[/amazon_link]In preparing for the coming edition of Entro (January 2012) we discovered Barbara Briggs Ward’s story about The Reindeer Keeper: Believe Again …, her award-winning holiday book for adults.
MCA: Welcome to the spotlight Barbara! Can you please tell us about what inspired you to write your book?
Barbara: Three years ago this coming January I felt something tugging at me. I didn’t know what it was but realized whatever it was it had been brewing all through the holidays. It was definitely a storyline, but not the kind I’d been used to writing.
When I was seven I knew I wanted to be a writer. I have been published as a children’s picture book writer / illustrator but this thing brewing wasn’t for children. It was for adults … and I was petrified.
The problem was, I had been telling myself “I can’t.” I kept saying that I wouldn’t be able to sit down and tell a story with chapters and keep adult readers interested from beginning to end. This “thing” mulling in my mind and heart got the best of me and once I sat down to see what it was it flew out of me in ligthning speed. It had the begining I needed to hook the reader; the middle that gave my characters and storyline substance and an ending that has people now asking for more.
Christmas was the inspiration but not in the way you might thing. What had been tugging at me was the realization that as adults we work so hard trying to make Christmas perfect for others that when January rolls around we find ourselves exhausted and wondering where the holidays went. We don’t slow down and tap into the Wonder of the Season. THAT was the inspiration for my book. I realized the tugging was this story trying to get out and bring adults back to that moment when they truly believed in the magic and hope of Christmas!
MCA: You’ve hinted at the magic of Christmas being part of the story, was there anything particularly extraordinary going on in your life that you think triggered this story when it did?
Barbara: Christmas comes packaged with emotions and memories. My father had passed away at Christmastime several years back.
In 2009, I felt him near even more than usual as I prepared my family for Christmas. There was an extra something tugging at me. I believe that “something” was my father. I believe he believed in my ability to sit down and write for adults.
I felt his presence stronger than ever throughout that Christmas. I believe there was a higher power at work-using my father as His instrument to instill the storyline within me; giving me the faith I needed in myself to sit down and turn this “thing” into words that made sense.
MCA: What do you consider your mission to be?
Barbara: I believe I am to write fiction for adults. As I mentioned before, I’ve always wanted to be a writer. That passion has lead me here. My mission is to write heartfelt stories for adults centered around characters with whom they can identify and storylines that will take them away if just briefly-from the beginning chapter to the last page.
MCA: Do you believe you are achieving your mission? What stage are you in?
Barbara: Judging from the reaction from both women and men who have read [amazon_link id=”1604944439″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Reindeer Keeper [/amazon_link] I believe I am on my way to achieving my mission. Hearing from readers empowers me to keep writing.
While I have a way to go, I feel I have the wind behind me-that being readers waiting for the next book and telling others about my work.
MCA: What have been your greatest challenges? Please share how you have overcome them.
Barbara: Dealing with an alcoholic husband and a mentally ill son almost proved impossible but instead both have only made me stronger, shaping me in ways I never would have thought possible. Through the darkness I never quit praying and giving thanks for what I did have.
Eventually I divorced my husband; walked away with no job, four kids, and happier than I had been in a very long time. Believe it or not, we became best friends. We still are best friends. A few years ago he suffered from throat cancer and I was there for him through every step of his long ordeal. I love him in a different way. While he still drinks I don’t have to deal with it.
Being a parent of a mentally ill son has been and continues to be heartwrenching. No parent wants their child to suffer, especially with a brain disease so misunderstood and feared. But instead of feeling sorry for myself and retreating, I’ve embraced mental illness. I’ve read about it and talked to others and became involved.
Last year I was appointed to a Board acting as the eyes and ears for those suffering from such diseases by our Governor. We all have our own challenges. I feel my journey has shaped how I view the world around me and how I write my stories-and for that I am truly thankful.
MCA: What kind of support have you received from family, friends, community, etc.?
Barbara: Unwavering support continues to come from my oldest daughter. Others in my family see me more as the family member I’ve always been rather than a writer. They keep me in the role in which they are familiar.
I find support from many in the community who really don’t know me any other way than as a writer and from those who’ve connected with me via the Worldwide Web, who have read The Reindeer Keeper, and now anxiously await my next book.
MCA: You’ve mentioned the value of sharing your work on the Worldwide Web. How else is your work shared?
Barbara: Thanks to the Worldwide Web my book is available world-wide and I hear from people all over the globe. I keep a strong presence on the web. It was on display at April’s London Book Fair, and last May I exhibited at BookExpo America in New York.
MCA: Does your book/product/service raise money for a cause?
Barbara: While my work is not presently raising money for a cause I do have this in my sights. My goal is to support work programs for the mentally ill by creating a model Greenhouse Work Program that can be duplicated in other communities by interested groups/individuals.
My mentally ill son was enrolled in a greenhouse program. He loved it there. He’d be up and out by 7:30 in the morning. He felt good about himself for the first time in a very long time. He felt like he belonged; contributing to the good of the whole instead of being considered crazy or wacky or a reject of society.
The program was a State-funded program. One night at suppertime he told me matter-of-factly that the greenhouse was closing. It did close two weeks later, and that was the last time he’s ever worked.There are no other work programs in the area for the mentally ill. That is true of almost every community. There are no such programs because they have all lost their funding.
MCA: What does the next year have in store for you?
Barbara: I’m working on my next book for adults. It is another Christmas story titled, “The Snowman Maker.”I plan to release it for Christmas, 2012 as well as expand the awareness of [amazon_link id=”1604944439″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Reindeer Keeper [/amazon_link].
MCA: Barbara, thank you so much for stopping by … and happy holidays!
Mom’s Choice Awards® Honors
[amazon_link id=”1604944439″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link][amazon_link id=”1604944439″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Reindeer Keeper [/amazon_link]
by Barbara Briggs Wardillustrated by Suzanne Langelier-Lebeda
Wheatmark, 2010
* Top 20 Holiday Recommended Picks on The Spirited Woman website
* Included in 2010 Yankee Magazine Gift Guide and on their website.
* 2011 – Featured on the Yankee Magazine and The Farmer’s Almanac websites
Contact, Connect and Network with Barbara
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The Alumni Spotlight is a periodic feature on the official Mom’s Choice Awards® blog. It is part of our ongoing effort to “shine the spotlight” on you and your award-winning, family-friendly products, services, and media.