Special Episode: Marianne Sciucco & Lance A. Slatton – Trusted Voices, Shared Purpose

One of the most precious resources in dementia care are the stories we share. 

Today, we welcome back two deeply respected members of the Love Conquers Alz family for a conversation rooted in care, credibility, and shared purpose that has led to a major milestone:

Marianne Sciucco, registered nurse, author, and  founding member of AlzAuthors, a groundbreaking global, rigorously vetted hub for Alzheimer’s and dementia books, blogs, films, and podcasts, is passing the baton to senior care professional, writer Lance A. Slatton, host of the award-winning All Home Care Matters podcast and YouTube channel. 

, For over a decade, Marianne and the AlzAuthors team have thoughtfully spotlighted the most meaningful and reliable literature available for the Alzheimer’s and dementia community. At a time when families are often overwhelmed by information, their careful curation created a trusted guidepost grounded in lived experience and compassion.

Lance brings more than two decades of experience in senior care and continues to be a consistent, dependable voice, not only as a podcast host, but through his work as a Senior Case Manager with Enriched Life Home Care Services.

What connects Marianne and Lance is presence. Both have remained steady voices in an ever-changing landscape, offering stringently curated, reliable resources to caregivers and families when clarity matters most.

Join us as we celebrate a community that refuses to let its most valuable assets—truth, art, and love—fade into the noise. Subscribe, share with a caregiver who needs a lifeline, and tell us what resource you want to see next. Your voice shapes where this library goes from here.

Chapters

• 0:00 Opening: Mission And Tone
• 1:16 ROAR For Long-Term Care Launch
• 5:04 Meet Marianne And Lance
• 6:06 The Big Announcement
• 9:14 What All’s Authors Built
• 12:00 Why Lance Said Yes
• 15:20 Vision For Growth And Engagement
• 19:18 Vetting, Submissions, And Standards
• 22:10 Film Festival And Live Events
• 24:20 Awards, Community, And Authenticity
• 27:15 New Book: Six-Word Memoirs
• 29:30 Closing Thank-Yous And Calls To Share

Transcript

Susie SInger Carter: 0:00

When the world has got shut down and Alzheimer's sucks.

Don Priess: 0:05

It's an equal opportunity disease that chips away at everything we hold dear. And to date, there's no cure. So until there is, we continue to fight with the most powerful tool in our arsenal. Love. This is Love Conquers Alls, a real and really positive podcast that takes a deep dive into everything Alzheimer's, the good, the bad, and everything in between. And now, here are your hosts, Susie Singer-Carter and me, Don Priest.

Susie SInger Carter: 0:40

Hello, everybody. I'm Susie Singer Carter.

Don Priess: 0:43

And I'm Don Priess, and this is Love Conquers Alz. Hello, Susan.

Susie SInger Carter: 0:49

Good day, Donald. How are you?

Don Priess: 0:51

Good day. It is a good day. Is it a good day? How are things?

Susie SInger Carter: 0:55

It's good. It's at Los Angeles. It's like 80 degrees-ish.

Don Priess: 0:59

Yes. We had all we had tons of rain for like two weeks straight, and it was cold. It was like in the for us. It was cold. It was in the 50s and the 40s at night and it was freezing. And suddenly the last what week and a half.

Susie SInger Carter: 1:12

Yeah, we're back to normal. So woo-hoo. But let's not talk about weather. Let's talk about other things like websites. Like a website that I just finished uh building out by myself, and I'm very proud of myself because you know, uh nonprofit. I said I'm gonna say this again because I say it all the time. Nonprofit is just another word of way of saying sweat equity right now. So um our 501c3 official nonprofit organization, which is Roar for LTC.org, is uh Roar stands for Respect Oversight Advocacy and Reform for Long-Term Care. And it is an outgrowth of our documentary, No Country for Old People. You can watch it on Amazon and YouTube and um Hoopla and Hoopla, which is a library.

Don Priess: 2:08

If you're involved in the library system, you can you can go on and get it for free there. Yeah, check it out if you will.

Susie SInger Carter: 2:13

Check it out. So yeah, and it it really is uh uh our call to action because for reform and long-term care. And we're very excited about it, and the website is up and running. So we would love to invite you to join us in the fight for reform and i in a in a more expedited way, so that we're not sitting here talking about this for the next 50 years, and um, you know, really need all hands on deck and as many people as possible so that we can really make a shift with the powers to be that hold the the the purse strings to this to this system, to this industry.

