Writing "Behind the Old Face"

If you have followed my blog you know I haven't posted much in the last few months.  I have been very busy and I am happy to announce the release of my book "Behind the Old Face: Aging in America and the Coming Elder Boom" is scheduled for November 12th!

This book has been on my heart and in my mind for 8 years or so.  Maybe it has been there since I began in eldercare in 1977, but didn't surface until 8 years ago.  Either way I will be sharing it with the world in 26 days and that is exciting!  I won't get into any details about how this book came about, because it's included in the book.  I will say however, that God put the book and title on my heart.  I am extremely grateful I have been given the passion, experience and talent to do the work I have and finally see the book become a reality.

So many wonderful people have been a part of this process, my heart is filled with joy and sincere gratitude for what each person has and continues to do.  From pushing me to get the book done, to cheering for me on Facebook, to allowing me to be privileged enough to be privy to their life stories, to giving financial gifts to pay publishing costs, to helping me get the word out, to praying for me and my family, to encouraging and supporting me, to guiding me through the entire process, to editing and helping create what the book has become, I am so thankful to each person who has helped me along the way.  There really aren't words to describe how blessed I feel by the love and generosity I have been given.

I have been working with my publisher, Jared Rosen from Dreamsculpt, since last year and it has been an awesome experience!  He had belief in the intention of my book from the first email I sent him and he responded with "when can we talk, I like what you're doing".  From our first conversation I knew I wanted to work with him, and it has been great since.  I have learned a lot from Jared and grown as a writer and visionary for the future of aging.  Jared has the ability to bring forth more than some words that end up in a book.  His process expanded my thoughts, ideas, and the possibilities of what can be.  I really don't know how I would be here, ready to release the book, without him.  I know eldercare and the difficulties and beauty of aging, but other than some research I'd done, I didn't know squat about publishing! 

The book is getting wonderful feedback and has already been endorsed by 2 nursing organizations, NurseTogether and Nurse Talk, which is a true honor.  Even my husband said "I knew it would be good, but not this good!"  That meant a lot too.  I know he is a fan of my work and probably a little partial to me, but for him to express that I even impressed him, was a very heartfelt moment for me.  My brother Joe, who has always been my biggest cheerleader but hasn't picked up a book in years said he couldn't put it down.
What makes me happy is to know the the intention of the book is coming through. 

Authors write with intention.  Whether the intention is to entertain you, make you laugh, cause a stir in your emotions, or keep you on the edge of your seat, there is intention.  Since my passion and focus is to improve the treatment, living and care of aging adults, the book's intention supports that focus. 

Now the real work begins to get my book in as many hands as possible.  It's not about how many book's I sell or where my book ranks, it's about the intention. I'm not going to try and tell you that sales and good rankings don't matter at all, because that would be a lie.  If I want to continue my advocacy work and get the message heard I need an income and rankings matter for future books and attention to the matters at hand, but that has never been the purpose or focus of this book.  If readers receive the intention of the book good things will happen for the elderly now and into the future and that is why spreading the news is so important.  I have put an enormous amount of time, effort, knowledge, research, experience, money and  thought into the 178 pages that come from my heart.  I kept every senior I have met, cared and advocated for, laughed with and cried over in my thoughts as I wrote every word.  They all matter to me and are the driving force behind my advocacy work and Behind the Old Face.

I invite you to see a preview of the book in my M2E Book "The Aging Question: A Vision for the Coming Elder Boom", which is a mini-media Ebook that includes text, photos and video clips of 2 of the wonderful seniors I interviewed for Behind the Old Face. 

I hope you will read the book to better understand aging, now and into the future.  If you find it worthy, please tell your family, friends, co-workers and business associates about it so together we can see better treatment, living and care for aging adults!


Angil Tarach-Ritchey can be reached for questions or comments at Angil@behindtheoldface.com   or other contact options at http://www.elderboom.org