How David Met Sarah

Goodreads Giveaway!

2012-02-24T07:03:00.001-08:00

In celebration of the new release, we're holding a Goodreads Giveaway.... click on the link to enter!

Another five-star review

2012-02-21T17:57:00.000-08:00

Please click HERE to read our latest FIVE STAR review on Amazon!

Booksigning at the Artists' Path Gallery - this weekend~!

2012-02-10T06:21:00.000-08:00

In or near Connecticut? Please consider checking out the new Artist's Path Gallery at 583c Bantam Road in Litchfield, CT. From 2:00 to 4:00 PM tomorrow, I'll be there signing books. Stop by, say hello, and enter the raffle for our Share-the-Love basket filled with wonderful handcrafted goodies...I hope to see you then!

It's DONE :)

2012-02-09T15:11:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the last revisions of When David was Surprised. The manuscript turned out to be a little longer than it was originally, and I had a chance to give it another going-over, tweaking and fine-tuning the language. I sent it to my editor at precisely 6:01 PM - coincidentally the time Baby Grace was born - so I'm hoping that is a very good omen! And in other writing news, I'm thrilled to say that an agent has asked my husband for a look at his memoir. Please keep your fingers crossed for both of us!

From a homeschooling parent....

2012-02-07T06:44:00.000-08:00

My friend, Stacie, who homeschools her son, read How David Met Sarah and decided to assign it as a reading book:

"I think it is the responsibility of every parent to introduce their children to a wide variety of life experiences. Different people, places, cultures, ideas, etc. in the hopes that their children will become kind, loving, understanding, and tolerant adults. As a homeschool parent, it's an even greater responsibility, as my son may not come into contact with as many people as the average schooled child. We don't have any friends or family members with Down Syndrome, so I asked my son to read How David Met Sarah, hoping it would allow him to see that people who may seem different on the outside, really aren't that different on the inside."

And this is what Stacie's 12 year old son, Levi, had to say after he read it:

"I really enjoyed your book. It did keep my attention and was interesting. It also improved my understanding of people with disabilities. The only thing that I saw that was different between David and any other person was that he needed a schedule and that he lived with his parents and needed their help a lot. David and most people seem to not be that different. They have the same wants and feelings and fears that we do, but usually just act a little different. I know very few people with disabilities so I can't say too much but, I have been a little nervous about what to say or if I will say the wrong thing to them. But the book helped me to understand that they aren't that different and are like normal people, so I should just talk to them like anyone else. To an everyday 7^thgrader its almost too easy to read, but my mom told me that it's written for a 3^rd grade level."

Thank you, Stacie and Levi!

Now on sale on NOOK!

2012-02-04T10:12:00.001-08:00

Go here to purchase your Nook copy!

THE GIFT: Books, Books, WONDERFUL Books: Review of 'How David Met Sarah' by Anne Kelleher

2012-02-04T06:48:00.000-08:00

THE GIFT: Books, Books, WONDERFUL Books: Review of 'How David Met Sarah' by Anne Kelleher

In celebration of Valentine's Day...

2012-02-01T13:45:00.000-08:00

How David Met Sarah is now ON SALE!! All this month, you can buy a Kindle version for just ninety-nine cents!

Why "How David Met Sarah"

2012-01-29T14:16:00.000-08:00

"We read to know we are not alone."
                                    Anthony Hopkins as C.S.Lewis in Shadowlands

If you haven't seen the film "Shadowlands," and you love books, I recommend you download, borrow or buy a copy. It's about the relationship between the English author of the Narnia books and the American woman he marries and falls in love with, Joy Gresham. The line above is one of the single best explanations for the pleasure of reading I've ever heard.

It's also why I wanted to write How David Met Sarah.

At 36, my brother is not a child. Although he has a disability, he wants many of the same things most adults I know want. He wants a job he enjoys, and a special someone to love. He likes to do things that are decidedly not childish - golf, international travel and opera are some of David's favorite past-times. He's an active member of his church and serves in serveral capacities quite faithfully, including usher.

So active, in fact, in the community is my brother that it's difficult to go anywhere with him in the town he lives without running into someone who knows David. He has challenges and limitations but who doesn't?   The more time I spend with him, the more I see how much we have in common. We are more similar than different.

