Cover of the Year - Asking for Your Vote

I just scanned the covers for Cover of the Year on Erin Aislinn's website and saw a lot of familiar covers - many were on my Judge A Book By its Cover blog last year :)

I invite you to visit http://www.erinaislinn.com/BookCoveroftheYear2007.htm and I hope that you will vote for Lady Lightkeeper which is one of my covers and it is listed as the winning cover for September.

If you prefer the easier route - feel free to email webmail@erinaislinn .com and put "VOTE for Lady Lightkeeper" in the subject line. I appreciate every vote :)

Nikki


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"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"
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Virginia G. Vassallo

Well, obviously, at one point I was a kid. I went to a private girls' school and found out that I was not cut out to be a writer. I mean, I got Cs and Ds in creative writing throughout high school. Yet in my history classes I would get As. So, when I finally did write a book, guess what? It has to do with history.

I was married, for the first time, at nineteen and had my first child when I was twenty. I was going to college and took a semester off since she was due during exams and I didn't want to have to put off an exam just because I was giving birth. I went back to college and finish through my junior year before my then-husband graduated and we moved to New Jersey. I was a stay-at-home mom for a number of years and had my second child, a son, during that time. While I was in the hospital after his birth, I was filling out an application for a nearby college. When my son was eight months old, I went back to college part time

I finish college while doing my best to be a stay-at-home mom, which included babysitting a neighbor's son and a friend's daughter. I also worked as a competitive shopper (one of those people who goes into retail stores and gets their prices for your own company). I did a pharmaceutical mailing for the drug store chain I had been a competitive shopper for. The mailing took all summer and I was able to work in my backyard while my young children played in the pool. It was great job!

Next I worked as a vendor for a party goods/school supply company. I placed orders for various stores and, when they arrived, I put the goods on the shelves. I could make my own hours and work whenever I had a sitter so that was a good job too.

While I was doing that, I went to school for my paralegal degree because I was thinking about going to law school but wasn't sure I would like it. I thought getting the paralegal degree would tell me if I really wanted to make the commitment to law school.

In the meantime, I quit working for the party goods supply company and started substitute teaching for the Board of Education in my town. The lady in charge of substitutes found out I could type and suggested I substitute as a secretary. Less money by about $4.00 a day but much more steady work. As a substitute teacher I might be called in once a week at short notice. As a substitute secretary I was able to take jobs that lasted from a week to three months. It was a job I could have stayed at because it allowed me to be home when my kids were home.

However, my mom developed cancer and I stopped working for the year she was on chemo. During that time I decided to apply to law schools and started the next year. For the most part I was able to arrange my schedule to be home when my kids were home. Around that time my husband and I parted ways.

Once I graduated, I worked as an attorney for a number of years until I was almost killed in a car wreck. I wasn't driving!!!

After that my second husband and I retired to a farm in Kentucky where we are today. I got involved in caring for our many animals and genealogy which had always been an interest but there wasn't enough time to do it. Finally I decided I had so much information on my grandfather that I really needed to gather it up and put it together. And that's how my book, Unsung Patriot: Guy T. Viskniskki How The Stars and Stripes Began came about.

For much more information about Virginia G Vassallo and The Unsung Patriot, visit - http://www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion/Virginia+Vassallo

Book: Unsung Patriot by Virginia G. Vassallo

Available through me at www.krazyduck.com. You can also mail a check to

KDP, PO Box 105, Danville, KY 40423 for $21.95. Shipping is free.

You can also find the book on www.amazon.com.

Tell Us Your Story

This blog will be used to tell you about authors - before they were published. Think of the TV specials "Before They Were Stars". Is there an author that you would like to learn more about? Feel free to suggest that they submit their story. For authors, just send me an RTF file which tells your story. What did you do for a living? When did you know you wanted to write? Did something in your life prompt your desire to write? Give us the scoop - tell us what you did... before you were published. Also, feel free to send your picture - even before and after pictures if you want.


Nikki Leigh

Send your information to nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com