Life Can Be A Miracle (five star book review)

Life Can Be a Miracle by Ivinela Samuilova

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Opening up your world and allowing everyday life to become laced with miracles is an avenue that too few people explore and therefore do not fully understand that life can actually become much richer and much fuller. “Life Can Be a Miracle” by Ivinela Samuilova is the story of how one woman’s world was opened up to the possibilities of the beauty that can suddenly appear before us when we go beyond and above the boundaries that society and culture use to restrict us. As Adie works through several different levels of discovering who she is, she begins to see the miracles that happen all around her in everyday life. Through the guidance of Alexey, she begins to unlock and discard the preconceived ideas that have kept her bound and unable to discover who she really is.

“Life Can Be a Miracle” was more than a pleasant discovery for me. Ivinela Samuilova has literally taken me to another level of discovery of which I was right on the edge of coming to and pushed me right on over. The joy of discovering that one can actually trigger their own potential and then just let it flow rather than fighting every step of the way is exactly what I needed to encounter. Though it is written as a fictional novel, in many ways, it is a self-help book to those who are open to the message. Honest, direct and enlightening; “Life Can Be a Miracle” is a must read for anyone who is searching for the beauty and miracle of living.




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HOW DO YOU PUT ON YOUR CLOTHES?

I realize that is a strange title. What exactly does it mean? Why would I ask such a simple question?

I'm not going to answer that for a minute. First, I'm going to tell you about a short book that I'm writing, which actually grew out of a Sunday School Lesson that I taught nearly a dozen years ago.

What comes to mind when you think of a wolf in sheep's clothing? Call me nuts, but I have always had the image of Warner Brothers' characters of Ralph and Sam. Do you remember the coyote and the sheep dog? They punch a clock every morning and then go about their own specific jobs. In nearly every episode, the coyote, Sam, zips himself up into the costume of a sheep in order to try to get into the herd. That's the image I have. From that I developed a Sunday School Lesson and from the Sunday School Lesson, I developed a short book, which I am still writing called "Sheep Don't Wear Wool... They Grow It."

That brings me back around to answering the reason for the question and the question itself. Right before I awakened this morning, I had a dream. In that dream, there was a very simple message. We can't put on the clothing and robes of Christ to become Christlike, just like anything other than a sheep cannot put on a wool costume and become a sheep. It is the same with everything we are and do in our daily lives. We can't put on a surgical gown, gloves and mask and start doing a coronary bypass surgery, simply because we're wearing the clothing. I brushed by the point of the question, but that's still not the answer.

In the case of becoming Christlike, we were promised the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and change us. Let that sink in a minute.

An apple tree produces apples because it has the make up of an apple tree within it. Somewhere in the sap of the tree is the nutrients necessary to make those apples grow to be large and sweet, small and bitter or some combination in between. The outer clothing of a sheep is not a wool costume, but actual wool which grew out of the nature of whatever genetic makeup causes sheep to grow wool.

When you do what you do; when you get out of bed in the morning and go through the ritual of going to your job or vocation; how do you put on your clothes? Do you put them on a someone who is adding something to themselves that is not a part of who they really are or are they an actual part of who you are?

How do you put on your clothes?

"Bookworm" by Jason Srebnick Destined to Be a Classic!!!

This book fits my blog like a glove and it fits my philosophy of books and reading like a sock. This book explains the kind of world that we are destined to live in if we do not continue to appreciate, pursue and educate others of the intrinsic value of reading FICTION NOVELS!

How much of our current society and culture do you take for granted? Image a world where the Corporation comes first and controls everything in your life from birth to death. Along the lines of 1984, “Bookworm” by Jason Srebnick will draw you back to an appreciation of many of the things that you now take for granted. Aaron Cogwell is an ideal citizen in the Corporate world of New Boston. He works seven days a week for seventeen hours a day, aided by chemicals that keep his mood in balance. Every thirty-six days he enjoys a four hour stoppage of work, in which he enjoys a few hours of free time with his family. His dream is to have a more spacious living space and more things to display in his display case. He simply doesn’t know that there is any alternative to the world in which he lives until destiny, fate or luck would come his way and he is suddenly thrust out of that life and into a much simpler and more primitive way of life when his pod crashes into the forest. The strange new things in this new, anti-corporate world are at times more than he can take. Will he ever be the same again? Will he ever be able to be happy in the Corporate world?



