Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today I’m so happy to welcome debut author Nancy Herriman as our Welcome Mat Wednesday guest.
Confession: one of the things that drew me to Nancy as a guest is how much I loved the cover art of her debut novel, The Irish Healer. It’s soooo pretty! And her first lines are fabulous: “My name is Rachel Dunne. I am not a murderer.”
We’re chatting about all things friendship-related this month during guest posts, and as I noted in the video intro, I love the direction Nancy took her thoughts!
Just knowing they’re there
I was looking for quotes on friendship to jump-start my thoughts on this blog (yes, I confess, it’s Monday morning and I’m a little low on caffeine!) when I came across the following and realized that an ancient Greek philosopher whose name had been lent to the love of food had crystallized my sentiments precisely:
“It is not so much our friends’ help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us.” ~Epicurus (341 – 270 BC) Greek philosopher.
Hm. It is not their actual help but their support, their ‘being there’, that matters most. I like that! And how very true…
Anyone who knows me is familiar with the past year of my life, which went promptly from the glorious Call (after ten-plus years of writing, it was pretty glorious) to a diagnosis of breast cancer. Surgery followed by five months of treatment was a situation I was utterly unprepared for, and, having only lived in Central Ohio for a few years, I wasn’t certain how much support I might be able to rely upon. I was thousands of miles away from the friends I’d had for more than twenty years and felt their absence keenly.
How difficult to be distant from arms that want to embrace you.
And then the offers to help came in….and didn’t stop. From people I’d hardly known.
Offers to bring fabulous meals, drive me or my children anywhere we needed to go, sit with me through oncology visits. I especially appreciated those who were willing to clean my house, folks who didn’t like to cook but knew how to scrub toilets!
And you know what? I didn’t take up those offers to clean my house, and more than a few friends didn’t get a chance to bring me a meal because, as Epicurus pointed out two thousand years ago, I didn’t really need them to feed my family or scrub my toilets.
I needed to simply know they were there. For me. Willing to do whatever they could to make my difficult situation just a little easier to bear. And it was so much easier to bear because of their selflessness. Because of their outstretched hands and their prayer.
Because of my ‘confident knowledge’ that they would help.
Nancy Herriman abandoned a career in Engineering to chase around two small children and take up the pen. She hasn’t looked back. The Irish Healer is her debut novel. When she is not writing, or gabbing over lattes about writing, she is either watching history shows on cable TV or singing. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and sons, and wishes there were more hours in the day. You can learn more at her website, www.nancyherriman.com, where you will also find a link to the opening chapter of The Irish Healer and a book trailer.
If you participate in social media, please join her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Author.NancyHerriman or on Twitter (@Nancy_Herriman).
Nancy, thank you so much for this post…and the truth in it. Readers, has there been a time in your life when simply knowing your friends were there to help was all you needed? And be sure to check out the blurb below for Nancy’s debut novel!
Acquitted of murdering a child under her care, Irish healer Rachel Dunne flees the ensuing scandal and vows to never sit at another sickbed. She no longer trusts in her abilities—or God’s mercy. When a cholera epidemic sweeps through London, though, she is forced to nurse the dying daughter of the enigmatic physician she has come to love. James Edmunds, wearied by the deaths of too many patients, has his own doubts about God’s grace. Together, they will have to face their darkest fears…and learn what it means to have real faith.
Comments 35
This book looks awesome, the title alone catches my attention! I love all things Irish. 🙂 A wonderful post on friendships, Nancy!
Tagg, I’ve had friends come to my aid countless times and like, Nancy, they didn’t all get the chance to do the things they offered but knowing they would touched and blessed me! 🙂
I agree, Jess…awesome title! I love all things Irish too and to this day, kick myself for not getting over to Ireland when I studied abroad!
I agree -that is a beautiful cover! Great to meet you Nancy, and pray your health is doing well. What a journey! Oh – and I agree, I wish there were more hours in the day too:)
Every single day I love knowing my friends are one call away. Simply knowing they’re there makes all the difference:)
I love having friends only a phone call away…or text…or facebook/email/tweet…it’s amazing to me that pioneers used to pick up and leave home, not knowing if they’d ever see or talk to their friends and family again…all they had were letters delivered by stagecoach to depend on.
That is amazing, isn’t it, Melissa? I doubt I could’ve done it.
Me either!
Thank you Jessica and Susan! Yes, Susan, I am doing much better.
And thank you, Melissa, for having me on board today.
Nancy
And thank you so much for being here today, Nancy!!
The books sounds terrific! I do love the cover.
Friends show up in the strangest places, don’t they? I have been really blessed in some of my friendships.
Great post.
I’ve been blessed, too. Friends rock!
Thanks, Loree. I was blessed by that cover, let me tell you.
Nancy
This books sounds and look intriguing! I can’t wait to read it.
I love the quote by Epicurus because it’s so true. When I had my twins I had countless people offer their help and it showed me their depth of love and thoughtfulness for my family and I. It was the greatest help of all – okay, actually giving me a couple of hours to myself was the greatest help, but their spoken words were second only to that. 🙂
So cool that so many friends and family helped out after the birth of your twins.
