It has been brought to my attention that my birthday is exactly 2 months away from today. Have you started thinking about a present for me yet? I know it's a little stressful. After all, what do you get for the girl who has probably already bought the book she's been wanting and lives as a recluse during the summer months so she doesn't get out much? Well, wonder no more! Here's a list of items that would be perfectly acceptable to give to me!
After all, I do have over 20,000 pictures that would like to see daylight rather than the inside of my computer system. (No, I don't have to print all of them out, but if you ever want me to finish those scrapbooks, some are going to have to be ordered.)
Since I am trying to eat healthier and I'm learning to cook a little bit more, gift certificates to the grocery stores are a welcome relief. Those veggies are pretty expensive!
The home of one-stop shopping for essentials and much better than that "other" place I used to go to for items. I even found out that they're adding groceries to the store right around the corner so I may be able to do some grocery shopping there as well!
As you know, I've been working with Carrie for the past 6 months to try and "get in shape." I've lost a large amount of inches during this time and I would like to continue with my training so that I can stay on track. Carrie offers many different programs and is diligent about responding to my questions and my emails. She truly cares about my welfare and my well-being, so I'd like to continue training with her.
Hopefully these have given you some ideas about what I would like to see in a few months. In fact, they'd be perfect for that other holiday coming in another six months too. As always, if you have questions, please let me know. Yes, these are things I REALLY want. No, I'm not kidding. Have a great day and happy shopping!
Love,
Your daughter, niece, granddaughter, aunt, cat's mom, sister, and other names I'm unaware of...
It's really not that hard to believe that summer is here already--especially since the temps have been crazy and the daily thunderstorms have arrived. However, when I think about the amount of time that seems to have passed us by, I'm amazed at the thought that half the year is over and I feel that I have nothing to show for it except a few adventures (or in some cases misadventures) and a few more gray hairs.
When I first made my book list for Spring Read Thing 2010, I had such high hopes to complete my list because I tried to keep it rather short. Unfortunately, between the craziness of the end of the school year and my own crazy home life schedule, I still didn't complete my reading list. These are the books I read for Spring Read Thing 2010:
What Difference Do It Make? By Ron Hall and Denver Moore
I received What Difference Do It Make? from Jodi Hughes at Thomas Nelson because I read the first book in this incredible story (Same Kind of Different As Me)and she thought I would be interested in reading about what happened afterwards. This book continues the story of Ron Hall and Denver Moore's friendship after their first book was released. Because of the nature of the story, I don't think they realized the impact it would have on its readers. In fact, they were so overwhelmed, that they included many of the responses from the readers in this book! In fact, there's even a Tampa connection, which I think is pretty neat, since I am familiar with this particular radio personality. There are many quotable moments from the book, but I think one of the best is from Denver when he says, "The things you do for nothin is the things you keep forever." How very true...How very true... I recommend that you read this book--even if you haven't read the first (although it may not have the same impact)--because it is a story that everyone should be familiar with. It puts a human name and face with a problem that is running rampant throughout our society: homelessness. It also shows how one person can make a difference, even if it's in the life of one person. I leave you with another quote from Denver. "Listen, if the devil ain't messin with you, he's already got you. If you is waitin to clean up your own life before you get out and help somebody else, you may as well take off your shoes and crawl back in bed 'cause it ain't never gon' happen."
Glaen by Fred R. Lydbrand
LOVED this book! I wrote a short review of it here, if you're interested. It really is a quick read and I definitely recommend it.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
I know this book was not on my original list, but one of our sophomore English teacher's classes were reading it for their unit on Censorship and since I had never read it, I decided to join them. (We had a book get challenged this year and it was my first challenge to have to deal with in a library, so I thought this was somewhat apropos since they were burning books in this novel.) I must admit, I actually enjoyed this book, even though it's pretty scary how close we are to this actual reality. After all,we have flat screen TVs that take up walls in our homes, we have entertainment in our hands via mp3 players and smart phones, and I've even heard it said in the educational field that "we don't need books anymore, we have hand-held devices now." Yep--we're dumbing down our society despite our "advances" in technology and making our lives "easier." Good read and very enlightening. (Very quotable as well.)
Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
Yet another one that was not on my original list. We have a teacher book club at our school and this is one of our choices to read this year. Overall it was okay, but rather predictable and in some cases far-fetched. Don't get me wrong, I was concerned about the characters, but some of their antics just didn't add up, not to mention I figured out most of the plot after the first couple of chapters. I would check it out from the library rather than spend your money on it because there was a nice little bow on things at the end of the story that just didn't belong there.
Back to Life by Kristin Billerbeck (Trophy Wives Club Book #2)
It's been a few years since I've read The Trophy Wives Club so I wasn't sure if I would remember the characters or not. As it turns out, it doesn't matter because this book was about one of the other characters, Lindsay. Lindsay's husband died and now she's left to pick up the pieces and see if she can get "back to life." However, there are a few issues that arise that help to complicate matters--namely his ex-wife and son. Not to mention, Lindsay's ex-boyfriend has decided that he can't live without her and tends to show up at the worst possible moments. Her eccentric, gossipy neighbors aren't helping one bit either. Can Lindsay survive this three-ringed circus or will she crawl under her covers and wait for it to go away? You'll have to read the book to find out.
This book has the usual Billerbeck humor entangled within the plot that makes you laugh at loud and wonder if there's a secret camera following you around. Seriously! Many of Lindsay's thoughts were things that I either think or have said to other people. If you want a light-hearted romantic comedy, then this is the book (and author) for you!
