A New
Reality -- From a memory to a memoir
By Donna
Schlachter
Two
years ago, my father called me with an interesting proposition: write his life
story, keep all the profits, share the movie rights.
Now,
right off the bat, he acknowledged that his story wasn’t unique: a boy adopted
by grandparents who didn’t know his “sister” was really his mother until he was
thirteen years old.
However,
he felt the circumstances, the time period, and the setting would make the book
unique. I thought it was high time somebody documented the events, since
everybody involved was either really old or dead, and because I felt his
family--my siblings--should know where we came from.
Over
the next six months we met a couple of times. I recorded the time we spent
discussing the book. He gave me contemporaneous documents in the form of cash
books from his father’s store and letters between his birth mother and his
father. I researched what I could, got in touch with the town historian when
necessary, and made up the rest.
That’s
right. A memoir, and I made stuff up.
Because
the truth is, nobody knows everything that happened, or what was said, or even
who was involved. So many times I asked my dad who was with him, and he
couldn’t remember everybody.
The
first edits were interesting. I’d send it to him, and he’d send it back, “I
don’t think I said this” or “I don’t think it happened like that”. I’d ask, “Do
you remember what did happen?” “No.” “Then my version stands.”
He
finally came to terms with the fact that creative non-fiction is exactly that:
creative.
We
used the names of the original people, because this was going to be a
family-only version. But he said he wanted the book published in the general
market, so we agreed to change the names and a few other details so nobody knew
for certain who was being talked about.
My
dad held “his” book in his hands three weeks before he passed. He was as
pleased as punch to see his name on the cover, to read his stories, his past.
And
then he looked at me and said, “We need another book.”
Except
this time we didn’t have two years. This time we had three weeks.
I
wish I’d asked more questions. I pray he’d be as pleased to hold this new book
in his hands. Once again, we published a family-only version first. And The Physics of Love released October
2016.
But
even more important than the fact I wrote these books was the fact that I took
a big step of faith and witnessed to my unbelieving father. He accepted Christ
just three weeks before he passed. I was able to spend time with him the last
week of his life, and he was alike a sponge, soaking up everything I shared
about God, Jesus, heaven, healing, and whatever else he wanted to ask about. He
talked to both of his sons and several of his grandchildren about his newfound
love, and wanted to live long enough to share the gospel with all of his
family. He planted seed that other will water and harvest, and hopefully he
will one day see the results of his courage.
My
new reality includes going on without my dad, but his new reality is eternal
life with Jesus.
Donna
lives in Denver with husband Patrick, her first-line editor and biggest fan.
She writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense
under her alter ego of Leeann Betts. She is a hybrid publisher who has
published a number of books under her pen name and under her own name. Her
recent releases include The Mystery of
Christmas Inn, Colorado and Christmas
Under the Stars. Donna is also a ghostwriter and editor of fiction and
non-fiction, and judges in a number of writing contests. Donna loves history
and research, and travels extensively for both. Donna
is proud to be represented by Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary Management.
Christmas Under the
Stars
November
1858, Utah Territory
Edie
Meredith strives to keep her temper and her tongue under control as she heads
west with her brother to California. Raised in an itinerant preacher family,
she promises she will never marry a man of the cloth.
Tom
Aiken, drover of the wagon train, longs to answer his true calling: to preach,
and while he realizes not every woman would choose a preacher for a husband, he
hopes to soon find his help-meet.
Suspicious
‘accidents’ plague their journey. Is someone trying to keep them from reaching
their destination? Or will misunderstanding and circumstances keep them apart?
The Mystery of
Christmas Inn, Colorado
Matthew
returns to Christmas Inn to celebrate his fortieth anniversary alone, intending
to take his own life so he can join his beloved Sarah, who passed on to glory
the previous January. Not certain how—or if—he will go on without her, Matthew
learns on his arrival that the old inn will close its doors on New Year’s Eve.
A developer has purchased the building and intends to tear it down and put up a
chain hotel. Determined to keep his memories and his connection to Sarah alive,
Matthew embarks on a harebrained scheme to keep the inn open.
Edith
Cochrane, a widow, comes to Christmas Inn because she has nowhere else to spend
the holidays. Her children are angry with her because she refuses to choose to
live with one of them. Edith and her husband enjoyed a long marriage and a long
mission-field ministry, but ever since his passing the previous year, Edith has
found herself at loose ends. She comes to Christmas Inn to spend some time
thinking about her options.
Can
Matthew and Edith save the old hotel—and themselves—or will they run out of
time?
