Staying Alive with Stacy tour - Review of "Life is Tough"

Today is my day to have Stacy Gooch Anderson on my blog. I am doing a review of "Life is Tough," her newest release.

This book is very humorous and came about from family reunions and watching old family movies and all. What Stacy remembers and what her family remembers seem to have some discrepancies but then again, I guess if we all saw growing up experiences the same way, there wouldn't be a reason for "life lessons." Stacy approaches her life with a bit of tongue-in-cheek attitude and what comes from that is some enjoyable "recounters" of what life was like in the Gooch household.

From ski trips to first dates to bearing children to loss of loved ones, Stacy takes us through a truly laugh out loud peek into her. For anyone looking for some laughter in their life and a few tears, I really suggest that you pick up Stacy's book and remember, "Life is tough, but someone else may have had a tougher life" and enjoy yourself if even for a few minutes a day.

I don't remember which "life saver saying" would be my favorite, but I definitely could relate to quite a few of them. So hang in there, pick up a copy of "Life is Tough" and hang on for an enjoyable ride.

(You'll have to check out the previous posting and follow Stacy's blog for more on her "life saver moments" - see you all in the postings - E :)

Life is Tough and Life Saver book tour (The Stayin' Alive with Stacy tour)

I hosted Stacy Anderson on her The Santa Letters blog tour and am happy to present her with her new book: Life is Tough: I Doubt I'll Make It Out Alive.

Follow the schedule below and see what other folks are saying about this new book. I will post a review on my day (the 29th of April). If you want to follow on Facebook, Stacy has set up an accoun there for the "life savers" challenge as well.

Purchase info can be gained by visiting Stacy's blog and contacting her directly. The book is available at all online sources and any bookstore.

Enjoy :)

Wednesday, April 1 – (There was a change here)

LIFESAVERS - WE ALL NEED SOME IN OUR LIVES.


Thursday, April 2 – Tristi Pinkston at LDS Author Blog Tristi's “Life Saver” is "Fat people are harder to kidnap."

Friday, April 3 – Stacy will have information on the Pleasant Grove fundraiser on her blog as Teri already posted her review on the Forever Friends Book Nook. Teri's "Life Saver“ is "A friend is someone who thinks you’re a good egg even though you’re slightly cracked."

Saturday, April 4 – Liz Adair at Sez Liz. Liz's “Life Saver” is "Space is a dangerous place – especially if it’s between your ears!"

Sunday, April 5 – --------------------- (no postings on Sundays)

Monday, April 6 – Michele Bell at Michelle A Bell – Author. Michelle's “Life Saver” is "Never argue with a stupid person because when you do, they’ll drag you down to their level."

Tuesday, April 7 – Kersten Campbell at Inspirational Quotes on Motherhood. Kersten's “Life Saver” is "It’s hard to understand how a cemetery can raise it’s burial charges and blame it on the cost of living."

Wednesday, April 8 – Kathi Oram Peterson at Kathi’s Writing Nook. Kathi's “Life Saver” is "Democracy is 3 wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for dinner."

Thursday, April 9 - Karlene Browning at Ink Splasher and Provident Book. Karlene's “Life Saver” is "All power corrupts but we need the electricity."

Friday, April 10 – Kevan Jensen on FaceBook. Kevan's “Life Saver” is "Invariably, if someone calls the bladder control hotline, someone will answer “Can you hold please?”"

Saturday, April 11 – Cindy Bezas at The Message from the Grove. Cindy's “Life Saver” is "A man who lives in a glass house should change in the basement."

Sunday, April 12 - ------------------ (no posting on Sunday)

Monday, April 13 – Kari Pike at As a Beacon Light. Kari's “Life Saver” is "If you want to be a leader with a large following, go slow on a two-way street."

Tuesday, April 14 –Sandra Sorenson at The Dance. Sandra's “Life Saver” is "Even in a pile of manure, a flower will grow."

Wednesday, April 15 – Vicki Firth at Vicki's facebook page. Vicki's “Life Saver” is "In spite of the cost of living going up, it’s still quite popular."

Thursday, April 16 - Alison Palmer at Tangled Words and Dreams. Alison's “Life Saver” is "Anyone who thinks you are too small to make a difference has never been alone in a tent with a hungry mosquito."

Friday, April 17 – Cecily Markland. Cecily's “Life Saver” is "Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they will never cease to be amused."

