June | 2015 | Somebody Stole My Iron

In the Limelight with Marianne Sciucco

June 22, 2015Blog#ABAM, #ALZ, #author, #book, #bookseller, #caregiving, #CR4U, #dementia, #ebook, #family, #Kindle, #MondayBlogsVicki Tapia

What if the person who knew you best and loved you most forgot your face, and couldn’t remember your name? …Blue Hydrangeas

Marianne Sciucco is another of the authors with whom I’ve come together to create more awareness that June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. We hope to accomplish this through a joint promotion of our books about dementia/Alzheimer’s disease. She has agreed to join me today in the “Limelight” to share her thoughts regarding writing, reading, and tips for aspiring writers.

I found her novel Blue Hydrangeas to be more than a story of dementia. It is also a tender love story, in which she describes the plight of an older couple grappling with aging and its many foibles. As readers, we watch as the wife descends further and further into the rabbit hole of dementia, while her husband is doing his very best to honor his commitment to stand by her side, at any cost, to the point of near disaster. If you’ve ever had a loved one with dementia, you’ll find this poignant story rings quite true to the challenges, heartbreak and turbulent emotions that often go hand-in-hand with this devastating disease.

Marianne, thank you for joining us today! Can you share with our reading audience what inspires you? Continue reading →

In the Limelight with Jean Lee

June 15, 2015Blog#Alzheimer's, #author, #book, #bookseller, #caregiving, #CR4U, #dementia, #ebook, #family, #Kindle, #MondayBlogsVicki Tapia

Four other authors and I have joined forces in recognition of Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. We’re highlighting our books, 2 novels and 3 memoirs, in support of those caregiving for loved ones suffering from dementia/Alzheimer’s disease.

Today, we’ll visit with one of those authors, Jean Lee. Her book, “Alzheimer’s Daughter,” details the true story of the heartbreaking journey she and her sister embarked upon with their parents, both diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease on the same day. Caring for their parents, who insisted they were “just fine” on their own, when Jean and her sister both knew they weren’t, took a great deal of patience and caregiving ingenuity, which Jean shares with the reader in her poignant and heartfelt narrative.

I found this book not only a sweet love story between a husband and wife of many, many years, but also a love story of a daughter and her parents, as she strived to honor their wishes, despite the many obstacles this unrelenting disease placed before her.

With that in mind, Jean has graciously agreed to share the first chapter of her book with us. Continue reading →

Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

June 1, 2015Blog#aging, #ALZ, #Amazon, #authors, #book, #caregiver, #caregiving, #CR4U, #dementia, #ebook, #ENDALZ, #family, #GOPURPLE, #health, #Kindle, #promocaveVicki Tapia

Welcome to my blog!

Have you known someone with dementia/Alzheimer’s disease? Do you have a story to tell? My intent for this blog is to share thoughts, insights, and even opinions about this insidious mind-stealer called dementia.

As you will see, this first post is a collaborative effort among 5 authors of books about dementia/Alzheimer’s. What better time to begin a blog than June, Alzheimer’s Awareness month?

Beyond Still Alice: 5 Alzheimer’s Books You May Have Missed

This is not just our parents’ disease. It’s a problem that has far-reaching complications, not only wreaking havoc in the life of the one afflicted, but in the lives of all those surrounding him or her: spouse, children, grandchildren, siblings, friends, caregivers, and the greater community. Its impact is exponential: For each one of the 5.3 million Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, there are another 5.3 million (at the very least) affected. (Alz.org) These people are our families, neighbors, co-workers, friends, and acquaintances. As our lives intersect and intertwine, this disease affects all of us.

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. Take some time this month to learn more about this illness, to understand what it means to those who love someone afflicted, to those who dedicate themselves to seeing they are cared for, and ensuring that their lives continue to have meaning and dignity. Continue reading →