BACK COVER DESCRIPTION
Aging Gracefully Together is an inspirational and uplifting journey of two people destined to be life-long soulmates. From the time of their engagement through to their golden years, share in this devoted couple’s hopes, dreams, joys, heataches, and most importantly, love for one another.
Aging Gracefully Together tells the heartwarming story of Henry and Tina Cole – Two strong minded individuals whose partnership thrives and survives many life altering experiences over a 50 year period.
Told through a series of five episodes that chronicle one event on one day at different stages in their lives, the Coles deal with issues that anyone who’s ever been in a caring relationship can easily relate to.
Seen through the eyes and viewpoints of both Henry and Tina, together the Coles confront life’s many trials and triumphs, which couples readily accept after taking their vows and stating, “I Do”.
From courtship through to a final challenge which every loved one must bear alone, Aging Gracefully Together, with its blend of humour and insight, will touch an emotional cord with readers of every generation.
BEHIND THE STORY
AGING GRACEFULLY – A Story of Love and Marriage.
March 2006 – Windsor, ON.
It’s an uplifting journey of two people destined to be life-long soul mates. From the time of their engagement through to their golden years, the reader shares in this devoted couple’s hopes, dreams, joys, heartaches, and most importantly, love for one another.
The two main characters are Henry and Tina Cole – two strong minded individuals whose partnership thrives and survives many life altering experiences over a 50 year period. As with the narrative style in his last book, Schlarbaum lets the story unfold through a series of five episodes that chronicle different stages of the Cole’s marriage. The issues they confront together are ones any reader who’s ever been in a caring relationship can relate to easily.
What makes this tale unique is the technique Schlarbaum uses to convey the highs and lows of the Cole’s complex relationship over the years.
“Each chapter is like a snapshot that deals with one event, on one day, during a different year in their lives at the ages of 19, 25, 42, 55 and finally at 70. When people look back on their lives, it’s single events over the years that have the most impact on their relationships with family or friends. That’s the case with this story – it’s the individual encounters between Henry and Tina which affect both of their lives.”
Aging Gracefully Together actually started in a slightly different form: as a play. Back when he was just starting his writing career in the television industry, Schlarbaum wrote several one-act plays in his spare time. However, when his childhood best friend decided to take a bride, three of these plays were expanded into book form and two more chapters were written to tie all of the elements together, making it a very personal one-of-a-kind gift at the time.
“The plays I had written all dealt with a couple sitting down to discuss their relationship or about something they had to deal with together, so it wasn’t hard to write a couple of new situations. What’s funny now is one recent reader commented that the book would make a great play. So you never know, what goes around comes around, and an Aging Gracefully Together play may very well be performed on a stage one day.”
Until then, Schlarbaum is eager to expand on the success of The Doctor’s Bag, which has sold over 400 copies in just five months. His goal now is to corner the wedding and anniversary gift book market, stating his new book appeals to both men and women of every generation and can be given as a romantic gift to someone special throughout the year.
“With the wedding season about to start and Father’s Day just around the corner, I’m hoping both books will continue to touch a cord with readers and make this year even more successful than last.” Both Aging Gracefully Together and The Doctor’s Bag are released by Scanner Publishing of Windsor, Ontario. Books can be purchased online at www.scannerpublishing.com and also at several bookstores in Southwestern Ontario listed on the website.
