This website is aimed at introducing what you will in time find to be that of a non traditional author whose stories come direct from source to the pages accompanied by an illustration to capture the essence of an event or moment in time along the journey.
Purpose on these pages is to also provide insight into the mission that began as simple journaling and illustrations for what was to be a coffee table picture book that expanded to two series of books.
At this point in time it is ongoing, currently on the ninth book, that finds content with each passing day which is the gift of the present which not everyone arrived today to experience.
Who is Dalival?
The author of this journey is a simple guy from the county of Clay in the F L A… Son of a Naval Captain and a Nurse that has led a fairly interesting life. Note, this life as mentioned in the Yourmal slides did not follow the cookie cutter suburban path, so here are the Cliff Notes (Summary for those that did not use these!). He is a Semi-Gator which stems from educating at both FSU and UF which he loves both dearly, each for their own reasons.
Early work was in retail peddling high end clothes and becoming one of the Ralph Lauren army where I actually did Polo Windows at Regency Mall (I now work at Regency Centers 30 years later).
My professional career has spanned three decades in communications and high tech/IT service delivery and consulting. I have worked on several continents in my travel and lived in India for a stint working for Reliance Infocom in Mumbai. My passion is my work building customer experience delivery process programs, and I am pretty good at it. You do not stay in customer service for thirty years unless you love it or are mentally unstable…hmm your guess is as good as mine.
My writing actually started in high school writing short stories and then at UF writing only to fall into writing a book 20 years ago on personal struggles. Writing is an excellent outlet that should have gyms where instead of working out with a trainer you write and have people hoist a pen and get to it!
The Dali angle started way back when I went to the Dali museum in St. Petersburg back in the 80’s with my buddy Trey. Let’s say we prepped for this visit and spent a lot of time staring into what is an amazing collection with a room with a painting of mini paintings that YKIYK, WOW. The new museum is even better.
The Dalival is a pen name I came up with while doing vintage windows a while back in that I live in Duval County Florida now and I am inspired by Dali and even have some facial hair similarities!! No, I did not change my name, nor do I plan to while being a one named person like “Cher”, “Bono” and “Dude” is exciting! That is all on this dude for now, this is the outline of a deeper soul which will have to do for now.
This series of books is dedicated to all involved in what has been a series of events that took a village, which is where I happen to live!! My family Kathy, Kinsley and Reagan along with my Mom are what I am fighting for in the long run. You will also meet my friends along the way who here at the beaches equate to "Shelly's Friends" by definition!!! YKIYK
About
Composing the Components of the Composition - The "what you will read" which is not typical storybook format.....
The pages collected throughout this journey originated as a means of capturing experiences as they unfolded. Beginning with the earliest stages of discovery, triage, diagnosis, and treatment planning, what started as individual entries evolved into a substantial body of work consisting of more than one thousand pages of written reflections and illustrations. Together, these pages became a living record of a journey documented day by day, week by week, ultimately chronicling more than a year of significant life events.
Within these pages emerges a unique form of storytelling that blends written narrative with visual art. At one point along the journey, the traditional term author took on a new meaning, transforming into what I came to call an “arthor” - a creator whose story is told through both words and artwork. This concept grew naturally from a process that was neither planned nor outlined in advance. There were no drafts, chapter summaries, or predetermined highlights. Each entry was created in real time, preserving the emotions, fears, observations, and realities of the moment exactly as they were experienced.
Understanding this approach is essential for readers entering this series. These works are not intended to follow the conventional structure of a novel or memoir. Rather, they represent a collection of authentic moments captured as they occurred. While every cancer journey is different and every individual tells their story in a unique way, the emotions, challenges, and human experiences found within these pages may feel strikingly familiar to many who have traveled a similar path.
This is not a story that begins with "once upon a time" and proceeds through a carefully crafted narrative arc. Instead, it is a mosaic of snapshots that collectively form a larger story. The journey unfolds through moments rather than chapters, through impressions rather than plotlines. The arthor effect emerges from the interplay between the written word and visual imagery, allowing readers not only to read about the experience but also to see it unfold through the accompanying artwork. Together, these elements create a vivid and deeply personal account that evolves with every turn of the page.
Perhaps this serves as a gentle "sorry, not sorry" to readers expecting a polished, traditional reading experience. What lies ahead is something different: an unfiltered and largely unedited window into the mind of someone living beyond a Stage IV cancer diagnosis. In this context, "once upon a time" becomes something else entirely: Time, once upon a man, unfolded into an extraordinary journey shaped by fear, uncertainty, resilience, and hope after hearing the life-altering words: "You have cancer."
It is important to approach this series with that understanding. These pages are not designed to meet the expectations established by countless works of fiction, romance, mystery, or conventional autobiography. They are intended to document life as it was lived. Looking back through these entries can still be unsettling because of the honesty they contain. The difficult moments were not softened, edited, or rewritten to make them more comfortable for readers. The graphic realities, emotional turmoil, and harsh truths remain intact because they were an integral part of the experience itself.
Many readers who have faced cancer, either personally or through loved ones, may recognize the thoughts, emotions, fears, and events reflected within these pages. Others may find similarities alongside important differences. Every journey carries its own unique characteristics, much like a snowflake: no two experiences are identical, yet all share common elements of humanity, struggle, and perseverance.
So, consider this a kind of mea culpa and preface to what follows. This body of work presents a journey in an unconventional format, offering raw insight into an experience that no one willingly chooses. It is not a traditional story. It is a living record of survival, reflection, and self-discovery, told through the combined languages of art and words, exactly as it happened.
Visual Journey
Photos along the way associated with the real me and the perceived me that transformed through the months.....
Source Journals
Written during the first year following diagnosis, this raw account strips away the medical jargon to illuminate the moments often left unsaid: the fear, the dark humor, and the unexpected grace. This is the truth, captured in real time by someone walking the path post diagnosis.
There was a struggle to do a single book or a series so I did both! Therefore if you want to get all four books in one that is an option... This being an illustration publication the cost to produce is high so I offered the routes to content which was a struggle indeed!