Did You See Oprah?

The Herrin twins and The Osmonds were on the same episode of Oprah on Friday. It was this surreal moment for me, seeing two separate parts of my life converge on the TV screen.

Many of you may not know this, but I've worked for Alan Osmond on one project or another since 1983 when I first moved to Utah from Indiana. I used to go places to take photos of his sons for him when The Osmond Boys were just starting to sing. Then in 1988, I began working on the staff of Stadium of Fire, eventually working my way to Associate Producer. I also became the promotions director for 2nd G, writing newsletters and magazine articles, developing merchandise, and sometimes going on the road to sell it. Even now I am the editor of the Osmond Family blog, help with both Nathan and David's blogs, and I'm working on a biography with Alan.

Of course, my assocation with the Herrin family is much more recent. Two years ago I heard Erin Herrin, the twins' mother, pitch the idea of a book about her girls. At the time I thought, "Wow! I'd love to write that book," but they already had someone else in line to write the book. As fate would have it, several months later I was approached to see if I'd be interested in helping Erin tell her story. The rest, as they say, is history.

The next book I'm working on is a biography with Rob Joseph. He's already been on Dr. Phil, but now I wonder if his next stop could also be Oprah. . .

Oprah and Famous Family Nights

I just found out late last night that the Herrin twins (When Hearts Conjoin) will be on Oprah this afternoon as one of Oprah's Favorite Families. Check out the show, then if you want to know more about the family, I hope you'll buy a copy of the book.



Also, we heard yesterday that Famous Family Nights (I'm a contributor) is #1 in the Family home Evening category at DeseretBook.com. You can buy a copy at their site, or get one here from Amazon.com:




I'll be posting a few photos from my son's wedding on the blog very soon. Thanks for all of you who sent your well-wishes to the new couple.

World-Wide Distribution!

The other night I was checking my online ordering cart for the direct sales of When Hearts Conjoin. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that the most recent sale was sending a copy of the book to Russia! A quick scan of addresses let me know that copies of the book had already been sent to Canada, England, and Australia, as well as to many states across the U.S.

Wow! Sometimes I think we as authors tend to forget that our books can speak to the hearts of people all the way around the world. It's amazing to me to think that someone sitting in a state or a country where I've never been is reading the very words I typed into my computer at home.

Because of the internet, I've also come to see that I have readers for my newspaper and magazine articles from all corners of the world. It's awe-inspiring to consider. What a responsibility that places on me to always put my best work out for others to read.

Of course, this has also made me appreciate more the work of others who I enjoy reading. What if JK Rowling hadn't continued to write despite all those rejections? Or if Laura Hillenbrand hadn't researched, written and submitted her book despite the agorophobia she suffered from? What if no one had ever thought to trasnlate Cornilia Funke's books from German to English? My reading work would have been a much different place.

The older I get, the smaller the world seems to become, and as a writer, I'm glad that people can find me, just like I've found so many of them and made their work a part of my life. I hope I'll someday hear from my worldwide fans, and I'm hear to say, my book publication career has just begun.

If you'd like to purchase one of my books, I'm excited to announce that they are now available at Amazon.com

When Hearts Conjoin, the true story of the Herrin family, including conjoined twins Kendra and Maliyah can be purchased at the following link:



am also a contributor in Famous Family Nights, a collection of essays by ninety-one well-known members of the LDS church about how to make your family nights more meaningful. Also included in this volume are stories from Alan Osmond, as well as many LDS writers my readers probably already know.



Also, used copies are still available of Teaching Ideas for 7-12 English Language Arts: What Really Works. I was a guest contributor with the chapter Recipe for the Reluctant Reader: Add Young Adult Literature and Stir. My chapter includes much of the information I present when I speak at educator conferences.

Turning the Page Interview for Confetti Antiques

Here's a link to the entire interview I did with Confetti Antiques owner Donnie Morris. The program ran on Spanish Fork cable a couple of weeks ago. It's 17 1/2 minutes long.

http://www.confettiantiques.com/home/when-hearts-conjoin-by-lu-ann-brobst-staheli-and-erin-marie-herrin/

Turning the Page Interview for Cenfetti Antiques

I had a great time last Monday at Confetti Antiques and Books on Main Street in Spanish Fork. Owner Donnie Morris interviewed me for his show, "Turning the Page" that runs on Spanish Fork Cable. I saw the episode last night, and it looked great. I know SFCN will run the episode again, but I don't yet know the times, etc.

