Stacy Verdick Case's Blog, page 17
December 5, 2011
You Happy, Mommy?
I hate to bust up anyone's illusion of new writers getting a huge contract and never having to work full-time ever again. Unfortunately, that almost never happens, and most of us still need to work full-time to make a living. I am one of those who still need to work outside of my writing.
The other day, I got up at 6 am, and woke my little girl to feed her breakfast before I went to work. This was one of those mornings when all my muscles hurt, I had a headache, I was tired, I was cold, and I knew I had a brutal day ahead of me. Truthfully, I was near tears at the thought of having to tough it out through this day. When it was finally time for me to go put my makeup, and my work clothes on, I looked at my daughter and said, "I don't want to go to work today."
She looked at me with great concern and confusion. I have never said that to her before. Usually, I'm fine with doing what I need to do.
She got out of her little chair, walked over to where I sat, and put her hand on my cheek.
"You happy, Mommy?" She smiled at me.
Her smile is like a light being switched on. No matter what I'm going through, when I see her smile I am okay.
I smiled back at her and said, "Yes baby, mommy's happy."
She went back to eating her breakfast as if that's all that really matters, and I guess it's true.
November 29, 2011
Random Thought
When you wake to find a bug in your bathroom, do you wonder if it's crawled on your toothbrush?
November 23, 2011
I Am So Thankful!
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, because it's like Christmas without the stress of gift giving. It's a time to be with family and just enjoy each other over a HEAPING plate of food, which let's face it is awesome!
I am a big advocate of saying thank you. It's an under used phrase in the world today. Thank you seems so difficult for some people to say and it's even harder for some to focus on what they are thankful for. Instead, they're consumed by the things they don't like.
Yes, I start sounding all new age-ee when I get on this kick. I guess I am then. I'm going to take a moment here to be thankful, and I encourage you to do the same. Please in the spirit of Thanksgiving, tell me what you are thankful for this year.
I am so thankful for:
My family – each and every one of them even the cracked nuts. YES! Even they make me who I am, and I am so thankful.
My home – It was a long hard fight to call the roof over my head my home, but this year it became mine, and I am so thankful .
My Book – If fighting for my house seemed hard, fighting for my book was harder. I've been writing for as long as I can remember, 20-years at novels, so to hold my first book in my hands this year is something for which I am SOOOOO Thankful.
Readers – Sales of A Grand Murder have been brisk since day one, and yes I realize the first few were my friends and family (thank you for that), but now the sales have exhausted the number of people I've ever met in my life. Now we're into people who love to read. I am so thankful for people who love a good story as much as I do. Thank you!
You – Yes, you whose eyes are on these words right now, thank you for being her to read this post. I am so thankful that you have chosen to stay with me this far. I am thankful for you and to you.
Please share with me what you are thankful for this Thanksgiving!
Love ~ Stacy
November 13, 2011
Thanks To Everyone Who Participated!
My time with the 2011 Veterans Day Blog Tour de Troops has officially come to an end. A BIG thank you to everyone who stopped by the blog to post a comment and donate a book to our members of the military. With your help I was able to donate 204 copies of A Grand Murder to our men and women in uniform. Thank you! Thank you!
The tour continues on the 14th with a host of other fine authors, starting with Elena Gray. Click over to Elena Gray's site to start your next leg of the tour! http://elenagray.com/
Or drop by the Indie Book Collective's Blog to see a full list of today's authors http://indiebookcollective.wordpress.com/
Again, thank you to everyone who made my day on the tour such a great success!
November 11, 2011
Gratitude For Our Veterans
Welcome to Blog Tour de Troops! You probably joined me from Belinda Boring's blog The Bookish Snob. The next stop on the tour will be David M. Brown's blog The World According to Dave.
November 11, 2011 was Veterans Day in America and a day that we're supposed to acknowledge our service men and women.
My favorite veteran is, and always will be, my Dad. I am grateful for the sacrifices he made in order to serve our country.
When I was growing up, my Dad was in the Army serving with the 101st Airborne Division. We were station at Fort Campbell Kentucky.
When I waited for the school bus in the morning it was not unusual to see tanks rolling by or troops out for their morning march. I learned to sing vulgar marching songs the way other kids learned to sing Mary Had A Little Lamb, much to my Mother's chagrin (Dad thought it was hilarious).