I decided to write How David Met Sarah to give my brother an experience that I think most average readers take for granted - that sense of not being alone.  I wanted my brother to have what I have always had from the time I remember reading the Honey Bunch and Norman series in first grade... stories in which I could, in my imagination, stand in for one of the characters. Reading has always been one of my greatest pleasures and I began to write because I wanted to do what all my favorite authors did.  Books continue to be my companions and my friends, providing hours of pleasure.

With How David Met Sarah and its sequels, I hope to give some of that back.

Another guest blogger...

2012-01-29T09:58:00.000-08:00

"When I first read "How David Met Sarah" I was expecting it to be a special book; after all it was written for a special audience by a very special author (who in the interests of full disclosure I must admit to having known online for sometime.) What I did not expect was how the characters and the story immediately engaged me. I was enchanted by David, whose life the reader immediately becomes a part of, and eager to accompany him through not only his daily routine, but on his adventure to meet the charming Miss Sarah. I could not put it down till I had finished the story.

"Annie Kelleher has created a wonderful world, filled with 'real' people...the kind you would recognize if you met them on the street...and a heart-warming, and thoroughly enjoyable read. Never once did I think, or care, that this story is written at a level for developmentally challenged readers, it shows her masterful hand in remaining engaging at any level.

"I have a large and diverse family, including a son who is challenged by dyslexia. And we have been blessed to foster children with many developmental delays, and to be friends with adults, like David, who are living full lives and meeting their own challenges. I cannot begin to stress the importance of books like "How David Met Sara", not only in touching the lives of those 'adult' readers who have had so little age appropriate material at their reading level, but for all the rest of us who can, through this wonderful story, catch a glimpse of their lives...and make a new friend we might otherwise have never been privileged to know."

Pamela C Reese

Thanks so much, Pam!

Three hundred "Likes?"

2012-01-28T05:51:00.000-08:00

Small things mean a lot...in honor of Valentine's Day, will you share the love and help us get to 300 (or maybe even more?) likes" on our Facebook page?

Thanks so much!

Where to find me next...

2012-01-27T04:04:00.000-08:00

Please consider joining me every first Sunday of the month from 2-4:30 PM at The Phoenix Rising Center in Thomaston, CT, where I will be facilitating an Artists' Way Study Group. Our first meeting will be February 5th, but you don't need to attend the first meeting to join us. Bring your book and something to write in. Find more details here.

Also, I'll be signing books and reading from both books at The Artists' Path Gallery on February 11, 2012 from 2-4 PM. Please come for a chance to enter a raffle for a Share-the-Love basket of herbal treats and teas from my friends Rosemari Roast of Walk In the Woods,LLC and Kim Elovirta, whose amazingly all-natural face and body products can be found at The Holistic Garden in Unionville, CT.

And... if you can't make it on Saturday, February 11th, please consider coming to the Holistic Garden on Sunday, February 19th, for another booksigning and reading, as well as a chance to win a Spring Sow-the-Love basket of herbal treats!

Come for a sneak peek!

2012-01-22T08:46:00.000-08:00

I'll be reading from When David was Surprised at the MidWinter Open Mike Night at Passiflora Tea Shop in New Hartford CT. I hope you will consider joining me. Passiflora features an all-organic, local as much as possible menu full of delicious soups, sandwiches, salads and other treats not to mention herbal teas, chais and lassis.

Other writers will also share their work - feel free to bring yours or just come and listen...

Hope to see you there :).

Mother Wants To Advise Other Parents How To Help Developmentally Disabled Children Becoming Adults

2012-01-19T04:34:00.000-08:00

Mother Wants To Advise Other Parents How To Help Developmentally Disabled Children Becoming Adults

Check out this interesting program in the Hartford Courant...by columnist Susan Campbell.

What How David Met Sarah means to families...

2012-01-17T18:44:00.000-08:00

Judi Johnson Ferrara is the mother of two wonderful sons, one of whom is developmentally disabled. Judi has been a tireless advocate for her son since he was young. Most recently, Judi worked to ensure the passage of a bill in Pennsylvania that makes it more difficult for people who have a history of abuse to continue to prey on this vulnerable population.

