As a followup to my previous post about books on Alzheimer's disease, I'd like to tell you about Blue Hydrangeas, a book I came across shortly after it was published two years ago.
I gravitate toward Alzheimer's books written by caregivers about personal experiences. Blue Hydrangeas is fiction, written by a nurse, but the stunning cover drew me in.
In this case, I believe this book can be judged by its cover because Marianne Sciucco's tender love story about an elderly couple who own a New England bed and breakfast captivated me from page one.
Marianne Sciucco
Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story
Blurb: What if the person who knew you best and loved you most forgot your face and couldn’t remember your name?
A short excerpt:
Jack watched while Dr. Fallon
grimly examined Sara, took samples of her blood, and performed a few mental
tests. When the examination was over, he brought them into his office and tried
to be optimistic, but warned them the situation could be grave. Following his
recommendations, they consulted a neurologist and a psychiatrist. She went for
a MRI of her brain.
Several stressful weeks passed before
all of the test results and consultation reports were in. They returned to Dr.
Fallon’s office and he explained the diagnosis. He was blunt, left no room for
misunderstanding, and told them what to expect.
Jack refused to believe it. “I want a
second opinion,” he said. “I want her to see the best specialists we can get.
We’ll go to Boston, to New York. Nobody in our family has ever had Alzheimer’s
disease. Find something else. You have to do more tests.”
Sara sat by his side and clung to his
hand. An air of despondency descended upon her. Silent, she studied the
doctor’s face.
“I wish I could tell you otherwise,
Jack, but there is no single test to diagnose Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Fallon
explained. “We’ve done all the tests available to rule out other conditions
that might explain Sara’s symptoms. Everything indicates probable Alzheimer’s,
and there’s nothing more to do.”
“You say it’s ‘probable,’” Jack
argued. “See? You’re not sure. It could be something else.”
Dr. Fallon leaned toward Jack and
looked deep into his eyes. “Jack, right now all I can say is that it is
probable, because only an autopsy can provide a definitive diagnosis.”
Jack had no words to respond to that
suggestion.
Marianne has become a great friend and advocate for others who write about Alzheimer's. Today, she agreed to answer some questions for my readers.
1. What
is the most important thing you have learned about yourself through writing?
Writing
has taught me the limitless depths of my imagination, my desire to perfect my
craft, my dedication to completing a project no one requires of me, and my
unwavering belief that I have something wonderful to offer the world.
2. Do
you have a special place to write?
I have
a beautiful office in my home with a gorgeous mission style desk with lots of
desktop, drawers, shelves, and cabinets. It’s overrun with papers to be filed,
books to read, little slips of paper with notes on them, and lots of
paraphernalia unrelated to writing. I’ve rigged everything to be ergonomically
correct, to help me maintain the best posture to avoid triggering my repetitive
strain injuries, but I often find myself writing on my lap top in the living
room.
3. Do
you use any special tools to write?
I have
lots of tools. Of course, I use a computer, either a PC or a lap top, but
sometimes use my iPhone to jot down ideas on the run. I have a Kindle too, to
research on the internet or read books about writing, publishing, marketing
and promotion, etc. Right now I’m using Grammarly to spellcheck and analyze my
work for grammar, punctuation and style errors. It’s a good tool, although a
little pricey. I also use Bobbie Christmas’ Find and Refine Method to edit my
work. This can be found in her book “Write in Style.” And I use Dragon
Dictation because sometimes my hands aren’t up to the task of writing, and it’s
a pretty accurate tool, well worth the investment.
4. Can
you tell us what you’re working on now?
My
current WIP is Swim Season, the story of high school swim champion Aerin Keane,
who is determined to leave her troubles behind as she starts twelfth grade in
her third high school. Senior year is supposed to be fun, right? Friends.
Parties. Boys. Ready to give up her dreams of a college swimming scholarship
and a shot at the Olympics, Aerin decides she doesn't want to win anymore, she
wants to swim for fun, it's her "therapy." But when her desire to be
just one of the girls on the team collides with her desire to be the best this
school has ever seen, will Aerin sacrifice her new friendships to challenge a
long-standing school record attached to a $50,000 scholarship? I hope to
publish later this year. Here’s a preview.
5. Where
did you get the idea for your book?
Like so many authors, I wear several
hats, one of which is 'Swim Mom.' I've shuttled my daughter to swim meets and
swim practice for years, and now follow her across state lines during her
college swimming career. All those hours sitting on cold, metal bleachers
waiting to watch her swim for a minute or two gave me more than a sore you-know-what:
It inspired me to write a book about it. My goal is to write a story about the
whole high school swimming experience, to show others who may not be as
familiar with the sport how much fun it is and how hard these kids work. I
started it four years ago and will soon have a completed manuscript. The plan
is to publish in 2015.
6. Do
you have a favorite character from your book or series? Why that one?
I love my
heroine Aerin. She’s a character I developed slowly, because I didn’t know much
about her when I started writing her story. She’s an Olympic hopeful, but has
been through a few life-changing experiences that have left her confused,
angry, and unsure of herself. She grows a lot in this story. She’s fiercely
loyal to her mother, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, whom she
sees as both a victim and a patriot, and is determined to support her. She’s
furious with her father and resents her stepmother and stepsisters, but comes
to peace with them. Always the odd girl
in school, set apart by her swimming achievements, she longed to be just one of
the girls, and finally has friends and fun in her new high school. But in the
end, she realizes her destiny is to be great, and she is willing to sacrifice
her new friends to do so. She is a strong young woman and a great leader. I
admire her dedication to her sport and to herself.
Marianne Scuicco's links:
An
Interview with Author Marianne Sciucco
Facebook
Goodreads
Google+
Linked
In
Pinterest
Twitter
Website
Buy links:
Amazon
Amazon
UK
Audible
Barnes
and Noble
iBooks
Kobo
Nook
Scribd
Bio: Marianne Sciucco is not a nurse who writes but a writer who happens to be a nurse. A lover of words and books, she dreamed of becoming an author when she grew up, but became a nurse to avoid poverty. She later brought her two passions together and writes about the intricate lives of people struggling with health and family issues. Her debut novel, Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story, is a Kindle bestseller, IndieReader Approved, a BookWorks featured book, winner of IndieReCon’s Best Indie Novel Award, 2014, and a Library Journal Self-e Selection. A native Bostonian, she lives in New York’s Hudson Valley, and when not writing works as a campus nurse at SUNY Orange.
Many thanks for your time today, Marianne. I'll be 1st in line to buy a copy of Swim Season!
