YOUNGSTOWN Female? 40-ish? Talk to the author

Terri Giudici is letting readers of The Vindicator share the details of her journey through the maze of book publishing. In return, she'd like readers to share with her.
By LAURIE M. FISHER
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Are you female, fortysomething, and forging new pathways? If you answer yes, local budding author Terri Giudici wants to talk with you.
The full-time nurse and single mother is in the process of completing the last three chapters for her book, "All I Need is Three Good Friends and a Handyman ... the woman's story of 40."
Giudici wants to weave real-life experiences of local women reaching midlife into her fictional characters of her book.
"The goal of the book is to provide the reader the opportunity to use the tools of life to build a foundation of happiness and strength," she noted.
Giudici could be the poster woman for her fictional account. The nine-chapter book is based on her life experiences, which include divorce, a house fire and rearing three teen-agers. As she approached the age of 40, she gained new perspectives on her priorities in life, she said.
Gaining perspective: "I used to obsess over getting the right Williamsburg wall paper," she noted. "But when you watch your house go up in flames, wallpaper is about the last thing you are thinking about."
Until several years ago, Giudici said her passion for writing was overshadowed by a nursing career and parental responsibilities. However, she designated time to keep a journal on "everyday living, life experiences and turning 40."
Giudici, who earned a degree in nursing from the University of Akron, is director of nursing at Maplecrest Nursing Home in Struthers.
She compared men's and women's reaction to "hitting midlife." Giudici observed that many of today's women were willing to take the risk and change direction in their professional and personal lives. In contrast, men may seek satisfaction in objects like red sports cars.
To research her theory, she ran ads in USA Today and the Chicago Times soliciting women's midlife stories.
Transition: "I interviewed 40 women throughout the country on turning 40. We talked about relationships, friendships, and the change of life," she noted. "There are internal things that are happening. I interviewed one woman who was addicted to drugs her whole life. She had the opportunity to go back to college. This became not just occupational choice but personal success."
The characteristics and motivation of the women were melded into one character. The story circles around this woman and her three best friends. Once Giudici developed several chapters, she worked on marketing her efforts.
"I just started from scratch, ground zero and I would spend hours and hours at Barnes and Noble studying how to write a query letter, book proposal and find a literary agent."
Technical assistance: Giudici also enlisted the help of Patricia Charity, owner of Boardman-based BRS Technical Publishing. "Terri brought the proposal in to me. I helped make sure the grammar was correct and the proposal was in the proper format. ...
"In another era, women accepted life instead of going forward and trying to make changes," Charity said. "We are at the point where we are ready to take the chance, now or never."
Maureen Walters, a literary agent with Curtis Brown in Manhattan, said Giudici had called her with the idea for the book several years ago. "I remembered the title, it just grabs you," said Walters who estimates she receives 100 queries per week. "I might follow through with five and get one published product."
Walters has submitted the proposal to about 10 publishers. The agent said Giudici's "down-to-earth approach" is different from the many women's lifestyle makeovers already on the market.
"It's going to strike a chord with someone the way it struck a chord with me," she predicted.
To complete the project, Giudici wants to include the experiences of local women in chapters entitled "Is It Too Late to Become A Rockette?," "Make 'em Laugh," and "I Confess ... I'm Why God Made Bakeries."
Specifically, Guidici is searching for other women at midlife who want to change their goals, dreams or careers. She also wants to hear about humorous moments as well as domestic tips for surviving a busy lifestyle -- as background for characters in the book.
XThose interested can e-mail Giudici at fortyfun@aol.com or write to her at BRS Technical Publishing, P.O. Box 722, Youngstown, OH 44501.