"As a parent of a special needs child I am always in search of ways to help others understand the world in which we live. Toys and books that most parents take for granted are not always available to us. When an author like Anne Kelleher takes on the subject in her book “How David met Sarah” it opens up a literary world virtually unknown to families like mine. Books that delve into the subject of relationships are even more rare. Books that can be read and enjoyed are true gifts.

Being able to read with your children is a wonderful way to show them another world out there. A real world full of real people and some of them have special needs but they have the same needs as we all do. They want to be loved and accepted in community. With knowledge comes understanding. As a parent I have had 27 years of sharing what my son Michael is like to those who meet his daily needs. Having books available that show feelings and portray real life experiences of our children are great resources for all readers."
- Judi Johnson Ferrara, Wallingford, PA

Thank you, Judi!

I'm so thrilled to share...

2012-01-16T05:27:00.000-08:00

The final draft of When David was Surprised... the second book in the series....is now in the loving hands of its editor. While I'm anxiously awaiting her input, I'm also very eager to see what the new cover will look like. Of course I will post it here as soon as I can.

So what's next? Many exciting things are happening, not to mention I'm already mapping out the plot of the THIRD book in the series, What David Found. There will be a sneak peek of the first chapter at the end of the second book.

I've already heard from many readers asking for bookplates - signed ones are available by emailing AnnieKelleher@aol.com. I've also received some names of librarians in various places throughout the country. Readers are telling me that libraries are thrilled to have the donation - their budgets are tight, too. So keep those names and addresses coming....we want to share How David Met Sarah with as many people as we can.

Thanks to everyone who has already written to me... your books and bookplates are on their way!

I did it...

2012-01-12T05:01:00.001-08:00

The first draft of When David Was Surprised is fully outlined....the end of the middle flows into the beginning of the end at last. Another few days and I'll be sending the manuscript off for its first editing...thanks for all your support!

Will you help us? Here's how...

2012-01-07T04:16:00.000-08:00

Have you read and enjoyed How David Met Sarah? Would you like a free copy of the next book in the series, When David was Surprised? Please consider helping spread the word.

Here are a few things you can do:

1. Help us social network.  Follow me on Twitter (@anniekelleher) and reTweet my tweets.  "Like" the book's page on Facebook, and invite your friends to "like" it, too. Share the page's content - I'll be updating it soon, I promise! "Follow" this blog and comment... comments are wonderfully appreciated! The top reTweeter, Facebook Friend (in terms of sharing and referring friends) and Blog Follower (in terms of commenting and sharing) will win a copy of the new book.

2. We are happy to donate copies of How David Met Sarah to libraries. Just email me (AnnieKelleher@aol.com) the name of your local librarian in charge of acquisitions, and the address of the library.   I'm also available to speak and sign at local libraries as well. Help me make the contact; your community wins and so do you.

3. Go to your local Barnes & Noble bookstore and ask for it. Copies can be ordered, and if enough people ask for the books, the stores will start to stock them. Email me the name and information of the store manager or the person who arranges signings and win the next book.

4. Tell your friends. Signed bookplates are available...the person who requests the most bookplates for friends who bought copies will receive the new book, too.

People who've read the story tell me how much they love it... thank you so much from the bottom of my chest (as my brother would say) if you can help us reach others who might enjoy it, too.   When David was Surprised will be available in both eformat and hard copy on my birthday, March 31.

Off to a good start

2012-01-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to spend the day with my brother and most of the rest of my family today. We all met at my sister's and there were so many of us that the children younger than 18 had their own table.

David loved his gift - a framed poster from our book launch last month. I decided not to share the chapters yet...the new story is still evolving and changing and growing. Maybe this time, I'll make him wait...

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T05:50:00.000-08:00

I've been busy writing When David was Surprised...the reason I haven't been posting is because the story has taken on a life of its own in the way the best stories always do, and I've been working very hard to follow along very closely. I haven't wanted to break the spell by talking about it too much. I will say that the story has shown me quite a few surprises already... I can't wait to know what my brother thinks.

I'll be seeing him tomorrow to give him the first few chapters of the new story... Happy New Year to all!

New YouTube video!

2011-12-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

See it.... as well as our other videos.... HERE.