Don Priess: 2:57

Yes, and you can roar in many ways. You can roar by volunteering, you might have some special skills, you might uh yeah, I mean we we we're really looking for everyone to you know bring their own uh strengths to the cause so you can volunteer. You can donate. We are definitely, you know, we we will definitely need uh some funds to to propel the uh the engine of this thing. You could do both. Anything that you can do will be helpful.

Susie SInger Carter: 3:25

Anything and I think one of the easiest lifts, one of the low-hanging fruit, is to just share the documentary with as many people as you can because the documentary really pulls the curtain back onto what the truth is and what how the system is is working or not working, uh rather, and and you know, hopefully it will uh engage others as well because we need the public to know and we need to be outside of the bubble of the people that already do know, so that we are stronger. The bigger we are, the stronger we are as constituents. That's our currency, that's how we make change. It's nothing new. I'm not inventing it, it's just the way it is, and and trying to change policy doesn't work in this environment and the way that this industry is you know is set up for wealth care as opposed to health care. So yeah, go check it out, share, and um uh you know, it we we every we all need each other on this, so we need to be a community and kumbaya.

Don Priess: 4:30

My lord, kumbaya.

Susie SInger Carter: 4:31

Yeah, kumbaya. Kumbaya. Do we get ding for that?

Don Priess: 4:36

I think there's I think we might have to pay royalties on it. No, no, we don't. That's fine. Sing away.

Susie SInger Carter: 4:42

Um yeah, so but we have a such a uh uh I'm really proud of this uh conversation we're about to have with um two entities that I am very proud to be um colleagues with in our industry that do such great things. So, Don. Yes, I'm gonna stop babbling and you're gonna introduce them.

Don Priess: 5:04

I'm gonna do that right now. Today we are joined by two very special alumni of the Love Conquers Allz guest family. Marianne Scuicco is a registered nurse, author of numerous books, including Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer's Love Story, and the founding member of All's Authors, the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer's and dementia. She was featured recently on an episode of Love Conquers Allz celebrating the 10-year anniversary of All's Authors. Marianne is joined today by Lance A. Slatten, writer, author, influencer, and a seasoned healthcare professional with more than 20 years in senior care. As a senior case manager with enriched life home care services and the voice behind the award-winning All Home Care Matters Podcast and YouTube channel, Lance continues to educate, empower, and inspire audiences worldwide. Today they are here to make a very exciting announcement, and we are honored that they chose Love Conquers All to tell the world. So without further ado, let's say hello to Lance A. Slaton and Marianne Shuko. Good day.

Susie SInger Carter: 6:16

Don't get mad at anybody, but they are my favorite people. Thank you so much. Thank you. You're one of my thank you. I it's a love fest here.

unknown: 6:30

Yes.

Susie SInger Carter: 6:32

So here we are. We we are we're here. I'm this is gonna be it's a very special short episode, but we have a very big announcement, right? And um and we I I know Don and I couldn't be happier because it's a it's it's sort of a uh a professional marriage, if if you will, right? And of two great great uh brands. You know, I hate calling it a brand because it puts it in a in a framework.

Don Priess: 7:03

Like in a marketing frame, but it's much more than that.

Susie SInger Carter: 7:06

Yeah, like a marketing frame. Yeah, exactly. It's so much more because what you guys do with all with all home care matters, which is Lance Slatten's company and and um all's authors, which is this it's a it's like a dynasty in a very short time that you've created, Mary Anzuko, and and with your team, and it's it really is become the the touchstone or you know for authors who are have a uh a laser focus on stories that that embrace the Alzheimer's journey and and then some. And in and uh you know, and uh you have a big announcement to make. We already know, we're excited, but I think I would like it to come from you guys and talk about this marriage, which we're teasing about, but um that we're very supportive of and very excited about and frankly a little bit jealous. Because I think it's gonna be amazing. But I'm I'm so happy to be able to shepherd. I know Don and I are both happy to be able to shepherd you guys into this new chapter, which I think together this both of you have done so much in this area, in our area of caregivers, Alzheimer's, reframing and and giving and destigmatizing and making everyone feel less alone. And and really that's what it's about. That that that's about giving, you know. I I hate to ramble on, but if you haven't seen the interview with Jay Leno recently and his wife and what he's doing and how he's embraced it, it is everything that we talk about, you know, and it is so pure and so authentic, which is really how I describe the both of you. So tell us what's happening, what's the exciting news? Who's gonna start? Lance Million.

