Where Art Thou, Meryl Streep?

Have you ever had a dream to do something that keeps waking you up at night? My name is Tom Herstad. I am an Author from Toronto Canada. My first book is called Love, Care and Share and is about how our mother led her life. The book was written after Mom’s passing in 2011 and published in 2016. A movie contract was inked with Paul Saltzman, movie director and owner of Sunrise films, in 2017. This past fall I was at a book signing on the island of Manitoulin in Northern Ontario, Canada. I traveled the six hours north from my Toronto home to support Bonnie Kogos. Bonnie is someone I have had the privilege to know since I attended a New York City 2016 publicity summit to promote my book. This lady, who I now call Auntie Bonnie, had just finished publishing her book “The Boat That Brings You Home”. The book is Read More

Turtle Path – the Long Road to Making Our Dreams Come Alive

What is a “Turtle Path”? I was in a meeting last month with movie executives. The meeting was to discuss the finalized movie screen play of my book Love, Care and Share which is being made into a motion picture. I continue to be humbled to be in such quality company. We have Paul Saltzman – director/producer, Tom Schlesinger – screen play writer, Bob Wertheimer – line producer (takes screen play and establishes a line by line production budget), our financier Michael, and his wife Laura, and finally my youngest sister Julianne; who wrote the original screenplay being coached by Tom Schlesinger. We discussed many things and one of the topics was our decision to either take this movie the major motion picture route or to the in-home Netflix, Amazon Prime market. This is an important decision as it affects many other variables such as: final budget total, the type of actors and actresses we will be able to entice Read More

Books Can Turn Into Movies!

I think we read books for four reasons: To learn something new. To be inspired. To escape into our imagination. Some books can even change our life! Based on the 90 plus reviews of Love, Care and Share it is clear that this book offers all of these experiences. The book is a true story about a lady who experienced much joy, fulfillment and happiness in her life. Isn’t that what every one wants? We conducted 18 interviews with people who spent time with Mary Margaret and the research for the writing took 5 years to complete. A movie directors wife read this book and initiated the movie contract. A movie financier, who also read this book, expressed that this powerful message has to be shared with the world and the movie deal was finalized. We hope to start shooting in the summer of 2019. The lady was my Mother. The book website is www.lovecareandsharebook.com

A Little Change Can Make a Big Difference

I had a call from a lady named Annie last week. She had just finished reading my book Love, Care and Share. I asked her what part of the book spoke to her the most. She expressed that it was the story about how my mother helped me during my marriage separation and ultimate divorce. For those of you who have not read Love, Care and Share this is the part in the story. It was the summer of 1997 and I had just come back from dropping off my two-and-a-half-year-old son, Reigan, to my wife’s local backyard apartment. I was noticeably upset. My mother was living with me at the time and as I came back into my house she asked me to sit down at the kitchen table. She then joined me in the chair beside me. Mom asked me to face her and look into her eyes and she said these words Read More

First Book Author Gets Movie Deal

How a Dream Came True: Everyone has a story. Sometimes it is our own story but sometimes it is a story we know about, and one that we know must be shared. My story is about how I knew I had to share my Mother’s story. A story that could spread more love, empathy and compassion into this world. Over the past few weeks, I have been wondering what I can share with you about this journey I have followed to get to “here”. What I mean by “here” is we have completed the production budget for the major motion picture “Second Line West”. This is the movie that is based on my book, “Love, Care and Share”. Second Line West was in screenplay development for 18 months with top professionals in the movie industry. How an unknown writes an incredible story So, how does a non-published writer, a man who has never written a Read More

Change Your Thoughts and Spring into Nature’s Ebb and Flow

Last year a powerful thought literally stopped me in my tracks. I had never had this kind of thought before. See, I had always lived in pursuit of things and plans which I had believed I had to chase aggressively. Often I got caught up in thoughts and feelings which at times led to anxiety and frustration. The paradigm-shifting thought came to me while I walked along the Credit River beside my home. It was a brilliant spring morning and the sounds of the birds reminded me that nature was about to awaken for a fresh new season. The sky was blue and the trees were beginning to come to life again; I enjoy walking in nature to settle and relax my mind into Mother Nature allowing her to mother me. These walks are my own definition of prescribed therapy. As I gazed at the fast flowing wide river, it represented a metaphor of my Read More

The Eagle Within – Christmas and Holiday Wishes to You All

The Eagle Within In a barn somewhere there was a birth This baby bird cracked the shell and started life He was born into a chicken farm He walked with the chickens He ate with the chickens He slept with the chickens But he never believed he belonged He always thought there was something more One day he saw a bird flying high above the farm It was the most beautiful bird he had ever seen He could not take his eyes off this bird As it soared off across the field He continued to walk with the chickens Eat with the chickens And sleep with the chickens But he never forgot the site he saw that day One day he found himself on the top of the barn He had made his journey all the way to the top From here he could see all the chickens down below He looked out over the Read More

How I Wrote My Book in Under Four Months

I have always enjoyed finding the right words to fit into my poetry! However, it was a brand new experience for me when I wrote my book in under four months – no less! My youngest sister and I started this journey side by side 5 years ago. After we all lost our incredible and amazing mother. We interviewed the people together planning to include their insights in the impending book. Then we agreed that Julie would write the book and as I have a strong sales background, I would follow through with marketing and selling our mother’s uplifting and inspirational life story. After we had completed the interview process with 18 people, my sister was not responding to my calls and I knew something was up. Many weeks went by and I finally connected with her. Julie then expressed to me that she could not write this book. Something was holding her back. As she told Read More

Want To Meet Tom Herstad at Your Local Indigo?

Meet Tom Herstad at Your Local Indigo Local Author Sheds Inspirational Light At Indigo Book Signings: If you or any of your friends and family would like to meet Tom Herstad, the author of the Inspirational Autobiography “Love, Care, and Share,” you have three chances to meet him this month starting next week. Come and be inspired by him and ask him any questions you may have about life, inspiration and about why and how Tom Herstad wrote his book: 1)    September 17th, 2016 Where: Oakville, Ontario Indigo’s Oakville – 310 North Service Rd., West, (in Dorval Crossing shopping center) Who: Tom Herstad, Author of Inspirational Autobiography “Love, Care, and Share,” Why: Tom Herstad will sign copies of the book “Love, Care, and Share,” Date:  Sept 17, 2016 Time: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. 2)   September 18th – 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Where: at Indigo – Milton Crossroads, 1180 Steeles Ave, East, Milton, Ontario 3)    September Read More

Why I Had to Write Love, Care & Share – Part 1

Many people have already read my book, Love, Care and Share, and the reviews have been incredibly gratifying. I now realize how important it was to write this inspiring book for myself, but also how it has already helped and brought joy and meaning to so many people. The book reviews and the personal messages I have received  for this inspiring book have made every moment of the journey worthwhile. Even those times when my memories were hard to recall and write about. But most of the writing adventure has been just that; a glorious, engaging and joyful experience which has helped me grow and become even more grateful for all aspects of my life. Before I tell you about my journey to getting the final, published book in my hands, my book’s introduction explains the first part of why I felt compelled to write Love, Care and Share: INTRODUCTION: As I embarked on this Read More