Making progress

2011-12-13T04:51:00.000-08:00

For those of you who've read How David Met Sarah, you might be interested to know that I am at work on the second book of the series... When David was Surprised. Based on my brother's own experiences with theatre, it includes quite a few surprises for the reader as well.

Some of you may know of National Novel-Writing Month - often referred to as NaNoWriMo. It's a national writing challenge that many writers seek to complete: produce a 50,000 word first draft in one month.

Fair enough, but the month they pick happens to be November...which is not only a short month but a busy month in my universe. Believe it or not, this month is less busy than last month because now the launch is behind me, I only have a few presents to finish buying. So here's my goal for the rest of month: to complete a 20,000 word first draft. As of this morning, I have 3,200 words completed. There are 17 days left in December. If I write a thousand words every day - about four manuscript pages - I will meet my goal.

I'll be keeping you posted on my progress!

Photos from the launch party

2011-12-11T15:55:00.000-08:00

Thank YOU!

2011-12-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to all the people who helped to make last Friday night so special for David and me... especially to Patrice Fitzgerald, Susan Forrest, Patricia Bruhn, Doreen Breen, Karen Tyson, the folks at NDSS, and my mother and stepdad for driving David up to the party. Thanks as well to everyone who came, and to those who couldn't, but thought good thoughts anyway! We hope you had as good a time as we did! Photos will follow as well as a new YouTube video...check back soon :).

Looking forward to tonight....

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

...and hope you are, too! David and I will be signing copies and celebrating the release of How David Met Sarah with family, friends, and yummy assortment of holiday treats... join us at 7 PM at the Phoenix Rising Art Center at 135 South Main Steet in Thomaston, CT.

Seriously discounted!

2011-12-07T15:55:00.000-08:00

If you can't make the launch party, get your print copy at a great price at Barnes & Noble....it's the perfect size for a stocking stuffer ;). Just send me a note at AnnieKelleher@aol.com and I will send you an autographed bookplate.

Thanks, Chris Burke!

2011-12-06T04:23:00.000-08:00

How David Met Sarah is terrific. I think the character of David has a lot of heart, is full of happiness and is very thoughtful. Despite his disability, he has a lot of personality and ability. I like the story about David’s relationship with his parents and his independence. I thought that it was difficult for Sarah to accept David in her life, but in her heart she will be there for him. It’s not about his disability but her ability to grow to trust him as a friend. Anne Kelleher wrote from her experience of what it’s like to have a brother with a disability, and I think this concept is very worthwhile. If you want my advice, you should read this book about the world of young adults with Down syndrome.

Chris Burke

“Corky” from Life Goes On and Goodwill Ambassador for the National Down Syndrome Society

Just in time for the holidays....

2011-12-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

Print copies now available! Click the link to the right to order your copy :).

If you would like a book plate, signed by both David and me, please send me an email at AnnieKelleher@aol.com!

Thank you so much to all our readers... see you at the launch party :).

What I'm thankful for....

2011-11-25T03:08:00.000-08:00

...all the wonderful people who have encouraged, supported, and helped to make How David Met Sarah a reality...thank you so much from the bottom of my chest, as my brother David would say!

We wish everyone a happy, healthy, and abundant holiday season...

See you at the launch party... I hope!

Lessons I learned from writing How David Met Sarah...

2011-11-23T03:56:00.000-08:00

Don't let your goals get in the way ViewsHound

Read all about it and "like" it if you do!

Misplaced baby

2011-11-23T03:34:00.000-08:00

The UPS truck pulled up late for our neck of a woods last Friday evening, setting off the dogs and interrupting double Jeopardy. I was tired and not feeling in any mood to go downstairs to see what had been delivered.

In fact, I walked the dogs without even noticing where the driver might've left the parcel.

That night, I had a long vivid dream about a baby that I had lost somewhere in the house. You better go see where that baby is, I kept hearing myself say.

The next morning, I woke up, wondering what on earth the baby dream could mean but didn't think too much of it. I was bringing the dogs back from their first morning run, when I happened to notice the flat brown package lying forlorn on top of the low stone planter. Another comic book, I assumed, and almost didn't pick it up.

But I did and nearly dropped it when I saw my name on the label and the return address. I opened the package and inside was the first proof of the print edition for How David Met Sarah.