Saturday, April 18 – Lisa Bennett on Facebook. Lisa's “Life Saver” is "A wise man amongst the ignorant is as Brittney Spears in the company of blind men."

Sunday, April 19 - --------------------(no posting on Sunday)

Monday, April 20 – Anne Bradshaw at Not Entirely British. Anne's “Life Saver” is "How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you are on."


Tuesday, April 21 – Jen Lords at Lords of the Manor. Jen's “Life Saver” is "A dog who attends a flea circus will most likely steal the whole show."

Wednesday, April 22 – Megan Gooch at The ‘H’ Four. Megan's “Life Saver” is "A kid’s idea of a balance meal is a hamburger in each hand."

Thursday, April 23 – Wendy Cohen at Motherhood Matters. Wendy's “Life Saver” is "If most accidents happen at home, shouldn’t you move?"

Friday, April 24 – Danyelle Ferguson at Queen of the Clan. Danyelle's “Life Saver” is "He who dies with the most toys is still nonetheless dead."

Saturday, April 25 – Holly Barnes at 2 Kids and Tired Books. Holly's
"Life Saver” is "If the grass on the other side of the fence is greener, then it must be all the fertilizer they are using."

Sunday, April 26 – ------------------ (no posting on Sunday)

Monday, April 27 – Wendy Elliot at Wendword. Wendy's “Life Saver” is "Unless you’re the lead dog, the view is always the same."

Tuesday, April 28 - Candace Salima at Dream a Little Dream Blog. Candace's “Life Saver” is "It’s important to be cool – just don’t get your nose nipped off by Jack Frost when your coolness factor enters the sub-zero region."

Wednesday, April 29 – Elysabeth Eldering at Elysabeth’s Emerald City. Elysabeth's “Life Saver” is "I have faith in fools, my friends call it self confidence!"

Thursday, April 30 – Shirley Bahlmann at Shirley Bahlmann Biz. Shirley's “Life Saver” is "Even a mosquito doesn’t get a slap on the back until he starts to work."


Cheryl Malandrinos - sometime in May at The Book Connection


Hope you all enjoy a few "life savers" from Stacy's book. See you all in the postings - E :)

Stacy Gooch Anderson interview

I had the opportunity to interview Stacy about her writing and her book, The Santa Letters. Following are her answers.


What writing project are you currently working on?
I have a couple I am working on. They all are listed on my author website. The two that are closest to being done though are As A Beacon Light, Talk to Me, Sweetheart and The Inmate Letters which is the companion book to The Santa Letters. The first chapter of that is on The Santa Letters website.


What inspires you most as a writer?
Everyday life and everyday people. I see ordinary people who do extraordinary things as they find a way to get through life one day at a time and that inspires me. I watch people who, in a world filled with so many negative things, find a way to hang onto the positive and count their many blessings and help others to do the same - and that inspires me. I witness those who, despite the many challenges placed before them, follow in their Savior's footsteps keeping their focus singularly on eternal goals and that inspires me too.

Describe part of the research process it took to write a certain manuscript.
For The Santa Letters, it was important for me to get it just right and truly understand the mission and life of the Savior so I read and studied the New testament and another book by James Tallmadge called Jesus The Christ. I then took that information and in a non-threatening and non- offensive way (I hope) wrote it into the letters in language that was as simple as could possibly be while putting all the emotion and respect His life deserves into them.

Where do you get most of your ideas?
From real life and real people and the emotions they inspire. Anything that brings a tear to my eye or making me go hummmmm I think makes a good story. Anything that connects one human to another in a good and positive way I think makes a good story.

Describe your typical writing schedule.
This summer has been a bit chaotic as my siblings and I have parched through my mom's things and gotten her home ready to sell but on a normal day, I get up and get myself ready for the day, hit the computer for a couple of hours, have lunch and then get my housework done before the kids get home form school and I'm off to soccer and hockey practices and school functions. If a story line is really pounding at my skull, I'll go back to it late at night when it's quiet and do some more and find every other moment in-between to get it down.

As a child, what were your favorite books to read?
Anything I could get my hands on. In St. Louis, the Bookmobile lady knew me by name. I'd walk out of there with as many books as she would let me carry home and I'd have them all read by the next week when it would be back. When I was in 5th grade I read The Witch of Blackbird Pond and I still love that one. In seventh grade I read Johnny Trumain and still love that one! And as a junior in highschool, I read The Scarlet Letter and to this day it's one of my favorites.....