When my sister and brother-in-law had Ollie a couple years ago, it was truly amazing to see friends from literally around the world join together in support. So cool!
Melissa, I LOVE your shirt!! I know that sounds weird, but I have a big party to dress for this weekend, and I have no shirt for my new black skirt. Would it be really weird of me to ask where you got it? Don’t feel pressured to respond!!
Nancy, Congrats on your debut novel!! But big condolences on the breast cancer. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I’ll keep you in my prayers.
You know what’s funny, Jill. When I read your comment I looked down to see what I was wearing today…then had an “oh duh” moment. How could you know what I’m wearing today? The video was done yesterday.
To answer your question, I *think* I got it at Vanity, but I’m not certain. I bought it probably 8-9 months ago. I hardly ever shop at Vanity, but I have this vague memory of finding it there. If it wasn’t from Vanity, then it’s probably from Maurices or Kohls, my two staple stores. 🙂
Thanks for the prayers, Jill. Much appreciated.
Hm, Vanity, eh, Melissa? Time for some shopping….
Nancy
Wow, you’re right, Mel! The cover is BEA-U-TIFUL! And the book sounds so intriguing.
I am so, so blessed to have so many good friends. Friends who would drop what they’re doing to be there for me. I’ve been blessed to make many new writer friends online as well. It’s crazy how many of them I already consider good friends (like you, Mel!), friends I can write to and whine to and share my heart with. Friends who pray for me and encourage me. And I know when I meet them in person, those friendships will become even stronger. Like I said…so, so blessed.
Amen to everything you said about friendship, Lindsay! It is truly awesome how connected I can feel to people I’ve never met…it’s one of the things I love most about the writing community AND about the internet. 🙂
Lindsay, I absolutely agree about the on-line writer friends, too. I have SO many myself, many who have pulled me off the ceiling when things have gone wrong (hey, we’re writers – it’s a bumpy journey) and have virtually celebrated the good moments. Couldn’t get through this business without them!
Nancy
Gabrielle:
I love the quote by Epicurus because it’s so true. When I had my twins I had countless people offer their help and it showed me their depth of love and thoughtfulness for my family and I.
Isn’t it amazing, Gabrielle? The offers certainly blew me away!
Nancy
I’ve had my eye on this book and look forward to reading it!
It’s a very special thing, when you are going through something traumatic, to have a friend willing to help or just be there for you. When my father-in-law passed away suddenly and way to young, my best friend was there for me. I’m so thankful for her. 🙂
I hope you enjoy the book, Cathy, and yes – very critical to have friends at your side in times of need.
Nancy
This is the second post I’ve read about helping others in practical ways. I think Someone is trying to tell me something. lol
Thank you!
How funny, Jessica! 😉
Nancy
I can’t wait for this book to hit my mailbox! I won it a couple weeks ago, so hopefully any day. 😉
God has so richly blessed me with friends…I just wish they all didn’t live so far away!
Melissa, I do believe you are the queen of vlogs. I absolutely love them. :))
Casey, where did you win it (I just want to make sure I don’t owe you a book! )?
Nancy
Hehe, thanks, Casey. I have fun making them. And usually hope I don’t look or say anything too ridiculous. 🙂
Sounds like a fantastic book! I love that first line too. Beautiful post, Nancy!
Thanks, Stacy!
Nancy
Oh, yeah, I like your shirt too. Great post, Melissa. Nancy, I so admire your courage…I have a friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer in November and she just finished the bad chemo and has 3 more not so bad chemos to go. She’s the reason I started a knitting ministry at my church–knitting chemo caps for cancer patients.
The Irish Healer sounds great!
Thank you, Pat, and my best to your friend. Tell her she has my prayers. And we love those knitting ministries. 😉 I have 2 hats, a shawl and a fleece throw which I love because it’s cold in the chemo center.
Nancy
Yes, I heard about how cold it is. I knitted her a scarf for her neck that matched one of the hats.
I am so glad I stopped by today — as I always am.
Adding Nancy’s novel to my TBR pile.
And I treasured her words about friendship, although I hate that she battled breast cancer.
I am blessed with the best of friends all over the world (thanks to my husband’s military career.)
A few years back I had to have a hysterectomy — after a whole lot of other things going wrong in my life. Two of my girlfriends decided they would fly out, spend the weekend before surgery with me (we had a blast!) and then stocked my freezer with food before they left.
The best of friends — oh, yeah.
Beth – how wonderful for you! (not something normally said after surgery, I know!). Send those girlfriends my way – I need my freezer stocked. 😉
Nancy
Last year, we (unexpectedly) bought a house and I (unexpectedly) changed jobs – within two weeks! Our life was still in upheaval from the move when my dad had emergency quintuple bypass surgery the same week I started my new job! I had always told people “If you need anything, just let me know,” but no one ever did. During that period in my life, I learned the importance of actually taking people up on their offer – having people pick my daughter up from school, or fix meals, or any number of other things helped them, and us, get through that time together.