Darlington Woods by Mike Dellosso
If you like horror or supernatural fiction--this is the book for you. The best thing--it's also Christian literature! I read this book as part of a book tour, so here's a link to my actual review. Great book, and I have Scream on my TBR list for this summer. Let me know what you think!
Making Money from Home by Donna Partow
Another book that I asked to review because my mom is trying to get a business off the ground and I have a friend who is working on one as well. I figured by reading this book I could help them, but there are so many helpful resources, that they actually need their own copies. Here's a link to my review for the book.
Frenzy by Robert Liparulo (DreamHouse Kings Book #6)
While this is a "young adult" book, I have been sucked into this storyline since book #1 (House of Dark Shadows) when the Kings first bought their "house" and encountered some unexpected challenges of trying to live there. If you haven't read any of the other books, you really need to read those before you start this one because this wraps up the series. I'll warn you ahead of time--you'll want all six books at once because each book leaves you at a cliff-hanger, biting your nails until you find out what happens in the next one. It's an awesome series and I recommend it for anyone!
The Unseen by T. L. Hines
What if, at this very moment, someone was watching you right where you are sitting? What if they somehow managed to get within your walls or even your ceiling and were watching you through a tiny pin hole? Would you act differently? Would you watch your conversations? What if, you didn't even know they were there? That's the premise behind this book. Lucas has been the watcher for so long that he suddenly finds himself as "the watched." As he tries to figure out who may be watching him, he uncovers an underground organization that results in some terrible consequences for him. Honestly, I was a bit paranoid when I started reading this book since I live on the top floor of an apartment and there is a walkway in my "attic" area that someone could "hide." After checking to make sure there was no one there (a few times), I finally decided I was being silly and just read the book. The plot line was a bit frustrating because it moved slowly and there were so many unanswered questions at the end of the book. I would recommend that you check it out from the library, only if you don't mind being disappointed when you finish.
Last Dance by Melody Carlson (Carter House Girls #8)
I've really enjoyed reading this series by Melody Carlson. While Mrs. Carter may not be as "hands-on" as many parents would hope, I find it to be realistic to the lives that many of my students face. The girls are getting ready for prom and all that it entails as they begin to think about their plans after graduation. It's a busy time of year, but Eliza still wants the girls to help her run for Prom Queen and she's put DJ in charge as her campaign manager. As usual, chaos ensues when a bunch of girls get together and they find themselves as targets of one of the other Prom Queen Candidates. While chaos reigns, one of the girls finds that she may be pregnant and doesn't know who to turn to for help. (A situation that several of my students have found themselves in over the years.) After talking it over with one of the girls, Mrs. Carter is finally brought in and we find out a little more about her history as a model. It's a great series for teenagers and I'm sure they'll relate to many of the characters as they'll read. I'm a bit sad that the series will be ending because I've grown to "know" the characters more, but just like with all Seniors, we must wave good-bye as they head off into the "real world."
So Over My Head by Jenny B. Jones (The Charmed Life Series #3)
Talk about laughing while reading! Bella Kirkwood is still adjusting to her role as town "teen detective" when she's thrown into her role again after she discovers a dead body at the carnival. Using her investigative skills, she manages to break-up with her boyfriend, cause chaos for her dad's upcoming wedding, and winds up working as a clown. Can Bella fix this mess before a killer "fixes" her for good?
I love Jenny B. Jones! As a high school teacher, she really "gets" teenagers and all of their drama. Although this book is a YA book, I laughed quite frequently while reading. I would start with the first book in the series (So Not Happening) and read all the way through the series because the characters will endear themselves to you and have you laughing with their comments and antics. I think romantic comedy is quite an accurate description of her writing--although comedy should probably come first. Let me know what you think!!
I guess all of the other books will return to my TBR pile and I may (or may not) get to them this summer. How did you do on your list? Leave a comment below and let me know. Happy Reading!
Can you believe that it's only now officially the first day of summer? Here in Florida, we seem to have only 2 seasons: Summer and DEEP Summer. With temps ranging in the muggy 90s and our ever-present fear-inducing, lightning-striking thunderstorms, DEEP Summer had been around for the past month or so.
Today is officially MY first day of summer! NO summer workshops; NO kids; NO VBS; NO, not one single thing that I actually HAVE to do today. Yes, there is a HUGE smile on my face, which has been non-existent this past school year. (My co-workers probably wouldn't even recognize me.) So, in honor of this AWESOME first day of summer, here is a fun look at what I try to do when I'm actually at work. (Yes, it's from my addiction: YouTube.)
This video actually makes me want to move to Washington just so I can work with these people! PLUS, they have the real Nancy Pearl--How AWESOME is that?!
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Maggie Rowe of Tyndale House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Donna Partow is a bestselling Christian author whose books have sold almost a million copies. She has travelled in ministry on six continents and has been featured on hundreds of radio and TV shows, including the Focus on the Family daily broadcast. Donna has operated her own home-based business since being laid off as an investment banker in 1988, routinely generating a six-figure annual sales volume. She has spoken nationwide on the topic of women’s entrepreneurship, including two engagements at the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Donna also appeared three years in a row at Senator John McCain’s conference for Arizona women. She attended the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Arts & Sciences, and Wharton Business School. She holds a B.A. in English from Rutgers University. Donna and her family live in Arizona.
