Tag: milspouse

0 Since You Went Away featured in Military Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2024 Holiday Buying Guide

November 24, 2024
by Nan McCarthy
· Blog · Books · Family · fiction · Military life · News · Publishing · Writing

Support military-connected entrepreneurs this holiday season by purchasing gifts from veteran- and military-spouse owned small businesses.

Did you know that the military-spouse unemployment rate is more than five times the national average? And that military spouses earn 25% less than their civilian counterparts, even though mil-spouses are among the most highly educated professionals in their fields? And when it comes to spouses of veterans, did you know that 70% of veteran caregivers are the veteran’s spouse? What with the challenges involved in finding full-time employment due to frequent PCS moves (along with caregiving and other factors), it may come as no surprise then that 1 in 5 military spouses are self-employed entrepreneurs. Along with nearly one million spouses of active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard service members, there are currently 11.2 million veteran spouses here in the U.S.. And I am proud to be one of them.

Rainwater Press is once again featured in this year’s annual buying guide curated by Military Entrepreneur Magazine and The Rosie Network, showcasing books like the four-part Since You Went Away series along with dozens of other unique products and services created by veterans and military spouses. As in previous years, I am super excited to be included alongside other military-affiliated businesses such as Bold Mariner Brewing Co. (craft beers), The Warrior Within Healing (reiki services), and K9 Salute dog treats (honoring military working dogs).

We all have a choice when it comes to where we shop this holiday season. Buying products featured in Military Entrepreneur Magazine’s annual buying guide is just one way to show your support for our service members, veterans, and their families.

To celebrate our inclusion in this year’s Holiday Buying Guide, all four books in the Since You Went Away series are 25% off, starting now and continuing through the holiday shopping season. (This offer applies to both print and ebooks, at Amazon only.) If you’ve been thinking of buying the series—either for yourself or as a gift—now’s your chance. Prices will never be this low again, as pricing on all Rainwater Press books will increase significantly in 2025 due to rising production costs.

***

Click here to order the Since You Went Away series in either paperback or ebook.

Click here to view the Military Entrepreneur Magazine 2024 Holiday Buying Guide.

about the author:

A former magazine editor and tech journalist, Nan McCarthy founded Rainwater Press in 1992 and began selling her books online in 1995. She is the author of the Chat, Connect, Crash series (fiction), the Since You Went Away series (fiction), Live ’Til I Die (memoir), and Quark Design (non-fiction). Nan and her husband, a veteran who served 29 years in the Marine Corps, live in Kansas City.

about the series:

Set against the backdrop of the Iraq War, Since You Went Away tells the story of a modern-day military family, portraying in intimate detail the effects of a distant war on the families and returning veterans at home. Through letters to her deployed spouse, Emilie Mahoney offers a fly-on-the-wall account of life at home with two teenage boys and the Iraqi combat interpreter who comes to live with them. Readers are drawn from page to page, reading between the lines of the stories Emilie chooses to share with her husband—as well as the secrets that go unsaid.

about The Rosie Network:

The Rosie Network’s mission is to strengthen military families through entrepreneurial programs and support services that empower military spouses and veterans to build self-sufficiency and financial stability.

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2 Military Families Magazine 2022 Holiday Shopping Guide

December 9, 2022
by Nan McCarthy
· Blog · Books · fiction · Military life · News · Publishing · Writing

Support military-affiliated small business owners this holiday season by purchasing gifts from verified entrepreneurs including military service members, veterans, & spouses.

Military Families Magazine, in conjunction with The Rosie Network, has published its 2022 Holiday Shopping Guide where you can find Rainwater Press listed among the more than 180 businesses owned by service members, veterans, and military spouses. Categories include Books, Clothing, Accessories, Home Decor, Self-Care, Food, Coffee, Spirits, Fitness, Families, Kids, and Pets.

