Shelley D Terrell's Blog, page 2

Murder in the Foster Care System

 By the time you finish reading this blog more than three children will be abused. Depending upon your reading speed, between five and twenty children will die at the hand of their abuser before you finish reading Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story. Every ten seconds in the United States, a child is abused; every day, more than five children die of neglect or abuse. More than eighty percent of those who die will be under the age of four. Of the approximately 425,000 children in foster care at any given moment, only about 50,000 will be adopted. Roughly another 27,000 will “age out” of care on their eighteenth birthday. Those who do age out are often ill-prepared to survive in the world; nearly half don’t even have a high school diploma! These are the statistics according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families.

Sadly, there are a few people who become Foster Parents only for the monthly check they receive from DHS. These people will not spend one extra dime on the children they take into their homes. Some of these people will take in as many Foster Children as possible, using the children as a form of income. Because there are so many Foster Children and so few Foster Parents, Social Workers often have no choice but to place children in these less than desirable homes. Children who end up in homes like these are often treated as an inconvenience. Some are used as household servants. Some are verbally, mentally and sometimes physically or sexually abused. Often, in homes like these, the children are made to feel unwanted. They are given only the basic necessities of life, and at an age where style matters and acceptance is important to psyche, they are given the bare minimum in school clothing-a factor which further diminishes their already damaged self-esteem. These children are often forgotten on their birthdays and Christmas; many of these children don’t even have winter coats!

Because there are so many Foster Children, Social Workers are often too overworked to make the needed visits to ensure the child’s safety. Children in care often go months without ever seeing their Social Worker, so they have no chance to report that they are being neglected, mistreated or abused. Additionally, since DHS will not pay a Foster family for a child that ‘ages out of care’(a child who turns eighteen years old) there have been instances where the Foster Parent forced the child to leave on child’s eighteenth birthday, even though that child may have had nowhere else to go.

Fortunately, most foster parents become foster parents as a labor of love; not as a form of income. These selfless souls spend their own money to meet the needs of the children they take into their homes, knowing that the small reimbursement check they receive from DHS each month will not even begin to cover the child’s expenses. They supply school clothes and winter coats, money for incidentals, rides to school, rides to court appearances, and visits with parents and even birthday and Christmas presents for these children. I believe that these people-these Angels-have a special place in Heaven.

A child entering Foster care is traumatized. That child has lost more in a single day than most of us lose in our lifetimes. The child has been separated from everything familiar to him or her. Imagine suffering the death of the loved one who takes care of you, or being assaulted physically, sexually or both, and then being taken from your home without even being allowed to pack your clothes or grab your purse or wallet! Imagine further that you are then taken to a stranger’s home and left there without the ability to contact a single person you know. Even if the stranger’s family welcomed you, you would feel very awkward-and you would still be trying to deal with the situation which caused you to be there. You would miss your familiar surroundings and you would long for a single familiar voice. You might begin to feel that you were being punished because of something which happened to you over which you had no control. You might become depressed or even angry. Imagine that just as you finally start to become comfortable at the stranger’s home, you are moved to another home. You might become withdrawn, trying not to form bonds as a way to protect yourself from the pain of yet another loss. It is not uncommon for a child in care to be moved six or seven times in one year! No wonder so many children in care age out without achieving their high school diploma. How could anyone be successful in school while being moved from home to home and school to school several times in a single school year? Often, children in care have been molested and abused sexually, berated verbally, abused physically, used as servants and mistreated in as many other ways as could possibly be imagined while they are in care! Imagine that after you were traumatized and then taken from your home, you were placed in another abusive home without the benefit of familiar surroundings or even a visit from a Social Worker you could tell. You might learn not to trust anyone. Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story is the story of one girl’s journey through foster care.

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Judging a Book by It’s Cover

“You can’t judge a book by its cover.”

We’ve heard this all of our lives; yet who among us hasn’t picked up a book, looked at the cover, and put it back down without a second glance, simply because the art on the cover didn’t appeal to us?

After much soul searching, I have made the painful and difficult decision to change the cover on “Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story”. I’m worried that the current cover might give potential readers the wrong idea about the book’s message; that the cover might make them think “Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story” is a horror story.

I wrote “Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story” hoping to bring attention to the plight of children in foster care. The book has a strong message which is intended to speak to the reader and hopefully bring attention and understanding to the situation that children in care endure every day.

