E.C. Stilson's Blog, page 73
July 11, 2013
Do I REALLY Look Like a Car Wash Girl?
Cade worked out of town for two weeks. What gall! Does he think he's trying to support a family or something? Anyway, after discovering that he'd be washing his truck to make it fancy right before coming home, I got all dolled up and drove over to the car wash to surprise him. I'd bought a cute outfit before we went to Mexico, and I somehow felt the short olive shorts and tight matching shirt would catch his attention. So, I pulled up to the side of the car wash. It's a pretty ritzy place. In the back, actual people clean the vehicles. But for manly men--like Cade--there's a spot for people to wash their own rides.
I parked our dilapidated mini van about twenty feet from Cade's truck. I told the kids, I'd just be sauntering over to their father to say hello. Then we'd all go home and they could tell him stories and hug him for hours, blah blah blah, etc.
I shut the van's door and the music suddenly blared. All four of my kids practically head-banged to the music and I swear the crappy van shook. The heater doesn't work. The back bumper is dented from the time I rammed our garbage can--it deserved it. The side door doesn't open, and I have to connect the battery before starting the car each time. But what the Hell, at least the radio can be cranked for pre-teen enjoyment!
I straightened my shorts, took my long blonde hair out of a bun and prepared to ambush Cade, when out of nowhere, a black car drove up and ambushed me.
"Where's the manager?" a man--who looked like Mr. Bean--asked me.
#1 If you look like Mr. Bean, you should NOT be allowed to ambush people.
#2 Who cared about the manager?
#3 Mr. Bean, freakin' seriously?
#4 MOST IMPORTANTLY Did I look like the supreme authority on managers and their hourly whereabouts?
"Ummm. I don't know." I wanted to add, Mr. Bean.
He sneered at me, looking up and down at my outfit like I was Cinderella just after midnight, holding one shoe and standing in rags. "You're one of the car wash girls. Of course you should know where your boss is."
"Excuse me?" Did Mr. Bean just call me a car wash girl?
Disclaimer: nothing against car wash girls, but the title does not sound intellectually flattering.
Had he called me a burgeoning genius--I would've gone for it. Or something like, "Hey, aren't you the muy inteligente librarian from down the street?" Or, "Aren't you that social worker who gave back to the community, by donating everything you own?" But no, of course I would get accused of having a job that takes no brains, and just the skills to press a sponge AND boobs against a windshield simultaneously.
Why me? Maybe 'cause I have more heart than anything? Honestly, I'm not the brightest bulb in the bucket. And the other day I did try using my car clicker to unlock the front door, but that doesn't make me a bimbo has-been who washes cars for a living! (By the way, it does sound like a great way to get a tan though.)
Mr. Bean yelled, pulling me from my thoughts, "You work here! But instead of cleaning, you're just standing by that van, adjusting your clothes."
"I AM NOT a car wash girl. I'm visiting my husband. Over THERE!" I pointed, to where Cade had FINALLY noticed me.
Mr. Bean eyed Cade, turned red and drove away. Before I could say another word, Cade dropped the hose and ran over to hug me.
"I'm so glad you're home," I buried my face in his shoulder. "I just wanted to see you, and then that man accused me of looking like a car wash girl who was lazy and more concerned with clothes than anything else!"
Cade chuckled, holding me at arm's length. "Because you do look like one of the girls working here."
He'd been back in town for two seconds--did he already want to cause a fight? So as he washed the truck for a second, I backed to the other side of the wash, just wanting to study these girls I looked like. And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. All right. It was a Mercedes. And there were only five reindeer ummm girls. And they were all wearing the same set THAT I'D JUST BOUGHT TO WEAR TO MEXICO. I gasped, staring at my own clothes.
Why do I have such insane luck? Plus, one of the girls women looked kinda leathery and like she qualified for assisted care. Maybe that's the one they'd mistaken me for.
"Cade!" I screamed. "Cade. I'm wearing the same clothes as those girls."
"I know." He smiled. "Isn't it hilarious? The funniest things happen to you."
I stomped back to my vibrating van and the kids, waving to me and their father, instantly turned the music down. "Hey, Mom. We thought it was so funny, did you notice you're wearing the same clothes as the car wash girls?"
I grunted. Did everyone have to know?
"Isn't it hilarious?" my oldest daughter persisted.
"Darling," I turned to my scribe-like daughter. "Today I want you to learn something: Car washes suck! AND humor is in the eye of the beholder!"
I parked our dilapidated mini van about twenty feet from Cade's truck. I told the kids, I'd just be sauntering over to their father to say hello. Then we'd all go home and they could tell him stories and hug him for hours, blah blah blah, etc.
I shut the van's door and the music suddenly blared. All four of my kids practically head-banged to the music and I swear the crappy van shook. The heater doesn't work. The back bumper is dented from the time I rammed our garbage can--it deserved it. The side door doesn't open, and I have to connect the battery before starting the car each time. But what the Hell, at least the radio can be cranked for pre-teen enjoyment!
I straightened my shorts, took my long blonde hair out of a bun and prepared to ambush Cade, when out of nowhere, a black car drove up and ambushed me.
"Where's the manager?" a man--who looked like Mr. Bean--asked me.
#1 If you look like Mr. Bean, you should NOT be allowed to ambush people.
#2 Who cared about the manager?
#3 Mr. Bean, freakin' seriously?
#4 MOST IMPORTANTLY Did I look like the supreme authority on managers and their hourly whereabouts?
"Ummm. I don't know." I wanted to add, Mr. Bean.
He sneered at me, looking up and down at my outfit like I was Cinderella just after midnight, holding one shoe and standing in rags. "You're one of the car wash girls. Of course you should know where your boss is."
"Excuse me?" Did Mr. Bean just call me a car wash girl?
Disclaimer: nothing against car wash girls, but the title does not sound intellectually flattering.
Had he called me a burgeoning genius--I would've gone for it. Or something like, "Hey, aren't you the muy inteligente librarian from down the street?" Or, "Aren't you that social worker who gave back to the community, by donating everything you own?" But no, of course I would get accused of having a job that takes no brains, and just the skills to press a sponge AND boobs against a windshield simultaneously.
Why me? Maybe 'cause I have more heart than anything? Honestly, I'm not the brightest bulb in the bucket. And the other day I did try using my car clicker to unlock the front door, but that doesn't make me a bimbo has-been who washes cars for a living! (By the way, it does sound like a great way to get a tan though.)
Mr. Bean yelled, pulling me from my thoughts, "You work here! But instead of cleaning, you're just standing by that van, adjusting your clothes."
"I AM NOT a car wash girl. I'm visiting my husband. Over THERE!" I pointed, to where Cade had FINALLY noticed me.
Mr. Bean eyed Cade, turned red and drove away. Before I could say another word, Cade dropped the hose and ran over to hug me.
"I'm so glad you're home," I buried my face in his shoulder. "I just wanted to see you, and then that man accused me of looking like a car wash girl who was lazy and more concerned with clothes than anything else!"
Cade chuckled, holding me at arm's length. "Because you do look like one of the girls working here."
He'd been back in town for two seconds--did he already want to cause a fight? So as he washed the truck for a second, I backed to the other side of the wash, just wanting to study these girls I looked like. And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. All right. It was a Mercedes. And there were only five reindeer ummm girls. And they were all wearing the same set THAT I'D JUST BOUGHT TO WEAR TO MEXICO. I gasped, staring at my own clothes.
Why do I have such insane luck? Plus, one of the girls women looked kinda leathery and like she qualified for assisted care. Maybe that's the one they'd mistaken me for.