“Bookworm” is painful at times in its truth. Jason Srebnick has done an excellent job of giving us a look into what our world would look like if everything was run by huge corporations and work and getting ahead was all that mattered. It does this in a way that reminds those of us who have a deep love for the freedom that we have found in our leisure and more importantly in our books. The glaring difference between reading a book by turning the pages and having a book read to you or watching a book on a video is developed in stark contrast. I give high praise to Jason Srebnick for reminding us all that there are a lot of things in this world worth holding onto, even while we reach for our next ebook. Superb! "Bookworm" is destined to be a classic.

Sneak Preview from "Chorros Blancos" (Book 3 of the Belle of Colombia Series)

Here is a short sneak preview from "Chorros Blancos" (Book 3 of the Belle of Colombia Series)

Colonel Cordoba paused as the men of his staff passed the reins of their horses to their aids and waited for his order. “At ease gentleman.” He strode forward toward the steps that lead up onto the wide porch.

“Welcome Colonel,” Santiago said as he saluted his commander. “You know my wife’s cousin Esteban, of course.”

“Colonel,” Esteban saluted sharply.

“Yes, of course,” he replied, returning his salute as he started up the steps. At the top of the steps he spoke over his shoulder. “Lieutenant Garcia, please present Sergeant Marquez with his new commission.” He extended his hand toward Esteban. “Congratulations Sergeant.”

“Thank you Colonel,” Esteban replied. A question lingered a moment.

“You will be replacing Sergeant Ochoa,” he said. “Effective immediately.”

“Please come in sir,” Santiago said with a sweeping motion toward the open door. “Gentlemen. You are all welcome.” He turned toward the staff with a broader wave.

“With your permission?” Colonel Cordoba asked as he crossed the threshold into the house.

In turn each officer approached Santiago and Esteban with a greeting and then asked permission to enter the house. Rafael brought up the rear, beaming as he shook Esteban’s hand and slapped him on the back. “Sergeant Marquez,” he chuckled.

“Replacing Sergeant Ochoa?” Santiago asked as they stepped through the door behind the staff.

Santiago suddenly stepped in front of the men who had gathered, uncomfortably fidgeting in the main room of the house which was rather small for the number of men present. Juanito, Camila and Maribel were standing in a line at one end facing the group with large, timid eyes. Jorge peeped out from behind his mother’s skirts with frightened eyes.

“Colonel. Gentlemen,” he said. “May I present my niece Camila Vasquez, my nephew Juan Vasquez, my son Jorge and above all, my beautiful wife Ana Maribel Arboleda Rios.”

Each of the men nodded and then Colonel Cordoba stepped forward and took the hand of each and spoke softly to them while the staff waited. Jorge would have nothing to do with the Colonel and dashed away to hide.

“Please forgive him Colonel,” Maribel said, smiling.

“It is quite alright ma’am,” he said. “Ma’am, it is a very distinguished pleasure to meet you.” He took her hand, bowed and kissed it softly.

“The pleasure is mine Colonel,” she beamed.

“Ma’am,” he began, straightening himself. “I do apologize for the interruption. It will be brief. We have a presentation to make.”

“It is quite alright Colonel,” she replied. She turned toward Camila and Juanito. “The refreshments.”

“No wait!” Colonel Cordoba put up his hand.

Camila and Juanito froze, their eyes moved back and forth between Maribel and Colonel Cordoba with a startled question.

“Lieutenant Garcia,” he said, stepping aside and at the head of the two lines which had divided themselves within the room. “Would you please join me here.”

“Yes sir!” Garcia stepped forward quickly, beaming.

“And you too Captain Vasquez,” he smiled.

“Sir?” The question lingered on his face as he moved forward.

“You are now commissioned a Captain,” Cordoba announced. “Lieutenant Garcia?”

The lieutenant produced the proper insignia which Colonel Cordoba then presented to Captain Vasquez. “Gentlemen!” he snapped as he turned. “And Dona Arboleda. I present Captain Vasquez of the Army of New Granada!”

“’Tention!” Garcia snapped. All of the military gentlemen in the room snapped to a sharp salute, which Santiago then returned.

“At ease,” Captain Vasquez said after returning their salute, and then turning toward the general. “Thank you sir.”

“You have earned it and more,” Cordoba replied. “Gentlemen. Please greet your new Captain and then return to your duties. Sergeant Marquez and Mister Ochoa will accompany me upon my return.”