While the plight of our children in Foster Care is definitely a horror, it is not a horror story in the sense that Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” or Frank Darabont’s “The Walking Dead” are horror stories. Child abuse is a real life horror story that can, and does, happen every day. I feel that the current cover not only gives the wrong idea about the book; it actually detracts from the solemn subject matter of the book. I believe that if you have read “Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story”, you will agree.

I’ve found an experienced designer who is excellent at what she does, and who, I believe, has been able to capture the essence of my books. She is designing a new cover for “Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story”, and the cover for my next book, “From the Ashes”. She is also creating new headers for my Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as redesigning my website, ShelleyDTerrell.com. I have complete confidence in her ability. I hope to be able to show you the new cover soon.

Meanwhile, just as she did in “Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story”, Callie has been keeping me awake at night. Hers is a story which demands to be written. “From the Ashes” is the second book in the “Rag Dolls” series, and I plan to release it by the end of the year. Please stay tuned. Please, follow me on Facebook and Twitter; and if you haven’t already, please don’t forget to sign up for email notification so I can keep you updated.

 

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Murder in the Foster Care System

By the time you finish reading this blog more than three children will be abused. Depending upon your reading speed, between five and twenty children will die at the hand of their abuser before you finish reading Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story. Every ten seconds in the United States, a child is abused; every day, more than five children die of neglect or abuse. More than eighty percent of those who die will be under the age of four. Of the approximately 425,000 children in foster care at any given moment, only about 50,000 will be adopted. Roughly another 27,000 will “age out” of care on their eighteenth birthday. Those who do age out are often ill-prepared to survive in the world; nearly half don’t even have a high school diploma! These are the statistics according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families.

Sadly, there are a few people who become Foster Parents only for the monthly check they receive from DHS. These people will not spend one extra dime on the children they take into their homes. Some of these people will take in as many Foster Children as possible, using the children as a form of income. Because there are so many Foster Children and so few Foster Parents, Social Workers often have no choice but to place children in these less than desirable homes. Children who end up in homes like these are often treated as an inconvenience. Some are used as household servants. Some are verbally, mentally and sometimes physically or sexually abused. Often, in homes like these, the children are made to feel unwanted. They are given only the basic necessities of life, and at an age where style matters and acceptance is important to psyche, they are given the bare minimum in school clothing-a factor which further diminishes their already damaged self-esteem. These children are often forgotten on their birthdays and Christmas; many of these children don’t even have winter coats!

Because there are so many Foster Children, Social Workers are often too overworked to make the needed visits to ensure the child’s safety. Children in care often go months without ever seeing their Social Worker, so they have no chance to report that they are being neglected, mistreated or abused. Additionally, since DHS will not pay a Foster family for a child that ‘ages out of care’(a child who turns eighteen years old) there have been instances where the Foster Parent forced the child to leave on child’s eighteenth birthday, even though that child may have had nowhere else to go.

Fortunately, most foster parents become foster parents as a labor of love; not as a form of income. These selfless souls spend their own money to meet the needs of the children they take into their homes, knowing that the small reimbursement check they receive from DHS each month will not even begin to cover the child’s expenses. They supply school clothes and winter coats, money for incidentals, rides to school, rides to court appearances, and visits with parents and even birthday and Christmas presents for these children. I believe that these people-these Angels-have a special place in Heaven.

A child entering Foster care is traumatized. That child has lost more in a single day than most of us lose in our lifetimes. The child has been separated from everything familiar to him or her. Imagine suffering the death of the loved one who takes care of you, or being assaulted physically, sexually or both, and then being taken from your home without even being allowed to pack your clothes or grab your purse or wallet! Imagine further that you are then taken to a stranger’s home and left there without the ability to contact a single person you know. Even if the stranger’s family welcomed you, you would feel very awkward-and you would still be trying to deal with the situation which caused you to be there. You would miss your familiar surroundings and you would long for a single familiar voice. You might begin to feel that you were being punished because of something which happened to you over which you had no control. You might become depressed or even angry. Imagine that just as you finally start to become comfortable at the stranger’s home, you are moved to another home. You might become withdrawn, trying not to form bonds as a way to protect yourself from the pain of yet another loss. It is not uncommon for a child in care to be moved six or seven times in one year! No wonder so many children in care age out without achieving their high school diploma. How could anyone be successful in school while being moved from home to home and school to school several times in a single school year? Often, children in care have been molested and abused sexually, berated verbally, abused physically, used as servants and mistreated in as many other ways as could possibly be imagined while they are in care! Imagine that after you were traumatized and then taken from your home, you were placed in another abusive home without the benefit of familiar surroundings or even a visit from a Social Worker you could tell. You might learn not to trust anyone. Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story is the story of one girl’s journey through foster care.

