He Said His Part

I have been working and working with my youngest son on his speech. We have a fantastic speech therapist and he has progressed so much in the last few months. I'm so thankful that he knows the sounds of almost every letter of the alphabet and is trying new sound combinations every day. Since the flash cards I'm using to help him with his speech have both a picture and the word on them, he is learning to read as well. By the end of the week, he can not only say, but also read, most of the words we've been working on. We also review cards so he can remember the words from previous weeks, and he is still able to read them. Yay!

He was assigned a short part for the children's program at church. And he did it. He actually did it. All the words, "I choose to follow" and then he held up a picture of our prophet, Thomas S. Monson, for the whole congregation. And he said all four words together without me prompting him. I was thrilled. My husband and my sister both had tears in their eyes. Such a simple thing, but yet so huge.

We've been working really hard and to see some progress is wonderful. I never knew what went into learning to speak. I took it all for granted with my other 9 kids--they started talking (and most have never stopped to even take a breath) and I never thought much of it. Working with my son has taught me to be grateful for even the smallest things.

All Fall Down by Julie Bellon

From the back cover:

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Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down . . .

That simple rhyme turns negotiator Claire Michaels’ current hostage situation into an international incident. Claire just wants to help get everyone out safely, but as the crisis escalates she realizes she’s dealing with an al-Qaeda operative who has the means to become another bin Laden---with the potential to attack America. Claire has her own personal reasons for wanting to stop al-Qaeda, but time is slipping away as negotiations break down. Can she overcome her scars of the past in order to get the hostage out alive and possibly stop an assault on U.S. national security?

Navy SEAL Rafe Kelly is on leave to recover from a knee injury he suffered during his tour in Afghanistan and he doesn’t expect to be fighting terrorists on his home turf. But when he is taken hostage and his brother is kidnapped, Rafe teams up with a hostage negotiator in order to stay alive and get his brother back. The terrorist is always one step ahead of them, however, and the situation quickly turns from desperate to deadly. Will Rafe be able to save himself and his country without anyone he loves getting caught in the crossfire?

My review:

 

Multi-published author, Julie Bellon, has written another great international suspense!

 

If you enjoy suspense, romance, and twists and turns, then you'll enjoy All Fall Down. Bellon is masterful at writing suspense. From the first page until the last, and I mean the very last (because there is a twist I didn't expect and I actually said out loud, "Are you serious? How can this get any worse?") it is a roller coaster.

 

The book starts with a hostage situation--I will never sing "Ring Around the Rosy" again without thinking about this book--and turns into an international suspense with lots of surprises.

 

I really liked the natural romance that developed, and I especially enjoyed some tender scenes.

 

I also liked how realistic the setting felt. Bellon must have traveled to these remote areas to be able to make it feel so authentic.

 

The characters are well-developed and the story is exciting. I recommend this book--just don't read it at night because you might stay up too late reading it!

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You can purchase All Fall Down here.

 

You can learn more about Julie Bellon and all of her other published books here.

 

I did receive a review copy of this book, but it in no way influenced my review. My opinion is my own.

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Taaa Daaaa . . . My New Cover

Which Cover?

I need your help. Which cover do you like best? These are all rough mock-ups--I'm looking for the general idea you like best. Fonts can be changed easily. Please ignore the watermarks--I haven't purchased any of the images yet. 

And if you don't like any of the covers, please say so. You can answer in the comment section. Thank you!! I really appreciate your help!

The story is a YA urban fantasy about a teenage girl who discovers she has enough Light to battle a nasty demon.

 

#1 Girl with Aura

 

#2 Light Burst 

 

#3 Light in Palms

#4 Hands Holding Light

 

 

#5 None of the Above

I'm Not Voting for Mitt Romney Because He's Mormon

That's right. I'm not voting for Mitt Romney because he's Mormon.

I've been going through an edit for my latest book and I think I should punctuate that sentence like this: I'm not voting for Mitt Romney, because he's Mormon. But that feels like it gives my intention a different meaning.

What I mean is that I'm not voting for him just because he's Mormon. I'm voting for him, because I think he is the best man for the job. Period.

He most closely represents my values and what I believe needs to be fixed in this economy. He's said his emphasis will be on jobs. He plans to create jobs through stimulating small business growth. I think that's key. I don't want more government jobs created, I want to see small businesses thrive and grow and hire more workers. I want to see the public sector shrink and the private sector grow.

I also think he understands that we can't spend out way out of debt and we have to rein in the out-of-control spending. I can't have something just because I want it. I have to be able to pay for it and if I write a check that has no money to back it, I go to jail. Why is our government exempt from this? Why do we keep borrowing money from China? At this rate, China will never have to invade us, they'll own us outright.

I don't like Obamacare. I don't think the government should be running, or even be involved in, our healthcare. In my experience, anything run by the government is inefficient and costly. Have you ever had to ask the IRS a question, or worse, deal with the IRS on an issue? It's a nightmare. And everyone has a different answer. The IRS is a perfect example of the government's inability to run an efficient organization. And we want to let it run our healthcare? Make decisions about our health? No thanks. Obamacare will run us into even more debt--how much is a trillion anyway?

