Friday, July 20, 2012

JoAnn Durgin: Shining Light For His Glory


Everyone's Story warmly welcomes author JoAnn Durgin. I've met JoAnn on-line and am so excited because I will be meeting her in person at the upcoming ACFW conference. Why? Because JoAnn is a genuine, lovely, funny, and an always-there-for-you woman. This week, JoAnn shares with us a very personal account of her motivation behind writing the characters in her stories. So, enjoy a little quiet time and reflection with us... and remember, JoAnn looks forward to hearing from you.
Book Giveaway Special:
JoAnn has written the The Lewis Legacy Series: AWAKENING (Book 1), SECOND TIME AROUND (Book 2), and TWIN HEARTS. Though a series, these novels can be read as stand-alone books. One randomly chosen commenter will win the opportunity to select either the print or e-book version; the winner will be announced next Friday, July 27th. Please leave your email contact information within the comment. Thanks!
Series Blurb:
Join the fun with Sam and Lexa (Clarke) Lewis in The Lewis Legacy Series from Torn Veil Books. Sam and Lexa mentor the lively volunteers in Sam's TeamWork Missions organization as they navigate life from Texas to Massachusetts, Montana, Louisiana, New York, England and even the International Space Station. Each contemporary romance combines faith, family, humor and adventure with one or more members of the TeamWork crew as they find love while leaning on the Lord and each other for encouragement. The Lewis Legacy Series is available from all major online book retailers in both print and ebook editions.

Why And How My Characters Overcome Obstacles In Their Lives
By JoAnn Durgin

My theme verse is Matthew 5:16 (NASB): Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.” I’d like to tell you a little about my son, Matthew. His “light” shines bright, and as a writer, I try to see the world as he does. As a result, it’s made me a better writer. You see, in Matthew’s eyes, the world is beautiful: there is no hate, no distrust—only a deep compassion and love. In essence, the way God wants us to see others.

Matthew and his sisters
Matthew is now 16 and diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism on the high-functioning end of the spectrum. It’s often misinterpreted by others as a mental deficiency, but nothing could be further from the truth. If he met you today and didn’t see you for months or even years, he’d call you by name from memory. He disconcerts strangers by waving, saying hello or telling them he loves them. Our son is atypical for the syndrome in that he’s extremely social and looks others straight in the eye. Experts don’t have definitive answers as to what causes Asperger’s, and there is no “cure.” In Matthew’s case, I wouldn’t want a cure. He’s not perfect, by any means, but he accepts life—and all that comes with it—with an untold measure of grace. He teaches me more than he knows.


We lived in the Boston area when we first understood Matthew was developmentally delayed. He didn’t walk on his own until he was 15 months old, didn’t speak “our” language until well past his third birthday. He wandered off and got lost at a busy mall when he was a toddler, found by an anonymous angel of mercy we never met. Not long after, he wandered out the front door and into the middle of our fairly busy street. I thank the Lord every day for His faithful watchcare over our little guy, and know He has big plans for him.

The church secretary heard him “preaching” in the sanctuary one day. He’d pushed a chair to the podium and was pointing to the Bible. She couldn’t understand anything he said except for “Jesus!” every other word. When he was six, we took Matthew to a highly-esteemed child developmental psychologist in Boston who basically questioned his IQ and gave us the “he can become a functioning member of society” speech.

Through the years, Matthew was in special needs classes. He wore a weighted vest to keep him upright and received help for speech and motor skills. He’s always been coordinated, never clumsy. His drawings and Lego structures reveal an uncommon sense of depth and perception. He’s never been bullied in school and his schoolmates and teachers have overwhelmingly embraced him. What a blessing! Now, he only needs extra assistance in English; he made the honor roll last term with the highest grades in his biology and algebra classes.

Matthew looks “normal,” but when he speaks, others notice something is different. It’s in the slight head tic every now and then or his body language. He adores his sisters and has always been a loving child, but with none of the emotional difficulties often associated with autism. At a special school event, he befriended a girl born with no arms. He asked her, “Does it hurt?” and ended up pushing her wheelchair all evening. In church, he asked an elderly widow, “How are you doing today?” In both instances, he listened, he cared, and he gained a friend for life.