"Cade!" I screamed. "Cade. I'm wearing the same clothes as those girls."
"I know." He smiled. "Isn't it hilarious? The funniest things happen to you."
I stomped back to my vibrating van and the kids, waving to me and their father, instantly turned the music down. "Hey, Mom. We thought it was so funny, did you notice you're wearing the same clothes as the car wash girls?"
I grunted. Did everyone have to know?
"Isn't it hilarious?" my oldest daughter persisted.
"Darling," I turned to my scribe-like daughter. "Today I want you to learn something: Car washes suck! AND humor is in the eye of the beholder!"
July 10, 2013
I Want to be a Princess: An Inspiration
Fran Fischer's book of fairy tales is so well-written--and hilarious--it had me laughing to the point of tears. Have you heard of Gail Carson Levine? Well, she wrote a series of princess books (the most famous one is Ella Enchanted). Fran Fischer's writing reminds me of Ms. Levine's. If you've enjoyed Ella Enchanted, or spins on other fairy tales, you should check out
Fishducky's Fables
.
I'm writing about this today because Fran has inspired my next project, a middle-grade book about a modern-day princess. I've included a small excerpt below. But first I'd like to share a sample from Fran's recently released audiobook, narrated by Sheila Book--an AMAZING talent!
Enjoy :)
Purchase "Fishducky's Fables" Audiobook Version HERE
*Now for a peek at my current WIP.*
Once upon a time--last year--an eight-year-old girl lived in a decrepit Los Angeles home. It was the thinnest home known to man, barely reaching twenty-five feet in the widest places. The house consisted of five rooms stacked upon one another. The building had survived through economic booms and downfalls, through the growth, wealth (and stardom) of mankind. And although the house had increased as an eyesore within the busy city, it had somehow managed to stay erect. A freeway had been built around it, then grass planted about its perimeter until the five-story looked more like a whimsical median sculpture, than a home to a poor, sad, eight-year-old child.
The girl was named Lily because her hair was as white as Easter lilies in bloom and her eyes were as green as leaves. Her mother had died years before, leaving Lily and her father with nothing more than each other and the terrible house that no one would buy--not even the city.
Lily's father, Mr. Rusty Pane (as his bungling associates called him), had become burdened by loss, always wearing a sneer while barking orders and wheezing at the worst times. After fully succumbing to selfishness and his regrets of being a single parent, Rusty locked Lily in the highest bedroom and coincidentally the smallest (only ten-feet squared) in all of the house.
Lily had no bed, no dresser, and no mirror. The child was used to sleeping on hard ground and wearing the same musty clothes day after day. So that was nothing new, but no matter how she tried consoling herself, she simply could not survive the lack of a mirror. Desperate to see herself, having never glimpsed her own reflection, Lily nearly gasped with delight upon finding a tiny two-foot-tall window to the west of her room.
She ran across the slanted floor, and could just make out the reflection's shapely eyes and the dainty mouth resting below a quaint nose, or was her nose mammoth and her lips miniscule? It was hard to tell. The glass wasn't perfectly flat and if she moved slightly, her nose appeared bulbous and her face-shape that of a hammerhead shark.
So as days passed, Lily had nothing to keep her company except cobwebs, the rats that would scurry through her tiny slanted room, or the cars that whizzed past changing shapes depending upon which part of the glass she looked through.
It was during one of these many days that Lily, peering forlornly out her window, thinking the house's bricks had been glued together with melted cheese rather than mortar, spied a clown-like orange car.
I know this isn't quite "orange." Give a gal a break :)
That particular vehicle didn't continue speeding along the freeway, but instead pulled right onto the grass near the house's front door. An elderly woman with a hot-pink hairnet and pointy shoes stepped from the psychedelic driver's seat. She adjusted her cat-rimmed glasses, then looked right up at Lily's window and winked.
"Oh my!" Lily gasped and backed away to the far wall. She stepped over a trap door in the floor and pressed her ear to the wood she'd stood on moments before. Ever so faintly she heard her father's crass, care-worn voice drifting through the five stories and the five trap doors that led to each room.
"She's not for sale," Rusty boomed.
"Mr. Rusty," a joyful voice cried.
"It's Mr. Rusty Pane."
"Whatever. I'm not trying to buy your daughter."
"Lily."
"Yes, of course, darling. Lily. I'd just like to take her out for a bit."
"Never!"
"One hundred dollars?" the woman asked.
Rusty wheezed for a moment, then coughed. "A thousand."
"A thousand? You better let me take her for a month for that much! Five hundred?" she asked.
"A thousand. Why do you want to take her anyway?"
"Because, darling, I've seen her looking through that window and I think she's a princess." Some shuffling took place, and the ruffling of paper. "I'll only pay a thousand if you let me take her out once a week for two months!"
"That's ridiculous. I don't know you," Rusty said.
"Fine, then nothing." The front door slammed and the already teetering house shook.
Lily stood up and shot to the window. She could just make out the woman's still pointed shoes, bobbing under a determined gait and flowery muumuu. Rusty soon hurtled outside, running after, then grabbing the woman's arm. He knelt, groveling like a coward. The woman's left penciled eyebrow rose at the sight. She then, unzipped her fuchsia purse, handed a thick wad of cash to Lily's father and nodded.
"Eight outings," the woman mouthed, holding up all of the fingers on her right hand and three on the left. Lily thought the lady's forehead looked funny through the glass to the left.
Rusty shoved the cash into his baggy gray pockets, looking like a black-and-white picture, next to the technicolor woman. Some cars whizzed past, and Rusty's crudely buttoned plaid shirt swayed in slow motion. Rusty and the woman exchanged a strong handshake, and then the woman hopped into her clown-like car and drove away.
Lily clutched the windowsill, hoping for the best. She watched, noticing, as the woman drove away, that the car's sole bumper sticker read, "Drive as if Zombies Are Chasing You!"
The front door slammed once again and Rusty yelled up through
the five floors, "Lily. Get ready because you're going out with a
stranger first thing tomorrow morning."
"Oh, my gosh," said Lily. "Who is that woman? I hope she has a mirror!"
I'm writing about this today because Fran has inspired my next project, a middle-grade book about a modern-day princess. I've included a small excerpt below. But first I'd like to share a sample from Fran's recently released audiobook, narrated by Sheila Book--an AMAZING talent!
Enjoy :)
Purchase "Fishducky's Fables" Audiobook Version HERE
*Now for a peek at my current WIP.*
Once upon a time--last year--an eight-year-old girl lived in a decrepit Los Angeles home. It was the thinnest home known to man, barely reaching twenty-five feet in the widest places. The house consisted of five rooms stacked upon one another. The building had survived through economic booms and downfalls, through the growth, wealth (and stardom) of mankind. And although the house had increased as an eyesore within the busy city, it had somehow managed to stay erect. A freeway had been built around it, then grass planted about its perimeter until the five-story looked more like a whimsical median sculpture, than a home to a poor, sad, eight-year-old child.
The girl was named Lily because her hair was as white as Easter lilies in bloom and her eyes were as green as leaves. Her mother had died years before, leaving Lily and her father with nothing more than each other and the terrible house that no one would buy--not even the city.
Lily's father, Mr. Rusty Pane (as his bungling associates called him), had become burdened by loss, always wearing a sneer while barking orders and wheezing at the worst times. After fully succumbing to selfishness and his regrets of being a single parent, Rusty locked Lily in the highest bedroom and coincidentally the smallest (only ten-feet squared) in all of the house.
