I know many of my friends and loved ones believe “Silence Is Golden.”  However, for those of us who are striving to promote understanding, tolerance, and acceptance for our loved ones, your silence really isn’t golden.  It is not golden if you witness bullying either. Bystanders have to learn the importance of speaking up and they need to be rewarded for doing so.

Changing the world to place where all humans are equally valuable and where people honor and respect differences is my mission. That is why I wrote Delightfully Different.

It is my first novel, so frankly I was not sure I could write it.  I know I couldn’t have done it justice without help.  I was fortunate to have multiple people who came forward to offer advice during the writing process.  One was a dear friend who is a free-lance editor.  I thank her by name in the book, but I won’t name her on the Internet for she’s modest.  I even had multiple people read drafts of my book along the way.  I was fortunate to have two local authors who gave me insights about their adventures in writing and publishing too.  When I explained that I knew I needed an editor, and that I was thinking about self-publishing, they recommended iUniverse.

I want to also clear the air regarding any concerns you may have about my children or even about my extended family.  My daughter’s story inspired the novel, but it is not a true story. The true story would have you crying so hard you would need a box of tissues.

There may be parts of the book that make you cry, but the story is only sad due to misunderstandings, the bullying and normal life events. The bullying is not as severe as the real bullying my daughter experienced. All of the characters good, bad, and indifferent exist only in my imagination. My children both supported my endeavor.  They both also know the importance of understanding and tolerance of others, and I’m very proud of them for this.

I long to hear your thoughts about my posts, about my novel, and about my campaign to change the world to a place that is free of bullies. Therefore, I welcome your comments, your e-mail subscriptions, your following my blog, your liking my Facebook page, your following me on Twitter or any other way you are comfortable showing your support of this endeavor.

Mahalo,

D. S. Walker