What a crazy week this has been. With the release of my new book, what little time I have left after work has been spent between autographing copies, signing a contract with the bookstore, getting the stories ready that will be on display at the YMCA Christmas party, and preparing for the upcoming craft show this weekend where my book will be for sale at two different locations. This Friday is a big day for some of the families who contributed to the book. Their stories will set up for the public to view during the Christmas party from 6-8pm at the Oswego Armory. I am so proud of everyone and the work that they did that I wanted to showcase their talent. Many people are very excited about their big debut! On Saturday December 3rd, you can stop by and visit me in Oswego, NY at St. Joseph's annual holiday craft show from 10-4. The building is located on W.1st street across from the YMCA. I will be selling autographed copies of my book at a special sale price. Also on December 3rd you can find autographed copies of my book at the Mexico Presbytarian Church during their annual Christmas holiday expo. You can stroll the town and take part in the Dicken's Christmas Carol, visit the many different churches that are holding craft sales, and get a jump start on your holiday cheer. You will need to look for Lisa Buske's booth from 9-3, and while you are there you chat with her about her upcoming book as well. The picture above is from the River's End Bookstore in Oswego, NY. There have my book on their shelves in not one, but two spots in the store. The first is under "Local Authors" and the second is under the "Inspirational" section. You can ask for Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways:Our Lives with a Special Need Child and the employees will be more than happy to assist you. Remember that they do free gift wrapping for the holidays! Last night I traveled to Rome, NY for my monthly writer's critique group. I love going there and talking shop. It's luxury a night out with just the girls. But last night was even more special. I was asked to autograph my new book! Elaine W. Miller, author of Splashes of Serenity, bought one of the first copies of my book and asked if I would autograph it for her daughter. I can't tell you what an honor that was. I thought coming home to a large shipment of my own books sitting on my porch was exciting, but having people ask me to sign them was even more rewarding. Starting tomorrow, November 30th, the River's End Bookstore will start carrying my title as part of their stock. If you are in there browsing, please look for Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child as part of the local author section. On April 1st, 2012, keep your eye out for Elaine's new book We AlMarried Idiots. It is slated to be a wonderful book on marriage with helpful advise on how to fix life's little problems. The last few days have flown by like a whirlwind. I have to admit I was a little nervous about completing everything in time to send it off to the publisher by Monday and meeting my deadline. By 9:30 pm I was still receiving submissions, which was exciting. I stayed up late deciding the order of each story and formatting the Table of Contents. It was going to get done before I went to bed if I had to stay up all night. Did I manage to accomplish this? I'm am happy to announce that I DID !! (And still managed to get a few hours of shut eye before getting up for work the next morning)
This morning a proof book was ordered and will be in my hand this Thursday. (Yoo Hoo!!!!) After I receive it I will be debuting the cover design and then combing over the interior to ensure that it is sales ready. As soon as I give the okay to the publisher it will be available for sales online. I will then be working on my distributation channels to have it displayed at book stores and retail outlets, as well as launching a book release party. For those who like to visit craft shows (esepcially around the upcoming holidays), I plan on sitting at a booth selling the book in person as well. I am especially looking forward to meeting everyone so make sure you stop by and say hello. The dates and locations will be announcing via my blog and facebook. I would like to once again thank all of the families who submitted stories for the book. Without you this venture would not have been possible. You will read stories from parents, grandparents, even a service dog on how a special person has influence and shaped their lives. Meet all of these wonderful authors in my new book Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child. In anticipation of my upcoming book, Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives With A Special Needs Child, I decided to take part in a public reading down at the River's End Bookstore will some fellow writers within the community. As always, the bookstore hosted a wonderful evening and we heard from many talented authors.