Each business in the Holiday Guide has been verified by The Rosie Network / Military Families Magazine so you know you’re supporting a bona fide military-owned small business when you purchase gifts using the links listed in the directory. This is the first year Rainwater Press is featured in the guide and I am super excited to be included alongside other military-affiliated businesses such as R. Riveter (handbags made by military spouses) and K9 Salute (a natural dog treat company that gives back to military working dogs).

To celebrate our inclusion in this year’s directory, prices for all four books in the Since You Went Away series are still 25% off! We had one of our best-ever sales months in November with this promotion so I’ve decided to keep the sale going into the holiday shopping season. (Discount applies for both print and ebooks, at Amazon only.)

Military Families Magazine is owned by AmeriForce Media, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business founded in 1999. The magazine makes use of talent from the military community to provide content that informs, entertains, and supports today’s service members and their families. The Rosie Network, founded in 2012, is a non-profit organization that promotes the entrepreneurial efforts of veterans and military spouses.

***

Click here to order the Since You Went Away series in either paperback or ebook.

Click here to view the Military Families Magazine 2022 Holiday Shopping Guide.

about the author:

Since You Went Away, Part One: Winter

(Rainwater Press, 2017) 172 pages

ISBN-13 (print): 978-1888354126

F I C T I O N, epistolary, literary, family life, war

Since You Went Away, Part Two: Spring

(Rainwater Press, 2017) 226 pages

ISBN-13 (print): 978-1888354133

F I C T I O N, epistolary, literary, family life, war

Since You Went Away, Part Three: Summer

(Rainwater Press, 2019) 216 pages

ISBN-13 (print): 978-1888354140

F I C T I O N, epistolary, literary, family life, war

Since You Went Away, Part Four: Fall

(Rainwater Press, 2020) 308 pages

ISBN-13 (print): 978-1888354157

F I C T I O N, epistolary, literary, family life, war

Cover design for all four books by David J. High, Highdzn.com.

Cover art illustrations by Larry Jacobsen (Part One), Jut / Dreamstime (Part Two), Greylilac & Jboy / Shutterstock (Part Three), and Radiocat, Rudall30, Lana, Samcorp, & Kevin Sanderson / Shutterstock (Part Four).

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0 25% off (finally!) all four books in the Since You Went Away series

November 16, 2022
by Nan McCarthy
· Blog · Books · fiction · Publishing · self-publishing · Writing

It only took 168 hours but a certain large retailer finally updated the sale prices

Remember the Veterans Day sale that was supposed to happen last week but didn’t because my price discounts weren’t taking effect at a certain online bookstore? Well, the prices were finally discounted… two days after the sale was scheduled to end. Since the sale never happened I had planned to go back into my publisher dashboard and raise the prices back to their regular amounts. But instead of doing that I’ve decided to keep the 25% discount in place for now and extend the sale through Thanksgiving. Because why not? So from now until midnight on Black Friday (November 25th), you can buy all four books in the series (either print or ebook) for 25% off the regular price. My loss is your gain! (Or, to put it another way, one large bookseller’s incompetence is your gain.)

This is the first time since the books’ publication that all four books in the series are being discounted. (Usually I only discount Part One, with the idea of reeling in new readers, who then purchase the next three books in the series ’cuz they can’t wait to find out what happens next.) This means you can get all four paperbacks for under forty bucks or all four ebooks for under twenty bucks. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or your favorite reader, the epistolary-style format of the Since You Went Away series has been known to keep readers turning pages late into the night. And the covers are pretty nice too.

An update of the 1944 film of the same name (& 1943 book the film was based on), this slice-of-life dramedy charts a year in the life of a modern-day military family during deployment. Featuring a deeply human cast of characters and propelled by a plot that draws you in from the first page, Since You Went Away portrays in intimate detail the effects of a distant war on the families and returning veterans at home.

“While most war stories focus on the drama on the battlefield, McCarthy shines a light on the battles being fought on the homefront, creating a world that’s eminently relatable to readers both inside and outside the military.”