As you can see, Confetti Antiques has my book on the shelf, so people can buy it now, or they can come down on Monday, July 20th from noon to 4:00 p.m. to meet me, buy a book, and have it signed. You can also pre-order books that are "autographed" by the Herrin twins.

This is a great little shop--all sorts of cool things to look at inside--and a wide selection of hard-to-find LDS books in the adjoining bookstore. I'm going to have to look around the place more carefully while I'm there.

Of course, I'm also going to stop in on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday to purchase books by some of my friends to have them sign!

If you're into antiques, there are lots of great items upstairs as well as those trinkets on the first floor.

If you can't make it to the store, but you still want to buy a copy of the book, they are available both at ConfettiAntiques.com and UtahTwins.com.

Conjoined Twins: Sister Bond

TV-PG

Kendra and Maliyah Herrin were born conjoined, attached at the abdomen and pelvis. Doctors embarked on a groundbreaking surgical procedure to separate the girls. How will they learn to cope with life as two independent people?

TLC listings indicate the following airtimes (which may be Eastern)
Sunday July 12 9:00 p.m.
Monday July 13 12:00 a.m.
Wednesday July 15 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday July 15 11:00 p.m.

Our first big TV show since the book was published!

League of Utah Writer's Spring Conference

My husband finally figured out my new cell phone so I could send my photos from the League of Utah Writer's Spring conference over to my computer. Here I am at the autograph table, signing copies of When Hearts Conjoin, along with my friend, critique group member, and fellow author, Annette Lyon, who was signing copies of her new book Tower of Strength. You'll also recognize New Yorks Times best-selling author Dave Wolverton (David Farland) and Jessica Day George, both of whom were also speakers at the conference. Annette and I were on a panel and served as judges for the writing contest. The event was held at Cedar Fort Publishers in Springville.

Contest - Book Giveaway on Good Reads

I'm giving away three copies of When Hearts Conjoin on GoodReads.com. Come on over and join the contest at: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6401757-when-hearts-conjoin

If you've already read the book and you're a member of either Good Reads or Shelfari, I'd appreciate it if you leave a rating and review.

Thanks!

Local author pens Conjoined Hearts with Herrin twins' mom

Herald Extra: Spanish Fork Press

People all over the world watched the story unfold in 2006 as the Herrin twins, Kendra and Maliyah, underwent a twenty-five hour surgery to separate their shared lower bodies. And just two years later, in the fall of 2008, a local author was given the opportunity to team with Erin Herrin, the mother of the twins, to help co-write a book to share their story with the world.
Lu Ann Brobst Staheli is an accomplished educator and writer. She currently teaches English at Payson Junior High in addition to being a writer. Staheli is also a part of the Write Wise program founded by Richard Paul Evans and Robert G. Allen. Staheli has been able to teach and edit other authors work with this program. Evans was so impressed with Staheli and her work that he knew she would be perfect to help Herrin write a book about her experiences.
"I have worked with Lu Ann in our Write Wise program," said Evans. "I knew I could count on her and knew that she would be a natural fit in helping Erin share her story."
Staheli and Herrin began working on the project in August of 2008. They started out by sending each other information via the internet and talked over the phone. Staheli began putting together the information into a story form.
"When I was going through all these experiences there was no information about other families who had been through this and their experiences," said Herrin. "I really wanted to have information from other parents. The book was written so others will have that information and also because as time goes on our memories fade and I wanted something to document all of our experiences."
Staheli wrote the book from the notes Herrin wrote down during her experiences and the book is written as if Herrin had written it herself.
"It has been wonderful to work on this project," said Staheli. "The world has known about these little girls for the past seven and a half years and now they can know the whole story and that miracles do happen."
The story shares more than just the twin's experience, it starts at the beginning with the Herrin's dating and ends with an update on what the family is currently doing.
"The book is definitely an emotional book," said Herrin. "From the beginning Lu Ann was right on and worded everything the way I wanted it. The story flows so well. She has been wonderful to work with and has made the story exactly what I wanted."
The book, "When Hearts Conjoin," was released just a few weeks ago and is only available at the website www.utahtwins.com. All the proceeds from the books will go into a trust fund for the twins medical expenses. The book tells the families story and shares never before seen photos. It also has a forward by Evans, a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author. The twins will also be featured on a TLC special in June and then on the Oprah show to let others know about their story and book.
And now that Staheli has had her first successful experience co-writing a book, she already has three more co-written books in the works. She is currently working with Alan Osmond to share his story about life lessons, David Osmond to share his story about overcoming life's battles and with Jim Karol to share his story about a man with super mind and how he uses that mind to entertain and teach others.

