We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lynn Marie Cherry a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lynn Marie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

There is nothing quite like a full circle moment, when you can look back and see how the events of your life have prepared you and positioned you for the role you find yourself in. Twenty years ago, I was just trying to survive the trauma of a relational betrayal. Today I am the author of an award-winning book and Program Chair for Hope Rising Conference for Betrayed Spouses.

Lynn Marie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

While other kids were playing tag or trying to survive 90’s playground equipment during recess, my nose was buried in a book. Not much has changed. I love to read. Books have entertained me and mentored me. The dream of becoming a writer was born in Mrs Triska’s 6th grade class. Odd how I was also introduced to pornography in the reading corner of her classroom when a classmate dropped a magazine inside the book I was reading. I never dreamed of writing the book I wrote, but I suppose that is another full circle moment. Keep Walking, 40 days to Hope and Freedom after Betrayal (http://bit.ly/kpwalking) is a gentle recovery companion, a spiritual guide to finding your way through the trauma caused by relational betrayal. This is my story. My husband was exposed to pornography in 2nd grade. As a young adult, it became a coping mechanism he turned to. When I discovered his porn use, it crushed me. Culture accepts, even glamorizes porn use, minimizing the personal and relational pain. I’m so grateful to celebrities like Billie Eilish, Russell Brand and Terry Crews who have been speaking out about the damage caused by pornography.

We found hope and help through the courses at AffairRecovery.com. I really believe that my therapist Leslie Hardie saved my life. I don’t know where I would be without her and the Harboring Hope course she created with her husband Dr John Haney. This year, Leslie will be our keynote speaker at Hope Rising. She is a hero to me and so many. Being the Program Chair for Hope Rising brings a sense of purpose and pride.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

This weekend, a friend added me to a Facebook conversation with a woman who is dealing with her own betrayal. We chatted. I sent a few resources. Then she said, “Wait, you are The Lynn Cherry! I’ve read your book twice and I’m on my third time through.” Conversations like this are so validating and rewarding. Honestly, when I clicked publish on my book eight years ago this month, I was terrified of bad reviews. Knowing readers would be in the middle of their own painful journey. Raw and reactive. How would they respond? I have had a couple of reactive reviews. But for the most part what I hear is gratitude for taking the risk of vulnerability and sharing my recovery journey.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

After I released my book, I learned the hard lesson that I was not only an author, I would have to become a speaker and a marketer if I didn’t want my book to die an early death on Amazon. I reached out to other authors and organizations I knew who were serving the audience my book was written for and offered to speak or write a guest blog. I mustered up all my courage and cold-called podcast hosts inviting myself to be their guest. Nothing will help you get over yourself like becoming your own marketing agency. But if you believe that your book, your album, your message, your art is meant to make a difference in the lives of others, you have to put yourself out there.

I travelled to Seattle for the Restoring Hearts Conference, shared my story and set up a book table. It was the first time I gathered in a room full of betrayed spouses. The shared pain was tangible and yet it was powerful to look around a room with several hundred people and know you are not alone. I came home and pitched the idea to the staff at Affair Recovery to create a similar conference here in Austin and I invited them to hire me to help execute the conference. (Talk about getting over yourself.) October 5th, 2024 will be our 7th annual Hope Rising Conference. I’m excited about the panel of speakers and topics we have put together and look forward being a conference host live from the Affair Recovery studio. We are virtual this year so attendees will tune in from all over the world. I never imagined I could have such a reach, or that my personal pain could be transformed into purpose.

It takes courage to create. I think it takes even more courage to share your creativity with the world but the risk is worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.affairrecovery.com/hope-rising
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynnmariecherry
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keepwalkingbook
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnmariecherry/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxu0_U4OGYI&list=PLB2jgAdcrWkV3ZNVObtNfGm7mSQBXLT6v
• Other: http://bit.ly/kpwalking