MS Maze

Book Giveaway! The editors of Care2 Healthy & Green Living are giving away a free copy of my book, No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis.

For a chance to win the book, simply visit the blog and leave a comment. The winner will be notified on Valentine’s Day — isn’t that sweet?

Read it and enter: Book Giveaway: No More Secs!

Writing a memoir invites the question, “Why did you write it?” It’s a fair question.

A comment left on the “No More Secs” Facebook page captured the spirit of the book perfectly.

“What a nice book. I laughed, I cried, I connected to you in a way I’ve connected with no one else. It was so nice to know I’m not alone.”

“It was so nice to know I’m not alone.” That’s why I wrote it and I’m forever grateful to the readers who’ve taken the time to let me know that it was worth the effort.

What a wonderful time I had chatting with the gracious Dr. Cecile Forte and the inspiring Chamein Canton on their show, “Who You Calling Old?” If you missed it, you can catch the on-demand podcast at your leisure. Thank you, ladies.

As we close out 2011 and welcome in 2012, it’s a good time to take stock of life. I’m not a new year’s resolution maker, but I do like to think about the previous year and where I hope the next year will take me. 2011 was a bittersweet year, one of tremendous highs and lows.

When we welcomed 2011, I wondered if I’d be around to see 2012. As it turns out, I look and feel healthier than most people I know. Aside from my still faint eyebrows and eyelashes, and my boyish haircut, there is no clue that I survived triple-negative breast cancer and ten months of very aggressive treatment, or that I have multiple sclerosis. Life is funny that way. Despite the difficulties of the year, I am truly grateful to have lived it — life is a roller coaster and I’m happy to take another turn on the ride in 2012.

Wishing you and yours all the best in the new year.

The Buzz about Secs!
No More Secs! was previously available in Nook format on Barnes & Noble, who recently added the paperback version. They listed it at a price quite a bit lower than Amazon’s list price and — not to be underpriced by anyone — Amazon has matched it. No More Secs! in paperback is now available for $10.76 at both chains. Both still carry the eBook version at $6.99.

Did you catch my first-ever podcast appearance earlier this month? I had a lovely time speaking with Trudy Thomas about living life to the fullest despite serious health issues.
Living with HOPE (Host: Trudy Thomas) 12/9/11

I’ll be visiting with Dr. Cecile Forte on January 16 on her show called, “Who You Calling Old?” Certainly no one would call me old…
Who You Calling Old (Host: Dr. Cecile Forte) Scheduled: 1/16/12

For a woman who considers herself to be an introvert, I’m certainly getting out there these days!

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On the Living with HOPE podcast with the very gracious Trudy Thomas.

No More Secs! is a timeless story, not dependent on current events or big names. So there’s no big book tour, no national coverage, and no high tech marketing. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Slow and steady seems to suit us and the book, and a little buzz goes a long way.

The eBook and paperback versions of No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis have now been successfully merged on Amazon, making it easier for readers to see their options. The folks at Amazon and CreateSpace have done a magnificent job, making the merge smoothly and more quickly than anticipated. Within the next six weeks or so the book will also be available through CreateSpace’s Expanded Distribution Channel so additional book stores, libraries, and other outlets will be able to order copies.

A hat tip to Nadine of Indie eBooks for the Author Interview. And a shout out to Morgen Bailey for a listing in her non-fiction book section, as well as an Author Spotlight. An author interview with Morgen will be published on November 28. Morgen is not only a generous friend to writers, but a phenomenal writer herself, so please check out her stories. As my growing circle of U.K. friends would say, “brilliant!”

Care2 Healthy & Green Living will be hosting a book giveaway for No More Secs! in the near future — all you’ll have to do is leave on comment on their blog to have a chance to win the paperback. (Details to follow.)

