THE BOOK
ONCE YOU ARE REAL
Shipping begins May 2020
Author Rhonda Lynn schaffer
ONCE YOU ARE REAL
A memoir that recounts some of my most touching, trying, and tormented times.
It was written from a need to get the thoughts out of my introverted head and onto the page so that I could begin to remember and recover. My hope is that these stories are received by you in such a way that you then feel encouraged to share your stories. For in the end, what we tend to hide away and allow to be a source of isolation can transform into our ultimate source of connection.
FROM THE EDITOR
“As you write your own story, you encourage your reader to embrace and honor their own unique experiences and flaws. Your reader is lucky to have such a compassionate writer, such as you, as their guide!”
“I am truly moved by your writing. Once You Are Real: Connection Through Imperfection is a tender and delicate testimony, filled with wonderful moments of inspiration and sincerity.”
“I felt I was walking along with you on a journey. You also write in a way that feels extremely natural, like speaking to a dear friend. This is a rare gift, and so refreshing.”
“Our flaws, our pain, our fragility as humans connect us more deeply than our achievements.”
— Angie Weiland-Crosby
ABOUT THE BOOK
ONCE YOU ARE REAL is a memoir of one woman’s intimate stories of death, divorce, insecurity, and failure. As a small town introvert who finds speaking complicated and cumbersome, Rhonda Lynn Peters effortlessly writes from the heart. Despite losing her mother as a child, Rhonda continues on to graduate from college, then medical school, and residency. She seems to have it all - a marriage to her high school sweetheart, a family life with two thriving daughters, a home on the lake, and a career as a physician and entrepreneur. But what if all of those perceived accomplishments are pushing her further away from her core being - a yearning to write with real honesty? One evening, she literally bares it all in a Facebook post about her postpartum belly and the choice to have abdominal surgery. What ensues is a heartwarming outpouring of connection from other women with similar issues. It is then that Rhonda finally realizes her gift of story-telling and its ability to transform struggle into strength, and isolation into connection.
This chronicle speaks to anyone who yearns for deeper, more genuine connections and a candid life. Inspired by the truth-tellings of Glennon Doyle’s Love Warrior - this memoir just might inspire you to write yours.