Category: Caridad’s News!

If you woke up one morning and you could stop time, what’s the first thing you would do? Would you round up all the weapons in the world to stop any wars? Would you stop a busload of kids from falling off a cliff? Or would it be something simpler, like taking a moment to just sit and enjoy a beautiful day? I thought about this for a long time and couldn’t really pick what I would do, although the thought of just taking time to relax sounded really good. I’m always on the go lately, and it’s tiring. P.S. If you want to read a book about people who can do something about time, grab a copy of THE FIFTH KINGDOM. It’s an action-packed romantic suspense about a CIA Agent trying to find an ancient relic that could destroy the world and the history professor who helps him track down her mother and the relic. It’s specially priced at 99 cents at https://link.amazon/B0d8AHVnK.

I know what I love about September. Quiet beaches. Warm waters. Brilliant sunny days. A hint of chill in the morning and at night. Fall flowers. What about you? What do you love about September? P.S. I also love that it’s less than two weeks until the Books Books Books event in Lancaster, PA. This is an absolutely wonderful event and my daughter, and I will be there! Drop on by and say “Hi!” I’ll have several of my books there and hopefully some of my re-releases with the new wraparound cover (if Amazon plays nice).

I thought a lot about what to write on the 25th Anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. I was in NYC that day. My coworkers and I stood there in confusion, looking out our office windows as smoke poured from the North Tower. That confusion continued as we watched a plane fly through skyscraper canyons and then plow into the South Tower. In that instant, confusion turned to fear. We were under attack. It seemed like only seconds later that a friend was calling out that the Pentagon had been hit. My husband, who had been just blocks away from the Twin Towers and seen everything up close, came to get me and some of my fellow Jersey folk because we knew we had to get out of Manhattan before things got even worse. As we were traveling across the Queensboro bridge, our fear turned to anguish as we watched the South Tower collapse and realized thousands must have died. We prayed some had survived. When we finally arrived home, it was to learn that the North Tower had also fallen, and that a brave group of Americans had stopped another attack and given their lives on Flight 93.

That day is still alive in my memory. Every bright and beautiful September morning brings those emotions back. It also makes me reflect on how important it is that we continue to honor the lessons of that day — unity, courage, compassion, and love of country. We owe it to those we lost, to the heroes who ran toward danger, and to the families who still carry the weight and pain of that day.

As an immigrant to this amazing nation, I feel deep gratitude. America has given so much to me and to so many others. It is a beacon of freedom and hope for people like my family who fled the tyranny of communism. On this anniversary, I pray that we never forget 9-11, and that we continue to stand together to protect the ideals that make America a shining light for the world. God bless America.

I love visiting with all of you, including all my friends at the Coffee, Cupcakes, and Contemporaries Facebook Book Club! Join me there for some fun and a special giveaway! I’ll be chatting about how to hold onto summer just a little longer!