***

This offer is available exclusively on Amazon—worldwide wherever Amazon books are sold—through midnight November 25th only.

Click here to order the Since You Went Away series in either paperback or ebook.

about the author:

Since You Went Away, Part One: Winter

(Rainwater Press, 2017) 172 pages

ISBN-13 (print): 978-1888354126

F I C T I O N, epistolary, literary, family life, war

Since You Went Away, Part Two: Spring

(Rainwater Press, 2017) 226 pages

ISBN-13 (print): 978-1888354133

F I C T I O N, epistolary, literary, family life, war

Since You Went Away, Part Three: Summer

(Rainwater Press, 2019) 216 pages

ISBN-13 (print): 978-1888354140

F I C T I O N, epistolary, literary, family life, war

Since You Went Away, Part Four: Fall

(Rainwater Press, 2020) 308 pages

ISBN-13 (print): 978-1888354157

F I C T I O N, epistolary, literary, family life, war

Cover design for all four books by David J. High, Highdzn.com.

Cover art illustrations by Larry Jacobsen (Part One), Jut / Dreamstime (Part Two), Greylilac & Jboy / Shutterstock (Part Three), and Radiocat, Rudall30, Lana, Samcorp, & Kevin Sanderson / Shutterstock (Part Four).

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1 Kinda pissed at a certain online bookstore right now

November 12, 2022
by Nan McCarthy
· Blog · Books · fiction · Publishing · self-publishing · Writing

Plans to offer my annual Veterans Day book discount didn’t pan out this year and here’s why

Here’s how the promo for my 2022 Veterans Day discount was supposed to start: “From now until midnight November 11th, readers can purchase the entire Since You Went Away series for 25% off both print and ebook editions.” Except I wasn’t able to run the promo this year, because a certain large online bookstore somehow wasn’t able to lower the print price of my books—even though I’ve been offering the same Veterans Day discount almost every year since 2017, when the first book in the series was published.

As a small business owner and independent author, I depend on promotions like this to get the word out about my books. Especially for my Since You Went Away series—a fictionalized story about a modern-day military family—Veterans Day is the ultimate tie-in opportunity to draw attention to the series and, if I’m lucky, see a nice little bump in sales. And to be honest, as an indie author, spreading the word about my books is an uphill battle. I’m not getting rich here, and I’m okay with that. I love what I do and I love being an author who publishes my own books. I’ve had my books published traditionally by one of the Big Five publishers (or are we down to the Big Four now—it’s hard to keep track these days), and I can tell you from hard-earned experience that being an indie author is way more fun than going the traditional route. And at this stage in my life, I’ll choose self-agency and fun over group think and bureaucracy any day of the week.

But even indie publishing has its limits, because as self-publishers we still (mostly) rely on other vendors to distribute and sell our books. Even today in the age of social media and online bookstores, our success is often determined by our ability to work the system. In many ways self-publishing today is harder than it was 27 years ago, when I self-published my first book in 1995. Back then there was no Instagram, no Facebook, no Twitter, no WordPress, and definitely no such thing as an ebook. (In fact in those days if you mentioned the word Amazon, most people thought you were talking about a river in South America.) But the widespread availability of such technology—like social media that makes it easier for authors to broadcast our latest book news to the world, and ebook sites that make creating books more accessible than ever—is also the very thing that makes it harder to get noticed, because we are now competing with millions of others across the globe trying to get our work in front of potential readers.

But I digress. The point is, you can’t run a promotion for discounted books if the books aren’t discounted. And therein lies the problem. This past Monday morning leading up to Veterans Day (which fell on a Friday this year), I logged onto my sales dashboard at a certain online bookseller to lower the price of my Since You Went Away series in anticipation of kicking off my annual promotion at some point mid-week. Since this particular retailer quotes various timelines of 24-72 hours to allow for price changes to take effect (and in the preceding five years of my experience with this retailer, price changes invariably took less than 24 hours), I believed I had allowed plenty of time for even the most gigantic retailer on earth to make a simple price change. Or so I thought.

