MSI Press Blog

Most people haven’t heard of CHARGE Syndrome (including doctors who say, "This is my first patient with CHARGE")— and that’s part of the challenge. CHARGE syndrome is a rare genetic condition , affecting roughly 1 in 10,000 births . It’s complex, lifelong, and looks different for every person who has it. The name CHARGE comes from a pattern of medical features that can include differences in the heart, hearing, vision, breathing, growth, balance, and development . Because CHARGE is so rare, finding knowledgeable medical support can be incredibly hard — especially for families living in rural or remote areas . Many parents spend years educating doctors, coordinating dozens of specialists, and traveling long distances just to access basic care. Finding trained caregivers, therapists, or educators who truly understand CHARGE can feel nearly impossible. And CHARGE doesn’t end with childhood. Across a lifetime, individuals with CHARGE may face: Multiple surgeries and ong...

  Today, February 28, 2025,* marks Rare Disease Day, an international observance dedicated to raising awareness about rare diseases and their impact on patients' lives. Among these conditions is CHARGE Syndrome, a complex genetic disorder that affects approximately 1 in 10,000 births worldwide. The acronym CHARGE stands for Coloboma, Heart defects, Atresia choanae, Restricted growth and development, Genital abnormalities, and Ear abnormalities - reflecting the multiple systems affected by this condition. What makes this Rare Disease Day particularly noteworthy is the ongoing contribution of Shenan Leaver, believed to be the oldest living person with CHARGE Syndrome in the world. Despite facing numerous medical challenges throughout his life, Leaver has defied expectations by not only surviving but thriving as an author. His resilience exemplifies the potential for individuals with rare conditions to lead fulfilling lives when provided with proper support and opportunities. Leaver...

  Today's back story is about the book, Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest  by Shenan (CB) Leaver with Betty Lou Leaver. From the co-author: CB Leaver , the author, is a mentally challenged CHARGE Syndrome adult who never learned to read or write. His mother, Betty Lou Leaver, a highly published author, who wanted her son to understand the purpose of the written word: sharing thoughts and/or information with others. It took a full year of working together to put CB's remembered stories on paper, to check that they had been accurately transcribed. CB learned a lot about the written word both in the process of writing and in getting feedback from pre-publication readers of the manuscript. CB subsequently did a book signing at the Los Angeles Book Fair. He had a great time learning about reader reactions to his book. He was also adept at using his people skills and humor to draw readers to his booth.  Book available at 25% discount with code FF25 at msipress.com/shop. Read exce...

  Excerpt from Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest (CB Leaver) - The Man in Our Dumpster When I was growing up, Daddy, Mommy, and all of us kids (sometimes we were four, sometimes we were six or seven) lived in a big house with 13 rooms in Salinas, California. When we finished growing up, Daddy got a hankering for the forest and Mommy got a hankering to give up cleaning 13 rooms all the time. So, they decided to buy an RV, travel when they could, and park it in the riverside woods of Arroyo Seco at other times where they lived comfortably and Mommy enjoyed a daily dip in the river. Moving out of 13 rooms was big business. Daddy and Mommy had quite a list of things to do: cleaning, giving away or selling stuff that would not fit in the RV, packing things to take with them, throwing away trash, and lots of other things (like changing addresses with businesses and the post office). One day when Daddy was out doing the lots of other things, Mommy held a yard sale. One of the people w...

  Today's fortune cookie is associated with Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest (Leaver).  Read more about the Shenan Leaver and his book HERE . Currently on sale for $5 at MSI Press webstore .cookie, Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest, Shenan Leaver Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com.  Want to communicate with one of our authors? You can! Find their contact information on our  Authors' Pages .    

  It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side.  Today's topic digresses -- into the absurd, perhaps. Today, I sent for the third time, ARC labels to wone of our authors. The first time the labels disappeared. The second time, they were inexplicably directed to an IRS office in another state. Totally insane! Fingers crossed for a safe arrival this time. Today's experience reminded me of other unexpected, funny, and heartwarming experiences that have occurred over the 20 years MSI Press has been publishing. Here are some of my favorite, somewhat inexplicable stories. When You're Shoved from the Right, Look to Your Left: Metaphors of Islamic Humanism is a great little book, trul...