Happy to be Alive, Because

"When I was seven years old, I rode my bike without training wheels for the first time. I made it about fifteen feet before I turned my head to make sure my mom was watching me. She was, and her excited expression was the last thing I saw before my face became well acquainted with the pavement.

After she cleaned my battle wounds, my mom announced that I deserved a reward for completing such a daunting task - we were going shopping. Within twenty minutes we were standing inside an incredibly gaudy store that, for some reason, I had claimed as my favorite when she asked me where I would like to go. I had never actually been inside, but the windows were always full of displays featuring feathers and sparkly things, and that was enough for me. My seven-year-old self stood in what was my idea of heaven, touching everything I could land my fingers on. After much deliberation, I chose a less gaudy, still obnoxious heart necklace that said "Forever and Always."

When I got in the car and I tried to put the necklace on, I was devastated to find it broken into two separate pieces. My mom explained to me that it was actually two separate necklaces that people who cared about each other wore so they wouldn't forget the other person. Looking back, I now see that those words were her nice way of conveying, "You picked one of those cheesy love necklaces adored by preteen girls."

Once we were home and she showed me how the necklaces worked, I promptly put the other one around her neck. "Don't forget me, " I told her. She was "Forever." I was "and Always."

My mom never once took that necklace off. She wore it proudly too, not hidden under a scarf or stuffed under her shirt.. I can remember sitting in front of the television watching the news, having begged my babysitter to let me stay up and watch my mom. Every time, I watched to see if she would be wearing my necklace. She always was, never once disappointing me. I never saw her without it on, ever. Not even as I said my goodbyes to her once cancer permanently took her away from me. The last thing I remember seeing on my mother before they lowered her away from me forever was that shiny, silly forever necklace." (pg 5-6)

Avery at seventeen now has to face her future alone without her mother and coming to terms with dealing with the grief she has managed to lock inside. Unable to shed any tears even right after her mother's death, her aunt is concerned that she won't be able to cope with things at some point. Avery discovers when going through her mother's room that she had planned one final trip for the two of them just two weeks before her death to visit her childhood home in Glynn Springs, Florida. Tired of all the concerns from family members and friends, Avery takes her mother's plans and head to Florida to escape life for the moment. She finds her mother has included a journal for Avery to list the things she is happy to be alive about, but honestly how can you be happy about anything knowing her best friend and mom is no longer with you. Yet Avery will soon discover life goes on and she won't be alone when she finds solace and comfort in three unlikely people she meets in Florida and it will forever change her life.

I received Happy to be Alive, Because by Chelsea Jacobs compliments of Nyree Press and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own unless otherwise noted. This is a coming of age story in a different way when Avery is forced to deal with her mother's death being buried so deep inside that it comes to the surface when she least expects it. She finds it difficult to journal her feelings because a part of her feels like she is betraying her mother's memory if she is happy about anything. It is a real and honest look at how one young woman deals with the fact that life does go on for those of us left behind no matter how hard it can be. I rate this novel a 4 out of 5 stars and love that it is a wonderfully written novel for young adults with a touch of summer love in the mix.

For more information about Happy to be Alive Because, Chelsea Jacobs or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Happy to be Alive, Because by Chelsea Jacobs

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The Shadow of Your Smile

The Hueston family is dealing with the loss of Kelsey, who at 17, was the victim of a robbery in which she was killed in the process. Each of them is trying to move forward but from outsiders looking in, they don't seem to be moving forward at all. More like avoiding the subject and pretending at times that it didn't really happen.

For Eli Hueston, he personally feels the responsibility of the loss as the father who should have been able to prevent this tragedy from claiming his daughter. Had he simply ran the plates of the teenager he stopped that fateful night, he would have learned that there was a Beyond On The Lookout for the boy who was speeding. Instead he simply let him off with a warning to slow down.

Noelle is dealing with the loss as only a mother can. Spending the first three months not being able to learn how to live, she dove deeper into despair and depression. Her and Kelsey shared an unbelievable closeness that really seemed like best friends and soul mates. She had a difficult time learning how to deal with things especially when Eli packed up all her stuff and moved it to storage without her knowledge. Now her and Eli have spent the last three years more apart as roommates than as husband and wife. He has been sleeping in the den and spending every available moment out fishing in the woods.

For Kyle, the oldest son, he's had to endure watching his family literally fall apart. Besides losing his only sister, he's also had to watch his parents lose sight of who they were together. Now it seems like the only thing he can do is find a way to make sure nothing like this happens while he is working for the sheriff's department again. He has moved out and is struggling with his own grief of watching his family fall to pieces and not knowing how to pull them together again. When he finds Kelsey's best friend Emma, he learns that she too is dealing with the loss of her best friend whom she feels she had a hand in killing. Had she not switched shifts with her that fateful night, Kelsey would still be here and so would her dad, the deputy that confronted the teen that night.

When an accident at a truck stop coffee stop leaves Noelle with a concussion and temporary memory loss of the last 25 years of her life, the family sees this as a way to deal with their loss again as a family in helping her to remember and in the process enabling them all to heal.



I received The Shadow of Your Smile compliments of Net Galley and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review and LOVED this one. The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren is the beautifully written story that shows how loss affects everyone not just the person who died but everyone who was connected to them. It shows how people deal with things internally instead of turning to God who can help them heal through the grieving process when they are ready. He shows that they are never alone and He can mend all things and restore broken hearts again in time, we simply have to be willing to turn to Him for help. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information about this book, the author and where to purchase a copy of this amazing book, please click on the links below:

The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren

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Come Back to Deep Haven and Win a $200 Visa Card from @SusanMayWarren!

Sometimes love requires a little forgetting ... Come back to Deep Haven and find out what's been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you're new to the Deep Haven series - this is the perfect book to start with - each book in the series is a stand alone story.



Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)

• The entire set of Deep Haven Books

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles! Just click one of the icons below to enter and tell your friends about Susan's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.