I’ll be appearing on a radio show called “Living with Hope” on December 9, and on another called “Who You Calling Old?” on January 16. Surely, no one is calling me old…

Do you have a question about the book…where to buy it? how to gift it? how to peek inside? Want an author interview? Check out www.NoMoreSecs.com and if you don’t find the answers you seek email writer@webcampone.com

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, I am thankful simply to be here to give thanks this year. Happy thanksgiving to all, and may you truly appreciate your blessings.

We are pleased to announce that No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis is now available in paperback format.

You can get your copy by visiting WebCamp One’s online bookstore.

The paperback version of No More Secs! will be available for purchase through Amazon and other national outlets within the next few weeks, and we’ll let you know as things unfold. Of course, it’s still available in eBook format, too.

If you take a leap of faith and give it a read, I hope you come away from it on a positive note. As always, feedback is encouraged and welcomed.

For all the latest purchasing information visit: www.NoMoreSecs.com

It appears that we’ll be announcing a print version of No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis sometime in November. That’s good news because lots of people aren’t ready to jump on the eBook bandwagon yet. How nice that we’ll be ready in time for the holidays (hint, hint).

Speaking of eBooks, I always have my Kindle with me because I spend a lot of time in waiting rooms. My Kindle almost always prompts inquiries from the curious. As much as I adore printed books, I am equally in awe of my Kindle. One of my biggest selling points is font size. (Full disclosure: I do not sell Kindles, have no connection to Kindle, and stand to gain absolutely nothing by talking about Kindle — unless, of course, you choose to download my book, in which case I shall be eternally grateful.) For readers with certain visual impairments, being able to increase the font size without special glasses or magnifiers is quite a relief. I swear my evangelizing sold a couple of Kindles in a waiting room earlier this week.

The book got a couple of lovely new write-ups recently, if you care to take a look:

As someone who has multiple sclerosis, Ann Pietrangelo of Winchester, VA, frequently answers questions from others with MS through Care2.com, one of the websites where she is a contributing writer on health-related issues. “I get emails all the time from people who are also dealing with MS. I always preface my responses by saying that I’m not a doctor, and that they should seek out medical advice for their specific needs and situations,” Pietrangelo says. “I can only share approaches that have worked for my husband, Jim, and me—lots of research, asking many, many questions and continuing to live life fully.” [Read: dis-Abilities Celebration Connection's Fall Edition, page 8: "No More Secs!"] And a hat tip goes to writer Carrie Smoot.

Ann Pietrangelo is the author of No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis. Making peace with multiple sclerosis, surviving triple-negative breast cancer, and continuing to pursue a career as a freelance writer … well, let’s just say she’s fairly stubborn and doesn’t lack a sense of humor. [Read: Morgen Bailey's Author Spotlight] Thank you for your generosity, Morgen.

In other news, I’m currently reading August Farewell by David G. Hallman. This memoir shares some themes with my own memoir — multiple sclerosis, true love, and cancer. It’s about saying good-bye and appreciating all that came before. I’m not quite half way through yet, but it’s safe to say I’ll be recommending it.

With my memoir, No More Secs!, out there doing its thing, the time has come to make my dream of writing a novel come true.

With three very different ideas swirling around in my head, I’ve finally settled on which one to tackle. Unlike some very talented writers I am privileged to know, I can’t work on more than one storyline at a time.

I’m very pleased with the idea and the amazing possibilities it presents. Next week I’ll begin the task of transferring that idea into written form, beginning with a broad outline.

Writing about yourself is quite a challenge. It is what it is. You can’t change what happens. Fiction gives me the ability to change anything and everything. I shall be all powerful. On the other hand, that may be even more of a challenge. It all hangs on my ability to put into words what my fertile imagination creates.

Now that I’m announcing this to the world, I feel somewhat obligated to see it through. Fasten your seatbelt, Ann, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Living with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
(#24 in a series)

What would you do if you found a lump in your breast? I called a doctor, but not everyone agrees that was the right decision.

