First-time author Fionia Salmon has been making a positive impact with her memoir It Will Be Long, But Not Forever, independently distributed through Yonia Distributors LLC, which details how she managed to overcome adversities and established herself as a successful entrepreneur.

“The feedback has been great, so far. I know that people have been asking for book two because I’ve really motivated them,” the author, who is also a mother of two, recently told the Jamaica Observer.

As a young woman, Salmon had to discontinue her studies at the Northern Caribbean University after getting pregnant during her undergraduate studies. She subsequently underwent a legal battle for custody of her son, which she lost. The author used this hurdle to push her to share her journey, which would see her as a young mother, among other things, pursuing auniversity education without support, poverty and abuse dogging her every step of the way, trying to break her spirit. Hers is a story of triumph, however, as her hardships only making her stronger, teaching her to not only survive but also thrive through God’s sustaining grace.

“I was motivated and inspired to write my memoir due to several factors, but mainly my son and the many challenges I faced with him and without him as I navigated life as a single mother. I wanted to leave a legacy that would inspire not only him but generations to follow.

“Despite the circumstances that life may throw at you, there are no excuses for you not to attain your dreams irrespective of your socioeconomic circumstances,” she explained, disclosing that her son is now in the United States Navy,” she said.

Hailing from Swaby’s Hope Spur Tree, Manchester, Salmon would attend Monroe College, New Rochelle, New York, where she studied business management with a minor in marketing. She works in real estate and in aviation as a pilot scheduler for companies such as Signature Aviation, Republic Jet Center, JetBlue Airlines and Nippon Cargo Airlines.

In the meantime, Salmon has high hopes for the book. In addition to penning a sequel and a children’s book in the future, for now she is looking to depict her story on the big screen and has been coordinating with survivors of abuse and other challenges to share their stories.
“My ultimate goal is to one day get the attention of someone in Hollywood. I’m a country girl, but I dream big,” she said.

— Kedeisha Perry