Rafael’s chest swelled with pride as he watched each of the officers congratulate Santiago. There was no leader more deserving of the honor that they presented to him. He watched Maribel’s eyes glistening as each officer bowed slightly as they greeted her, and then stepped through the door. She was a beautiful, young woman with grace that was well beyond her years. She had transformed before his very eyes from the timid woman who saw an invasion of military officers enter her home, to a gracious hostess in only a matter of seconds. She certainly had the dignity to be a captain’s wife.

“Colonel,” she beamed, grasping his elbow after the last of the officers had left. “Let’s go out to the patio.” With a turn of her head toward Camila and Juanito, the signal to serve them was given and the two jumped to their duties. “Mister Ochoa, Sergeant Marquez, would you join us as well?”

“Thank you Dona Arboleda,” Colonel Cordoba replied as she lead him to a seat on the patio.

Maribel then turned to Santiago, “Congratulations, my love.” She stood on her toes to kiss him.

Santiago hesitated a moment, looking at the Colonel who took the cup that Camila offered him, bowing slightly as a thank you and doing the same as Juanito offered him a pastry.

“Kiss your wife,” Cordoba chuckled. “No more formality.”

“Yes sir,” he beamed and leaned in to kiss her.

“Good,” Cordoba said, enjoying a sip of the coffee and a bit of the pastry. “Now. Where is that baby?”

“Camila,” Maribel said softly, taking the tray of coffee from her and serving her cousin and Rafael while Camila scrambled back into the house.

“Captain,” Cordoba addressed Santiago, who having taken a seat, accepted his refreshments from his wife. “Sergeant Marquez will be assigned to you permanently. He will replace Mister Ochoa who has asked for his discharge.”

Rafael noticed Santiago’s questioning glance. They hadn’t discussed it and he felt bad about it. He had arrived at the decision as he was sitting on the stone slab which overlooked the gorge of the river. The quiet peace of the mountains, the pines whispering to him and the gentle wave of the grass had spoken their mind to him and had presented an invitation that he couldn’t resist. He shrugged an unspoken reply to Santiago. He started to speak, but was interrupted by the arrival of Sara, who took over the entire attention of the group present, just as new babies have a tendency to do.

“May I present Sara Maribel Vasquez Arboleda,” Maribel said, taking Sara from Camila and gently extending her toward a suddenly uncomfortable Colonel Cordoba. For all of his rank and prowess as a military leader, he was still a very young man and not accustomed to holding a baby in his arms. He took her awkwardly and held her as though she were a fragile piece of glass.

“Well now,” he said, smiling as he held the baby stiffly in his arms. “She is nearly as beautiful as her mother.” Sensing the Colonel’s tension, Sara immediately began to cry. The distraught Colonel looked up at Maribel with fear in his eyes as he struggled to regain control of a situation that was beyond his experience.

Seeing Cordoba’s obvious discomfort, Maribel scooped Sara out of his arms and calmed her. The moment Sara was in her mother’s arms, she began to settle herself and soon stopped crying.

“Nothing like a mother’s touch,” Cordoba smiled. “I apologize ma’am. I don’t have much experience with babies.”

“It is quite alright,” she replied, moving over to take a seat beside Santiago, while she rocked the baby and talked to her quietly. She tilted Sara’s face so that she could see her father. “This is Captain Vasquez.”

“Just Daddy to you sweetheart,” Santiago replied, rubbing a finger on one of her chubby cheeks as he spoke.

Rafael looked around the group of men, warriors all, who had become suddenly transformed from rugged and fierce to soft and tender with Sara in their presence. Even in Cordoba’s discomfort there was a wistful look of gentility and longing for an end to death and destruction. As they chatted quietly about homes and families, Rafael couldn’t help hardening himself. He had lost all of that. The Spanish had taken it from him. He had exacted plenty of revenge, but the feeling was empty. Dying faces did not offer an adequate elixir for the illness which ravished his body.

He had enjoyed a drunken night or two with some of the other llaneros who had continued on with Cordoba’s command in Rionegro, but the bottle had never appealed to him as a means of escaping it all.

He grinned as he remembered the drunk he and the boys had tied on the night before, when he had announced that he was going to ask for his discharge. The revelry had continued into the early morning hours and spilled out into the plaza, where they had loaded some passed out drunk onto a wagon bound for the Magdalena River; telling the driver to put him on a boat to Barranquilla. They roared with laughter as the wagon rolled out of town and then noticed that the glow of the sun was lighting up the sky behind one of the green ridges.

