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Tuesday, September 23, 2008

updated June 28, 2011.
when this was first written, Totally Together was to be published by a different company. That company pulled out in 2010, and I needed to find a new publisher. Which took a while, but I found one!

A few neat things are happening that I'd like to share, because if I didn't have you to share with, none of this would be happening.
Thank you!

First! Go to your grocery store or other place where they sell lots of magazines and get the current issue of Slow Cooker put out by Prevention because on the very last page there is an interview with ME! eek!

Way back in July, I got an email from Kim who's dad is a butcher, but she's going to try tofu anyway, and she alerted me that Prevention Magazine was having a Slow Cooker Recipe contest. I missed the deadline for entry, but they were awesome enough to email a few questions.

The magazine will be on stands until December 23, so there is plenty of time to buy enough copies to re-wallpaper your house.

Also! I have a few recipes listed in October's Bay Area Parent. You need to scroll to page 18.

AND! A hundred million years ago (seven) I wrote a book for moms on household organization.

I wrote it when I was working full-time with my eldest daughter at a drop-in childcare center, and was feeling stressed and overwhelmed

I had lists all over the place, and I wished that there was a planner that existed that *told* me what to do. There are plenty of blank ones, but I wanted someone to hit me over the head and say, "hey! You haven't changed the sheets in three weeks and that's gross. Go do it." and "Call your mom. She loves you." and "Make a dentist appointment."

So I made a planner of my very own. I emailed the Franklin Covey company and told them what I did, and I bantered back and forth through email a few times with their product development team. But then they began ignoring my emails and the last one was a form letter with a 15% off coupon code. I was annoyed.

After lots of whining on my part and hours upon hours of conversation with Jenny (I love you, Jenny!), I set out to find an agent. It took about a year. I found my agent, Alison, and she worked for about 2 years to find a publisher. I am so thankful that Alison didn't dump me. I've heard Rita's horror stories, and I hate it that stuff like that happens. It's not fair.

Although I have not yet even seen the finished product, Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life is available for pre-order on Amazon. I will get a few pennies for every copy sold, which means that you need to help me out and buy a bunch so I can fulfill my fantasy of being a bit like Hugh Hefner and live in pajamas.

Also, the more copies of Totally Together that are sold, the more likely a crockpot book is born.

So there you go.
get to work.
;-0
xoxox
a very grateful
 steph

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51 comments:

  1. RunwithSticks said...

    Sounds intriguing. I need someone to hit me over the head sometimes and tell me what to do. That book may just be up my alley :) I'll for sure look for the Crock Pot magazine too. I need Crock Pot inspiration ;)

    September 23, 2008 at 8:19 AM

  3. ChristinaB said...

    Congrats on being an author!
    I dream of someday having something worth writing, too. Although I doubt I would ever be taken seriously writing about organization with the state of my house, hehe. :)

    September 23, 2008 at 9:12 AM

  5. Stephanie ODea said...

    thanks, Carmen! I'm excited about this book----I need help from myself after this year of nuttiness.

    Samara, I've done all three: SAHM, WOHM, and WAHM. I think it's tough no matter what, and we can all use a hand to hold. xox

    Christina, thank you! I hear you on the house---there is always something to do. I like teeny tiny baby steps.

    Denise, oh my! wow. thank you.

    xox
    steph

    September 23, 2008 at 9:19 AM

  8. Anonymous said...

    Oh, Crockpot Lady...u made an honest woman of me I was in my grocery store, saw the crockpot magazine, read your last page and put it back on the shelf...but before I paid and checked out, I reached over, pulled it off the shelf, and paid for it to take home. I'm glad I did. I look forward to your future publications. Congratulations!

    September 23, 2008 at 9:41 AM

  9. Anonymous said...

    Oh, Crockpot Lady...u made an honest woman of me I was in my grocery store, saw the crockpot magazine, read your page and put it back on the shelf...but before I paid and checked out, I reached over, pulled it off the shelf, and paid for it to take home. I'm glad I did. I look forward to your future publications. Congratulations!

    September 23, 2008 at 9:43 AM

  12. Anonymous said...

    Yay you! So happy for you. It couldn't have happened to a nicer person.

    And I'm not just saying that because I made your breakfast casserole for dinner yesterday. (With wheat drop biscuits! I have a fever, and the only prescription is MORE CROCKPOT!)