What books influenced you most of all when you were growing up?
I loved anything historical, that made me think or gave me a good feeling as I closed the book. My dad always surrounded me with good literature and spent a LOT of money on books. All six siblings inherited a collection that was important to them. One got his Franklin Mint leather bound collection, one his Zane Gray collection (my dad grew up in Arizona where Zane Gray is huge), another his church doctrine collection, my sister has his children's classics collection and my youngest brother has his and my mother's scriptures. I inherited his complete Harvard Classics collection. So as you can see, reading was of paramount importance in our family and a well rounded reading education was even more important.

What inspired you the most to write The Santa Letters?
Right after my father died, I found out that two of my sons had been in a sexually abusive situation. Since the perpetrators were wards of the state and under the care of a foster father who is lacking at best, the state knowing its liability came after us to take our children trying to scare us into silence. After spending an exorbitant amount on legal and counseling bills, there was no money for Christmas. I needed however, to find a way to heal my family and bring peace into my home again. I decided upon letters from Santa reminding us of the many blessings we still had. A friend finding out what we were doing, later challenged me to write the story insisting that it was one that needed to be told. Two years later......

What writers' how-to books do you have on your bookshelf, and which one is your favorite?
The Dictionary, my Thesaurus, Comedy Writing Secrets, the AP styleguide to name a few. Probably my reference books because if I read too many "how too" books, I subconsciously adopt someone else's voice rather than staying true to my own. But I do like the educational value of them so I read them when I'm not in the middle of writing projects.

Share one tip you would like to give about writing a book with a holiday theme.
Don't be afraid to write what is in your heart and stay true to the real meaning of Christmas. It is after all about the birth of a Savior - the greatest gift ever given on any Christmas day! There was a time when we didn't try to pretend that this wasn't a religious holiday. Unfortunately, in recent times however, it has become heresy to admit that Christianity has anything to do with Christmas. The thing that I have found out during this process is that people are starving to find a way to return to simple truths and return to those simple meanings. The commercialization of the season has become overwhelming to them and they long for the peace and tranquility a season celebrating a Savior's birth was meant to give.

Review of The Santa Letters

It took me about three nights of reading, about an hour or so each night to read The Santa Letters by Stacy Gooch Anderson. This is a very spirtual story yet compelling and so true to Christians everywhere. If you are looking for a reminder of the lessons taught by Christ, this is a must read. I will tell you that I did cry many times during my reading.

The Santa Letters is warming to the core and teaches valuable life lessons we should all make part of our daily lives. The story will inspire you to strive to become more Christ-like and to overall be a better person.

For ordering information, check out the posting about Stacy Gooch Anderson to see where available.

Introducing Stacy Gooch Anderson

“The Santa Letters”

by Stacy Gooch Anderson



You can visit www.thesantaletters.org to learn more about the author and the book. To find out more about this story and where it is going nationally, please contact Mr. Kim Garvey, the author’s national publicist at ComsMgt@aol.com.

STACY'S BIO:

Stacy Gooch Anderson moved often during her growing up years living in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, St. Louis, and finally ended up in Salt Lake City, where she currently resides with her husband and four sons. She is the oldest of six children.

She attended the University of Utah before turning her focus to raising her family. She never abandoned her love of writing, however, and later returned to her roots as a journalist and won several awards through the Society of Professional Journalists for her feature writing and investigative skills.

She began her public speaking career at age eighteen when she was asked to speak at an event with a local TV personality and a nationally renown author. It was then that she found her voice, her ability to tell stories and draw visual analogies that uplifted and inspired those she publicly shared her skills with.

She is currently a corporate trainer for new writers at her company and spends her extra time publicly speaking and teaching. She is also an advocate for crime victims and acts as a voice for children in difficult situations and raises money and awareness for cancer research.

She enjoys reading, learning, anything creative and soaking in the sunshine with her friends and family. She readily admits however, that her greatest source of joy and pride is her husband and four sons who even on dark cloudy days, bring extraordinarily bright rays of sunshine into her life.


To purchase this book, contact any area store or order online at www.cedarfort.com or by calling any of the telephone numbers listed below.


