I posted this on Facebook today (December 14, 2015). More on this to come!!

What a wild six weeks it has been. I first contacted Heather McManamy the last week of October to see if she would write a book with me. Our agent secured a major publisher (Sourcebooks) a few weeks later, and we’re turning in the manuscript today. The book will be published by April. This is all happening at warp speed.

So, who is Heather McManamy, and why the rush to get this done? She is a 36-year-old wife and mother with stage IV breast cancer who won’t be alive much longer. That’s not a lack of hope…it’s her reality. The book is titled “Cards for Brianna: A Lifetime of Lessons and Love from a Dying Mother to Her Daughter.”

This past summer, Heather bought dozens of cards for her 4-year-old daughter. The cards span Brianna’s life – first day of kindergarten, birthdays, wedding, retirement, cards for rough days…even a card for when she has her first beer. Heather wrote notes in the cards and gave them to her husband to give to Bri at the appropriate times. When Heather posted on Facebook that she did this (simply for her family and friends to see), it went viral worldwide. Google her name and you’ll see what I mean.

Heather is one of the most fascinating women I’ve ever met – strong, funny, optimistic. Yes, she’s dying, but she hasn’t let that define who she is. The last thing she wants is for anybody to feel sorry for her. Based on her awesome story and the enthusiasm from the publisher, I think this book might turn out to be a pretty big deal, and I’m honored to write it with her. There are lessons in it for all of us. You can follow her at https://www.facebook.com/heather.mcmanamy. I will keep you posted on the progress. Thank you for reading. 🙂