 

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Preview Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story Chapter 1–free Sample

A Preview Of Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story

Chapter 1

When Callie heard the footsteps, she knew he was coming toward her room. She lay quietly in her bed not daring to move. She barely breathed as she pretended to sleep.

He opened her bedroom door and just stood there in the doorway, staring at her. He watched her as she lay in her bed as though he were in a trance; as though he knew her secret.

Her nose itched, but she didn’t dare scratch it. She didn’t dare move. Today was the day. If she could just get through this moment without being caught, today she would leave.

Her heart was racing. It was beating so hard that she was afraid he would hear it and know that she was awake. By his very presence, he had stricken the chord of terror in her that had kept her his captive for all this time.

She badly needed a deep breath, but she was afraid to take one–and she really needed to scratch her nose. She willed herself to control her breathing and keep it shallow, slow and even. She was terrified that if he came all the way into the room, he might find the bag of things she had hidden in the corner behind the desk.

Suddenly, he shook himself out of his trance and entered the room. As he approached the side of her bed, she could smell his cologne. The fragrance repulsed her.

He reached out to touch her long, blonde hair, but apparently thought better of it. He turned around, and walked back toward the bedroom door as though he were going to leave. She was going to make it! He was leaving and he hadn’t found her bag.

Just before he got to the door, he stopped for a moment to look at the old handmade ragdoll which Callie had left lying on the corner of the desk.

She tensed. If he looked down, he would see her bag. She was terrified, and her lungs were about to burst, but still she did not allow herself to move. She concentrated on keeping her breathing slow and even.

He picked up the doll and turned it over in his hands, as though he were studying it, as though he were trying to figure out why a girl Callie’s age would have such a strong emotional attachment to an old, handmade ragdoll.

In one swift motion, he ripped the head off of the doll. Chuckling to himself, he left both pieces on the desk as an illustrative reminder of what would happen to Callie if she ever crossed him.

Quietly, he left the room and closed the door leaving the stench of his cologne behind him.

Callie lay perfectly still for another full minute before she very carefully scratched her nose and took several deep breaths as quickly and quietly as she could.

Now, she lay listening, straining to hear any sound. She was afraid to move in case it was a trick and he hadn’t really left. She had heard his footsteps as he walked across the ceramic tile in the entryway of the house, and she had heard the front door open and close, but she hadn’t heard the car start. She lay perfectly still, quietly waiting for some sound which would tell her if he was still in the house.

This was her last chance to escape before he found out about her secret. She knew what he would do to her if he found out. Today was the day that she would run for her life. She would leave this house of horrors and never look back.

It was June, the summer between her ninth and tenth grade school years. Callie had known for a long time that she would have to run eventually. She had known that she had no choice.

“I should have left weeks ago…”

Her mind wandered back to the few missed opportunities she’d had to leave.

“If I had only left when I had the chance, this wouldn’t have happened. Now what am I going to do? Where will I go? I’m only fifteen; how am I going to survive?”

She had thought about leaving the first time it happened, but he had talked her out of it.

“I’m sorry Callie. I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have treated you that way. I was drinking. I know that being drunk isn’t an excuse to treat you the way I did. I know it was wrong. It’s just that I’ve been so stressed out at work. They’ve been making cuts, Callie. They’ve been laying people off. I’m so worried about my job. If I lose my job, how will I take care of my family? And now, with my wife out of town every week, I’m alone. I just needed someone to talk to, Callie, and you’ve always been so understanding and kind. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was just trying to talk to you. I swear it won’t ever happen again. Please don’t tell my wife. She wouldn’t understand. Please Callie, don’t leave. Stay here and finish school,” he had begged.

Callie knew that if she left, her chance of achieving her dreams would be gone. She had always loved school and she had such high hopes for her future.

For as long as she could remember she had dreamed of making friends in high school, going to the Prom and graduating. She hoped that, if she worked hard enough, she might get to make the Valedictorian speech at her graduation, and maybe even go to college on a scholarship.

