CONTACT: Donna M. McDine

Children’s Author

Email: dmcdine@optonline.net

Phone: 845-721-7802

For Immediate Release

Three Indie Debut Authors Share Their Experiences about Publishing with a Small Press

Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity sponsored by The Ferguson Library Harry Bennett Branch http://www.fergusonlibrary.org and the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators of Lower Fairfield http://lowerfairfieldwriters.blogspot.com as they offer a unique panel of three indie debut authors on Saturday, September 25, 2010, 11:00 am at 115 Vine Road, Stamford, CT. The author’s panel will consist of an open discussion on their personal experiences with publishing with a small press with an opportunity to ask questions.

Lori Calabrese’s first picture book, The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade, was named Dragonfly Publishing, Inc.’s 2009 Best Children’s Book. Her articles and stories have been published in Boys’ Life, Odyssey, Appleseeds, Focus on the Family Clubhouse, Jr., Turtle Magazine for Preschool Kids, and Stories for Children Magazine.

Donna McDine placed twice in the top 100 of the Children’s/Young Adult category in the 78^th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. Her book, The Golden Pathway, was published by Guardian Angel Publishing.

Jo Ramsey is a former teacher. When she was five years old, she wrote her first story and hasn’t stopped since. Her first published YA novel, Connection, was published in January 2010 by Jupiter Gardens Press.

Event location:

The Ferguson Library

Harry Bennett Branch

115 Vine Road

Stamford, CT

203-351-8292

www.fergusonlibrary.org

We look forward to seeing you there.

Thank you in advance for your interest.

Des Moines, Iowa – August 17, 2010 – Heidi Telpner, an RN with over twenty years’ experience, shares her stories from working as a hospice nurse with you. She describes her work as a labor of love, and with honesty and humor, details the stories of the many patients with which she’s worked. Her writing transcends all the divisions that separate us, and instead, brings us closer to the humbling experience of caring for those in the last stages of their lives.

Available in both print and electronic formats, One Foot In Heaven, will share the various, and yet similar, experiences of the hospice patient, friends, family, and the nurse. This book can be purchased direct from the publisher or from your favorite book seller.

Contact:
Jupiter Gardens Press
http://jupitergardens.com/onefootinheaven

I’ve suffered from allergies and sinus problems for as long as I remember. As a child, I was frequently prescribed the big brown bottles of cough syrup from the doctor. Yellow was Actifed; purple was Sudifed. I preferred the Actifed, and back then pseudoephedrine needed to come from a prescription. The fact that I have vivid memories of these big brown glass bottles with their fruit-flavored contents is a testament to how much I took. The older I got, the more my allergies bothered me. In a nutshell, Mother Nature hates me. I don’t know why. But she does, and this time of year, when the corn is pollinating and the ragweed is blooming is my worst. Add to that the fact that I like to be outdoors, that I have a horse, which means all the dust and hay that a barn can bring, and well, I’ll take anything that I can use to help my sinuses.

The problem is, since I’ve had such large amounts of “sinus medicine” poured down me from a young age, my body is like “hah!” when I take Sudifed or anything over the counter. When the formulas were changed to remove pseudoephedrine from them, my sinuses just laughed even more.

I’d been getting “chemical cautery” of my sinuses, but since I’m in my “deductible period” for my health insurance, this every-six-month procedure would cost me $700. Add to that the fact that I still need sinus meds, well…I’m searching for alternatives.

I’ve found them in peppermint tea and peppermint oil. But I’ve also found an alternative in an $11 neti pot.

What is a neti pot? It’s a small pot that looks like a cross between a teapot and a magic lamp. Made from plastic (recycled) or ceramic, they’re filled with water and salt, then used to irrigate, or rinse, the sinuses. By washing away allergens, they help the cilia of the nose move more freely and help encourage draining.

I’ve found it especially helpful when I get back from the barn to do a complete wash. I shower, change clothes, and then do a sinus wash to remove the allergens that usually linger. On a daily, or every-other day basis, I also try to sinus wash, and if I do something such as mowing that will aggravate my allergies, I also redo the wash.

Simply fill the neti pot to a predetermined line with lukewarm, body-temperature water. Mix in the recommended method of salt, then put the end of the spigot in your nose, tilt your head to 45 degrees, then wash one side. When you’re done, repeat on the other.

I’ve found this to be a simple, non-medical, non-pharmaceutical, way to help my sinuses. It keeps the sinus headaches, pain and pressure, at bay, and it’s something I can do pretty inexpensively. While your mileage may vary, if you’re looking for a natural way to fight allergies, sinus washing may be something to help you.

Further Reading:

WebMD, Do Neti Pots Really Work? http://www.webmd.com/allergies/sinus-pain-pressure-9/neti-pots

Himalayan Institute: http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/netipot/netipotgateway.aspx

A NPR Article on Sinus Irrigation: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7108546