Writing...Just because!

  With so much going on in health care these days, it's no wonder that Francene Cosman's Nurse! A Memoir is still in the spotlight.  Francene did her nursing training at the Saint John General Hospital in the early 60s when hospital-based, hands-on training was the norm. She feels that it's timely to share her story as a catalyst to discussions on revisiting that model as one way to address the nursing shortages the industry is facing.  Nurse! A Memoir launched on the 60th anniversary of her graduation and the author felt that it was important to write her story for historical preservation. The Saint John General Hospital has been torn down, as have many other buildings from Francene's early years so she felt the time was right before all was forgotten.  After a long and rewarding nursing career, and after raising her family, Francene began a long and illustrious political career that spanned several years and included being appointed president of the Provincial Stat...

As we approach launch day for Shanti Fights for Her Rights by Marcia E Barss, on February 21st, interest is growing in learning more about the ongoing illegal practice of child marriage in rural India. The story is told from the perspective of fourteen-year-old Shanti, who lives in a village in Eastern India where her parents work in a rice field. She attends school 40 km away. When Shanti's mother gives birth to another daughter, her father says she will stay home to help care for her sister and prepare to marry soon.  The author spent her childhood in India and recently returned to visit people she knew and places she had lived. She stayed with friends at Bridge of Hope that works with girls determined to get an education, despite the immense challenges. This inspired the book, which tells a fact-based, fictionalized story from personal experience, interviews, and in-depth research.  Learn more about the author at marciabarss.com and order your copy of Shanti Fights for He...