HELLO THERE! And Welcome to the #RRBC “ROCKIN’ 2020 AWAY” BOOK, BLOG & TRAILER Block Party at my blog, “Supporting and Promoting Indie Authors”!
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HERE IS WHAT I’M GIVING AWAY TODAY …
$10 Amazon Gift Card
(1) EBook Copy of “Ronald L. Powell, Missing in Action”
CONGRATULATIONS YVETTE CALLIERO & ROBBIE CHEADLE!
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GLOBAL PANDEMIC
And now, while we are in the midst of this fabulous Block Party, let’s not take our minds off what is happening right now in the world. WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC! And it is serious. People are dying every single day in mass numbers. We cannot become complacent, or think that what is happening in the world is normal. IT IS NOT!!!
Personally, I resent those who think about only themselves. Walking around with no mask on and no safe distancing and no quarantining while they are actively infected, and infecting others. And to act like their rights are being infringed upon is the height of hypocrisy. In a society we have to behave for the good of all, not just ourselves; especially when dealing with something like this, something that we have no control over. The fact that the President of the United States does not get it, is mind-boggling. He is a danger to himself and to our national and global security.
I am terribly frightened and that is why I stay indoors most of the time except when I just have to go out. My country has gone mad. Our president, I believe, is having some kind of mental breakdown. He needs to step down for the good of the country and the world.
Okay, I will pause and let you digest what I just said. Then see what you can do to be responsible for yourselves and everyone else. That is what its going to take to pull through this global crisis. One person at a time doing what is right.
And having a responsible leader who knows how to lead.
One more thing. He says that the men and women who give service to this country are somehow ‘losers and suckers.’ What a horrible thing to say! He’s never served a day in service in his life and is not deserving of leading us now. And so I pay homage to my brother who volunteered to serve his country when he joined the Marines.
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MY BOOKS ON DISPLAY:
Ronald L. Powell: Missing in Action
BOOK BLURB:
My brother dropped out of school and joined the Marines around 1963. By the time our Mother found him (he enlisted without telling anyone) he had been through basic training and was preparing to go to war. He told her in a letter, “Mom, I don’t think I’m going to make it …”
This is a memoir of my brave brother, Ronald Louis Powell, who died under mysterious circumstances along with 57 of his comrades. Nothing was ever said or written about this tragedy.
This is my way of keeping his story alive and bringing some closure.
My hope is to turn this short story into a full novel.
A CITIZEN’S GROUP IN ACTION: Saving a Train Station
Around 1992, this study was pulled together for one specific purpose – to save the Michigan Central Depot, a train station in downtown Detroit. After it was boarded up in the 1980s, I agonized about what was happening to the building as it descended into neglect and decay; with no hope of it ever rising to its former glory. I needed to formulate a plan and a way to do it. Attending a university afforded me that opportunity. I always loved trains even though there was never a chance for me to experience the thrill of it all growing up. My mother was pregnant with me when she traveled from California, all the way to Detroit, to be with my dad’s family while he was stationed in Guam during World War II. So I always thought that I was touched in the womb. There was no other way to explain this love affair with trains.
Fortunately while group efforts failed so many times in the past, on June 11, 2018, the station was purchased by the Ford Motor Company.
Congratulations Motor City!
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Feel free to connect with me via…
Email: SHarriSlaughter@gmail.com
Website: https://rememberourladyofvictory.com/
Blog: https://shirleyslaughter.com/
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Now that you have gotten to see another side of me, you will understand why I had to say something about the state of our world today.
Don’t forget to share your thoughts and comments below. Good luck to the winners who will be announced and awarded the very next day. At the end of the block party, there are some amazing grand prizes that will be awarded to some of you who left your comments along each leg of the tour.
Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope to see you at the next stop along the route of this wonderful Block Party. Please come back again.
Shirley Harris-Slaughter 
Well said, Shirley. We certainly share that fear of the pandemic and disdain for those who endanger themselves and the rest of us because they believe they are free to do so.
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I’m glad that you get me John. Mankind makes the rules in the end. Different species have a certain social order and man is no exception.
Thanks John for sharing your thoughts.
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I’m catching up on last week’s tour stops today, since my week got out of control. Your books sound interesting. I hope you had and have a great day!
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Charles I am enjoying the whole party. I’m glad you stopped by.
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Great party stop, Shirley! 🎉 Wise words and book blurbs to draw us in too. Party on! ❤
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Hi Bette. Glad you came.
Yes this party is rockin!
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You know what I think, Shirley, given how much President Trump lies, I don’t believe he ever had the virus. I believe he staged it to distract from his tax exposure. I don’t know what crime America committed for God to punish this country with a president like Trump! We must pray and ask God for forgiveness to save us from this scourge!
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Joy I started thinking the same thing. He is bold enough to do such a thing. A man his age does not recover in less than 14 days. Anyone can see how unhealthy he is. It’s like you were reading my mind.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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Shirley this is such an open and straight forward piece. I understand your perspective so much better. You do what is comfortable for you. I look forward to the memoir of your bother.
