Title: Four Before Their Time
Author: Timothy Spillane
Publisher: Skitterbird, LLC
Pages: 342
Genre: Memoir
Format: Paperback/Kindle
Anne had it all. She was a physician, an Army officer, and a great wife. She'd be a great mom, too. But the joy of pregnancy is short-lived after an ultrasound reveals that Anne isn't just pregnant, she's really pregnant - with quadruplets! Now her dad, Tim Spillane, is a grandfather four times over, and much too soon. Just 24 weeks into her pregnancy, Anne delivered, and not one of Tim's grandkids weighs more than half a mug of coffee. So underdeveloped that even calling them babies feels wrong, the odds of just one of them surviving - let alone all four - are heartbreakingly low. And even if the children pull through, they face the likelihood of disabilities so severe that they'd have no real quality of life. It all seems hopeless until Tim's wife observes that just seeing the quads is like "being allowed a glimpse into the miracle that grows in a mother's womb." Four Before Their Time is the true story of four babies surviving on a razor's edge, one mom's overwhelming and guilt-ridden entrance into parenthood, and an entire family's experiences with extreme premature birth. It will take all the faith, hope, and resilience the Spillane family can muster - along with more than a few miracles - just to get the quadruplets home.
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- Four Before Their Time is available at Amazon.
What are you most proud of accomplishing so far
in your life?
I’m most
proud of being a good husband and dad. Although I’m only starting now as a
grandfather, I think I’m going to be okay as a “Papa”, too. Family is the most
important thing.
How has your upbringing influenced your writing?
I was
fortunate to have loving and supportive parents. A strong family is the best
foundation for a successful life. My father encouraged us to believe in
ourselves. My mom insisted that we value
education. She wouldn’t abide poor grammar.
When and why did you begin writing?
I liked
drawing more than writing when I was young. My dad encouraged me to put my
drawings into stories. My mom made sure that I knew the importance of being
able to write well. Funny thing is that though I could write well from an early
age I never really felt I had a story to tell until my grandchildren were born.
Do you recall how your interest in writing
originated?
I always believed
there was something innately powerful – almost spiritual – about writing. It
took me a long time, however, to understand how important the act of
storytelling really is.
When did you first know you could be a writer?
It was a breeze to get an “A” in English Composition, quite the
opposite in Algebra. I was never going to cut it as an engineer.
What inspires you to write and why?
Being able
to effectively communicate our thoughts through the written word is one of the
most important things people can do. I like the challenge in that.
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
I could
always write academic papers. Writing a memoir is something altogether
different. You have to comfortable in your own skin to do it. I’m just learning
that now.
What inspired you to write your first book?
Four Before Their Time is my first
– and only – book. The story it tells is of a remarkable journey of survival
and love through incredible circumstances. It’s a story I felt had to be told.
Who or what influenced your writing once you
began?
I kept
returning to what my daughter Anne had experienced. She suffered so much when
her pregnancy collapsed after only six months. Her four babies were left with
little hope for survival. But they did and Anne is the now most amazing mother.
I wrote the story for her.
What do you consider the most challenging about
writing a novel, or about writing in general?
Sticking to
the story. I get so carried away with the craft of writing, or writing about
what I want to say, that it’s easy to
lose sight of the story. Nothing matters more than the story you have to tell.
Everything else just gets in the way. It’s always necessary to keep that in
mind.
Did writing this book teach you anything and
what was it?
Believe in
the value of your story. If it doesn’t have the power to impact other people,
why write it at all?
Do you intend to make writing a career?
I’d like to,
but that is still a goal that seems out of reach for me at this time.
Have you developed a specific writing style?
I don’t
know. It’s so hard to view your work objectively. I guess I’d want people to
say that my writing is honest.
What is your
greatest strength as a writer?
Being able
to finish. So many writers keep pushing the finish line further and further
away.
What is your favorite quality about yourself?
The most
important human quality is compassion. I want to be compassionate. I’d like to
be humble, too.
What is your least favorite quality about
yourself?
Selfishness.
Sometimes I see the world as revolving around me. Thank goodness it doesn’t.
What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?
In the Book
of Proverbs it says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on
your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your
paths straight.” (Proverbs 3: 5, 6)
That’s a
compass for me.
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