About the Book
An inspirational memoir, "You Told Me This is Only Temporary" chronicles the journey of T.L. Sahleen from childhood to adulthood, capturing a variety of relationships, situations, and life experiences along the way. Each chapter explores the early years of joy coupled with numerous hardships and the many obstacles presented during subsequent years.
In the beginning, things were good, then came a turning point of non-stop misery, anguish, and grief for years to come with suffering that ultimately led to a revelation that answered lifelong questions for each phase of life. Skillfully laid out in seasons, "You Told Me This is Only Temporary"...
-Challenges readers to go deeper within, and
-To recognize the true essence of who they are and how they came to be.
Let T.L. Sahleen take you on an incredible voyage from the perspective of a smart and mischievous child, to the adolescent years of a girl who grew up way too fast and learns many lessons about life, love, and loyalty the hard way while navigating the streets of San Diego, CA.
For T.L. Sahleen, surrounded by drug dealers and gang bangers with peer-pressure pounding on her door, coming of age meant solicitations to sell drugs, do drugs, and sexual propositions she managed to escape by exploring the arts. However, that didn't prevent her from witnessing her mother's life slowly fade away or learning that while blood may be thicker than water, water taste more pleasant than blood when it comes to family in her adult years. Despite it all, she remains focused on the dream, knowing hardship is only temporary and remembering, "I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." About The Author T.L. Sahleen was born in St. Paul, MN, raised in San Diego, CA, and then later resided in Myrtle Beach, SC, Atlanta, GA, and Pasadena, CA. She loves all genres of music and dance, beaches, and especially history. She is a mother who has always been determined not to let the trials and tribulations of life prevent her from pursuing her dreams. One day T.L. Sahleen envisioned herself writing an inspirational memoir and began drafting the outline of her life story, "You Told Me This is Only Temporary." With the desire to turn her book into a seven-part mini-series, she joined the sets of various films shot in and around the Atlanta and Minneapolis areas, which enabled her to network with industry professionals while learning the basics of the film and music industries. T.L. worked on the production of Stomp the Yard, ATL, The Gospel, The Fighting Temptations, Drumline, and MTV's Yo Momma. Most recently, she's involved herself with multiple TV and film projects in Atlanta, several of which allowed her to work with directors Tyler Perry and Barry Jenkins. She has also worked with various community events and awards shows, such as Rondo Days, Frogtown Festival, The KMOJ Car & Bike Showout, Minneapolis Urban League's Family Day, and the Steve Harvey Neighborhood Awards. T.L. attended DD's Dance Studio, Nick Conti's Professional Actors Studio, and the Minnesota Dance Theater to enhance her acting and dancing abilities. She was an intern at JOI Studios, formerly the recording studio home of R&B group Jagged Edge. While working in the marketing/promotions department at JOI, she realized another passion for promoting and event planning. In 2009 T.L. won a contest sponsored by director F. Gary Gray for the most creative and dedicated Twitter promoter for his film Law Abiding Citizen, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. The prize was a personal invite by the director to the red-carpet movie premiere and after-party. She has planned, promoted, and hosted events, such as a Mother's Day Ball, Harlem Nights Affair, and Les Twins Dance Workshops.