As the others shuffled off toward their beds, Rafael had sat quietly in the plaza, watching the shadows of night begin to creep away as sunlight began to retake its command of the day. A thought had come to him suddenly as he observed the changing of the guard. Darkness and light constantly changed possession of the land in something that was so ordinary that no one ever considered it. Was it like that with all things? Was New Granada’s independence nothing more than the changing of darkness and light? How long would it last? As the questions repeated themselves throughout the day, Rafael knew that he had made the right decision. He needed to sort things out.

“Mister Ochoa. Sergeant,” Cordoba’s voice boomed, interrupting Rafael’s thoughts. “We have taken advantage of Dona Arboleda’s hospitality long enough. Sergeant, I need you to accompany me in order to bring the gift that I have for Miss Sara. If you will make ready to leave, we will depart shortly.”

“Yes sir,” Esteban replied, standing. Rafael stood as well.

“I already have your horse ready, sir,” Juanito announced. His eyes were wide and serious as though he was conducting an official duty.

“Thank you,” Esteban said. “I guess I’m ready when you are sir.”

“Then we’ll be on our way,” Cordoba said, rising from his seat. “Dona, you have a lovely baby, a lovely home and an excellent husband. I promise to take good care of him.”

“Thank you Colonel,” Maribel replied simply.

“Captain,” he said. “The main body will be moving out tomorrow. I am extending your time here for an additional ten days. Sergeant Marquez will accompany you when your leave is up. The rest of your staff will be in position and have everything in order when you arrive in Medellin. Lieutenant Garcia will be assigned to your staff, as well, and will discharge your duties until you arrive.”

“Thank you sir,” Santiago replied.

“Enjoy your lovely family,” he said.

Maribel passed Sara off to Camila and took the Colonel’s arm to escort him to the door and Santiago turned to follow.

“Captain Vasquez,” Rafael said to catch Santiago’s attention for a private word between them. He had made the decision to leave as soon as his discharge was signed and he wanted to be alone with his friend to say a more private good bye.

“Santiago,” he corrected turning back toward his friend. “Nothing has ever been formal between us.”

“I just wanted to try it out,” Rafael chuckled. “Sounds pretty good.” His face suddenly turned serious. “Please forgive me for not telling you about my discharge.”

“It’s not a problem Rafael,” he smiled.

“I ought to have talked to you about it. We’ve been pretty close these past months. You have been a good friend. Thank you.” Rafael extended his hand.

“We can discuss it later this evening,” Santiago said. “We’ll have a dinner to celebrate.”

“I won’t be coming back,” Rafael replied. When he saw Santiago’s brow wrinkle at his announcement he continued. “Well, not today anyway. I’ll be around. I kind of like it in these mountains.”

Santiago looked deep into his eyes as though he was searching his soul. Rafael wasn’t sure what he was seeing there, but he suddenly saw the searching stop and a twinkle replace it. Before the words were actually spoken, Rafael knew what they were going to be. “I understand,” Santiago said, drawing him in for a strong embrace.

Egyptian Reading Challenge

This week I'm featuring a fellow reviewer and blogger who resides in Egypt.

Nada Adel is not only an excellent book reviewer who wrote a fantastic review for my debut novel "The Wolf of the Highlands" published by Senserial Publishing, but she has started a reading challenge which includes novels and books about or set in her homeland of Egypt. This is a very intriguing challenge to me and maybe to some of you who enjoy the mystique of the Nile, pyramids, mummies and pharoahs. To learn more about this challenge visit Nada's blog by following this link. Nadaness In Motion

Goodwill Tour: Paying It Forward... Guest Post From Keith Maginn

I decided to start making my Monday posts guest posts from other authors and other persons of interest. I ran across Keith when I did a review of his book and discovered that we have some common ideas and decided it was time to share them. So... here is my first guest with a blog talking about a tour he took through the Southeastern US and the memoir that he wrote about the experience. Goodwill Tour: Paying It Forward —How Our Trip Came About

My name is Keith Maginn and I released my second book, Goodwill Tour: Paying It Forward in January of 2013. GWT is a travelogue about a journey that I went on with my friend in mid-July of 2011. Emily and I set off from Cincinnati, Ohio on a 3,000-mile road-trip through the southeastern United States. We gave our own money to hand-picked strangers that we met along the way, with the stipulation that they had to pay the money forward to someone else. Goodwill Tour recounts how Emily and I tried to spread kindness and make a difference in the lives of others while having a once-in-a-lifetime journey.

