Down the Cereal Aisle

Why is going down the cereal aisle so painful after the
death of a child? Why does every sugar-coated morsel
from each cardboard box cry out, "Where is he now?"

Shopping for food when there is one less person to
shop for is not an easy task. The children we loved
and still hold dearly in our hearts, are no longer
around to tug at our sleeve and beg, "Please, please,
oh, please Mommy, can we please buy Cocoa Puffs?"

From the painful grocery store aisle to the
fond memories of my son Daniel, an idea came
to me. A cookbook is what I compiled. Down the
Cereal Aisle holds the memories of those children
who graced our tables once.

Siblings and parents contributed the heart-felt
pieces of this book. From it you can cook, yes,
and learn to make many exciting dishes. But the
best way to read this book is by using all your
senses and letting your heart be touched by the
lives of those we yearn for.

e-Bay! Remembrance cards

Finally, for my first time since I opened my e-Bay
account, I have something to sell! My Songs From
Heaven cards are available via e-Bay as of tonight.
Go take a look!

Cards of Remembrance

I call them Cards of Remembrance or Comfort
Cards. Whatever you call them, I heard they
do help. These cards--two designs--are for
anyone to purchase and send to someone who
is remembering a loved one. A loved one gone.
Whether it be six weeks or six years since
the death of a friend's loved child or
spouse or mother, these cards are meant
to send. There are two designs, both in
full-color:

1. Songs from Heaven
"Who will remember those who no longer
sing on earth? We, who hear their
songs from Heaven." -Alice J. Wisler

2. I Wish You
"I wish you fond memories,
starry nights of laughter,
the beauty of a life well lived--
all wrapped in a blanket of solace."
--Alice J. Wisler

Check these cards out at the Writing the
Heartache website:
http://www.geocities.com/griefhope/index.html

What is Writing the Heartache?

For a decade I have been writing some of
the most difficult stuff ever known to
man or womankind.

When I took my children to a neighbor's
birthday party ten years ago, shortly after
the death of my son Daniel, a man asked
what I did. I told him I wrote.

"What do you write about?"

"Well," and here I swallowed. "My son died.
He had cancer. I write about what it's like
to live after the loss of a child."

"Wow," he said, "That's a hard way to start
a writing career."

No, not so hard, I thought. I can do it.
Not going to be tough at all. I write well,
after all. Sort of...

Truth is, people don't really want to read about
losing a 4-year-old boy to cancer. They'd rather
read almost anything else.

Still, I wrote. I had to write--writing was my
sanity and my survival.

I started an online magazine and for five years
sent out an issue every month to other bereaved
parents all across the world.

My website, http://www.geocities.com/griefhope/index.html
continues with articles on how to write through devastating
pain.

I had a non-fiction book with an agent over six
years ago. She tried to sell Writing the Heartache,
a guide on how to write to heal, but bless her heart,
no one bit.

I still believe in the book. People need to know how
to capture all the anguish and beauty and love inside
and remember. Remember your loved one who has died.
This is how you heal.

Writing the Heartache workshops are ones I like to
present. Any time I am asked, I am ready to teach
on the value and importance of penning the heartache.
Just ask!

Rain Song

While listening to Jim Brickman's CD and a variety of others,
I wrote my novel Rain Song. This story takes place just down
the road from me in Mount Olive, North Carolina. The main
character, Nicole, loves salt water fish and writes for a
website called Pretty Fishy. (Isn't that pretty clever?)
She hears from a fan, a man by the name of Harrison. He
lives in Japan. Japan is taboo for Nicole. There is
bad family history that took place there. Yet, Harrison
is so nice in his email messages, and he writes poetry,
and when he sends his picture, oh, my!

I won't disclose anymore because I need you to buy
the book, read it, and be surprised! See, I'm doing
you a favor by not writing another line about Rain
Song.

The road to fall 2008 is long and I hope you'll keep
me going by reading my posts until that joyous
publication day. Your comments are most welcome.

Alice J. Wisler

Welcome to my new blog, created for the sheer purpose of
sharing with you the designs from the lumpy patchwork
quilt of my life.

The big news is my two-book contract with Bethany House
Publishers.

Rain Song, the first novel, is due out in the fall of 2008.
Yep, that's eons away and I basically need something
to do before the publishing date. So I figured
I would do what millions of others do--create a blog--
and that would be the best thing to pass the time.

You may have some questions for me. Questions like:

What is Rain Song about?

What other web sites do you have?

And what does one do about taking an online course on
Writing the Heartache?

and

maybe even....

Who are you?

I'll answer these all for you.

First, I need to take a short break and write
a few pages on novel number two or else I'll
forget who is married to whom, and what is
motivating my Beaufort, North Carolina
characters.