About Me

Thirty years' experience in the field of special education and mental health has influenced and informed my work. After leaving this beloved work, I dedicated myself to my writing. As life would have it, within months, my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia. During the next twelve years, I helped care for her, served as her Power of Attorney and Health Care Advocate, and kept my sanity by working on Sunday's Orphan every day.   

The characters in my stories give voice to pedestrian types, otherwise overlooked individuals whose observations and insights connect in wise ways to issues larger than themselves. In The Quiet Roar of a Hummingbird, the young protagonist, Hummingbird Windsor, and her grandmother, Sukie, suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, confront concerns no one should endure: those related to bullying. 

Armed with research, reams of notes taken during my mother’s illness, and the concerns of the caregivers in the Alzheimer's support group I organized after my mother's passing, I edit a family-friendly ezine entitled, Together With Alzheimer’s. This free monthly collection of practical tips supports and assists the caregiver with current research and information about Alzheimer’s dementia, brain-health, advocacy, and self-care for the caregiver. 

If you're thinking there aren't enough hours in the day to get all this done, you are so right! Maintaining balance in  my life is a major goal, something with which I struggle every day.   

Besides my writing, I'm a Master Gardener and amateur macro photographer. I rescue seedlings and happily share plants with gardeners who are starting or expanding their garden designs. Using a macro lens, I snap close-up photographs of flowers and transform them into note cards. Pilates, Yoga, biking, and cross-country skiing add variety to my daily exercise routine. I favor organic foods, live what's known as "a ketogenic lifestyle", and often experiment with recipes, creating new ones. Do I feel guilty about the time these interests take from my writing? Not usually! These hobbies feed my creative juices and inspire my writing as do the wonderful readers who encourage and support my work. 

 
I'm originally from Hartford, Connecticut and, after years of moving, settled with my husband on a small island off the coast of Maine. 

Should you be interested in having me visit your group or book club, in person, or via Zoom or other online platform, to discuss SUNDAY'S ORPHAN, read from SMALL LIES or THE QUIET ROAR OF A HUMMINGBIRD, or tell you about my work within the Alzheimer's community, please contact me: Catherine Gentile, catherine@catherinegentile.com. Thanks for your kind interest!