She knew it would be impossible to keep good grades if she had to change schools as much as she had in the past. This was the first time in the five years since Nana died that she had spent more than two months in the same school; except for the time when she was twelve, and she had been allowed to stay with the Kyles for eight months.

Because of the Kyles, Callie had been able to spend nearly her entire seventh grade year in the same school. She had even made a few friends.

The best friend she made was twelve year old Ashley; the Kyles’ daughter with whom Callie had shared clothes, bedrooms and secrets. Ashley and Callie had become very close during the eight months they shared a bedroom.

Callie would never forget their last day of seventh grade. She and Ashley had walked home from the school bus stop excitedly talking about eighth grade, boys and summer.

When they arrived home, they saw the Social Worker’s car parked in the driveway.

“What do you think she’s doing here, Cal,” Ashley asked.

“Don’t worry, Ash. She’s probably just here for a welfare check. CPS has rules that the Social Workers have to check on us every few weeks.”

Callie was far more concerned than she let Ashley know. She hadn’t seen a Social Worker in months.

“Today is the last day of school. Mary probably needs my report card for her file. She knows how well I’m doing here; I’m finally catching up in school. I’m sure she isn’t here to move me. Come on; let’s go show her my awesome grades.”

The girls walked into the house and found Mary sitting in the living room with Ashley’s mother Carol.

Carol looked very upset, but she quickly put on a smile and greeted the girls.

“Hello girls, I hope you both had a wonderful last day of seventh grade. I’ve made some special snacks for your party. Please go change your school clothes and then come back in here with us. Mary has been waiting for Callie to get home.”

“Hello, Callie. It’s good to see you,” Mary said.

Callie excitedly extended her report card toward Mary.

“Hi Mary; look at my awesome grades.”

“Actually, Callie, I’ve been waiting for you. I’m afraid we don’t have time for snacks, and you don’t need to change your clothes—unless they belong to Ashley. You need to get your things ready. I’m moving you to a new home today.”

Callie’s report card fluttered to the coffee table. Mary hadn’t even looked at it.

Callie was stunned but she wasn’t surprised. This had happened to her so many times before that she was used to it; if a child could get used to such a thing, but this time it hurt. She had been doing so well here.

“But I don’t want to leave here. I’ve been doing so well here. I have friends here, and I’m finally getting caught up in school. Why are you moving me? I love it here.”

“Callie, Child Protective Services has decided to move you to another home. We are afraid you are becoming too attached to the Kyles.”

“You mean you’re moving her because she’s too happy here,” Ashley shrieked. “That’s not fair. Please don’t take her,” she begged. “Mom, can’t you do something? Please don’t let them take Callie away,” she cried as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

Carol was crying too, but there was nothing anyone could do. She could tell that even Mary felt horrible about it, but her hands were tied. She had to follow the rules, and the rules do not allow Foster Children to stay in one home for too long. Ashley and Callie hugged each other and cried as Mary took Callie’s things to the car.

Mary put Callie’s things in the car and then she came back into the house to lead Callie away. Callie didn’t even look at Ashley and Carol as she left. She could actually feel their sadness. She couldn’t bear to see them crying and waving goodbye to her as she was taken away, and she didn’t want them to remember her crying.

The girls had promised to keep in touch, but Callie had moved so many times since then that she didn’t even have Ashley’s phone number or address anymore.

Callie’s thoughts returned to the present. She wasn’t surprised to find tears on her face. It always made her sad to think of Ashley and Carol Kyle.

“Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Callie Hunter. If you’re going to save yourself, you’ve got to focus,” she told herself. “There will be plenty of time to think during the walk to town. Maybe someday you’ll get to see Ashley again.”

Callie was sustained by the hope that someday there were a lot of people from her past who she would see again; if she ever got out of the situation she was in.

She had realized weeks ago that she was going to have to leave if she was going to survive, so she had started to make her plan to escape. She knew she would have to be calm and careful and wait until she was alone in the house. She also knew that she would have to prepare herself. She was more than ten miles from the nearest town. She was going to need food and water. Callie’s thoughts were jumbled.

“Why did I wait so long,” she wondered. “If I wasn’t so afraid of him, I would have left already, but I guess if I wasn’t so afraid of him, I wouldn’t have to leave…‘you’ve got to focus, Callie’…and I know if he catches me trying to leave, he’s going to kill me… ‘focus Callie, listen, figure out if he’s still in the house…scared or not, I’ve got to at least try to get out of here today.”

