Story Behind The Book
Writing a sequel to Love on a Limb, a book that resonated so deeply with readers, was a daunting task. Readers asked for it. They didn't want the story to end where it did, but I knew the bar was set high for a continuation of Matt and Mikaela’s story. The reviews of Love on a Limb were the best for any book I'd ever written, and I dreaded the thought of falling short or of leaving readers wanting or disappointed. A sequel would have to tackle more hard topics, and I'd need to get the medical details and the emotions just right, so I found an on-line support group for people with AML. I was so amazed by the strength and love I found there. These brave warriors, many of them veterans of several recurrences of cancer, lifted one another, and cheered victories while consoling those new to the disease or facing a new fight. I told them I was an author, and I asked them if they'd mind me lurking around their page to better understand the fight they were engaged in. To my surprise and honor, they welcomed me in. They said they wanted their story told, because AML leukemia doesn't have a good PR campaign like some cancers, nor does it get the research funding other cancers receive, and they wanted to come out of the darkness and be understood. Several individuals reached out to me privately to share their personal stories. One couple in particular invited me to follow their daily journal. The patient is a loving husband and father who candidly chronicled their leukemia fight. I say "their" because the wife of the leukemia warrior was herself a warrior, fighting by his side. This couple and their unyielding faith inspired me, and their journal kept Love on the Line honest and accurate. Lastly, thanks and great love go to my daughter, Amanda. Our family had its own transplant experience during the writing of this book. Last fall, after thirteen years of great health and the births of three amazing children, Amanda, a kidney transplant patient, went into rejection. Once again, we were thrust into the miraculous and frightening world of transplantation. Thanks to Johns Hopkins Hospital’s amazing transplant team, breakthroughs in nephrology, Amanda’s courage and grit, and answered prayers by a loving God, she is once again enjoying good health. Still, we were reminded that health is a fragile gift that often requires a bit of courage. Amanda’s courage, like the Heislers’ inspired the emotional impact of this book. Thank you, my readers, for inspiring me every day. My wish is that anyone struggling with something hard, be it medical, or financial, or a crisis of love or faith, will find within these pages some inspiration to face their mountain with hope and determination, and to protect what and whom they treasure. Much love, Laurie Lewis
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<p>LOVE on a LIMB was named BEST NEW FICTION 2018 by New Apple Literary.</p>