Today’s Authors Give Back Guest is a friend of mine from a local workshop I attended for many years. Ginnie Siena Bivona has always had a very giving spirit and I’m privileged to have her on my blog today.

BIO: I spent the day I turned 78, in May of 2009, on the set of Little House On The Prairie watching the filming of my novel Ida Mae Tutweiler & The Traveling Tea Party for Hallmark TV. Starring Meredith Baxter, Lesley Ann Warren and Timothy Bottoms, the movie is titled Bound By A Secret.That afternoon I was presented with a huge cake, with the cover of my book in frosting, and the whole cast and crew sang happy birthday to me. I don’t know if it was noticeable, but I did levitate a little bit. It’s now aired numerous times, and has had millions of viewers. I wrote Ida Mae when I was 67 and it was published when I was 68. I grew up in that world where a young girl’s goal was to grow up well behaved young lady (if you get what I mean) marry an educated man, have kids and maybe learn how to play bridge. Now here I am, in my supposed old age, five wonderful reasonably adult children, seven really great grand-kids, living a life I never could have imagined. How lucky can you get?

Doris Daniely Outreach

I’m a member of the Doris Daniely Outreach which is a wonderful organization offering breast reconstruction after cancer surgery. We do this because insurance does not cover reconstruction, it’s called “cosmetic” and therefore not available to those who can’t pay out of pocket.  I’m passionate about the help that the Doris Daniely Outreach offers because I still, after more than 60 years, remember the prosthetic “other side” my mom wore after her first breast cancer surgery. She suffered and struggled with cancer for almost seven years, dying just a month after I got married. Many years later I began to write a novel about a woman with breast cancer….and as the novel unfolded in my mind each night…I realized I was writing about the loss of my mom. Now, all these years later I can help beautiful young woman face their mirror and their life in a far happier way. 

On February 23rd we’ll be having our annual fundraising Tea at the Arboretum in Dallas. For more information on the event or the organization, click here.

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Thank you for the post, Ginnie! What a great cause!

If any of you would like to know more about Ginnie, you can find her at the following:

Website     Facebook     Amazon Author Page     Cool Interview

Want to check out her wonderful book that was made into a successful Hallmark movie? You can find it on Amazon in print and as an ebook, Barnes and Noble, or audio.

From Amazon: Ida Mae Tutweiler and The Traveling Tea Party… the basis for the popular Hallmark TV movie Bound By a Secret. Brew yourself a nice hot cup of tea (Ida Mae would suggest Earl Grey), curl up on the couch with lots of pillows and enjoy. This is book is about love. It’s about the abiding love between a mother and daughter, and the passionate love between a man and a woman. But mostly it’s about the special love between best friends forever. Woven through the tapestry of a life-long friendship is the story of quiet, reserved Ida Mae Tutweiler and flamboyant daytime TV star, Jane Tetley. It’s about life and death, hope and the comfort to be found in a quiet afternoon cup of tea. Included are some of Ida Mae’s favorite recipes for your own special tea-time. This e-book edition also tells the delightful story of the author’s experiences on the Hollywood Little House on the Prairie set where the movie was filmed. The movie stars Meredith Baxter, Lesley Ann Warren and Timothy Bottoms. It has aired numerous times since its release in March 2009. And on the tea tray? Put a box of tissues. You are going to need them.

Have you heard of Doris Daniely Outreach before? I’ll bet most of us know someone who might benefit from this type of organization. What are your thoughts? And just how cool would it be to have your book made into a movie and have the cast sing to you on your birthday?

As always – thanks for reading!

 

*Disclaimer: I have no connection with any charity mentioned in the Authors Give Back segment of the blog unless noted. I have not personally researched any charity mentioned unless otherwise noted. If you plan to donate to ANY charity (mentioned here or elsewhere) you should research it thoroughly and decide for yourself if it is a legitimate and worthy cause.