My Memoir

My Life with Laura: A Love Story, a memoir, is now available from Lulu.  I have spent much of the past year writing this book, and I hope that it serves as a testament to my late wife Laura’s life and her tremendous strength in battling breast cancer.  As most of you know, she passed away on November 13, 2007.  Special thanks to my friends and colleagues, Rebecca Krafft and Rob Kleinsteuber, who helped with editing and cover design.  Check back on this page for updates on the book and the public reaction to it.

Some of the proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the Laura Moutray Fund for Women’s Ministries at the First Baptist Church of Alexandria.  Additional donations will also be made to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation.

Professional Reviews:

• Kirkus Discoveries – January 29, 2009 (review: “Moutray has assembled a loving tribute to his wife, whose faith, goodwill and cheerfulness were present in abundance throughout her life and during her illness.  ….  A faith-affirming story of surviving a devastating loss.”)
• ForeWord Magazine Clarion Reviews – February 3, 2009 («««« out of five!)
• BookReview.com – February 22, 2009 (review: “Excellent!”; “By any standards, Chad Moutray does a good job.  The narrative is clear, honest, and because we know tragically where this is leading, very moving.”)

Blog Coverage:

From Monday, January 12, to Friday, January 23, 2009, I participated in a Blog Book Tour.  As part of the tour, I was a “guest” each day on the following blogs, which highlight the book in some fashion.  Thanks to everyone who participated!  Here was the schedule:

• Stacy Martello at Fight Pink - January 12, 2009 (audio podcast with me) and January 23, 2009 (an excellent synopsis of each day’s post)
• Shannon Sherwood at Fighting My Cancer – January 13, 2009 (interview with me)
• Jacki Donaldson at My Breast Cancer Blog (cancerspot.org) – January 14, 2009 (focuses on Laura’s journal entries)
• Gena Womack at Make Some Lemonade – January 15, 2009 (review: “This Book ROCKS!”)
• Christina Olachia at The Uniboob Club – January 16, 2009 (review: : “`It is not length of life, but depth of life.’~ Ralph Waldo Emerson”)
• Erik Hom at Route 53 – January 19, 2009 (interview with me)
• Angi Navarro at Cancer is NOT a DEATH Sentence – January 20, 2009 (review: “I felt as though I had lost a friend….”)
• Tina Koral at Cancer Book Review – January 21, 2009 (review: “… a wonderfully written tribute to Laura Moutray by her husband….”)
• Jennifer Starr-Reivett at Clergygirl – January 22, 2009 (relates Laura’s stuggle to that of Hannah in 1 Samuel; cross-posted on Mothers with Cancer)
• Traci McLaughlin at The Serendipity Factory – January 23, 2009 (interview with me)

Other blogs:

• The Stupid Cancer Blog – December 26, 2008 (summarizes my press release)
• Lulu Blog – January 5, 2009 (interview with me)
• Fuzz & Popie – January 29, 2009 (“This book has given me another opportunity to reflect on all of the many blessings I have in my life.”)
• Charitable Gift Giving Blog – June 9, 2009 (“It’s a beautiful story of the life of a young couple with the world in front of them, shattered by a devastating disease, and the strength and faith of a wife and mother.”)

Resources:

• Press Release – December 1, 2008 (Word version; for the Internet version, click here)
• Fight Pink Press Release – December 14, 2008 (annoucement of their participation in the blog book tour)

Miscellaneous:

• Eastern Illinois University Alumni Newsletter – December 2008
• Quickest Blog Book Tour Guide Ever (Mention of my tour; see page 2 under “Experience a blog book tour”)
• Senior Pastor Don Davidson, First Baptist Church of Alexandria – “A River Runs Through It,” January 11, 2009 (mention of the book in sermon, around 25:00)
• The Compass, Cameron Station’s newsletter – January/February 2009 (see page 10)

Note: I have applied for Library of Congress cataloging information to include on the copyright page.  I have a control number but will not add this information until it becomes available, which could take a while.

Updated June 9, 2009