List Price: $13.99 Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (March 4, 2010) Language: English ISBN-10: 1589976088 ISBN-13: 978-1589976085
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Part I
Foundations for a
Home-Based Business
Seven years ago, Kimber King was a busy stay-at-home mom with three boys, ages six, four, and two. She wasn’t looking for a way to make money from home, but when she began using a line of products that dramatically impacted her health; she couldn’t help telling everyone she knew about it. Kimber recalls, “The products were sold through a network marketing company and I actually had a very negative view of the industry. But the results I had with my own health far outweighed all the negative things I felt about the business.” So she quickly signed up enough family and friends to reach the top rank level in her company in the first six weeks. Within ninety days, her monthly earnings matched the full-time income she had previously been paid in the corporate world.
Kimber soon began reaching beyond her immediate circle of contacts through social networking on the Internet. She recalls, “One night I stumbled upon a site on the Internet that described itself as a business networking site. It was free and on the site you had the opportunity to create a profile page for yourself. I dove right in and started connecting with a ton of people. I did some things very naturally that literally launched my business on the Internet and to this day, from this one site I have an organization of six thousand plus members. Then I started branching out onto other sites like message boards and forums. I began cultivating online relationships mostly focusing on other stay-at-home moms.”
Another of Kimber’s success secrets is working with a personal business coach. Although she was earning a great income from home, she was working long hours on the computer and her income had remained the same for nearly two and a half years. “It was a very lucrative income for a stay-at-home mom of three,” she says, “But I began to have great goals for my family and helping others, and I was frankly stuck.”
Within eight weeks of working with the network marketing coach, Kimber was earning a monthly five-figure income and an annual six figure income while reducing her workload to less than twenty hours per week.
Kimber also credits her parents for much of her success. “My dad instilled a spirit of excellence in me. By watching my mother work in her own hair salon, I learned how to treat customers.” Kimber says the key is focusing on others. “It’s always about them and not me! What are their needs? What are their goals? What are their strengths? What are their desires? It’s never been about me and my income goals or rank advancements. If you focus on others, all that will come! One of my mentors says it like this: ‘If you focus on the mission, you get the commission!’ ”
Trust in God is also central to her business approach. As she explains, “When I start a dialogue with someone, my main intention is to discover how I can bless them. It might not be about business at all. It’s all about relationships first and then anything that flows out of it from there I leave up to God! I trust Him completely with my business and that He will also put those in front of me that I am supposed to serve. When people ask what I do to create success in my home business, I tell them two simple things: Pray and take action. I pray for those who are looking for me and for those I can serve. Then I pick up that phone
or connect with someone. “Faith without works is dead!” I have faith in my heavenly Father to provide the way but I also know that I have to step out on that path in faith.”
Kimber has stepped out in faith knowing that God is the provider in her home business and that’s made all the difference. Now seven years later, she earns a six-figure income from home, working part-time, raising her sons, and modeling the same entrepreneurial spirit she saw in her own mother.
1
Discover the
Advantages of
Working from Home
Let me begin with a brief look at the “why ” of running a home-based business to show you the benefits, because your motivation and belief in the benefits are what keep you going when the going gets tough. But then we’ll quickly shift gears to the more essential and practical how-to suggestions on the following pages.
Like any job, working at home offers both advantages and disadvantages. In the days and months ahead, times of discouragement will come. You may struggle with prioritization and time management. In addition to those burdens, the physical and emotional demands of promoting your business can drain you. You may begin to wonder if all your hard work is worthwhile, and you may even be tempted to give up your plans. In those moments, turn back to this chapter, reexamine the many benefits of working at home, and redouble your efforts to succeed. Remember, anything worth having is worth fighting for.
Your Home Can Be the Center of Your Life
There’s no place like home. I believe that with all my heart. Home can be the center of our lives, not just the place we come to recover from our lives. We can create an environment that fosters creativity and launch not just one narrow home business but a broad range of income-generating activities.
My first home-based business was in marketing communications: writing press releases, brochures, and ad campaigns. It was hard to get people to take me seriously as I tried to compete with the big-city advertising agencies. But I had a talent for writing and was absolutely determined to be a stay-at-home mother. I landed my largest client when I walked into his office wearing a dark pinstriped business suit and pushing my newborn in her stroller. Thisman said he was impressed with my motivation and touched by my priorities.
Over the past twenty years, I’ve launched countless different moneymaking enterprises. Some were dismal failures; others were wildly successful. Most were somewhere in between. As of this writing, I have a dozen income sources. Granted, some provide only $20 here and there. But hey, $20 is $20!
Let me illustrate. While away on a recent missions trip to Mozambique, I received checks from three businesses, totaling $800.The amazing part is that it was all passive income from businesses I had set up on autopilot on the Internet.
How would you like to earn $800 a week? Would you be thrilled with $800 a month? Maybe you plan to become a business tycoon and earn $800 a day. It’s up to you! But whatever your financial goals, I’m here to tell you that anyone can make extra money or have a full-time career from home if he or she is willing to work smart.
For almost twenty years, I’ve been a leader in promoting home-based businesses for women. I have spoken around the country on the topic of women’s entrepreneurship, including two events at the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, and three conferences hosted by Senator John McCain. I have loudly proclaimed my firm conviction that every man and woman in America should develop some creative way to make extra money from home. And, under appropriate learning conditions, children, too, should develop those skills.
