What can Devastation Teach Us About Being Positive?

As we watched the horrors unfold on TV this past weekend, it only got worse today. The lives lost, homes and schools destroyed, pure devastation. Positive? Not on your life!

Then we hear of donations pouring in. Americans from all over this home of the brave and land of the free. They want to help. They want to know what they can do to make it easier on a family that just lost a mother or a father or a child. Positive? Your darn tootin'!

This is how we roll. We come together for the common good. We want to show we love. We want to show we care. So for this reason, Be Positive Day will be a force for action. I ask that you send your followers to donate. I have two links at the end of this post. You know, there is a lot of positiveness coming out of all this destruction. It is you!

Thank you Sharon Mayhew. Thank you everyone!

Positive: confident, optimistic, and focusing on good things rather than bad.

Please donate to Samaritans Purse and/or the American Red Cross.

Please make a difference. That's a positive message. See you tomorrow on twitter. xoxo

Check out my pal Lenny's International Be Positive Day post

This is a reminder about Be Positive Day Tuesday, May 21. I also want to send you over to Lenny's World to read the most wonderful #bepositive post ever! 


Go on over to Lenny's World. He's waiting on you. He wants to help you have a positive day every day! 

Thanks Lenny! Huge hugs!

International Be Positive Day

Remember #bepositiveday? My pal Sharon Mayhew and I think it's time for another sprinkle of sunshine and flowers. So next Tuesday, May 21 we'll be tweeting positive, confident, encouraging, affirmative, upbeat words to spread the love and jettison those clouds. 


The rules. Tweet positive tweets using the hashtag #bepositive all day on twitter. And hey. If you aren't on twitter, show some FB love by posting a fantastical thought over there. Or do a blog post.

You'll feel like Ivy did after she trounced the hay gettin' in day. Can you get any more positive that this? After Be Positive Day, you might feel like climbing onto the roof of your truck and doing a *happy dance*. Hmmm. If I do that, I won't post any pics. Fear not! I want you to stay positive, not bawl your eyes out. *wink*

You'll be smiling like our Frodo here. This guy is very upbeat. Come on now. I KNOW you want to feel like this guy does. Have I convinced you to take the dip? (I tried to find some diving into the pool pics, but could only find them of me diving.) *shiver* 







So. Don't be like these guys. Who took that picture anyway? Pshaw! Not me. 

Be like this guy. Positive and all leapy. *wink* 

I'm countin' on seeing y'all there. (Thought I'd throw in my southern twang to further convince you.) 

Be there. Or be square. (The kids say that.) What DOES that mean anyway? 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Random.Org says

Teresa Robeson has won the ARC of EVERY HILL AND MOUNTAIN, by Deborah Heal. CONGRADS Teresa!!!! Send me your address and I'll mail it this week. (On go to town day.) Ha!!!!!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and offered their prayers and great thoughts for our Christopher. Love you ALL!!!! XOXOXOXO

EVERY HILL AND MOUNTAIN

I know I've been seriously absent from blogging these days, but my Christopher is having some SERIOUS eye problems. His eye doctor is talking DANGEROUS eye surgery or blindness. :(

Today is my review of Deborah Heal's newest YA read, EVERY HILL AND MOUNTAIN. If you have read the previous two books in this excellent  time-travel trilogy, you will NOT be disappointed. 

Book blurb:

Abby and John reluctantly agree to help Kate, but only on the condition that she and Ryan promise to keep the program a secret, because if it fell into the wrong hands...well, no one wants Big Brother invading their privacy.


The two couples take a trip to the tiny town of Equality, set in the hills of southern Illinois and the breath-taking Shawnee National Forest. According to Kate's research, Ned Greenfield was born there at a place called Hickory Hill.


The mayor, police chief, and townspeople are hospitable and helpful--until the topic of Hickory Hill comes up. They seem determined to keep them away, telling them, "There's nothing there for you to see."


Eventually they find Hickory Hill on their own--both the mansion and the lonely hill it sits upon. Built in 1834, Hickory Hill stands sentinel over Half Moon Salt Mine where the original owner John Granger accumulated his blood-tainted fortune.


Abby and her friends meet Miss Granger, Hickory Hill's current eccentric owner, and they eventually get the chance to time-surf there. Their shocking discovery on the third floor concerning Kate's ancestor Ned Greenfield is almost too much to bear. What they learn sends them racing to the opposite end of the state to find the missing link in Kate's family tree. And there they are reminded that God is in the business of redemption--that one day he'll make all things new.


