Free Spirit

As a writer, we dread getting bad book reviews. Even the most highly acclaimed writers in the industry get bad reviews, from time to time, whether it’s from the  New York  Times or an anonymous reviewer on Amazon. Unfortunately, all too often we take it personally and even go to the extreme. I once had someone review my photo book of the  Kinzua Skywalk  and complain there were too many photographs and not enough history. This kind gentleman rated it one star. Yes, one star! The book is full of the most incredible photographs. It breaks my heart to see a poor rating on something I put so much time into but more for the fact it bares my late grandmother’s name, Gladys Caroline. My intent was to keep her memory alive and make her proud, but I guess when you choose to be in the public eye you are forced to deal with public opinion. Some people have no filter and they could care less about someone’s name or feelings. Negative reviews are a killer, but there are ways to work through them. I

  I get a lot of emails from people asking me about freelance writing. Freelancing writing is a fabulous way to make extra money, but there are many hidden factors writers tend to overlook. I have had a lot of amazing opportunities. One of my favorite companies to work for was  Basement Systems . In addition to working with large companies and small businesses, I have helped many people from various backgrounds tell their stories from the homeless in West Virginia, victims of domestic violence, and child abuse survivors. Each was wonderful to work with but early in my career, I had a bad experience. A bad experience is putting it mildly. When someone hires you and you sign a contract, you sign away any rights you have to the work. You must tell their story  in their words.  If they lie. Ultimately, you lie. In that contract, if you do not protect yourself and get what you want in writing; such as an editor, payments, etc — you have absolutely no say in the end result. The person who hi

  Sister advocates and best friends Donna Kshir and Lee Roberts are back on the air hosting AU4H Radio's Real Talk. Grab a cuppa and join them at the round table. On today's show, Donna and Lee discuss their goal to open the Central Registry and how they believe it will reduce the number of children affected by child abuse. Listen Live HERE!

Donna Kshir, left and Lee Roberts, right. With the Primary Election right around the corner, Denise Maris, the Democratic candidate for the State House of Representatives from the 76th District, is not wasting any time getting down to business. She supports access to the Child Abuse Central Registry to protect children. On Thursday, March 3, Ms. Maris met with child rights activists Donna Kshir (Clinton County, Pennsylvania) and Lee Roberts (Crestview, Florida). Both Ms. Kshir and Roberts are highly respected activists using their voice for Conner’s Law – Kentucky and receiving a Letter of Recommendation, Animal Rescue, Rights, Children’s Rights, Missing and Unidentified Persons, the Homeless, Domestic Violence, and the Deaf Community. READ THE FULL ARTICLE  HERE!!