Zandra by Janet Hatch

Please welcome Janet Hatch author of Zandra

Janet Hatch will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Zandra

by Janet Hatch

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GENRE: Memoir

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INTERVIEW:

1. Although I had been encouraged by countless friends and family members to write my book, it wasn’t until I felt a strong inner calling that I began to take writing seriously. Once I acknowledged this call, I let it play in the background of my mind while I was on a holiday with my family. Like I do with every holiday, I pick up a book at the airport to read on my trip. On this occasion I picked up the book “Craig and Fred” by Craig Grossi, and devoured it within the first couple days. After reading his heartfelt, heroic story, I felt inspired to begin my own book once I got home.

3. As my book was about my own experiences of raising a diabetic daughter, I had all the expertise I needed. This year not only marks 100 years since the discovery of insulin, its Zandra’s 10-year anniversary of her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Although Zandra no longer lives at home and I’m not actively helping her with the day-to-day management of diabetes; we’re very close and she still talks to me about her daily challenges. Mothering knows no distance or age.

4. A bio only tells a small snippet of a life, but what I would like people to know, is that my life has very much been a spiritual journey. We’re all seeking answers to our questions and looking to find the meaning in all things, and my story chronicles these life-changing events. In my book I was open about leaning on my own faith to find my way, but in reality, it was the spiritual journey that saw me through the fears and led me to tell my story. What’s most exciting is that I’m still on that journey and learning more and more to let go of fears and trust in a higher power.

5. Since publishing my book, I’ve been working on other creative writing projects. When writing “Zandra: My Daughter, Diabetes, and Lessons in Love”, I was relentless in writing and felt that the time to write it and publish it was immediate. I don’t have that same feeling with my newer projects, yet I trust that I will know when the time is right to complete these projects.

7. If I was the casting director, I would be sure to have one of many beautiful type 1 diabetic actors play the part. They could draw from their own experiences and show the world the ebbs and flows of living with diabetes. As for the part of my life, I’d say Alexandra Breckenridge (actress on This is Us, and Virgin River). She really conveys empathy and determination through each character she plays.

9. I first decided to submit my work when I began writing. It was a personal contract that helped me to stay focused, committed and tell my story. Without the plan for it be published, I was worried it would become a piece that never saw the light of day, and if that was the case, could never help others. That said, I always knew I could pull the cord and not send it. It really wasn’t until working on my last chapter that my husband, Gord, encouraged me to reach out to a publisher.

10. The best advice I ever received was from a quote by Margaret Attwood. I wrote her quote “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word” and placed it on a sticky note at my computer. This advice helped me to work through my own insecurities. The worst advice was that I didn’t need an editor! I was very relieved when my first rounds of edits came back with such encouraging and uplifting comments regarding my writing (even if that was common boiler plate encouragement), however that doesn’t take away from the insights and grammar edits of a true professional.

11. By nature I’m an organized person, so there wasn’t a way for me to start without setting out my thoughts before I started writing. I set out my table of contents by experiences and placed them in an order that made sense. However, as it flowed, I found that committing to the original order wouldn’t serve the book, so I wrote the chapters and didn’t arrange them until the end. I decided that so long as I had the story on paper, arrangements could be done in the final stages after consulting with the editor… never underestimate a good editor!

13. I don’t have one favourite book, but I do have a select few. I know this because there are a few on my bookshelf that I just can’t part with. These books include “The Century Trilogy” and “The Kingsbridge Series” by Ken Follett, as well as “A Thousand Splendid Suns” and “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini.

16. Ten years ago, I thought the black moment would have been the diabetes diagnosis, however as Zandra grew, there were several more to come. Looking back, one became much darker than the rest and became the fourteenth chapter of my book, titled “When Things Got Worse”.When Zandra entered into her second year of university and moved to Vancouver Island, she went through a time where her body, stresses, food choices and grief culminated and she became resistant to her insulin. She was trying to manage blood sugars that were so high; they wouldn’t often read on her tester, even if she didn’t eat. A body cannot sustain such blood sugars and despite the recommendations from her doctors, nothing was bringing it down. The reality was that sometimes people with diabetes die and that reality was closer than ever before.

