Spring Countdown Blitz - Day 10 : The Sun Still Shines by Jodi Orgill Brown
In a candid and witty memoir, Jodi recounts how her life was transformed when, as a thirty-three-year-old wife and mother, she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Unwilling to accept her new fate, Jodi's family searches for a doctor who will join their fight against the odds. But when the surgery that could save her life thrusts her into battle with a devastating spinal fluid leak and facial paralysis, even her own children fear her new appearance and physical failings. Jodi perseveres, even with an injured body and spirit. Interweaving the inspiring, provoking, and sometimes disturbing, Jodi reveals the hells and highs of her journey as she fights for hope and purpose—and life.
Jodi Orgill Brown is inspired by people who live fulfilled lives in spite of their struggles. She loves spending time with her muses, namely, her husband Tolan, and their four children, Trenden, Lindi, Casen, and Daven. Her favorite outing locations include Hebgen Lake, Montana, Hawaii’s North Shore, the rolling hills and woods of Virginia, the Weber River Parkway Trail, and even her own backyard. When she is not writing, reading, or enjoying family time, you'll find Jodi visiting neighbors or having lunch with a girlfriend on 25th Street in Ogden. She loves learning principles through analogies and she discovers inspiration all around her, from nature, stories, friends, and especially from her children. Jodi holds a BA in communications from Brigham Young University, an MS in organizational communications and leadership from the University of Utah, and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). She is the founder of Amplio Development, and is dedicated to living and teaching personal improvement. She resides in northern Utah with her husband and their four children.
Book Jodi as a keynote speaker, consultant, or presenter: Email: ampliodevelopment@gmail.com Website: www.ampliodevelopment.com
Q & A with the Author:
5. When did you start writing, and was there a specific event or person who influenced you to become an author?
I’ve been a writer my whole life, long before I published a book. As a youth, I scribbled poetry in endless notebooks, wrote stories with heartbreaking endings, and teamed up with friends to throw a twist into every English writing assignment. I love the power of words. When I was in 8th grade, my English teacher had us write about our favorite author. I wrote a letter to the publisher and asked for information on my favorite author of the day, Jack Weyland. A few weeks later, Mr. Weyland called me on the phone! He later followed up and sent a packet of reference material to my home. My favorite author became one of my greatest inspirations. He writes powerful stories, but he also showed me that is he a real person. Today we are Facebook friends and recently he sent me a note of congratulations on my book reaching a #1 spot on Amazon.com. He continues to inspire me!
6. Are you currently working on a project, and if so, can you tell us anything about it?
Yes, several projects are in the works. I’ve always thought of myself as a nonfiction writer, but I also love storytelling. Current and future projects include both. I am writing a sequel to my memoir, detailing the hard realities of my second life, post brain surgeries. In addition, I’m working on a nonfiction book that shares simple life-changing principles, akin to a modern-day book of parables. One of the projects I am most excited about is a creative narrative based on the real-life experiences of my grandmother, who lived one of the most incredible stories I’ve ever known. I hope to resurrect her strength by telling the lesser-known and humble heroics of her life.
Connect with the Author:
10 Favorite Things
10. The salty smell of the ocean
9. The reflection of the evergreen trees and hills as seen in Hebgen Lake (Montana)
8. The chirping of crickets and the sight of fireflies on late Virginia nights
7. The sounds of water trickling and falling over rocks and down riverbeds and streams
6. The statistical impossibility and reality that all four of my children inherited confederate blue grey eyes from their grandfather, their only recessive-gened relative
5. The coalescing of two people to form one perfect small human
4. Nature, which turns decay into dirt which grows and harbors life
3. Words strung together to form poetry in motion
2. Ten intertwined fingers linking together to form one whole
1. The transformational power of unconditional love
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