger readers a way to engage with the subject even when the accompanying explanations introduce more sophisticated ideas.
Soules enriches the book with historical profiles of notable humanitarians, interesting facts, practical suggestions for aspiring aid workers, and a helpful glossary. These additions make So You Want to Be an International Aid Worker especially useful for curious children ages 10 to 14, as well as parents and educators looking to encourage conversations about global responsibility. The book’s substantial amount of information gives readers opportunities to return to individual sections and explore particular interests. I think what will stay with readers is its thoughtful understanding that meaningful assistance requires preparation, teamwork, and a willingness to learn from others. Soules presents international aid work as a deeply human endeavor, encouraging children to see kindness, curiosity, and service as qualities they can begin developing in their everyday lives.
Pages: 43 | ASIN : B0HM32KR8V