I'd found my misplaced baby.

Now live on Nook...

2011-11-15T17:42:00.000-08:00

As soon as I can figure out the right link... I'll post it HERE!

The pleasure of your company....

2011-11-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

....is cordially requested at a Launch Party for How David Met Sarah on Friday, December 9, 2011, at 7:00 PM at the Phoenix Rising Arts Collective in Thomaston, CT, at 135 South Main Street in the old Seth Thomas factory building.

We hope you will come and celebrate with us! Meet the "real" David, have your book signed, see amazing exhibits by local artists, and nibble on delicious holiday treats supplied by Passiflora Tea Shop.

Coming soon on Barnes & Noble Nook....

2011-11-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

...and in print!

While I've been spending time in the Stone Age courtesy of Winter Storm Alfred, my publisher has been craftily making How David Met Sarah even more widely available. By the end of the month, we expect it to be available on Barnes & Noble Nook, and....by early December, in print.

Please email me at AnnieKelleher@aol.com if you are interested in preordering a print copy... 20% of the cover price will be donated to the National Down Syndrome Society. Your copy will come to you signed by me AND David.

But which date to save?!

2011-11-06T18:42:00.001-08:00

Friday, DECEMBER 9, 2011, 7:00 PM.... see you there!

Thank you to my friend, Judi, for reminding me to include the date :)!

Save the date, spread the word, see you there?

2011-10-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

Join us for an evening celebrating both print and e-versions of How David Met Sarah...in historic Thomaston, CT. Meet the "real" David, Mother and Pop, have your book signed (by both of us :) ) try delicious holiday treats from Passiflora Tea Shop and tour the amazing art-space now claimed by the Phoenix Rising Art Center. Just a couple turns off Route 8, it's easy to find from just about anywhere.

20% from the sale of both editions will go to the National Down Syndrome Society to assist with the needs of developmentally disabled adults.

David is shining up his dancing shoes and I hope you will put it on your calendar now!

Our BlogStop Book Tour starts TODAY

2011-10-24T04:36:00.000-07:00

October 24 – Parents Global
October 26 – Return to Disney
October 28 – Reading All Year Long
October 31 – BookSpark
November 2 – Jenn Greenleaf: Wearer of Many Hats
November 3 – The Gift Blog
November 4 – Double M’s Take On Books, Blogs, Dogs, Networking & Life
November 6 – Writers In Business

Exciting NEWS!!!!

2011-10-22T05:01:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to say that the National Down Synrome Society has graciously agreed to help spread the word about How David Met Sarah.

A print version and book club/reader's guide are in the works and we anticipate that both will be available shortly.

In the meatime, I invite you to check out the HBO documentary "Monica & David" about a real life David and Sarah.

Announcing a BlogStop Book Tour...

2011-10-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

Starting next Monday October 24, and running through November 6, we'll be holding a Blog Stop Book Tour at various blogs. I hope you will check out each one!

Coming soon....

2011-10-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

Spanish and German versions of How David Met Sarah!

We're on Patch!

2011-10-10T03:56:00.000-07:00

Check out this very cool article on Canton Patch...thanks to Editor John Fitts!

Me, and my brother, David - or How David Met Sarah came to be...

2011-10-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

My brother David was born when I was sixteen.

Almost from the hour of his birth, my mother knew he was going to be different from her three older children.

I knew for almost three years before he was born.

I don't know how I knew, and I'm still not sure why I knew. But from the time I was barely thirteen, I knew David was coming. I knew it in the way I know my name, in the way I know I have brown eyes and am left-handed. I didn't want to know, and I didn't want to believe it. And I knew no one would believe me.

It began the winter I turned thirteen and my mother told us she was pregnant. It was a tumultuous time in our lives. Money was scarce, the relationship between my mother and her mother, my grandmother, had deteriorated into what I remember as the Great War of my childhood. Things were bad, and there was no expectation things would be better any time soon.

I knew there was going to be an issue with this baby. Something big.

I can't explain how I knew this. I only know I raged at Heaven. No, I remember saying emphatically one morning as I was getting dressed for school. Besides everything else that was going on, I remember I was failing algebra for a second time. No, I said, to whatever - or Whoever - might be listening. You can't do this to us. You just can't.