Lily had no bed, no dresser, and no mirror. The child was used to sleeping on hard ground and wearing the same musty clothes day after day. So that was nothing new, but no matter how she tried consoling herself, she simply could not survive the lack of a mirror. Desperate to see herself, having never glimpsed her own reflection, Lily nearly gasped with delight upon finding a tiny two-foot-tall window to the west of her room.
She ran across the slanted floor, and could just make out the reflection's shapely eyes and the dainty mouth resting below a quaint nose, or was her nose mammoth and her lips miniscule? It was hard to tell. The glass wasn't perfectly flat and if she moved slightly, her nose appeared bulbous and her face-shape that of a hammerhead shark.
So as days passed, Lily had nothing to keep her company except cobwebs, the rats that would scurry through her tiny slanted room, or the cars that whizzed past changing shapes depending upon which part of the glass she looked through.
It was during one of these many days that Lily, peering forlornly out her window, thinking the house's bricks had been glued together with melted cheese rather than mortar, spied a clown-like orange car.
I know this isn't quite "orange." Give a gal a break :)
That particular vehicle didn't continue speeding along the freeway, but instead pulled right onto the grass near the house's front door. An elderly woman with a hot-pink hairnet and pointy shoes stepped from the psychedelic driver's seat. She adjusted her cat-rimmed glasses, then looked right up at Lily's window and winked.
"Oh my!" Lily gasped and backed away to the far wall. She stepped over a trap door in the floor and pressed her ear to the wood she'd stood on moments before. Ever so faintly she heard her father's crass, care-worn voice drifting through the five stories and the five trap doors that led to each room.
"She's not for sale," Rusty boomed.
"Mr. Rusty," a joyful voice cried.
"It's Mr. Rusty Pane."
"Whatever. I'm not trying to buy your daughter."
"Lily."
"Yes, of course, darling. Lily. I'd just like to take her out for a bit."
"Never!"
"One hundred dollars?" the woman asked.
Rusty wheezed for a moment, then coughed. "A thousand."
"A thousand? You better let me take her for a month for that much! Five hundred?" she asked.
"A thousand. Why do you want to take her anyway?"
"Because, darling, I've seen her looking through that window and I think she's a princess." Some shuffling took place, and the ruffling of paper. "I'll only pay a thousand if you let me take her out once a week for two months!"
"That's ridiculous. I don't know you," Rusty said.
"Fine, then nothing." The front door slammed and the already teetering house shook.
Lily stood up and shot to the window. She could just make out the woman's still pointed shoes, bobbing under a determined gait and flowery muumuu. Rusty soon hurtled outside, running after, then grabbing the woman's arm. He knelt, groveling like a coward. The woman's left penciled eyebrow rose at the sight. She then, unzipped her fuchsia purse, handed a thick wad of cash to Lily's father and nodded.
"Eight outings," the woman mouthed, holding up all of the fingers on her right hand and three on the left. Lily thought the lady's forehead looked funny through the glass to the left.
Rusty shoved the cash into his baggy gray pockets, looking like a black-and-white picture, next to the technicolor woman. Some cars whizzed past, and Rusty's crudely buttoned plaid shirt swayed in slow motion. Rusty and the woman exchanged a strong handshake, and then the woman hopped into her clown-like car and drove away.
Lily clutched the windowsill, hoping for the best. She watched, noticing, as the woman drove away, that the car's sole bumper sticker read, "Drive as if Zombies Are Chasing You!"
The front door slammed once again and Rusty yelled up through
the five floors, "Lily. Get ready because you're going out with a
stranger first thing tomorrow morning."
"Oh, my gosh," said Lily. "Who is that woman? I hope she has a mirror!"
July 9, 2013
What's Most Important, Having a Heart, Brains, or Courage?
When I was a kid, I'd play a hilarious Disney game. The players would answer about 30 questions like this:
If you were at a wishing well, what would you do?
(a) Sing about your wish
(b) Practice your sword fighting skills around the well
(c) Find a furry creature to befriend in the nearby (obviously) magical forest
(d) Look for your prince (since that's all you think about anyway)
If you saw a frog, you would . . .
(a) Sing a full-length song about it
(b) Practice your sword fighting skills on him
(c) Ignore him and find a Furry creature to befriend
(d) Kiss him because, let's face it, anything that walks (or hops) COULD be a prince
The most villainous person in your life is . . .
(a) Your stepmother
(b) Your stepmother
(c) An octopus
(d) Your stepmother
Depending on your answers, you'd find out which princess was most like you and the prince you'd marry. The game would then provide a description. I ALWAYS ended up being Ariel . . . and I ALWAYS married the Beast.
From my answers, I was doomed to be perpetually spontaneous, basically willing to be an idiot, just to have fun. They were kind of right. Wasn't I homeless in Hawaii? And I also wanted to find someone with a heart of gold.
After reading Pat Hatt's hilarious post yesterday (HERE), and then watching The Wizard of Oz, I started thinking about the idea behind Disney's quiz.
What about these three wise men and their wishes?
If you could pick one of these traits for yourself, or for your spouse/sig other, what would you pick?
(a) a good heart
(b) intelligence
(c) the lion's share of courage
(d) a gift for speaking to munchkins
P.S. Thank YOU for voting for me (especially Janie Junebug, who really spread the word). I'm listed as one of the top ten (#5!) Most Influential Mompreneurs of 2013! More HERE .
If you were at a wishing well, what would you do?
(a) Sing about your wish
(b) Practice your sword fighting skills around the well
(c) Find a furry creature to befriend in the nearby (obviously) magical forest
(d) Look for your prince (since that's all you think about anyway)
If you saw a frog, you would . . .
(a) Sing a full-length song about it
(b) Practice your sword fighting skills on him
(c) Ignore him and find a Furry creature to befriend
(d) Kiss him because, let's face it, anything that walks (or hops) COULD be a prince
The most villainous person in your life is . . .
(a) Your stepmother
(b) Your stepmother
(c) An octopus
(d) Your stepmother
Depending on your answers, you'd find out which princess was most like you and the prince you'd marry. The game would then provide a description. I ALWAYS ended up being Ariel . . . and I ALWAYS married the Beast.
From my answers, I was doomed to be perpetually spontaneous, basically willing to be an idiot, just to have fun. They were kind of right. Wasn't I homeless in Hawaii? And I also wanted to find someone with a heart of gold.
After reading Pat Hatt's hilarious post yesterday (HERE), and then watching The Wizard of Oz, I started thinking about the idea behind Disney's quiz.
What about these three wise men and their wishes?
If you could pick one of these traits for yourself, or for your spouse/sig other, what would you pick?
(a) a good heart
(b) intelligence
(c) the lion's share of courage
(d) a gift for speaking to munchkins
P.S. Thank YOU for voting for me (especially Janie Junebug, who really spread the word). I'm listed as one of the top ten (#5!) Most Influential Mompreneurs of 2013! More HERE .
July 8, 2013
Is this a sign . . . literally?
Cade drove up Mosher Lane where I lived. He parked in the field behind my house, and got out of the car so he could help me out.
I trembled inside when he opened my door and took my hand. I wouldn’t kiss him, refused to, but that was a bad place to park. The lane was so private, so utterly concealed that some of my friends would go there and make out.
Cade put his jacket on my shoulders and led me through to a clearing in the weeds.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said. He leaned closer and put some of my hair behind my ear. I got chills, just from a single touch; I couldn’t imagine how wild it would feel kissing him.
