When the Covid-19 pandemic shook up the world in 2020, people managed the situation in different ways. At that point, Darla Nelson of Turlock had been a certified life coach for about three years, and while she had offered advice to a wide variety of clients, she did something new – she began writing down her thoughts on a Google Document.

Five years later, what began as a document intended for just herself and her own reference is about to become a book that will be available on shelves and online marketplaces across the nation.

“I’m Fine, Really” is set to release on Aug. 5, with a launch party scheduled the next day from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Ten Pin Fun Center in Turlock. The book is described as “a heartfelt, faith-filled guide to trading stress and anxiousness for peace, purpose and calm.” It focuses on stress management, emotional healing, positive affirmations, emotional healing and continuous personal growth.

“I’m Fine, Really?” will be available at all major book retailers, physical locations and online, as well as a handful of small, family-owned bookstores. Pre-order is currently available online on marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, Barnes and Noble and anywhere else you get books.

The main purpose of the book is simple: to help others.

“We often are programmed to look at the negative of all things, which is called neuroplasticity,” said Nelson. “But we have the ability to reframe our minds, and it takes practice. It's not something that happens overnight. I talk about that a lot in my book, the power of the words we speak.”

Nelson has predominantly worked with women in her career, though men have begun to seek advice from her in recent years. Through the power of social networking, she has worked with hundreds of individuals from across the nation, including a handful overseas.

“I think I say it best on the back cover: ‘I've helped hundreds of women and a few wise men who were overwhelmed, stuck and tired of pretending that everything was okay.’ And I say, ‘a few wise men,’ because it’s not often that men seek out help,” Nelson said. “I want to help all people understand what’s really behind the stress they feel, release emotional weight that's been holding them back, build healthier thoughts, habits and relationships, and learn to embrace peace even in the midst of chaos, because even in the midst of all that's going on in the world, we get to choose to have joy in our hearts and peace in our lives.”

Nelson explained that there was “no rhyme or reason” behind what she was writing on the Google Doc. “I was just writing some personal life experiences about my own health, some relationship challenges that maybe had come up over the years, and a lot about the power of the words we speak. I had quite a bit, actually. It was a few pages long.”

Though she has always loved to read and found an affinity for writing, writing a book had never crossed Nelson’s mind. That was until March of 2022, when she met Marie White of Zamiz Press Publishing under unusual circumstances at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

“I was booked as a speaker, and I had been promised a large crowd, in the range of 200 to 300 people in my speaking audience,” Nelson explained. “Well, I had eight people, and she was one of them. It was rough, and what I thought was a bad thing turned out to be amazing because I had the opportunity to connect with her. 

“We were surrounded by other authors, people that were in the same industry, but what I loved about her that was different is that when she came up to me, she didn't introduce herself as a publisher. She just introduced herself as Marie White and began talking to me about what I had said in my speech. Others just wanted my business, but she related to me. It was genuine.”

Unlike others’ experiences with getting published, Nelson called her process of getting “I’m Fine, Really?” organized, edited, published, marketed, and eventually onto bookshelves as “flawless.”

“I needed some pushing, though,” Nelson joked. “My husband of over 30 years (Larry) is very, very supportive, and he just gave me that reminder in late 2024 of ‘Hey, when are you going to finish that book?’”

In the following months, Nelson put her head down, rented out the Espacio studio atop La Mo in Downtown Turlock, and dedicated nearly five hours each day to writing. wrapping up around February. The page count ended up being 187, a far cry from what Nelson thought would become of her spontaneous notes she began typing five years ago.

A handful of close friends and mentors were the first to read, and they offered feedback and reviews, some that are featured in the book. One of those mentors was Noah St. John, author of the popular book “AFFORMATIONS: Discovering the Missing Piece to Abundant Health, Wealth, Love, and Happiness,” which has been purchased by thousands worldwide and nearly 800 positive reviews on Amazon alone.

“I've seen how one simple shift in thinking can change everything,” St. John wrote in the acknowledgements section. “In her powerful book, ‘I’m Fine, Really?’ Darla Nelson shows what happens when that shift becomes a way of life. This book is raw, real and filled with breakthroughs. Her story is proof that when you stop thinking and faking, ‘I'm fine,’ and start asking the right questions, healing happens. I'm honored that my ‘Afformations’ method has helped shape not only her journey, but also the lives that she's now impacting.”

Nelson hopes to have community support at her launch event on Aug. 6 and through purchases and reviews.

“I'm excited to hopefully get to see it in print, likely in Modesto when I go to  Barnes and Noble,” Nelson said. “For about a year now, when I go to the local bookstores and I go to the section that I think it's going to be in, I just imagine that it's there and what it would be like to see my name among all those great authors. It’s really exciting knowing I could do that soon.”