Firework by Christine DePetrillo

I'll admit to not feeling very patriotic this Fourth of July. My faith in our country, my fellow citizens, humans really, has been greatly shattered by events that don't belong in real life. I watch the news--not even certain I'm getting any truth anymore--and after about sixty seconds, I want to pack my bags and move to Canada. (My Vermont home is pretty far north. Maybe I can get someone to lower the Canadian border, eh?)

I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

On this Fourth of July then, I encourage everyone to remember what ideals this country was built upon. Remember the outstanding men AND WOMEN who worked so tirelessly to make a place where opportunity and freedom are the cornerstones for a better life. Remember that our future depends on the decisions made today.

And don't forget to be a nice human to your fellow humans. Hate is infesting the land currently. We need more smilepower. Urgently. Be the reason someone else feels good.

Be like fireworks. Burst with light and color. Rumble with power. Spray fun in all directions. Collect oohs and ahhs.

Sparkle in the darkness.

Toodles,
Chris
www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

Free by Christine DePetrillo

I am free to write a book. So are you.

We are free to read books. Any kind we want.

We are free to hop in our cars, zoom over to the bookstore, and pick up (and inevitably sniff) as many books as we wish.

We are free to visit spots online that offer books in any genre that interests us.

We are free to support our favorite authors.

We are free to write reviews, sharing our opinions on the books we’ve read.

We are free to connect with authors and readers online.

We are free to love the book more than the movie.

We are free to have jobs that allow us to buy books.

We are free to learn to read and write so we may experience books and share our thoughts.

We are free to use our imaginations to get lost in books or create them.

We are free to love words and the power they possess.

On this Fourth of July, give thanks for the freedom you enjoy. The more I watch CNN (and look at the horrendous options for presidential candidates), the more I wonder how long that freedom will last. How much will we have to fight to preserve it?

If you’re wondering the same thing, try A Less Perfect Union, by Goodwin Reed, the writing team of The Husband and Me. It’s political. It’s speculative (or is it?). It’s seductive. We published this book in 2014, but its themes are alive today. 

Who will lead in the time of crisis? Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/jaak3vm 

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

The Maple Leaf Series, Books One to Six, available now. Book One is FREE in ebook. Always.

SAFE, The Shielded Series, Book One, coming August 2016.

Happy 4th of July!

"It ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other..."  ~John Adams

Nothing says summer like the fourth of July, especially in New England, comprised of states that were there “at the beginning” of the United States of America. I’m always amazed when I think about my country’s origins. It was built by brave folks who, despite the odds, fought for what they believed in.

I often wonder what George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John and Samuel Adams, and Thomas Jefferson would think of the nation today. Would they be impressed by our progress? Would they approve of what we’ve done with independence?

Would their hearts break over the injustices that exist amidst the freedom they helped win for us?

I’d be willing to bet they’d give us a thumbs up on some things and a thumbs down on others. What words of wisdom would they share with us? What changes would they make? Would they be willing to fight for the nation as it stands today?

Simply watching the news or surfing the web reveals all of the problems the United States faces on a regular basis. Financial woes. Environmental crises. Racism. Violence. Drugs. I have to believe, however, that for every negative, something positive is also happening in the country. Someone is working on solving problems. Someone is finding solutions. Someone is keeping the fight going.

Because freedom is not automatic.

It needs continual defense. It needs people who understand its value. It needs people willing to do whatever it takes. It needs unity.

So today, don’t consider yourself Italian or Irish or French or Portuguese or whatever your heritage involves.

Instead, be American.

Be American and remember the sacrifices that have been made and will continue to be made in the name of liberty.

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

The Maple Leaf Series, available now. Book One, More Than Pancakes, is always FREE in ebook.

Hot Topics -- Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness... by Jannine Gallant

I never do political, simply because I'm in the business of selling books, and I don't want to piss people off. But, the Fourth of July is fast approaching...so I'm going to say what I think about Independence. Also, please note these are my opinions and not necessarily opinions held by my fellow Roses.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." I'm, of course, quoting the Declaration of Independence. This is what our forefathers based our government on. This is what we should all be living by. So, here I go, jumping into the two hot topics of the day.