17. I’m really not a big fan of reality shows as I’ve always lived in a big family and there was always enough drama in my life that I never needed to tune into someone else’s. However, every now and again, I will tune into Sister Wives, much to the dismay of my husband. I find that although quite dramatic, the characters are experiencing many of the same types of situations as I do. Although I’m not a polygamist, or have that many children, I do have a lot of kids in my life and am very close with my sisters and their families. I’ve seen the show deal with sick children, finances and teen dramas, often parallel to my own life.

19. We’re all role models. Unfortunately we’ll never fully know the impact we have on everyone and often our ripple extends much further than we even realize. I wrote this book to help support anyone who loves and guides children and it’s my hope that the ripple is cast far and wide. We all have an important role to play in the lives others and I want everyone who reads this to know that they have a special purpose and are much needed in this world.

BLURB:

In this truly inspiring memoir, Janet Hatch shares her compelling story of raising her strong-willed daughter who, at age eleven, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. From the beginning of her life, Zandra experienced being different as a result of dietary restrictions, but nothing would prepare her for the tumultuous feelings that Zandra’s diagnosis would bring. Janet’s story chronicles the day-to-day life of raising a child through the teen years and into young adulthood, while reconciling her own insecurities.

After experiencing complications and additional illnesses from diabetes, Zandra’s life became uncertain and bleak. When she learned of the death of her friend from diabetes, she began to spiral downward. This is a love story between a mother and daughter and demonstrates that although the bond may be challenged, it was created to endure. From travelling to Iceland in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association to receiving her beloved diabetic alert dog, Cinnamon, this story is one that will encourage all those who love a child, to look beyond fear and see beauty in every challenge.

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NOTE: This book will be free during the tour.

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EXCERPT:

“What’s the reason for your visit?” The admitting nurse at our tiny local hospital was staring at me impatiently while my eleven-year-old daughter, Zandra, shuffled nervously at my side.

“She’s showing signs of type 1 diabetes,” I explained, the words sounding unbelievable as I said them out loud.

“Well, we’ll see,” the nurse huffed in frustration. “We don’t appreciate people looking up “Doctor Google” before they get here; that’s the job of the actual doctor.” She tapped heavily on her keyboard while processing the paperwork. “We don’t have time for everyone who thinks something is wrong because they looked it up on the internet.”

Normally I would be upset at being administered a tongue-lashing, but this time I was too worried about Zandra. I wanted my theory to be wrong, and I’d take a curt retort any day over being right this time.

After spending what felt like several hours in the waiting room, the doctor finally appeared. He commented on Zandra’s appearance. He noted the dark circles under her eyes, her underweight frame and pallid colour. He immediately ordered a blood requisition, and within a half hour he returned to give us her diagnosis. “Her blood sugars are extremely elevated, and she has ketones in her urine,” he explained. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but she has type 1 diabetes.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

JANET HATCH is a mother of four who lives in Camrose, Alberta. She is passionate about using her experience of raising her diabetic daughter to support parents and caregivers through the emotional twists and turns of what can be a difficult journey of having a child with a serious illness. She is a lover of animals and enjoys spending time in nature with her dog, Axel.

WEBSITE – Janet Hatch – Author

INSTAGRAM – Janet Hatch (@janethatch) • Instagram photos and videos

GOODREADS – Janet Hatch (Author of Zandra) (goodreads.com)

PURCHASE LINKS Zandra: My Daughter, Diabetes, and Lessons in Love

AMAZON.COM – https://amazon.com/dp/0228837022

AMAZON.CA – https://amazon.ca/dp/0228837022

AMAZON KINDLE – https://amazon.com/dp/B08L9RFCLN

BOOKSHOP – https://bookshop.org/books/zandra-my-daughter-diabetes-and-lessons-in-love/9780228837022

INDIGO CHAPTERS – https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/zandra-my-daughter-diabetes-and/9780228837022-item.html

BARNES & NOBLE – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zandra-janet-hatch/1137927622

BOOK DEPOSITORY – https://www.bookdepository.com/Zandra-Janet-Hatch/9780228837022

APPLE IBOOKS – https://books.apple.com/us/book/zandra-my-daughter-diabetes-and-lessons-in-love/id1536973152

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Janet Hatch will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

RAFFLECOPTER:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3829″