My Book by Jenna Vick Silliman

If I were to write a book, what would be the genre? I choose Health and Beauty Aids. Hahaha! Sounds like a department at the Drug Store! Seriously, that’s my area of interest. I’m a teacher type, so I write instructional or informational manuals. Wow, that sounds really boring, but I can’t help it—that’s what I write.

I have to add, however, the word “another” to the first sentence. If I were to write ANOTHER book? I’ve already written and self-published and sold several different books—or booklets. I have to laugh again—hahaha! My daughter’s voice (she just graduated with her Masters from Chicago University so I really should listen) just reminded me that the accurate description is a chap book and NOT a booklet. I guess that is what they call them now.)

My first one is called “SOAP Handbook” and I wrote it about 15 years ago. It is the history, chemistry and old time craft of soapmaking. It includes my own recipe for making homemade soap in your blender. (No, not the Vita-mix—you need to use some cheap blender from a yard sale!) I used to speak and do soapmaking workshops and I sold my soap through mail order and at the street fairs. I still have the big wooden soap molds, but they serve to decorate the walls of my laundry room. I haven’t made soap in many years. My boys hated the fragrances of the essential oil that clung to everything in the house when I made soap. Even your sandwich would smell like lavender oil. Hahaha! Not too appetizing, eh?

I wrote a little book called “Home Remedies” and another one with a collection of poems and stories called Mama’s Story Book. I wrote one with Twenty Lists (everyone likes my lists) and one called “Say Yes to  Life” which is a long poem about welcoming the children God might want to add to your family. I also wrote one that was more substantial than a booklet called “Breastfeeding and Fertility” for new mothers that might be interested in that topic. It was published with a spiral binding by my friend, Nancy Campbell, editor of a mother’s magazine called “Above Rubies.” It is for sale in the back of the magazine, available by mail order and over the website www.aboverubies.org and also at the Above Rubies retreats. I’ve written several articles for the magazine to encourage mothers. One of my booklets started out as an article for “Above Rubies Magazine” and also was published in “Vibrant Health” and later grew to 40 pages. It is called “Raw Victory” and it is the story of how I lost 75 pounds eating raw vegetarian. It is also a “How To” or instructional type of book.

Next I want to re-write, update, re-title, and add to “Raw Victory.” Again, I will self-publish and distribute it on my own. My dream, however, is to be published and have a book with a spine, sold at bookstores everywhere. Maybe, just maybe, I will graduate from “booklet” to “book”. Now is the time to get to work and go for it and see my dream become a reality. So, to answer the question, my BOOK is about healthy living. Thanks for asking!