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About the Book

I was trying to get pregnant, and having difficulty, when I came up with the idea for this book. I was deep in thought about what kind of parent I would become and I felt the need to share the life lessons I’ve learned with my hypothetical children. That’s what a parent does, right? Guide their children based on their own experiences? The problem is, then I would have to admit to my mistakes and divulge information that I felt shouldn’t necessarily come from a parent (at least not the ideal parent I imagined then). This is the important stuff and it should be shared, but I’ve always been better at writing, so this book is my way to communicate all these gems: lessons learned, mistakes I’ve made, and told in an honest, call-it-like-it-is manner.

About the Author

Marcia Allyn Luke has an Honours Bachelor in English from the University of Guelph and a postgraduate Publishing Certificate from Ryerson University. She is currently completing a Master of Professional Education at Western University. Her favourite pastime is reading and she can often be found with her nose in a book. Marcia has been a writer at heart from the very beginning, writing children’s books for younger grades in elementary school. Marcia has contributed to a #1 internationally bestselling book, “Silent Grief, Healing, & Hope”, and has authored numerous articles for TWINS Magazine, New Dreamhomes Magazine, and Life in Multiples. Marcia has a passion for education and lifelong learning, devoting her career to publishing educational resources, developing curriculum, and teaching at the post-secondary level. When not reading, writing, or teaching, Marcia is mom to twin girls. She likes to spend time with family and friends, participate in any activity outside, and catch up on sleep whenever possible.

marciaallyn@outlook.com
https://www.goodreads.com/marcia_allyn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marciaallyn/
https://www.editors.ca/directory/marcia-allyn-luke

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Praise for Letters to My Hypothetical Children

“The stories and lessons Marcia shares are moving and her strength shines through. It is clear that the words that fill these pages come from genuine feelings and in reading them I found hope, humour, and a connection. I love how Marcia points out that shit isn’t perfect and we don’t have to be perfect to live, to love, to learn, and to parent. We just have to be who we are. How many times as parents do we look in the mirror and ask our reflection if we are getting this parenting business right? Are we doing the best we can for these developing souls? I had no idea before becoming a parent myself that there was so much uncertainty wrapped into the role of parenting. Looking back at memories of growing up is a bona fide way to not only help ourselves parent, but to help our children thrive; parenting really is ‘making mistakes and keeping it real.’”

– Shari Marshall, Author of The Ember Stone: Book 1 of The Ember Files & Brewing Coffee, Twisting Words and Breaking Pencils

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“These pages held my hand, hugged my heart, and eased my mind. Filled with wisdom and peppered with wit, Letters to My Hypothetical Children is more than just a book; it is the reassuring voice of a friend when you need it most. Thank you, Marcia Allyn Luke, for making life’s journey feel less lonely, for having the courage to talk about the things we often keep hidden, and for inspiring me to find my own light in the dark.”

– A.L. Dragin

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“Letters to my Hypothetical Children is a poignant, refreshing, and relatable look at mistakes made, lessons learned, and a reminder that you must advocate for yourself to ensure your own happiness in life and well-being. Marcia Allyn Luke’s honest review of her experiences in her childhood, teens, and early adulthood are not unlike many of our own. Her reflection on how these experiences influenced the life she has forged for herself in adulthood act as a prompt for the reader to reflect on who they were and who they became. I could not help but think about my own life experiences, good or bad, and how they shaped who I am now as an individual, as a mother, and as a friend. The vulnerability in her words and the encounters and events that she shares draws you in as a reader. I could not help but laugh at a few of her descriptions of her friends and cry as she recounted her last moments with her dog, Maggie. Learning about her feelings as she dealt with both infertility, the dissolution of her marriage, and a head trauma, secured for me, as the reader, her need and ability to ‘fight’ for her right to live the life that she wants. This autobiographical story was an affirmation for me that I, too, am worthy. And at the very least, that we are all allowed to make mistakes, learn from them, and that it is okay to keep it real. With today’s self-proclaimed ‘lifestyle gurus’ telling us on social media how to be better versions of ourselves, we as women (with both seen and unseen pressures) need to read stories and observations like Marcia’s.”

– K.E.

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