You Can Be Available for Your Children and Others
By working from home, you can avoid the hassles and costs of day care (which are far more substantial than most people realize) and enjoy spending time with your children. Even if you have to hire a babysitter to watch your kids in your home while you work, you’ll be available at a moment’s notice if needed. And you can keep a watchful eye on all that
goes on throughout the day rather than sitting at a desk wondering if your children are okay.
My older daughter, Leah, is now in college. She was homeschooled much of her life, and I was a stay-at-home mom throughout her entire childhood. Although I was often extremely busy working forty hours a week, and even more on my businesses, I was always available when she truly needed me. Won’t it be nice, when your children reach adulthood, to look back and say the same?
Perhaps you have a disabled family member or are caring for elderly parents. Maybe someone in your home has a chronic illness, and you need to be available for doctor and other appointments. Working from home allows you to be there to care for them and gives you the flexibility to take time off during the day, setting your own schedule.
You Can Be a Positive Role Model for Your Children
Some would argue, “I’m too busy raising my children to run a home business.”
I counter, “Don’t you think it just makes sense to include your children in your business so they learn to be entrepreneurial and self sufficient under God’s sufficiency? Don’t you think that training them to run their own businesses might prove to be more significant than running them around to various afterschool activities?”
Fortunately neither of my daughters has the mind-set that some corporation is going to give her a paycheck and job security for the rest of her life. That is an absolute delusion. We need to train our children for the real world, where wise people use the gifts God has given them to mind their own businesses—even if they also have careers. Both of my daughters, who are now nineteen and thirteen, have already had many moneymaking businesses. They’ve done everything from making bookmarks and jewelry to running my book table and processing credit-card orders from my Web site.
When my oldest daughter was fifteen, she organized a teen missions conference that attracted seven hundred people. I had very little involvement. How did she know how to do that? She’s been working at Christian conferences since she was two years old! Leah has also raised thousands of dollars for her various missions trips by making and selling
crystal bracelets
In addition to being able to watch my children grow while I worked from home, they also watched me grow as a businesswoman. By observing me model entrepreneurship, both ofmy daughters learned valuable business skills.
You Can Help Shoulder the Financial Load
Not only can you work from home; you should. With few exceptions, it’s unwise to rely solely on one income source in today’s unstable economy. Now more than ever, I thank God that I have multiple streams of income from my various home-based enterprises. All over the world, mothers not only nurture their families, but they also play a vital role in ensuring the economic survival of their families. I’ve seen this with my own eyes as I’ve traveled worldwide—from the subsistence farmer in Africa bent over her crops with a baby slung on her back to the Asian mother selling items in the local market while children sit nearby, often working as well.
Women throughout history have contributed to the economic survival of their families. We can do the same, and if we exercise wisdom, we can do so in a way that won’t detract from our role as nurturers. In fact, working from home will enhance all of the roles we play and increase our stature in the eyes of our family members. My children not only love me, but they also openly admire me. How can you put a price tag on that?
You Can Enjoy a Sense of Accomplishment
One of the most important things I hope my children have learned from observing me making money from home is that productive work is not a punishment; in fact, it’s inherently rewarding. Many of us have experienced that exhilarating feeling of working hard to complete a project or the joy of beholding something we’ve made with our own hands. A home business will provide abundant opportunities for you to enjoy that exhilaration.
As the old saying goes, “If Mamma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” It’s equally true that when Mamma is happily enjoying a sense of accomplishment, everyone around her benefits. I think I’ve modeled a wonderful lifestyle for my daughters. It’s a lifestyle I’m quite certain they’ll choose to replicate.
You Can Be Your Own Boss
Many people fear dependence on a corporation because they have had the rug pulled out from under them or have seen it happen to so many of their colleagues. The days when you could rely on a company to look out for your best interests are long gone. While you’re working diligently for XYZ Corporation, it’s entirely possible they’re filling out your pink slip. Once you establish your own home-based business, you’ll have the pleasure of signing your own paycheck. And when you think you deserve a raise, you can give yourself one.
When you work for an employer, you’re required to work when, where, and how they choose. When you have your own home business, you have more control over when, where, and how you work. Of course, you’re still responsible to your customers, and there will be crunch times when you don’t have a choice about how many hours you put in. But there is usually much more time flexibility when you are your own boss.
Once in a while when I’m struggling with some aspect of my home business, one of my relatives will joke, “Donna, you should go back to banking.” But we all know I’m completely unemployable! I’ve been my own boss for too long, and I don’t think I could ever go back to having someone else tell me what to do with my time.
You Can Continue Your Career
Many women spend years training for a career before their children arrive on the scene. Teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and many other professionals can quite easily transfer their hard-earned skills to a home-based business. Knowing that your career isn’t on hold will give you satisfaction, even though the majority of your time may be spent with family. This is especially important if you want to resume your before children career after the children have grown.
The amazing thing about the Internet is how easy it now is for a woman to stay current and relevant in her field while mothering and earning money from home. These types of opportunities were hard to come by when I wrote my first home-based business book. Now they abound. Let’s hear it for technology!
There Are Opportunities for Tremendous Success
When you work nine to five for someone else’s company, to a large extent your boss controls how well you do. But when you work for yourself, only your ability and determination set the limits, assuming you start with a great product or service people want. Maybe there’s something you’ve always dreamed of doing. Now is your chance to do it! You
may aspire only to make a little extra money, but there’s always the chance that your “silly idea” will catch on, and you’ll find yourself transformed into a very successful entrepreneur. Someone has to think up those great ideas. Why not you?