When it was my turn to share, I took out a piece that I had written, and read during the SUNY Oswego Summer Writing Institute. It was not a story that I could share without shedding a tear back then, and it seems that time has not changed things for me. By the last paragraph, my voice was fighting to come out and the words were lost through the sounds of my tears. It was not a sad story that I was reading, yet one very dear and close to my heart. You see, it was the story of how my doctor advised me to abort my daughter, and instead of listening to his advice I listened to my heart. Over the past fifteen years I have watched my daughter struggle, grow, and become a beautiful loving human being. The reason I shared this particular piece was simple. I wanted to show the community what kinds of stories they will find in my upcoming book when it is realesed this December. I want to show that just because somebody is labeled with a disability doesn't mean they can't become a valuable member of society. And with this anthology we will show the world how the word 'unique' can also be defined as 'spectacular', 'amazing', and 'inspiring'. Asides from the fact that I was almost too chocked up to finish reading my work, that night was a huge success. Some people took my information to pass along to families that they knew who may want to contribute stories to the book and I got to mingle with the other writers who bravely took center stage to share their own precious words. I'm sorry there is no picture to post with this blog. I had my video camera running so that I could post the video to my blog, but when I finished my reading and went to click the stop button I realized that it froze 42 seconds into taping and I ended up with nothing more than me introducting myself to the audience. Then when I came home to download the pictures I took with my camera, of course that did not want to work either. But as you all know things happen in threes and the best part was that my last name had accidently been printed wrong so I started out the evening with a new identity. Ce La Ve...what else can you do but laugh? I had a great time and that's all that matters ! I was caught off guard the other day when I received an unexpected but very exciting phone call. The Oswego Reading Council had awarded me 2nd place in their annual writing contest ! Each year the topic is chosen by the council and everybody in the entire county is eligible to participate. This year's topic was "The person I most admire is...". Each entry was subjected to two rounds of judging. Over 600 submissions went to the preliminary round of judging by the Oswego Reading Council board. The top 10 entries were then given to a group of professional writers authors for the final judging. The award ceremony will be in a few weeks but for those who cannot attend I wanted to share with you. "The Person I Most Admire" by Amy Quonce For years I have seen the subject of the annual writing contest come and go without much thought of it sinking into my mind. Then before me was presented this year’s topic: The Person I Most Admire. I was captivated immediately and without hesitation I had already begun composing drafts within my head. There was no doubt who I admire most in this world…my daughter. My little girl (who will remain forever young in my eyes) has been overcoming obstacles since before she was even born. The doctor had crushed the excitement of my first sonogram when he sadly announced that my baby was going to be facing serious disabilities, and immediately sent me to see a specialist, who in turn tried to convince me to terminate the pregnancy. Tears streamed down my face as I stared off into space, trying to envision my future daughter’s life. And that’s when it came to me…she did have a future, and it was my job to make sure that she had the best life that I could provide for her. Six months later my beautiful baby was born and she has been the inspiration for my life ever since. Faced with many medical difficulties, she has persevered through it all. Never once has she grumbled about having to go to yet another doctor, or undergo another surgery. She takes it all in stride and has amazed her physicians every time. I will never forget the time that one prominent doctor, who has seen her since she was an infant, came up to me and proudly announced that he tells all of his colleagues about her because he cannot believe how far she has come. He never expected her to walk or talk, and now she has been a dancer for 12 years, and will happily tell anybody all about it who will listen. My daughter was born with the good natured attitude that I dream of having for my own. In her eyes each person she meets is her best friend, and the world is full of individuals who get along with everyone, despite their differences. It is an innocence so rare that it simply must be cherished. Even after suffering from a personal tragedy, she picked herself up and never let the sparkle go out of her eyes. She possesses a special quality for finding the silver lining in everything, and I can’t help but smile each time I realize that this special child is my own. I have been given a gift so precious, that I often wonder what I did to deserve it. During her short 14 years of life, she has turned every mountain into a mole hill without ever complaining about the journey that it took her get there. While she may still be facing a life with obstacles stacked against her, I know she will take each step with pride and give all that she can. And I will be standing behind her, awaiting to catch her if she should happen to fall. When this day does arrive, there will still be a smile upon my face because I am so proud of her in all that she has done. I wish that someday I could be more like her. I would like to thank the Oswego Reading Council for bestowing this honor to me! |
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AuthorI have the privilege of being able to shape the minds and lives of children who are battling disabilities. It can be very trying at times, but more often than not it is very rewarding. As a mother of a child with a disability, I know the struggles that they go through on a daily basis. This allows me to have a little more compassion for the people that I work with. |