Joan Aubele

Meet award winning, best selling author Joan Aubele. Author of The Dance and Hearts Ablaze. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:02

To be a wordsmith is defined as a person who writes, an author, a journalist, a person who commits their thoughts to paper. But I believe it is so much more. The ability to craft a story, to change lives, to transport the ordinary life to an extraordinary place, to put words on paper and awaken the imagination in ways that the reader never dreamed possible. Yes, to have the ability to see what isn't there and make you see it too. To awaken the senses in new and amazing ways, like feeling a cool breeze on a hot summer day on your cheek, to smell wildflowers as they bloom, to taste the delicacy on foreign soil, to feel like you've never felt before, touching places long forgotten, connecting your soul in new ways. That's what writers do. It's my pleasure to host Carolina Writers Speak, a new podcast, a chance to hear actual writers' voices, hear what inspires them, experience their trials and their struggles, and realize that we all have a story and it's worth telling. Hi, this is Rose Cushing, and I am the host of podcast Carolina Writers Speak. And my guest today is Joan Abell. And Joan has written two books. One was a bestseller, and she's just an inspiration to everybody that she meets. So I want you guys to have a chance to get to know her and learn about her books. So, Joan, thank you for being on the show today. Thank you for having me. Appreciate that. I'm really excited to talk to you.

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Your book, The Dance, tell me a little bit about that and how that came about. The dance was released right of mirrorless on the pearl pur. When I was 29, I was diagnosed with sage for leukemia, which is a very rare problem of leukemia. Usually only children haven't. So I was considered I was the only adult survivor when I had passed away before I started my treatment. So all the doctors around the country were calling my doctor to see in its progress. Um I ended up fast for everything else. I'd endured strokes, I endured emergency juggler, surgery in the juggler. Um prayers led to miracles, and I'm here 36 years with six grandkids. So I basically just prayed for the kids for the to be there for my children, and now I'm here with the grandchildren. I can talk to everybody else and get inspire them to continue on. So you continue on praying.

SPEAKER_02 3:01

Now you had this disease when your children were young. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 3:05

So tell me how that was, just to balance all that. I was 29 until the kids were 11, 8, and four months old. I was actually nursing the four month olds. So I had to abruptly stop in the in the hospital. Um I think that with the I was get I was given more of a encouragement, I guess, is more of a drive to fight because I was wanting to be there for the children. So I think that's important that you pray for others. You know, I'm not I wasn't praying myself. I'm like, I'm I'm too young to die, you know, that kind of thing. It was just I was praying for my children. Sure. And my and my husband was there encouraging me whenever I would have down days, he would bring me up. So I know he was he was born into my life by God as well. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 3:50

I think that it's so smart that you know you um relied on your fierceness as a mama. Yeah, you know, the mama bear.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:00

So that brought you through a lot of things. Right for sure. Yeah. And how long did you have to deal with with that before you were in remission?

SPEAKER_01 4:07

I was in the hospital for three months first, and I was in and out a couple of times. I double pneumonia and did I was in there for a couple weeks at that point. I chemotherapy outpatient for three years. Wow. And then I'm totally cancer breeze. That's awesome. So I don't I I still get the regular blood tests, but I think it's more because my age now, I think in the medications I'm on, I don't think it's so much for the cancer any longer. Sure, that makes sense. And your kids are growing, your grandma? Yes, I have six grandchildren. And when I prayed, I like I said I just prayed to be there for the kids. I wanted to be there for their first dates, their prom, and all the things that go with being a mom, advice along the way. And now they're all going to marry.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

Then I've said the six grandkids. That is so good.

SPEAKER_02 4:59

Now you you've had other complications with your health.