For indie authors, running a book promotion is not as simple as logging onto a sales dashboard and changing a price. There’s the blog post (like this one was supposed to be) announcing the promotion featuring book blurbs, graphics, and links to the various retail sites. Then there are the social media posts, which can be based on your original blog copy but need to be tailored to each site’s word limit, photo specs, audience, and overall “vibe.” If you’re detail-obsessed like me, you spend a lot of time writing, editing, and tweaking each individual post to make sure it optimizes such an important promo opportunity without needlessly flooding other people’s social media feeds and end up annoying or alienating potential readers rather than attracting them.

I won’t bore you with the gory details on how much time I spent this past week emailing, live chatting, and phoning customer support trying to figure out why the prices for the paperback versions of Since You Went Away weren’t being discounted on this particular site as requested. The prices on the ebook versions of the series were updated in less than 12 hours, so it was puzzling that the print prices were taking so long to update. And as of today (six days later—the day after Veterans Day and twelve hours after the sale was scheduled to end) the paperback prices still haven’t been discounted. So I gave up on this year’s promotion. It’s not about the lost sales really. It’s not even about missing this once-a-year opportunity to share my books with people who might like to know about them. For me, it’s a reminder that as much as I love being my own boss and running my own business and hiring cover designers and editors of my own choosing, I’m not as much the master of my own fate as I thought I was, even when it comes to writing and publishing my own books.

Funny thing is, I’m not as upset about this stupid price debacle as I thought I’d be. Yeah, I was hella frustrated this week trying to deal with customer service people who say they value your business and want to solve your problem but do absolutely nothing to actually solve said problem. We’ve all been there, done that a million times over, right? First world problems as they say.

BUT… there’s that teeny-tiny part of me that’s still kinda pissed off about the whole thing, you know? The part of me that rails at big business stomping on the little guy because they can or they just don’t care. Whether you’re a musician or painter or sculptor or comedian or—yes—a writer who either can’t get past industry gatekeepers or chooses not to submit themselves to faceless corporate sales forces, you have to make the decision, every single day of your career, to not let the bastards get you down (as my mom used to say). To keep fighting the good fight. I may have lost this particular battle with earth’s biggest bookstore, but I’ll never stop writing, never stop creating, never stop sharing my work with others. And because of this experience, I’m even more motivated than ever to find new and different ways to promote and sell my books and reach new readers. Like adding an online store to this website for example. These things take time, so I ask you to stay tuned. Meanwhile, I’m going to nurture that small part of me that’s still kinda pissed off. Because sometimes you have to listen to that little voice inside your head. The one that says fuck you to the fucking fuckers.

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0 Wondering what to read this July 4th weekend?

July 1, 2021
by Nan McCarthy
· Blog · Family · Military life

Since You Went Away: Part One 25% off (print) & 50% off (ebook)

Most war stories focus on the drama on the battlefield. Since You Went Away shines a light on the battles being fought on the homefront, portraying in intimate detail the effects of a distant war on the families and returning veterans at home. Featuring a deeply human cast of characters and propelled by a plot that accelerates with each turn of the page, McCarthy creates a world that’s eminently relatable to readers both inside and outside the military.

Written by a military spouse (now a vet spouse), this fly-on-the-wall account of a fictional modern-day military family lifts the curtain on the most challenging and emotional period in the lives of those who serve and those who love them: deployment. With jaw-dropping plot twists, McCarthy spins a tale as humorous as it is heartbreaking. Readers will find themselves immediately drawn into the realistic yet entertaining orbit of the Mahoney family, turning pages late into the night.

From now until midnight July 5th, you can purchase Part One of the Since You Went Away series (print) for only $8.20 (normally $10.95 on Amazon & $14.95 in bookstores). Or download the ebook version on Amazon for only $2.99 (normally $5.99).

