​ABOUT LYNDA

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Lynda and her beloved husband lost their 15 year-old daughter, a straight-A student and competitive swimmer who died in a tragic car accident while coming home from a swim meet in 2009. Surrounded by love and support, Lynda was determined to overcome the overwhelming darkness, and was just finding her footing when her 46-year-old husband suffered a major stroke leaving him with permanent disabilities.

Seeing the world through a filter of sorrow, Lynda found comfort by helping others who were struggling, and this fueled her passion to create a legacy of help, healing and hope. She became an international bestselling author and founded AlyBlue Media in 2013, created Grief Diaries Radio and Grief Diaries Live in 2014, was executive director of the International Grief & Hope Convention 2015, earned four national literary awards in 2016, wrote the curriculum Managing Grief in the Workplace in 2017, and founded the International Grief Institute in 2017. To date she has authored over 35 books on finding hope after loss, as well as 6 manuals for the Inter-national Grief Institute.

12 NIGHTS OF KINDNESS     |     PLAYBOOK OF HOPE     |    AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR     |     SPEAKER     |     EDUCATOR     |     CONTACT 

​​Now considered a pioneer in the field of inspirational hope, Lynda creates groundbreaking projects dedicated to raising awareness and compassion, teaching others that they hold the power to change someone’s life with just one smile, and inspire hope that life can be full and rich in the aftermath of loss. 

Lynda holds certifications in Critical Incident Stress Management, public speaking, and is a certified laugh practitioner. A popular keynote speaker and educator, she is a member of the continuing education faculty at Whatcom Community College where she teaches classes on resilience, managing grief in the workplace, and compassion fatigue. To research grief’s impact on society, she has interviewed people around the world including societal figures such as Martin Luther King’s daughter, and Heaven is For Real’s Pastor Todd Burpo. She has earned six national literary awards and five national advocacy award nominations for her work.

Read Lynda's story.