THE JAKE SMITH RANCH SERIES— unique family-series, concerning epilepsy

Author: Neebeeshaabookway—

-The first three novels deal with Jake reaching his goal for a stable future.²

-The fourth novel deals with 40 years later, after the Texas novel, for a conclusion.²

-The short story books, entitled, Steppingstones Through Jake’s Ranch (in on-going volumes) ³ deal with daily episodes that would fall in-between the first three novels and the conclusion novel, at various time intervals.⁴  These stories also highlight a variety of other issues, both due to Jake’s injuries, and life in general connected to them⁵ And, not only for  Jake, but f or his twin, Jake’s gang of ex-rodeo buddies, their family, the youth that pay for his trail-ride service, his friends in Old-Town, and—even those in Texas.⁶

-It is a 2004-2009 (thus far) self-published set, as on-going as the author would desire⁷, published at the Lulu.com web site (thus far).⁸

 “INTRODUCING...” was first self-published (by Xlibris⁹), as a forerunner, and is now published at Lulu.com, in its revised version—its a collection of a mixture of the short stories taken from the Steppingstones Through Jake’s Ranch, short story collection,

volumes I-III.¹⁰ 

There had been very odd, or even bad, portrayals of those with seizures (epilepsy) in fiction literature of the past, some based on legitimate reasons, such as building a story about a character’s life touched by these issues:  such as no support-care leading to meager ways to function in life (and a downhill slide, even mentally)—which, sadly do exist, in real life. But, many of these negative portrayals are due to harmful reasons—such as building a story due to false assumptions about seizures and those affected by them, and lastly, also due to an author’s whim or story-line along these same stereo-types.¹²  During the more recent years (for a point of reference, in general, from 2000 onward) various branches of the Epilepsy Foundation have been pushing for a more correct and wider revelation concerning the folks that suffer from seizures.¹³  For example:  these folks that have epilepsy/seizure disorders, are not to be feared, they are not demon possessed, and they are not unwilling to work (free-loaders), and many DO function in society, and at home, and have just as much to offer others, in life, as anyone else does.¹⁴  The majority do face many side-effects from medication, much sleep lost, and the general aftermath of seizures upon their body, so they do have a harder struggle in life—it would nice if the public could learn and understand this. ¹⁵  One way to spread awareness as to who these folks are, and how they live, is to provide knowledge through media, and books.¹⁶ And, yes, there are now many more new books surfacing about how folks cope with epilepsy, and through self-publication—not to neglect the mention of those by known publishers.  Many self-published books are being done by folks that have had epilepsy themselves, or, have had it in the lives of their loved ones, and these non-fiction books are making facts known to the public, in order for folks with epilepsy to find more open doors in life, in spite of their seizure disorders.¹⁷

So, with epilepsy coming out into the light¹⁸, in true daily living, so should it rightly be displayed in a more wider-range, in literature, such as fiction novels, where much confusion has been shown, in so many cases—yet, not many story-lines on overcoming epilepsy through knowledge, proper support, and family love, are seen.¹⁹  *The negative portrayals, and even mockery, have now moved from wrongly learned thoughts, on over to television and movies²⁰, and all due to such ignorance or past stereo-types and fears. ²¹

The JAKE SMITH RANCH SERIES was written with these thoughts in mind and seeks to portray a fairer “playing field” for self-esteem normal dignity to nurtured on.²²

Due to that search (so far, as of 2009), this is open to more research, but—if no contradictory information surfaces, this series is a history-making marker, in epilepsy fiction literature, as to an on-going family series about epilepsy as part of the main story theme, through the characters full-term life, and, with a good role-mode, in the lead. ²³  Jake Smith—taking one uncertain day at a time—he’s an everyday, different kind of “hero”, just trying to reclaim his life, even as any beloved family member would want to do, when encouraged by love.²⁴  

Jake  (‘I’m thinkin’...’)

Jake And Sofia

Jake Hugs Texas

Jake’s Ranch And The Second Gate    (Conclusion )

Steppingstones Through Jake’s Ranch VOL. I, VOL. II, VOL. III, VOL. IV, VOL. IV, VOL. V, thus far.

(Listed as ongoing). ²⁷