Stanice Anderson

(Pronounced STAN-niece)

Author, Inspirational Speaker, Performance Artist

“We are triumphant, not in spite of it all, but because of it all.”  Stanice

Stanice Anderson is an author, inspirational speaker, playwright, vocalist, and recovering heroin addict.  Stanice has lived through it all.  From a seemingly perfect middle class home, she fell into a nightmare of endless partying, self-destructive behavior, and abusive relationships.  Unresolved pain and guilt drove her to the bottom on a death-spiral nothing seemed able to stop—until the night, while shooting drugs, a miracle happened.  Now, free from the bondage of active addiction for over twenty years, Stanice is compelled to share her inspiring story to show others they too can overcome even the most soul-destroying mistakes—and discover the lifelong assurance of peace and joy through personal relationships with God, others, and ourselves—at last; and go on to do great things.

While working at USA Today in 2000, Stanice began writing and distributed these stories via an inspirational email series which landed her a mega-agent and book deal.  She has two published nonfiction books, I SAY A PRAYER FOR ME: One Woman’s Life of Faith and Triumph (Walk Worthy Press/Warner Books) and 12-STEP PROGRAMS: A Resource Guide for Helping Professionals.  Two riveting stories written by Stanice Anderson will be published in the book, SistahFaith: True Stories of Hope and Healing, compiled by Marilynn Griffith, and released by Howard Books/Simon & Schuster in February 2010.

Stanice’s books have been featured in everything from Essence and New York Times to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Searchlight.  Publishers Weekly’s review wrote, “Gripping with a novelist's eye for dialogue”.  “Maya Angelou’s literary talent and Iyanla Vanzant’s prayerful insights”, was the praise from the Washington Informer.  Amanda Gale, producer of The 700 Club, wrote “real, inspiring, and honest.  I couldn’t put it (her book) down.”  Stanice has also been a guest on a myriad of national, international radio and television shows, including, NPR, A Writer’s Tale, and several appearances on The 700 Club.

As an Inspirational Speaker for two decades, Ms. Anderson’s talks, testimonies, presentations, and workshops, impact and inspire thousands throughout the US and abroad at churches, shelters, prisons, schools, universities, government facilities and businesses, including AOL Headquarters.  Stanice’s transparency, humor, enthusiasm, and honesty accentuated with love are the gifts she brings as she makes her way around the world encouraging, motivating, and inspiring women, men, teens, and children.

“There is power in telling our life-stories.  While secrets grow in the dark; they die in the light of exposure.  Spiritually, we come to believe that we are not alone—that we are more alike than different.  We come to understand that with faith we can overcome anything and go on to do great things,” says Stanice.  Her purpose and passion lie in helping others develop amazing faith that overcomes low-self esteem, doubt, and inertia—an empowering faith that frees us to discover and live our best lives.

As a Playwright and Performance Artist, she writes and performs her multi-media, interactive one-woman show, WALKIN’ ON WATER WHEN THE GROUND AIN’T ENUF, a bold out-of-the-box, mix of true life-stories, spoken word, songs, poetry, and monologues about one woman’s journey against all odds to develop an amazing faith.  It premiered in 2007 at The Cada Vez on historic U Street Corridor, Washington, DC.  An excerpt from Stanice’s stage play version was produced by The Black Women Playwrights’ Group 18^th Annual Staged Reading at The Studio Theatre in Wash., DC.

A global addition to Ms. Anderson’s ministry is The WOW Zone™, a internet radio show that airs live on Blog Talk Radio at www.BlogTalkRadio.com/StaniceAnderson.  Stanice is also the co-founder of Feast on the Word Gathering & Fellowship, a member of the Black Women Playwrights’ Group and the African-American Playwrights’ Exchange.

A fourth generation Washingtonian, she still resides in the area in close proximity to her mom, son, and three grandkids.  Experience Stanice Anderson through her books, speaking engagements, workshops, presentations, and performances.  Contact Mike Tucker at 202-904-4955 or email stanice@stanice.com.  Find more information at www.stanice.com and http://TryWalkingOnWater.com.  Connect with her on Twitter http://twitter.com/stanice and Facebook http://facebook.com/stanice.

How did you get to where you are now?

Prayer, perseverance, favor and grace.

How do you see yourself differently now than you did 10 years ago?

Really conscious of time and it's importance.  I'm bolder and willing to step out of the boat and walk on water with my purpose and passion in tow.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

On a beach in my own condo writing books between inspirational speaking gigs.

(from galley of my upcoming book, WALKIN' ON WATER WHEN THE GROUND AIN'T ENUF: Getting Through Tough Times With Amazing Faith)

On The Other Side of Through

If I could go back now as Stanice the 50-something-year old born again and on-fire-for Jesus woman, and talk to myself as I was then—Stacey, the 30-year-old once fly girl turned inside out into a hopelessly drug-addicted woman, who paid “hit-doctors” $5.00 to lay on filthy urine-stained carpets in abandoned apartments, with finger in mouth puffed up jaws like a frog while the hit-doctor injected heroin into the jugular vein in her neck, this is the conversation I imagine we would share.

Stacey:

I’m gonna die like this.

Alone in some filthy bathroom or in some glass strewn alley.

I won’t make it.

Stanice:

Yes, you will. 

You will make it through.  I know this promise to be true!

Stacey:

How do you know? Who are you?

Stanice:

It matters not; but You will get to the other side of through.

I’ve experienced your pain.

I’ve cried myself to sleep with the hunger and thirst

that the world could not quench.

I’ve felt the weight of the past like an anchor lassoed around my neck

and hoisted over the side of my life into an icy sea of nevers.

I’ve been hopelessly anguished by self-inflicted limitations,

and methadone-set boundaries that dictated how far I could go and for how long.

I’ve been breathless and changed from warm brown to an ashy chocolate blue, as heroin stole my life.

Stacey:

No, I won’t make it.

What I want to do I don’t and what I don’t want to do I do.

I’m a thief and undercover‘ho! It’s too late; you can’t teach old dogs new tricks.

Stanice:

You will make it.

I know this to be true.  I promise you!

You will get to the other side of through.

You will triumph not in spite of it all; but because of it all.

God will restore what the enemy stole and rebuild the woman that you were born to be.

Though now your desire to live grows dim and flickers at best.

We live to share the testimony, and help others prepare for the test.

My mentor, Dorine Phelps, who has helped me stay clean and free from drug addiction for 25+ years.  Things she taught me in her words:

"Don't be a quitter & runner all your life."

"It's alright to stumble; just stumble forward."

"If you don't stand for something; you'll fall for anything."

"If you're bored, it's because you're boring; get a life!"

"As the Lord, 'Don't take away my mountains; just give me the strength to climb them."

"It's gonna be all right!"

"Let it go!  You gonna mess around and miss your blessing holding on to something you should have let go a long time ago."

"If you don't pick up, you won't use."

and perhaps the most important, "Tell the truth because the The truth will set you free!"

Patrice Gaines, publishing world mentor.  Author, Speaker, past Award-winning reporter for The Washington Post.  Now freelances for newspapers, magazines, and NPR. Helped me get my first mega-agent, Denise Stinson which lead to a book deal with Walk Worthy Press & Warner Books.