Author To Sign Books
Local foster parent and author John DeGarmo will sign copies of his new book, Love and Mayhem, this Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to noon at The Vanilla Bean on the Square in Monticello.
In conjunction with the book signing will be an art show by local artist Jeanne Trammell.
Mr. DeGarmo said that the book is a sequel to his first book, Fostering Love, and offers more insight into the world of fostering and adoption.
He and his wife, Kelly, have been fostering for 13 years, and during that time have fostered some 40+ children, some for very short periods, others for extended time. The children have ranged in age from 27 hours to 17 yeArs old.
The DeGarmos have three children they gave birth to, and have adopted three others.
Mr. DeGarmo said that the book, and fostering in general, is about how can we help these kids, and the fact that every child deserves a loving family.
He went on to say that the holidays are the hardest time for foster children.
Mr. DeGarmo said that about 50 percent of foster children are returned to their parents, which can be heart-wrenching for the foster family, and may or may not be a good thing for the children.
The book is a folksy tale talking about days in the lives of the DeGarmos, and talks about times it is difficult to return a child to a situation he feels may not have changed enough to be appropriate for the child to go back to.
The DeGarmos have had as many as 11 children in their home at one time, and now, with just their children, they have six. Currently they have one foster child, along with their six.
But, the call to foster more again may come at any time. Mr. DeGarmo says, in his first book, that you never know when the call may come. The DeGarmos pray about every situation, and there have been times they are not able, at least immediately, to answer the call affirmatively.
One time, he said, they were leaving the country to visit Kelly’s mother in Australia for three weeks. The call came on the eve of their departure and they had to say no.
Besides the current book, and its predecessor, Mr. DeGarmo has written other books that are geared just to foster families or to help with fostering. This book is meant to appeal to all readers, especially to people who love children. Mr. DeGarmo said he loves the writing process, and that there very little out there for foster parents, hence his call to write the books.
He hopes this book, liked the first one, will encourage people to foster and adopt, and especially bring awareness to the need.
He said his family could not do what it does without the support of his church, and the whole community.
