Week #1 Semi-Finalist: A Mother's Tribute

I would like to enter my daughter, Carrie Reyes. This is her husband's fourth time to go to Iraq. They have four children, two with special needs. She spreads herself pretty thin to take care of them, and go to school but she has managed both very well. This year has been pretty rough because the state of Georgia doesn't have much knowledge or tolerance for children with Autism. She has had to stand up to the school system for not treating her child in the proper manner. Even an expert from Emery could not change the schools way of treating her son. It was good for her son to see that she was brave enough to stand up for him. She and Adam have another son who has sever medical problems. Both Carrie and Adam have treated this son as they do the others. He goes to the accelerated high school where they live and recently was asked to write an essay on how his handicaps have
helped him get to where he is. I think what he said is a great tribute to their parenting. He said, "I don't have any handicaps."

She is always sending her husband "care packages" and makes sure all the guys in the unit has a bag of snacks when they leave. She also bakes cookies and sends them to the whole unit. She is very thoughtful, but it doesn't stop at her husband, whom she loves very much. She checks on several of the wives to make sure things are going ok for them. All in all, I think she makes an excellent Army Wife.

And Adam, her husband is the best 1st Sergeant I've known. He has been in EOD for over 20 years with no mishaps. He is good to those under him and makes sure they are trained right. He also worries about them when they are out on a mission and he has to stay behind. He is sharp when he needs to be and concerned when he needs to be. He has had to watch his wife raise their kids almost on her own while he is serving our country. And what better praise can be given to him than, his mother- in-law loves him as her own son.

Joyce Phillips


***Remember---Every weekend between now and Labor Day I will select 1 semi-finalist to highlight here on the blog. ! There are some great prizes to be had. A portion of my annual book proceeds go to ASMBA-STAR--my favorite charity for Vets and their families. So spread the word to all those hard working, dedicated military families out there.***

Want to enter? Send your story & picture to info@novelromance.net

Jennifer Lee Dressel

When I woke up this morning, I didn't immediately remember the significance of today's date. I was roused by the familiar sounds of my husband getting ready for work. The bathroom light flashing briefly before he closed the door, the whooshing sound of the shower, and the soft rustling of his clothes were all the comforting sounds of the morning routine. I closed my eyes for what seemed like moments before a gentle kiss brushed my bare shoulder. He whispered a quick, "Love you" and left for what would undoubtedly be a long day at work. Smiling, I drifted gently back into a light sleep, hoping to catch a few more winks before the day truly began.

What seemed like mere seconds later, the door creaked open and my nine year old son Jack tip-toed quietly in the room.

He placed a gentle kiss on my cheek and whispered, "Good morning, Mom. I love you. Can you make pancakes?"

I smiled and assured him pancakes would be made. He clapped and skipped happily out of the room. Realizing that sleep was now an impossible feat, I reluctantly crawled out of bed.

I came downstairs to find a much needed cup of coffee and do the morning check of email and so forth. As I often do, I went onto Facebook to see what my friends were up to. I do love the ability to stay in touch with my friends, especially the ones who are so far away.

My friend Jimmy's status stopped me in my tracks. It read, "...sooner or later it comes down to faith, I might as well be the one - only the good die young"

As any good Billy Joel fan would know, it's a quote from his classic hit "Only the Good Die Young." However, as anyone of our MCCTA college friends would know, it carries much more meaning. It is a reference to our friend Jenn.

My heart squeezed tightly in my chest and tears choked my throat. I forgot. How could I forget that today is the anniversary of her passing? Needless to say guilt and sadness are a potent combination. I wallowed momentarily in self-pity.

Then I heard Jenn's voice in my head.

"What the hell are you feeling badly about? I'm the one who's gone. Not you. You're here. With a husband and four boys who adore you. You're pretty God-Damned lucky, woman. Quit your bitching and look around you."

Now, did I really hear her? No. However, if she had been here that's probably what she would've said to me. Jenn was a straight shooter. She told it like it was. She was a dedicated, loving, supportive, and funny woman. She was the one who showed me how to be a really good friend. She was an incredibly good listener and gave very good advice. I remember several nights during college when all of us talked until the wee hours of the morning. Discussing everything under the sun. Sometimes laughing until our sides hurt and sometimes crying until there were no more tears--but usually it was laughing.

I know that all of her friends, and especially her Mom and sister, still miss her very much. Her laugh, her smile and her ability to be direct without being hurtful are the things that stand out in my memory. (Oh and of course her awesome ability to wield power tools.)

