Success Stories
Susan has helped a number of her students writers to self-publish their books. These writers are not unlike you. They started Writing With Susan and got the support and guidance they needed only to begin their projects but to keep on writing until they finished. Susan has helped them self-publish their books either on-line or through a local printer.
Julie Fewster
In her memoir “What Are You Going to Do With Your Life? Finding Myself in Marriage, Motherhood and Ministry,” Julie Fewster tells the story of her quest over a lifetime to find out what she was going to do with her life. Of working with Susan Omilian as a writing coach in this process, Julie writes: “Susan’s course From Memory to Memoir: Writing Your Life Story inspired me to dig into my strong resistance to entering seminary as a Kansas woman growing up as a girl in the 40’s and 50’s with no role models for ministry.” Inspired by Susan’s clear instructions, Julie began writing by finding a specific moment in her life, then describing what came before and after that event. “I started with a defining moment, then happily recalled my years of marriage, motherhood and ministry. I added a section describing the amazing, strong people who influenced me and concluded with a focus on these, my retirement years.”
read moreLowell Fewster
In his 2019 memoir, “Journey Without Maps: Discovering My Way through the Peace Corps, the Church, Social Justice Ministry & Photography” Lowell Fewster tells how he was one of the first U.S. Peace Corps contingents in Nigeria in the early 1960 and how that experience shaped his life. As an American Baptist minister, Lowell has been a pastor, campus minister, seminary administrator and regional church leader. He and his wife, Julie, attended Susan Omilian’s “From Memory to Memoir” class in Windsor, Connecticut and both produced memoirs. Lowell wrote of working with Susan: “Essential help in the creation and writing of this memoir came from Susan — teacher, writing coach and editor. I took her memoir-writing class three times. (I hope I finally got it right!) Susan has encouraged me, shown me the way and enabled this memoir to become a reality.”
read morePaige Lawrence
First-time Connecticut author, Paige Lawrence, self-published a children’s book called “Gluten-Free Ghouls” now available on Amazon.com. The inspiration for her book came from when she developed an intolerance to gluten as an adult.
read moreJanina B. Nawarskas
“One day in May, 1947, three years after a tearful separation with my family at the German border, I saw a man speak with a war refugee and walk toward me. I stared at him. He seemed to know me, but I didn’t. He stooped down and said, ‘I am your father.’ “
read morePatricia Christie-Brooks
Patricia Christie-Brooks has self-published Grandma Olga’s Journey to America: A Story of How I Came to Be. It pays homage to her ancestors who arrived at America’s doorstep between 1836 and 1903 from Germany, England and Finland.
read moreFrances Segal
At 102 years old, Frances Segal has self-published three books of personal essays and poems including two that Susan helped her publish on-line, Reflection of a 98-Year-Old Late Bloomer: My Journey Through Life and My First 100 Years: 1909 to 2009.
read moreBarbara Armentano
Barbara Armentano has self-published her children’s book, The Masked Banana and Wally. It is a delightful story of a “bunch” of characters that Barbara originally wrote with her son years ago. She has given him due credit for the story, but the words and images
read moreLori Rea
Loretta (we know her as Lori!) Vandivier Rea has published her book, Ghosts of the Connecticut River through Trafford Publishing. It’s a great collection of stories of strange happenings on the river!
read moreSharon Hackleman
Sharon Hackleman self-published her first children’s book, Marion the Magnet’s First Mission, to teach kids about the law of attraction with her character’s “Easy as 1-2-3, Think it to be!” lesson. Sharon thanked Susan in the introduction of the book “for being
read moreJay R. Worsham
Jay R. Worsham is the author of Florida Freeze: A Rick Fortune Adventure, a preposterously funny spy thriller set in South Florida. After Susan helped Jay as a writing coach with this novel, he self-published it as well a second Rick Fortune adventure, Florida Green.
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