When Hearts Conjoin - Release Party

Last Tuesday was the official release party for When Hearts Conjoin. The party was hosted by Richard Paul Evans (The Christmas Box) who is our publisher. Here I am sitting at the autograph table with Rick, Erin and Jake Herrin, along with their children, Austin, Courtney, Kendra, Justin, and Maliyah. (I might have the twins' names backwards in both cases.)

We had a great time, did several newspaper and television interviews, and signed a ton of books. So many of my friends and family members came up as well. Thanks for all of your support, everyone!

Let me remind everyone that Mother's Day is this weekend and this would be a great book to get for your mother. Copies can be ordered from www.whenheartsconjoin.com or www.utahtwins.com. I also have a case of books at home if anyone needs a copy and they are concerned the ones ordered online wouldn't make it on time.

Be sure to check out the links to reviews, articles, or other blogs about this book on my main blog page, and a special thanks to Candi Higley of the Spanish Fork Press for allowing me to use this photo.

Not Entirely British Guest blog

Check out my blog tour stop today at Not Entirely British

Jr. High teacher publishes book about Herrin twins

Daily Herald

On August 7-8, 2006, the whole world watched as a team of doctors performed a miracle at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. For the first time, four-year-old twins Maliyah and Kendra Herrin were having surgery--in separate rooms. Born conjoined from mid-torso down, these two angels captured the hearts of millions of people around the world!
Like most Utah residents, Mrs. Lu Ann Staheli was also aware of the birth and eventual separation surgery of the conjoined twins, having seen numerous medical updates as the girls progressed. "Of course, I never anticipated that someday I would be the one to write it," Mrs. Staheli said.

But this past August, that very opportunity came to her. "I was approached by Richard Paul Evans (The Christmas Box) to work with the girls' mother, Erin, to get their story down in the form of a book. As soon as I met Erin, I knew the story of her entire family needed to be told through her eyes and voice. Hundreds of emails flew back and forth between the two of us, but now we have a book we can both be proud of."

The early reviews have already been positive. Evans says, "It's a great book, a story of faith and the power of a mother's love." Others are also excited about the publication which has a May 1st release date.

TLC recently completed a special about the girls set to air in June, and Oprah can't wait to read the book. She plans to have the family on her show again this summer to celebrate the day the girls receive their prosthetic legs.

Royalties from this book will go into trust funds for the girls.

Copies can be purchased at www.WhenHeartsConjoin.com.

Book Launch Party TONIGHT!

If you live in Utah and you watch the news, you might see Erin and daughters Kendra and Maliyah on the news or hear them on the radio sometime today. Tonight is our big media launch party, and the public is invited for the book signing. If you still would like to come, here are the details.

You and a friend are cordially invited to a very rare and special reception to meet the world famous Herrin Twins, hosted by #1 best-selling author Richard Paul Evans.

Come celebrate with the Herrins the release of their new book:
WHEN HEARTS CONJOIN—the miraculous true story of the Herrin twins, with author Lu Ann Staheli

(The Herrin twins have been seen on Oprah, Good Morning America, Today Show, NBC News, Access Hollywood, 20/20, People Magazine, Glenn Beck and many other major media outlets worldwide)

Who are the Herrin Twins?

On August 7-8, 2006, the whole world watched as a team of doctors performed a miracle at Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. For the first time, four-year-old twins Maliyah and Kendra Herrin were having surgery—in separate rooms. Born conjoined from mid-torso down, these two angels captured the hearts of millions of people around the world!

