AlzAuthors: Paul Hornback's Devotional Book for Alzheimer's

By Paul M. Hornback

I’ve been living with early onset Alzheimer’s disease for over seven years. Soon after my diagnosis, God kindled within me a deep desire to do something positive for people who were struggling with this disease. I wanted to help them maintain their faith as they face the challenges of living with early to mid-stage dementia.

My faith has always been strong and God has blessed me in so many ways. After my diagnosis, I knew God still had a plan for my life and would continue to allow His grace to flow through me. His grace enabled me to write words of encouragement for people struggling with dementia.

I have always loved reading devotions, so it seemed natural to start writing devotions centered on living with Alzheimer’s. As I started writing, God seemed to guide my thoughts and my hands as I typed devotions filled with encouragement, peace, contentment, joy, hope, and faith.

Young Adult Book Bonanza - Great YA Books Just .99c! Build your Summer TBR List!

I'm pleased to join this sale to get your YA TBR list ready for summer reading. Here are 30+ titles in  fantasy, contemporary, dystopian, paranormal, sci-fi, sports, romance, mystery, and historical fiction, including Swim Season, all for just .99c each. 

Get your read on! Find all titles here.

Happy summer reading!

Book Blogger Hop Week of May 26 - June 1

 

This is something new and it looks like fun.  

About the Book Blogger Hop
The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer from Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012.

With Jennifer’s permission, Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013.

Each week the hop starts on Friday and ends on Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blogs.

Here's this week’s question:
(submitted by Kristin @ Lukten av Trykksverte)

 

What is the most fun part/aspect of being a book blogger?

 

I'll go first:

 

I love to read and I love books. Sharing my love of good books and great authors with others who appreciate the same enhances my reading experience. Through blogging, I get to share my favorite reads with others, and by following other book bloggers I learn of new books and authors I might enjoy.  It's a great way to keep on top of what's out there, in the vastness of the literary world, where millions of books and millions of authors fight for my attention. I blog primarily for my fellow authors in Clean Indie Reads, sharing their new releases, and for AlzAuthors, spotlighting books and other blogs in the dementia genre so those in need  of knowledge and support can easily find meaningful resources.

 

What do you find is the most fun about book blogging? I look forward to your comments.  

AlzAuthors: Tracey Shorthouse Tells Her Alzheimer's Story Through Poetry

By Tracey Shorthouse

When I was first  diagnosed  with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease and Posterior Cortical Atrophy in 2015, I wanted something to focus on. All my life I have helped others through being a nurse, and I still wanted to do that. 

The brain needs stimulation to keep going, so after the initial shock at being diagnosed and the relief that it wasn’t MS as what I first thought and feared, I took stock of what I could still do, and if I couldn’t do something I persevered until I relearned old skills. I had an occupational therapist who used to come and see me, and she got me in touch with groups that promote positivity in dementia. So I joined The SUNshiners, a network for people with a diagnosis of dementia living in Dover Deal and Shepway, Kent, UK.  I also attend meetings for the Dementia Action Alliance when I can, and get involved with other things, like talks. 

I talk to post diagnostic groups - people who have recently been diagnosed with dementia - and the public to bring awareness that dementia can affect all ages, not just the elderly. Last May, I gave a talk to the local police. I also go to a creative, inspired writing group weekly. I started writing a blog on Facebook,  as a way to keep a journal and to help others in the process. 

I started writing short stories at first to keep my brain active, but I found them too complex to carry on. So instead I started to write poetry. At first it was cathartic to write about my dementia and get it out of my system, but I didn’t want to focus on it as dementia is only a part of who I am. It doesn’t define me. So I wrote about nature, life, and then  stories that came into my head as poems.

AlzAuthors: Celia Koudele and The Little Book for Alzheimer’s Caregivers

By Celia Koudele

This book was my legacy for the next generation, putting in writing as much as I could about my experience helping caregivers of dementia patients.

My mother, grandmother and aunt all died from a type of Dementia, mostly Alzheimer’s.

I became my mother’s caregiver after my Dad died of cancer at 75. When my Mom had Neuropathy, the doctor at the Mayo’ Clinic did a memory test and concluded she too would probably get Alzheimer’s. Even with our family history, we went through that period of denial.

I also went to work at the local Alzheimer’s Association, thinking I would learn more and be there to hear about a cure first-hand before I too possibly developed the disease. I was a Help Line Specialist and learned from over 65 callers a month about the many journeys of Alzheimer’s. My job was to listen, comfort, educate, and try to give them ideas to make their daily life better.