The idea for the trip actually started out as a joke. Emily and I met through my memoir, Turning This Thing Around. A friendship developed over time and we started half-seriously daydreaming about doing a tour to sell my books. The two of us brainstormed how we could combine having an adventure with doing something philanthropic. Emily had read Bill Clinton’s book Giving and was well aware of the “Pay-it-Forward” cause. Ultimately, she came up with the idea to go out on the road, meet deserving strangers and give them money that they had to give to someone else. Meanwhile, I would be taking notes along the way that I would turn into a book.

The whole trip came about quickly and we didn’t have time to plan much of anything. Emily and I only had a 15-day window for our trip, so the route had to be within driving distance of Cincinnati, our hometown. We knew the Southeastern U.S. route would put us in the Deep South in the middle of a very hot summer, but that course would allow us to visit more places that we had never been previously. Just a few days before we were going to leave, Emily and I decided to go to Memphis, Tennessee - New Orleans, Louisiana - Savannah, Georgia - Charleston, South Carolina - Asheville, North Carolina…and many towns in between.

Other than a loose idea of destinations, Emily and I decided we would just take a leap of faith and trust our instincts. We wanted to put ourselves into positions to meet deserving people. In some cases we were able to work alongside volunteers, at a soup kitchen for example, and other times meeting our donation recipients was more serendipitous. Believe it or not, giving money to strangers was harder than we expected!

The people that we chose ranged from a nun to a mother of three young children to a monk. As you can imagine, all were quite surprised when complete strangers handed them cash. What struck me the most about these people is that they kept thanking us for what we were doing, while they were the ones really making a difference—Emily and I were travelling around for a few weeks, while the people we met worked or volunteered to help others on a daily basis for little or no credit.

Stepping off of the trolley in our first stop (Memphis, Tennessee) was when it first hit me—we were actually going through with this crazy idea! Emily and I had the next several days to do whatever we wanted. No deadlines, no 9-5 job, just a goal to have fun and to touch some lives.

Giving away the first donation to a special young woman in Memphis made us realize that things might work out after all. She was genuinely grateful and all three of us were in tears. (The first interaction also gave us a false sense of how smooth the trip and the giving would be, as things were not that easy the rest of the trip!)

Emily and I easily could have backed out of this trip, could have put it off for “another time”…a time that likely would never come. I am glad that we took a chance. No one can ever take that away from us. In the words of John F. Kennedy: “There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.”

You only live once. You don’t want to have regrets the rest of your life because you didn’t go after something you were passionate about. When my aunt found out that Emily and I were going on this journey, she said “One of my regrets is that I didn’t do once-in-a-lifetime things when I was young and unencumbered.” You will never know unless you step out of your comfort zone and follow what your heart is telling you to do. If you go forward, you might be surprised how things just seem to work in your favor. I hope Goodwill Tour: Paying It Forward inspires others to take their dream trip and/or to make a difference in the lives of others.

[As an unknown, independent author, I am grateful to Bil Howard for giving me a platform to help spread my message. I also appreciate people like you for reading my story! I would love to connect with you on Twitter (@Keith_Maginn) or at my website (keithmaginn.com). In addition to Goodwill Tour: Paying It Forward, I have also written an inspirational self-help memoir, Turning This Thing Around, about overcoming challenges. Both books are available on my author page at Amazon.com (http://amzn.to/1fJUAPC). Thank you and all the best!!]

Two "Quarter Inchers" to Enjoy

Somewhat along the lines of Aesop’s Fables, “Farm of Wisdom: 25 Unforgettable Tales That Will Ignite a Wiser You” by Warren Cassell Jr. is full of tidbits of wisdom that are taught from short parables using animals one would find on or near a farm. Each of the tales tells a story which is then related to a bit of wisdom, one such is the story of the lazy chipmunk who didn’t want to go gather more berries and ended up not having anything to eat when the big storm came. Another is about the insecure grey hound who is jealous of the border collie. Still another is the story of Hapy the Chatty Toad who was all talk on the outside, but just as much of a coward as anyone else on the inside. Each of these twenty five short tales teaches a keen little piece of wisdom about living life and coping with the world around us.