SPEAKER_01 5:03

Yes. I've had I endured three strokes. One major one when I was in the hospital. When I what I call I was in a zombie state, which I addressed in the book. It was like right, you know, it's a full-blown stroke. You can't talk, you can't move, you can't, you're like staring off at his face. All the thoughts are in your mind, but you can't do anything about him. Yeah. Ten years after I had that stroke, I had another situation. What did it misdiagnosis? Uh it was a Sam, unfortunately, the first doctor that said it was a chemo reaction. Yeah, it was basically a stroke. And I've ended up finding a really good neurologist in Aurora, Illinois, and he was determined that I had a stroke back in 90. And then when I was having an whatever 10 years later, around 10 years later was a TIA. Then 10 years later, from that I had another one. Wow. So it was just kind of that's why I'm on all the medications, just to really keep pull out all the stuff to make try and prevent that I don't have anymore. And it's been, oh gosh, it's been 13 years, I think, since Lazarus. So I think I'm good. There you go. I think I'm good. Now the dance was a national bestseller. Yes, it was. So tell me about that. Um I published it in 2015, but it actually came up to num now I'm not bragging for me, I'm bragging for God, but it came, it went up to number one within four days of publication. Fantastic. And the reason why I think it's because it's a good story, and everybody wants to hear the good story and mod how you can overcome everything. Sure. Um, so then in 2016, my publisher and I decided we should publish a second edition, which was the same exact story, of course, but we corrected a couple errors and included a foreword from oncologists ourselves saying that this was in fact a miracle that is an intermediction. She's never seen the case like this. There's no no explanation for that. And then we also included chapter my next book because I was kept in getting messages from people saying, when you're gonna make your next one. I'm like, yeah. So then when I finally committed to yes, I'm gonna do it, I'll put the other chapter for the for the next book.

SPEAKER_02 7:22

Okay. And so Hearts and Blaze was born out of that.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

Is it is the next one, yes. And what happened is I when I started, when I wrote the dance, I started doing a lot of public speaking. And then in public speaking, I would meet all the different people. They were creating rebels of their own. And about how one person leads another person, that kind of thing. So I document all these, not all of them, of course. I meet everybody all the time. They create me, they're creating ripples. But up to date, right? I I I actually wrote about each story, each person, how how they were creating rebels. There were some that have met over the world, and I haven't met them personally, but I've just met them online. So that that's really cool, and you get to see the connection there and see the big puzzle.

SPEAKER_02 8:12

Absolutely. I mean, what a wonderful way to build a huge community all across the globe who has had empathy and and probably had a lot of the same issues that you had. Right. But you've been an inspiration to so many people.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

Thank you. Now, how long did it take you to write the dance? Um, I was happy on 25 years, but I really didn't seriously, it was my I started in more as a form of therapy. And then um I end up my husband saw an article in the local newspaper saying that they were gonna start a writer's group. And in the past I've already always heard from my sisters, my husband, my colleges, how I should write a book. But I was kind of put in the back burner. I was right trying to raise my children, and then I was always going to physical disabilities over my lifetime. So I finally decided, okay, this is something I'm gonna do. So I went to the writer's group, but I kind of went there more for appeasement of him. I didn't really think I was gonna like it as much as I did, but as soon as I got in there, I was hot. Yep. I loved it. And as I each person, we would meet every Monday, and each person would bring in a writing of their own to be critiqued by the whole group. Well, I was bringing the chapters for my story, because that's the only thing I was focused on at the time. Right. When um Steven, a gentleman in wheelchair, rolled up to me and asked me, well, first of all, he said, I think you need to definitely get your book published. It's a story that needs to be heard. You just send a first pair of ice to make it sparkle. I still remember those words. Yeah. Um, and then he that's how we became mad or that's all. And once we started with it, it was within a couple months after that. My neighbor was a graphics artist, and so she created the um my husband and I had actually designed the front cover, but we didn't have all the layering capabilities. So she did that. And so everything just kind of fell in place. It was kind of like God thing, yay! I'm gonna bring all those people into your life, you know? Absolutely. Now what what made you choose the rose for your cover? Um, my mom my nickname is a little grizz from my mom, which is my little rose. So when my husband he was gonna help me design the cover, and he said, Well, what do you want? And I said, Well, I don't know, other than I want to have a rose because of my nickname. He said, Well, how about if we do a red rose signifying life and inspiration and and light and life itself and have the black roses around us referring to the death around me?

