ADAMEC, Christine 1949-

PERSONAL: Born April 20, 1949, in Malden, MA; married John M. Adamec; children: Jane, Brian, Stephen. Education: University of New Hampshire, B.A., 1971, M.B.A., 1979. Religion: United Methodist. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, old movies, picnics, computer network interaction.

ADDRESSES: Home— 1921 Ohio St. N.E., Palm Bay, FL 32907. E-mail— adamec@aol.com.

CAREER: State of New Hampshire, Division of Welfare, training officer, 1974-77; freelance writer, 1981—. Military service: Served in the U.S. Air Force, 1971-1974; received Air Force Commendation Medal, 1974.

MEMBER: American Society of Journalists & Authors; American Medical Writers Association; Florida Freelance Writers Association (board member).

WRITINGS:

There Are Babies to Adopt: A Resource Guide for Prospective Parents, Mills & Sanderson (Bedford, MA), 1987, revised and updated edition, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 1996.

(With William L. Pierce) The Encyclopedia of Adoption, Facts on File (New York, NY), 1991, 2nd edition, 2000.

(Editor) How to Adopt Your Baby Privately: The Nationwide Directory of Adoption Attorneys, 1992-1993, Adoption Advocates Press, 1992.

Start and Run a Profitable Freelance Writing Business: Your Step-by-Step Business Plan, Self Counsel Press, 1994.

How to Live with a Mentally Ill Person: A Handbook of Day-to-Day Strategies, John Wiley (New York, NY), 1996.

(With James Lawrence Thomas) Do You Have Attention Deficit Disorder?, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.

When Your Pet Dies, Berkley Books (New York, NY), 1996, published as When Your Pet Dies: Dealing with Your Grief and Helping Your Children Cope, i Universe, 2000.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Adoption, Alpha Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Is Adoption for You?: The Information You Need to Make the Right Choice, J. Wiley (New York, NY), 1998.

The Adoption Option Complete Handbook, 2000-2001, Prima (Rocklin, CA), 1999.

The Unoff 1 cial Guide to Eldercare, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1999.

Moms with ADD: A Self-Help Manual, Taylor (Dallas, TX), 2000.

Writing Freelance, Self Counsel Press, 2000.

How to Stop Heartburn: Simple Ways to Heal Heartburn and Acid Reflux, Wiley (New York, NY), 2001.

(With Robin E. Clark and Judith Freeman) The Encyclopedia of Child Abuse, 2nd edition, Facts on File (New York, NY), 2001.

The Encyclopedia of Diabetes, Facts on File (New York, NY), 2002. (With Roland Staud) Fibromyalgia for Dummies, John Wiley (New York, NY), 2002.

The Encyclopedia of Senior Health and Well Being, Facts on File (New York, NY), 2003.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Researching adoption and small business.

SIDELIGHTS: Christine Ademec has authored numerous books on health issues, adoption, and freelance writing. In addition to publishing books under her own name, she has coauthored and ghostwritten many other books and technical and medical articles. Several of Adamec's books discuss the legalities of adoption, including There Are Babies to Adopt: A Resource Guide for Prospective Parents, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Adoption, and Is Adoption for You?: The Information You Need to Make the Right Choice. Reviewing the second edition of The Encyclopedia of Adoption, a Booklist writer commended it as a unique and valuable resource, saying: "There are no other encyclopedias available on adoption and only a few recent handbooks that might contain some of this information." Topics covered in the book, which features approximately four hundred entries, include divorce of adoptive parents, foster care, Romanian adoptions, and adoption by non-traditional couples. Assessing the book in Library Journal, Kay L. Brodie called it "a solid single-volume reference for the lay researcher."

Adamec explored a different angle in Is Adoption for You?: The Information You Need to Make the Right Choice. In this book, she offers questions that could help prospective adoptive parents to decide if the choice will be right for them. Brodie noted, "Unlike many books on adoption, Adamec's neither gushes about nor warns against it." The reviewer added that the book is valuable for the author's "sensitive and realistic understanding of children and their needs" and for her "fascinating" look at the concept of bonding.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

periodicals

Booklist, February 15, 1992, review of Encyclopedia of Adoption, p. 1128; April, 1998, Jennie Ver Steeg, review of Is Adoption for You?: The Information You Need to Make the Right Choice, p. 1282; November 15, 2000, review of The Encyclopedia of Adoption, p. 666.

Book Report, May-June, 1992, Sharon Johnson, review of Encyclopedia of Adoption, p. 59.

Library Journal, January, 1992, Steve Gowler, review of The Encyclopedia of Adoption, p. 104; July, 1996, Dana L. Brumbelow, review of How to Live with a Mentally Ill Person: A Handbook of Dayto-Day Strategies, p. 140; November 1, 2000, Kay L. Brodie, review of The Encyclopedia of Adoption, p. 116; February 1, 2001, Linda Beck, review of Moms with ADD: A Self-Help Manual, p. 112.

School Library Journal, June, 1992, Jackie Gropman, review of Encyclopedia of Adoption, p. 150.*