Adopting Hope Stories and Real Life Advice from Birthparents, Adoptive Parents, and Adoptees

All My Children actress Jill Larson moved mountains as a single mother to adopt her daughter from China. George Fadok, a former Navy commander, grappled with “changing the rules” eighteen years after placing his daughter in a closed adoption. Angela Paxton, Texas state senator and an adoptee, never thought she would ever meet her birthmom, but when she did, it changed her life.

Embarking on an adoption journey can be daunting, but now you are not alone! This collection of true, beautiful accounts, including Larson’s, Fadok’s, and Paxton’s, takes an honest look at the process, the struggles, and the undeniable joy that comes with adoption. With insights from all three adoption triad viewpoints, Adopting Hope shares a wealth of lessons learned and tips for every person contemplating an adoption journey.

• How to have the courage to adopt
• How to decide on an open vs. a closed adoption
• How to handle a foreign adoption
• How to survive the agonizing wait to become parents
• How to tell your adopted child “the story”
• How to make your adopted child feel loved
• How to negotiate a relationship with your child’s birth parents
• How to help your child work through feelings of loneliness or rejection
• How to dispel negative attitudes you will encounter about adoption
• And so much more, including suggestions from birthparents and adoptees!

From Lorri Antosz Benson, author of To Have and Not to Hold, this heartfelt compilation is ultimately a message of hope, love, and destiny as each family discovers the truth that a child doesn't need to be blood to be truly yours.

Lorri Antosz Benson is an award-winning television producer, writer, author, and former internationally syndicated columnist. Most notably, she worked for Donahue, the acclaimed show hosted by the legendary Phil Donahue, for fifteen years, eight of which were spent as Senior Producer. Lorri received two Emmy Awards and ten Emmy nominations for her work with Donahue, and was awarded the American Women in Radio and Television Commendation several times.

She went on to write a nationally syndicated column for eleven years called "Talk the Talk," a behind the scenes look at the world of talk television. During that period, she also spent two years as the executive producer of Golden Lifestyles, a regional talk show in Southwest Florida.

Lorri's first book, Distorted, was a memoir coauthored with her daughter Taryn, which delved into Taryn's struggle with an eating disorder and the effect on the family. They were featured on many national broadcasts, including the Today Show and the Montel Williams Show. Lorri's work has led her to become a family advocate and a speaker/expert on eating disorders, adoption, and resources for parents. She is founder and CEO of Family Matters, her family advocacy organization. She serves on the Parent, Family & Friends Network steering committee for the National Eating Disorder Association and is also on the board of Harvest Home, a Los Angeles-based organization which houses and assists pregnant homeless women.

Lorri's latest book, Adopting Hope, is published by Familius Publishing and due Fall 2018. A tremendous resource for any parent, but especially for those in the adoption world, it is a collection of stories, lessons learned, tips, and words of wisdom from birth parents, adoptive parents and adoptees from all over the country. This book follows To Have And Not To Hold, the first in a series of three books for those involved in adoption. To Have And Not To Hold covers the relinquishing of her first child, Aimee, for closed adoption, and the subsequent development of a flourishing relationship with her and her family, with a focus on the connection between the two mothers.

Lorri also maintains a blog for empty nesters, Feathering My Empty Nest at www.FeatheringMyEmptyNest.tumblr.com. She and her husband, Steve, reside in Santa Monica, CA. They have four children and five grandchildren.

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