SPEAKER_02 10:50

Yeah, that's what a brilliant idea. It's a beautiful, beautiful cover. And and when for you guys out there that are listening, you know, be sure and pick up a copy of the dance because just the cover is enough to make you want to read it, but what's inside is even better. So how long did it take you to do Hearts of Blaze?

SPEAKER_01 11:05

Um, probably just a couple years. It was it was amazing. What happened is my editor ended up passing away suddenly. Um, so I had to find I went in and needed to find a new editor. And my friends were saying, you know, don't worry about it just write the book. We'll move out later. Well then I emailed my friend. I said, okay, worry time, it's her now, because I'm done. Yeah. Um, I didn't want to call her, so I emailed her or a text or something like that. So that's why she would have a little time to only think about it and have your pressure. I pressure just answer her anyway. Answer her. She would be my nerd or she's um she's got a master's degree in teaching, so she's very highly educated. I thought she would be a good and she knew me from for 46 years. So I think it was nice to be able to work with somebody you know, too. Sure. Um, she came back with yes, and we we had a blast, and it's a long time to edit it, more so than to write it. I think because there were other issues in our lives, of course. We're friends, and if things happened within her life or in my life, it's like no, no, maybe that was a sweet. Yeah. Um, what do you think about this one is this came out on November 1st, which is all Saints Day, which is truly what the book is all about. The all the saints in the making.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

Right. Now, both of your books are award winners. Tell us a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

Um, the first one is the Reader's Tracer Word. Um, they interviewed me, they read the book, they awarded me then, and they made their nice um publicity publicity, they're computing Readers Readers' Trace. Um, that's a response.

SPEAKER_02 13:12

So that's what I'm doing. Thank you. So you've accomplished an awful lot in your career with your writing and your public speaking. What's left on your bucket list?

SPEAKER_01 13:23

Uh on my back list. Um, there are a couple things on my back list. One was um when I'm definitely missing magic. I think they would be called it. One of the miracles, actually, a couple of the miracles were based on Mendicore, the apparitions was like, yeah, I'm not gonna do it, give you a spoiler alert on that, but it once you read the book, you'll understand how important that was. And the other thing is to have now these I would love to be able to give them a book and how he would actually read it to see what all the other Christians are actually doing and following his footsteps. Um the other thing isn't that so much as a book list, but it's to reach for the stars. I know it's on Scooby, but I would love to have the books turn it in a movie. Okay. I really want the dance to be heard, the story to be heard all over the world. That's why I'm so passionate about getting out there in all the different countries. Actually, I had one gentleman to um I think it was Egypt. He offered it uh translated into Egyptian, whatever the language that would be. Um, but I was visiting the time. Then when I came back to him, he was to visit the time. He's actually published a couple of license and some of the days we'll get together with that. But I maybe I don't want people to hear the story and know of the miracles. It's not as much as the book and so but it's knowing the story.

SPEAKER_02 14:50

Yeah. Well, you know, you see miracles and happened before that they are true. It sort of helps you strengthen your faith. Right. Because you know that miracles are possible and that they happen every day already. Right. Right. So what advice would you give to folks who are in their journey writing their book that maybe you're getting a little discouraged?

SPEAKER_01 15:13

Um, keep at it, write it every day, just a little if you need to write just a couple. What they did when I did was when they would wrote first the dance, and then the hearts of place to I would get like thoughts about remember like remember this, remember to write this, and then of course I'm gonna forget it later. So I would I did just put a few words on the postal notes or minus later. We moved out here four years ago. It's beautiful, it's gorgeous.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

I wrote my book right here.

SPEAKER_02 16:13

Did you really two hours from home? Whenever I wanted to write. Wow. On the water or on this picnic table. Oh, that's so cool. I'm from Newburgh. I grew up in Newburgh.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

Okay. So you know it's very cool. Yeah. But Newbury wouldn't be a great spot to sit in at the water or two. Yeah, but this is a big one. But there's only more popular girl.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

My mom would my mom loved to fish. And so she would drag us all down here so she could fish on the pier. And I had the whole day in Oriental to to myself, basically, because it was safe back in, you know, and I could wander around, swim, do what I wanted to. So this is like a special place. Oh, I used to see, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

Actually, the dance, or not the dance, hearts to blaze, because I wrote most of it in Illinois. But then I came out here, took a break, and then when I published it a couple months later, then I actually went down to the the pier right here and took a video of the book. So the wind just turned the page at the perfect time. It couldn't have been better. Oh, how cool!

