Let's Get Wild and Daisy!

Dear Friend,

I'm asking for your  help in launching my next book and helping inspire hearts around the world.

In 2012, I self-published my first book, "Following Daisies", a memoir about my adventures driving my daisy-themed RV (yes, I named her Miss Daisy) across Canada after leaving behind my life in the big city to follow my heart wherever it led me. 


In 2013, I self-published my second book, "Life's Too Short to Drive a White Car!"


Clearly I have a  thing for colourful vehicles....but more importantly, I'm on a mission to inspire others to live life fully from the heart, and  to follow their dreams too.

Which means it's time for another book and that's where you come in. I need your help!

Having self-published twice now I've learned my lessons. Not only does publishing your book require hours of writing and re-writing but there are also numerous upfront costs - editing, design, layout, ebook conversion, marketing, printing and more. Publishing ain't cheap. And paying for these expenses out-of-pocket makes it challenging to produce the highest-quality book possible.

This time I'm doing things differently and decided to launch a creative crowd-funding campaign. (those who know me well how much I love daisies and puns so why not ask for "seed" money for a daisy book project?)

I have a rough draft manuscript for my next book which has a working title of "Peace, Love and Daisies". It will be an extended memoir that will incorporate some revised content from "Following Daisies" and add a whole lot more to the story.

Believe me, it's slightly terrifying to launch this campaign. It's scary to put your dream out there so publicly and then attach a dollar goal to it - aaaaaaahh! My dream isn't about "writing a book" or "being an author", more importantly, it's about helping to inspire and change as many lives as possible.

I've set a lofty fundraising goal here because I want to produce the best book possible. And no matter what happens, this book will get published one way or another.

Here's the Coles Notes synopsis of the book for you: Girl follows the beaten path and finds out that doesn't work so well. Girl gives it all up, leaves the big city and hits the road to follow her heart wherever it takes her. Hey, this is fun! Girl is off the beaten path and loving it.

Uh-oh. There are some twists and turns that she hadn't expected. Like about 387 of them. Financial struggles, lost friendships, shattered dreams, the learning curve of the unknown, emotional challenges, huge leaps of faith and much more. Girl keeps going because her heart keeps telling her to and because she's determined like that.

She eventually ends up on a small, hippie-esque island, about a million miles away from the hectic life where she began.  Whoa, Girl didn't see that coming! Her neighbours are farm animals, she has people friends named Rainbow and Moonbeam and it's not usual to see an angel on roller skates while driving around town as the scent of patchouli wafts in the air.  There are no high-rises, stoplights, fast food places or big box stores but there is plenty of yoga and every kind of alternative healing you can imagine. It's a zen, organic and definitely free-range kind of living. Girl fits right in and loves her radically new life. Of course there's a lot more but it's safe to say that she lives very happily ever after. 

You can read a sneak preview of the book by clicking here .

Moral of the story? When you follow your heart, groovy stuff happens. Sure there will be challenges to overcome but your heart will help you get through those too. In the end, you'll be living a life that's even better than you'd ever imagined.

I thought you might have a few questions about the project so let me answer them for you.

What is the inspiration for this book?
Most people thought I was crazy when I adventured off the beaten path. At the same time, many told me that they'd love to do what I was doing but simply felt they couldn't. Over the years I've met so many people who feel stuck, who aren't living the life they truly want to be living and who are wondering how they can make their dreams come true.

I hope that by sharing my story readers will be inspired to follow their heart and pursue their own dreams too, whatever they may be.

I read "Following Daisies" so is this a sequel or a revision*?
It's a merger of the two. I knew that I wanted to write a sequel to "Following Daisies" since much has happened since publishing that book.  I also felt that I wanted to bring the entire journey together in a powerful, simple and cohesive way for readers. So rather than doing a sequel, I've decided to revise some "Following Daisies" content and add to it, with the end result being a very new book.

What is the timeline for the book?
I will post regular updates here, on my website and on my Facebook Author fan page. Planned publication date is December 2015.

What will I do with the funds?
Funds will be used towards production and publication costs including editing, design, layout, printing, ebook conversion and marketing.

Who are you?
You can head on over to my website at www.heatherpardon.com if you'd like a full bio. You can also connect with me on Facebook Author fan page if we're not already online or in-person friends.

Why should I support this project?
I really do believe that the world would be a different place if more people lived from their heart. We'd see more smiling, more random acts of dancing, more cake and heck, maybe even more wildly painted cars.

Following my heart and creating a life that is truly my own design has been both a passion and a mission of mine for many years now. When I left the big city Life had given me a gentle kick in the pants. "You need to follow your heart Heather and share your story and everything you've learned with others."

I've invested the past 6 years learning and mastering the art of following your heart, now it's time to share.

By sharing my story, my goal is simple: to inspire others to follow their heart and to help make this world a groovier place in the process.

You are doing so much more than just helping me publish a book, you're also helping ignite change, inspiration and dreams in hearts around the world.

How can I support this project? You can support "Peace, Love and Daisies" by choosing one of the daisy levels below. If you have questions about any one of the levels, just send me an email about it.

You can also share the campaign with your friends, family and colleagues on your own social media networks, website, blogs, around the water cooler at work, at the dinner table, etc. Of course, you can also send some daisy love and good vibes my way.

Okay, what's with the daisy thing?
That question will get answered in the book. Spoiler alert: It's about following your heart.

What if I have other questions?
Send me an email and I'll happily answer your question.

My sincere thanks to you for your consideration in helping to fund this project.

Peace, Love and Daisies :-)

Heather