HOW HAVE YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE?
Good afternoon everyone, and Happy October! I apologize for being a few days behind on my blog, but what a busy few weeks it has been!
As many of you know, I recently participated in this year’s Baltimore Book Festival. Thank you so much to those who came out to show your support for not only CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS but to celebrate literacy in general! Mingling with the authors and the crowd was so much fun - I was sad to see the festival come to an end.
Two absolutely amazing authors I met were Dr. Buzz Aldrin (“Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon”) and Maureen McCormick (“Here’s the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice”). (Feel free to check out the pictures on my website www.jrreardon.com ). Side by side, they are two completely different people and have done completely different things which led to the celebrity status that they have. But what struck me is how they are making a difference in people’s lives today. In that respect, they are very similar – similar to all of us.
Forty years ago, Dr. Aldrin became the second human to set foot on the moon. Later he would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom and countless other awards and medals from all over the world. He remains active in our quest for space exploration and is a founder of Starcraft Boosters, Inc., a rocket design company, and ShareSpace Foundation which devotes itself to space tourism. But those things alone are not what struck me. Those things alone are not solely what his most recent book is about. He was faced with personal battles as well in his life, including depression and alcoholism.
Maureen McCormick is best known for her role as “Marcia,” the oldest daughter from the popular series “The Brady Bunch,” which also celebrated its fortieth anniversary on September 26th. She won the Baby Miss San Fernando Valley Beauty Pageant at the age of 6 and appeared in not only many commercials but also the series “Bewitched” and “My Three Sons.” She also is a singer and voice-over actor, and has continued to make appearances on television and in the movies. But like Dr. Aldrin, she too was faced with personal battles among herself and her family, including psychiatric issues, alcoholism, drug addiction, and obesity.
These small paragraphs do not do each person justice, and for that I also apologize and instead encourage all of you to check out their books. But I will say this: in my humble opinion, they are true American icons, and heroes in their own ways. People know their names and their face and can relate to them as if they are family. Each currently is using their status to reach out to so many different groups of people to give them at least a little bit of hope that they too can successfully overcome their struggles. I applaud them both for that.
Now this leads to my question: how have you made a difference? The difference does not have to be major, and it does not have to be just one. It seems that the world focuses on so much negativity as of late that we need to turn our attention to the positive. We are all on this beautiful planet together, and rely on each other for help to survive. Perhaps you have battled obesity, depression or alcoholism, and because of that are able to encourage another to seek help. Perhaps you are a cashier in a grocery store, who has rung up baby formula for a hungry child, or a pharmacist who has filled a prescription which unbeknownst to you saved someone’s life. Perhaps you held the door open for a stranger who was having the worst day of his or her life, and because of that small act of kindness, he or she was able to turn the day around.
I also challenge you all – make it a point, at least once a day, to perform a random act of kindness for others. Hold a door, or say “thank you” for someone holding it for you. A little goes a long way.
Now while we’re thanking each other, I want to thank those of you who have kept CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS high on Amazon’s tagging lists! As of this morning, it placed #1 in conspiracies, suspense and legal thriller, and #2 on action-adventure! I have also received more positive reviews on Amazon as well as Goodreads. And our Facebook Fan page is up to 200 people! It is a pleasure interacting with you all! I also was enjoying a cup of coffee last Monday morning, reading The Baltimore Sun to find that I was mentioned in their article on Maureen McCormick. Now that will wake you up!
I am also happy to report that my sequel, DISHONORED will be released soon – I’ll let you know the exact date as soon as I know. The final edits are complete and I’m breathing a contented sigh of relief. I truly enjoyed writing this one and can’t wait to share it with you all!
Well, back to tackling the rest of my “to-do” list so that I can call it a “to-done” list – have a wonderful month everyone!
Your friend,
Jeannine
As many of you know, I recently participated in this year’s Baltimore Book Festival. Thank you so much to those who came out to show your support for not only CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS but to celebrate literacy in general! Mingling with the authors and the crowd was so much fun - I was sad to see the festival come to an end.
Two absolutely amazing authors I met were Dr. Buzz Aldrin (“Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon”) and Maureen McCormick (“Here’s the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice”). (Feel free to check out the pictures on my website www.jrreardon.com ). Side by side, they are two completely different people and have done completely different things which led to the celebrity status that they have. But what struck me is how they are making a difference in people’s lives today. In that respect, they are very similar – similar to all of us.
Forty years ago, Dr. Aldrin became the second human to set foot on the moon. Later he would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom and countless other awards and medals from all over the world. He remains active in our quest for space exploration and is a founder of Starcraft Boosters, Inc., a rocket design company, and ShareSpace Foundation which devotes itself to space tourism. But those things alone are not what struck me. Those things alone are not solely what his most recent book is about. He was faced with personal battles as well in his life, including depression and alcoholism.
Maureen McCormick is best known for her role as “Marcia,” the oldest daughter from the popular series “The Brady Bunch,” which also celebrated its fortieth anniversary on September 26th. She won the Baby Miss San Fernando Valley Beauty Pageant at the age of 6 and appeared in not only many commercials but also the series “Bewitched” and “My Three Sons.” She also is a singer and voice-over actor, and has continued to make appearances on television and in the movies. But like Dr. Aldrin, she too was faced with personal battles among herself and her family, including psychiatric issues, alcoholism, drug addiction, and obesity.
These small paragraphs do not do each person justice, and for that I also apologize and instead encourage all of you to check out their books. But I will say this: in my humble opinion, they are true American icons, and heroes in their own ways. People know their names and their face and can relate to them as if they are family. Each currently is using their status to reach out to so many different groups of people to give them at least a little bit of hope that they too can successfully overcome their struggles. I applaud them both for that.
Now this leads to my question: how have you made a difference? The difference does not have to be major, and it does not have to be just one. It seems that the world focuses on so much negativity as of late that we need to turn our attention to the positive. We are all on this beautiful planet together, and rely on each other for help to survive. Perhaps you have battled obesity, depression or alcoholism, and because of that are able to encourage another to seek help. Perhaps you are a cashier in a grocery store, who has rung up baby formula for a hungry child, or a pharmacist who has filled a prescription which unbeknownst to you saved someone’s life. Perhaps you held the door open for a stranger who was having the worst day of his or her life, and because of that small act of kindness, he or she was able to turn the day around.
I also challenge you all – make it a point, at least once a day, to perform a random act of kindness for others. Hold a door, or say “thank you” for someone holding it for you. A little goes a long way.
Now while we’re thanking each other, I want to thank those of you who have kept CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS high on Amazon’s tagging lists! As of this morning, it placed #1 in conspiracies, suspense and legal thriller, and #2 on action-adventure! I have also received more positive reviews on Amazon as well as Goodreads. And our Facebook Fan page is up to 200 people! It is a pleasure interacting with you all! I also was enjoying a cup of coffee last Monday morning, reading The Baltimore Sun to find that I was mentioned in their article on Maureen McCormick. Now that will wake you up!
I am also happy to report that my sequel, DISHONORED will be released soon – I’ll let you know the exact date as soon as I know. The final edits are complete and I’m breathing a contented sigh of relief. I truly enjoyed writing this one and can’t wait to share it with you all!
Well, back to tackling the rest of my “to-do” list so that I can call it a “to-done” list – have a wonderful month everyone!
Your friend,
Jeannine
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