MSI Press Blog

  Excerpt from Easter at the Mission Zhenya with his daughter, Julie Photograph by his wife, Alla Yanovich MEMORIAL TO EVGENIY YANOVICH I want to dedicate this book to Evgeniy (Zhenya) Yanovich, the illustrator of my Christmas book. Even more, I want to share his exceptional story. Zhenya was born in Akademgorodok, a tiny town like San Juan Bautista, outside the large city of Novosibirsk in Siberia. Akademgorodok, situated on the Ob River, is home to the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which is about all that is there, but that is enough. The Academy of Sciences is a special institute of some of the most talented scientists and researchers in Russia. Zhenya was born with spina bifida. In 1979, Siberia had no access to antibiotics or the special treatments available to spina bifida children in some other parts of the world. Doctors held out no hope for Zhenya’s survival, but he lived. As he grew up, everyone in his town noticed his artwork and the immense talent...

  Zhenya illustrated several of MSI Press’s books. He has drawn covers, as well accomplished as inside illustrations. He illustrated Jeremy Feig’s book,  How My Cat Made Me a Better Man , which placed as finalist in the 2017 Book of the Year Awards. And right now, it is the season for another book he illustrated, Christmas at the Mission by Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission. Unfortunately, Zhenya passed away at too young an age while already becoming a well-known artist in the US and Russia. Fortunately, his illustrations for MSI Press can be enjoyed in the books he illustrated for us. You can view information about them  HERE . MERRY CHRISTMAS!

  Bobolink looking up at his owner in pain, fear, trust, and love at a vet visit. It started three months ago. Our feather-duster-tailed, aqua-blue-eyed, quietly affectionate, FIV cat, Bobolink began losing weight really fast. Blood tests showed autoimmune hemolytic anemia . Incurable. Marginally treatable. Pills from VCA, ointments and powders from Chewy, and specially compounded liquids from Sherman’s Apothecary did little to compensate for a worrisome and continuing red blood cell count of 13 (28 is considered the lower limit). After a couple months, Bobolink had regained the weight he had lost, but his weight and appetite fluctuated by the day. He became my lap cat, chair cat (he fit nicely beside me in Carl’s big lazy-boy), and bed cat, following me everywhere as if attached. Then, two weeks ago, his weight dipped very low, and he lost interest in food. One day, I left the room and returned to find him lying in a puddle of pee and looking up with scared, confused eyes. VCA in...

  CB and the late Carl Leaver, MSI Press authors Meet our author-dads who have written absolutely splendid books for fathers (and others) about all sorts of topics! (Some are no longer with us, but their works in life and in literature live on.) And, yes, of course, we continue to sell their books. Wally Amidon (deceased) The Musings of a South Carolina Yankee Read MSI blog posts about Wally . TL Brink How to Argue with an Atheist Read more posts about TL Brink  HERE . Dave Brown (co-author) One Simple Text.. KOPS-FETRHLING.INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD LEGACY. AWARD: INSPIRATION/MOTIVATION HOLLYWOOD BOOK FESTIVAL FINALIST Read MSI Press blog posts about Dave  HERE . Dr. Frederic Craigie Weekly Soul AMERICAN BOOKFEST BEST BOOK AWARD FINALIST; INSPIRATION BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD GOLD: MIND, BODY, SPIRIT READER VIEWS LITERARY AWARDS SILVER: MIND/BODY/SPIRIT READER VIEWS LITERARY AWARDS SILVER: RELIGION KOPS-FETHERLING INTERNATIONAL BOOKS AWARDS HONORABLE MENTIONN: INSPIRATION/MOT...

  Zhenya Yanovich If you live in the spina bifida world, it probably doesn’t feel rare at all. When it’s part of your daily life, your community, your routines — it feels everywhere. But statistically, spina bifida is classified as a rare disease , affecting about 1 in 2,700 births in the U.S. , and fewer in many other parts of the world. That disconnect — between lived experience and public awareness — matters. Spina bifida is a neural tube defect that occurs during early pregnancy, when the spine and spinal cord don’t fully form. It’s a lifelong condition, and like many rare diseases, no two experiences are the same . Some individuals walk independently; others use wheelchairs. Some have minimal medical needs; others require complex, ongoing care. Access to knowledgeable care can be a major challenge — especially outside major medical centers. Families in rural or remote areas may struggle to find providers experienced in spina bifida across adulthood, not just pediatrics....