About My Book

How many of us find the love of our life that lasts a lifetime? For Frances Livesay, her dear friend Shawn became that love and their life together was fulfilling and joyful. When Shawn was tragically killed in an accident, Livesay questioned how she would go on. With two children, what were her choices? Living With No Regrets is the author’s gift to every man and woman learning to live a truly full and satisfying life, whether in a relationship or alone. In this book, Livesay, a member of the prestigious Bryan family of Mississippi, shares her most intimate dreams and fears, revealing how, even with her privileged life, she witnessed racism (in her own church) and was forced to question the goodness of people. Livesay was subjected to the same insecurities and wishful-thinking hopefulness experienced by most girls as they move through adolescence and enter the college scene. She writes about those good-time years of fraternities and boyfriends, challenges and longings with an honesty rarely seen in such a spiritual memoir. We learn that a long-time and trusted friend, Shawn, suddenly becomes the beloved husband she had always dreamed of having, and we watch as her life takes on new shape and purpose. When Shawn suddenly dies and Livesay is forced to face a life alone, everything changes and her faith is dramatically tested. In this engaging and very wise memoir, readers are treated to a dose of reality that encourages as much as it educates. Yes, we are sometimes alone and frightened. Yes, we can survive these times and move on. Anyone who doubts it must read this wise, spiritual, and thoroughly hopeful book. It is a wonderful reminder that we can stand on our own with confidence and grace.

Back Cover 

How often does real love come along? And when we lose it, how do we survive? For Frances Livesay, survival was found in the most unexpected place: within herself. In this moving and very honest memoir, Living With No Regrets, we follow the author’s life through her childhood in Mississippi, as a member of the prestigious Bryan family, where she viewed first-hand her community’s ugly truths of racism, and into the tumultuous teenage years, when the line between right and wrong was very clearly defined. In college, the author was a fraternity sweetheart who was never without an admirer, yet she was maturing and looking deeper into her relationships, hoping to find that perfect companion. And then there was Shawn, good and trusted friend, who suddenly became more. Married and raising a family together, Livesay felt fulfilled and contented. When Shawn was suddenly killed, her life collapsed. There were two children to raise alone, and the pain of moving through the days without that physical and emotional companionship she had known so well. What were the choices? The author weighed her possibilities and opted to move forward, heading courageously into unknown territory: career, dating, independence. In this compelling, sometimes humorous, and always inspirational chronicle, we learn about surviving loneliness, creating a new and fulfilling life, and accepting the support of the power of God.

Author Biography 

Frances Livesay was born in West Point, Mississippi and earned her Bachelor of Science degree at Centenary College of Louisiana. Creator of Frances Livesay Organize It!, she served on the board of the Germantown United Methodist Church, where she helped create a Sunday school class for singles. She is the former vice president of the Memphis Business Network International group. In addition to developing the Life Notebook closer to Organize It!, Livesay works with the church-related Emmaus community. She resides near Memphis, Tennessee with her two teenage children.