"How Do You Say Goodbye?" - A New Book

In the Spring of 2010, I felt the need to document some things about my son, Christopher.  I began making little notes on a piece of paper about various things that happened over the years as he was growing up.  Many very special memories came to mind and I put them down, feeling like I could sort them and write a little about each one as I went.  I started writing the related stories in April.  It went well.   As I wrote these stories of my son they combined to tell the story of his life, his death, and my struggle to overcome that tragic event.   It took about two months to complete. 

Today, at the risk of a little shameless self-promotion, I’d like to announce the pending release of my book  “How Do You Say Goodbye?  A true story about the struggle to overcome the loss of a child.”  After a couple of years of soul searching and internet research, I found a publishing company willing to put it in print.  It is currently in the editing process and will be published by Tate Publishing sometime after the first of the year.  It will be available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other stores, in addition to a direct purchase from the publisher.  It will also available in e-book format.  The web page for the book is, as yet, unfinished but I will post the web address as soon as it's available.

Through this book I celebrate Christopher’s short life and my journey through, and eventual triumph over the devastating grief that followed.  It is my hope that my story may help someone else who has experienced the loss of a child.  I would be honored if any of you would read it.

I have decided that a portion of each sale will go to the “Wings For Our Troops Foundation, in honor of Corporal Chad Stafford Wade”, another  young man who died too soon.  Those of you who have read my previous posts know that WFOT (wingsforourtroops.com) is a non-profit organization that helps Marines (and hopefully all services in the future) who cannot afford a trip home before deployment get that time with their families by paying for their ticket.  It's a great and worthy cause with which I'm proud to be associated.  And Chad, unbeknownst to me at the time, would go on to become an integral part of the book.  It's the least I can do to honor a great American hero and his family.

This book was truly an effort of love.  Writing it broke my heart all over again but it also helped me cleanse my spirit of ghosts and painful memories.  Those memories are still painful but they're no longer devastating.   

I will publish more information about the book and its release as it comes.  In the meantime, I am patiently awaiting the completion of the editing process to see what suggestions and/or corrections they recommend.  After that comes the layout and design phase.  All in all they told me it would take approximately six months from the time I submitted my manuscript to when the book hits the stores.  I submitted it in July so am expecting it to be completed by January.

Again, I will be honored if any of you read my book.  It is my tribute to my son, my only child, who was taken from this world far too early.