Interview with Lynda Reid

Author of the little book of MORE: the evolution of YOU

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I am originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I now live in Palm Springs, California.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

My life goals and passions moved me from Alberta to Tortola, British Virgin Islands, where I taught at a small private school. Falling in love with a professor on sabbatical, I moved with him to Burlington, Vermont. Following his retirement and recovery from a bone marrow transplant and the launch of my coaching business, we began spending winters back in Tortola and summers in Vermont.
Four years ago, we connected with my husband’s son; he had been legally written out of his son’s life since his son was 5-years old. We met son, daughter-in-law, and at the time, our 6-year-old granddaughter. We all fell in love with one another, so my husband and I decided to move the summer half of the year to Portland, Oregon, to be near them. The October weather made us realize it was not going to be conducive to my husband’s health, so on our return from winter in Tortola, we moved to Santa Rosa, in northern California.
That year, Hurricane Irma, ravaged Tortola with a direct hit, devastating the island. A month later, we were evacuated in the middle of the night from the windswept wildfires surrounding our Santa Rosa neighborhood.
We were displaced for three months, not knowing where to go. We decided to move somewhere completely different, a place neither of us had ever been, the desert of southern California, Palm Springs. There was an immediate connection to the desert, the people, and the opportunities. We are thrilled to call Palm Springs home.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I always wanted to provide a tool to guide others in reflecting on, clarifying, and pursuing their potential. It was when I created the concept of MORE that I knew had a way to share my journey and my learnings with others.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

We live in an ‘always on’ culture, controlled by our connection to technology and an inability to shut down, relax, regroup, and revive. The little book of MORE weaves my story and experiences of my coaching clients into the concept of MORE, providing an avenue for readers to reflect on and foster their personal growth.
MORE is an acronym for four essential elements, Meaning, Owning, Relationships, and Emotions. It is by focusing on and fostering these four elements that we:
• Clarify and create meaning in our lives,
• Learn to own our challenges, worth and potential
• Learn how to foster positive relationships in our lives
• Explore all our emotions and finds ways to express ourselves that honor and respect our worth and the worth of others
MORE is a process of being, and a way of interacting that supports us in expanding our potential.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

I believe anyone looking to break beyond their current limitations; create more meaning in their lives, enhance their sense of self-worth, foster more positive relationships, and develop a greater understanding of emotions and emotional regulation.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

How easily it all came. Once I had MORE, the book wrote itself.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Trust the process.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

As many people as can benefit from the concept of MORE.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

Having to reestablish myself personally and professionally in four different locations since beginning the writing process. My husband is now one year past a second significant cancer (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy). His recovery process is extremely slow. He is currently taking immunotherapy treatments, and I am his full-time caregiver. So my time and resources are limited when it comes to marketing my book and establishing my coaching business.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

My biggest strength is definitely the writing.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

The marketing due to my husband’s health (see biggest challenge above).

When do you think you will write your next book?

My next book is already playing out through blogs and taking form in my head. I know, at some point, life will open up and provide the opportunity to write.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I self-published with Balboa Press (self-publishing wing of Hay House).