1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

I was born and raised on a Saskatchewan farm. I am a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer having served for 25 years. As a result of my service, I ended up with PTSD and struggled with that until my family and I were able to manage my behaviours. I was not a nice person to live with. I lost my mom to cancer in 2007 and my dear wife to cancer in 2021. Battling the grief that goes with losing someone so important to your mental health and well-being has been an on goi ng challenge.

I got into writing as a result of some encouragement by a colleague that I went through the RCMP training with. He had written a book that was the cumulation of motivational messages he sent to his children on a daily basis. He saw that I had been writing articles on mentoring and posting them to a blog site. That was the beginning of my writing career.

2) What inspired you to write your book?

Having first hand experience in being exposed to and dealing with my own grief and the grief of others was a calling that I had to help others on their healing journey and to help myself at the same time. I had numerous people reach out to me to provide them with the tools they needed to help with their healing journey. It was from those interactions that I saw writing as therapeutic and a way to increase my knowledge as a grief mentor.

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

The most important message is that it is okay to cry and express your emotions as part of your healing. It is okay to reach out and ask for help. This was a natural fit for who I am and what I am.

4) What drew you into this particular genre?

My calling is that of a healer. I need a sense of purpose and that purpose must fuel my ability to heal myself and others.

5) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

The site that has been the most helpful has been LinkedIn. When I share my content it is always LinkedIn, FaceBook and what we use to know as Twitter. Through all of this though LinkedIn has been my go-to site to reach my followers.

6) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

Stay focused and committed. Allocate time for writing on a daily basis. Take time for you and for your writing. Know the audience that you are reaching out to. Your writing needs to fill your sense of purpose.

About the Author

Doug Lawrence is the founder of TalentC® and is focused on all things mentoring as a solution provider. Doug Lawrence is an International Certified Mentor and holds two Mentor Certifications; Certificate of Practice – Mentor and the Certificate of Practice – Journey Mentor from the International Mentoring Community. Doug is the only one to hold the Certificate of Practice – Journey Mentor in the world today.

He has over 30 years of mentoring and leadership experience and is recognized as a thought leader in the mentoring space. Doug authored the book entitled, “The Gift of Mentoring” and his second book entitled, “You Are Not Alone” became an Amazon #1 Best Seller in North America and the UK and is a  Bronze medal recipient in the Global Book Awards. Doug is an International Best – Selling Author.

Doug’s Practice of Mentoring continues to grow and has resulted in his accumulation of 3,400 hours of mentoring (in person and virtual), 235 hours of speaking opportunities and 672 hours teaching others how to effectively mentor. Doug has been the guest on approximately 150 podcasts in the past year on the topics of mentoring, mental health and grief.