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Thanks so much Roxy for adding to the conversation.
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Good Morning Shirley,
I see that you are very much hipped up about the Pandemic. In fact, it is a major topic in many peoples’ lives. However, I hardly ever think about it. Yes, I wear a mask when I have to go somewhere but I am not afraid. In fact, the Covid is airborne and a virus that is airborne is pretty hard to keep from spreading even if you have a mask on.
I am very sorry to hear about your brother. I lost a very dear friend in the Vietnam war. We went to school together. He was an only son and his father never got over the heartbreak.
I’m a veteran. I served three years of active duty and ten years of active reserve duty here in Germany. As an ExPat over here, I don’t get all the hype about what is happening in the USA or about President Trump. What I do know is that I believe no President would put his own troops down. The men and women who were and are in the Armed Forces are the people that guarantee American citizens their freedom. We have done or we do, if they are now active duty, the things that most Americans won’t do. I don’t regret being a soldier. In fact, I am proud of the fact that I was one. I knew there was a clause in the contract that said I had to protect and serve, and that is just what I did. So I find it hard to believe that a President puts his soldiers down. We are the soil that keeps America free.
I enjoyed reading your article about your brother. I have one of your books, Newspaper Chronicles and now I will invest in the memoir about your brother. I believe I will enjoy reading it very much.
All the best.
Shalom aleichem
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Pat, I do think this president and every president has done homage to our military. I respect the men and women who serve. I miss my friends and loved ones who died serving this country, but I know it was what they wanted from the bottom of their hearts. I am looking forward to the book about Shirley’s brother. Stay well, stay safe.
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Roxy, while Trump did pay homage to our soldiers he did nothing to protect them from the target on their backs courtesy of Putin. Our intelligence uncovered it. If that isn’t treason I don’t know what else to call it. He grovels to Putin and looks weak when it comes to our national security. I think America will remember this as they head to the polls.
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Hi, Rox! If Trump (I refuse to use “President” in reference to this joke of a leader) paid homage to our troops, he was laughing when he did it … and again, if he did it, he did it for the cameras. This man does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING without there being something in it for him. He’s the biggest clown I’ve ever laid eyes upon, and November 3rd can’t get here fast enough, because every morning I open my eyes and he’s still in office, I am physically ill.
Take care.
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Hi Pat and I appreciate your thoughts on this topic. We all react to tragedy in different ways. We have to accept each other wherever we are at.
Thanks for your take on the global pandemic. It’s the one thing we all share equally.
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I am so sorry, Shirley, that you are so frightened to go out. I know exactly how you feel as I was like that during the peak of this virus in South Africa in July and August. We are living through strange times and our leadership all round has been peculiar to say the least. I hope things come right in the US and the election goes well. It impacts on us all. Hugs.
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Hi Robbie. I’m so glad you’re here. I pray that we will correct the mistake we made in electing this ?@#*?? I can’t think of the right words to describe him.
Thank you for stopping by and sharing in the conversation.
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Hi, Shirley! I always love what you have to say, especially when it comes to topics such as this. Keep speaking the truth, even when you think no one’s listening. They are, even when they think we don’t know it.
Great job!
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Hi Nonnie. I’m taking a page out of your playbook.
Also, people have to be reminded because of the mixed messages coming from the white house. It’s so easy to fall back into our former lives and then you’re gone. Just like that.
Stay strong and be safe.
I’m glad you stopped by.
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Hi, Shirley. Your post echoes some of my thoughts. I have found some lovely masks and show them off whenever there’s anyone within sight. It is such an easy thing to do and it goes a long way toward keeping the virus under some control. Best wishes!
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Karen I responded to you earlier today but the post is gone. So here we go again.
Masks are the answer to getting control over this virus until we can find a cure. I wear mine every time I go out. It’s not under control so we must stay vigilant and not become complacent.
Thank you Karen for adding to the conversation.
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Hi Shirley. As Ronald was my “brother-in-arms” does that make you my sister? The least we can be is fellow Michiganders. The numbers are escalating here in Michigan which has me worried, especially since we are watching our 2 1/2-year-old granddaughter every day. There is no way in the world that we want to place her at risk. I did enjoy your book about Ronald and agree that something full-length should be written. May he RiP. I also enjoyed visiting your website and reading your information. I do have Lady Victory on my Kindle and hope to get into it soon. Good luck on this special day. Enjoy the rest of your tour, Shirley!
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Hi pdoggbiker. You reminded me that I need to update my book links as I have just published a second edition of Our Lady of Victory. Its been up since Sept.18th but the originals have not all come down yet. Its ok if you didn’t get the latest, the material is basically the same but there was some extensive updates and a new cover design that prompted a 2nd edition. Its coming in a new promotion.
Yes we are connected through this war and through demographics. I think the world of you and what you are sharing about your own experience. Your daughter will be safe as long as you stay away from the selfish idiots out there.
