Some Things Really Are Serendipitous

Is it a coincidence that I chose to launch the paperback edition of Blue Hydrangeas during World Alzheimer's Month?  Or is it an ingenious marketing method I planned for months ahead in an effort to take advantage of all the buzz about the dreaded disease? 

Hard to believe, but it really is a coincidence, a delightful one.  Those who have followed me throughout this long and arduous process may recall I originally planned to release the paperback earlier this summer.  Yet delay after delay stymied my plans: falling a little short of the learning curve while trying to do it all myself, then conceding I could not finish the project without some professional help; exacerbations of repetitive strain injuries that enforced rest; a serious case of perfectionism that caught minuscule imperfections in the final product, resulting in yet another upload of yet another improved manuscript, and then the waiting for the final proof, which turned out not to be so final.  Sometimes I can't get out of my own way.  But, as things started to really come together, and I had no more reasons to delay, and final publication was getting closer, I looked at the calendar and wondered: Are there any coinciding events coming up that would tie in with my book launch?  World Alzheimer's Month in September stood at the top of the list.

Sometimes things really are serendipitous, and I call these occurrences "green lights," meaning GO! take the chance, dare the risk, put yourself out there, don't stop now.  It's that time for me and this book.  Yes, I know I published on Kindle, which was a lot easier and very satisfying, but my lifelong dream has always been to publish a "book" - a paper book, because for almost all of my life that was the only kind of books there were. So now I've reached the point where I have to let it go, when my book and my dream can no longer be mine alone, and, like the child I've raised and nurtured for years, I need to understand I've done my best and now it's time to share what I've accomplished with the world.  The fact that I'm sharing it during the most opportune time possible is simply good timing, a little luck, my guy upstairs watching out for me. 

Promise me you'll spend at least a moment thinking about Alzheimer's disease this month.  Find one small thing you can do to prevent it from happening to you.  Join the Alzheimer's Prevention Registry at endalznow.org  Take a walk here  .  Make a donation here .

The memories you save could be your own.