We dropped off Matthew at church camp recently. It was the first time he’d ever been away from home without anyone he knew. My husband, Jim, seemed hesitant to leave him. I felt a peace and said, “He’ll shine.” When we picked him up six days later, Matthew was on the front row, clapping and singing along with the praise band. The kids made posters where they wrote their names and others added comments. Beside Matthew’s signature? “An angel in disguise” and “Lives and breathes his faith.” The director of the camp as well as several counselors told us our son led the prayer in chapel twice. Many embraced him and hugged Mathew goodbye. Part of Asperger’s is inappropriate emotional reactions. He used to laugh in sad times, but this time he cried when he said goodbye to his new friends. Our boy is growing up.

When I write, I try to incorporate that life-affirming positivity and let my light shine for His glory. My characters struggle with the inevitable challenges of life, but strive to live for Him the best way they can. My Matthew is embodied in a young boy named Michael coming later in my Lewis Legacy Series, at a time when I’ve hopefully gained more readers to bring more awareness and attention to autism. All in all, I strive to live my life the way my son does—for the Son.

Do you have a loved one with Aspergers Syndrome? If you're a writer, how do your characters overcome their difficulties? JoAnn looks forward to hearing from you. 

AUTHOR BIO: 

Twin Hearts is JoAnn's third published novel in The Lewis Legacy Series from Torn Veil Books. The fourth installment in the series, Daydreams, releases in December 2012 as well as Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, a fun novella from White Rose Publishing. She is a full-time estate administration paralegal in Louisville, Kentucky, a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and Louisville Christian Writers. JoAnn lives with her husband and three children in southern Indiana. Her books are available from all major online book retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble (in both print and ebook editions). She can be reached on Facebook or you can send her a message via her website at www.joanndurgin.com. She loves to meet and interact with her readers!

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24 comments:

  1. JoAnn Durgin is a wonderful author. I've read her book Awakenings, and can't wait to read the next in this series. Her romances are delighted, and the characters so real.

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  2. JoAnn, I have a non-verbal son who is in some ways like yours. His love for others is his "savant" skill. I'd love to have you on my blog sometime to share more about Matthew. You can email me at cbalmony(at)yahoo(dot)com. Thanks for sharing Matthew with us today.

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  3. Christine & Connie--I always love seeing you two here ♡ And I know JoAnn will enjoy your visits as well, She'll probably get back to you tomorrow due to her unexpected circumstances.

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  4. JoAnn...what an inspiring story. THanks for sharing about your son...sounds like he's truly amazing! So great that you are putting a character like your son in your books:)
    Can't wait to read your books!

    lornafaith at gmail dot com

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    1. Welcome back, Lorna :) Please visit again tomorrow or Sunday--JoAnn is expecting to reply back then to all those who leave comments today. I know she'd enjoy hearing from you!

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  5. Aspergers touches my life, too. My son, 13 years old, has a great sense of humor. Quirky, delightful. Has a photographic memory, can quote lines from movies or books verbatim. And he has a gift with words and phrases. He shares my love for reading, and I hope, will be a writer some day. He rocks out the Legos as well.
    Sounds like your son has a wonderfully tender heart. That's what I adore about these kids. So sincere, so genuine.
    Blessings to you and yours.

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    1. Kathleen, glad you visited Everyone's Story. I can feel the love you have for your son in the words you've written :)

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  6. Hello everyone. Christine, gifted author and friend, thanks for stopping by! Thanks for your kind words. I can't wait to read your next book and meet you in person at the conference. Hi, Connie! I didn't know we shared this in common, and I'll definitely contact you soon. Thanks for leaving your comment. Lorna, Matthew is the one who inspires me with that purity of heart and spirit. He is my special treasure. My character with Asperger's in my series is named Michael, and repeats "I love you!" many times each day and loves those Lego blocks, just like our son. Kathleen, sounds like your son is very much like mine, although I wish Matthew shared my love of reading. And you're right about the sense of humor because I never know what he's going to say...the words "quirky" and "delightful" perfectly describe him.

    Thanks again, ladies. I wanted to let you know that if you have a Kindle, Awakening (the first book in the series) is available for only $2.99 for a limited time.

    Elaine, thanks for having me on this great blog (sorry to go on and on here - hazard of the profession). I, too, can't wait to meet and greet you in Dallas with a big HUG!! Blessings, friends.

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  7. We have 2 sons with Sensory Integration Disorder--also in the autism family. We too have learned that what could be seen as their greatest struggle has also become their greatest strength--their unique way of seeing and ministering to the world. Thanks for a perspective that values all life as created by God for a purpose!

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    1. And thank you, Tess, for the powerful reminder that God created each one of us for a reason, and connected us with each other in our special relationships (whether parent & child, spouse... or even friends) for a reason.

      Thanks too for you visit.

