Click Here To Purchase Riding the Infertility Roller Coaster: A Guide to Educate And Inspire

Today, Norm Goldman Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest Iris Waichler, MSW, LCSW, author of Riding the Infertility Roller Coaster: A Guide to Educate and Inspire and Patient Power: How to Have a Say During Your Hospital Stay.

Iris has been a licensed clinical social worker for over 30 years. She has a B.A. degree from University of Iowa in liberal arts and received her Masters in Social Work there. Over the years she has been involved with medical social work at hospitals and has worked with patients with strokes, amputees,head injuries,cancer,and burn patients.

Norm: Good day Iris and thanks for participating in our interview. How did you get started in writing? What keeps you going?

Iris:  I got started writing while I was working in a hospital with patients who had strokes, burns, amputees, and neurological disorders. I saw how
anxious my patients and their families were. I realized if they had certain information and knew the right questions it would be enormously helpful
and less stressful. I wrote Patient Power: How to Have a Say During Your Hospital Stay to help advocate for them. I guess because I am a social
worker my desire to help people remains strong and energizes me. I like being an advocate for my readers.

Norm: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

Iris: How hard it is to be original and creative. To say something that has not been said before. Now the biggest challenge is to find a publisher
that wants to publish your book.  The publishing world is going through enormous changes.

Norm: What motivated you to write Riding the Infertility Roller Coaster: A Guide to Educate and Inspire?

Iris: I was at an author event with Naomi Wolf, the great feminist author. She was talking about her anger and frustration at her doctor for him
wanting her to have a C section. I had personally struggled with infertility and counseled people who had infertility as well.  I started thinking
about all of the pain, frustration, and anger people who battle infertility must endure.  I wrote the outline for my book on the ride home. I started
talking to friends who had gone through infertility and they encouraged me to move ahead with my book.

Norm: Could you tell us a little about the book?

Iris:  My book is a comprehensive guide that offers a sort of one stop shopping for people on their own infertility journeys.  I interviewed both
men and women who candidly discuss their experiences. I had not seen men’s voices in other books. I also combine my personal and professional
experiences in the book. My belief is that if people dealing with infertility have the right information and understand they are not alone,
it can help empower them. The right information can help people feel more in control of a situation that feels totally out of control.  I cover everything from how to pick a doctor and clinic to how to help build your support network.  I also look at how infertility affects us as couples and
parents. What is it like to be an older parent? When you decide to stop treatment? I tried to choose topics I didn’t see elsewhere.

Norm: Why do you think this is an important book at this time and whom do you
think will benefit from your book?

 Iris: My book is written for anyone engaged in any stage of battling infertility. It is written to give the reader information to guide them
all the way through the process. Uniquely, it is also written for family and friends of people engaged in infertility treatment. I wanted them to have
an understanding of the enormous impact infertility has. I also wanted to give them the information they need to help their loved ones at this difficult
time. Often people don’t know what to say or do to help.

Norm: Can you explain some of your research techniques, and how you found sources for your book?

Iris:  I never write a book unless I have something to say that hasn’t been said before. I spent about 3 months going through the literature to see
what had been previously said on infertility.  I saw there were gaps in terms of mens experiences. I also didn’t see anything on topics like how you find a doctor or a lawyer or how infertility affects us as parents. I had volunteered for RESOLVE, the national infertility association. Through my
counseling work there I found people to interview. I purposely chose people who had different experiences with their infertility. People who used
different means to become parents. I also thought it was important to choose someone who chose to stop treatment and remain child free. That was
another gap in the literature. I also interviewed a couple who adopted a child from another country.

Norm: What was the most difficult part of writing your book? Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Iris: Deciding which aspects of infertility I should address. Also the right blend of my personal and professional expertise that would be most
helpful to my reader. Also, my husband helped edit my book. We had not worked together before. He is a great writer. We definitely had strong
opinions on this topic but had different notions about what to say. That created some interesting discussions. It helped me learn more about
collaboration and deciding what to say or not to say.

Norm: How has been the feedback from your books?

Iris:  I am proud to say my infertility book has won 3 major awards, including the gold award from the National Association of Parenting
Publications for best book of the year.  When I wrote my book I had thought if I heard from just one person who it helped that would be enough. It has been gratifying to hear from people all over the world who have responded very positively and found my book very helpful.  It has also given me the chance to do more workshops on infertility related topics and speak directly to people which I really enjoy. I also collaborated with colleagues at my publishing company, Wyatt-MacKenzie and we wrote a book called A Book is Born, to help people make their publishing dreams a reality. We got lots of positive responses on that and that also won several awards. All of my book projects have an advocacy theme and that seems to touch people and they respond in wonderful ways.

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and Riding the Infertility Roller Coaster: A Guide to Educate and Inspire?

Iris:  MY WEBSITE  and I can be contacted directly through this site.  My book can be found on Amazon and also can be ordered through local bookstores.

Norm: What is next for Iris Waichler and is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered?

Iris:  My personal goal continues to be to reach as many people as I possibly can who are struggling with infertility. I continue to do
workshops and am writing articles for numerous publications on infertility related topics.  I am currently a contributor at fertilityauthority.com. I am
thinking about doing something different. I am considering writing a memoir on my father. He is an amazing guy. I am looking at that now.

Norm: Thanks once again and luck with all of your future endeavors

 Click Here To Purchase Riding the Infertility Roller Coaster: A Guide to Educate And Inspire