When Hearts Conjoin is the heart-warming story of Erin Herrin, her husband Jake, and Maliyah and Kendra. It is also a story of faith, hope and the power of a mother’s love.

Excerpt from the book:

At 5:45 a.m. we started getting ready for the big day. We awoke Kendra and Maliya, wanting to hold them for the last time as conjoined twins.
“Is it Cut-Apart Day?” Kendra asked.
“Today is the day,” I said, hoping she wasn’t worried, like I was.
I’m not sure worried was a strong enough word to describe how I felt. Terrified might be better. My nerves were raw, my emotions ready to erupt. I tried to stay positive so the girls wouldn’t see how upset I was and become frightened themselves. If anything went wrong today—if I lost one or both of my precious daughters, I’d never be able to live with myself.


This is an extremely rare opportunity to meet these remarkable little girls, one you will likely never have again. Books are just $12.95 and not available at bookstores. Also available: Special Editions signed by the girls. Author royalties from this book go to the girls’ special medical trust fund.

This beautiful book will make a great gift for your friends, family and loved ones.


Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 / 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Magnolia Grove Reception Center
1117 W. South Jordan Parkway (106th South)
South Jordan, Utah

We will be limiting attendance
RSVP to Diane Glad: 801-676-3068 or info@richardpaulevans.com

Light refreshments
Media will be in attendance

My Baby has been born!

Nine months ago, I was asked to write the story of the Herrin twins, Kendra and Maliyah who were born conjoined. Like most residents of Utah, I had heard a lot about these two little girls on the local news almost since their birth. When I first heard that a member of their family was planning to write a book, the thought went through my mind, "Wow! I wish I were writing that book." And now, nine months later (just as though I was giving birth to a baby), I was not only the one to write it, but I am actually holding the book in my hands while cases of additional copies sit in Richard Paul Evans' Publishing offices, ready to be shipped to people from across the county and around the world who have already ordered them. Of course, I owe this great opportunity to not only Rick, but also to the entire Herrin family. Jake and Erin have allowed me to delve into some very private moments of their life so that the story we told would not only touch the hearts of parents of conjoined twins, but also those who may be struggling in any way and need to see that a bit of hope is always there for them---that miracles do happen every day. If you'd like to own When Hearts Conjoin, visit the website www.whenheartsconjoin.com. You might want to buy one of the special edition books, autographed by both Kendra and Maliyah or the option to have one autographed by Erin. Royalties from these editions go into a special trust fund for the girls.

New Cover for When Hearts Conjoin

This is a copy of the new cover for my book. Every day this past week has provided a new and exciting step along the way to making the publication of my first book a reality. I got tears in my eyes when I actually saw the PDF file showing the layout and read the dedication I wrote myself to my family. Come on! I shouldn't cry when I wrote it, should I?

Anyway, I spent an hour proofreading the PDF yesterday (it amazes me how many mistakes appeared between the final draft I sent in and the one they sent back from the designer. Do they just go through and toss in spelling errors, take out italics, and change punctuation marks for the fun of it?)

The official release date is still May 1st, but pre-orders are going great on the website. If you want a copy autographed by Erin or the girls, you can get those there. If you want me to autograph your copy, we'll have to work something out between us.

Thanks for all the support everyone has been through this crazy process!

When Hearts Conjoin

Pre-Order the highly anticipated book - When Hearts Conjoin The complete and true story behind the Herrin Twins miracle. On August 7-8, 2006, the whole world watched as a team of doctors performed a miracle at Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. For the first time, four-year-old twins Maliyah and Kendra Herrin were having surgery—in separate rooms. Born conjoined from mid-torso down, these two angels captured the hearts of millions of people around the world! When Hearts Conjoin is the heart-warming story of Erin Herrin, her husband Jake, and all five of their children, Courtney, Justin, Austin, and, of course, Maliyah and Kendra. It is also a story of faith, hope and the power of a mother’s love. Features never before seen pictures. Foreword by #1 New York Times bestselling author Richard Paul Evans. All of the royalties from this book will go to the girls’ medical fund. PRE-ORDER YOUR COPIES NOW!! Book ships April 1, 2009 When Hearts Conjoin Paperback $12.95 When Hearts Conjoin Limited Collectors Edition $19.95 (Actually signed by the girls) To contact Lu Ann for interviews or speaking engagements, send an email to: luann@luannstaheli.com Copyright (C) 2009 Herrin Family All rights reserved.

