Marianne Sciucco to Appear On 'The Unexpected Caregiver' Radio Show, 12/19

Marianne Sciucco, author of "Blue Hydrangeas," an Alzheimer's love story, will discuss her novel with caregiver expert and radio host Kari Berit on her program "The Unexpected Caregiver" at 11:05 AM CST Thursday, December 19. "The Unexpected Caregiver" is an upbeat radio program offering expert advice, knowledgeable guests, and a healthy dose of laughter to those unexpectedly caring for aging or debilitated parents. Listen live here or here and click "listen live." Podcasts can be downloaded here.

Sciucco penned the novel based on her experiences as a registered nurse and certified case manager working with dementia patients and their families at an upstate New York hospital and several area nursing homes. A Kindle bestseller rated 4.8 stars by Amazon readers, "Blue Hydrangeas" is the story of Jack and Sara Harmon, retired Cape Cod innkeepers from the fictional town of Falmouthport. A nursing facility is everyone's solution for what to do about Sara, but Jack can't bear to live without her. He is committed to saving his marriage, his wife, and their life together from the devastation of Alzheimer's disease. However, after nine years of selfless caregiving complicated by her progressing dementia and his own failing heart, Jack finally admits he can no longer care for her at home. With reluctance, he arranges to admit her to an assisted living facility. However on the day of admission, Sara is having one of her few good days and he is unable to follow through. Instead, he takes them on an impulsive journey to confront their past and reclaim their future. In the end, he realizes that staying together at any cost is what truly matters.

"The story is not about any one particular couple or family," Sciucco says, "but is more a composite of the many patients and families I met through my work, although one patient in particular did inspire the plot." Sciucco worked on the book for more than 10 years, and decided to independently publish after seeing a few friends have success with that route. "Publishing this book is the most difficult thing I've done in my life," she says. "The climate for new, untried authors in the publishing industry is cold, freezing, and I found it impossible to gain entry. I've accumulated more than 50 rejection letters-from agents and editors who never read the book. It's more than discouraging."

"Blue Hydrangeas" is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback, and on iBooks and Nook.

About the author:

Marianne Sciucco is not a nurse who writes but a writer who happens to be a nurse, using her skills and experience to create stories that bear witness to the humanity in all of us. A lover of words and books, she studied the craft of writing as an English major at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and worked for a time as a newspaper reporter in New England. She later became a nurse. With more than 20 years experience as a staff nurse and case manager, she has worked with countless families dealing with issues related to aging, elder care, Alzheimer's, and nursing home placement. In 2002, she put the two together and began writing about the intricate lives of people struggling with health and family issues. She published her debut novel, "Blue Hydrangeas," an Alzheimer's love story, in 2013 to glowing reviews. When not writing she works as a campus nurse at a community college in New York's Hudson Valley.

To post a comment, you must register and login.