Marianne Scuicco: 9:03

I'll start. So um last year, 2025, all authors celebrated its 10th anniversary, and we ended the year by deciding that we all wanted to retire, the whole management team. So we'd all been working together for like some of us 10 years and some maybe a little bit less. But we had um, you know, 10 years is a long time, and and when you're older, things change and your situations change, and people wanted to not have to put so much time into this project, which was came bigger than we ever expected. So we um tossed around to some ideas like what well, what do we want to have happen to what we've built? We don't want it to just disappear. And we had a few um options, and one of them was to find somebody else that we trusted in our community to take it over.

Susie SInger Carter: 10:02

Can you, before you go on, explain a case that somebody might be under, you know, hasn't really become acquainted with love with um all's authors. Could you just say exactly what, you know, in a nutshell what you built in the past decade?

Marianne Scuicco: 10:17

Yes, we are the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer's and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. And so what we do, our management team, is we curate books that are written about Alzheimer's and dementia on a personal level. Um the author has to have been on their own uh journey, and um we vet the books, we find the best books in that category, and believe me, there are a lot of great books out there, and um we give these authors a platform to launch their books and to provide them with support through social media, podcasting, blogging, and newsletters and events. We do online events, so we we have a lot going on, and the goal is to help put the books into the hands of people who need to read them. So that's it.

Susie SInger Carter: 11:10

It's wonderful. Yeah, it's it really is, and more than and you know, let me brag on you a little bit more is that you know it extended beyond you know narrative books. You went into poetry, and uh, you know, and I was fortunate and ex and very you know thrilled that you invited me to be in your first you know film festival with our film, My Mom and the Girl. And and you know, so you're always very uh cutting edge in terms of you know knowing what the the power of art, the power of story, and and no matter how it how it is you know ruled out and in what format. But but that is the truth, and that is that is what it really speaks to people. It's not data and it's not a new it's not a news clip, it's it is story. And and so Lance, you are you are now you're now p passing the baton, so to speak, over to another colleague. Talk about that. Yes, yeah.

Marianne Scuicco: 12:14

So we you know wanted to, you know, went through the the list of our you know partners out there and who did we think would be able to take this project on because there is a lot, a lot of moving pieces, and so we came upon Lance and everybody's like, Oh, that would be so great. So I reached out to him and asked him, you know, let's have a conversation about the future of all's authors. And when I, you know, presented him with this opportunity, he said absolutely immediately. He he didn't have to get think about it and get back to me or anything like that. He was like, No, I definitely want to do this. So um, you know, that worked for us because we knew that we were going to be moving into a moving into a safe place where we felt confident that it wouldn't be disrupted or um you know taken on in this.

Susie SInger Carter: 13:06

And where it could grow. And where it could grow, yeah. And and as as sort of your the model that you've had in the past, which is to keep growing upon what you have. And and Lance, you you're the perfect person and company and or and uh team to take it over because you know, Don and I come from traditional broadcasting, and which I don't even know if it exists anymore, but you've taken this opportunity and and like Marianne did as well, taken this opportunity to be entrepreneurial in in a media space and really really utilized it and made the most of it, and really have done a tremendous job. It's very admirable, it's very, you know, I think enviable because uh it it is the wild, wild west, and there are s there's a lot of noise out there and and you know the consistency that all home home care matters has presented is is that again is another touchstone for caregivers because it's it's consistent and and it's reliable and it's high quality and and you're committed and it's authentic and you're smart and you bring all the qualities that people rely on, especially this isn't entertainment, this is communication, and you're dealing with sensitive topics and very, you know, tender topics. So I know you have a lot to say about this, so let me give you the floor. And you know, I just wanted to thank you personally for taking this on because uh, you know, we we were not happy to hear that all's authors would m possibly be extinct. And it was right after.

Don Priess: 14:51

Yeah, and Marianne she came on and to the announce the 10th anniversary, like, oh, you know, you're and then we heard that it was we were like, oh my gosh, we we it was so you know, we had so many different emotions when we heard that, you know, it was understandable, certainly. It's an unbelievable amount of work that you you've put into this. And uh but to when we heard that it was going to continue to live and live in the hands of Lance, we were just you know, we were ecstatic.