Welfare and unemployment are other examples of inefficient and costly programs. I have an extended family member who took advantage of welfare for years. Perfectly healthy and able-bodied, but lived off welfare and spent the money on drugs. As did all of his friends. And unemployment? I know a young man who lost his job then collected unemployment so he could stay home and play video games. He took advantage of the system. these are not isolated cases, either.

I agree that people sometimes need help. But the way the government does it is wrong. If someone needs money to pay bills, let them work in exchange for that help. And make that help temporary, not a way of life. Give people a hand up, not a handout. I love the saying, "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime." We need to teach people to fish!

And, here's something that irks me. I see people accuse republicans of being greedy and having no compassion. That blanket statement is wrong. First of all, anyone can be greedy, and greed isn't limited to money. People can be just as greedy with their time. I think there's greed in both parties. I also believe there's compassion in both parties. Some of the most compassionate people I know, are also conservative republicans. People who consistently donate time and money to help others. People who throw together a dinner at a moment's notice or donate clothing to a needy family or share garden vegetable or who will just sit and spend time with someone who needs it.

Mitt Romney has been accused of being greedy, of only being interested in making money. And yet he's donated millions and millions of dollars to charity, not to mention the time he's spent over his lifetime serving others. I'd venture to say that Mitt Romney had donated more money than many, if not most, president and even celebrities (people whose monthly earning are more than most people's yearly earnings). I don't think he can be accused of being greedy or not being compassionate.

I also like that he can work with opposing viewpoints. He understands how to balance a budget, how to run a successful business (you can't spend your way out of debt), and he embraces the Constitution.

So, yes, I'm not voting for Mitt Romney because he's Mormon, I'm voting for him because he is the best man for the job.

Back Cover Copy: Help!

I need some help. I've been working on a young adult urban fantasy, Aura, for what seems like for-ev-er. I think it's finally nearing full completion and I need to get the back cover copy ready. The back copy is meant to entice readers and make them want to read the book.

Here it is:

After moving from one city to the next all of her life, Crystal Scott finally feels like she belongs in Silver City, Colorado. She has the lead in the high school play, a best friend, and a gorgeous boyfriend. With her senior prom only a few days away, everything is perfect--or so she thinks. 

Because nothing is as it seems.

Vincent Crandall, the human host for a demon with an insatiable thirst for power, learns that Crystal possesses an extraordinary aura with enough Light to stop him and his plan to rule Silver City, and eventually the world. Vincent sends in operatives from his demon army to destroy Crystal's aura on prom night and she is suddenly thrust into an on-going battle with demons. When Vincent kidnaps her parents, Crystal must learn to control the power within her—a power directly linked to her virtuous choices—before he kills her parents and harnesses her Light for himself.

What do you think? Would it make you want to read this book? Does it grab you? How can I improve it?

Feel free to shred it.

Thanks for your help and your support!

 

Our Economic Reality

The Obama administration has successfully closed down over 30 coal-fired power plants. One of the plants affected is in my area. As a result, some peeople have lost their jobs. We have a few power plants in the area.

My husband has worked for the coal mine that feeds these power plants for 23 years. It has been a wonderful job. Very secure with great benefits. In fact, our insurance provides for services that my son needs as a result of his Down syndrome. We have been very blessed and have not had to worry about insurance or medical care and we have been able to provide for our large family.

Unfortunately, if re-elected, President Obama has earmarked 120 more coal-fired power plants to shut down, including all of the plants in our area. That will effectively shut down the coal mining operation. These companies employ thousands of people in the area, not to mention all of the support businesses they support. Once the plants close, the mine will close and so will the vendors and suppliers that service these companies. A loss of that many jobs will have a drastic effect on a relatively small economy here. People will lose their homes. The housing market will crash. People will move which will mean less students at schools which will result in teachers losing their jobs, doctors and dentists losing patients, restaurants and stores losing customers. In a domino effect, businesses will be affected in a negative way.

And so will we. We have lived in this area for 23 years. We built our current home 18 years ago and have continued to invest in it and in our property. We have raised our kids here and we have been involved in the community. And it may all be at risk.

These power plants supply electricity to large cities, including Los Angeles. If these plants close, those in LA and other cities will pay higher prices for electricity as well as experience brown outs when there isn't enough power to go around. The fact is, right now we do not have enough resources to supply power without these coal-fired power plants.

While green power is a worthy goal, it is one that cannot be accomplished overnight. I'm not sure what the Obama administration plans to do to replace the power currently supplied by these power plants. Or what will happen to all of us affected by the closures. I don't think it's wise to close all of these plants, especially without a plan to replace the demand for power.

I'm all for cleaner energy. But we need to use wisdom in implementing it. We need to realize it takes time to create alternative power. And we need to consider the economic effects when an industry is targeted like this.

We all lose with President Obama's plan to close these plants. And that's our economic reality.