I thought of closing my eyes. That’s all I’d have to do and he’d kiss me; hold me in his arms and I could melt away, just like millions of girls had in the same field. I knew it would be worth it. I’d be the one tasting paradise. I’d be the one kissing a handsome guy in the moonlight.
I looked up at him and thought all those things. His green eyes turned to mine, and he slid his hand behind my neck. All I had to do was breathe—close my eyes and breathe. He pulled me closer. My eyes flickered shut, and just before he could kiss me, I stopped.
“Why are you here with me?” I whispered. “We’re so different. You know I won’t kiss a guy until I’ve known him six months. I won’t have sex until I’m married.”
“And you’re worth the wait.”
He pulled me closer. I almost wished he’d kiss me and take the choice away, but then instead of pulling me in for a kiss, he put my head against his chest.
Tears flooded my eyes as I heard the beating of his heart. I wrapped my arms around his strong chest. He held me like that for a long time, rocking me in the moonlight.
He smelled like Old Spice and mint gum—he smelled like home.
I sniffed and smiled up at him. We stayed inches apart; so close his breath tickled my cheek.
I thought it again. All I had to do was close my eyes. That was all. I shut them, slowly willing Cade to take me away.
He leaned down, his breath getting closer and closer, until I felt his lips smiling against my skin as he kissed me on the cheek. “I better get you back to the house,” he whispered.
“Yeah, I guess that’s a good idea,” I said back, hoping he had no clue how hard it was saying those words.
As Cade walked me to the door I remained quiet, wondering: How could Cade make me feel that way? Was I doing the right thing, and why . . . hadn’t I kissed him?
As you might know, I've written three memoirs about
growing up, being homeless, and losing a child. Well, Cade and I decided
to go photograph/videotape some of these places. Every Monday we'll be showing
locations where my memoirs took place.
So far, some strange things have happened.
First off, we visited the lane written about in Bible Girl & the Bad Boy .
It used to be named Mosher Lane. Look what they recently renamed it!
Cade and I are in shock! Is this a sign . . . literally?
Sometimes life is stranger than fiction!
I trembled inside when he opened my door and took my hand. I wouldn’t kiss him, refused to, but that was a bad place to park. The lane was so private, so utterly concealed that some of my friends would go there and make out.
Cade put his jacket on my shoulders and led me through to a clearing in the weeds.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said. He leaned closer and put some of my hair behind my ear. I got chills, just from a single touch; I couldn’t imagine how wild it would feel kissing him.
I thought of closing my eyes. That’s all I’d have to do and he’d kiss me; hold me in his arms and I could melt away, just like millions of girls had in the same field. I knew it would be worth it. I’d be the one tasting paradise. I’d be the one kissing a handsome guy in the moonlight.
I looked up at him and thought all those things. His green eyes turned to mine, and he slid his hand behind my neck. All I had to do was breathe—close my eyes and breathe. He pulled me closer. My eyes flickered shut, and just before he could kiss me, I stopped.
“Why are you here with me?” I whispered. “We’re so different. You know I won’t kiss a guy until I’ve known him six months. I won’t have sex until I’m married.”
“And you’re worth the wait.”
He pulled me closer. I almost wished he’d kiss me and take the choice away, but then instead of pulling me in for a kiss, he put my head against his chest.
Tears flooded my eyes as I heard the beating of his heart. I wrapped my arms around his strong chest. He held me like that for a long time, rocking me in the moonlight.
He smelled like Old Spice and mint gum—he smelled like home.
I sniffed and smiled up at him. We stayed inches apart; so close his breath tickled my cheek.
I thought it again. All I had to do was close my eyes. That was all. I shut them, slowly willing Cade to take me away.
He leaned down, his breath getting closer and closer, until I felt his lips smiling against my skin as he kissed me on the cheek. “I better get you back to the house,” he whispered.
“Yeah, I guess that’s a good idea,” I said back, hoping he had no clue how hard it was saying those words.
As Cade walked me to the door I remained quiet, wondering: How could Cade make me feel that way? Was I doing the right thing, and why . . . hadn’t I kissed him?
As you might know, I've written three memoirs about
growing up, being homeless, and losing a child. Well, Cade and I decided
to go photograph/videotape some of these places. Every Monday we'll be showing
locations where my memoirs took place.
So far, some strange things have happened.
First off, we visited the lane written about in Bible Girl & the Bad Boy .
It used to be named Mosher Lane. Look what they recently renamed it!
Cade and I are in shock! Is this a sign . . . literally?
Sometimes life is stranger than fiction!
June 30, 2013
Instructional Video: How to Have a Successful Business on eBay
I hope this'll help someone :)
If you're wondering how the fabric sale went this weekend, here goes:
We only made $19 on Friday, but it was fun hanging out with my little entrepreneur. Then, the Scribe started trading MY fabric for earrings etc. from other sellers!
It's so easy for her to barter . . . with other people's items!
On Saturday, we sold over 500 yards!!! At one point the Scribe asked, "Why did you give her all that fabric for half price?"
"Because I like her," I said.
"Would you stop liking people? Please!"
Later that day, the Hippie came to the fair. She started asking people if they'd pay a dime to see a backhand-spring. She made over ten dollars! Do the math on that one--what a kid.
When the Hippie wasn't earning tips, she was either hiding the fabric she wanted to keep, or trying to give the rest away.
She's JUST like her mother!
If you're wondering how the fabric sale went this weekend, here goes:
We only made $19 on Friday, but it was fun hanging out with my little entrepreneur. Then, the Scribe started trading MY fabric for earrings etc. from other sellers!
It's so easy for her to barter . . . with other people's items!
On Saturday, we sold over 500 yards!!! At one point the Scribe asked, "Why did you give her all that fabric for half price?"
"Because I like her," I said.
"Would you stop liking people? Please!"
Later that day, the Hippie came to the fair. She started asking people if they'd pay a dime to see a backhand-spring. She made over ten dollars! Do the math on that one--what a kid.
When the Hippie wasn't earning tips, she was either hiding the fabric she wanted to keep, or trying to give the rest away.
She's JUST like her mother!
June 28, 2013
How to Start a Successful Business on eBay
BIG
DECISION: I've decided to finally sell ALL of my fabric. I had a
booming eBay clothing business, but my hand eventually started hurting
from sewing too much. The doctor told me I needed to stop to prevent
future problems and possible damage that would affect my ability to play
the violin.
Well, it's $15,000-worth of fabric--crazy, huh. I'll
be selling it at the Syracuse, UT fair tonight (6/28/13) and tomorrow for $1 a
yard.
If you're around--and don't even need fabric--I'll be
the girl playing the solo violin by piles of material. I can still play
a smokin' fiddle because of this sacrifice; why not perform a little to
bring in some business AND help stop the pain that comes from the death
of a dream?
I've also decided to share ALL of my secrets to success with eBay tomorrow. (SHHHH! Don't tell anyone I told you!)
Some of the sets I made.
To see this "Story" told through pictures, please click "view full" or go HERE .
DECISION: I've decided to finally sell ALL of my fabric. I had a
booming eBay clothing business, but my hand eventually started hurting
from sewing too much. The doctor told me I needed to stop to prevent
future problems and possible damage that would affect my ability to play
the violin.
Well, it's $15,000-worth of fabric--crazy, huh. I'll
be selling it at the Syracuse, UT fair tonight (6/28/13) and tomorrow for $1 a
yard.
If you're around--and don't even need fabric--I'll be
the girl playing the solo violin by piles of material. I can still play
a smokin' fiddle because of this sacrifice; why not perform a little to
bring in some business AND help stop the pain that comes from the death
of a dream?