Lance A. Slatton: 15:17

Oh well, thank you both. I you know, Susie, I I just want to start by saying this first before I get into like my you know my thoughts on this is Marianne didn't mention it, and the fact that they did this consistently regularly for 10 plus years, and I want to stress this for Marianne and Gene and Vicky and their board and their team, it was all volunteer-based. These were not paid positions, they did not draw salaries. They they did this a lot of times using their own funds, and Marianne, feel free to correct me anytime. They used their own money to keep this going and to grow it. And why did they do that? They did it for the betterment of all of us and people that have been touched by dementia in some form and way or another. And when she had met with me, you know, my first thing, like you, Dom, was I go, I'm just thinking, I'm like, Marianne, this has got it. You can't just let it go. You can't just let it die. I mean, that would be a disservice to the general public as a whole. And when she said, What do you think about taking it? Like, I didn't even need a second. It was our it was an immediate yes. And, you know, our show, All Home Care Matters, is coming up on its six-year anniversary, which is just about almost half of what you know all's authors has been around for. And we were followers and supporters of a far of all's authors because we have our home care company that's been in business for about 15 years. And could I do that as a volunteer for 10 plus years? I don't know that I could. And that's with a business supporting it, because there are expenses, there is cost. Your time is also worth something as well. But they did this, they did this so um unselfishly to support all these families and to get films out like No Country for Old People, to you know, promote my book and all the countless others that they've touched, the over 400 independent authors and filmmakers. You know, I feel like, you know, with the support base that we have, that we're we're gonna continue that work in a tremendous way. And you know, I've been asked a few times, like, what did it mean that they chose you? And I I say this not flippantly, but I really can't put it into words because you know, I kind of reverse roles, right? I'm Mary Ann and she's me, even though she's gonna have better hair. I don't know, I you know, the the trust, the confidence, and the faith that their entire board and co-founders put into me. Like, you know, um, I say this very humbly also, like, there wasn't one person that shared any concern with me about doing it. They all had that confidence, which means a lot to me because I think it just speaks to, you know, the integrity that you know you and Don have, that all the authors have, that we have, because we don't try to operate like the Wild West. We want to have helpful, factual, reliable, true information and stories for people. And now we're just getting another extension to continue doing that. So it was very, very humbling, and you know, we'll be forever grateful that they put that confidence in us.

Susie SInger Carter: 18:17

No, it's a great match. I so let me jump to next year. What's what what do you see happening over the next year? And and where do you think you'll be, and what what will this all look like? I know it's you can't really say it definitively, but what do you hope? What's in the pipeline that we can do?

Lance A. Slatton: 18:37

Yeah, so well, one of the things is you know, I I offered and encouraged Mary Ann uh to continue podcasting when she's ready. You know, there's no pressure when she says, I'm ready to go, we're gonna go. We'll be producing, you know, Mary Ann's uh podcasts, which you know will be an extension of all's authors. Um but some of the things we want to do is you know really bring more focus and attention on these authors and on these resources and use different tools and you know avenues to get that in front of people. You know, they have over 400 authors. We want to engage those authors, and not that they'll all be reciprocative of this, but you know, we want to try to you know engage them in a way where they're continuing the work they started by their book by supporting their book and supporting all the authors. And you know, there's some exciting things that we're looking at doing. I can't say for sure they're gonna happen, but we we want to do more um in-person stuff with authors. What that looks like right now, we're not quite sure. Um, but even having you know uh uh like speaking engagements and you know different things like that, given our existing network. Yeah, I love that. Given our existing network with all home care matters, bringing all the authors into that network, I think, just uh really opens itself to you know things like that. And I think people need to know about it. You know, uh Marianne and I have talked and you know the other All's authors folks, and we all I think deal with this, right? You know, you get somebody who wants to be a guest or they want to get their book approved, and it's almost like as soon as they get that, then you just don't hear from them anymore. You know, we want to give the authors a reason to stay engaged with you know all's authors and the tremendous resource that's already been started.

Don Priess: 20:26

And that can be a challenge too, because in this in this arena, you know, as as you some people want to stop talking about it after a while. They want to stop. It's like I've done it, I put it out there, and now I'm ready to move on. And so keeping that engagement with them, it's a challenge. Sure. But you know, so so the fact that you're even going in that direction, I think, is really interesting because it it can maybe, you know, be done in a way that's that's so positive that it does it's not to them, it's not a it's not a dynamic. Absolutely.

