Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Riche.
Hi Sharon, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to Los Angeles a few weeks after I was born. I guess you can say I was a very independent baby. When I was seven years old, we moved to the San Fernando Valley living in Tarzana and then Studio City. I am a true Valley Girl. I was the only daughter between two brothers. My home was always filled with love, laughter, and music. We played with the neighborhood kids. I am still friends with the same girls today… My dad was a hidden child of the Holocaust. I learned from a young age that it was a miracle he survived, and our lives were a gift never to be taken for granted. My parents instilled in me a strong work ethic and values that shaped who I am. They were actively involved in various philanthropies and taught me to always give back to our community. We lived with a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for life. I was also raised to always be forgiving and lead with love. We lived a very comfortable life. My dad worked hard for his wealth, but all the money in the world could not save my mom from breast cancer. She died at the age of 49 two weeks before my wedding. I was 24 and learned the hard lesson that no matter how good a person is they still die.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Initially, my most significant obstacle was overcoming the fear of being vulnerable. Every time each of my books was published a scary feeling of being exposed set in, and I experienced panic and anxiety. I could not believe I shared such personal and private secrets with the world. I also wanted to protect my family and friends I portrayed in my books in a positive light. It was refreshing and a relief when I only received love, support, and encouragement from my family, friends, peers, and readers. It goes without saying it always a challenge to be a self-published author. I could not have been successful without my village. My boyfriend and my three children are my biggest cheerleaders. Their love, support, and encouragement gave me the push I needed to make my dream of publishing my books a reality. I owe my success and where I am in life to them. Not a day goes by that I don’t feel grateful for the blessings they are to me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I wrote a trilogy of books. Just One More Day is the love story between a mother and daughter. I was a bride-to-be who never gave up hope that my mom would beat her cancer and that she would live to see my wedding. My mom knew she was dying but never let me know. I was terrified of losing her, but I only showed her my strength so she wouldn’t lose hope. I wrote our story after my honeymoon so I could remember our last moments together. I was 24 years old when I wrote it. I never meant to publish it. My boyfriend found my story 27 years later and encouraged me to publish it. My second book Tear-Stained Pages is about my father’s story of being a hidden child of the Holocaust. My most exciting and proud moment was when my book found its home in the permanent collection in the Yad Vashem library. My most challenging story to share was my third book Through the Eye of Love. For the first time, I exposed my deepest secrets of being called ugly eye by my bullies. I felt vulnerable sharing how different I felt growing up with a hemangioma which led to permanent blindness in one eye. The ongoing theme in all my books is no matter how much darkness we face in our life, there is always light when there is love.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I am blessed to say I had an idyllic childhood. My favorite childhood memory was hearing my dad’s beautiful voice singing songs he had written to my mom and brothers.
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