SPEAKER_02 17:15

What a great marketing idea.

SPEAKER_01 17:18

So you um are you you say you're working on another book now? Uh yeah, I wasn't serious really seriously working on it. I had a couple chapters that I that I put together, but I met another woman, which was another little ripple, another God sing, God mom and sing, do it, do it, do it, just to remind you. Um, she's actually I've asked her if she can be a part of a chapter in my next book. Nice. Because it was just so cold the way we met, and she happened to be in a in the town for a festivity, and she's traveling around the world from South Africa. And it was just we're all in the we were on the same page, it's so cold to see all the ripples creating.

SPEAKER_02 18:03

For sure. For sure. The ripples are such an important thing. It reminds me of quite uh I think Maya Angelou about I can't change the world, but I can't show you ripples like.

SPEAKER_01 18:15

Yeah, yeah, and what's the one that mother trees very similar to that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah. I guess people are really thinking that they really are. Everything every nice gesture. Yeah. You have a nice dress, and you like a nice day, whatever. Everything is gonna make a difference. That person's having a terrible day, and just that one is like coming, it's gonna make 'em cheer up and change the way of their life, you know. There's something special about a total stranger.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

Being nice to you out of the clear blue. Yeah, they don't have it to be.

SPEAKER_02 18:53

Right spirits, right? For sure. So, um, I'm sorry, I had a question on my brain and I'm old and it just went hang on a minute. What was it? God, it was a good one. Oh. So how can fans find you and follow you on social media?

SPEAKER_01 19:11

Okay, um, and social media like they can go through the dance.

SPEAKER_00 19:16

I don't know if you have uh if you're able to plug them in a little later Yeah, I'll put it back.

SPEAKER_01 19:21

Yeah, either either Amazon, bookstores, me personally, if you want to email J the dance for n if you want an autograph copy. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 19:35

So they can contact you directly to get a sign up.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

Yeah, see if they want to ensure.

SPEAKER_02 19:39

And where will you be doing any speaking engagements in the area so we can tell you?

SPEAKER_01 19:43

Um, I just had one a couple weeks ago, but I don't I don't want everything set up yet. It's not concrete. We don't have it confirmed the date's not confirmed yet. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 19:53

Well people can find all that information on your social media page, the dance.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 19:58

Yes. Well, thank you so much for sharing all this with us. I I have so much respect for you because when you have a stroke, it's very hard to come back and you know, and and you do incredibly well, you know, in every facet of your life. So that's definitely a meaningful.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

Yeah, I sometimes I forget, I get irritated with myself when I think, give me a I need to give myself some flack, a three stroke.

SPEAKER_00 20:23

Yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_01 20:24

And I actually, when I read the book, I didn't want to sound too dram well, this is just right uh too dramatic, but I always thought that I'm kind of like the killer, only I'm not blind, but I'm I'm like you should see me trying to type dancing. It took a long time. So it was it was sure determination and God's thing, okay, you need to get this right. See, I always thought, you know, it's all like I just survived all those the strokes and the cancer and everything, and I should just say, well, thank you, and I'm I'm just such a wonderful mother, that's why, because there's a lot of good moms out there that don't unfortunately survive. But the fact that he knew I would retell the story, and I think that that was important.

SPEAKER_02 21:11

I I do too. I think it's wonderful how that little voice kept whispering, keep going.

SPEAKER_01 21:15

Yeah. And you're still going strong. Yeah, I th I saw I can saw. Yeah, I know. Thank you for being a listener today sharing this with you.

unknown 21:25

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 21:26

Thank you for having me. And always, guys, thank you for listening. Everybody has a story. Just let your mind drift away and find yours. I know it's out there. What are you waiting for?