Here’s what’s new for 2022…
I spent most of last year writing my memoir and it is now just nine months away from being released!
The first draft of the manuscript has just gone through the beta reader process and as a result one of the things I’ve decided to tweak is the title. The previous title was: Following Their Lead: A Mother’s Grief and the Dogs that Saved Her. When I finished writing the manuscript I realized that although my dogs played a critical role in my story, they weren’t the entire story. I needed a new title and subtitle that was more directly aligned with the book. What came to me was how I refer to time periods in my life as “before Kevin died and after Kevin died”. Since this story mostly takes place after my son Kevin died and the fact my Golden Retrievers, Manny and Tripp had such a large role in my healing process, I decided to rename the book:
Life After Kevin: A Mother’s Search for Peace and the Golden Retrievers that Led the Way
This is my memoir that tells of how I ultimately find peace after my 25-year-old son Kevin’s death from an accidental overdose in 2015. The sequence of events and truths I learned after he died were the compelling factors that guided me to write my experiences down. I knew what I was going through was relatable and if I could help someone with my story, it would give Kevin’s death meaning. Woven throughout the book is the portrayal of the special relationship my dogs and I shared and how they supported me every step of the way.
I knew I had a powerful story but I also knew I needed guidance on how to make it into a powerful book. In January of 2021, I decided to hire a writing guide, Ally Berthiaume𑁋the owner of The Write Place, Right Time. Ally was the exact right person to help me craft my story in a way that was more compelling and inspiring than I knew how to do on my own. She guided me through all of last year and by December I had written 14 chapters and an epilogue, completing the manuscript!
Life After Kevin is a tell-all memoir that spans the five years after his death in 2015 and ends in 2020 with the start of Life with Rune. It balances hard topics such as stigma over how a person dies with the beautiful connection I continue to have with Kevin and the signs he sends me.
This is an inspiring story that will leave you with feelings of connection and hope. It will make you cry but it will also make you laugh and will surely touch the heart of anyone who has loved a dog.
Here is the 2022 timeline for the final steps to the publication of Life After Kevin:
- January𑁋February: review beta reader’s input, polish/edits of manuscript, add a book page with more details to my website
- March: Handoff the manuscript to the publisher
- April: Book cover design
- July: Available for preorder!
- October 3rd: Book available in paperback and ebook format on Amazon and in bookstores!
Susan Lynch is a former competitive dog trainer who has been training, competing and volunteering with her Golden Retrievers since 1995. In 2020, she founded Life with Rune, a Facebook community that documents the socializing and training of her own puppy Rune. In 2021, she was awarded the Rachel Page Elliot Lifetime Achievement award by the Golden Retriever Club of America. Her memoir Life After Kevin: A Mother’s Search for Peace and the Golden Retrievers that Led the Way is available here . To learn more, visit: www.susan-lynch.com.
For socializing ideas and training tips go to the Life with Rune Facebook group and click on the Guides tab at the top of the home page.