Today, I don't want to focus on her death. I will remember her life and everything she taught me. Because you see, even though she's not here anymore, she's still impacting my life.

Today she told me to be grateful for all of life's blessings. She asked me to be better about staying in touch with our friends. Today, and every day, she reminds me that although life is short...truly good friends never leave us.

I love you Jenn.

Top 10 Reasons to shop at Borders by Sue Grimshaw--National Buyer of Romance for BORDERS!

Borders bookstores have been around since the early 70’s with their first bookstore in Ann Arbor, MI. Now, over 600 Borders stores across the country offer customers a vast assortment of books. Of course, I think Borders is the best place to shop & I want you to as well, so, I thought I’d give you ten, out of many good reasons to shop Borders for your Romance books . . .

10- Because you like me & the chance to win books on Sue’s Borders True Romance blog (www.bordersblog.com/trueromance)!

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1 - Buy 4 Get 5th FREE on Borders.com click hereThanks for reading just a few of the many reasons we would like Borders to be your place to shop for Romance! Now, tell me, what is on your reading list for April?

GIVEAWAY - Romcon Offer - 3 randomly chosen commenters will be chosen - GOOD LUCK!:Winning ticket is good for ONE ($125) Reader Registration to RomCon 2010 - July 9-11, 2010 in Denver, CO. Winners must be US residents. The base ticket grants admission to all RomCon 2010 award ceremonies and core reader events, but does not include meals, travel, or hotel accommodations. Meals are available for purchase when the attendee registers. The ticket has no monetary value and cannot be redeemed for cash. Unclaimed tickets expire June 15, 2010.

Official Letter from ASMBA-STAR

Here is the official contest letter from --ASMBA-STAR.

Sara Taney Humphreys Donates Portion of
Proceeds from Book Sales to the
ASMBA STAR Foundation


Last year, as a special thank you to our service members and their families, author Sara Taney Humphreys held a very special contest especially for military wives. It turned out to be an incredibly rewarding experience for her. “I had the privilege of meeting several incredible women and their beautiful families. It's so easy to forget that there are real people who are deeply affected by the conflict overseas. Hearing the personal stories of these families helped me remember that our troops are husbands, fathers, brothers and sons who are immensely loved and sorely missed.” Sara has graciously decided to make this an annual contest to benefit the ASMBA STAR Foundation.

This contest will run from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Once again, a portion of her annual book sales will be donated to the ASMBA STAR Foundation. The mission of the ASMBA STAR Foundation, located in Nashville, Tennessee, is to improve the quality of life of the military service member, veterans and their families by contributing to the financial, educational, social, employment and medical needs that are unmet by the U.S. government. The Foundation has awarded grants to organizations such as the National Military Family Association, Knights of Heroes, Helping our Veterans, Project Sanctuary, Operation Stand Down, Fisher House, and many, many more.

Who is eligible?

This year the contest is open to ALL members of our U.S. military families - Moms, Dads, Sons, Daughters, Wives, Husbands, Sisters, Brothers. If you have a family member that is serving our country... we encourage you to enter and tell us all about them!

How do you enter?

Send an email to sarataneyhumphreys@hotmail.com with a picture of you and your family member in uniform. Tell us a bit about what branch he/she serves in, where you've been stationed, challenges you’ve faced, experiences you cherish, and so forth.

**Please put "2nd Annual Military Families Contest" in the subject line.**

Once a week, beginning Memorial Day weekend, Sara will choose one entrant to be highlighted on her blog. These weekly entrants are contest semi-finalists. Three winners will be selected over the Labor Day weekend, with prizes awarded as follows:

Second Prize: A $25 Amazon Gift Card, a signed copy of "The Amoveo Legacy" and a Team Amoveo T-Shirt.

First Prize: A $50 Amazon Gift Card, a signed copy of "The Amoveo Legacy" and a Team Amoveo T-Shirt.

Grand Prize: A book signing event at their local bookstore with the winner as Sara’s special guest of honor; FIVE free signed copies of "The Amoveo Legacy" (1 for them and 4 of their friends); a $100 Amazon Gift card and a Team Amoveo T-Shirt.

Spread the word about this contest. You can support our veterans and their families by purchasing a copy of "The Amoveo Legacy" or by donating directly to the ASMBA STAR Foundation.

Thank you for your support and for your service to our country!

1000 NorthChase Drive, Suite 300 P.O. Box 160384 Nashville, TN 37216 1-800-251-8434
For more information about the Foundation, please visit us at asmbastar.com