Some readers said I shouldn’t have reached out to the medical community, shouldn’t have had surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. I say it’s a personal decision, one we must each make based on our individual case. I told my story but do not give medical advice, unless you consider my plea to check your own breasts or to at least talk to a doctor to be medical advice.

Read it: What would you do if you found a lump in your breast?

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Profiles
Carmelita P: Grieving Son Recounts Mom’s Battle with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Nancy Steiler: Searching for “Normal” After Cancer
Eileen Z. Fuentes: Living with a Grateful Vibration
Meagan Farrell: Cancer Survivor Says “Let Go of the Little Stuff”
Melissa Stukenborg: When Worst Fear Becomes Reality, Find Your Inner Strength

Related
Breast Cancer Awareness: Taking it Personally
Man with Breast Cancer says, “Don’t be embarrassed…it’s too important”
Living with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Series
My Video: What is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?
My Book: No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis
Follow on Twitter @AnnPietrangelo

A hat tip to Free Book Reviews, for the author interview:

Read it: Author Interview: Ann Pietrangelo, author of “No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis”

Readers Favorite says, “Pietrangelo shares her story with candor and often humor… Pietrangelo shares the highs and lows of living with MS. I would describe her as courageous, loving, and a fighter. Her personality shines through in this tale… This book will offer hope, courage and insight to others living with Multiple Sclerosis… Ann’s story is one of realism; MS is not the only battle she has faced. Yet, she ends her book with these words, “I am alive. Gloriously alive! I am functioning and loved … and yes, I still have many more stories to tell.”

Read the full Readers Favorite review of “No More Secs!” …

Is there an ebook you’d like to read … but you’re still not sold on the idea of a Kindle or a Nook? You don’t have to go out and buy a new electronic reader if you have an iPad, or some other electronic device on which you can read.

Both Amazon and Barnes & Noble offer free apps that allow you to download and read ebooks on a variety of devices you may already own. Also, many books offer free sample chapters so you can get a taste of what you’re in for before making a purchase. It’s all so easy!

If you love good, old-fashioned paper books that you can hold in your hand and that make up a great home library, it’s really not an either/or question. You can own and enjoy both. I received a Kindle as a gift last year, and I adore the convenience and portability it offers. For us somewhat *ahem* more mature readers, electronic readers offer the option of changing fonts and font sizes so we don’t have to strain our eyes or fumble for magnifiers.

If you decide to give that free app from Amazon or Kindle a whirl, try downloading a free sample of my book, No More Secs! to give it a test drive.

‘No More Secs!’ for Kindle on Amazon (free sample)
‘No More Secs!’ for Nook on Barnes & Noble (free sample)
Visit the ‘No More Secs!’ website
Like ‘No More Secs!’ on Facebook‘No More Secs!’ press kit

As a young girl, I constantly begged to use my sister’s portable Brother typewriter, even though I didn’t know how to type. I loved the clanking of the keys and fantasized about sitting in a smoke-filled room, a pencil behind my ear, piles of crumpled paper all around, pounding away at my latest novel. I was a weird kid. Decades later…

Read my author guest post on PrettyOpinionated.com

Thank you, Pretty Opinionated.

No More Secs! received its third review on Amazon yesterday. I’m so pleased that readers are relating and feeling the spirit of my words.

For those who have inquired, we’re still working on the print version, but it may be awhile. In the meantime, keep in mind that you don’t actually need a Kindle or a Nook to download the book. You can download FREE apps that allow you to read the book on your computer, iPod, iPhone, or other mobile devices.

No More Secs! Tidbits

“Handicapped people steal shower chairs.” Who said it and why? The back story can be found in chapter 29.

“The hardest writing is the showering.” Who said it and why? It’s in chapter 32.

The cane pictured on the cover of No More Secs! is a product of Fashionable Walking Canes.

Visit the ‘No More Secs!’ website
Like ‘No More Secs!’ on Facebook
‘No More Secs!’ for Kindle on Amazon
‘No More Secs!’ for Nook on Barnes & Noble
‘No More Secs!’ press kit