Media review copies are available by calling (801) 489-4084. You may also contact CFI’s publicist, Bevan Olsen, or Mr. Kim Garvey, her national PR spokesman, to book author appearances, interviews or to obtain further information. Mr. Olsen may be reached at bolsen@cedarfort.com, by calling the number listed above, or by mail at 2373 W 700 S, Springville, UT 84663. Mr. Garvey may be contacted by emailing ComsMgt@aol.com or by mail at 4815 West Sunnyside Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85304.


Visit our website at www.cedarfort.com for Books That Make a Difference.



PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
“Stacy Anderson’s The Santa Letters is storytelling at its best in the finest tradition of American literature. Her wrenching, lucid insight into to the human condition makes it impossible to read this book unmoved bringing us close as we can ever get to another person’s heart and soul through the written word. This eloquent an honestly told remembrance allows the reader to not only witness her story – but live it. A true Christmas classic for now and generations to come.” - Craig L. Clyde, Emmy winning screenwriter and director


“Stacy G. Anderson delivers a true holiday gem that will be passed on from one generation to the next. In the tradition of such classics as Christmas Jars and The Christmas Box, The Santa Letters is a story you will find yourself thinking about long after you’ve finished the last page. Funny, touching and inspiring. A definite Christmas winner!” – J. Scott Savage, author of the national young adult fantasy series Farworld


“The Santa Letters will touch your heart bringing you closer to the Savior. A timeless story that is certain to become a classic.“ - Michele Ashman Bell, author of A Candle in the Window, Perfect Timing and A Modest Proposal.


"I am writing you upon having finished reading The Santa Letters. It is indeed a powerful, thought provoking and potentially life altering work. It is a simple story with a compound message. It is true that we lose our way year to year as we lose sight of meaning and the things that really matter. The Santa Letters effectively and poignantly reminds us of those things. It is a journey that everyone who celebrates Christmas should visit. And, it is an awakening for anyone who has experienced loss. An element of the story; "pass it forward" was particularly meaningful and appreciated and 'Santa's' Survival Kit for the New Year' inspired. Thank you for sharing this touching & meaningful story." - Libby Brien, Producer/Director Flicker Fusion, Inc.


“The Santa Letters” by Stacy Gooch Anderson, 200 pages, hardback, will be available on Amazon.com August 1, at most national book retail chains and bookstores this fall, by telephone at 1-800-sky-book or on-line at www.cedarfort.com

Updates on everything

I told you all I was being a bad host for virtual book tours. I am supposed to be hosting Stacy Gooch Anderson on the 20th (tomorrow) with a review of The Santa Letters and an interview. For more on her book tour, you will have to check her blog out for a listing of places to follow. The list is extensive and the tour has been going on for a while apparently.

Next week, I'll be hosting two virtual book tours, one for Chris Verstraete and Search for a Starry Night on Tuesday (I think this will be fun since she has it set up as a scavanger hunt from stop to stop) and one for Vivian Zabel and Midnight Hours. I need to finish reading Midnight Hours so I can post a review for Vivian. Fear not, it won't take too long to read and get that written. Vivian is offering a one prize deal for her tour, so check for details next week.

Band update: We have finished our regular season of competitions. This past Saturday was upper state (online there had been 26 bands listed to compete but when we arrived only 19 in the program). To get to state, a band has to be in the top 6 from upper state and top 6 from lower state - so there are supposed to be 12 bands competing for the title of best in the state. We hosted a competition on the first week, did a competition the next week, and two the following week. Saturday was upper state and we placed 4th out of the 19 bands that competed. This is pretty good considering we only competed in three actual competitions during this season. It seems that they keep cutting our competitions shorter and shorter. Before you know it, we will host a competition and then the next week will be upper state - but hope not - that would be hard on the kids not having the opportunity to go up against schools in regular competitions and see what they need to work on. It's been a crazy season but we survived.

Next weekend, I will miss the state competition but my ears and eyes will let me know what happens. I may post some pictures of the season but just haven't had time of late.

I'll be attending the SCWW Writer's conference in Myrtle Beach again this year (Oct. 24 - 26th) and am so looking forward to this. With one book in the series of 50 published and the second on its way, I'm hoping that soon I can be on panel discussions or do workshops at book festivals and things like the SCWW conference. I can hope for the fame some way some day.

Be on the lookout for more updates as I get them - see you all in the postings - E :)