A legacy story, told in his own voice

The book we would create

A professionally written, personal memoir shaped from our conversations, supported by family perspectives, photographs, and selected background research. Together, we would identify the chapters of his life that matter most—his roots in Egypt, building a life in a new country, family and relationships, his work in electrification and autonomous vehicles, and the experiences and reflections he wishes to pass on.

His diagnosis can be part of the story to the extent he wants it to be. We would decide together how much space it should have and how he wishes to describe this period of his life.

Included in every package

Personal interviews and memoir writing

Thoughtful, guided conversations followed by a cohesive manuscript written in his voice. Interview hours may be divided into shorter sessions with breaks as needed.

Family perspectives

Up to two additional interview hours, shared among the family members we select together. These conversations can add memories, clarify details, and help fill gaps while keeping his perspective at the center of the book.

Light supporting research

Up to three hours reviewing selected family documents and readily available sources to clarify dates, career milestones, and relevant historical context. This is focused support for the memoir; extensive archival or investigative research would require a separate scope.

Photographs and digitization

Photo selection up to your package allowance, with complimentary mail-in photo and document digitization and a shipping box sent directly to your family.

Interview recordings

4K video recording of in-person interview sessions, with the recordings preserved for your family. If a remote session is needed, we would agree on the recording format beforehand.

Editing, design, and printed books

Professional editing, custom cover artwork from our graphic-design team, interior book layout, and the number of locally pressed 6 × 9-inch book copies shown in your selected package.

Review and publication choices

An opportunity to review the manuscript and clarify details before printing, with the review process defined in our agreement. An ISBN and complimentary Amazon upload are available if you choose public distribution; we can also keep the book private for your family.

Start with Silver, with room to grow

Based on our conversation, I recommend beginning with the nine-hour Silver package at $9,500. It gives us a strong starting point without requiring you to decide the full scope of the story now.

If we find that more interview time would serve the story, you may upgrade to Gold before the manuscript is finalized by paying only the $1,750 difference. Everything already completed carries forward, and the upgrade adds three hours with your husband, increases the photo allowance to 100, and increases your printed copies to ten. Each step up is $1,750: Bronze to Silver, Silver to Gold, or Gold to Platinum, which brings fifteen interview hours, up to 125 photographs, and fifteen printed copies.

The family interview and research allowances remain the same across packages. If you would like to go beyond those allowances, I would propose a clear, bundled scope and price for your approval before undertaking that work. There are no automatic additional charges.

Three payments, tied to the work

Choose a package above to see your amounts.

1. At the start

    

   Reserves his interview week and begins the work.

2. Halfway through the manuscript

    

   Due when the manuscript reaches its midpoint.

3. On delivery

    

   Due when the finished book is delivered.

Travel

Travel is not included in the package prices. For interviews outside the Knoxville area, transportation and lodging are billed at cost. I would send you an estimate to approve before booking anything.

Our first priority

Once we have an agreement in place, we would schedule his first conversations and identify the memories he most wants to preserve. Family interviews, research, writing, and photo work can follow as the project develops. We would confirm the interview format, location, travel estimate, and anticipated completion timeline in the agreement before beginning.

It would be an honor to help your family preserve his voice and the life behind these experiences, in a book you can return to and share for years to come.