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.