With today being the anniversary of 9-11, it seems fitting to talk about heroes. But sometimes I think we confuse just who is a hero and who isn't.
For example, does being able to throw a football the farthest, most accurate make a person a hero? You'd sure think so by those who worship them.
Does being able to dribble a basketball and sink a shot from half court make a person a hero? Again, you'd sure think so by the way people fawn all over those who can.
What about winning gold medals at the Olympics? Does getting put on a Wheaties box make a hero? Once again, it appears so.
I disagree. I don't think any of the above qualities make a hero. Just because a person has an athletic ability beyond the norm, nope, not a hero.
Sunday however, I saw a real hero. In fact, I saw several. You see, Sunday afternoon, our neighbor's house caught on fire. They were working on a motorcycle in their garage, there was a gas leak and the thing exploded.
By the time we got outside, our next door neighbor had the woman out and was bringing her across the street. Another neighbor went in and got the man out, through the window. This was not a little fire either. These people thought not of themselves, but others. They rushed into danger that could have taken their lives.
Not long after, the fire department showed up. More people faced danger to protect others. By this time, the whole garage, a motorhome, two trucks outside the garage and one inside were totally engulfed in flames.
There were no cheering crowds, no fans shouting their names. No one wore their names and numbers on t-shirts. These men did their jobs then packed up their gear and returned to wait the next call for help.
I believe those who serve in the military to be heroes also. These men and women have agreed to lay down their lives to protect the rights and freedoms we take for granted.
And what about the police? Sure, it's annoying when they stop us for speeding or whatever but when push comes to shove, we want them there to protect us from those that would do us harm.
These are true heroes. Fire fighters, police officers, military personnel and the guy next door.
Today, I say thanks. Thanks for your service. Thanks for your sacrifice. Thanks for doing your job. And, thanks for being the kind of neighbor we all want to have.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
Meet Author Jeanne Guzman
Jeanne is the Lexicon Spotlight Author this week and I took advantage of this to ask her a couple questions.
First, why dragons?
Funny story, at least it is to me. I’d just gotten yet ANOTHER rejection from one of the countless agents I’d been submitting to when you youngest daughter said, “Mom, why don’t you write about demons?” I told her I didn’t know about demons. You see, she’d just finished reading the Twilight Saga and was on the whole, vampire and werewolf kick that just about every teenage girl was on at the time. So she revised her question and said, “How about dragons.” I thought to myself, “Now there’s something I haven’t read about, or heard about.” So that’s how the idea came to be.
What makes my dragons special? Like humans evolved from apes, my dragons evolved from, you guessed it, DRAGONS. They walk tall, have jobs, procreate, and can walk down the street in rural America and no one would think they were anything other than upstanding citizens of the world. However, there are a few minor differences between dragons and humans. My dragons have a hard shell that runs the length of their spine that will extend into spikes at certain emotional times. When needed, they have wings that will manifest from their backs in an instant, allowing them to take to the air. They have elongated pupils that allow them to see in the dark. And most important, and they don’t use this ability too often, they can breathe fire. There is also another breed of sentient known as the Skua-Sparrow who guard the dragons’ existence from the outside world. They are a cross between a human and dragon and are gifted with strength. And when you cross a dragon with a Skua-Sparrow, you get what’s known in the dragon world as a Transcendent.
Love your take on them. I'll definitely be reading your work in the near future. What's next for your? What are you working on now?
Next up will be The Dragon Within, due to be released through Gypsy Shadow Publishing October 6th. I’m working on the final edits of the 3rd book on my Dragon Hunters series, The Child of the Dragon, before sending it off to my editor, and then it’s on to fine tune book 4, Dangerous Dragon, and finish writing book 5, To Dream Of Dragons.
I know they'll be great. Now, for the last question. Where can readers find out more about you and purchase your books?
For more about me, you can go to;
To purchase Dragon Lover you can follow any one of
these links;
Thanks, Jeanne!
To learn a bit more about Jeanne, her writing and get a chance to win a book, go check out this interview.
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