Even though my Dad will always be my number one Veteran – I am grateful for the members of our armed forces today who risk their lives to keep us safe and free. I am grateful for their strength, I am grateful for their courage, and I am grateful for their sacrifices. It is not an easy path you've chosen.
THANK YOU!
Please post a comment and say thank you to our service men and women or share your gratitude story with me. As a special gift you will receive a FREE eBook copy of A Grand Murder (be sure to enter your email address with your post so I can send you the coupon). As an added incentive for each post, a FREE eBook copy of A Grand Murder will be given to a member of our armed forces.
Comment away and don't forget if you haven't visited the other stops on the tour to pop over to Belinda Boring's blog The Bookish Snob and next stop on the tour David M. Brown's blog The World According to Dave.
November 3, 2011
Operation Gratitude
With Veteran's Day just around the corner, I would like to put out a call to all my writer friends and ask them to donate paperback copies of their books to Operation Gratitude.
Here's a description of Operation Gratitude from the organization:
Operation Gratitude is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, volunteer-based organization that sends care packages year-round to service members deployed overseas, to their children left behind, and to Wounded Warriors in Military hospitals and transition units. To date, we have shipped over 700,000 care packages to individually-named troops in hostile regions such as Iraq, Afghanistan and onto ships all over the world.
If you are an author please download the donation form by clicking HERE and send as many copies of your books as you can. Please pass this along to your writing groups, re-post on your sites, tweet it, Facebook it, and help me get the word out!
Thank you my dear author friends! You are all the best – BIG HUGS all around!
Best wishes ~ Stacy
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October 19, 2011
A Healthy Love
My Daughter With Her Book
My friend Julia Hughes and I were on Goodreads.com discussing how we were born before cable television. We discovered that's what caused our reading addictions.
To paraphrase Jeff Foxworthy there were four channels, and if the president was on every channel, we were hosed. If the streetlights were on, we weren't allowed to play outside, which in the winter meant 7pm. We the poor, unfortunate children had to find other forms of entertainment. This was before DVDs, before Playstation®, yes even {GASP} before VHS.
What were we to do?
At my house, there were always books to fall back on. The Little House series was like a television show the President couldn't interrupt – ever! I turned to books over and over for entertainment, comfort, and sometimes even friendship – especially since my family moved so much. My passion for books became so strong that my parents had to ground me from my books when I was in trouble. Grounding me to my room and leaving the books wasn't punishment at all. It was heaven.
In truth, I still turn to books. Through my own writing and the writing of others, I find solace, kinship, and most of all escape.
The television in my house has more channels than anyone could ever need, but is frequently switched off, so my daughter can develop her own healthy love of books.
October 5, 2011
Women Are So Fragile. Aren't They?
As the manuscript for A Grand Murder was making the rejection rounds, (if
you're a writer you know what I'm talking about) the biggest criticism I got back was about my main character Catherine O'Brien. While each comment varied a little the main message was, "Women won't relate to her."
Every time I saw that comment I was shocked. It's such a throwback comment. Women can't relate to a strong, female character who is capable of doing her job? Someone who's willing to fight for what they believe in. Really?
Evidently, the women they know are A LOT different from the women I know.
One of my grandmother's, when her husband died, had the state showed up to take her three daughters from her because her own father-in-law said she couldn't raise them alone. Grandma refused to lose her daughters. She worked two cleaning jobs to put herself through secretarial college. She graduated and found a reliable, well paying job that allowed her to keep children.
My other grandmother was a catholic who found herself married to an abusive alcoholic. Despite her upbringing, she took her six small children and left him. She raised and educated her children on her own.
My Mother is also a strong woman. She fights for what she knows to be right harder than anyone I've ever met. The word tenacious fails to come close to describing my mother.
These are only three of the women I drew inspiration from when I created the character of Catherine O'Brien. Every day I meet women who impress and inspire me with their strength.
I decided not to change Catherine into a bimbo with a gun. Instead, I fought for what I know to be true. Women can relate to a strong female character because inside our soft shells we're stronger than you can know.
September 28, 2011
When Banned Books Attack!
When Banned Books Attack!