The story of military life is lived by only a small percentage of Americans. This July 4th, immerse yourself in the lives of the Mahoney family. Find out what military life is really like—not through the eyes of those on the battlefield, but through the eyes of their families back home, who keep watch and wait.

Offer available exclusively on Amazon, through midnight July 5th only.

Click here to order the paperback.

Click here to order the ebook.

about the author:

Nan McCarthy is the author of the Since You Went Away series, the Chat, Connect, Crash series, Live ’Til I Die, and Quark Design. Before her career as a writer, Nan was the editor of an English-language magazine in Japan, the managing editor of a computer-industry magazine in Chicago, and a contributing editor to several design- and technology-related publications. She founded Rainwater Press in 1992 and began selling her books online in 1995. Nan and her husband, a veteran who served 33 years in the Marine Corps, are the proud parents of two adult sons.

Since You Went Away, Part One: Winter

Nan McCarthy

(Rainwater Press, 2017) 172 pages

F I C T I O N

Part Two: Spring, Part Three: Summer, and Part Four: Fall now available!

cover design by David High.

cover art by Larry Jacobsen.

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1 Since You Went Away, Part Four: Fall

November 13, 2020
by Nan McCarthy
· Books · Family · fiction · Military life · Since You Went Away (Part Four: Fall) · Titles

Since You Went Away, Part Four: Fall
Nan McCarthy
(Rainwater Press, 2020) 308 pages
F I C T I O N

In the spectacular conclusion to her Since You Went Away quartet, Nan McCarthy delivers jaw-dropping plot twists that will keep readers turning pages late into the night. McCarthy deftly weaves multiple plot threads with surprising reveals until the very last page, wrapping up each character’s storyline with a heart-stirring, satisfying finale.

Set against the backdrop of the Iraq war in the year 2008 and featuring a deeply human cast of characters, readers will find themselves immediately drawn into the realistic yet entertaining orbit of the Mahoney family. While most war stories focus on the drama on the battlefield, Since You Went Away shines a light on the battles being fought on the homefront, lifting the curtain on the most challenging and emotional period in the life of a military family: deployment. Suspenseful and surprisingly funny, McCarthy creates a world that’s eminently relatable to readers both inside and outside the military.

Propelled by a plot that accelerates with each book in the series, Since You Went Away portrays in intimate detail the effects of a distant war on the families and returning veterans at home. At once poignant and darkly funny, it is a fly-on-the-wall account of the innermost workings of a military family—their fears and hopes, their struggles and disappointments, their unexpected moments of joy and comfort and laughter.

This is Part Four of a novel released in four parts.

N O W A V A I L A B L E

Click on this link to order the paperback.

Click one of these to order the ebook.

The Since You Went Away series is now available from bookstores, libraries, & other retailers via Ingram distribution. Ask for the book by name at your local bookseller or library.

Due to ongoing technical issues at Barnes & Noble, the nook version of Since You Went Away is not yet available.

about the author:

Nan McCarthy is the author of the Since You Went Away series, Chat, Connect, & Crash, Live ‘Til I Die, and Quark Design. The Chat, Connect & Crash series, originally self-published, was acquired by Simon & Schuster and published in trade paperback in 1998. Nan regained the rights to the series and released new editions in 2014. A former magazine editor & technology writer, Nan founded Rainwater Press in 1992 and began selling her books online in 1995. Nan and her husband, a veteran who served 29 years in the Marine Corps, are the proud parents of two adult sons. Nan wrote Since You Went Away after taking a ten-year break from full-time writing to care for the family during her husband’s frequent military travels.