He had promised her that if she ever ran; if she ever told anyone what he had done to her, he would kill her, and she believed him.

She knew that her escape would require money and some outside help. She had neither. She had no family to turn to. She was on her own.

“I can’t go to the police” Callie thought. “They wouldn’t even try to help me. All I’d be to them is another runaway. They’d just bring me straight back to him. I can’t risk being brought back here. Not now… I can do this…And even if I had anyone to call for help I couldn’t…I’ve made my plan…They don’t even have a phone in this house…I’ve got my things packed…They have their cell phones, but what are the rest of us supposed to use? This place is like a prison. I could ask to use the neighbor’s phone, but they would probably tell him…today’s the day… Calling Mary wouldn’t do any good. Even if I could reach her, she couldn’t help me now that they have guardianship…focus Callie!”

As part of her CPS Permanency Plan, they had been awarded permanent guardianship of Callie until she was eighteen. It would take time for Mary to get permission to remove her from their home. A judge would have to issue court orders before Callie could be moved, and no judge would issue court orders without evidence proving that she was in danger.

“He’s not going to let me go. He’s going to try to find me. He’ll be too afraid of what will happen if other people find out what he’s done.”

Ironically, the fear that had previously held her there was now the fear that drove her. She could not let him find out about her secret. She knew that he would kill her if she was still there when he realized what had happened. She had to run now.

The boys were at a sleepover at their friend’s house, his wife was out of town, and he had a meeting today which would keep him away for two hours. This was the chance she had been waiting for. She had to leave today. She was almost out of time. She still had nowhere to go, but anywhere was safer than here.

There would be no Valedictorian speech and no college scholarship, but she did not allow herself to think about that now. She did not allow herself to dwell on the fact that now she would never be able to even graduate high school. She did not cry. She did not indulge in self-pity. There was no time for that.

Follow link to continue… http://www.amazon.com/Rag-Dolls-Callies-Shelley-Terrell-ebook/dp/B00H87C3F8

An Author’s Guide to Using Twitter

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved to write. Even as a child, I knew I wanted to be an author when I grew up. Of course things don’t always go as they’re planned. I grew up, got married, had children, built a business with my husband and made a home for my family.

I was happy, but my dream of being an author never left me. I decided to write a novel. Obviously, my situation would not allow me to be a full time author; I had too many other commitments. But I felt that I had to write that book! I decided to publish independently.

I wrote “Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story” and (feeling sure I had written the next bestseller, LOL) I published it on CreateSpace.com and Amazon’s KDP. I was an Indie Author! Imagine my surprise when I realized that my book was not going to sell itself! Indeed, as an Indie Author, I was ***gasp*** completely responsible for marketing! I don’t know a thing about marketing; nor can I afford to hire a publicist, pay for advertising… I didn’t even know where to start.

I had read several articles which suggested using Twitter, but I didn’t even have an account with Twitter. Realizing I had no choice, I visited the website. It seemed easy enough; just a box which said, ‘New to Twitter? Sign Up’. The box only asked for my email address (use a valid email address because they will verify it) and name (it’s important to use your real name here). It also wanted me to put in a password. I thought of a password which would be easy for me to remember, but which no one else could figure out and took the plunge. I clicked the ‘Sign Up For Twitter’ button and I was on my way. No turning back now.

Though I’m by no means an expert, I have learned a lot since that day. I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned and hopefully spare you some of the time, mistakes and frustration I went through.

Starting out

After I hit the sign up button, I was taken to a screen which asked several questions. Most are self-explanatory, but one in particular I feel needs discussion. Twitter will suggest a “User Name” for you. Your user name is very important. It markets your product to your audience. If you are an author or an artist, YOU are your product. At first I was going to use the name of a character in my book, but I realized that if I did, I would need a new Twitter account for every book I wrote. I chose @shelleydterrell for my user name because as an Independent Author, Shelley D Terrell is my product. 

Another noteworthy item in this section is the box which is automatically checked allowing the program to  ‘Tailor Twitter based on my recent web searches.’ I chose to uncheck this box. I prefer to choose whom to follow. When you are satisfied with your answers, click the ‘Set Up My Twitter Account’ button at the bottom of the page. You will be taken to the ‘Twitter Teacher Preview’. You will see a box which says ’Get started in 60 seconds’. Click the box.