My review:

Deborah writes the kind of historical fiction that I love to read. BELIEVABLE! I am drawn into her books so much that I really think I'm there with the characters. In this case, Kate. An listen to the name of the town, Equality. I know that if you read historical fiction, I already have you. If you don't normally read it let me tell you why you should start with Deborah's books. 


We are transported to the Southern part of Illinois and we find Kate who wants to learn more about her ancestor, Ned Greenfield. The  time-travel computer software is used yet again as we travel along with them to help Kate uncover the dark secrets including John Granger the previous owner of Half Moon Salt Mine. Without giving too much away, just let me say how much I admire Deborah's attention to detail and the voice she gives to her characters. All of which that I greatly admire as a writer myself. I hope that someday she decides to teach a class on these two writerly problem areas for me.


The pace is exactly as it should be. I never felt the story drag and I never thought she was taking me through too fast. And with this story we see evil. We also see that love wins out in the end. And that is as it should be. The ending was more satisfying than a delectable bar of chocolate. 

I believe that high school kids and adults will love the ride the author takes us on as we discover the secrets Hickory Hill holds for us.


Deborah I also admire the extensive amount of research that you must have undergone for this skillfully written book. I recommend you read this and all of Ms. Heal's expertly crafted books.

I am having a giveaway of the ARC that Deborah sent to me in exchange for a review of her book. Leave a comment for a chance to win. I'll let ol' Random.org pick a winner on Friday April 26th.

*My apologies to Deborah for scheduling this on the wrong day.* (((sigh))) So the winner will be chosen THIS Friday April 20th.

Here is the linkage for Deborah and her wonderful books:


EVERY HILL AND MOUNTAIN

Deborah Heal's place

The blog tour, peeps:

April 17

Paula Phillips

www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com

April 18

Henrietta

http://www.leisurereads.com

April 19

Dana Pratola

http://www.danapratola.webs.com/

April 19

Tracey Spiteri

http://youngadultbookaddict.blogspot.com.au/

April 22

Diane Estrella

www.dianeestrella.com

April 25

Regina Hott

http://hottbooks.com/

May 1

Lisa Johnson

http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/

May1

Tiffany Harkleroad

http://tiffanysbookshelf.blogspot.com/

May 2

Kerrific

http://kerrificonline.blogspot.com/

May 3

Allison Hunter Frederick

http://allisonsbookbag.wordpress.com/

May 3

Lena Nelson Dooley

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/

May 3

Becky Ritta

http://www.christianchicksthoughts.blogspot.com

May 4

April & Wendy

http://www.mybookaddictionandmore.com/

May 6

Serenity Sheild

http://serenityslovelyreads.blogspot.com

May 9

Meagan Myhren Bennett

www.bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com

May 10

Fran Lewis

http://gabina49.wordpress.com/

This Is For You Renn!

                                                          Renn Saves The Day!

Renn, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker were walking in Courscant on a bright, sunshiny day when to their shock Darth Vader appeared before them.

"Renn!" Darth Vader looked at him through that breathing mask, with those steely eyes.

"What say you?" Renn replied.

"No Jedi has the force with them as much as you do."

Renn grinned at Darth Vader.

Luke and Chewbacca stared at Darth Vader.

"And what about my light saber?" Renn asked.

"Only the most powerful of all the Jedi, nay of anyone." Darth Vader hopped into his rebel ship and hollered, "I dread the day when I have to go up against you, Renn. It terrifies me. For no one knows your strength and fortitude, but I."

Luke and Chewbacca stood beside this Renn who is the strongest in all the galaxy. Able to defeat anything in his path.

"You know Darth Vader came here to defeat us Renn. But when he saw you. He quivered and turned to jelly." A grateful Luke handed Renn the GOLDEN light saber. "Renn, you saved the day again."

Renn held the golden light saber up and yelled, "Power to the people!"

Renn here are some fun Star Wars games to play on the computer. Best thing is, they're free. :-) Click the link:
May the force be with you!

Peeps, Renn is battling epilepsy and is in the hospital right now for testing. You KNOW this is near and dear to me because of my Christopher. So send him some Star Wars happy wishes in the comments will ya?

To your mom and dad and little brother, "The strength of the force is with Renn. Never forget that! Seizures are nothing now that he has the golden light saber." :-) God bless you all! Praying for you.

Giveaway and writing tips!

Head over to Mindy Alyse Weiss's  blog peeps!

You'll find writing tips and a chance to win a critique from Gayle Krause! Go on now. Giveaway ends on Feb. 24th. Good luck! :-)