About the book
Lily looked over her shoulder and, seeing no one, began to relax. It was just her imagination. It had to be, didn’t it? She could not remember a time when she did not feel as though someone was watching her.
Sitting on the beach and watching the calm water always seemed to help ease the panic. The waves were gently lapping against the driftwood on the beach. The sound of the seagulls was soothing. The smell of the salty ocean air was comforting. So why couldn't she just relax? Today, it did not seem to be working.
Last night the dreams had kept her awake through most of the night. If only she knew what they meant. She was so tired of them. They had plagued her for her entire life—or for as long as she could remember anyhow. Today was a day filled with questions, and she just wanted answers. All her life she had worked at blocking memories. Maybe it was time for her to lay her past to rest. The idea of it terrified her, and she really wasn't sure why. She wanted to move forward in her life. It was time.
In the past few months, she had begun to see a counsellor on the mainland, trying to recover memories that may never return. It was exhausting, but it seemed that she was making headway, having a few glimmers of recurring events in the dreams. Lily had been a great patient and had listened to everything the counsellor had to say. She had practised the techniques and was always willing to try something new. Perhaps that was why she was making such good progress.
She had been working on a dream journal for a while. There were things that were now noticeable recurrences in the dreams. The counsellor felt that these probably pointed to true memories, but of course, there were no guarantees.
Nights like last night where she was running scared and full of terror were one of the most common themes. Miles away and many years ago, she had started running and started a new life. Since then, moments of serenity had been hers, but many moments of terror had overshadowed the peace. She had started over in new places a few times but always seemed to come back to the same position—scared, alone.
Thinking back to try to remember her childhood was hard. It made her feel anxious, afraid, and she did not like it—mostly because she did not know why. Her earliest clear memories were after her ninth birthday. She had a few vague memories of earlier, but nothing solid.
Lily made the decision to seek some help to recover the lost memories and lay them to rest and to deal with her past so she could enjoy her life in peace. She had been working really hard with her therapist for months now. They had used a variety of techniques to help Lily remember. She now had enough information to try to discover what her mind had forgotten. It was time to go back to Rollingway, the town in her dreams.
Excerpt:
It did not take long for her to spot a little motel along the edge of the highway that had vacant rooms for the night. She checked into the motel room, turned on the TV for noise, and went for a short walk to pick up something to eat. The front-desk manager at the motel had suggested the pizza place just next door. It was late enough that there was not much else open. Gathering her pizza and diet cola, she headed back to her room so Lucy wouldn’t be alone. She stopped quickly at the convenience store for a bottle of water and a snack for later. The pizza smelled heavenly, and she ate heartily, sharing a small bit of crust with Lucy.
As she crawled into bed, she said a silent prayer for a quiet night. Nightmares. Lily was so tired of them. A few hours later, she woke up crying—this time, in a strange motel. Lucy was there, wagging her little tail, looking at her in the dark. After turning the light on and a quick cuddle, she grabbed her dream journal to write about the dream before she could forget.
Running. Running. Running. Breathing hard. Screams of terror from something unknown. People are following her.
She must run faster. There were people chasing her. The forest is all around, and Lily found a hollowed out log to hide in. She could hear people running past. There was so much banging and noise. Her heart was wildly beating; she must not breathe a sound.
Writing on the dream journal had become easier as time went on. There were many logged in now. Lily just had to figure out what they all meant. Her counselor had been right. Once she started examining her dreams, she realized they had common events in them. Now she just had to figure out what they meant or whether they were in fact memories or just dreams.
About the Author
Sandra Steiner completed a Bachelor of Education degree after high school and has been working for the last twenty years in the Accounting field. Becoming a published author has always been a dream. She is a proud mother and grandmother. Sandra lives with her husband on Vancouver Island in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia Canada.
Since the death of her teenage daughter in 2004 she has inspired many to think positively and to live life for the moment. Over the years she has motivated many individuals to believe in themselves, and they have encouraged her to write and share her experiences. She is a strong woman who believes anything is possible if you believe in yourself.
The trilogy I have written portrays three incredibly strong women who are faced with difficult circumstances in their lives and the journey they went through to overcome them. Spring Island is a fictional place in which they all find comfort and hope in one way or another.
Live for Today is Lily’s story. It is a story of incredible strength, searching for answers about her birth family Lily finds that sometimes it is more important to just Live for Today.
In January of this year when I began writing the first book in the trilogy, Cherish the Past, the words just felt right. They flowed through my mind into the manuscript. Simultaneously I was working on a second writing project which has turned out to be book two of this trilogy Live for Today. Again, the words just flowed.
In April when I suggested to my husband that I wanted to publish them he was very supportive and said go ahead. I told my boys about them, and they were excited for me! None of them questioned my ability to
write ….. But I did. I had dreamt of this off and on for years but it was just a dream. Reality was it was the80′s I was a young mom of three, working full time and in college full time. I had enough to do without writing. I accepted that then, and just put the idea away.
Life has a way of moving along and now it’s 2014, I’m a grandma and my boys are grown. In November 2013 I found my hours seriously cut at work, and time on my hands so I started my blog, steiner-style. Then in January the books were started. Unfortunately in March I found my job was eliminated, and though I have been applying for work like crazy I still haven’t found anything. I now had even more time in my hands so I kept writing. My books were both completed in March, and they went to the publisher.
Author Links
Facebook:
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/STEINERWRITE
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SANDRASTEINER.22
Twitter: @HEALING_LOVE
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sandra-Steiner/e/B00LMSD1J6/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1406670441&sr=8-2
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