Kevin SimpsonCPA Web Books · Founder at CPA Web Books

How One Book Changed My Family's Mind

15 Jul 2026 · 1 min

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In this spoken anecdote, the narrator recounts a pivotal moment of family support surrounding his decision to become an author. While living in Rockaway, New Jersey, he tells his partner, Chris (also referred to as Krista), that he wants to write a book, prompting a skeptical response about the financial impracticality of an author’s career. Undeterred, he writes his first book, Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. He later receives a heartfelt letter from a reader expressing how the book profoundly helped them. When he shows the letter to Krista, she reads it, recognizes its impact, and declares that writing is his life’s purpose, thereby shifting from doubt to full support and encouraging him to "roll the dice" on his authorial ambitions.

Chapters

I will tell you probably the greatest story in family support that I don't know if I've told you. I remember I was living in Rockaway, New Jersey, and I told Chris, I said, "I want to become an author." She responded appropriately, not her words, but basically, "Authors don't make money. Are you crazy? You think you're going to be the next Stephen King? That's a one in a billion." It's equivalent to saying, "I want to be a rock star." Basically, no one makes it. She goes, "What are you going to do to earn money because we have to sustain?" I said, "No, I got to do this." I put fear in her unintentionally and never wanted to do that, but I did. But I also felt called to do it. I wrote the first book, Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, and I got a letter I printed out from someone that was so kind and said, "This book has served me in such great ways. Thank you for doing this." And I showed Krista and she read the letter. I remember she looked up, she goes, "Oh, she's looking at it now. This is your life's purpose." So she said, "You have to be an author." She was willing to roll the dice because she knew I had to, quote unquote, roll the dice.