Susie SInger Carter: 20:58

I think it needs to be dynamic. I think you're on the right. I think that's so smart because there's so like I said before, there's so much noise out there. And and you know, it does take, you know, you have to look at what each one of us are doing. Like Love Conquers Alls. We're also just hit our sixth year, right? So um it and we are, you know, we we're not a huge conglomerate or you know, we're not behind, you know, but we we are consistent and we and we know that people know that they're gonna get good guests and that we're it's thoughtful and that we care about what people, you know, what what information that we bring to people. And it and but it does, you know, with the environment that we're in, out the media is is flooded. And unfortunately, there's there's not good, not everybody has good content. And so you have to get above that. And so when when good good, you know, uh companies come together with the same intention, that's powerful, right? And so I think it's I think it's really great. And I think that we have we suffer the same tr problem with authors or or people that have, you know, maybe they're they're in a leadership position, but they're not doing the work that needs to be done so that we can help each other help our listeners because it does take a lot of effort to get above the noise. And um, and I think that you know, again, I go back to consistency and authenticity, though it's like you know, the cream rises to the c top. But but it's very difficult in this day and age to get that, to get through that. And so what you're doing together, there's there's power there.

Lance A. Slatton: 22:41

Right, absolutely.

Susie SInger Carter: 22:43

And um, yeah, so I I love what you're doing. And I and I do you think I mean it it's it's a lot, it's daunting, but you know, are you going to continue on with film festivals and age, you know, the arts against you know stigma?

Lance A. Slatton: 22:58

No, we we there's nothing that I can say right now that we have even thought of saying, well, let's just you know kind of put that on the shelf. We want to continue the film festival. I would like to see actually that get expanded, you know, where yes, you can have people join you online, but how great would it be if it was an in-person film festival, you know, where you know they're not just showing up watching it and then logging off. You know, it's a QA and you know, meet the filmmakers, you know, things like that. Um there's a lot we want to do to leverage that because you know, we have a pretty decent support behind all home care matters and a pretty good reach. Now you take all's authors and you you know join them together, and now all home care matters can be helping to support all's authors. I I just think it it it couldn't be more perfect and more you know ripe for you know a lot of opportunities.

Susie SInger Carter: 23:53

Agreed. I mean I I would say I want to just say too ever anybody's listening, like what uh you know, feel free to send us some any kind of thoughts that you might have that you think isn't out there right now that you would want to hear or see, or you know, have up uh you know, be have an opportunity to engage or whatever it is that that m maybe is missing out there now, you know, that they would want to because I know when I I started my podcast because frankly there wasn't a lot when I when my mom was going through this, I didn't have, I mean, there was just wasn't that much information out there. I didn't really know any other podcasts. So I think the which is which is you know obviously Marianne's started before us, but it but in terms of the real of a conversation coming out uh with more you know in in a in a more dynam in a bigger way, it was really like six years ago, right? I mean that's when it's all started. And so I think I think it's such good timing now that you've got people's attention. Now pull them to where to the to the kinds of content that is authentic. I just I I get I feel like there's so there's too much content out there and too much information that isn't authentic, and and that's a problem.

Marianne Scuicco: 25:15

A lot of it is self-serving for like people thinking they're gonna get rich, um trying to exploit this community, and that's not where it's at, that's not what happens. Um I think you know, honestly, that people who like myself who've written books on the topic hope that some you know you're gonna get some money out of for your troubles, but that doesn't always pan out. You know, it's very, very difficult in to be in this space. And if I would recommend to people who were thinking about it, I'd say, well, maybe not, maybe not. Like, gee, if I if I knew I was gonna uh a book about Alzheimer's was gonna be so hard to sell, maybe I I wouldn't have written that one. But um it ended up creating this beautiful community and exactly at the same time as we were starting to pick up steam, the the levers of communication had had changed so that ordinary people could now have a voice on a platform through self-publishing books. A lot of the books on our platform have pup are published, you know, independently, small press. They're not big, you know, New York City publishers, um, but they're all good people who had a good story. And then we had the podcast, and then podcasting just kind of blew up. And so now everybody has a podcast out there. There are a lot of podcasts on Alzheimer's and dementia, but there isn't one anything like ours. And you know, we we just happened to fall into it at the right time because you know with social media, that was the other big piece too. Social media, you know, picked up over the last ten years and became this huge thing and it gave allowed us to spread our message, and as well as like having the blog, having the website, all of those things, because we when we started, we didn't know if we would even get any books at all or any authors at all. I mean, it really was a dearth out there. There was just nothing. And um, you know, it got to a point just like within the last two, three years where we were getting so many books that we had to start turning them away. We had to, you know, we had a six-month wait for an author to appear on the website once their book was accepted, which was good for us in a way, but then I just didn't think it was good for the author because that's a really long time to wait. So um we imposed some, you know, mechanisms to the to our system to kind of like avoid that and and get away from that. And it, you know, it just happened to all come together so quickly over the like the last five years or so, because I think everybody out there now can can build a platform like this. We just we're in the right place at the right time.