I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING FAMILIES AFFECTED BY ALZHEIMER’S.

Fast forward several years ago and I realized I had lots of ideas from my own experience of caregiving my mom and helping others. These solutions, experiences, and ideas would die with me if I didn’t share them with others. My goal in writing this book was to help other Alzheimer’s families learn from my experiences and ideas to make their life with Alzheimer’s easier in any way. People don’t know these behaviors can happen, what to do once they have a diagnosis, or how to talk and interact with people with dementia. Ignorance is not bliss. It can happen to anyone.

Sweep Me Away with Sweet Contemporary Romance Giveaway and Raffle!

I recently discovered something called subscriber magnets from My Book Cave and thought I'd give them a try. This is way for me to partner with other authors to share our books and find new readers. The bonus for readers is discovering new authors and books and a chance to win some great prizes.
This week's promotion, Sweep Me Away with Sweet Contemporary Romance, offers several great reads in a variety of romance genres. Some are samplings while others are free ebooks in their entirety. I added a sample of Blue Hydrangeas to the mix because so many people tell me it's  a true love story. 


One lucky reader will win a $50 gift card from our Amazon, iTunes, or Barnes and Noble raffle. To  enter the raffle and discover new books for your summer reading, follow this link.

Happy Reading!

AlzAuthors: Karen Kaplan's Sci-Fi Dementia Novel

By Karen B. Kaplan

Perhaps it is not often that you come across science fiction that is (1) gentle and not full of weapons and nasty robots, and (2) includes a character who is one of the first with dementia to get cured of the disease. There are so many other aspects of reality to ponder, such as how robots might help or hinder grievers, it is a wonder that science fiction writers have not provided more material on such things. (Have you ever noticed that the Star Trek crew does not include a spiritual counselor?) As a healthcare chaplain, I have been curious about what it might be like to be cured of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Virginia Boyden, financial planner of the main characters, is one of those first lucky persons to be a “dementia returnee.” Virginia shares what it was like to get dementia, as well as what happened on the return trip. A temporary detour to complete health does arise, but Virginia figures out how to handle it. 

 

Perhaps reading about dementia in upbeat fantasy might help us indulge in the comfort and hope that such fantasy can provide. It offers a different perspective, especially when the main characters Gomer and Muriel Ackerman try to grapple first with their financial planner’s decline, and then the issues that arise as she recovers. Here is an excerpt:

AlzAuthors: Rebecca Thesman - How a Long-Distance Caregiver Learns to Cope

By RJ Thesman 

When the memory thief first visited our family, we didn’t think much about it. Mom was, after all, fully capable of caring for herself and she was in good health.

But gradually, ever so subtly, the memory thief began to take from her the basics of life: where she stored her pots and pans, how to read a recipe and produce the finished product, how to find her way home from the grocery store.

The resulting prognosis surprised and challenged us. Alzheimer’s Disease plus an inoperable brain tumor – no cure, no solutions. Mom could no longer stay in her home.

My siblings and I worked together, hoping for an easy transition, but Mom has always been an independent, stubborn woman. It was the doctor who had to be the bad guy as we took away her car keys, “The doctor says you can no longer drive,” then, as we found a beautiful assisted living facility, “The doctor says you cannot live alone.”

Swim Season Nominated for InD'tale Magazine's Annual RONE Award!

  

I'm proud to announce that Swim Season, my  YA  novel released in October, 2016, was nominated for a RONE Award! 

The prestigious RONE (Reward Of Novel Excellence) Award  honors the very best books in the Indie and small publishing industry. Achieving this award is no easy feat, with three distinct hurdles to clear.

First hurdle: Your book must be read and reviewed by the magazine's professional staff of reviewers and awarded a 4 out of 5 star rating to qualify as a nominee. Swim Season was awarded 4 stars. You can read the review here.

Second hurdle: In order to move on in the competition, all books rated 4 stars are voted on by the reading public (the 5 star books advance automatically.)  The books with the highest number of public votes will move on to become finalists. So, this is where you come in. I need your vote! But it's a win-win: You can help me to advance and at the same time discover a terrific, professionally produced digital readers' magazine, for FREE. You'll love it. So let's get started! (If you're already into the magazine you can skip steps one and two and go on to step three.)