We’ve been given the opportunity to interview debut author Darla A. Calvet! Her newly published work, My Life in Stitches: A Heart Transplant Survivor Story, is an inspirational memoir about her congestive heart failure diagnosis and the journey that ensued afterwards. Darla’s survival story is not just for heart transplant survivors, but for anyone who needs the motivation to keep moving forward in hard times. Now, she balances work life with family life, and continues feeding her passion of writing. In this interview, we’ll ask Darla some questions about her writing journey and her own personal story.
Can you tell us a little about the process of getting this book published? How did you come up with the idea and how did you start?
After I survived my heart transplant surgery, I immediately wanted to help others on this path. I attended a Writer’s Conference in Los Angeles and learned about the different publishing options. I liked the Acorn Publishing approach, so I went with them. They have been great and I’m happy with the results.
Tell us a little about what you do when you aren’t writing.
I do work as a grant writer for nonprofits and own a boutique consulting business. It is a nice balance with my writing career. I also hang out with my French Bulldog Quinnie and my husband Pat.
Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think that is?
Usually when I wake up in the morning. I must give great coffee the honors for getting my brain going.
What has been your best accomplishment as a writer?
Getting a five star review with my debut book, My Life in Stitches.
What is the PRIMARY benefit, above all others, that your potential reader will gain from reading this book?
The primary benefit of My Life in Stitches: A Heart Transplant Survivor Story is that it will inspire and motivate those who struggle with a devastating diagnosis. It provides humor and insight into the profoundly serious topic of transplantation. I authored this book because transplant is an exceptionally long road, and when I got my first diagnosis back in 2003, there was NOTHING on the market or shelves that was a heart transplant survivor story.
When I visited people waiting for a transplant in the hospital, they would say, “Please tell me your story.” My story is long and complicated. Now I can just leave them a copy of the book. It has a successful conclusion too after many years of struggling. I also authored this book so that medical teams could see from the patient’s perspective what they go through on the road to transplant. I also hope it helps caregivers and families deal with this tough time, too.
Hundreds of thousands of books come out every year. Why should someone buy THIS book?
The buyer will get hope, empathy, compassion, and my best lessons learned from dealing with 14 years of debilitating heart health sickness and eventual transplant. My book will serve as a companion on their journey to health. There really is not much like it on the book market- at least I have not found it.
Did your environment or upbringing play a key role in your writing, and did you use it to your advantage?
I won a writing contest in the seventh grade. It was then I knew that writing was my true passion and one of my talents. I was the Editor of my school newspaper and have been writing ever since.
How would you describe your writing style?
Sardonic, first-person memoir a la David Sedaris (my hero).
Are you more of a character artist or a plot-driven writer?
More of a plot-drive writer. I am a Virgo, and we like order and rationality.
What is your schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I let my muse guide me. If I get an idea, I want to sit down and write it immediately. Otherwise, I will write a couple of hours per day on my personal projects. I write professionally for a living too.
Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
Yes, we all do. Anyone who says they don’t is fibbing. It’s part of the creative process and you just accept it and work through it.
How many hours a day do you write?
Typically about 20.
Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t
know (yet)?
I would like to be on a version of the TV Show Survivor with other transplant patients. We are true survivors. It would be interesting.
How do you celebrate when you finish your book?
By having a party at our home with all of the people who supported me
throughout this process.
Find the author
My Life in Stitches: A Heart Transplant Survivor Story
Darla Calvet is a thirty-nine-year-old working mom whose life turns upside down when she is diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Suddenly, fear threatens her dreams for the future as doctors’ appointments replace her daily routines and she realizes she may not live to see her daughters grow up. After dying twice while waiting for a new heart, Darla begins to understand her own resiliency—her heart may be weak, but her mind refuses to give up.
My Life in Stitches: A Heart Transplant Survivor Story is a candid, witty account of one woman’s determination to transform a devastating prognosis into an inspiring fight for survival. Darla’s story offers insight into the complex world of medicine with a dose of humor about her challenges and victories as a heart transplant patient.
In this sensitive, thorough, and informative debut, Calvet brings compassion and gentle wisdom to a difficult subject in hopes of demystifying the uncertainties that inevitably accompany long-term, life-threatening medical decisions.
Purchase My Life in Stitches