Susie SInger Carter: 28:01

I I agree, I agree. So right now, if there's authors that have uh a new a new novel or um some kind of art that they want to to submit, are you still taking submissions or is there a hold on that?

Marianne Scuicco: 28:18

There is a hold on that. The submission portal is closed, we need to rebuild that and um probably sometime in the next two, three months, I would say. Okay. Um and start having them people apply, and the criteria is probably gonna remain the same. And um we do have people who um are still continuing to volunteer to vet the books and to look at different things, you know, products that we have. It's a huge vetting process. We we um don't take books and just slap them on uh up on our website because you paid us, you know, the fee or whatever. We don't do that. Somebody actually reads the book, um, make sure that it meets our criteria, which is quite strict, and then the author also has to have their own um social media platform that is active and needs to also be out there promoting their book. And of course the book has to be professionally done. So once we, you know, make sure that all of these elements are in place, then we may offer the um invitation to become an all's author. And we were taking approximately 60% of the books that we looked at came our way. Uh as far and the same goes for blogs. We do have blogs on our site, and we also have the films, as you know, because both of you have featured, Susie and several others, and then podcasts. We have a lot of other podcasts. Some of our authors are podcasters. So, I mean, there's really a lot of information there for people who are just looking for answers, especially those who don't have a lot of time and don't want to get stuck in some rabbit hole on Google or Amazon looking, you know, what will work for me. We categorized all of our all of our product, all the books, um, all the products that we feature. Amazing, amazing work. Yeah, disease type.

Don Priess: 30:12

Do you foresee a kind of a rebranding, uh, new look, new error, or just kind of, you know, kind of stay in the world that everyone knows already?

Lance A. Slatton: 30:20

Yeah. Ninety percent the same world. Um, there's gonna be a few things we'll tweak. Um, you know, for instance, we're gonna have a page, you know, our section, however, lays out. Um, we have our meeting uh this week with our website team, you know, just acknowledging, you know, the work and um contribution from Mary Ann, Jean, and Vicky. Um, yeah, I just wanted to add, you know, to the vetting process. We're gonna keep the vetting process for the most part the same as it was and is. Um you know, we'll have people on our team vetting the books, reading them thoroughly. Um, some of the ladies uh at all's authors have offered um, you know, to continue helping with the vetting process. They're welcome to do that, you know, whenever they wish. Um, and then we'll have our team as well. Um, so you know, we're not gonna be um sacrificing integrity for speed by any means. Um but I think it will be helpful having more people now to help with vetting the books, so maybe we can get more authors on um in a little you know shorter time. Um and you know, but there will be some some tweaking, um, nothing overly dramatic. Um, you know, we're like I said, we want to keep the uh film festival continuing that, um, you know, the the poetry, all of that. We want to keep everything as full to the integrity of all's authors is today, tomorrow, you know. Um, but there will be some enhancements, but I think the enhancements will be for the better, not for the worse. Um, because again, you know, again, it's all about just getting it out there to more people and trying to get you know more eyeballs on it, uh, make more people aware of these resources, you know. Um because again, if they don't know it exists, they can't take advantage of it. And one other thing exactly. Uh if I just I I just want to add one other thing. Um, you know, it is being incorporated under our business, so it's no longer gonna be a nonprofit, but we're not treating it like a for-profit, it's just you know, for business purposes, right? Um so I know Marianne and the ladies had the uh donate now button taken down because they're you know dissolving the 501c. But what we're gonna do is do a donation button for a book. So instead of people, you know, people believe in the work of all's authors and they want to help someone, and instead of giving a cash donation, we want them to donate one of the all's authors books to somebody that could benefit and you know really take advantage of it.

Susie SInger Carter: 32:49

I love that. Great idea. I love it. I love it. Are the resources still available though to go to or is the catalog now while you know while you're doing your infrastructure? Is it still available though? Yeah.

Lance A. Slatton: 33:03

The website right now, as it was yesterday, it's the same way today and will be the same way tomorrow. Um there will be some changes, but it's not going to be complicated or overwhelming or confusing. Um we just there's some things we just want to, you know, add and enhance on the website. Um, and that's you know, we don't know exactly what that looks like now because we haven't had that meeting. We just got the website about a week ago, so we're still you know in in works with right, right.

