Life to Paper

06/20/2025

““It was a very rapid descent into the worst possible parts of an addiction,” he says.

Lownds transformed from being a lofty businessman terrified of stepping foot in the Downtown Eastside to becoming someone embroiled in the scene to such an extent that s*x workers and drug dealers were comrades. Now, he laughs, he could “give tours” of the DTES.

Throughout the three-year period of addiction, Lownds estimates he spent over $700,000 on co***ne and the associated lifestyle that comes with it. Yet he describes himself as a high-functioning addict, professing his addiction didn’t impair his ability to drive the Sleep Country Canada business.

“From a business point of view, the world didn’t know that I had a problem,” he says.

Even in the midst of his recovery journey, spurred on by hitting “rock bottom” via an overdose and an arrest two years in, he was able to create the successful hearing aid retailer Listen Up! Canada.”

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Learn more about Gordon Lownds’ upcoming memoir at gordonlownds.com

06/19/2025

We’re honoured to welcome CP Handler to the Life to Paper author community.

CP is a therapist, educator, and advocate whose memoir is as powerful as it is poetic. In these pages, she brings us inside youth detention centres, sharing the realities of a system in crisis—and the moments of breakthrough, resilience, and grace she’s witnessed along the way.

This book is deeply personal. Bold. Tender. Necessary. And we can’t wait to share it with you.

Welcome, CP. We’re so proud to be on this journey with you.

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06/18/2025

💥 Book Giveaway Alert! 💥

Enter to win an early copy of
“This Is Not How I Thought It Would Be”
by Sarah Watters

📖 A memoir for anyone who’s ever looked around in their 30s and thought,
Wait… how did I get here?

🎉 Smart. Honest. Hilarious. Deeply relatable.

📅 Giveaway ends July 18th—don’t miss out!

🔗 Enter now at The StoryGraph

06/09/2025

Ami Hendrickson’s debut novel is making waves—earning high praise from BookLife by Publishers Weekly for its heart, depth, and dual narrative magic.

📖 “An intimate, heartwarming examination of growing up, then and now.”
🖊️ “Centers the power of the written word and journaling as an intergenerational conduit.”
💜 “Breathes life into both teen voices, finding both wisdom and comedy… that resonate.”

We couldn’t be prouder to walk alongside Ami as this story touches hearts and spans generations.

“Dear Alderone” is available wherever books are sold.

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06/06/2025

It started with a spark.⚡️
One small flame 🔥 —the urge to do something for families caught in the storm of confusion, fear, and unconditional love for their child.

The candle 🕯️ was a gift from my writing coach, a quiet nudge to keep going. I lit it. I wrote an intention.
I made a promise: To write a book that would guide, comfort, and empower caregivers walking alongside teens in crisis.

That spark turned into What’s Wrong with My Teen?

A resource. A conversation starter.
A light in the dark.

📖✨ The goal was simple: Polish the truth, help families, and get it published.

If you’re holding that candle too—know you’re not alone. 💜

05/27/2025

✨Today’s the day!✨

Hello, Grace by Lydia Knorr is officially out in the world — a soulful, reflective memoir about navigating grief, loss, and reinvention after the death of her husband.

Lydia’s story is one of rediscovery, resilience, and what it means to meet life with presence, purpose, and grace.

We’re so proud to celebrate Lydia and this beautiful debut.

Let today be a reminder: sometimes the path to healing starts with a simple hello.

Grab your copy wherever books are sold online.

Say hello to grace — and to yourself — all over again.

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05/14/2025

05/08/2025

“Jersey girl Kuipers puts herself out into the world in this short memoir brimming with bracing dark humor, unapologetic self-deprecation, and a proudly unfiltered voice. Loosely connected essays trace through the chaos of a life shaped by generational trauma—especially her difficult relationship with an anxious, controlling mother (“My family was an inferno, with my mother starring as the head arsonist in charge”)—while also detouring into lighter, often hilarious terrain. Kuipers writes for the middle-aged, world-weary reader who feels increasingly like an outsider and craves being seen, not fixed. Her irreverent voice and incisive storytelling bring both catharsis and comic relief, especially for readers who appreciate her proudly profane, take-no-prisoners tone.

Though she projects an aura of chaos—offering a “random curse-filled tour” through her life and warning readers that some stories require “a drink or three”—there’s a high level of craft beneath the surface. She writes with punchy control and wicked timing, and when she boasts that her prose can “purr like a h***y cougar,” she’s not wrong. Even as her stories explore toxic relationships and family dysfunction, Kuipers sketches vivid portraits of people in just a few sharp strokes—her grandfather and ex-husband, for instance, come alive through well-placed details and sharply observed anecdotes.

Still, the strongest entries are the funniest, veering away from personal trauma and into general observations or absurd encounters—like a disastrous teen party with a failed toilet, or an unexpectedly emotional connection to a support chicken. Kuipers’s takes on s*xting (pro), dick pics (con), roller derby, pet waste, and, especially, the sorry state of modern vampire tropes are razor-sharp, wholly original, and laugh-out-loud funny.”

Takeaway: Sharp-elbowed comic essays on trauma, family, and life’s absurdities, delivered with wit and bite.

Comparable Titles: Sophia Benoit’s Well, This Is Exhausting, Maria Bamford’s Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult.

Production grades:
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

05/06/2025

Sometimes it’s the dinner dates. Sometimes it’s the commutes. Sometimes it’s walking into a CVS with a plan—and walking out without one.

We’re thrilled to announce the debut memoir from behavioral scientist Sarah Watters: *This Is Not How I Thought It Would Be*, coming July 17, 2025.

With a PhD from the London School of Economics and over 15 years spent helping others build better habits, Sarah turns her expertise inward—asking what happens when your 30s don’t go according to plan… and why that might not be such a bad thing.

Sharp, self-aware, and laugh-out-loud honest, this is a book for anyone who’s ever looked around and wondered if everyone else got the manual. Spoiler: they didn’t.

Follow for exclusive previews and preorder updates. This is one memoir you’ll want on your shelf—and in your group chat.

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05/06/2025

We believe every story begins where the heart cracks open. Whether you’re writing through grief, joy, or transformation, your tears are not in vain—they are ink waiting for a page.