I've also decided to share ALL of my secrets to success with eBay tomorrow. (SHHHH! Don't tell anyone I told you!)
Some of the sets I made.
To see this "Story" told through pictures, please click "view full" or go HERE .
June 26, 2013
The Hippie and the Surprise Box
Since school is almost out for my kids again, I thought I'd share a fun story from last year.
The Hippie and the Scribe's last day of school was yesterday--gotta love year-round school. Anyway, to celebrate that school finally ended IN JULY, last week the entire school had a fair. The Scribe promptly told me she'd need some trinkets and things to sell. The Hippie, however, never said a thing. And when last night came, I asked if she'd participated too.
"Yeah. The whole school had a fair. We saved tickets all year to spend them. I didn't want to bother you or ask for things to sell, so I thought of something else. . . ."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I grabbed things people left around the house. I found some really great stuff and some bad things too. You know how you tell us not to leave toys on the ground and if we do, you'll throw them away?"
I nodded and bit my fist because it was hard not laughing. That threat had been a bluff. Why? Because I'm a hoarder. Yet she'd followed through for me. The Hippie rocks!
"But when the other grades started coming through my class's sale, none of the kids wanted to buy used toys." She looked at me with her icy blue eyes. "I wasn't selling a thing."
"That's sad. I'm sorry. You should have asked for my help."
"No way. I was doing things myself. Plus, I wouldn't let something like that get me down." She grinned. "I knew there was a way to get around it. My teacher had a cardboard box in the corner of the room. I asked if I could use it and she just smiled and nodded, watching me the whole time. "I decorated the box and wrote on the side: Surprise Box. Take a chance for five tickets.... Then I put all my junk inside."
That was a bit witty--impressive actually. "Five tickets . . . was that a lot?"
"Yeah, but kids actually paid! My desk was the most popular place to be."
"Did the kids like what they got?"
"Some did. Some didn't. But they were taking a chance on a surprise. That was their own fault."
I started laughing then. I know I shouldn't have, but she took me off guard!
"One kid got a baby toy and I told him right away, 'You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.'"
Wow, so he got a bargain AND some advice that day.
"You're ingenious. You know that?" I said.
"You kidding? I don't even know what ingenious means."
"It means you're pretty dang smart."
"Yeah. I've learned a lot this year." The Hippie curled up next to me on the couch. "Second grade was great. I started out as a girlie girl and ended up as a tomboy. I'm so glad I think about girl AND boy things now. Girlie girls just think about their hair all the time."
"There's more to life than hair?"
"Oh yeah. There's cool things like surprise boxes!"
"You are hilarious."
"And ignious."
"Ingenious."
"Whatever." She suddenly jumped up and ran toward the stairs. "Scribe, come here," she yelled to her older sister. "I have an idea for how we can make some money this summer. It's gonna be epic."
"As long as it isn't a fundraiser, then I'm in," the Scribe replied. "Fundraisers never turn out well when I hold them for myself."
Heaven help me when those two grow up! I really wonder what the future holds for a couple of girls who are so hysterical and resourceful.
The Hippie and the Scribe's last day of school was yesterday--gotta love year-round school. Anyway, to celebrate that school finally ended IN JULY, last week the entire school had a fair. The Scribe promptly told me she'd need some trinkets and things to sell. The Hippie, however, never said a thing. And when last night came, I asked if she'd participated too.
"Yeah. The whole school had a fair. We saved tickets all year to spend them. I didn't want to bother you or ask for things to sell, so I thought of something else. . . ."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I grabbed things people left around the house. I found some really great stuff and some bad things too. You know how you tell us not to leave toys on the ground and if we do, you'll throw them away?"
I nodded and bit my fist because it was hard not laughing. That threat had been a bluff. Why? Because I'm a hoarder. Yet she'd followed through for me. The Hippie rocks!
"But when the other grades started coming through my class's sale, none of the kids wanted to buy used toys." She looked at me with her icy blue eyes. "I wasn't selling a thing."
"That's sad. I'm sorry. You should have asked for my help."
"No way. I was doing things myself. Plus, I wouldn't let something like that get me down." She grinned. "I knew there was a way to get around it. My teacher had a cardboard box in the corner of the room. I asked if I could use it and she just smiled and nodded, watching me the whole time. "I decorated the box and wrote on the side: Surprise Box. Take a chance for five tickets.... Then I put all my junk inside."
That was a bit witty--impressive actually. "Five tickets . . . was that a lot?"
"Yeah, but kids actually paid! My desk was the most popular place to be."
"Did the kids like what they got?"
"Some did. Some didn't. But they were taking a chance on a surprise. That was their own fault."
I started laughing then. I know I shouldn't have, but she took me off guard!
"One kid got a baby toy and I told him right away, 'You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.'"
Wow, so he got a bargain AND some advice that day.
"You're ingenious. You know that?" I said.
"You kidding? I don't even know what ingenious means."
"It means you're pretty dang smart."
"Yeah. I've learned a lot this year." The Hippie curled up next to me on the couch. "Second grade was great. I started out as a girlie girl and ended up as a tomboy. I'm so glad I think about girl AND boy things now. Girlie girls just think about their hair all the time."
"There's more to life than hair?"
"Oh yeah. There's cool things like surprise boxes!"
"You are hilarious."
"And ignious."
"Ingenious."
"Whatever." She suddenly jumped up and ran toward the stairs. "Scribe, come here," she yelled to her older sister. "I have an idea for how we can make some money this summer. It's gonna be epic."
"As long as it isn't a fundraiser, then I'm in," the Scribe replied. "Fundraisers never turn out well when I hold them for myself."
Heaven help me when those two grow up! I really wonder what the future holds for a couple of girls who are so hysterical and resourceful.
June 25, 2013
Would You Listen to a Podcast of My Latest Interview?
If you'd like to listen to my latest radio interview, please visit the following link (
start at 0:44 - 1:08
): Kinetichifi Archive CLICK HERE
Also, Wayman Publishing has joined with Lexie Lane & Becky McNeer (co-authors of The Blogger’s Survival Guide ) to host a blogfest--about parenthood--and offer participating bloggers a chance to be published. Go HERE for more info.
And lastly, some silly updates from my Facebook Page:
Me *on the phone with a telemarketer*: "200 bucks? That's ridiculous!"
My three-year-old daughter *after I hung up*: That was dick-ulous. Really! It was!
Me: Dick-ulous? *facepalm* Wait 'til she uses THAT word at family reunions!
My five-year-old son (when I gave him apples to eat before breakfast today): Huh. No wonder they call 'em apple-tizers.
He might not know all of his letters, but at least he knows his apple-tizers!
"Selling stuff at the Economics Fair will be like taking candy from a baby." -My Daughter
Somehow I don't think this is the message the 3rd grade teachers were trying to convey....
My eight-year-old daughter: Saying "Pig Latin" in Pig Latin, is harder than learning the entire language.
I find this soooo sexy! It reminds me of the time he drove the mini van to a kiddie party--super cute.
If you'd like to read more of these silly updates, I'll be posting one new update each day, just "LIKE" my Facebook Page HERE if you'd like to see them on FB.
Also, Wayman Publishing has joined with Lexie Lane & Becky McNeer (co-authors of The Blogger’s Survival Guide ) to host a blogfest--about parenthood--and offer participating bloggers a chance to be published. Go HERE for more info.
