Tag: memoir

Grief, Writing

COVER REVEAL! “Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry”

Mark Wayne
Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry

Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry

And the Best Thing You Can Do with Death Is to Ride off from It?

After over three years of writing, rewriting, editing and rewriting again, I signed with Christian Faith Publishing last fall to publish my memoir. After further rounds of edits, proofreading, typesetting, interior page design and finally the cover design you see above. My book is almost a reality. I am waiting, somewhat patiently and anxiously for the first print copies of my book to arrive for review. I should be receiving them in the next couple of weeks and then it is onto publishing with a press release, video trailer and social media package. It is hard to believe the reality of it all.

So tell me what you think of the cover? And please share the tweet below, thanks!

Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry
And the Best Thing You Can Do with Death Is to Ride off from It?
#Memoir #CoverReveal #UpcomingBook #WritersLife #WritingCommunity #Author

#LiveYourDreams

Grief, Writing

Memoir Teaser! Interior title page, Part 3 -Redeeming the Future

Mark Wayne

Title page, Part 3 – Redeeming the Future from my upcoming #memoir ‘𝐶𝑜𝑤𝑏𝑜𝑦𝑠 𝐴𝑟𝑒 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑆𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝐶𝑟𝑦.’

I recently sat late in the evening watching my beautiful wife crying while reading an early copy of my upcoming book. I love her heart and I am blessed. I can’t wait for you to read it also, for it is a story of hope and healing. The cover design has been approved and the book will be published later this summer.

It chronicles my journey of carrying grief and healing while navigating personal and societal expectations around men and grief. Though it is written from a man’s perspective, ladies I encourage you to read it also and recommend it to the men in your life.

How can you support the book when it launches?

  1. Buy the book (hardcopy and e-book), read the book and share on social media, post a review on Amazon, Goodreads etc.
  2. Buy the book (hardcopy and e-book), read the book and share on social media.
  3. Buy the book (hardcopy and e-book).

Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement! ~Mark (Exodus 15:3)

To view my post about Part 1 – Reconciling the Past click here.

To view my post about Part 1 – Embracing the Present click here.

Grief, Stories, Writing

Podcast Interview is Still Available! – “Living through the loss of a spouse.”

Mark Wayne

Exciting news! A couple months ago I was interviewed by Ronit Plank about my book “Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry” and grief as a young man! I share my walk through cancer with my first wife, her death, the aftermath of grief and my healing.

The interview aired recently on January 12 and is still available. Click the link below to listen to my story and know that you are not alone in whatever kind of grief you may be experiencing.

Episode 59

And Then Everything Changed – Episode 59

God Bless and Live Your Dreams!

Let me know what you think and would you be interested in reading the book when it comes out later this year?

Grief, Life, Stories

No Turning Back Now – Podcast Interview

Mark Wayne

Airing this Tuesday, January 12 on the And Then Everything Changed podcast. I was blessed to be a guest and interviewed by host Ronit Plank, her intro on IG is below.

⚡️Next week @mwschutter joins me to talk about nursing his first wife through cancer, becoming a young widower, and what he’s learned about the man he was all those years ago and who he is now.

You can listen in on all the podcast platforms – ITunes, Apple, Spotify and so many others.

This spring you can read more of my journey in my upcoming memoir ‘Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry‘.

Grief, Life, Writing

One Line, No Context, No Explanation

Mark Wayne

“I could not kill her executioner; I could only tend to her now that she was on death row.“ ~Mark Wayne ©2020

The line above is from my upcoming memoir ‘Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry’ to be published by Christian Faith Publishing due out in Spring 2021.

And the best thing you can do with death is to ride off from it? #WickedQuestions #Grief #Memoir #UpcomingBook #Wip

“I could not kill her executioner; I could only tend to her now that she was on death row.” ~Mark Wayne ©2020 #Memoir #OneLine #NoContext #NoExplanation #Teaser

Grief, Stories, Writing

“What do you do with that?” – Memoir Update

Mark Wayne

“What do you do when the waves of finality wash over you and cover you in a different reality? Can one single moment define your entire life? A life is made up of a series of events, some happy, some sad, some magic, and some tragic. The tragic moments, the events filled with trauma, pain, and loss irrevocably change us forever. There is no going back from these events. We are undeniably not the same as we were before, so the question remains,— what do you do with that?” ©Mark Wayne

The above is an excerpt from my upcoming memoir ‘Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry’ due out next spring, exact date still to be determined. Here is a short list of updates of what has been happening:

  • The first round of edits has been done on the manuscript, waiting on the second round from the editing team at my publisher.
  • Received some permissions and fair use for quoted material in my book, other material has been rewritten to avoid using copyrighted material.
  • I recorded an interview with Ronit Plank for her podcast ‘And Then Everything Changed’ the date for interview to go live is January 12, 2021.
“What do you do with that?”

