What prompted you to share your story in book form?  I felt like by sharing my story I could promote friendship in a world full of woman tearing each other down. I felt that showing truth about how fulfilling female relationships could be could transform womans lives. I felt a nudge to show the awe inspiring glory of Gods earthly angels and the power they can have in our lives to uphold us when we have no pavement below our feet. If I could help one life then the power of the written word was worth it. To encourage even one person to stand up to a doctors misdiagnosis, a doctors arrogance and bullying then my book would be worth it.

How has the writing experience helped you grow and heal even more?  The writing experience has helped me grow emotionally and spiritually. God gave me the book I always wanted to write. Writing a book had always been my life’s dream.  It may not have been the story I dreamt of writing, but it was Gods story and I had to be faithful. The writing process was also healing to a mountain of open wounds I had from the doctors that bullied me to the daunting chemo that I had to endure. My story is a powerful tale and writing it after I lived it helped me see it in a different light. A light that gave me hope and showed me my own bravery.

What’s the core message you want readers to be inspired by from your story? My core message in Walk Beside Me is about friendship. the true power of friends. Not friends who stand by you for a few days but friends who never forsake you and stand by you season after season. Its a story of friends that sustain and carry you when you cant carry yourself. It’s a story about woman never giving up on one and sacrificing so much of their own lives for that one person without any need for thanks. The only thanks these woman wanted was to glorify God.

If you could pick just one line from the book– what would it be and why? My favorite line in my book is this. “ your being, your love, your gratitude – that’ s your music. It takes place inside of you, and you are the machine that can play. There’s no other instrument like you, nowhere in the world. That’s what makes you unique.”

What’s next for you? What are you working on now?  I am working on the sequel to Walk Beside Me right now. I am about half way through and it’s so exciting. The story is very different than the first, its the after illness life. Its very dramatic and full of life so to speak, a real page turner. I am speaking Nationally on my book and on empowering woman and other topics such as bullying and how to be unstoppable. I am also doing a book tour this fall. Its all very positive and life giving. Its been very rewarding to be out in the world living after being sick and in bed for so long. I feel lucky and I feel ALIVE.

It’s been a blast spotlighting these powerful women and their missions this month! Another special thanks to Melissa Rountree of Level 3 Active, Holly Dear & Kaycee Clark of Dear Clark, Stephani Faurot-Reuter of Heroes Beauty and Christine Handy. 

Love & Lipstick,

Tiff