And lastly, some silly updates from my Facebook Page:
Me *on the phone with a telemarketer*: "200 bucks? That's ridiculous!"
My three-year-old daughter *after I hung up*: That was dick-ulous. Really! It was!
Me: Dick-ulous? *facepalm* Wait 'til she uses THAT word at family reunions!
My five-year-old son (when I gave him apples to eat before breakfast today): Huh. No wonder they call 'em apple-tizers.
He might not know all of his letters, but at least he knows his apple-tizers!
"Selling stuff at the Economics Fair will be like taking candy from a baby." -My Daughter
Somehow I don't think this is the message the 3rd grade teachers were trying to convey....
My eight-year-old daughter: Saying "Pig Latin" in Pig Latin, is harder than learning the entire language.
I find this soooo sexy! It reminds me of the time he drove the mini van to a kiddie party--super cute.
If you'd like to read more of these silly updates, I'll be posting one new update each day, just "LIKE" my Facebook Page HERE if you'd like to see them on FB.
June 21, 2013
Interview with Peter Thomas Senese, Founding Director of the I CARE Foundation
Best-selling Author and Child Advocate Peter Thomas Senese:
Summer Child Abduction Season and Heroes.
Peter Thomas Senese is the Founding Director of the highly respected I
CARE Foundation, a self-funded non-profit
organization that has been influential in significantly
reducing the number of international parental child abductions originating from
the United States by 15% during each of the last two
consecutive years. The I CARE Foundation can trace its roots to Peter’s widely
critically acclaimed novel ‘Chasing
The Cyclone’; a fast-paced legal thriller
about a father heroically searching for his internationally parentally
kidnapped child who had disappeared into a sea of billions of faces. From his
own personal experiences, Peter has become a highly visible and outspoken child
abduction prevention advocates: the I CARE Foundation – which Peter has donated
100% of his book sales to – not only has helped pass new laws and sought to modify
government policies geared to protect children, but the I CARE Foundation has
helped reunite many internationally kidnapped children while stopping an even
larger number of abductions. In fact, it
has been said that Peter
Thomas Senese’s ‘Chasing The Cyclone’ is a book of miracles; a view supported by many testimonial
letters from parents around the world.
During the summer
school vacation period, international parental child abductions will devastate a large number of unsuspecting families around the
world. The majority of these child
kidnappings originate from families with parents born from two different
countries. Often when the marriage or
partnership of a multinational relationship dissolves, the parent who was born
in a foreign country may want to return to their country of origin, and do so
with the child of the relationship. Knowing that the other parent probably will
not consent to having their child move abroad, the parent who has intent to
leave creates a scheme to internationally abduct the child. Unfortunately, the
majority of targeted individuals do not even know that an abduction scheme
exists, or the relative ease that exists to abduct.
Knowing the warning
signs of international parental child abduction is key.
These cases are
not rare, especially since we live in an ever-increasing global society.
Unfortunately,
each case of international abduction is extraordinarily abusive. Sadly, it is
estimated that only 10% of all parentally abducted children come home. And
tragically, as reported by the Department of Justice last week, children who
are parentally abducted are at grave risk of extreme violence, and even murder,
at the hands of the taking parent.
If international parental child
abduction was not such a widespread problem, we
wouldn’t be discussing it. However, it is. And by raising awareness of the warning signs and risk factors associated international
parental child abduction that targets thousands upon
thousands of unsuspecting parents and defenseless children each year, we may
become a hero to a targeted child and parent.
I had an
opportunity to ask Peter several questions concerning abduction that I think
are important to share.
Why is the
summer vacation period considered child abduction season?
During the
school summer break in particular, parents who are intending to relocate to a
country outside of where the child is presently being raised, have more
opportunity to either illegally remove the child from their country of origin,
or have the opportunity to wrongfully detain the child in a foreign country
under an initial scheme of a so-called ‘family vacation’.
How are
international family vacation schemes used to abduct a child?
Usually the
parent intending to abduct the child will create a scheme to legally travel
abroad with the child. Sometimes this parent will invite the child’s other
parent to accompany them, while other times they may not. However, once they
get the child onto foreign soil, they will state that they are not returning,
and all too often – and men and women do this near equally – but they will
state that the other parent is abusive and returning the child to the country
of their original jurisdiction is a grave risk that puts the child in
danger. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting
targeted parent, the scheming abductor often makes a false police incident
report against them, citing threats of abuse, violence, or even the threat of
murder. And just like that, the targeted parent’s rights to access of the child
are usually removed pending an investigation. And it doesn’t matter that the
targeted parent has a right of custody.
Now, the rules of law in a foreign country apply. And while the targeted
parent is being charged, the scheming parent often is in court seeking a sole
custody and a restraining order against the targeted parent . . . who thought
they were going on a summer family vacation.
How prevalent
are summer vacation schemes like what you just described?
Sadly, they are
the norm. In fact, it is estimated that
nearly 85% of all international abductions take place during the summer. Of
these cases, I would anticipate by gaging the number of substantial cases the I
CARE Foundation has been involved with that the majority of abductions occur
when one parent wrongfully detains that child abroad.
When a child is
victim of parental abduction, who pays for the child’s return?
In the United
States, unfortunately when Congress succeeded to become a signatory member of
the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction,
they did not authorize the U.S. Department of State to provide financial
assistance for a parent who is trying to protect their kidnapped child. The
entire burden falls on the targeted parent. Recovery can easily run into the
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Hopefully, with the passage of Senate Resolution 543 and federal reports
such as the one that was just issued by the Department of Justice citing the
grave risk a child is placed in, governments everywhere, including the U.S. and
Canadian governments, will provide financial relief for targeted families.
If a parent has
custody, why can’t they just go into the country where the child is being
wrongfully detained and bring that child home?
Because once
they attempt to, they could be charged with abduction in that country and put
in jail. It’s insane. But it’s a reality.
In fact, the U.S. Department of State specifically states that parents
should not ‘re-abduct’ their child. Instead, they should turn to the Hague
Convention . . . which based upon the inbound country, is not the most
effective tool.
Does the United
States have exit controls at our borders, and is it easy for a child abductor
to illegally remove a child from the country without consent of the child’s
other parent or consent from a court?
There are
limited controls in place to protect a child. One policy that does exist is the
Prevent Departure Program. However, there are grave concerns associated with a
child who has a right to citizenship to another country and dual passports. And
policy under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative allows minors traveling
by land or sea to the Canada, Mexico, the United States, and many Caribbean
island nations to only present a photocopy of a birth certificate.
In numerous
sworn testimonial letters written by parents who you have helped either recover
their child or stopped their child’s abduction from occurring, you have been
called a hero. Why do you use your own resources and fight to help other
parents?
It has been a privilege
to assist other parents and their children. I wish
I and the I CARE Foundation could help more parents who are trying to reunite
with their kidnaped child. But abduction is complicated: failure is the norm,
not success, as indicative of the extraordinarily low return rates. However, we
are becoming effective stopping abduction cases, and I think this is key. As to why I am willing to use my own
resources to help others, it’s because I can make a difference for children. No
child should ever be a victim of abduction. None.
What was your
most memorable moment during a reunification case?
They’re all
memorable. However, if one comes to mind it was the time I called my dear friend
to inform him that after 8 years of his child disappearing in war torn Ivory
Coast, that his child was 34,000 feet above Africa, and heading to New
York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport. But you know,
each legal recovery – the I CARE Foundation works through the legal system –
and there have been more than a few, really means a great deal. A great deal.
What can each of
us do to stop international child abduction?