Stay safe and thank you for sharing your thoughts.
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I feel your anguish and pain over the pandemic. I can’t even walk outside without bumping into someone not wearing a mask. I’ve been in the house since February, venturing outside for emergencies and walks with my dog. After a fight with one of my best friends yesterday on the phone, she’s pro-Trump and his policies, I feel isolated. Keep your spirits lifted and keep writing. Writing has brought me comfort and escape from world events.
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Susanne, I feel your pain having to deal with erratic neighbors. Anybody who believes in Trump is not someone to trust. You might get the corona virus from one of them. They are super spreaders, unfortunately.
I have a young white couple who moved next door to us about 2 or 3 years ago. They have a Black Lives Matter sign on their lawn at our end of the block. I asked the wife where did she get it. She said she made it and would be happy to make me one. And so now I have my sign, thanks to her. So there is hope for us after all.
So you stay safe with your fellow RRBC members and you will get through this.
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I just purchased Missing in Action. You often speak up in RRBC Zoom calls, so you don’t feel like a stranger to me.
And I can tell you are a woman of high principle and brave action, writing a tribute to your dear brother. We writers write to leave a legacy, but also we write to heal. My condolences to you.
Shirley, I always wear a mask in public, and everyone in my neighborhood does the same. Shame on those who don’t. Enjoy the rest of your day in the spotlight. And best wishes for book sales!
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Hi Marian. I’m so glad to hear from you and learning more about you and how you are dealing with the pandemic. Good for you for wearing a mask. I fear a lot of us have become complacent because of the rhetoric coming from the white house. I spoke with my godmother today who is about 97 years old. She is at risk and two of her grandchildren come over to see about her without wearing a mask. So I told her to remind them to do that. I am not coming out of the house until we change government so hopefully that will be after November 3rd.
I hope you enjoy the little short that I wrote. Thank you and stay safe.
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I look forward to reading your brother’s story, Shirley. Having been born into a military family with a war hero dad, I’m grateful for Ronald Louis Powell’s service and sacrifice. The beauty of living in the USA is that we have the freedom to express our own opinions, and I appreciate your exercising your right to do so. Your brother is one who made that possible.
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PTL, so true. People sometimes forget that while blowing smoke about being forced to wear a mask. Men like my brother paid the ultimate sacrifice and it seems so unfair. That’s why I felt compelled to remind us of what’s at stake here. Our democracy is being tested like never before. Let’s pay attention and stay vigilant.
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Better!! Let’s pay homage to your war hero dad. What is his name and was he awarded a medal?
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Thanks, Shirley! That’s very kind of you! Lt. Col. Robert W. Tracy, U.S. Army, was awarded the Silver Star for putting his life on the line to rescue two downed pilots. He was also in the first combined special forces unit, made up of U.S. and Canadian soldiers in WWII. They were known as the ‘Devil’s Brigade’ in the movie made of them, or the ‘Black Devils’ to the Nazis because they raided at night with their faces darkened for camouflage. He also served in Korea, where he assisted the Korean general who created the demilitarized zone and brought an end to active fighting between North and South Korea. He never spoke about any of it, and we only found out when my sister researched his records.
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A passionate post, Shirley, and you make some very valid points here. I loved your tribute to your brother and NO ONE who has served in our military should EVER be called “losers.” NEVER!! That is beyond unacceptable. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Hugs!
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Jan I am glad that some of us have an appreciation for our service men. I am grateful to hear your thoughts. Love you.
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I read your brother’s story and enjoyed learning about him and your love and admiration for him. It would be interesting to see you bring his story to life through a novel. I look forward to reading it. 🙂
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That is the plan Yvette. A short doesn’t do it justice.
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Very insightful post Shirley, thank you.
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Thank you Robert. Glad you came.
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Shirley, I admire your righteous fire and passion, and you are always willing to say how you see it!
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Wendy, I feel much better letting it out … not keeping it all in. Lol.
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Hi Shirley–I agree wholeheartedly with you comments about the pandemic. Here in New York State, we were at one time the state with the worst numbers, but our governor essentially closed the state down, and now we’re at the low end of new cases. The fact that the current occupant of the Oval Office closed down the West Coast to traffic from China and not the East Coast meant that air traffic from China was coming through Europe to New York City. That meant NYC was taking the brunt of infected people, so of course, the virus spread in New York City. I haven’t left my house without a mask since March 6. I have a collection of masks now so that I can wash them and re-use them. I am anxious to read your book about your brother. I identified so much with your OLV book. Keep writing!
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Wanda it is so heartbreaking to witness a train wreck as it’s happening, and not be able to stop it. But there is hope. November 3rd! It won’t be easy but that’s all we got. Think about this. Trump is now the covid super spreader. We are experiencing a nightmare.
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I always wear my mask. I enjoyed both of your pieces, Shirley.
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Thank you Denise. I appreciate your thoughts. And I wear a mask every time I go out or someone shows up at my door.
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🙂
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