Sunday, June 15, 2008

Look Ma, I'm in a Book



Introducing HOUSEHOLD BAGGAGE HANDLERS: 56 Stories from the Hearts and Lives of Military Wifes

In this deeply personal collection of stories, 48 wives share their total embarrassments, tragic experiences, and tender emotions as they tackle the daily dramas of military life. By turns touching and hilarious, Household Baggage Handlers opens the door on an often overlooked world, one requiring the independence and survival skills to:

Move overseas while six months pregnant
Manage labor, delivery, and a newborn … without a spouse
Nurse a critically injured husband back to health
Confront the sight of someone in uniform at the front door
Shelter five children alone during a tornado
Cope with bats, blizzards, and broken cars during long deployments
Read all about it in their own words. With anecdotes from WWII to the present, these compelling stories capture a sisterhood forged by extraordinary circumstances.


If you click here, then scroll down (a long way) to section 8 you can see my name! woohoo.

Last year I heard Marna Krajeski was accepting submissions of military move stories, so I sent in a story about our move to Hawaii. I was so nervous when I sent it off. Would she like it? Would she laugh and rip it to shreds and use it to light her wood stove? And now, about a year later - published. Me!

My story is not nearly as interesting as those listed above. no bats or tornadoes or wicked witches of the west or anything. Is that bad? I haven't recieved my copies of Household Baggage Handlers yet, which means I don't actually know for sure how embarrassing this whole thing might be, but I'm totally excited!

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shameless self promotion below:

Household Baggage Handlers can be found at Amazon.com, bn.com, householdbaggage.com, or your local retailer can order it.

If you have any further questions, you can contact Marna through her website: http://www.householdbaggage.com/. I hear she's looking for more moving stories...

12 comments:

Mary said...

Congratulations Wendy! That's very cool! I know I only read a very early draft of your submission, but it was so sweet.

This reminds me of the line in our fav "Little Women" movie when Jo gets her first pay for a story and yells, "I'm an author!"

Lana said...

wow! that is so exciting!!

Anonymous said...

Wendy,
Your story was about an emotional situation that we can all relate to. These are the toughest things to write about. So...while there were no tornados or bats in your story, it will certainly ring true with other military spouses.

Thanks for sharing!

Sincerely,
Marna Krajeski (editor)

nikko said...

Very cool!

Deanne said...

How fun! Wow, you're accomplished and everything now, look at you being all 'published'! :)

Your favorite sister said...

Oh Wendy that is so great! Congratulations! I saw that in her book and I actually wrote one all about our move to Guam...and totally chickened out and never sent it! I was planning to buy this book and now I can say I know someone in it. Someday I will have you autograph it for me! Congratulations!!!

Amanda said...

Wendy is famous! And I know her!!! :) Congratulations on your story being published. That is really exciting! Can I get your autograph? ;)

Mary Peterson said...

Cool Wendy! I can't wait to buy the book! I love reading your blog so I can only imagine that your story will be great!

tootie said...

Congrats! That is so exciting!! I can't wait to read your story in the book :)

Ann M. said...

So cool and exciting! Yay!!

Suzanne said...

That's so exciting, Wendy! You're a great writer so no wonder she wanted to use your story! Is there a way for you to post it on here so we can read it? :)

Anonymous said...

this is awesome for you. congrats on getting your story published :)

kathleen