Inspiring New Novel "Sunrise Sunset" Traces Circle of Life from Infertility to Alzheimers
Sunrise Sunset by Kathleen Marie Marsh and Heather Sprangers. "If you live long enough, you end up where you started. "Alzheimer’s Disease, infertility, office politics, complex family relationships and a first pregnancy come into play in this fast-paced new novel about intimacy, friendship and letting go. This beautiful story of a cross-generational friendship ”sings” as we observe two women helping one another cope with life’s challenges. Set in small-town Wisconsin, Sunrise, Sunset brings to light the myriad thoughts and emotions of two women moving through a captivating series of life’s ups and downs. The younger woman struggles with infertility until finally becoming pregnant, only to be harangued by her obsessively thin mother-in-law, accused of an office affair, and plagued by debilitating headaches she mistakenly thinks are common for pregnant women. She reconnects with a former English teacher who is dealing with her own issues: her mother’s growing dementia, a brother gambling away his mother’s funds, and a student’s parent who launches a campaign to have her fired.
(PRWEB) November 13, 2004
As a young teen, Heather Sprangers sat in Kathleen MarshÂ’s seventh grade classroom listening to her favorite teacher talk about her love for books and her dream that someday she would write her own best-seller. Little did Heather know that she would help Mrs. Marsh realize her goal by becoming her co-author in publishing Sunrise, Sunset, their mainstream novel that traces the circle of life from infertility to AlzheimerÂ’s.
Sunrise, Sunset is set in small-town Wisconsin. The novel brings to light the myriad thoughts and emotions of two women moving through a captivating series of lifeÂ’s ups and downs. The younger woman struggles with infertility until finally becoming pregnant, only to be harangued by her obsessively thin mother-in-law, accused of an office affair, and plagued by debilitating headaches she mistakenly thinks are common for pregnant women. She reconnects with a former teacher who is dealing with her own issues: her motherÂ’s growing dementia, a brother gambling away his motherÂ’s money, and a studentÂ’s parent who launches a campaign to have her fired. Their cross-generational friendship flourishes as the two women help one another cope with the many challenges they face as they traverse the circle of life.
“Once we decided to do the project, of course we set out to tell a dynamite story,” says Marsh. “But we also wanted to show how women rely on each other when confronted by seemingly insurmountable problems. The book turned out to exceed all my expectations. Not only is this a wonderful, fast-paced read, but it was truly a labor of love.” Heather agrees and adds with a smile, “And then we managed to infuse the book with ‘truth nuggets’--the value of our cherished friendship and the wisdom of our own experience. We know our readers are going to love it!”
The result of their unique collaboration was amazing: a seamless story told from two distinct points of view: Janelle (a twenty-eight-year-old graphic designer); and Ellie (a fifty-five-year-old English teacher). In addition to the dual points of view, there are a few other things that make this project unique. Nationally-known artist Betsy Popp of Townsend did the cover art, George Banta Corporation of Neenah printed the book, and MarshÂ’s Townsend firm, Otter Run Books LLC, published the novel.
“All the companies involved in Sunrise, Sunset’s publication are headed by female CEO’s,” says Marsh. “This was not accidental, and is fitting considering this is really a ‘chick’ book. Another item of local interest is that, from ideas to ink, this is an all-Wisconsin product.”
This is HeatherÂ’s first novel. Kathie is also the author of the widely-acclaimed The Portly Princess of Thynneland, a delightful fairy tale for grown-ups which addresses the role parents play in developing healthy eating habits in their children.
Sunrise, Sunset is available by sending a check for $8.95 plus $3.00 tax/shipping to: Otter Run Books LLC; 16965 Nicolet Road; Townsend, WI 54175. The Portly Princess is available for $13.95 plus $3.00 tax/postage. Buy multiple copies/both books and shipping is free! You may also order by calling 715-276-6515 or visiting www. otterrunbooks. com.
Heather Sprangers-Bio
Heather Sprangers was born and raised in Kaukauna, WI. She discovered her passion for writing in Kathleen Marsh’s seventh grade classroom where the first ten minutes were set aside for journaling. Heather learned to express her thoughts and feelings freely because she knew these private thoughts weren’t being graded…they wouldn’t even be read unless she requested feedback. Heather cherished this writing as therapy during a time in her life when she was very much in need of it. She earned straight “A’s” in Kathleen’s class and volunteered the next year to be her student aide, thus beginning their life-long friendship. That year she also won a writing contest in her social studies class; the prize: a coveted ride in the local news channel helicopter.
