Author Spotlight: Liz Mannegren
By Liz Mannegren
Liz Mannegren is a blogger, wife, and mother who is passionate about finding beauty within the everyday.
Following the stillbirth of her firstborn in 2014, Liz created a grief-based blog as a means of cultivating honest and open discussion about loss. In the following four years, Liz went on to experience four first-trimester miscarriages. This became the base for Liz’s book, Embrace, and resparked Liz’s love for writing.
Actively involved within the pregnancy loss community, Liz has written for websites such as Still Standing Magazine and Her View From Home. Her blog and online presence has allowed her to connect with hundreds of grieving women across the globe and has given her a passion for reaching out and breaking the silence surrounding this painful type of loss.
Books are one of Liz’s great joys. In addition to hoping to write more of them, she is a self-proclaimed bookworm. Her blog hosts an annual reading challenge (52 books in 52 weeks) and most years she reads upwards of 130 novels. She is currently working on writing a suspense novel and hopes to one day have a bookshelf full of books she’s written.
Liz graduated from Prairie Bible Institute in 2011 with a degree in Missions Aviation and a year of biblical studies. She also has a commercial pilots license. Liz has always been passionate about working within the church and in addition to serving in various ministries, she’s spent several years working as a church administrator before transitioning to the role of stay-at-home mother and blogger.
Regularly writing about motherhood, faith, and loss, you can find more of her stories about this messy but oh so beautiful life at www.mommymannegren.com. You can also follow Liz on social media on Facebook: (/mommymannegren), Instagram: (mrsmannegren), and Twitter: (lizmannegren).
Q&A
Q: What is the significance behind your book’s title, Embrace?
A: Grief is a difficult topic to talk about. But there is so much to learn from this painful season, particularly when we find the freedom to truly embrace our grief rather than run from it or hide it away. In the midst of our darkest days, we have the truly beautiful opportunity to draw closer to Christ and embrace the fullness of hope offered in the cross.
Q: Why is an October book launch so special?
A: October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. As we speak with honesty and vulnerability about this topic, we shed light into a place of loneliness and darkness. October is an opportunity to love and remember not only the families that have walked this painful road but also to remember and love the babies they’ve lost.
Q: Each chapter in your book ends with three journal prompts. Why are you encouraging readers to begin journaling?
A: Journaling is a really useful tool for processing and working through different areas in our lives. Oftentimes journaling provides clarity and helps us to dig down beyond the surface. The journaling prompts in this book were designed as a launching off point. My hope is that it will be useful for readers who want to explore and better understand their grief but perhaps are struggling with where to start.
Q: What was your response to winning the 2019 Women’s Journey of Faith Publishing Contest?
A: I was completely blown away. I knew that God had asked me to write this book, but this road to getting published wasn’t easy. Embrace has been on my heart for five years now and it’s been a long process of editing, rewriting, submitting, and praying. Thankfully, God’s timing and His plans are so much sweeter than my own. I am so grateful to Word Alive Press and to Women’s Journey of Faith for giving me this opportunity.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I recently finished writing my first fiction novel! It’s a suspense novel full of enough twists and turns for even the most avid of mystery fans. I’m hoping to publish this book in the near future. You can follow along on my blog to stay updated.
Q: What advice would you offer to new writers?
A: It can be daunting to think about finishing an entire book, so start small and simply start writing. (I know, I know, that sounds too simple!) But the more you practice and the more you write, the easier it will get. Set aside half an hour every day. You’ll be amazed how quickly it adds up.
I’d also suggest starting a blog or submitting articles or stories to websites. This is a great way to get feedback on your writing. As you put your work out there, you start to build connections with your readers and with fellow writers. For me, these connections have been invaluable as we prepare to launch Embrace.
About this Contributor:
As a blogger and writer, Liz Mannegren is passionate about finding stories amidst the everyday. You can often find her curled up on the couch, sipping a frozen sugary drink and reading a good book. Liz resides in Vancouver, Canada with her husband and two little ones. You can also follow Liz on social media on Facebook: (/mommymannegren), Instagram: (mrsmannegren), and Twitter: (lizmannegren).
Watch her interview on 100 Huntley Street, here.