I know a number of Christian women who earn six-figure incomes thanks to their home businesses. Yes, you read that right. Six figures! I even know women who’ve earned more than a million dollars, and one woman who has earned several million. With few exceptions, these women did not set out to achieve such tremendous success. They were just doing what they loved, and the success followed. Put another way, they were walking in obedience, and God’s blessings chased them down the street and overtook them. It could happen to you!
The Top Ten Ways to Avoid Scams
1. Surf with caution. Understand that the mainstreaming of the Internet has created both good news and bad news for aspiring home-based business entrepreneurs. Good news: Opportunities abound. Bad news: Scams abound.
2. Beware advertisements. No legitimate company on the planet will advertise to hire an employee to work from home. Not gonna happen. Never. No, not ever. Why? Very simple: If a company had a legitimate interest in hiring employees to work from home, there would be an instantaneous pileup of current employees and their circles of influence. The very fact that a company is advertising work from home is your first clue that it’s a scam.
3. Never buy a list or directory of companies that supposedly hire people to work from home. These are phony! Once and for all: The answer to the question of who will hire you, keep you secure, pay you lots of money, and grant you the freedom to set your own hours from home is no one. You don’t need a list or directory of no one.
4. Choose freedom or security. I constantly hear from people who want the freedom of working from home as well as the perceived security of a job. Freedom and security are always a trade. Will you give up some of your freedom for security? Or will you give up some of your security in return for freedom? You’ll never have both in full measure. Accept reality: You cannot ha e your cake and eat it too.
5. Understand the role of oDesk and similar outsourcing Web sites. In the introduction, I mentioned the emergence of Web sites like oDesk and, in one sense, this is an example of companies looking for people to work from home. And yes, many Americans are trying to capitalize on this new trend. Some are e en succeeding. Howe er, for the most part, companies who post on oDesk aren’t “hiring”; they’re simply outsourcing on a project-by-project basis for the express purpose of not hiring employees. So although some opportunities exist, I belie e sites like oDesk are actually bad news for any North American woman who wants to work from home and is hoping she might find someone to hire her. If you thought the competition was fierce when millions of Americans were looking to work from home, now millions more people around the globe are in the mix. You’ll ha e to compete with people who are willing to work for a few dollars an hour, and it’s nearly impossible to build a successful North American business like that. Now, if you’re willing to move overseas, that’s a whole new ball game, and oDesk can become your very best friend. That’s well beyond the scope of this book, but if it’s something you’re interested in pursuing, read The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss.
6. Know the code. As soon as you hear phrases like “more work than I can handle” or “looking to train someone” or “just want to help others duplicate my success,” run for the door. Or click the mouse. It’s a scam. If these people really had more work than they could handle, their relatives and friends would be beating down the door to get in on it. But since it’s a scam and they’ e already driven away all their friends and relatives, they’re on the Internet trying to scam you. Don’t be fooled. . Beware whirlwind friendships. There are some unethical people whose entire marketing strategy consists of befriending people just to recruit them for this, that, or the other “business opportunity.” Over the years a number of people have swept into my life with a friendship that felt more like a whirlwind romance. In every instance it turned out they were in a network marketing business. As soon as they discovered I wasn’t interested, the whirlwind friendship ended, and they moved on to the next person.
8. Check it out. Don’t rely on information provided by the person trying to sell you. Turn to Google, the Better Business Bureau, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to verify the claims and promises.
9. Take your time. Don’t let anyone pressure you into making a decision on the spot. If it’s a great opportunity today, it will be a great opportunity a week from today.
10 . Big dollars should raise a big red flag. It shouldn’t cost more than $500 to $1,000 to launch a business from home.
Dynamic Uno here: When I first saw Making Money From Home advertised, I thought it would be a fabulous book to read so that I could help my Mom get her business off of the ground. Little did I know that the questions for self-reflection at the end of each chapter and the practical tips for starting a business (or two, or three...) would get my own wheels turning for ways to make money for myself. After all, who couldn't use a few more dollars to help with those pesky bills?
Donna's experience as an entrepreneuer is laid out in easy to understand steps for anyone who has toyed with the idea of starting his/her own business. She has a clear writing style and uses her personal experiences to help illustrate the concepts she is trying to teach. The exercises she gives the reader help personalize your business goals and direction. Donna even includes information on how to market your business and plug in to the personal networking sites that we tend to use frequently.
I recommend this book to anyone who is toying with the idea of starting a business--even if it's something as simple as becoming an affiliate of another company. I know that I'm going to keep my copy of Making Money From Home and purchase several others for the people in my life (my Mom and friends) who want to become their own boss. Donna also includes links to her website, in which you can gain even more insight into yourself and your business, as well as look at other resources available for business owners.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Anna Coelho Silva | Publicity Coordinator, Book Group | Strang Communications for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Mike now lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Jen, and their three daughters. He is a regular columnist for AVirtuousWoman.org, was a newspaper correspondent/columnist for over three years, has published several articles for The Candle of Prayer inspirational booklets, and has edited and contributed to numerous Christian-themed Web sites and e-newsletters. Mike is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers association, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, the Relief Writer’s Network, and FaithWriters, and plans to join International Thriller Writers once published. He received his BA degree in sports exercise and medicine from Messiah College and his MBS degree in theology from Master’s Graduate School of Divinity.
