An Author's Tale From Bonehead English To Audiobook Beauty!

I always liked to write. But, I never considered myself a writer. I was a musician - first a pianist and then a flutist. From fifth grade on, my flute became my companion. I worked hard in my academics, but my flute was my future. I was going to play professionally, someday.

As I entered college, I was eager to advance my musical talents and feeling quite confident about my academic abilities. However, because I had scored quite low on my SAT's, I was required to take Bonehead English. I was actually quite embarrassed by this labeling of intellectual deficiency and a little confused. After all, I had really good English grades in high school.

I struggled through the class along with other students. The professor seemed to derive pleasure out of highlighting our inadequacies and shaming us further for falling below the University of California standards. I passed the class, but learned very little, if anything. I finished the next four years of college feeling quite academically disadvantaged, especially in English. My prowess on my flute assuaged my insecurities; however, not being able to write well made other classes more challenging.

As the ironies of life unfolded, after graduating with a Bachelors in French and music, I returned to school and obtained a K-9 teaching credential. My first teaching job? A fifth/sixth grade combination class teaching English, mostly writing. Ugh!  And, because of the way sixth grade was configured, I taught English to ALL sixth graders - all 100 of them!


After teaching sixth grade English for three years, I moved to middle school. I was hired to take over a position from a teacher who had experienced a nervous breakdown. Yikes! The position - 8th grade Gifted and Talented English and History! With three double periods a day, I once again taught between 100-120 students. I taught grammar and punctuation, and I was required to teach the four domains of essays: personal narrative, persuasive, problem / solution, and expository. Over the next seven years,  I corrected thousands and thousands of papers! Over the next seven years, I taught my students how to write. During those seven years, I learned from them as well.

In my twelfth year of teaching, the laws regarding credentials changed. If I wanted to continue teaching English at the secondary level, I was required to return to a school of education and obtain a Secondary Supplementary Credential in English.  I did just that. The first class I took - Expository Writing! Ugh!!  Professor Stevens was strict and scary. The tall imposing gruff teacher informed us the first night of class, "One third of you won't be here after the first mid-term. Another third of you won't pass the class." I was shaking in my boots. But, I was determined to not only pass the class, but this was going to be my opportunity to learn how to write!

I've never worked so hard for a class in my life. Professor Stevens made us write, and rewrite, and rewrite our papers. He placed us in groups and we edited each other's papers, learning from our individual weaknesses and strengths. I came in after class for tutoring. I reworked my essays. He marked them up.  I rewrote them.  He marked them up, less. At times, I cried (at home). But, Professor Stevens wouldn't settle for anything but exceptional. And, neither would I. I kept on. I learned.  I passed the class.  I earned an A-. After taking an English Language class (grammar) from a fairly good teacher,  I signed up for Analysis of Poetry from Professor Stevens. I knew I was going to learn from him.  I will never forget him. At age 38, I finally felt I was a "writer."


A few years later, I authored my first book, The PMS Puzzle (1993, Joy Publishing). Shortly after its publication, I entered Graduate School to obtain a Masters in Psychology. Because I knew how to write and I felt confident in my writing, I not only enjoyed school, but I eagerly embraced the plethora of essays, research papers, midterms, and final exams. I graduated with High Honors.


After earning my license as a Marriage and Family Therapist and practicing for over a dozen years, I authored my second book  Breaking Through Betrayal:And Recovering The Peace Within. Based on original research, it took me over a year to write this comprehensive recovery book. I did my homework, researching publishing companies which would be a good fit  for my genre and who were accepting unsolicited submissions. After several months, Loving Healing Press, Inc. accepted my manuscript, and Breaking Through Betrayal made her debut at the end of 2009.

Over the past nine years, I have authored seven more books (all published with Loving Healing Press, Inc.). I know there are millions of writers out there who are much more gifted than I am. I don't compare myself to others. I do what I am called to do. I write because I am driven to bring healing and hope to others. At the same time, I never stop honing my skills.

My most recent book, Daughters Betrayed By Their Mothers: Moving From Brokenness To Wholeness, is the most professionally challenging but personally rewarding book I've written. It took two years of research and writing to complete the first rough draft. It took another six months to get to a final draft. A printed edition and a Kindle  edition were released February 14, 2018. An Audiobook was released May 2, 2018. It has been an Amazon #1 New Release in Recovery for several weeks.

Last week, my husband and I traveled to California and then back to Arizona. Driving to and from, we listened to the Daughters Audiobook. As I soaked in every beautiful interpretation by recording artist  Kristine Bowen, I couldn't help but return to that classroom of a lifetime ago - Bonehead English - and recall my feelings of embarrassment and inferiority.

However, I didn't stay there long. Hearing my words on Audiobook, I chose instead to focus on my purposeful journey, and on each and every path that prepared me for where I am today. 

The lesson I leave with you is not to allow "set backs" to set you back. Take stock of what you are supposed to learn from it. And then, do learn from it. Not every situation will benefit you in the ways you want, but how you approach the challenge and your commitment to seeing it through will advance your repertoire of skills. Don't give up or give in. Stay the course. Remain open. And then, prepare yourself for something far greater than you ever imagined!

Oh, and by the way, where is  my musical companion - my flute?  She is close by, bearing witness to the years and years of practice required to deliver a polished performance!


Please stop by for a visit Author Holli Kenley

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