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Wellington author's latest book inspired by speech therapy patient

Palm Beach Post - 4/29/2020

"It's My Life" is the reason Wellington author Stacie Ramey started writing to begin with.

She wanted people to see the kids she worked with and get to know them. In particular, Ramey wrote her fourth book to honor one of her many patients as a speech therapist.

"She didn't actually have cerebral palsy, she had a rare condition that many haven't heard of," said Ramey, an award-winning author of four young adult novels. "Obviously I took some poetic license, but I always wanted to write a story for her and here it is."

In "It's My Life," Jenna has never let her cerebral palsy define her. But when she discovers that her condition was caused by an injury at birth, she's angry with her parents, who withheld the truth. And as they push for another difficult procedure, Jenna feels herself losing control over her life. A romance with her childhood crush, Julian, adds to the suspense.

The coronavirus threw a wrench into Ramey's in-person plans for promotion, but she joined some virtual groups even before the pandemic, which has helped her get the word out about her newly released book.

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She'd done virtual visits with students and teachers, and recently participated in the Young Adult Scavenger Hunt (her fifth time for this reader event). She hopes to attend Book Lovers Con in August (pending travel restrictions), and she's participated in a plethora of interviews for podcasts. A Goodreads giveaway is in the works, although she's amassed dozens of reviews on the online book forum and Amazon.

"There are so many reasons to love this book," said author Joyce Sweeney of Coral Springs, who's written 14 young adult stories. "It could be for the authentic voice. It could be for the masterful plotting, but I love it because I have read many books about characters with disabilities and have never encountered one that addresses autonomy and self-determination so powerfully. Jenna has cerebral palsy but that is just her condition, not her situation."

Ramey has been a speech language pathologist for more than 30 years, and even before that volunteered at a camp for children with disabilities. She also worked with children on the autism spectrum at Wellington High School for many years. These experiences have given her a keen insight into disadvantaged children, as is evidenced in her first three books.

"As a speech therapist, it's sort of my job to find out what barriers are keeping my patients from living their best life and help them blow right through those," Ramey said. "Therefore, I've spent many years trying to get inside the mind of teenagers with disabilities."

One reason she loves working with students with disabilities is that she can relate on some levels. Ramey has some of her own, such as dyslexia.

"I have often questioned myself and compared myself to others," Ramey said. "I have often given up on myself, like Jenna does. I often think of the things I didn't even allow myself to do because I was afraid I'd fall short."

Ramey's first three books – "Sister Pact," "The Homecoming" and "The Secrets They Bury" – all carried strong messages about teenagers coping with harsh diversities that helped many readers.

Ramey, an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, as well as the Cream Literary Alliance of Palm Beach County, is currently working on the reimagining of a Yiddish fairy tale for her fifth book.

The big similarity in Ramey's books is the type of character she writes.

"I tend to write about the kids I have served over the years as speech pathologist because they are very dear to me and I believe in them," Ramey said. "I want them to feel seen and known. 'It's My Life,' however, is more of a romance than any of my others. Some reviewers have called it 'swoonworthy,' and I love that."

For "It's My Life," Ramey has received praise from people with cerebral palsy for the accurate representation in the book. "That made my day," she said.

But as for her multitude of readers, she hopes they take away an appreciation for a main character who finds strength through adversity.

"I hope they see Jenna for who she is -- a typical teenager who wants to fall in love and live a life filled with her choices," Ramey said. "I want them to love her and root for her."

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