Build Your Timeline

Now it’s time to follow some people. You will need five people to start (hopefully @shelleydterrell will be one of your choices, LOL). Twitter will suggest people you can follow, or you can just enter the user names of people you want to follow (don’t forget to put the @ sign) and then click the magnifying glass in the search box. If the user name you have entered exists, the user’s profile picture will appear with a ‘Follow’ button next to it. Simply click ‘Follow’ and then either enter another user name or choose one of the user names suggested by Twitter. When you have followed five people, you will move to the next category.

Next you will be taken to a screen which suggests well known people you can follow. I chose to follow well known authors in my genre because if they follow me back, all of their followers will see me too. You can find well known authors by typing their name in the search box. You won’t need their user name.

Next Twitter will offer to find people you know by searching your email contacts. I chose not to import my email contacts. I clicked “skip” at the bottom of the search box.

Add Your Character

Personalize your account to increase your followers. Simply click ‘Upload Image’ and search for the picture which you want to represent you (your product). I chose to use the same picture of myself that I have used on all of my author pages to maintain consistency.

After you add the picture of your choice, you may type your bio in the box under the picture. Note: You have 160 characters with which to convey your message. For now, you can just put something like “building account” so people will know you are working on it, then go ahead and click ‘Done’. This will give you time to visit other Twitter accounts for ideas. At this point you will need to check your email to:

Verify Your Account

Visit your email inbox to find instructions on how to verify your Twitter account.

Read Twitter Rules

It is very important to familiarize yourself with Twitter’s rules. Violation of the rules can lead to suspension of your account!

You are now ready to use your Twitter account.

Setup your profile

In the upper right hand corner of your Twitter page, you will find a gear. Click on the gear and then click on ‘settings’. Now click on ‘design’ and upload your book cover or logo.

Gaining Followers

Remember the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

People are more likely to follow you if you are supportive of them. Now is not the time to be competitive. Support your fellow authors/artists with @replies, #MT’s, #RT’s, #FF’s (more about these below) and they will support you. The best way to get good followers is to be a good follower. If someone follows you, follow back! It’s just good manners; besides, when users realize that you follow back, they will follow you. Nothing appears more arrogant than a user who has thousands of followers but only follows a few hundred.

NOTE: You may be approached to ‘buy’ followers. I strongly advise against this. Your goal is not to gain thousands of followers. Your goal is to gain good followers. Many of these ‘purchased followers’ are ‘bots’ or fake accounts. They are easy to identify if you click on their user name and see that they follow many users but have very few followers.

Noteworthy Twitter has rules about follow/follower ratio. You can’t follow thousands of people and have no followers. Besides, its rude not to follow back. If I follow someone who does not follow me back within 72 hours, I unfollow. I don’t want them taking up space in my ratio counts.

#Hashtags and Their Use

A hash tag (#) is similar to an address for a particular discussion group. For example if I tweet something and I want everyone who is discussing fiction novels to see my tweet, I would put #fictionnovels at the end of my tweet. Hash tags are very useful to make sure your tweet gets to your audience instead of getting lost in cyberspace. If you put two hash tags in one tweet, your tweet will go to both places.

Another function for the hash tag is when you want to search. For example, if I want to find a discussion about fiction novels, I can either click on #fictionnovels in any tweet or I can type in #fictionnovels in the search box. I will be taken to the discussion about fiction novels. If I see a hash tag with a word, and wonder what the discussion is about, I simply click on it and I am taken to the discussion.

The most wonderful use of the hash tag is when it is used to honor one of your friends or followers. For example, one of my friends is @sharnbuz. I could tweet #FF @sharnbuz. This suggests to my followers that @sharnbuz is worth following. If I tweet “Thanks for the #RT” I am thanking @sharnbuz (or whomever) for retweeting me. The use of the hash tag lets other users know that @sharnbuz is one who will retweet, so they are likely to follow her. If I tweet ‘Thanks for the #MT, I am thanking @Sharnbuz (or whomever) for mentioning my name. The important thing to remember is that when you mention someone, they will usually return the favor. This will get your product (you) in front of their followers. If a user mentions you, it is customary to return the favor.

Retweeting

Retweeting a user is very possibly the best way to gain followers. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by clicking ‘retweet.’

Replying to a tweet

When someone ‘tweets’ you, simply click ‘reply’ below the tweet. A box will pop up which will allow you to respond to the person who addressed you.