Grief and loss changes us, how could it not and what do you do with that? #WickedQuestions #BlogPost #Memoir #UpcomingBook

Grief, Poetry, Stories, Writing

Separate Journeys – Why Do We Bury Our Fears?

Mark Wayne

A short excerpt from my upcoming memoir ‘Cowboys Are Not Supposed To Cry‘ to be published by Christian Faith Publishing in spring of 2021 (emphasis below added).

“I only want her to not be in pain.”

He looked at me with a look of both sadness and resignation, his voice low and measured, “That is what I am focused on.”

I nodded in agreement, and he turned and walked away. I watched him stride down the hall his white lab coat flaying out at his sides. Standing for a moment alone, I collected myself midst the noise of the corridor.

Forcing myself to turn, I slowly walked back into the hospital room. I plastered a smile on my face and buried the fear so far down where I believed it could never be unearthed.

~Mark Wayne ©2020

What have you buried?

What if it were to be found?

Grief, Stories, Writing

I Did A Thing – Recording A Podcast Interview This Week!

Mark Wayne

And Then Everything Changed – October 28, 2020

Tap the image to visit the website!

I will be interviewed by Ronit Plank for her podcast ‘And Then Everything Changed’ this Wednesday, October 28th. The episode will be aired at a still to be determined date.

In preparation for my interview with Ronit I have binged listened to many past episodes. I encourage you to take a listen to great stories of resilience, courage and hope. Ronit is a skilled host and interviewer. All past and future episodes, including mine when it becomes available, are available on her website and many podcast platforms including:

The conversations Ronit has with her guests are real and vulnerable. Talking about personal history; those pivotal moments of their childhood and adulthood that defined them and the crucial and sometimes painful decisions they made that forever changed the course of their lives.

After listening to many episodes, my biggest takeaway is the all too often similar feelings and emotions that we all experience in life. Despite our often very different circumstances, beliefs, values and life stories the emotional toil often runs deep. Although, my life may often have little in common with many of the guests I feel a connection.

It is not a competition, and yet we all have or will experience pain in this life. #quote

“The Princess Bride”

The question and the test is what will we do with the pain we experience in this life? Listen to some Ronit’s guests tell their stories and you will be inspired by the strength, courage and the resiliency of the human spirit. Thank you Ronit for creating this platform that allows others to share their stories, reminding us each that we are not alone.

Stay tuned to this site and sign up for email updates for the latest and when my conversation with Ronit will air on her podcast!

#LiveYourDreams

Grief, Stories, Writing

Grief and Loss Changes Us, How Could it Not?

Mark Wayne

The following is taken from the draft introduction to my upcoming memoir ‘Cowboys Are Not Supposed To Cry’ to be published in Spring of 2021.

Reconciling the Past

Embracing the Present

 Redeeming the Future

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

~Matthew 5:4

“When we suffer loss, when it finds us in one form or another we must first reconcile our past. Second, we must embrace the present, our circumstances and play the cards life has dealt us. Thirdly, we must redeem our future, a vision with new dreams for a new life where there is no finish line. Forever changed we must move forward, a different person with a different trajectory we carry the past with us every step of the way.” ©Mark W. Schutter

Grief and loss changes us, how could it not?

Grief and loss changes us, how could it not? #Memoir #UpcomingBook #TrueStory

What are your thoughts? How do you move forward following loss and what helps you?

Leave me a comment below and have a great day. Remember, you are the hero of your story, who else could be?

#LiveYourDreams

God, Grief, Life, Writing

Memoir Publishing Update – “Cowboys Are Not Supposed To Cry”

Mark Wayne

The journey has begun from draft manuscript to published book.

Please Note: This is most likely not the final cover only a draft I created.

The manuscript, about the author bio, back of the book blurb and foreword have all been submitted to the Editing Department. Next steps is comprehensive edit with suggested changes submitted back to me for further editing and approval. It is a little nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time.

The foreword was written by a good friend of mine who I first met through a professional relationship many years ago. The following is a short excerpt from the foreword he wrote for my book, which I absolutely love. He captured the theme, tone and purpose of my story perfectly. He knows my journey intimately and I am honored he would do this for me and very appreciative.

“This book is for people who have had real pain. People who have loved and lost, and are struggling to move on.” #Memoir #Foreword #UpcomingBook > ‘Cowboys Are Not Supposed To Cry’

I have also submitted ideas to the Cover Design Department to begin the process of creating a book cover. I look forward to the creative ideas from the cover designer. More to come on that progress in a future post.

I will leave you with this – if I can write a book so can you if you want to. It took me over 25 years to finally complete the manuscript. Many years of contemplation, learning, living and healing until I could pull it all together into a whole over the last 3 years. And now I am a mere months away from having a published book in my hands and maybe yours!

You can > Reconcile your Past, Embrace your Present, and Redeem your Future! #LiveYourDreams #JustBelieve #HopeLives #Memoir #Grief

LIVE YOUR DREAMS