About the Book

Book: A Precious Loss

Author: Sharon Fox

Genre: RELIGION / Christian Living / Death, Grief, Bereavement

Release Date: July 8, 2016

Losing a child is the worst tragedy a parent can experience. And yet it happens to many from various causes, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), death from illness, stillborn birth, or miscarriage. A Precious Loss offers those who have experienced such a death a window into the grief process. It presents the biblical grief model and the emotions to expect after a loss, and it includes the steps to move forward toward peace and contentment.

While each parent’s experience is unique, this book is written with deep insight and strong compassion. It provides grieving parents with:

· Concrete steps to coping and recovery, including how to care for your health and your relationships and how to cope with emotions and behaviors you can expect to experience

· Biblical support for finding comfort and hope in your darkest hours

Recognition of the hard questions you may have, such as these:

· Why me?

· Was this my fault?

· Is someone to blame?

· Is this some sort of punishment for things I did or did not do?

· Is there a purpose for my child’s death?

· Can I trust God?

If you or a loved one is grappling with the devastating loss of a child, this book will provide hope and encouragement to press on, knowing that God will sustain you through this painful experience.

Click HERE to get your copy.

About the Author

Sharon Fox is a wife, author, speaker and co-founder of Brave Penny (non-profit). Her heart for those who mourn and struggle with loss has led her to write and teach about God’s model of grieving the death of his son, Jesus.

A Precious Loss, was written for families who have experienced miscarriage, SIDS, infant death and stillbirths. (Spanish - Una Perdida Preciosa)

Sharon published Reframing Adoption, (also in Spanish) and a children’s Christmas book, The Stone Carver’s Son.

She has led a grief recovery ministry for over twenty years. Sharon is a certified grief facilitator and has been a speaker at the National Conference on Adoption and the Anglicans For Life Summit.

More from Sharon

Precious Loss (Una Perdida Preciosa- Spanish) was written to present a Christian perspective on the survival of families when a miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death (SIDS) have occurred. A miscarriage or infant death is strikingly harsh and so many times unknown by others, which leaves the mother and family without support or understanding. The statistics tell the story. One in four conceptions end in miscarriage. Seventy Five Percent of the marriages end in divorce when a child under three dies.

How do families survive the death of a child, a miscarriage, or tragic illness or accident that is such a sacred, personal and bewildering loss event? A Precious Loss is packed with sage advice, coping skills, presentation of God’s Model of Grieving, the Gospel, helpful, authentic recognition of the emotional overload of loss. The book presents the blueprint from chaos, sadness, upheaval, questioning, new and strong emotions to contentment. It presents the pathway to the reach contentment and live abundantly again.

Author Interview

Q: When/how did you decide to become a writer?

A: I did not set out to be a writer. I was a professional trainer at a major retailer’s corporate offices in Minnesota for fourteen years. It was a total God thing that I wrote my first book, Reframing Adoption (Published by anther publisher). That book was for Birthmothers who chose, through adoption, to gift their child to another family. The book was the result of a friend who had chosen adoption for her son. She asked me to write something for her (and other birthmothers), who knew they had made a wise decision, but were still grieving the loss. She knew about my grief recovery ministry because she had experienced a significant loss when a family member took their life, a few years before. I had the honor of walking with her through that grieving process.

I have been involved in Grief Recovery Ministry for over twenty years. The ministry began after my sister, Penny Scaggs, was murdered by her husband in 1996. I took a grief class, at my church, about six months after her death. For me, it was a life changing class. I realized I was not the only one who had had a tragic loss and did not know how to cope. I joined the American Academy of Bereavement and was certified as a Grief Facilitator. It was wonderful training – but all secular. I started to look for biblical teachings on grief and found that God grieved the death of Jesus, his son. He created a pattern which matches the secular patterns perfectly. I base my ministry on the Model of Grieving which is described in Matthew. It is the blueprint to contentment from the chaos of loss. I have compiled two programs for those who have experienced losses. General loss is taught in Shadowlands and Precious Losses is taught for the mothers and families who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, infant death due to illness or accident and SIDS. My book A Precious Loss (and the Spanish version Una Perdida PRECIOSA) is the companion of the five-section program of Precious Losses. The book was written after a pregnancy center asked for Christian materials to support their clients. The had been using the only resource available at the time which was a trifold describing the medical terminology associated with miscarriage.

Q: Describe your book in five words.

A: Grief Recovery: Miscarriage, Infant Death, SIDS

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: My husband and I love to travel. This year we spent a total of seven weeks in Europe on two trips. We visited Greece, Italy, Russia and the highland of Scotland. On my bucket list is to see the Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Warriors.

When at home, I read light-hearted mysteries and currently I am interest in books on how we, as humans, think. These books are examining the influences, emotional reactions and actions that make us think a certain way and do what we do.

I like to crochet. I make prayer blankets for nursing homes and hospitals.

Q: Do you prefer traditional books, ebooks, or audiobooks?

A: I do most of my reading on ebooks. However, I am just as happy with a paperback. The choice is usually based on convenience and where I will be reading the book. For my readers, I hope they use the paper version of Reframing Adoption. There are discussion questions in the chapters which can be shared in groups or addressed individually. For A Precious Loss, paper is my preference. There is a chapter which addresses sex after the loss of a child which both parents should read together and discuss openly in the privacy of their home.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

A: Since I am a Christian writer, I believe the most important thing is to listen to what God is prompting you to write, not your ideas, opinions, nor the towering piles of devotionals or personal testimony books that are out there. What is it you and you alone can write about that is not about you – but about reflecting God into the life of others? How can you lead those who are lost, needing comfort or need to experience God’s love, to find peace and wisdom? What is it that God wants others to know about Him which you can write about?

I do know the value of telling your story. Your personal story is critical in healing and getting a perspective about something that has made a very large impact on your life. But, be sure to keep your eye on the prize, fellow writer. We are made to worship and praise God. We are created to seek him as he seeks us. So, as you write, keep pointing back to God concerning anything you write. The need to pray, listen and allow Him to be the writer and you be the transcriber, in my opinion, is the purest form of worship and sharing God’s love with others.

Know your reader. I had A Precious Loss translated into Spanish; Una Perdida PRECIOSA. I know that miscarriage and infant death crosses all nationalities, cultures and geographic areas. One in four conceptions ends in a miscarriage. The numbers of families who have had miscarriages, is not recognized nor acknowledged by others. Seventy-five percent of the families who lose a child under the age of three, end in divorce. Couples are so injured emotionally when a child dies, they seem to drift away from each and see divorce as the next step in their relationship. Unless they know they are at risk, they are likely to lose something else – their marriage. A Precious Loss responds to the need for information, an understanding of God’s compassion and helpful coping skills to recover and flourish again.