MSI Press Blog

Somehow, some way, it appears that animals know a lot more about death (and when it is coming) than we do.  When Murjan was approaching death , in fact, just the day before, he begged to go out on his leash for a walk. That cat always seemed to think he was actually a dog--and how he loved to go for walks! Saturday's walk was very different from his past walks, however. He kept exploring dark places, especially little cave-like areas, as if looking for a place to take a final rest. He never did that before. That spooked me a little because he seemed to be telling me that he was dying--and he was. He passed away within 24 hours of that walk. So, it should not have been surprising that when Carl was dying, he was surrounded by the cats who loved him. They spent all day and all night of that last 24 hours with him--under the footrest, on the footrest, and lying on him. They clearly knew. Check out MSI Press's books on cancer and related to cancer HERE . For more posts on Carl Leav...

  ​This post follows up on an earlier Cancer Diary post on whether or not to choose hospice help , when and where. Choosing between in-home hospice care and care in a facility is a deeply personal decision that depends on various factors, including the patient's medical needs, the capabilities of caregivers, and the resources available.  It also may depend upon the relationship between the patient and caregiver, whether it is a spouse or an offspring who is providing the care.  While many patients express a desire to spend their final days at home, it's essential to understand both the benefits and the challenges associated with each option. ​ brighthh.com Carl so adamantly wanted to be at home and so hated the two short visits he had made to a care facility that I agreed to take on the caregiving, but it left a lot of emotional scars and question marks about whether we had thought things through adequately. The answer of course, is no. The question had to be answered alm...

  When you’re facing cancer, especially a tough diagnosis or recurrence, one of the first questions you or your loved ones might ask is: Are there any clinical trials available? Clinical trials can offer access to cutting-edge treatments, experimental therapies, or more personalized care approaches — sometimes when standard treatments have been exhausted. But clinical trials aren’t always an option for every patient. And one of the most heartbreaking examples of this is cancer of unknown primary. Where to Look for Clinical Trials If you’re considering a clinical trial, there are several reputable ways to begin your search: ClinicalTrials.gov : This is the largest and most comprehensive database of clinical trials in the U.S. and many other countries. You can search by cancer type, location, phase of trial, and eligibility criteria. National Cancer Institute (NCI) : The NCI runs its own trials and also supports trials at major cancer centers across the country. Visit cancer.go...

One of the fun things that a publisher (or at least, an acquisitions editor) gets to experience is meeting more than one member of a family -- as authors whose work we publish. In this series of presenting family authors, we take note of the Leaver writers, who have written books in various combinations and solo. Above pictured is Betty Lou Leaver and Shenan (CB) Leaver, who collaborated on Mommy Our House Guest , a fun book that has gained a number of afficionados and been serialized in a magazine.  Betty Lou, who has written dozens of books, including, for MSI Press, Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star and The Invisible Foreign Language Classroom (with Laura Dabbs) and Carl, who typeset and designed the covers of many MSI Press publications and edited Overcoming the Odds , collaborated on the book,  Intrepid.  who unfortunately passed away in 2021 from Cancer of Unknown Primary, Carl, unfortunately, passed away suddenly in 2021 from Cancer of ...

    Today's fortune cookie is associated with Overcoming the Odds (Carl Leaver). Read more about the Carl Leaver and his books HERE .  Get a copy at MSI Prtess webstore . 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 .    

  Last Tuesday marked one year since Carl Leaver, co-founder of MSI Press LLC, passed from cancer. On that day, while we did a number of things to commemorate the significance of his life and the year since he left us, of some import, as I mentioned that days, was receiving a note from Science Care that they had planted another tree, a year later, in his honor in a national forest. That act brings to mind the ways that one's contributions do not end with death. They continue. Not only in the relatives and family traditions one leaves behind but in many other ways as well. Science Care, which accepts whole body donations, facilitates contribution in the areas of research and medical student training. Similarly, those who donate organs, improve the ongoing lives of people who might otherwise have died or lived impaired lives. So many financial donations are given in the names of those who pass on as a form of memorial. Those donations to very worthwhile endeavors likely would not o...