And Heaven acquiesced.

I could feel it. Deep, in my bones, in the way I know the sun rises in the east. A few weeks later my mother had a miscarriage. A part of me knew it was only a reprieve. The baby was coming eventually.

But not now. Not yet. We weren't ready.

I remember the dilemma I briefly faced. Tell my mother what I knew, and risk ridicule... or worse? I'd read Dr. Spock's Baby & Child Care cover to cover when my mother was expecting my sister when I was ten. I knew all about magical thinking and sibling rivalry. I was pretty sure I knew what my parents would think. I decided to keep my mouth shut.

But the next fall, at the beginning of my sophmore year of high school, I remember sliding into my desk the first day of biology class and opening the textbook waiting for me to a random page. My eyes fell on the words "Down's Syndrome." And a Voice at the back of my mind very quietly said, "That."

When my mother announced her pregnancy, glowing, a year or so later, I remember a sense of "Well, how about it?" from the Voice. And this time I was the one who said "Yes."

But I still didn't tell anyone. .For one thing, I wasn't quite sure I wanted to believe I was really having conversations with Heaven. I had enough to do with high school and growing up and my crazy family. Now things were about to get crazier and my active participation seemed to be required. Besides, I figured, was it really any of my business? Surely my mother's OB would recommend the necessary tests, even though, as a devout Catholic, my mother would never have considered terminating the pregnancy.

But he didn't. And my mother just glowed.

So no one was expecting David. But me.   The night my brother was born, I heard the phone ringing while I was giving my little sister a bath. "That's Mommy," I thought. "To tell me there's something wrong with the baby."

And when I picked up the phone, those were her exact words.  "Honey, there's something wrong with the baby."

"What is it?" I remember asking.

"He's...he's slightly mongoloid." My mother's usually firm voice faltered.

"No," I remember I said. "He has Downs' Syndrome. And it's not that bad."

"How do you know?" asked my mother, and I could tell she was taken aback by the certainty with which I spoke.

I remember my hesitation. I had an opportunity then, to tell the truth. "We studied it in school last year," I remember answering, feeling weak. My answer was true, as far as it went. But it wasn't how I'd known.

I didn't spend a lot of time with David when he was really little... his first nine months were spent mostly in a hospital, fighting pneumonia. And then I graduated high school and went to England,and my life took off in another trajectory. It seemed odd that something I knew so clearly seemed to matter so little in my life.

When my mother suggested I try my hand at writing a book my brother might enjoy reading, I wasn't sure I could do it. On the surface, after all, our lives are so different. I'm a girl, he's a boy. I'm the oldest, he's the youngest. I have brown eyes, his are blue. He has Downs' Syndrome and I don't.

And then I remembered how often it has occured to me how much alike David and I are. We both love music, especially Irish music, and we love to sing. David knows the words to more songs than I do. We both love to dance. We both love to write...in fact, we prefer to spend our mornings exactly the same way: listening to music and writing. I'm usually either blogging or working on a novel; David writes all sorts of things. And recently David suffered two things everyone can relate to... unrequited love, and a layoff from a job he really liked.

Thus, this story - and the ones which will follow it - grew not just out of my wish to give my brother something I've enjoyed all my life: a good story, well told. This story grew mostly out of the deep connection I've always shared with my little brother... a connection that began even before he was born.

David loves "his" story. We both hope that others will enjoy it, too.

What's next?

2011-10-06T03:59:00.000-07:00

Now that How David Met Sarah has finally hit the shelves, so to speak, what's next? This morning I'll be speaking to a representative from an organization to which my publisher and I would like to donate 20% of the proceeds. We're setting up a blog-stop book tour, too....if you'd like to be part of it... let me know! There's a launch party in the works, too.

I've already started to write the next book in the series... When David Was Surprised. You can read the first chapter at the end of How David Met Sarah. I hope you'll check it out!

It's HERE!

2011-10-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

It's a BOOK!

October is...

2011-10-01T04:49:00.000-07:00

National Down's (or Down*) Syndrome Awareness Month!

- People with Down's have 47 chromosomes, not 46. No one understands exactly what causes the condition, but it is known to occur at conception.

- There are approximately 400,000 people with Down's Syndrome living in the United States today.