Susie SInger Carter: 33:30

And you and you know, you have to figure out how you're gonna do the the uh the uh all's let's see, I I can't think of a good name. I was gonna come up with a good name, but you know, for your annual uh award ceremony for the best book in UCLA. I think that's a great idea. Sure.

Lance A. Slatton: 33:45

I just yeah, yeah. No, I think and that's that again goes back to engaging these authors and engaging the community. Um you know, I I didn't mention the awards because what's one of the things we're looking at? What how do we want to do the award? Yeah, oh I didn't know that. I just said it at the end of the day. I didn't know if I mentioned it earlier. Okay. No, I didn't um that is one of the things we want to look at. Um is you know, maybe uh no, no you know, a nice award. And you know, again, it it's to keep these authors engaged, but you know, they are an all's author, they're a part of the community, but I feel like when I say you know, you're a member of something, you're active in something. And we're not expecting them to be active every day or even every month, but have some kind of you know benefit to them, but also a benefit to all's authors as a whole. So it's a two-way street, you know. Um so those are some of the things that we're mapping out and looking at.

Susie SInger Carter: 34:40

Right. It also legitimizes it, it also gets and that gives you another vehicle to promote and incentivize you know uh the authors to to participate because it it helps them, it helps you. It's you know, and it and it also is a great acknowledgement to be acknowledged with an award. So um I don't think they're frivolous. I think if they're meritorious, then they're important. It's important to acknowledge good work, I think.

Lance A. Slatton: 35:07

Yeah. And if I could just add one last thing here. We um, you know, when when you think of all's authors, you know, people think of the books, they think of Mary Ann, they think of Jean, you know, they think maybe of the podcast or one of the books or the poetry or the film festival. But what I don't think people often think about, and I think it was um maybe Mary Ann, maybe it was you, you know, all's authors is truly one of a kind in the entire world, in the sense that when you think of other diseases like cancer, heart disease, Parkinson's, diabetes, there's not one single website that houses this trove of resources that have all been vetted by, you know, Marianne's a nurse who happens to be an author, or you're an author that happens to be a nurse. Um, so these aren't just these aren't just people reading a book and saying, yeah, it sounded good. They're actually making sure there's no, you know, misinformation in there, there's not false promises in there. This is all real-world stuff. But no other disease in the world has an entire website or a collection like this all dedicated to that single disease. And I think that's what really is the uniqueness about all's authors.

Susie SInger Carter: 36:20

God, that is really interesting. That that is true. I mean you think about it, that is true. It's something about our community too. I think, you know, everything that makes this community and the and the disease and the and the kinds of manifestations of it and how different and you know, and yet how same our journeys are. I think you know, has pull it it it makes it very um ripe for that kind of of community. And and you took you saw that, Marianne, and you you know, you saw that from afar, which is incredible. I I think we you you and I, all of us here see that, that that there is this kinship.

Lance A. Slatton: 36:58

Absolutely, yeah.

Susie SInger Carter: 36:59

Right? It's like a village. Once you, you know, it's like, oh, I know you, we we belong to that tribe. I would I'm in that tribe. You don't say no more.

Don Priess: 37:07

And that's important because as you stated earlier, there are some people in this for the wrong reasons, and to so to to to have that community of the people who are doing it for the right reasons and be big and strong is very important. Absolutely.

Marianne Scuicco: 37:23

Well, they quickly fail, I find, you know.

Don Priess: 37:26

Doesn't last long. Because they're not authentic. Yeah, yeah.

Marianne Scuicco: 37:29

Yeah, they're they're not gonna it's it's it's a very difficult audience if you think about it that way, to reach when I first published the book. You know, I had written a book, it was a love story about Alzheimer's. I mean the Alzheimer's part was secondary, really. But when I tried to like market it, uh I I had such a hard time because it was about Alzheimer's. And people can't have negative connotation. They don't, oh, this is going to be a sad book. If you read the book, you know it's sad. It's full of sadness. There is sadness, but it does it ends on a happy.

