Real Stories Real People
Marcia
Brixey • Paulette
Ensign • Claire
Hegarty • Jennifer
Clare • Joyce
Zee • Michelle
Hill • Frank
Traditi • Robin
Sparks • Cecilia
Saleme • SoccerKidsUSA
• Brigitte
Nadeau • Dinah
Chapman • Gail
Foley • Jim
Goebelbecker • Minna
Vallentine •
Cat
Marrs • Suzanne
Kincaid • Anita
Flegg • Jieranai
T. Maier • Tamah
Nakamura • Bonnie
Vining • Mark
Sincevich • Rosemary-Martino
Rodriguez • Jan
Louthain • Mark
McMahon • Heather
and Murray Rand • Susan
Jennings • Hank
Bochenski • Serena
Williamson• Miriam
Benard• Kevin
McDonald • Dolores
Arste • Faith
Smith • Jennifer
Wright • Joe
Kasper • ArLyne
Diamond • Monica
Lee • Dan
Millman • Dana
Hall • Carl
Battiste • Shawn
Snyder • Roberta
Carasso • Colleen
Read • Cory
Johnson • Kevin
O'Neil • Craig
Barton • Peter
Bowers • Mike
Munter • Glen
Smith • Nancy
Ceridwyn • Deanna
Kim • Anasuya
Krishnaswamy • Hilton
Paoli
Jan Louthain- Government Worker turned Author of Children's Books!
 If
you ever lean back in your office chair and dream about
pursuing another passion, think about Jan Louthain.
She did it! Louthain worked for the Federal government
for 32 years. She had a good career as an Accountant
and Management Analyst and even lived in Washington,
DC for a few years. Her projects often involved travel
and her job was rewarding. Nothing to complain about,
but what she really wanted to do was write. She wrote
in her spare time and had published several magazine
articles, but she wanted to write full time and move
toward the publishing field.
With the help of an inheritance, she was able to retire
from her government job at the age of 54. At first she
was overwhelmed with the freedom she had. She now had
time and even a little money to pursue her PASSION,
but where would she start? She was used to having a
supervisor somewhere tell her nature of the project
and the expected final product. Now she was on her own.
Her first step was to complete the children's book she'd
been working on for years, 23 to be exact. She began
exploring the world of self publishing and met a local
publisher who mentored her and helped her publish her
first book, Tagger, Alone Along the Mystic River. Promoting
the book was tough, because she wasn't used to marketing.
There's very little of that in the Federal government.
But soon she was learning the ins and outs and was thrilled
when her book was selected for the Fall 2002 Children's
Booksense 76 List and later recommended for the Nutmeg
Award in Connecticut.
With these successes under her belt, Louthain wrote
another children's book, Ame the Elephant, Terrorized
by Evil Mice. She wrote this allegory in the 4 days
after 9/11 to help children understand the complexities
of terrorism by using animal characters to represent
people and countries.
As she enjoyed these accomplishments, she began to think
of the other Baby Boomers behind her who were considering
retirement, second careers, financial issues, coping
with aging parents, downsizing homes, health issues,
etc. With the experiences she'd had already, she decided
to start a free, online newsletter called BOOMER-ING,
for Baby Boomers who are Independent, Notable and Graying.
With little effort, she found several experts to contribute
articles and advice. BOOMER-ING has become a success
in it's own right, and she's appeared on several radio
talk shows to tell listeners about it's content.
In the meantime, Louthain has taken on three other writers
and now publishes their books as well. She went from
having one book on her website last November to having
7 this year. So she's also realized her dream of becoming
a publisher.
What can we learn from Jan's story?
Jan used her previous experience and skills to move
towards what she really wanted to do. She pursued her
passion a bit at a time building upon each small success
she went.
To join BOOMER-ING (for those born between 1946-64)
and learn more about Louthain's books, just visit her
website at
www.alexiebooks.com.
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