The U.S. child abduction
rate dropped by over 15% during fiscal reporting years 2011 and 2012 in great
part because there was an increase in awareness amongst parents who fall into
the demographics typical of a targeted parent. Ironically, these same
demographics are the core audience for many parent blogs. I’ve said it often: the role of parent blog
writers in raising international child abduction awareness has helped stop a
large number of kidnappings, and has been nothing short of heroic. Parent
blog writers have become heroes to at-risk children and their families.
What should a
parent do if they believe their child is at risk of abduction?
Time is not on
their side, and they must act immediately and contact a qualified family law
attorney. If international abduction is in progress, parents must contact law
enforcement immediately, and then they should contact the Department of State’s Office
of Children’s Issues. They should also open up a case
with the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children. And they should read as much information
about abduction as possible by visiting websites that extensively cover
abduction such as the I
CARE Foundation
What’s the most difficult personal part of
fighting against abduction outside of seeing the hardship of families in crisis
or not being able to help a family in need?
Well, those two are by far the most
challenging. But you know, we’re
standing up to sociopathic kidnappers who have used a child in order to destroy
the other parent’s life. Standing up to abductors does not make you the most
popular person in the school yard, especially when these abductors think they
can threaten, defame, or bully you so you will back down.
You are one of the most published writers covering
international parental child abduction and have dedicated years of your life
stewarding the message of abduction prevention and risks to a child. Have you
seen any results?
I think the drop in the reported cases of outbound abduction
by 15% during 2011 and 2012 speak for itself especially when the previous
growth rate was nearly 20% per year, but there is another part of this story.
The unreported cases of abduction associated with undocumented residents is
believed to be at least 100% of the abduction cases, and though not measureable,
I know the number of undocumented residents the I CARE Foundation helped has
increased dramatically. I also know the number of abduction prevention cases
has increased dramatically. And that’s because parents are becoming aware of
abduction. Now let me make this clear: the decline in U.S. abductions is
because child advocates everywhere have acted to raise awareness and stop these
kidnappings. The work of active advocates today has been built on the
trailblazing work of those who proceeded us.
You’re a
best-selling author who has written a diverse collection of geopolitical
thrillers, yet you have spent several years of your life dedicated to helping
families in crisis. What can fans of your writing expect in the near future?
There was
sacrifice needed in order to play a role in helping prevent abduction, and part
of that personally came in the form of not publishing any hardcover books in a
few years, though Chasing
The Cyclone is available in e-book
everywhere. I intend to release the
accompanying hardcover in the near future … but right now, this is child
abduction season and my focus is to prevent as many kidnappings as possible. As for my writing, I am eager to return to
the world of storytelling as I love that magical world. I am truly looking forward to the hardcover
release of Chasing
The Cyclone for all my work on behalf of
children in many ways starts there. And I am so eager to finish the nearly
completed novels titled ‘Predators Games’, which is the sequel of ‘The
Den of the Assassin’, and the sequel of ‘Cloning
Christ’, titled ‘Quest’.
(End Interview
questions)
For more
information on Peter
Thomas Senese, please visit his official website.
For more
information about the I
CARE Foundation, please visit their official website.
And if you would
like to get involved and lend your voice to help stop international child
abduction, please contact the I CARE Foundation at mediarelations@stopchildabduction.org.
Summer Child Abduction Season and Heroes.
Peter Thomas Senese is the Founding Director of the highly respected I
CARE Foundation, a self-funded non-profit
organization that has been influential in significantly
reducing the number of international parental child abductions originating from
the United States by 15% during each of the last two
consecutive years. The I CARE Foundation can trace its roots to Peter’s widely
critically acclaimed novel ‘Chasing
The Cyclone’; a fast-paced legal thriller
about a father heroically searching for his internationally parentally
kidnapped child who had disappeared into a sea of billions of faces. From his
own personal experiences, Peter has become a highly visible and outspoken child
abduction prevention advocates: the I CARE Foundation – which Peter has donated
100% of his book sales to – not only has helped pass new laws and sought to modify
government policies geared to protect children, but the I CARE Foundation has
helped reunite many internationally kidnapped children while stopping an even
larger number of abductions. In fact, it
has been said that Peter
Thomas Senese’s ‘Chasing The Cyclone’ is a book of miracles; a view supported by many testimonial
letters from parents around the world.
During the summer
school vacation period, international parental child abductions will devastate a large number of unsuspecting families around the
world. The majority of these child
kidnappings originate from families with parents born from two different
countries. Often when the marriage or
partnership of a multinational relationship dissolves, the parent who was born
in a foreign country may want to return to their country of origin, and do so
with the child of the relationship. Knowing that the other parent probably will
not consent to having their child move abroad, the parent who has intent to
leave creates a scheme to internationally abduct the child. Unfortunately, the
majority of targeted individuals do not even know that an abduction scheme
exists, or the relative ease that exists to abduct.
Knowing the warning
signs of international parental child abduction is key.
These cases are
not rare, especially since we live in an ever-increasing global society.
Unfortunately,
each case of international abduction is extraordinarily abusive. Sadly, it is
estimated that only 10% of all parentally abducted children come home. And
tragically, as reported by the Department of Justice last week, children who
are parentally abducted are at grave risk of extreme violence, and even murder,
at the hands of the taking parent.
If international parental child
abduction was not such a widespread problem, we
wouldn’t be discussing it. However, it is. And by raising awareness of the warning signs and risk factors associated international
parental child abduction that targets thousands upon
thousands of unsuspecting parents and defenseless children each year, we may
become a hero to a targeted child and parent.
I had an
opportunity to ask Peter several questions concerning abduction that I think
are important to share.
Why is the
summer vacation period considered child abduction season?
During the
school summer break in particular, parents who are intending to relocate to a
country outside of where the child is presently being raised, have more
opportunity to either illegally remove the child from their country of origin,
or have the opportunity to wrongfully detain the child in a foreign country
under an initial scheme of a so-called ‘family vacation’.
How are
international family vacation schemes used to abduct a child?
Usually the
parent intending to abduct the child will create a scheme to legally travel
abroad with the child. Sometimes this parent will invite the child’s other
parent to accompany them, while other times they may not. However, once they
get the child onto foreign soil, they will state that they are not returning,
and all too often – and men and women do this near equally – but they will
state that the other parent is abusive and returning the child to the country
of their original jurisdiction is a grave risk that puts the child in
danger. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting
targeted parent, the scheming abductor often makes a false police incident
report against them, citing threats of abuse, violence, or even the threat of
murder. And just like that, the targeted parent’s rights to access of the child
are usually removed pending an investigation. And it doesn’t matter that the
targeted parent has a right of custody.
Now, the rules of law in a foreign country apply. And while the targeted
parent is being charged, the scheming parent often is in court seeking a sole
custody and a restraining order against the targeted parent . . . who thought
they were going on a summer family vacation.
How prevalent
are summer vacation schemes like what you just described?
Sadly, they are
the norm. In fact, it is estimated that
nearly 85% of all international abductions take place during the summer. Of
these cases, I would anticipate by gaging the number of substantial cases the I
CARE Foundation has been involved with that the majority of abductions occur
when one parent wrongfully detains that child abroad.
When a child is
victim of parental abduction, who pays for the child’s return?
In the United
States, unfortunately when Congress succeeded to become a signatory member of
the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction,
they did not authorize the U.S. Department of State to provide financial
assistance for a parent who is trying to protect their kidnapped child. The
entire burden falls on the targeted parent. Recovery can easily run into the
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Hopefully, with the passage of Senate Resolution 543 and federal reports
such as the one that was just issued by the Department of Justice citing the
grave risk a child is placed in, governments everywhere, including the U.S. and
Canadian governments, will provide financial relief for targeted families.
