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The Hayflick Limit revisits George Terrill IV, further in his life, addressing the challenges of parenthood, while discussing a person’s rights to live and die. When affected by Alzheimer’s Disease the question becomes, Would you choose five to seven years of normal mental acuity, at which time you would abruptly expire, or risk everything and allow for the slow, gradual decline with the hope that a different, longer-lasting cure might come along? The book also asks, What is the role of government in enforcing and interpreting the Hippocratic Oath? 
 
The Hayflick Limit examines bioethics and the profound questions of humanity’s role on Earth and our right to play God. Readers report falling in love with Francis for his gentleness and compassion. It’s only when they learn that Francis is a research pig that they realize there’s more to life than our own.
 
As noted by The Prairies Book Review, "…A combination of magical realism and hard science, the story will enthrall [readers] from start to finish."
 
Author Notes/Why You Should Read The Hayflick Limit
 
As a child in Madison, Wisconsin, some of my fondest memories were the periodic trips we would take to Dubuque, Iowa. Not to see the city, but to visit my aunt and uncle. They were and will always be my reference point for what a marriage should be; all the crucial elements–respect, dignity, trust, and love–wrapped up in a common bond, surrounded by the joy of life, enhanced by the splendor of laughter.  
 
As the years accumulated, the frequency of our visits to Dubuque dwindled, yet the memories remained. There is a soft spot in my heart for this wonderful couple who always, and I mean always, made me feel welcome. I remember the day when an invitation arrived for a surprise anniversary party for my first cousin and her husband, an opportunity to see this aunt, whom I hadn’t seen since her husband’s funeral. The drive to Iowa was filled with anticipation. My God, how I wanted to see Aunt Eithel, Mom’s sister.
 
We arrived at the park and made our way to the picnic areas. There she was…Aunt Eithel, setting the table, quietly tending to her duties. I approached her with an eager expectation, “Hello, Aunt Eithel.” She turned and looked at me with a blank stare and whispered, “Do I know you?” My heart was broken. Tears trickled from my eyes. I didn’t know that she had crawled into an abyss and knew no one. She had dementia.
 
It only takes the one time to break your heart. It's that first instant when someone you love no longer remembers you that singes your soul and leaves you breathless in remorse, and this is what transpired when I saw the aunt who had meant so much to me. I vowed that if the day ever came I could express my feelings, I would. The challenge became how and what could I add to the anguish expressed by so many others who have had the same experience. How could I inform or exact what so many have felt? How could I share my emotions without being pedestrian?
 
Having written a book on men's health, I was somewhat cognizant of the anatomy and physiology of the brain with an inkling of how it works and the primary causes and consequences dementia and Alzheimer's disease. I had a starting point in terms of my character. The challenge was developing a method of treatment and then testing the hypothesis, which is where I learned the most. To be factual, I needed to get into the psychology of test animals and from this I created Sir Francis Bacon, a research pig, who has become one of the favorite Waldwick characters for those who've read series. 
 
As I was progressing with this story, I came to what I call my thresholds, places where I ask myself: How do I create my message? How do I make my readers feel something? What steps do I need to take to ensure those who’ve invested their lives in one of my stories get closure around what I've written and are motivated to ask for more?
 
I don’t want to ruin the story, but I will tell you this: My readers and I both learned an incredible amount about so many different things in this one. Of all eight Waldwick series books, The Hayflick Limit, has been the most informative and the most rewarding. Like the oyster shell, it's only when you pry it open do you see the majesty of the pearl inside.
 
I close with the poem I wrote and presented at Aunt Eithel’s celebration of life called Today Will Be Yesterday Tomorrow.
 
Today will be yesterday, tomorrow, and with it will go another bit of our future, slowly slipping into the past.
I cannot remember each today, and some I wish I could forget.
I only know that all todays must turn to yesterdays, and slip slowly into the past.
Yesterday!...Once so near, slowly slip beneath our todays that were once tomorrow’s before they too slipped slowly into the past.
Soon, all of our tomorrows become yesterdays,
Making today’s today and tomorrow’s todays, nothing more than yesterday.