Leslie’s Blog

My dad passed away yesterday at 45 yrs. old.  I miss him terribly already and don’t know how I’m going to go on through life without ever seeing him again.  He was my best friend.  He told me one time a man only has two things in this world that are truly his:  his credit and his word.  Daddy never broke a promise, not intentionally anyway.  He was silly and crazy.  He would do the most off the wall things to make you laugh sometimes.  I would give anything for him to embarrass me in a restaraunt right now.  I told him everything.  We never really had secrets from each other.  He was so proud of my book, even before it was published.  Just that I had written one made him happy for me.  Daddy was very depressed all the time.  He was in constant pain at times to where he was unable to get out of bed for weeks.  Due to the severity of his depression, he was put on Social Security Disability.  Because of the small checks he got once a month, he couldn’t afford any extras but he wanted my book so bad when it did get published.  On his birthday, I brought him a copy and signed it for him.  He hugged me for a few minutes and tears welled up in his eyes.  He was so proud of me and he never let me forget that.  He never judged me.  He did try to talk some sense into me a couple of times but no matter what decisions I made, his opinion of me never changed.  I wasn’t his biological daughter.  He was my father in every way that mattered, he told me.  It didn’t matter to him that his blood didn’t run through my veins.  He never told anyone different either.  I was his daughter.  Now that he’s gone, his family, including my brother and sister, don’t see me as his daughter anymore.  I guess it was okay while he was here but the minute he’s gone, I have no rights.  It’s bad enough that he’s gone.  It’s bad enough to know that I’m never going to see him ever again.  My heart aches in so many ways right now.  I am completely distraught over this.  Not only am I losing the man I considered my dad, but the family I called mine too.  The family has gotten together twice now and both times, I was not called.  Actually, the first time they got together, my stepdad called me from daddy’s family’s house.  I had no idea they were even over there!  My life is never going to be the same again.  They say death brings out the best or the worst in people.  I’d say this won’t be pretty when all is said and done.

Eleanor has finally finished grieving for her late husband and is ready to start her life again when she realizes she has a rare form of breast cancer known as IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer).  Her family pitches in to start an organization to promote Breast Cancer Awareness and Eleanor learns to live each day as if it were her last.  This story is a very heart felt and emotional roller coaster.  It will have you laughing, crying and cursing.  Half of the proceeds from this book will be donated to the Women’s Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation.

Derrick’s life hangs in the balance when he realizes the break in at his home is not a random robbery.  Someone is definitely out to get him, but who? 

Young women are being found in photo booths brutally attacked and barely alive.  Lieutenant Sarah Hayes is on the case and determined to catch this psychopath.  He’s leaving clues at every scene that may spell out Sarah’s ultimate fate.  Can she catch this lunatic before he gets to her?

I love my husband and I love my kids but sometimes I feel like I’m just not ME.  When I am writing, I can be anybody I want to be in any scenario at any place in the world.  Lately, I haven’t felt much like writing.  My world has become so hum-drum living the day-to-day that I’ve had no inspiration really, until now, that is.  I have had the most exciting chance to talk to a lot of great well-known writers these past few weeks but one in particular stands out from the crowd.  He has given me inspiration again.  He has helped me when no one else would.  To him, I want to say thank you.  I believe he knows who he is.  Maybe one day I’ll get to meet him.  Maybe one day, I’ll be able to say he is a good friend.  I think some writers when they become “well known” get to a point where they aren’t good enough for the little people anymore.  They don’t want to talk to you if you’re just beginning on the same journey they took so many years ago.  I think that ALL writers are on the same level basically.  Some may be better than others, but we all share something that a lot of people can’t do.  That something is “using our imaginations to the fullest.”  We see a scene taking place in our minds and we are able to write the details so vividly that people who read it can see it exactly as we do.  Contrary to popular belief, that takes an incredible amount of talent.  This same man, who I mentioned earlier, taught me something very valuable.  I’m using it here now.  I asked him, “What do you do when you experience writer’s block?”  He responded, “You write anyway.”  I’m writing.  I may be babbling and not making any sense to you but it makes perfect sense in my mind. 

“How Do I…” A Book of Poetry (Wordclay)  Order my new poetry book.  Just click on this link to get it!

My small compilation of poetry I’ve written over the years will be on sale in approx. 5 days!  It’s a small book and there’s not a whole lot of seriousness to it, it’s just fun and silly and was written out of love, anger, a broken heart (at times), and life in general.  Make sure you get a copy!  There’s blank pages in there also if the need strikes you, as a reader, to write your own.  Enjoy!

I want to say thanks to all of you who have been so supportive! It really means a lot to me.

Be A Kid Again

1. Do a cartwheel.
2. Sing into your hairbrush.
3. Walk barefoot in wet grass.
4. Play a song you like really loud, over and over.
5. Dot all your “i”’s with smiley faces.
6. Read the funnies. Throw the rest of the paper away.
7. Dunk your cookies.
8. Play a game where you make up the rules as you go along.
9. Step carefully over sidewalk cracks.
10. Change into some play clothes.
11. Try to get someone to trade you a better sandwich.
12. Eat ice cream for breakfast.
13. Kiss a frog, just in case.
14. Blow the wrapper off a straw.
15. Have someone read you a story.
16. Find some pretty stones and save them.
17. Wear your favorite shirt with you favorite pants even if they don’t match.
18. Take a running jump over a big puddle.
19. Get someone to buy you something you really don’t need.
20. Hide your vegetables under your napkin.
21. Stay up past your bedtime.
22. Eat dessert first.
23. Fuss a little, then take a nap.
24. Wear red gym shoes.
25. Put way too much sugar on your cereal.
26. Make cool screeching noises every time you turn a corner.
27. Giggle a lot for no reason.
28. Give yourself a gold star for everything you do today.

Just to let everyone know, this site has not been updated yet and for any of you who have not bought my book yet or have bought it and want the newest version go to  http://www.wordclay.com/BookStore/BookStoreBookDetails.aspx?bookid=10912 to pick it up.   You can still get it at the link provided on the front page but you can get a better version at this website cheaper.  Thanks for your support!