Just as you are expected to reply when someone speaks to you in person, it is common courtesy to reply to someone who ‘tweets’ to you. You will know you have been addressed because any time your user name is tweeted, it will show up under your ‘Notifications’ screen. As a Twitter user, you should consider checking your notifications a responsibility.

A strong word of caution!

Sometimes when a person ‘tweets’ you, he or she may tweet several others at the same time. When you click reply and the reply box pops up, make sure you delete every user name except for the person who initiated the tweet! Failure to do this will result in account suspension for ‘unsolicited mentions’; a violation of Twitter rules. While it’s ok to #RT a person who has listed several user names, it is NOT OK to reply to all user names.

It is considered kind, and not against the rules to initiate a tweet which says something like:

#FF_VIP @user1 @user2 @user3 @user4

This tweet tells your followers that they should follow these very important users (all of your followers are important so all can be called VIP). In turn the users you list will often tweet the same about you. This will gain followers for your friends and for you.

Tweeting

“Why,” you may be asking yourself, “has Shelley waited until the end of the blog to discuss tweeting? She must be saving the most important part for last,” you may reason.

You would be reasoning incorrectly. Tweeting (unless you are mentioning another user) is the least important thing you will ever do on Twitter. No one wants to hear you talk about yourself. Let them talk about you!  That said, you are in this to gain exposure for your product.

To tweet simply look for the small square box with a feather quill in the upper right hand corner of your Twitter page. Click on it and the box will open. Now you are ready to tweet.

When you tweet, you are allowed only 140 characters with which to get your point across. Choose your words wisely and try to use only about 120 characters. This will leave room for you to post a link to your website or book at the end of each tweet. Don’t worry about shortening your links; Twitter will do that for you. People are hesitant to click on links which have been shortened by programs like tinyurl.com or others.

When you log on to Twitter, you will notice a list of items on the left hand side of the page. The list is marked ‘Trending’. Occasionally you may find a subject is trending which relates directly to your book. If you do, and you find a way to use the word in a sentence, make a tweet, use the ‘Trending’ topic in a sentence with a hash tag. Caution: DO NOT USE THIS FEATURE IF IT DOES NOT RELATE DIRECTLY TO YOUR BOOK! TO DO SO IS CONSIDERED BAD MANNERS AND MAY BE CONSIDERED SPAM!

This blog is intended only to help you get started. I hope you will gain something useful from it.

 

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Monsters and Child Predators Walk Among Us

I’m sad today. I should be working in my office or doing my taxes, catching up on Twitter or working on my next book; anything other than what I’m doing, but I can’t concentrate. All I can think of is the Amber Alert I received on my cell phone last night for ten year old Hailey Owens and ultimately, the alert being cancelled after the child’s body was found inside the home of her alleged kidnapper, Craig Michael Wood.

I have a ten year old son. How am I supposed to teach him to be social–or even friendly and polite–to others when monsters are everywhere? No longer do they lurk in the shadows. Craig Michael Wood was a school employee–a teacher’s aide; a COACH! He had been employed by the school district since 1998. Craig Michael Wood was the kind of person we tell our children to run to if they feel threatened.

A predator who preys on the trust of the victim is the worst kind of predator; he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. How do we protect our children from the people they are supposed to be able to trust; from the people they are supposed to respect? How do we explain to them that they cannot trust their pastors, their teachers, their coaches, their friend’s parents and sometimes even their relatives without making them paranoid?

We as parents need to recognize that the world is a dangerous place, and we must never elevate an adult’s feelings above the safety of a child. Sometimes, against our instincts, we might be friendly to a person whom our instincts have warned us to avoid. When our children’s instincts cause them to be wary of someone, we sometimes force our child to speak so as not to embarrass the adult or ourselves. As parents, we need to be supportive of our children instead of forcing them to speak to anyone who makes them feel uncomfortable. Most adults will understand and not force the issue. An adult who doesn’t understand is probably an adult the child should not be around.

Note: From the time Hailey Owens was abducted, three new Amber Alerts have gone out.

