Interview with Jennifer Manghisi-author of "A Sarcastic Guide to Beating Breast Cancer"

Author Bio:  Jennifer Manghisi was born on June 1, 1984. She is a native New Yorker. Jennifer grew up on Long Island and graduated from Bentley University with a Bachelor of Science degree from Bentley University in Business Management. Her hobbies include; traveling, cooking, fashion, and writing. She currently resides and works in New York City.

Jennifer's new book:



Book Description: Author Jennifer Manghisi was diagnosed with breast cancer at the very early age of twenty-four. Sitting in the doctor’s office listening to the diagnosis, Jennifer and her parents were shocked. Jennifer’s life had only just begun. A recent college graduate, she had only just launched her career in the fashion industry. Now, before her life had truly begun, Jennifer was faced with the prospect of losing a breast. 

But she was strong. Though the diagnosis was bleak, Jennifer found the strength to be grateful that the prospects were not worse. Death as a result of breast cancer is on the decline, and she was thankful for that. Even so, there is more to deal with when facing breast cancer than mortality, as Jennifer has since learned. In her motivational memoir, A Sarcastic Guide to Beating Breast Cancer, Jennifer Manghisi shares what she learned on her journey to survival. From coping with the diagnosis to managing chemotherapy to managing the depression and becoming healthy again, Jennifer shares important and insightful advice on becoming a breast cancer survivor that only experience can teach. 

In this inspiring true story of will, determination, and perseverance, Jennifer shares the highs and lows of her intense battle for her life. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with breast cancer, Jennifer’s story can be a source of inspiration to you.
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I loved this book so much that I wanted to sit down with the author, Jennifer Manghisi and find out more about her, and the experience she had in writing this truly inspirational book!  Here is our interview!




Me: Welcome to my blog Jennifer! I’m so happy to meet you!
Jennifer: Thank you!  I’m happy to be here!
Me: I’ve posted a brief bio of you, but can you tell us a bit more about yourself?
Jennifer: Sure! I’m originally from New York.  I grew up in the Five Towns on Long Island and I graduated from Bentley University with a BS in Business Management. While I was in school, I decided I wanted to pursue a career in fashion so when I graduated I took an internship working in fashion public relations for an iconic America fashion designer on 5th Avenue.  After that, I went on to get my real estate license and now I am a real estate agent in New York City.  I live in Washington Heights and have a beautiful Cornish rex named, Princess Da’luxxe that I absolutely adore.
Me: Wow! You are a busy lady and now on top of all that, you’re an author.  I loved the book by the way!  Even after reading the first page, where you describe the first sign of something being wrong, I was so deeply affected, I simply couldn’t put it down.  Breast cancer is a disease that affects so many lives. It is one that  every woman I know fears, yet few like to talk about.  Why did you decide to share your story and write the book?
Jennifer: I remember being in the waiting room of the hospital one day and flipping through InStyle Magazine.  They were doing a feature on breast cancer and the statistics of the disease.  There was a pie chart that showed in the United States only 2 percent of females diagnosed with breast cancer every year are 35 years old or younger.  I wanted to be the voice of the 2 percent.

Me:  But wasn’t it difficult to write about something so personal, and was there anything that kept you motivated?
Jennifer: I have kept myself guarded all these years because I was afraid if people knew what I was really going through at the time and how I really felt, then I would be vulnerable and that scared me.  My mother taught me to be a strong independent woman and I didn’t want to let her down.  She always told me, “Jennifer, you are a brave fearless young woman.”  I always thought showing weakness would make me the exact opposite, but as I was writing this book, feeling sad and emotional actually helped me to process a lot of the feelings I had been holding back.  I think it was completely healthy to do that.  I kept myself motivated by making an outline of the different points I wanted to touch upon and crossing each bullet off as I got to them.  When I realized I was half way done, I knew there was no turning back. 

Me: I am glad you did complete it because it really is going to help so many people who are struggling with this disease.  If there was someone out there who has gone through a similar experience and wanted to write about it, what advice would you offer them?
Jennifer: I’ve tried countless number of times to write this book before.  At one point I had actually written double the length of this book until it was completely lost on my computer.  Most people probably would have cried but I knew that was a sign that I wasn’t ready to write it yet.  I would tell anyone who has gone through something similar and wants to write about it that they really need to do some soul searching first.  Writing a book of this nature can’t be impulsive.  You have to be emotionally ready because as soon as your mind goes back to that time it will make you feel so many things and all at once.  It can be very overwhelming.
Me:Prior to reading your book, I took a look at some of the reviews.  One reviewer, a man, said he would recommend your book to any husband, son or father to help them understand their loved one better and to deal with the emotional strain caused by cancer.  Another said this book should be available to patients at every hospital. How does it make you feel to know you have touched readers so deeply?
 Jennifer: Knowing that I have touched so many people with my story has been an absolute blessing.  When I was going through cancer I felt like I alienated a lot of people who were close to me because of the depression I felt, but now that I’m healthy I wanted this book to appeal to anyone who has faced cancer themselves or knows some who has.  I wanted the story to be told in a sarcastic manner so that men specifically wouldn’t feel off-put by the topic and would find ways to relate to the storyline.  I feel like I did my job.
Me: You certainly did and you self-published it right?
Jennifer: Yes I did.
Me:  That has become a very controversial subject in the literary world.  What made you decide to self-publish versus traditional, and can you tell us a bit about your experience?
Jennifer: I’ve wanted to publish an ebook since the beginning of ebooks and I specifically wanted to do it because you can publish it yourself.  Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely something to be said for traditional publishing but when you have self-published a book that means that you really created something from start to finish, something tangible that can be purchased.  I mean, how cool is that?  I’ve had such an amazing experience being a self-published author because the possibilities are endless.  You can choose where your book will be sold, what it will look like, and which formats it can be delivered in.  You have complete freedom.   
Me: Are you currently working on another book, or do you have plans to do so in the future?
Jennifer: My next book is already in the works!  One of my main hobbies is cooking so I’ve been working on a cookbook of my Italian Polish heritage that includes dishes I grew up eating.  My main influences for this book will be my mother, my aunt, and my grandmother.  I’m really looking forward to completing it so I can give it as a gift to my entire family.   Me: That sounds awesome!  You will have to let me know when it’s done.  My husband loves to try new recipes!   
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 I want to thank Jennifer for taking time out of her busy schedule to interview with me and I hope everyone checks out her book!  I recommend it to anyone who is struggling with breast cancer, or has a family member who is.  Here are her links to purchase "A Sarcastic Guide to Beating Cancer!"
AMAZON-http://www.amazon.com/Sarcastic-Beating-Breast-Cancer-ebook/dp/B00A6CX47S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354567239&sr=1-1&keywords=A+sarcastic+guide+to+beating+breast+cancerBOOK TANGO- http://bookstore.booktango.com/Products/SKU-000613638/A-Sarcastic-Guide-to-Beating-Breast-Cancer.aspxEBAY-http://www.ebay.com/itm/A-Sarcastic-Guide-To-Beating-Breast-Cancer-/251192342383?pt=US_Nonfiction_Book&hash=item3a7c3af76fFree preview and purchase on scribd-http://www.scribd.com/doc/111760397/A-Sarcastic-Guide-to-Beating-Breast-Cancer