Gang Starr - Take It Personal

Daily Operation



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69PcbIxF-04&hl=en

Eileen Goudge Makes Things a Little Personal With THE DIARY - Don't Miss It!

THE DIARY by Eileen Goudge was sent to me with a personal inscription that made me aware that this was a very special story for Eileen to write. Then I focused on the "Author's Note" which immediately touched my heart as I saw it was dedicated to Eileen's parents and I knew I was in for something very special. Reading Eileen Goudge's books are always a pleasure but I was not prepared for just how extraordinary THE DIARY is. I read it in one sitting which is unusual for me with my busy schedule but there was no way I was putting it down.

I was caught up immediately with Emily and Sarah's discovery of their mother's diary which tells the story of A. J. and Elizabeth. The two adult sisters are clearing out their mother's attic following her declining health as a result of a debilitating stroke that has left her mute and close to death. The diary is delicately described as "bound in maroon leather dulled with age, its gilt tooling worn away in spots" with a "satin bookmarker, once red, now faded to the ashy-pink of dried, pressed rose." It also said the diary "seemed to carry the scent of dried roses" and with that description I was transported with all my senses to the setting of the story within that diary!

The diary reveals a completely different mother than the one the daughters thought knew. With their father having predeceased their mother, and her unable to speak, they have nobody to turn to with their questions concerning the information that is divulged in the writing in this journal. Diary entries are written verbatim and the story simultaneously presents the narrative to accompany each entry.

Sarah and Emily are as entranced as they are shocked to discover that according to the diary their mother's true love was not their father-the father they adored, the couple they thought they knew so well all their lives. The more the girls read, the more they realize they had a mystery they must solve.

Was there really another man, this "A. J." in their mother's life before their father who they were always led to believe was her one and only true love? Who was the mysterious A. J. who the diary describes as someone who made their mother a young woman of passions unknown to her daughters? If this A. J. was Elizabeth's first true love, what made her leave him for their father?

This is a story that will make you ask yourself how well you know your own parents. Think of yourself now as an adult, and how well do you think your own children know about your romantic past with the man in your life, your spouse? That was a question that really made me think about my own son and what does he really know about his parents and the love they have shared for 36 years?

This is a gem of a book. One to share with everyone you care about. It would make a wonderful Mother's Day gift or Easter present for that special parent or person in your life. I know it is a book that I will long cherish and reread as it is written to enjoy over and over again. Eileen Goudge has shared some very personal background with her readers and by opening her heart has created a book to cherish now and for generations to come.

Personal Perks of Getting Published

A death and birth: These were the circumstances that sparked the desire to write, to leave a legacy - have a voice.

Muted was a good way to describe the feeling, as if my lips were moving but no words were spoken. Then subtly, I heard a whisper. It meant that there was hope.

That whisper gave way to a powerful voice: Papa in the Sky. It seemed the simplest way to link my children to my late father. Perhaps it was my own inner child, the one who wanted to make sense of why things happen - of why things change which led me to create The Caterpillar that Wouldn't Change, a story about acceptance, and having "Wanna." Having or creating this "Wanna" was the motivator that lulled me through the tides of motherhood, then later, the darkness of betrayal and divorce. Other stories came to life during those strenuous periods, as a way to turn utter nonsense on its side: The Really Jealous Jimmy Crab and Irregular Joe, which I wrote for my son.

My words were my "Purple Crayon". I was led by them, never knowing where they would take me until I got there. In so many ways, this is a metaphor for how I choose to live my life.

Breathing life into my stories, the process of having each one illustrated and published gave me a greater sense of purpose and a way out of the vortex where I once existed. Lighthearted stories like Massimo's Meatballs and The Pizza Man and the Parrots came alive during those times. For me the dry ink was the beginning of everything that ended: the death of my father, my marriage, and my family as I knew it. But it was the birth of a humbled me.

I've learned that nothing is ever really that bad if one can give it a voice. My latest release, Un-Identical twins is a testament to that. The greater truth is to never give up. As is with hindsight, one can only see the unraveling of success clearly upon reflection. It seems we never really recognize it when we're in it. I feel I owe heartfelt gratitude to my children, the universe, my editor, illustrators, publisher, friends and readers by acknowledging them. I also owe gratitude to the torment that led me to seek solace in the optimistic words that have become my books.

I have fortune, not by way of celebrity or money but from all of the good that has come into my life as a result of getting published. I am grateful that I am no longer slumped by the weight of a bad marriage, or the bitterness of dishonesty. Rather, I am fulfilled by the pride of accomplishment, thrilled and motivated by the opportunity of being heard, understood, accepted and loved. Through telling stories, I've discovered my own happy ending, which according to me, is only the beginning.