Rhonda Aycock

My professional indoctrination into the world of writing was for Knight Ridder Publishing, and amazingly my first ad campaign won a national advertising award. That recognition fueled my love for writing and propelled me into many twists and turns, all revolving around the written word. Subsequent endeavors included hosting and content production for various national magazines and Fortune 500 companies, culminating this phase with my own regional magazine, "Southern Lifestyles."

COVID-19 Miracle Survivors

When my sister and I observed the world come to a screeching halt from COVID-19, we recognized that this event was something historical — touching every single person in one way or another. As fear gripped the nation at the mention of COVID-19, we knew people needed hope now more than ever. There was little focus on the survivors of this horrific virus, yet we knew they existed. That’s when we decided to write COVID-19 Miracle Survivors, so their voices could be heard.

We interviewed real-life people who share their personal journeys of how C19 nearly destroyed their lives — and how they miraculously survived. They include people from all walks of life, from 7 to 96 years old and every age in between.

Because isolation forced us to conduct interviews via Zoom, we have the unique advantage of hours of raw footage. We incorporated clickable links within each chapter where the reader can watch and listen to the survivor sharing parts of their personal journey.

The heart of our book is real people who offer hope and encouragement. That is also the reason net proceeds from sales are going to Joseph R. Gannascoli's project for feeding the front line heroes across New York, and World Central Kitchen to feed the vulnerable.

TEENS TALK ABOUT FEAR

TTAF's concept was conceived on the days following the Columbine tragedy, at which time I was a producer for Liveworld, Inc. Hundreds of high school students sought me out online seeking some form of comfort and answers. These conversations prompted discussions about their own personal issues and fears, and then translated into a book to empower teens to overcome fear.