Susie SInger Carter: 38:02

Like every story. Every story exactly. So, you know, but I think I think I think you're we all were a bit ahead of our time in terms of just not to, you know, pat ourselves on the back, but that the truth is is that you know, right now I've I've I I really believe in story, obviously, and as a as a filmmaker, but you know, uh I I it is now getting becoming more embraced that story is really the powerful tool. And there's so many, you know, now there's you know, there's all kinds of storytelling, you know, organizations and impact through storytelling. And then again, you have to wonder uh uh what is their motivation, you know, because it it is hard to, you know, because when we did my mom and the girl, I I said, I don't want to do this, everyone's like, you need to do the story, it's so it's so lovely. And I said, that's what everyone needs is another Alzheimer's movie, right? And I really thought that. I thought no one's gonna, you know, you know, and then I really and then I thought a change of mind and thought, no, you know what? It doesn't matter if it if one person watches it and it makes them and it enlightens them and it and it lightens up their day, then I've done a good thing. And and that's the that's how you have to look at it because it is it is a uh it's it's a balancing act when you're doing that kind of content. But the truth is that is the power, is is inserting the the hard stuff in stories of life, and there's good and bad in every story, you know. There's that that's just what it is, and it should be, it's real, it's real. Yeah, I love you guys. Um I know you have to run, and I know and I really I know Don and I both just can't give you enough, you know, muzzle, as they say in French. It you know, which is you know the best of luck with this endeavor because I think it is so important and we support you and we're so thrilled. for this marriage. So um I we can't wait and we're here anytime you want to, you know, talk more about it, I can't wait to see what's going to happen with all's authors and All Home Care Matters with Lance and Marian and your team. And by the way, I love all the books that I've read from from all of your authors. That every book I've read is wonderful and I've interviewed so many of the of your authors. And um and you know you would think I'd be oh could I read another book about Alzheimer's? Yes I can because they're all different and they're they're just wonderful stories and they you will find them if you don't even know about Alzheimer's they'll resonate.

Marianne Scuicco: 40:40

Yeah. Can I say one thing speaking about books authors I um for our very last act as is Alzheimer's we are publishing a new book and it's coming out this year. It's called Sharing Our Stories Makes Us Stronger. It's a collection of six word memoirs tell your story in six words using only six words tell us about your Alzheimer's journey and people um wrote in to us we've got hundreds of them in the book and uh I just sent the files over to the formatter today and um we also included artwork where from several different sources that we had which were people who either were wonderful artists and had dementia you know got dementia after and then other people who learned um discovered how to paint and and to create nice paintings nothing major but after they had dementia people who never did that before so that will actually illustrate the book. So we're really excited about that. We've been working on this for like three years or so and right it was a big endeavor and um finally get going to see the finish line. So people can look for that next year.

Susie SInger Carter: 41:55

That's grateful. Yeah that's great. This year this year this year this year that's right that's great. And congratulations on Riley Ann at your new addition to your family. Yes I think that's so exciting.

Lance A. Slatton: 42:08

Yeah new new grandma and um yeah lots of last thing I gotta say this before we go Susie Don you know always great to see you too and likewise congratulations on Roar we're looking forward to having you on all home care matters to talk about that. But Susie you know your biggest fans wanted me to make sure I said hi when they heard I was going to talk to you today.

Susie SInger Carter: 42:28

So the kids say hello I love the hello kids I think about you all the time because there's my poster of Soul Surfer. Lance's kids are huge fans of Soul Surfing because you've sent us that poster and stuff. They just think you're like you know a superstar which you are that's so sweet. Well Ana Sophia Robb who was the star of that film was so nice and you know her her mom and I have remained super good friends and so she signed a personal autograph to your kids and that was that was a thrill for me to be able to send that to you.

Lance A. Slatton: 43:07

Yeah and you know if you have any of those handmade cards that they sent you hanging up that would be cool to show them but I I don't blame you if they're not hanging up.

Susie SInger Carter: 43:14

So oh they're I don't even I do have them but you there's no way I can turn my computer because I have yeah no I love their handmade that was the most precious thing I got handmade cards from his kids it were just so precious. It was this like yeah that's you guys are amazing Susan that was the best I have I've got all kinds of people that wrote sent me stuff that it's framed I love it so much.

Don Priess: 43:38

It's like that that is my award it is a big love. Those are my awards you know why it is a love fest it is a love fest and you know why plug it done that's yeah that's because love is powerful plug it down is contagious and love conquers all so we thank everyone for watching listening today it does if you like what you saw and heard please share and like and subscribe and do all those fun things and definitely go to all home care matters and to all's authors and just you know there there's so much out there so much to offer and take advantage of what is out there we can't wait to see what the future brings so yeah and don't forget about Love Causes All's too because we have we do you know we all do different things so you know and uh we're wackadoo and you like a little wackadoo who doesn't all right so in the best of ways love you guys and see you next time