If a parent has
custody, why can’t they just go into the country where the child is being
wrongfully detained and bring that child home?
Because once
they attempt to, they could be charged with abduction in that country and put
in jail. It’s insane. But it’s a reality.
In fact, the U.S. Department of State specifically states that parents
should not ‘re-abduct’ their child. Instead, they should turn to the Hague
Convention . . . which based upon the inbound country, is not the most
effective tool.
Does the United
States have exit controls at our borders, and is it easy for a child abductor
to illegally remove a child from the country without consent of the child’s
other parent or consent from a court?
There are
limited controls in place to protect a child. One policy that does exist is the
Prevent Departure Program. However, there are grave concerns associated with a
child who has a right to citizenship to another country and dual passports. And
policy under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative allows minors traveling
by land or sea to the Canada, Mexico, the United States, and many Caribbean
island nations to only present a photocopy of a birth certificate.
In numerous
sworn testimonial letters written by parents who you have helped either recover
their child or stopped their child’s abduction from occurring, you have been
called a hero. Why do you use your own resources and fight to help other
parents?
It has been a privilege
to assist other parents and their children. I wish
I and the I CARE Foundation could help more parents who are trying to reunite
with their kidnaped child. But abduction is complicated: failure is the norm,
not success, as indicative of the extraordinarily low return rates. However, we
are becoming effective stopping abduction cases, and I think this is key. As to why I am willing to use my own
resources to help others, it’s because I can make a difference for children. No
child should ever be a victim of abduction. None.
What was your
most memorable moment during a reunification case?
They’re all
memorable. However, if one comes to mind it was the time I called my dear friend
to inform him that after 8 years of his child disappearing in war torn Ivory
Coast, that his child was 34,000 feet above Africa, and heading to New
York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport. But you know,
each legal recovery – the I CARE Foundation works through the legal system –
and there have been more than a few, really means a great deal. A great deal.
What can each of
us do to stop international child abduction?
The U.S. child abduction
rate dropped by over 15% during fiscal reporting years 2011 and 2012 in great
part because there was an increase in awareness amongst parents who fall into
the demographics typical of a targeted parent. Ironically, these same
demographics are the core audience for many parent blogs. I’ve said it often: the role of parent blog
writers in raising international child abduction awareness has helped stop a
large number of kidnappings, and has been nothing short of heroic. Parent
blog writers have become heroes to at-risk children and their families.
What should a
parent do if they believe their child is at risk of abduction?
Time is not on
their side, and they must act immediately and contact a qualified family law
attorney. If international abduction is in progress, parents must contact law
enforcement immediately, and then they should contact the Department of State’s Office
of Children’s Issues. They should also open up a case
with the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children. And they should read as much information
about abduction as possible by visiting websites that extensively cover
abduction such as the I
CARE Foundation
What’s the most difficult personal part of
fighting against abduction outside of seeing the hardship of families in crisis
or not being able to help a family in need?
Well, those two are by far the most
challenging. But you know, we’re
standing up to sociopathic kidnappers who have used a child in order to destroy
the other parent’s life. Standing up to abductors does not make you the most
popular person in the school yard, especially when these abductors think they
can threaten, defame, or bully you so you will back down.
You are one of the most published writers covering
international parental child abduction and have dedicated years of your life
stewarding the message of abduction prevention and risks to a child. Have you
seen any results?
I think the drop in the reported cases of outbound abduction
by 15% during 2011 and 2012 speak for itself especially when the previous
growth rate was nearly 20% per year, but there is another part of this story.
The unreported cases of abduction associated with undocumented residents is
believed to be at least 100% of the abduction cases, and though not measureable,
I know the number of undocumented residents the I CARE Foundation helped has
increased dramatically. I also know the number of abduction prevention cases
has increased dramatically. And that’s because parents are becoming aware of
abduction. Now let me make this clear: the decline in U.S. abductions is
because child advocates everywhere have acted to raise awareness and stop these
kidnappings. The work of active advocates today has been built on the
trailblazing work of those who proceeded us.
You’re a
best-selling author who has written a diverse collection of geopolitical
thrillers, yet you have spent several years of your life dedicated to helping
families in crisis. What can fans of your writing expect in the near future?
There was
sacrifice needed in order to play a role in helping prevent abduction, and part
of that personally came in the form of not publishing any hardcover books in a
few years, though Chasing
The Cyclone is available in e-book
everywhere. I intend to release the
accompanying hardcover in the near future … but right now, this is child
abduction season and my focus is to prevent as many kidnappings as possible. As for my writing, I am eager to return to
the world of storytelling as I love that magical world. I am truly looking forward to the hardcover
release of Chasing
The Cyclone for all my work on behalf of
children in many ways starts there. And I am so eager to finish the nearly
completed novels titled ‘Predators Games’, which is the sequel of ‘The
Den of the Assassin’, and the sequel of ‘Cloning
Christ’, titled ‘Quest’.
(End Interview
questions)
For more
information on Peter
Thomas Senese, please visit his official website.
For more
information about the I
CARE Foundation, please visit their official website.
And if you would
like to get involved and lend your voice to help stop international child
abduction, please contact the I CARE Foundation at mediarelations@stopchildabduction.org.
June 20, 2013
The Golden Sky is now Available as an Audiobook! Come Listen to a Sample!
When narrator Alexandra G. Haag initially auditioned to be
the voice of my memoir "The Golden Sky" neither one of us
knew quite how much we have in common, or how impacting this project would
become.
In a previous post (HERE) I confessed that
while listening to the first few pages of Haag's narration, I felt compelled,
wondering what Haag had gone through to convey such emotion. "The Golden Sky" is very close to my
heart since it details the hardest time of my life, when
my infant son was born with birth defects and later passed away. Although I feel that Haag was
"destined" to produce my memoir, at first I had no idea that Haag
herself had lost a child.
As time passed, I learned that Haag's daughter lived
to be the same age as my son, Zeke. But the coincidences didn't stop
there. I, myself, was born only a
few weeks before Haag had found out she was pregnant with her own angel
baby. "I've often thought about the
timing of Elisa's experience and my own," says Haag. And it truly is amazing that God has bought us together, to reach out through this
project, trying to help others who may be going through similar circumstances.
You can listen to the first fifteen minutes here:
Purchase "The Golden Sky" Audiobook Version HERE
the voice of my memoir "The Golden Sky" neither one of us
knew quite how much we have in common, or how impacting this project would
become.
In a previous post (HERE) I confessed that
while listening to the first few pages of Haag's narration, I felt compelled,
wondering what Haag had gone through to convey such emotion. "The Golden Sky" is very close to my
heart since it details the hardest time of my life, when
my infant son was born with birth defects and later passed away. Although I feel that Haag was
"destined" to produce my memoir, at first I had no idea that Haag
herself had lost a child.
As time passed, I learned that Haag's daughter lived
to be the same age as my son, Zeke. But the coincidences didn't stop
there. I, myself, was born only a
few weeks before Haag had found out she was pregnant with her own angel
baby. "I've often thought about the
timing of Elisa's experience and my own," says Haag. And it truly is amazing that God has bought us together, to reach out through this
project, trying to help others who may be going through similar circumstances.
You can listen to the first fifteen minutes here:
Purchase "The Golden Sky" Audiobook Version HERE
