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Current Manuscript Blurb:

PRESENCE OF MIND: 1st SERIES EDITION

It is a cool spring night Alyssa will never forget -- the calm is broken as she feels something hit against her backside. She quickly turns and misses her husband as he falls to the floor. His body convulses and his eyes roll in his head.

After a life-threatening seizure, Thomas Gideon receives the shocking diagnosis of epilepsy. His young wife Alyssa sets aside her own needs to attend to her husband and small children. Far from family and friends, she struggles to cope not only with the emotional impact of the disorder, but also with its unpredictable timing.

After Thomas loses his job, Alyssa must find a meager-paying one to support the family. Tormented by his inability to provide for his family, he goes against doctor orders not to drive. Risking the life of his own precious daughter, he attempts to go to an interview. His stubborn refusal to obey the doctor lands him and his daughter in the hospital. Alyssa is consumed with every mother's deepest fears as she watches her own baby girl fight to live. She then faces one of the toughest decisions of her life - choosing between the one she loves or leaving the marriage for the physical and emotional well-being of her children. She tries to walk away from the marriage; however, love keeps her holding on.  Will she sacrifice love or learn to cope in the midst of her fears?

Presence of Mind invites the reader to experience how seizures impact much more than just the physical. Around 2.7 million Americans are impacted by epilepsy and seizures. With approximately 200,000 new cases occurring every year, this true to life book explores the fragile human emotions that surround this life altering condition.