A FATHER'S MEMOIR
Steven Lieblein
Steven A. Lieblein brings a lifetime of service, compassion, and practical care to his writing. Following a 34-year career in Information Technology, Lieblein has spent over 50 years as a nurse and served as an Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine. His background also includes 12 years as a U.S. Army officer and more than 30 years as a volunteer firefighter, officer, EMT, and paramedic. He comes from a dedicated family of healthcare professionals, including his late wife Carole, his son Jon, and his daughter Megan. Through his writing, he hopes to inspire readers to better understand themselves, strengthen their relationship with their children, and contribute more compassionately to their families and communities.
Steven Lieblein announces the release of his new novel, Visa from Lalaland, exploring the complex, beautiful realities of raising a child. Drawing from his personal experiences, Lieblein delivers a narrative, encouraging parents to recognize that their own expectations, ambitions, and pressures belong to them—not their children. He emphasizes seeing each child as a unique individual with their own strengths, fears, motivations, and needs.
Originally drafted in 1992 and refined over decades of personal growth and family reflection, Visa from Lalaland takes readers on a poignant journey through a father's evolving understanding of his son, Jon—an inventive, warm-hearted, but easily distracted boy who frequently retreats into his own world, affectionately dubbed "Lala Land."
Using familiar family moments as the backdrop—from baseball games and fishing trips to summer camp adventures—Lieblein explores how parenting becomes more meaningful when parents let go of their own expectations and focus instead on their child's unique needs, strengths, and personality.
“I hope that parents of children with challenges at any level will understand their child’s real potential and how they perceive themselves. By focusing on their positive qualities, parents can encourage them to like themselves and do as well as they can,” says Lieblein.