The delightful collection of tales that Warren Cassell Jr. has put together in “Farm of Wisdom: 25 Unforgettable Tales That Will Ignite a Wiser You” are excellent teaching tools for young and old alike. Just like the old favorites of Aesop, the reader will be entertained by the whimsical nature of the tales, but also made wiser by the lessons that can be learned in each. Entertaining, thought provoking and often profound; “Farm of Wisdom: 25 Unforgettable Tales That Will Ignite a Wiser You,” if given enough thought is likely to change the way you look at life and the attitudes that you take in various situations.


The minute Dane McArdle bumped into her as she was leaving the doctor’s office, her whole world began to change drastically and Sophia Armitage had some significant decisions to make about how she was going to handle her future and who was going to be in control of it in “Free From the Tracks: The Teen Mayhem Series Book 1.” K T Bowes tells the story of what ought to be a somewhat normal twelfth year at an inner city New Zealand high school which is suddenly ripped apart by the disappearance of Sophia’s mother who is dying of cancer and left her and her father alone. Added to that drama, which has caused her to distance herself from her friends and her only protection from, the “plastics,” a mean set of girls who had already beaten her up in ninth year, is the new friendship that she has developed with Dane. Dane is from the “wrong side of the tracks,” but the line that the tracks forms in order to divide the two becomes more and more dim as she comes to realize the truth about Dane. The new problem that she faces is that the jealous “plastics” won’t stand for letting her and Dane be together and they have plenty of abuse laid out for her. Will she fight back or go down without a fight?

K T Bowes has written an excellent beginning to a series that is sure to be exciting and full of drama in “Free From the Tracks: The Teen Mayhem Series Book 1.” The action and drama is all too real as Dane and Sophia navigate their way through crippling circumstances that challenge the depths of their strength as they are forced to press forward practically alone. The reader will feel the depth of emotion and the struggle that each of them faces as they work out their challenges both separately and together. Deep, realistic and in many ways inspiring; “Free From the Tracks: The Teen Mayhem Series Book 1” is not only a fantastic coming of age novel on its own, but a great beginning to a promising series.

The Threat of Not Reading

The US Department of Labor estimates that American businesses lose about $225 billion a year in lost productivity due to illiteracy. However, the uncounted cost of this growing problem is not only limited to dollars and cents, but to a destruction of our future. High illiteracy rates in children multiply to adulthood, throughout history illiteracy has been used to keep the elite class in power and elitist rulers will continue to grow their power base if we continue to ignore this problem.

High illiteracy rates in children multiply to adulthood. Statistics show that 36 percent of American fourth graders cannot read at a basic level. Those same statistics also show that most of them never catch up. Between 21 and 23 percent of adults have the same problem. How does it multiply? Because illiteracy in adults leads to poverty and poverty, in turn, leads to illiteracy. Therefore, the cycle continues to worsen from one generation to the next.

Throughout history illiteracy has been used to keep the elite class in power. One of the worst offenders was the early Catholic Church who allowed their own leadership to be educated, but not the masses. This trend was not broken until Martin Luther began using the printing press to make copies of the bible in German. Though today's Church is not as extreme as in the past, it still continues to keep most of its believers in the dark. A far worse example it the how Muslim leadership uses the same methods to keep its subjects in line and especially women. The most frightening part of it all is that the trend is growing in social settings outside of religious boundaries.

Elitist rulers will continue to grow their power base if we continue to ignore this problem. As poverty increases, social welfare increases as well. As social welfare programs increase, government power increases. This cycle continues to repeat itself and slowly erodes freedom from the hands of individuals and passes it over to the control of a government institution. Until this cycle is stopped, the United States and democratic nations all over the world are at risk of being subdued under elite leadership.

We have to reverse the trend of history if we are going to conserve our freedom. The cycle of illiteracy and poverty will not go away. The longer we set by and watch this problem increase itself, the larger the threat becomes.

I am truly concerned with this issue and see it as a very real and very devastating threat to freedom. I pride myself on writing smaller books to which I apply the 1/4 inch rule as a means of getting non-readers back to reading. When your child sees you reading, they read as well. Even if it is a 1/4 inch book, it is reading. Let your children catch you reading one of my novellas.

To help your children along and to show them that you are willing to invest in their literary future, consider this excellent reading program by clicking here Teaching Children to Read! And visit my own web site where you can purchase my books Bil Howard, Author. Once again, I hope you don't mind if I make a little money off of the work that I do.