    September 23, 2008 at 10:16 AM

  13. kay said...

    i want to see a picture!!

    i put it on my wish list to get when i'm not broke.


    can't wait to see the article! how exciting! did you ever think all of this would happen to you just because you had to cook dinner?! so cool

    September 23, 2008 at 10:17 AM

  15. Tauna said...

    Stephanie,
    I've never commented on you blog before but it's about time. I heard about your blog from a friend and that immediately began a love affair with the crockpot. I made out a menu to cover dinners for the month of September just going through your site recipe by recipe and it has completely saved dinner in our household. Now we actually eat dinner and before 9pm because before I usually didn't have a chance to prepare anything until the baby was asleep. So thank you thank you thank you!
    I am pretty excited about your organization book. I find that I too like being TOLD what to do so your book sounds perfect for me. Congrats on publishing it.
    Thanks again for your blog,
    Tauna

    September 23, 2008 at 11:15 AM

  16. Anonymous said...

    There's a way to get a percentage of the entire purchase made whenever somebody clicks an Amazon link on your site. You should definitely check it out.

    I think it's Amazon Associates: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/join/main.html

    September 23, 2008 at 11:35 AM

  21. Gabe and/or Heidi Helman said...

    I pre-ordered one too, I need it! I am so glad for your blog, I look forward to it everyday!

    Forget the peeps grumbling about your "can of soup in the dipper" post as not being a recipe, you once put your feet in a crockpot after your race and I think anyone enjoyed that!

    I have a blog I share with hubby and we don't get a post up everyday, so kudos to you for being consistantly clever and a pleasure to read :)

    September 23, 2008 at 12:38 PM

  25. Anonymous said...

    Ordering NOW!! I am all about some help....

    Hope you sell every copy they print!

    I will be scouring stores for the mag, too.

    As usual, I love your blog. Big puffy heart love it.

    September 23, 2008 at 3:41 PM

  27. Sarah said...

    Wow! Congratulations! I'm looking forward to this planner- since you mentioned it, I realized that MY sheets are absolutely disgusting and I haven't called my mom in a while. Hope Franklin Covey realizes they missed the mark on what moms need! ;)

    September 23, 2008 at 5:02 PM

  30. RiverPoet said...

    Congratulations! I am personally acquainted with how hard it is to write a book (I've written two on network engineering). I'm also impressed that you wrote a book because you recognized a need. That's terrific! And only $5.95? That's a steal!

    I predict that you will write a crockpotting book. After all, you got Rachael Ray's attention - Peace - D

    September 23, 2008 at 6:31 PM

  32. Sonja said...

    GIRLFRIEND!!!!!

    I'm so proud of you!!!! I feel like we are neighbors and I pop in everyday to see what you are cookin'. I got to the grocery store tonight without my recipes from your blog and was totally lost. My 7 year old ended up making the choices (you don't EVEN want to know). The Zebra Cakes can't last much longer, back tomorrow with my recipes.

    Keep up the GREAT Blog. See ya tomorrow.

    September 23, 2008 at 8:59 PM

  33. Anonymous said...

    How about a preview?! Sounds like great reminders of the little things that can be overlooked and cheap too!

    September 23, 2008 at 10:27 PM

  37. Riley said...

    I am so glad that fame and hopefully fortune is on the way to you. I love your site and I love how you have inspired the crock pot to be the center of meal planning. I love your recipes and your honesty. I will be purchasing your book and maybe get an extra ice-pack for my head when I get hit over the head with "Change the sheets idiot". Thank you!

    September 24, 2008 at 6:38 AM

  38. Anonymous said...

    I have a question.. is this book only for moms/parents or for anyone with a busy schedule?

    It sounds like something I could use, but if it's targeted toward people with kids there may be a lot in there that wouldn't be helpful to me.

    September 24, 2008 at 6:44 AM

  40. Stephanie ODea said...

    Hi Angie,
    this is a good question. I do include suggestions for family meeting topics and ideas for getting children involved in the daily chores. I had originally sub-titled the book "planner for today's mom" but the publisher changed it specifically for questions such as yours. But I didn't change the content, they just changed the name... ;-)

    the housekeeping guide and organizing ideas are universal, but I don't want to mislead you or anyone else.

    xoxo
    steph

    September 24, 2008 at 6:52 AM

  42. Cheryl B. said...

    And we will get to say... "We knew her when".....

    Okay off to look in the archives for a flank steak recipe. I know I saw one somewhere and I have never made it. We have one from our side of organic beef bought locally.

    September 24, 2008 at 8:57 AM

  43. Anonymous said...

    Sounds like a great concept, and congrats. Wish there were more details so I could commit to buying more than one...

    September 24, 2008 at 10:11 AM

  47. Diane-The WHOLE Gang said...

    Congrats!!! Getting a book published is hard to do and promoting it is even harder so promote away. I would love to interview you about your book and post it on my blog. Email me if you’re interested. Keep those great recipes coming!

    September 24, 2008 at 2:06 PM

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