Life and Work with Valerie Foster

Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Foster.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Valerie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a high school English teacher-turned-author. Since grade school, I have loved writing and revered good literature. That led to my teaching both for over thirty years. My deepest, secret dream was to have my own book on a shelf. What I didn’t expect was that it would come to me accidentally. My life’s experience, and its valuable lessons for others, prompted me to write my first book. But it sat in a drawer waiting for the right time. Then, after I left high school teaching, I was asked by a Holocaust survivor to write her story. I couldn’t say no. I wanted this to be a truly unique approach to a big and scary topic, so I framed it around our intimate conversations, and how our unlikely friendship affected us both. Once I found a traditional publisher for that book, he was also impressed with my earlier manuscript. I now have a published short story, as well as two memoirs. The Risk of Sorrow: Conversations with Holocaust Survivor, Helen Handler explores a profound friendship between two women: one who survived as a teenager in Auschwitz, and the Catholic schoolteacher (me) to whom she bares her soul. Dancing with a Demon is my story as the mother of a severely anorexic teenaged daughter, and how our family fought to save both her life and my own mental health. My passion for both of these subjects empowered me to become a public speaker on the relevant issues raised in both books, as well as about the process of writing. In a way, I’m still teaching!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I’m not sure any meaningful journey is a smooth road; that’s what makes it interesting! Writing is hard and solitary work. Getting published and then marketing your book is even tougher. Each of my books took five years to write, and one took ten years to find its publisher. So, persistence is required. One has to totally believe in her story and its message. She’s got to believe that she has something unique to say.

Both memoirs are framed by untraditional formats, proving to be a real challenge. With The Risk of Sorrow, I had to turn two years’ of our taped conversations – what I called “verbal spaghetti” – into a linear, coherent narrative. I also collaborated closely with my subject, allowing for her approval of the finished product. That was not often easy. After I had written the narrative for Dancing with a Demon, my daughter courageously offered her journal entries to be included. I carefully embedded them within the mother’s perspective and worked closely with her to produce something we could both be proud of. With both, I had to find the balance of telling another’s story, along with my own.

Sometimes it’s hard, especially for busy women, to feel justified in devoting time to write. For anyone wanting to become an author, my advice is not to wait for the perfect time, conditions, room, desk, inspiration, perfect pen, or someone’s permission. Just write, write, write! I wrote wherever and whenever I could. As long as I had my laptop or notebook, I could capture a phrase or idea. Writing is messy and that’s o.k. Don’t let perfection paralyze you. You can always clean things up later. Also, be willing to hire a good editor!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with your business – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
After a long and fulfilling career as an educator, I rewrote my own life’s narrative by becoming an author and speaker. Yet, I see them all within the same mission of sharing what I know and value. My stories are personal, but their themes are universal. I derive a lot of joy from speaking to schools, churches, book clubs or bookstores, where I am able to share my own personal experiences and what I’ve gained, whether about eating disorders and self-care in mental health, or how the essential lessons of the Holocaust relate to all of humanity in today’s society. Both can be heavy subjects, but I try to take an intimate, loving approach to my work. My readers and listening audience have said that I bring a contagious passion for whatever I am speaking about, but my favorite moments are listening to them! Each of my memoirs takes a unique look at a subject and is fearless in its honesty and messages for the greater good. I am thrilled that The Risk of Sorrow is archived in five countries, and Dancing with a Demon was named Best Nonfiction Narrative by the American Book Fest, and Finalist in the International Book Awards.

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Early on, my mentors were my own teachers. Later, as a writing teacher myself, I was continually inspired by other writers, favorites like Isabelle Allende, or Gabriel Garcia Marquez, whose turn of a word, or the truth of their stories, sent my mind on its own journey. I have found camaraderie in their writing discoveries and struggles, such as Stephen King’s On Writing, or Pat Conroy’s Reflections on a Writing Life. Now, as an author, I am helped by my fellow author friends who share their own frustrations, lessons learned, and strategies with me, through book festivals, writers’ conferences or grabbing coffee at Barnes & Noble!

Contact Info:

• Website: valeriebfoster.com
• Phone: 480.216.6773
• Email: valeriefoster2016@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valerie.s.foster
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ValerieSFoster
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/riskofsorrow

Image Credit:
Tom Foster

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