For my new book, In Search of Gopher Hollow, I used a delicate blend of sentimentality, humor, nostalgia, and raw emotion to paint the vivid canvas that is my (very) unique life story. In sharing my story with you, I draw you intimately into my world, one decade at a time, by describing each pivotal event in my life in painstaking and transparent detail.

As I wrote this book, I wanted the reader to feel as though they are walking right alongside me during the 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond – to re-experience these periods in history. Better yet, imagine being a passenger sitting next to me on a wild roller coaster ride – whipsawing up and down, back and forth – zipping through each eventful chapter of my life side-by-side.

As you read my book, you’ll find that I have suffered many significant losses and disappointments. Somehow, I have been able to overcome adversity and carry on, as bleak as things may have been at times. It is this survival spirit that I hope will inspire you to reflect on your own life and the sources of strength that have pulled you through rough times. We can learn a lot from each other!

In my case, I credit Almighty God for loving me and watching over me my entire life. I also credit my grandfather, a charismatic, larger-than-life figure, for teaching me important life lessons and equipping me with survival skills that would serve me well throughout my life. Indeed, it was at my grandparents’ home called Gopher Hollow that I found refuge at eight years of age, after having experienced so much turmoil in my early childhood years.

At that impressionable age, I just soaked up the sensory delights I discovered there at Gopher Hollow like a sponge - the scents of gardenia and eucalyptus, the song of the mourning dove - while also forging a close bond with my grandpa. The result was a blueprint for joy that became deeply engrained in my psyche and propelled me forward over the years (hence the book’s title).

In sharing about the losses and challenges I’ve faced, I hope to become a positive example for others to emulate, and to offer readers a sense of hope when things appear utterly hopeless. In essence, In Search of Gopher Hollow is a real-life example of faith, hope, and joy in action.