Cannot thank Arcadia Printing enough for their guidance and help through this project, The Book of James. Been relying on them to craft me excellent bound copies of the manuscript. They just printed the 29th edition. Very congenial. Very professional. Thanks so much. Be sure to visit them.

www.facebook.com/ArcadiaPrintShop
www.arcadiaprintshop.com

Grateful for Miss Melinda, manager of the Arcadia McDonald’s. Been working on ‘The Book of James’ there several days a week. I really like the relaxed, country environment. Love, love, besides my ‘normal’ office in N. Fort Myers at Subway. Friends are so wonderful. They’re really helping as I’m working on this 27th revision of the manuscript. Miss Melinda and Troy Rowe have a special place in my heart.

We all have problems. We all have things we could do better. During my writing, I encountered a mentally-disturbed gentleman. Big Donny had a tendency to distract and disturb the peace. Countless customers became disgusted with Big Donny. He thought by being asked to turn down his blaring cell phone we were not minding our business. Come on, man. What about respecting others? Valuing their work time? What about being kind?

The moral? Do not threaten others physically or verbally. Your actions say much about you.

From time to time as I’m editing the manuscript, I will post paragraphs or thoughts that may be significant; a foreshadowing of content to come:

“‘Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.’”  Mary Wollstonecraft Shelby

“Brain injuries do present various challenges to the broken, their lives complicated by this grievous medical condition.  Approximately 1.7 million Americans acquire a traumatic brain injury (TBI) per year.  Close to 1,365,000 people nationwide are treated for TBI’s and released annually.  5.4 million people in the nation live with a disability associated with TBI.” (www.TreatNow.org)

“Many tips are available for spouses, family members, and children of the brain-injured.  Children are impacted but more accepting and often empathetic with their injured parent.  We will look at what some of the impairments look like…..A lot of things take too much energy, and the fact that it takes them exponentially longer to execute day to day tasks leaves them little time to do something that would drain them cognitively in any way.  Without public knowledge, they will be further handicapped.  This book was written to let you know their great need for help and understanding.”

*So, change is a given. How do we deal with it? Be careful in what you do.

*The lack of support among brain injury is staggering.  I wish there was more out there for the public to help them understand. The brain-injury survivors do not act like they do by choice; it is the result of their pre-existing condition. Depending on the moment would be how they deal with things and cope.

Finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel….a long, long way off. Great meeting this afternoon with my publicist/editor, Jenn Fitzgerald, and her friend, Courtney. Courtney is coordinating media exposure and an online presence pre-publication as we attempt to get word out and create interest in “The Book of James: The Brain Injury, Life, and Legacy of James Clary, Jr.”

Great meeting today with my new publisher. Sat several hours with Jenn Fitzgerald and we went over stuff. We were talking how to go about fine-tuning things and discussed next steps. Making every attempt for the books to go viral. It’s not what you know lol it’s who you know. She is plugged into so many connections. We chatted with her website-designer friend who has some good ideas for LettuceWrite, including the logo and format. Then when I went to dinner, I brainstormed ideas for an author’s page we’ll discuss tomorrow. I’m so blessed.

Had dinner this evening with my author friend, Jen Fitzgerald. Her writings and book projects, especially book covers, are amazing. Check an assortment of her work out at Amazon. She is going to be my publisher, publicist, and marketing coordinator. Some of the goals and ideas Jen has for The Book of James are out of this world.

Editing ‘The Book of James’ for the 25th time. Still so many errors. Blessed my church friend, Andria, is beginning to read it and helping me edit.

Had a good discussion on the final night of my trip with Miss Terrion from Comfort Suites. So interested in ‘Till Death do us Part’ (wish I would’ve had a copy to give her) and ‘The Book of James.’ She’s excited about what’s to come.

Krystilet, the lively ticket agent at Delta in New Orleans, was very curious about my projects. We talked about the books and opportunities in Louisiana. She represented the finest in airline staff and made special accommodations for me. Lovely to make new friends.

So glad for my time in Louisiana. Loved the time away and chance to think and write undistracted. Time went so fast between all the book promotion opportunities and presentations and everything. Interesting the way things work out. The family I stayed with also impacted by brain injury, their dear father. For now until the upcoming book comes out, Google brain injury characteristics for a sneak peek of it.

Thank you, John and Maria