Author Darla A. Calvet is a multifaceted individual—a grant writer for nonprofits and a business owner, balancing her literary endeavors with a purpose-driven career. Her life isn’t solely encapsulated in chapters but expands to embrace cherished moments spent with her beloved French Bulldog, Quinnie, and her husband, Pat.
Darla’s memoir, My Life in Stitches: A Heart Transplant Survivor Story sends a message of empathy and understanding, reaching out to those navigating the fear of chronic illness. Initially, she has meant for her writing to touch transplant patients, but its scope has expanded to embrace anyone confronting life-altering diagnoses. Her writing offers solace, inspiration, and a roadmap for those traversing similar paths.
In this conversation, Darla shows us her ultimate aspiration lies in making a difference—one patient’s courage kindled, one heart comforted, one life touched. Join us in this interview where we learn more about Darla A. Calvet as she shares more about the intimate story of My Life in Stitches: A Heart Transplant Survivor Story.
What is the PRIMARY benefit, above all others, that your potential reader will gain from reading this book?
The primary benefit of My Life in Stitches: A Heart Transplant Survivor Story is that it will inspire and motivate those who struggle with a devastating diagnosis. It provides humor and insight into the profoundly serious topic of transplantation. I authored this book because transplant is an exceptionally long road, and when I got my first diagnosis back in 2003, there was NOTHING on the market or shelves that was a heart transplant survivor story.
When I visited people waiting for a transplant in the hospital, they would say, “Please tell me your story.” My story is long and complicated. Now I can just leave them a copy of the book. It has a successful conclusion too after many years of struggling. I also authored this book so that medical teams could see from the patient’s perspective what they go through on the road to transplant. And I hope it helps caregivers and families deal with this tough time, too.
If you had to compare this book to any other book out there, which book would it be?
I would compare it to books like Cancer Schmancer by Fran Drescher, although I am not a celebrity. I liked her funny way of dealing with a very unfunny diagnosis and survival, so I tried to model that style in my book.
Hundreds of thousands of books come out every year. Why should someone buy THIS book?
The buyer will get hope, empathy, compassion, and my best lessons learned from dealing with 14 years of debilitating heart health sickness and eventual transplant. My book will serve as a companion on their journey to health. There really is not much like it on the book market- at least I have not found it.
Who is your target audience?
The original target audience for this book was transplant patients. I have now expanded this to anyone dealing with a chronic illness/diagnosis and their medical teams and families. Really, I think anyone would be inspired by this book. It is a “rising from the ashes” type of story.
Did your environment or upbringing play a key role in your writing, and did you use it to your advantage?
I won a writing contest in the seventh grade. It was then I knew that writing was my true passion and one of my talents. I was the Editor of my school newspaper and have been writing ever since.
Tell us about your most rewarding experience since publishing your work.
My most rewarding experience was showing the book to the medical team who saved my life. They have so many tough things to deal with at the hospital that it made them all smile and have a moment of happiness. That meant the world to me, since there is really no way I can repay them for saving my life.
How would you describe your writing style?
Sardonic, first-person memoir a la David Sedaris (my hero).
Are your characters pure fiction, or did you draw from people you know?
They are all real people.
Are you more of a character artist or a plot-driven writer?
More of a plot-drive writer. I am a Virgo, and we like order and rationality.
What do you hope to accomplish with your book other than selling it?
If I help one other patient to deal with the ominous road to transplant, I will be happy.
What is your schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I let my muse guide me. If I get an idea, I want to sit down and write it immediately. Otherwise, I will write a couple of hours per day on my personal projects. I write professionally for a living too.
Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
Yes, we all do. Anyone who says they don’t is fibbing. It’s part of the creative process and you just accept it and work through it.
How many hours a day do you write?
Typically about 20.
Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know (yet)?
I would like to be on a version of the TV Show Survivor with other transplant patients. We are true survivors. It would be interesting.
If you could be mentored by a famous author, who would it be?
No doubt, it would be David Sedaris. I love his memoir-based books and the
humor he brings to ghastly situations.
Where can our readers purchase your book?
It has debuted on Amazon on December 12, 2023.
Find the author
My Life in Stitches: A Heart Transplant Survivor Story
Darla Calvet is a thirty-nine-year-old working mom whose life turns upside down when she is diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Suddenly, fear threatens her dreams for the future as doctors’ appointments replace her daily routines and she realizes she may not live to see her daughters grow up. After dying twice while waiting for a new heart, Darla begins to understand her own resiliency—her heart may be weak, but her mind refuses to give up.
My Life in Stitches: A Heart Transplant Survivor Story is a candid, witty account of one woman’s determination to transform a devastating prognosis into an inspiring fight for survival. Darla’s story offers insight into the complex world of medicine with a dose of humor about her challenges and victories as a heart transplant patient.
In this sensitive, thorough, and informative debut, Calvet brings compassion and gentle wisdom to a difficult subject in hopes of demystifying the uncertainties that inevitably accompany long-term, life-threatening medical decisions.
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