Shirley spent the first twenty years of her career in an industrial manufacturing environment, running around the hamster wheel as fast as her legs would carry her. A breast cancer diagnosis jammed on the brakes and forced her to put life in perspective. Shirley’s journey since cancer has been focused on making a positive difference in the world, and she chose writing as her instrument to leave her mark. She was pleased and humbled that readers felt inspired by her memoir, Losing the Girls - My Journey Through Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy and Beyond. Reader feedback led to a "Lemons to Lemonade" concept that had great appeal to the budding author. She had been trying to find a purpose for her writing - a platform that felt meaningful and could make a difference in people’s lives. The Lemons to Lemonade notion morphed into a plan to write a series of uplifting ’troubles to triumph’ novels, called The Lemons to Lemonade series. She envisioned the stories serving inspiration to a world so filled with negativity. Losing the Girls was the first installment and then she went in search of another amazing story to tell. Shirley’s basic beliefs are that knowledge is power and that through awareness, change is more likely. By increasing awareness of social issues that plague our communities and our world, then change becomes possible. Her objective is to serve meaningful stories in an engaging way, creating a positive reading experience and leaving the reader wanting more. A Healing Haven - Saving Horses and Humans at RVR Horse Rescue is the second installment of the series and was a life-changing project. Her favorite feedback to date of A Healing Haven is, "It was worth every tear." This simple statement defines exactly what she’s trying to accomplish. The Road Paved in Pink - A Personal and Practical Guide for Breast Cancer Patients and their Loved Ones was a brief departure from her series to "pay forward" the goodness she received during her breast cancer crisis. Shirley has turned her efforts back to Lemons to Lemonade inspirational nonfiction and is currently underway on the third installment of the series. Stay informed of her writing progress by "Liking" her Shirley Alarie Facebook page or subscribing for updates on shirleyalarie.com.