1) The uproar over the Confederate Flag and all things glorifying the Old South. Honest to God, I never gave this any thought before the proverbial poop hit the fan. I sighed over Gone With the Wind and found it very romantic. I think most people do. That's the problem. We're romanticizing something that was anything but. An entire way of life was built on slavery. What about the right to Liberty mentioned above? I was a history major. I fully realize the Civil War was fought over many things, not the least of which was economics. 150 years ago people had vastly different perceptions of just who was equal to whom. Most of us are smart enough to have progressed. But certainly not all. So, what does the Confederate Battle Flag represent? If you believe what you see posted all over Facebook, many of those in the south are of the opinion it represents their heritage. The group espousing black rights feels it represents oppression of an entire race. I agree with both points. That flag flew in a fight to preserve a way of life that included slavery. So, should people be allowed to fly that flag today? Everyone has the right to the pursuit of happiness in their own private space. So, I guess that means flying whatever flag you want over your home since I'm all about individual freedoms. If you have the poor taste to fly the Nazi flag in your yard, or you choose to fly a Confederate flag or a rainbow flag or a skull & crossbones, that's your business. You should be able to do what you want if you aren't harming anyone, even if people find your actions offensive... But you should also have the common sense to realize that what you do says a lot about your beliefs, and your actions do affect others. People like the crazy-ass bastard who killed nine innocent people because he felt those 150 year old traditions were right and should be followed today feed off these symbols. Do I think the Confederate flag should fly over a government building. Hell no! Do we fly the British flag over the White House? No state government should proclaim by their actions they follow the tenants represented by anything but our current law of the land. What about all those statues dedicated to Southern Civil War heroes. I'm torn here. I respect history. I respect art. I think the people freaking out and acting like we're trying to erase history and cover up the Civil War by taking down statues have lost it. The call to take down statues isn't about hiding our past. It's about not glorifying a war fought to preserve slavery. Do I think all the men who fought for succession were evil? Of course not. I think they were raised to believe something they never questioned. Were they wrong in their thinking? Hell, yes! Do those statues have a place on public property? Maybe not, but my love of history and art would hate to see them go. I see them as art not a rallying cry, but maybe that's just me. As for Gone With the Wind, it's a work of fiction. We don't burn books. You can write about whatever you want. But maybe I won't think the book is quite so romantic anymore...

2) The Supreme Court's decision to legalize gay marriage. I don't even understand why this is an issue. Hello, people, we all have the right to pursuit of happiness. Just because a person believes marriage is between a man and a woman for moral or religious reasons doesn't mean they get to force those beliefs on someone else! Good God, our country was built on religious freedom. Our country is supposed to be based on the opposite of religious persecution. And telling a whole segment of the population what they can and can't do because it goes against your religious beliefs is just that: religious persecution. Our country is based on separation of church and state. One has no business infringing on the other. Call your beliefs what you want: Christian, old-fashioned, traditional, whatever. Live your life the way you want to live it holding any belief you choose near and dear to your heart. That's your right as an American. But let everyone else live their lives the way they choose, too. Discrimination is not okay. As long as you aren't hurting someone with your actions, you are allowed your own personal pursuit of happiness.

So, maybe some people's sensibilities are offended by our individual rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But we each have those rights. We can each express who we are and what we believe. Be true to yourself...but don't try to force your beliefs on others. I'll get off my soapbox now. I hope you all have a happy Fourth of July as we remember the liberties our forefathers fought to preserve.

Independence

What do you think our forefathers would say about America today? I hesitate to ask, but hope they might be a little impressed by the inventions of the day anyway. Enough that they could ignore some of the things that have gone wrong in our country politically, economically, fundementally. I sometimes like to imagine some of the leaders during the 1770s traveling forward to our time. You know, so they could fix some things. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, and Benjamin Franklin could totally clean up America, don't you think?

Our history is full of bold folks, but I think the men and women who were active during the American Revolution are among the boldest. Imagine signing the Declaration of Independence knowing that if the Patriots didn't win against the British, you had basically just signed your own death warrant. In the words of Benjamin Franklin at the signing, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." They knew they were the underdogs up against the most powerful army in the world at the time, and yet, that didn't deter them from fighting for what they believed in. And they won!

Amazing. Truly amazing.

This Fourth of July, enjoy a short Patriotic story and remember to be thankful for the liberties you have.

Let freedom ring.

Grace Heaton is a Patriot ready to fight for independence. Desperate to get involved, she slips on her brother’s clothes and plans to sneak toward battle, but a cry of pain in the night changes everything.

Isaac Fields is a runaway slave. He enlists with the powerful British army in hopes of winning the freedom he so deserves.

When Isaac is quartered in Grace’s Boston home, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness take on an unexpected meaning.


"Ms. DePetrillo's strong-minded main character and immediately apparent problem make for a very engaging beginning to For the Love of Liberty."
Long and Short Reviews


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Chris
www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com
www.nighteternal.weebly.com