By Kyle Fitzsimmons
Review Staff Intern
Lake Orion resident Lisa Jander never set out to be an author.
‘Really what happened was I had 59,632 words to say and no one would sit still long enough to hear them so I wrote a book,? she said.
That book, Dater’s Ed: The Instruction Manual for Parents hit book shelves July 9 and since then Jander has found herself caught in the whirlwind aftermath.
Beginning with the first book signing and seminar in Petoskey back in July, Jander said she has been busy promoting her book on the road.
She has nine seminars booked for the fall, including a workshop in Lake Orion set for Sept. 16.
‘Mama J,? as she is affectionately referred to in the community, is a certified life coach and former director of a video dating service in California who has been living in Lake Orion with her husband and two children for the past nine years.
Dater’s Ed is her first published book. She was inspired to write it while her son was going through driver’s training several years ago.
Jander said she was confused when her son commented he can’t wait to get his license so he can start dating.
After asking around to other parents, she concluded that 16 is the age when most parents allow their children to date but really wasn’t sure why that was.
‘I went back to the driver’s (education) manual and simply changed all the words that read ‘driver? to the word ‘dater,?? Jander said. ‘It was just amazing the analogies that popped out.?
From signs in driving to signs in dating and driving under the influence to dating under the influence, Jander soon found herself writing her first book.
‘It really developed as a parallel to the driver’s (education) manual,? she said. ‘It follows the Michigan driver’s (education) manual almost exactly.”
Jander added it is important that parents realize they are in the passenger seat when their kids start dating and their job should be to guide, not control.
‘I’m giving parents a tool to take a more important role,? she said. ‘Not to hover, not to spy, not to control, but’the same way it is in driver’s (education)’be there in the passenger seat to help them and make sure they don’t have an accident.?
For more information on Jander and her book, visit her website at www.datersed.com.