Cover design & illustration by David J. High, highdzn.com

Interior design by Kevin Callahan, BNGObooks.com + David J. High

Cover art from Shutterstock illustrations by rudall30, Radiocat, Lana_Samcorp, & Kevin Sanderson

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0 Buy: Since You Went Away (Part Four: Fall)

November 13, 2020
by Nan McCarthy
· Books · fiction · Shop · Since You Went Away (Part Four: Fall)

Since You Went Away, Part Four: Fall by Nan McCarthy (Rainwater Press, 2020) is now available from these booksellers:

Click on this link to order the paperback.

Click one of these to order the ebook.

New!The Since You Went Awayseries is now available from bookstores, libraries, & other retailers via Ingram distribution. Ask for the book by name at your local bookseller or library.

Due to ongoing technical issues at Barnes & Noble, the nook version of Since You Went Away is not yet available.

Follow this blog to be the first to receive updates about new books in the series.

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0 Looking for a way to honor veterans & celebrate the Marine Corps Birthday?

November 6, 2020
by Nan McCarthy
· Blog · Family · Military life

Since You Went Away: Part One now 25% off (print) & 50% off (ebook)

Honor our veterans and celebrate the Marine Corps Birthday this year by immersing yourself in the story of a modern-day military family. While most war stories focus on the drama on the battlefield, Since You Went Away shines a light on the battles being fought on the homefront. Suspenseful and surprisingly funny, Nan McCarthy creates a world that’s eminently relatable to readers both inside and outside the military.

From now until midnight November 11th, you can purchase Part One of the Since You Went Away series (print) for only $5.95 (normally $7.95 on Amazon & $14.95 in bookstores). Or download the ebook version on Amazon for only $1.99 (normally $3.99).

Set against the backdrop of the Iraq war in the year 2008, Since You Went Away lifts the curtain on the most challenging and emotional period in the life of a military family: deployment. Featuring jaw-dropping plot twists and a deeply human cast of characters, readers will find themselves immediately drawn into the realistic yet entertaining orbit of the Mahoney family, turning pages late into the night.

This offer is available exclusively on Amazon, through midnight November 11th only. Instead of thanking a veteran on Veterans Day, give yourself a chance to view the world through their eyes—and through the eyes of their families back home, who keep watch and wait.

Click here to order the paperback.

Click here to order the ebook.

about the author:

Nan McCarthy is the author of the Since You Went Away series, Chat, Connect, & Crash, Live ‘Til I Die, and Quark Design. A former magazine editor & tech journalist, Nan founded Rainwater Press in 1992 and began selling her books online in 1995. Nan and her husband, a veteran who served 29 years in the Marine Corps, are the proud parents of two adult sons. Nan wrote Since You Went Away after taking a ten-year break from full-time writing to care for the family during her husband’s frequent military travels.

Cover design by David High.

Cover art by Larry Jacobsen.

Since You Went Away, Part One: Winter
Nan McCarthy
(Rainwater Press, 2017) 172 pages
F I C T I O N
Part Two: Spring and Part Three: Summer now available. Part Four: Fall available later this month!

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1 Buy: Since You Went Away (Part Three: Summer)

September 24, 2019
by Nan McCarthy
· Books · fiction · Shop · Since You Went Away (Part Three: Summer)

Since You Went Away, Part Three: Summer by Nan McCarthy (Rainwater Press, 2019) is now available from these booksellers:

Click on this link to order the paperback.

Click one of these to order the ebook.

New!The Since You Went Awayseries is now available from bookstores, libraries, & other retailers via Ingram distribution. Ask for the book by name at your local bookseller or library.

Follow this blog to be the first to receive updates about new books in the series.

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0 Buy: Since You Went Away (Part Two: Spring)

September 24, 2019
by Nan McCarthy
· Books · fiction · Shop · Since You Went Away (Part Two: Spring)

Since You Went Away, Part Two: Spring by Nan McCarthy (Rainwater Press, 2017) is now available from these online booksellers:

Click one of these to order the ebook.

Click CreateSpace to order the paperback.

Follow this blog to be the first to receive updates about new books in the series.

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