"More Martha Than Mary: Uncovering My Mother's Story of Survival, Faith, and the Power of Writing"

My mother was a writer and a storyteller. I don’t know if that is where I developed the desire to be constantly writing or not, but here I am, an author.

I have always used writing as a way to pass on knowledge. I have been a financial columnist for 40 years and found that a 500-word column on a single topic was a good way to educate in small doses. I have been told I can make complex strategies simple, which is the topic of my next book.

But first I am putting the finishing touches on my first book, a Memoir of my mother’s, More Martha Than Mary. This was very, very different than writing about concrete, left brain financial planning and forecasting. This was a creative, very much right brain endeavor, but still working with facts, which is the world I live in.

First, going through Mom’s 4 cases of journals she kept from 1935-2004 was an emotional roller coaster and therefore, a daunting challenge. I would laugh and cry reading just one page. I learned of a secret prison where she was held captive and I also learned of the joys she had with her 9 children and 23 grandchildren. Most of all it was an inspiration and I am blessed to be able to share her story.

More Martha Than Mary is the tale of an incredible woman who survived horrible situations to survive and send her children soaring. She did this through faith and the constant desire to learn. These are the things I inherited and will continue to share as best as I can.