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Why I Chose Not to Use Physical Descriptions or Geographical Locations in Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story

The Rag Dolls Series is a work of fiction. I started writing the series during the summer of 2013. The first book of the series, Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story was published in December, 2013 and is available in either digital download or paperback formats through Amazon.com. Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story is the haunting tale of an orphaned teenage girl’s desperate attempt to escape the deadly situation she has been thrust into. In order to make her escape, Callie Hunter must embark on a dangerous and terrifying journey of the unknown. She is guided on her journey by her memories of her grandmother’s teachings, her strong love and empathy for other people and her psychic intuition. With the exception of Callie, I have omitted physical descriptions for the foster children in Rag Dolls:Callie’s Story and I have chosen not to specify geographical locations. This was not an oversight on my part. I omitted these details because child abuse can and does happen everywhere; even in your own hometown. The children in this book could be your neighbors or your child’s classmates.  I am currently working on the second novel of the series, Rag Dolls: From the Ashes, which I hope to release early in April, 2014.

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Abused In Foster Care: America’s Well Kept Secret

By the time you read this blog more than three children will be abused. If you decide to read Rag Dolls: Callie’s Story, depending upon your reading speed, between five and twenty children will die at the hand of their abuser before you finish reading the book. Every ten seconds in the United States, a child is abused; every day, more than five children die of neglect or abuse. More than eighty percent of those who die will be under the age of four. Of the approximately 425,000 children in foster care at any given moment, only about 50,000 will be adopted. Roughly another 27,000 will “age out” of care on their eighteenth birthday. Those who do age out are often ill-prepared to survive in the world; nearly half don’t even have a high school diploma! These are the statistics according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families.

Sadly, there are a few people who become Foster Parents only for the monthly check they receive from DHS. These people will not spend one extra dime on the children they take into their homes. Some of these people will take in as many Foster Children as possible, using the children as a form of income. Because there are so many Foster Children and so few Foster Parents, Social Workers often have no choice but to place children in these less than desirable homes. Children who end up in homes like these are often treated as an inconvenience. Some are used as household servants. Some are verbally, mentally and sometimes physically or sexually abused. Often, in homes like these, the children are made to feel unwanted. They are given only the basic necessities of life, and at an age where style matters and acceptance is important to psyche, they are given the bare minimum in school clothing-a factor which further diminishes their already damaged self-esteem. These children are often forgotten on their birthdays and Christmas; many of these children don’t even have winter coats!

Because there are so many Foster Children, Social Workers are often too overworked to make the needed visits to ensure the child’s safety. Children in care often go months without ever seeing their Social Worker, so they have no chance to report that they are being neglected, mistreated or abused. Additionally, since DHS will not pay a Foster family for a child that ‘ages out of care’(a child who turns eighteen years old) there have been instances where the Foster Parent forced the child to leave on child’s eighteenth birthday, even though that child may have had nowhere else to go.

Fortunately, most foster parents become foster parents as a labor of love; not as a form of income. These selfless souls spend their own money to meet the needs of the children they take into their homes, knowing that the small reimbursement check they receive from DHS each month will not even begin to cover the child’s expenses. They supply school clothes and winter coats, money for incidentals, rides to school, rides to court appearances, and visits with parents and even birthday and Christmas presents for these children. I believe that these people-these Angels-have a special place in Heaven.

A child entering Foster care is traumatized. That child has lost more in a single day than most of us lose in our lifetimes. The child has been separated from everything familiar to him or her. Imagine suffering the death of the loved one who takes care of you, or being assaulted physically, sexually or both, and then being taken from your home without even being allowed to pack your clothes or grab your purse or wallet! Imagine further that you are then taken to a stranger’s home and left there without the ability to contact a single person you know. Even if the stranger’s family welcomed you, you would feel very awkward-and you would still be trying to deal with the situation which caused you to be there. You would miss your familiar surroundings and you would long for a single familiar voice. You might begin to feel that you were being punished because of something which happened to you over which you had no control. You might become depressed or even angry. Imagine that just as you finally start to become comfortable at the stranger’s home, you are moved to another home. You might become withdrawn, trying not to form bonds as a way to protect yourself from the pain of yet another loss. It is not uncommon for a child in care to be moved six or seven times in one year! No wonder so many children in care age out without achieving their high school diploma. How could anyone be successful in school while being moved from home to home and school to school several times in a single school year? Often, children in care have been molested and abused sexually, berated verbally, abused physically, used as servants and mistreated in as many other ways as could possibly be imagined while they are in care! Imagine that after you were traumatized and then taken from your home, you were placed in another abusive home without the benefit of familiar surroundings or even a visit from a Social Worker you could tell. You might learn not to trust anyone.

This is Callie’s Story

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