I posted yesterday that my second book, “Stumbling Toward Victory:  Living In Defiance of Parkinson’s Disease,” will be published soon.  Here are the front and back covers of that book, hot off the presses.

Publishing and marketing a book are not familiar activities to me – “Walking The Crooked Path” received positive comments online, a positive review by Kirkus, and sold about 1000 copies, but I didn’t do a very good job of getting the word out about it.  I’ve relied on word of mouth and the kindness and interest of family and friends (and there has been a lot of that), for which I am grateful.

I don’t anticipate breaking even on the expense of putting a couple of books out into the world, and as a friend of mine often points out, I am not interested in profiting from my fellow PWPs and their families.  Put another way, it ain’t about the money. Similarly, I wasn’t famous before I was diagnosed with PD, and it’s not likely that this is my path to fame. I’m not interested in that, either.

I would not have written them if I didn’t feel that the ideas could be helpful to someone, though, and so I’m asking you for your help.  I’m not even asking you to buy the book – those of you who are inclined to do so will find it on Amazon and buy it, and there are a few of you out there who buy in bulk and give them away.  Thank you for that; there really is nothing more gratifying than people believing you have something worthwhile to say, and helping you say it.

The help I’m asking for is this:  if you read the book and like it, write a review and post it or send me a comment and I’ll post it here, with your permission.  If you read it and don’t like it, help me by telling me why, and I’ll do better next time.

Perhaps most importantly, though, if you know someone who could benefit from reading it, tell them where to find it, or maybe give them your copy.  I think it applies much more broadly than just to people with Parkinson’s; but you’d expect me to believe that.  If you think so, too, help me to reach out a little more broadly.

Again, it ain’t about the benjamins -I’ve given away at least as many copies of “Walking The Crooked Path” as I’ve sold. It irritates my beloved who thinks I devalue the work that way, but I would rather reach people than not, and I never was a terribly effective marketeer anyway.

If you want to put a copy in your local library, let me know – we’ll work something out.  If you want to discuss it at a support group meeting and I’m in your town, I’ll come help you.

If you think I’m misguided and I should just stop trying, read the book.  Your answer’s in there.  “Stumbling Toward Victory: Living In Defiance Of Parkinson’s Disease” should be available on amazon.com by May 15th.