List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 281 pages
Publisher: Realms; 1 edition (May 4, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599799189
ISBN-13: 978-1599799186
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Present day
As he pressed his beat-up Ford down an uneven stretch of asphalt, Rob Shields had death on his mind. His own. The void within him had grown to colossal proportions, opening its gaping black maw and swallowing any hope or happiness he once had. Lost forever. No chance of return. Death welcomed him, enticed him, drew him in with its easy ways and comfortable charm.
Oh, he knew he would never do it. Taking his own life had a certain appeal to it, held a certain freedom that his bleak outlook on life longed for, but it took a much braver— or dumber—man than he to actually pull it off. But still he wanted, maybe needed, to pretend he was as serious as murder. And that meant it was time to see the house. If he was to fantasize about putting an end to his journey, he at least wanted to see the place that had promised a better life. Just one visit, one look, would satisfy him.
He glanced over at the empty passenger seat then into the rearview mirror at the vacant spot in the backseat. Kelly would be jabbering about what beautiful country this was.
“Look at the wildflowers. Oh, I love wildflowers.”
And little Jimmy would be singing away to his MP3 player, getting the lyrics all wrong.
Man, he missed them.
A familiar sadness overcame him, and he once again thought of his own death. He couldn’t bear to live without them any longer . . .
Life had become a great burden, an endless source of sadness. Every day was lived in despair. Unhappiness and discontent had become his bedfellows. He would see the
house, allow himself one evening of pleasant dreams about what could have been, then return to Massachusetts to live out the rest of his life in isolated misery. And in his mind,
that in itself was a form of suicide. A living death.
Rob depressed the accelerator, and the odometer needle climbed nearer to seventy. On the horizon, heat devils performed an arrhythmic dance, and the sun-scorched
blacktop appeared to be glossed with mercury. The road cut through pastureland like a hardened artery. To his right, a handful of horses stood motionless, their noses to the ground. To his left, the land stretched out like a green sea, undulating slowly to an even tempo.
Mayfield had to be no more than an hour away, but the fuel
gauge said he needed gas now. Up ahead, an elderly man in a ball cap was on both knees working his garden. Rob slowed the car and stopped beside him. The older gent turned his body slowly, revealing a patch over one eye.
Rob leaned across the center console and spoke loudly. “Where’s the nearest gas station?”
The old man cupped one hand around his ear and raised his eyebrows.
Rob said it louder. “Where’s the nearest gas station?”
The man nodded in the direction Rob had been traveling. “’Bout a mile down the road. Shell station on the left.”
“Thanks,” Rob said, and he pulled away. In the rearview mirror he could see the man watch him for a moment then return to his garden.
Exactly one mile down the road Rob steered into a cracked-asphalt lot and up to an old-style analog gas pump, the kind with the rotating numbers. He didn’t even know those kind still existed. The station had seen better days. From the sun-bleached Shell sign to the grime-coated plate-glass window of the little convenience store to the scarred and faded blacktop, everything spoke of neglect. This was one outpost time had forgotten.
Rob got out of the car and noticed the handwritten sign on the pump: Pre-pay inside. Management.
Walking across the lot, he could feel the day’s heat radiating through the soles of his shoes. A little bell chimed when he opened the door. A thin, fair-skinned man with shoulder-length hair nodded at him from behind the counter.
“Thirty in gas,” Rob said, reaching for his wallet.
The clerk punched some buttons on the register and said, “Thirty.”
Rob paid him. “How far to Mayfield?”
The clerk looked up. “Where?”
“Mayfield.”
After a quick shrug, “Fifty, sixty miles.” He looked like he wanted to say more, so Rob waited. “Not much in Mayfield.”
“A house,” Rob said.
“Your house?”
“Should have been.” Then he turned and left. The bell chimed again on his way out.
At the pump, Rob unscrewed the fuel cap and inserted the nozzle. Jimmy always loved to squeeze the trigger.
“Can I pull the trigger, Daddy?”
That’s what he called it, a trigger. He’d pretend the nozzle was a cowboy gun. Thoughts of his son flooded Rob’s mind, and he did nothing to stop them. Now was a time for remembering, for soaking up every good feeling and every fond image left to enjoy.
When the rolling numbers hit seventeen dollars, a quick movement caught Rob’s attention. He jerked his head up and toward the side of the store where a stand of shrubs sat quiet and motionless. Then he heard it, a muffled giggle, and his breath caught in his throat. He knew that giggle. Knew it like the sound of his own voice. The movement was there again. An image ran from the shrubs to the rear of the store and out of sight. The nozzle snapped off and fell to the ground with a solid clunk. Rob knew that run too, the shortened stride, the slightly exaggerated pumping of the arms. He could feel his heart thudding all the way down to his fingertips.
It was Jimmy. His little buddy.
Crossing the lot in large walking strides at first, then a run, Rob rounded the building fully expecting to find his son, Jimmy, red-faced with brown hair matted to his forehead,
waiting in a crouch to scare him.
“I got you, Daddy!”
Instead, all he found were a few rusted-out fifty-gallon drums, a stack of dry-rotted tires, and a haphazard pile of rebar. His breathing rate had quickened from the short sprint, and beads of sweat now popped out on his forehead and upper lip. He wiped them away with the sleeve of his T-shirt.
He walked the length of the building, scanning the field of
knee-high grass behind it. “Jimmy?”
But no answer came. Not even a rustle of grass. And no giggle.