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  8. Great lost. I loved reading about all the times and ways God watched out for your son. Parenting is so frightening! I imagine parenting a child with special needs, even more so. How comforting to remember Gid is in control and loves our kids even more than we do.

    Blessings to you and your son.

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    1. Ugh! "Great post." Sorry!

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    2. Jennifer, welcome back to Everyone's Story ♡

      When you think about it, every relationship that we're involved in is scary because human beings are so fragile and complex and vulnerable. Praise God for His guidance.

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  9. Thank you, Tess. You are exactly right in that what others might perceive as their greatest struggle is often their greatest strength. Beautifully stated, and blessings to you and your sons. Jen, it's great to "see" you again, and thanks so much for your comment. And yes, Elaine, I definitely look to the Lord for His guidance in my life, especially as a parent, but as you mentioned - in all my relationships. Blessings, friends.

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  10. JoAnn, I appreciated "meeting Matthew" and love that God gave him you and Jim as parents.

    As you already know, our adult daughter suffered a traumatic brain injury from a car accident. That experience gave us a new daughter to love, but the amazing thing is how she has grown so much stronger as a result also. She does let her light shine in her weakness.

    I'm looking forward to book four!

    Thanks to both of you for a nice post.

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    1. Jude, welcome back to this little corner of the world :)

      I'm sorry to hear about the accident your daughter was involved in, but my heart was uplifted to learn of your strong family ties that keep each of your family members going.

      My best to you, always.

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  11. No I do not have a loved one with Aspergers Syndrome. I couldn't read JoAnn's post without tearing up. I would love to meet this amazing young man. How very blessed you are JoAnn. I'm sure you already know this.

    I've read "Awakening" and "Second Time Around." I can't wait to read "Twin Hearts." JoAnn's books carry powerful messages, as well as romance, laughter and tears. My marriage has become much more to me and my husband because of her book "Second Time Around." The Holy Spirit got a hold of me and convicted me while reading this book. I was on the path to destroy my marriage. It was a real wake up call. For that I say thank you God and thank you JoAnn.

    While reading JoAnn's post I was thinking of suggesting to her that she write a story that includes her son's life. Much to my delight I see that she does plan to do that down the road. I for one look forward to that book. I know I'll need a box of tissues.

    I would love to win a copy of "Twin Hearts."

    Blessings to all!
    Judy
    judyjohn2004(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. A warm welcome to you, Judy, for visiting Everyone's Story... and for Following it. Thanks so much.

      I am so happy that you enjoyed reading JoAnn's novels and that you're looking forward to others.

      And I can't help but be touched that her powerful writing has brought you closer to God. I'm honored that she's taking time from her busy work schedule and her loving family to be my guest this week.

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  12. Thank you Jude, my dear friend, for stopping by. I was privileged enough to see Jude for a very brief time last week when she and her husband and sister drove through Louisville. I pretty much commanded her to stop in front of my office building, and oh, that hug from her was so great! It was truly one of life's unexpected blessings that God gave me. And Judy, you made ME tear up. Thank you so much for your kind words. We writers never know how our words might impact someone, and every single time I work on my stories, I pray to the Lord - not only for the "right" words, but I also pray for my readers. To hear that my story had such a positive effect on your marriage thrills my heart more than you could ever know. Thank you for sharing that, my sweet friend. Many blessings to all.

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  13. Beautiful testimony. A close friend of mine has a son with Aspergers, an amazing child. Thanks for sharing.
    Joann, I remember you helped me find a website designer and I'm so pleased with his work - thank you for the reference!

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    1. Cynthia, thanks for visiting with JoAnn and me today--you bring much sunshine into this world ♡

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    2. Thanks, Cynthia. Yes, they really are amazing individuals and the Lord can work through them in very unique and wonderful ways. I'm so happy you're pleased with your website and the referral. I'll have to hop on over there and check it out! Many blessings.

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  14. It's been a very uplifting week here on Everyone's Story with author JoAnn Durgin. JoAnn, thanks for emphasizing what counts most in life: God and those whom we love. Also, thanks for the very generous Book Giveaway...

    And the winner of one of JoAnn's special giveaway is Tess Worrell. Tess, JoAnn and myself will be contacting you shortly via private emails. Congratulations & happy reading!

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  15. Hi Elaine. I'll be in touch with Tess (she's a friend on Facebook, actually). I've so enjoyed being here with you on this terrific blog and sharing with you and readers. Thank you for the opportunity and the fellowship...until we can meet and hug in person in Dallas, Elaine. Can't wait! Many blessings to all.

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