-Although likelihood increases with maternal age (and some researchers say paternal age as well) most children with Down's Syndrome are born to women under 35.

- It is the most common genetic condition and it occurs in all races, both sexes, and throughout the world.

- People with Down's Syndrome are more like people without Down's, than unlike.

Did you know...

2011-09-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

there's a FREE Kindle App you can download?

People have asked me if we have plans to release How David Met Sarah as a regular paperback book. Although we won't rule out anything, I do encourage anyone who hasn't tried an e-reader to check out the free download on Amazon...you might be surprised how addicting ebooks can be!

Congratulations, David!

2011-09-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to announce that David brought home a GOLD medal in golf at this past Sunday's Special Olympics in New Jersey. Congratulations to all who competed and way to go, David!

Anything Goes

2011-09-24T03:56:00.000-07:00

Today my husband and I are meeting up with my parents and David in New York City for our annual Broadway birthday bash. They treat us to lunch and we treat them to a show. This year, it's Anything Goes. Hopefully I'll have a photo or two to show you how it all went!

We have a cover!

2011-09-24T03:24:00.000-07:00

Isn't it beautiful?!

Second YouTube Video posted!

2011-09-21T04:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my amazing publicist... there are now TWO videos posted on YouTube about the book... please check them both out!

We're on YouTube!

2011-09-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

How David Met Sarah.... please watch!

I had a dream...

2011-09-18T04:57:00.000-07:00

...and in it, it occured to me that How David Met Sarah should be translated into other languages, because after all, we don't all speak English. When I woke up, I realized that through the magic of the Internet, How David Met Sarah can easily be made available internationally.

When I mentioned this dream to my publisher, she was just as excited as I am. My hope is that over the coming months, we will be able to make my dream a reality. We're already working on finding translators. Check back to see what versions will be available and when!

Happy Birthday, David!

2011-09-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

I believe birthdays are special and today is David's. Next weekend we're meeting up in New York City to have lunch at Carmine's and to see the show, Anything Goes. It's been a tradition we instituted a few years ago to celebrate four family birthdays that occur within about a month of each other.

What are your family traditions (new or old) to celebrate birthdays?

Update!

2011-09-14T04:27:00.000-07:00

I've seen the preliminary sketches of the cover and they're beautiful. Yesterday, David made time out of his schedule for photos - I'll be posting them as soon as I can figure it out :).

David is busy practicing for Special Olympics...he is competing in golf. David has a long history of involvement with Special Olympics and has even represented the United States at the international competition in New Haven, in the equestrian events.

I wanted to share the thank-you note that David wrote to me:

Dear Nan -

Thank you so much for the book about David. It's the nicest thing from the bottom of my chest.

Lot's of love,
David.

Check back soon...

2011-09-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

The final draft of the manuscript has gone to the editor and the cover should be ready any time! I'll put it here as soon as it is finalized - I can't wait to see it!

Meanwhile, while we're all waiting, you can read Chapter One by clicking on the link entitled "How David Met Sarah - Excerpt." I hope you enjoy it as much as the real David does :).

Me and my brother, David

2011-08-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

My brother David was born when I was sixteen.

Almost from the hour of his birth, my mother knew he was going to be different from her three older children.

It began the winter I turned thirteen and my mother told us she was pregnant. It was a tumultuous time in our lives. Money was scarce, the relationship between my mother and her mother, my grandmother, had detiorated into what I remember as the Great War of my childhood. Things were bad, and there was no expectation things would be better any time soon.

I knew there was going to be something wrong with this baby. Something big.

I could feel it. Deep, in my bones, in the way I know the sun rises in the east. A few weeks later my mother had a miscarriage. A part of me knew it was only a reprieve. The baby - the baby with something wrong with it - was coming eventually.

But not now. Not yet. We weren't ready.

I remember the dilemma I briefly faced. Tell my mother what I knew, and risk ridicule... or worse? I'd read Dr. Spock's Baby & Child Care cover to cover when my mother was expecting my sister when I was ten. I knew all about magical thinking and sibling rivalry. I was pretty sure I knew what my parents would think. I decided to keep my mouth shut.

But he didn't. And my mother just glowed.

David loves "his" story. We both hope that others will enjoy it, too.