Throughout high school, classmates shook their heads in disbelief as Heather actually welcomed composition assignments in her classes. But her love of writing paid off. She won a partial college scholarship with a piece she wrote entitled “The Gates of Heaven,” which depicted the last moments of her beloved stepfather’s life that ended after his eight-week battle with cancer.
To earn money for college, Heather spent her nineteenth summer working rotating shifts in a paper mill. Finding that tending a paper machine was monotonous, mind-numbing labor for her, Heather was determined not to let her brain turn to mush. She used her dead time to create characters and develop plot ideas for Transplant, her first novel, which she completed that summer. Transplant was never published, but it did provide her with valuable experience writing fiction and stoked her friendship with Kathleen who provided suggestions, support and encouragement.
In college, Heather pursued an accounting degree but wrote several articles for the school newspaper and took more creative writing classes before deciding to leave the university and pursue her creative interests in an Interior Design degree. Graduating in 1994, she also obtained her Wisconsin Real Estate license and went to work as a Real Estate agent while doing interior design work on the side. She married her high school sweetheart in 1997 and two years later they decided they were ready to start a family. To their surprise and disappointment, they learned that “family planning” wasn’t so simple. With the help of IUI, Heather eventually got pregnant in November of 2001. She and her husband, Adam, are now the proud parents of Benjamin Owen Sprangers.
Heather is currently employed as a Project Manager Assistant at August Winter & Sons, Inc. in Appleton, Wisconsin. She has spent the last two years collaborating with Kathleen on her second novel, Sunrise, Sunset, a wonderful story of a cross-generational friendship that traces the circle of life by interweaving two contemporary hot-button issues: infertility and AlzheimerÂ’s Disease.
Kathleen MarshÂ’s Bio
Kathleen Marie Marsh grew up third of eight children on a dairy farm in Northeastern Wisconsin where she learned to love books, gardening, nature, cooking and life. She began reading and writing at age five and had her first publishing success in elementary school when she won a creative writing contest. She excelled in the communicative arts in high school, earning a full scholarship to Mount Mary College in Milwaukee where she honed her writing skills as editor of the college newspaper. During her sophomore year, Kathie had a short story published in the collegeÂ’s literary magazine, a heady experience that determined her career choice. Two years later she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in English Education and History.
Kathie’s academic work experience includes 35 years of teaching English in the Kaukauna Public Schools. During her career, she worked on dozens of school, church and community committees, somehow always managing to be appointed secretary. She was a union activist in her local, state and national teacher associations, and was publications editor for several periodicals as well as advisor to her school’s newspaper. She currently owns and operates Otter Run Books LLC, a publishing and consulting business. She is also founder of UNAC (Up North Author’s Circle), a “support” group for fledgling Northwoods writers coping with an overwhelming compulsion to write and then publish their work.
In 1990, Kathie earned her Master in Education Teacher Development Degree at Marian College in Fond du Lac. She has attended and presented at dozens of seminars in a wide variety of subject areas and has won numerous awards. She was named both Kaukauna and CESA Middle School Teacher of the Year in 1993 and that same year chosen as the outstanding female educator in Northeastern Wisconsin by the Green Bay Chapter of ZONTA. For the past 14 years she has taught composition, desktop publishing and classroom management classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels for Marian College, Concordia University, Viterbo University and the Graduate College of Wisconsin.
After teaching writing and grading her studentsÂ’ papers for almost four decades, Kathie is now semi-retired and finally has time to write. She recently completed a full-length mainstream novel, Sunrise, Sunset, which she co-authored with Heather Sprangers, a former student. Sunrise, Sunset is a wonderful story of a cross-generational friendship that traces the circle of life by interweaving two contemporary hot-button issues: infertility and AlzheimerÂ’s Disease.
Kathie has recently discovered the genre of adult fairy tales. Her first attempt is The Portly Princess of Thynneland, an enchantingly entertaining little book that addresses the critical role of parents in the issue of childhood obesity. Plagued by carrying the family “fat gene,” herself, Kathie knows the topic firsthand. She has struggled her entire adult life to control her weight, succeeding in her fight to keep herself slim through a combination of a low-fat, low-carbohydrate diet and a dedicated power walking program.
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