“Jimmy,” Rob said in a normal volume, more to himself than the phantom of his son that had haunted him now for going on two months. The visions—the psychologist called
them hallucinations—had come frequently at first, sometimes as much as once a day, then grew more sporadic. Until now, he hadn’t had one for over two weeks. At first,
Rob was convinced there was a purpose to them, a meaning. Maybe they even meant Jimmy was still alive, waiting for his daddy to find him and rescue him. Maybe. The psychologist disagreed. Rob thought he was a quack and stopped attending the weekly sessions.
Scolding himself for once again allowing his frazzled imagination to dupe him, Rob returned to his car like a man taking his final stroll down the long corridor to the electric
chair. The sun’s heat now seemed more intense, and his shirt clung to his back and chest.
He picked the nozzle up from the ground and balanced it in his hand.
“Can I pull the trigger, Daddy?”
Every time he pumped gas he’d think of Jimmy. It was one of those little things that would haunt him the rest of his life. But it was a haunting he welcomed. After squeezing out the rest of his thirty bucks, Rob returned the nozzle to the pump, opened the car door, and was hit by a breath of heat.
Sitting in his car was like hanging out in an oven, but Rob did not turn the ignition. The air outside was still and the heat sweltering. Sweat seeped from his pores, wetting the front of his shirt. He thought of the image of his son and that familiar gait and noticed his hands were trembling. Tears formed in his eyes, blurring his vision.
“Jimmy.” He said the name again, as if it were some holy word that could cross the span of the finite and infinite and bring his little boy back. He wanted to hold him, bury his
face in Jimmy’s hair, and draw in the smell of sweat and cookies.
“I like how you smell, Daddy. You smell like a daddy.”
Wiping the tears from his eyes, Rob started the car, pulled away from the pump, and headed east toward Mayfield.
As he drove, the empty seats beside and behind him burned like hot coals. As much as he tried, he could not dismiss the memory of Kelly reaching over and placing a graceful hand on his thigh, her hair rippling in the wind, a smile stretched across her face. Nor could he stop glancing in the rearview mirror, half hoping to see Jimmy bouncing against the back of the seat.
Rob slapped at the steering wheel. He knew he was going mad, that the solitude of the last three months had nearly driven him over the edge and blurred the line between reality and fantasy. And he was obsessing again. He had to think of something else, so he turned his mind to the house his great-aunt Wilda had left him. He’d never seen the place, had never even met Wilda. But when he found out he was the sole heir to the house, his mother raved about how much Kelly and Jimmy would love the place. That was six months ago.
Before his world got flipped on its head and everything went to pot.
Before he went insane and entertained thoughts of death. The boy and his mommy walk back to the car to clean his hands. He’s been working on a candy apple for some time, and it’s creating quite the mess. Daddy told them he’d meet them at the lemonade stand. Lemonade is great for a warm day, he said. The grass in the parking area is brown and ground into the dry dirt from everyone walking and driving on it. His mommy is holding his clean hand and singing a Sunday school song about Joshua and the battle of Jericho. The boy is still thinking about the eagle the man behind the table was holding. He never knew eagles were so big. And when it looked at him, it seemed to see right past his skin and into his insides. They had other things at the stand too—an owl with big yellow eyes, a couple different kinds of snakes, and an aquarium full of toads—but the eagle was his favorite. He wondered what it would be like to be able to fly like an eagle, way up in the sky where no one could bother you, seeing the whole world at once.
“Here we are,” Mommy says. Their car looks extra clean because Daddy washed it just before they left. The black paint looks like a dark mirror and makes him look funny, like one of those curvy mirrors at the carnival.
Mommy opens the trunk and leans over into it, looking for the napkins. It reminds him of a poem about a crocodile with a toothache. He wishes he could remember all the words. Something about the crocodile opening so wide and the dentist climbing inside, then SNAP! Mommy always claps her hands real hard at that part, and it always makes him jump.
A man comes up behind Mommy. He’s wearing dirty old blue jeans and a tight black T-shirt. His face is big and round, and there are a lot of little scars on his cheeks. His eyes are placed real close together and pushed back into his head. With his shaggy hair and large face, the boy thinks he looks like a head of cabbage.
“Excuse me,” the man says. He reaches out to touch Mommy’s hip then looks at the boy.
Mommy jumps and stands up fast. She turns around and looks at the man, crossing her arms in front of her. She seems nervous. “Yes?”
Cabbage Head looks nervous too. He pushes his hand through his hair, and the boy notices the sweat on his forehead. It makes his hair wet where it comes out of the skin. “It’s your husband—”
Now Mommy looks scared. “Wha–what’s wrong?” Her voice shakes.
“I need you to come with me.” He looks at the boy with those deep eyes then back at Mommy. “The boy can stay here at the car. We’ll only be a minute.”
Mommy bites her lower lip and looks around. She kneels beside the boy. She looks real scared and is breathing fast. Her hands are shaking, and she’s still biting her lower lip. “Stay here, OK? Don’t leave the car. I’ll be right back. Don’t leave the car.”
She hugs the boy then kisses him on the cheek. Opening the back door of the car, she motions for the boy to get in. “Remember, stay here. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back for you soon.” She closes the door, blows him a kiss, and leaves with Cabbage Head. The boy watches as they walk away and disappear behind a trailer.