Book Updates

If any of you are on Facebook, you might want to check out the new Fan Pages that have been set up for both When Hearts Conjoin and David Osmond, my two current projects.

The Herrin book is getting very close to the release date. I've submitted the final draft to the printer, cover photos of the Herrin girls are being taken this week, and the web site should be up and running by March 1st, ready for pre-sale orders. They believe the book will be ready by the end of March or the first of April. The Herrins are going to Disney World in March to tape a TLC special (maybe along the lines of jon & Kate, Plus 8). I haven't heard a date for an Oprah appearance yet, but that should be coming as well, and Oprah will also link her website to the direct-sale site for the book. The book will credit me on the front cover, so it will say: "When Hearts Conjoin" Erin Herrin at the top, and with Lu Ann Brobst Staheli at the bottom. I'll post the cover, exact release dates, and website info for ordering copies as soon as that comes in from the publisher.

In the meantime, I've started my next book, a biography of David Osmond. Did you see him on American Idol? He had laryngitis and got kicked off the show during group auditions. That was hysterically funny to those of us who know him because he's been singing in a group since he was 4! Anyway, I've been running his blog, helping with his website, and writing some promotional materials about him as well, just like I used to do when he was a kid! Life goes in such circles. He's going to release a single on iTunes February 20th, so he's off on a radio tour for several weeks promoting the song. He performed it on Entertainment Tonight a couple of weeks ago and we've had lots of positive response.

I may be doing some signings of my own soon, but in the meantime, I will be presenting at the UVU Forum on Children's Literature in March and for the Wordcraft chapter of the League of Utah Writers in April. My topic for UVU is "When they STILL Won't Read," and for the LUW, "How Show, Not Tell, Can Help You Find your Voice." I'll also be on a panel for UVU, "Books I Wish I Had Written or Edited."

If any of you have conferences coming up and you need a speaker, please let me know and I'll send a proposal for a topic that could fit your need.

Insanity: Thy Name is Lu Ann

The last six months have been a very interesting part of my life. First, I was enrolled in the final class to complete my Masters' degree in Instructional Technology and Library Media Administration when I took my sons to Los Angeles for a vacation. My husband had been working on a television series there and hadn't been able to get home for several weeks, so we thought going to California to see him would be a lot of fun.

It was until the night we attended the symphony at the L.A. county arboretum, and I took my great fall. To make a long story short, when I got back to Utah and we got past the July 4th holiday, we discovered that what we thought was a sprain and a simple fracture in both of my arms, turned out to be a dislocated elbow and a crushed radial head.

I couldn't do surgery until my two day required face-to-face graduate class presentation was complete, so my left arm was in a sling for about six weeks once all was said and done. Two days after surgery I wrote my final grad paper, finishing the class and graduating with a 4.0, and I returned to my own classroom a couple of weeks later.

But that's not all that I've finished since then, while my arms were nearly non-functional. I wrote a screenplay adaptation of an LDS novel, "Seasons of Salvation", which is in pre-production.

I wrote and published several magazine articles, including "Bringing the Library Back to Life after the Library Dragon is Slain" which will be in the March issue of Library Media Connection Magazine and "Mr. & Mrs.: What's in a Name" in the current issue of Desert Saints Magazine.

But the biggest project of all is the book I wrote with Erin Herrin titled "When Hearts Conjoin". This is the true story of the Herrin family, including their daughters Kendra and Maliyah who were born conjoined in 2002 and separated in 2006 at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City. We're both excited about this project because the family will soon be featured on a TLC special and Oprah will have them on her show again as well.

One thing all of this has shown me is that, no matter what the obstacles, if I just keep plugging away at my writing, good things can be accomplished. Even though there have been times when I thought I was losing my mind, that a project was too hard or taking too much time, I managed to make it through in the end. I think it all turned out okay, despite the stress and pain.

But then of course, the insane usually do believe their lives are normal.