It doesn’t take long for it to get too hot to stay in the car. He opens the door and slides out, staying low to the ground so no one will see him. He leans against the car, but the black metal is too hot. So he sits Indian-style on the ground next to the back tire and picks at the grass. He wonders what could be wrong with Daddy. Did he have a heart attack or get cancer? Mr. Davies next door got cancer last year and died. This scares the boy. Maybe Daddy’s just lost and the man needs Mommy to help find him. He thinks about the man and his deep eyes. They were like the eagle’s eyes. Something about them didn’t look right, though. The boy feels like if he looked at them long enough he’d see things that would give him nightmares for a very long time. And they would see things in him too.
It seems like a long time of sitting by the tire and picking at brown grass before the boy hears footsteps coming, the sound of dry grass crunching like stale potato chips. He stands and looks around, hoping it’s Mommy. But Cabbage Head is coming toward him, alone. Where’s Mommy? Is she with Daddy, and the man is coming to take him to them?
Cabbage Head comes close. He’s sweating even worse now, and his hair looks like it has been messed up. He offers the boy his hand, a big meaty thing that looks like a bear’s paw. “C’mon, son. You must come with me.”
“Where’s my mom?” the boy asks. He notices his own voice is shaking.
“She’s fine. She wants me to bring you to her.”
The boy can tell the man is lying. He wants to run away but is afraid he’ll never find Mommy or Daddy on his own. “Where is she?”
Cabbage Head closes his hand and opens it again. His wide palm is all shiny with sweat. “Come. She’s waiting for you.”
There’s no way the boy is going to hold the man’s hand. He turns to run but the man catches him by the arm. “Oh, no, you don’t. You’re coming with me.”
The boy tries to holler, but the man’s sweaty hand is over his mouth, pressing so hard it hurts. The boy has never known what it is like to be so scared. He’s sure Cabbage Head is going to kill him, or worse, keep him alive but never allow him to see his mommy or daddy again.
Dynamic Uno here: Let me tell you, if you like a book that sinks its claws into you and won't let go until you've read the last word--you'll LOVE Darlington Woods by Mike Dellosso. I am a huge fan of mysteries and thrillers and even horror at times, but my reading of these genres has fallen by the way-side due to my own reading habits. (I tend to read genres until I tire of them and then try something else for awhile.) I must admit, I was sucked into the story and didn't want to put the book down. (Now that I'm finished, I'm going for another title by Mike Dellosso called Scream.)
The Prologue made me wonder exactly what this (we'll call it a "monster") monster-thing was that was chasing people. I also wanted to find out "what happened" to the characters from the beginning and how it played into the rest of the story. You see, Rob Shields' wife was brutally murdered and his son is now "lost," having been abducted by a really bad man. (Rob has been having nightmarish dreams where he "sees his son" and the things he beleives Jimmy is going through by his abductor's hands.) Having to deal with the pain and denial from this overwhelming loss, Rob decides that Darlington Woods holds the key to his son's disappearence. While enroute, Rob meets Juli, a waitress at the small-town diner outside of Darlington. Having lived through quite nightmarish times in her own life, Juli has found that her faith in God is the only way she will survive through the hard times--both current and future. After hearing Rob's story and having a run-in of her own with a very bad man, Juli invities herself to go along with Rob as he searches for his son in Darlington.
Nothing could prepare Rob for what he and Juli must face when they arrive at Darlington Woods. Pure evil is the best descritption, but what does that have to do with Jimmy's disappearance? Why is Rob drawn to the woods, and what information does Juli know that will help save Rob's life?
You have to read Darling ton Woods to find out for yourself! "Keep the light on" and Happy Reading!
from Jodi Hughes at Thomas Nelson because I read the 
)and she thought I would be interested in reading about what happened afterwards. This book continues the story of Ron Hall and Denver Moore's friendship after their first book was released. Because of the nature of the story, I don't think they realized the impact it would have on its readers. In fact, they were so overwhelmed, that they included many of the responses from the readers in this book! In fact, there's even a Tampa connection, which I think is pretty neat, since I am familiar with this particular radio personality. There are many quotable moments from the book, but I think one of the best is from Denver when he says, "The things you do for nothin is the things you keep forever." How very true...How very true... I recommend that you read this book--even if you haven't read the first (although it may not have the same impact)--because it is a story that everyone should be familiar with. It puts a human name and face with a problem that is running rampant throughout our society: homelessness. It also shows how one person can make a difference, even if it's in the life of one person. I leave you with another quote from Denver. "Listen, if the devil ain't messin with you, he's already got you. If you is waitin to clean up your own life before you get out and help somebody else, you may as well take off your shoes and crawl back in bed 'cause it ain't never gon' happen."
so I wasn't sure if I would remember the characters or not. As it turns out, it doesn't matter because this book was about one of the other characters, Lindsay. Lindsay's husband died and now she's left to pick up the pieces and see if she can get "back to life." However, there are a few issues that arise that help to complicate matters--namely his ex-wife and son. Not to mention, Lindsay's ex-boyfriend has decided that he can't live without her and tends to show up at the worst possible moments. Her eccentric, gossipy neighbors aren't helping one bit either. Can Lindsay survive this three-ringed circus or will she crawl under her covers and wait for it to go away? You'll have to read the book to find out. 
on my TBR list for this summer. Let me know what you think!
) when the Kings first bought their "house" and encountered some unexpected challenges of trying to live there. If you haven't read any of the other books, you really need to read those before you start this one because this wraps up the series. I'll warn you ahead of time--you'll want all six books at once because each book leaves you at a cliff-hanger, biting your nails until you find out what happens in the next one. It's an awesome series and I recommend it for anyone!
