Crossroads Presents "Ashes Ashes The Twins Fall Down" by Pauline Hawkins Book Review/Giveaway (Ends 9/15) U.S.

Join us for two weeks in Sept. as we tour and honor those who lost their lives in the 9-11 destruction of the Twin Towers!

Book Description

Publication Date: June 14, 2012

9/11: The Day That Defined a Generation Where were you on 9/11? That question has become part of the fabric of our lives as Americans. On that bright, sunny day, none of us had any idea what was in store and how it would change our lives. Depending on what part of the country you lived in, you may not have known anything was going on until several hours after the first plane struck. You may not have heard the news until you got to work, turned on your car radio, or received a call from a loved one asking if you had seen or heard the news. Ashes Ashes the Twins Fall Down is a look at the events of 9/11 from personal and informational perspectives. Author, Pauline Hawkins, who lived in Texas at the time of the attacks, shares her experience of 9/11, and its repercussions for her family, her job, and how she viewed the world. Pauline's story of coping with the news, reframing how she thought about America and the world, and making a conscious decision to become better-informed will resonate with anyone who lived through 9/11. In addition to her personal testimony, Pauline provides a thought-provoking context for the events of 9/11, including political background, social commentary, and reflections on the contributions of everyday heroes. You'll come away from this book both enlightened and comforted by Pauline's honesty and common sense, as well as her heartfelt appreciation of those who sacrificed for our country, and those who continue to work toward healing and rebuilding.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

When I sat down to actually write this book, my expectation was simply to put a few words on paper to work through my own grieving process for 9/11. However, I soon found out that the more I said, the more I had to say. Once I started writing, it was as though the emotional floodgates opened, and all the memories came back -- memories that beckoned to be put on paper. I soon realized that while everyone talked about what happened in New York, at the Pentagon, and in the field in Pennsylvania, very little had been said about how that day affected those of us outside of those areas. An entire country, and world, were affected that day. Lives were changed, security lost, and our story should be shared as well. My hope is that you will find this book not only enjoyable but also informative and thought-provoking. I truly have enjoyed sitting down and sharing on these pages my experiences associated with 9/11 and the days and years following.

About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Pauline L Hawkins Page

Biography

Pauline L. Hawkins was born in Munson Army Hospital at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on Easter Sunday. Pauline has been in the health insurance industry for almost thirty years, working her way up from the mailroom to corporate management and claims payment. In 2002, Pauline received her Instructional Design certification, which allows her to create instructor-led and learner-paced training curricula, along with computer-based learning activities and website creation. Pauline has enjoyed writing since she was in high school, and has decided to start sharing her stories. Ashes Ashes the Twins Fall Down is her debut book. 

Author Links:

• http://paulinelhawkins.com
• @PaulineHawkins3
• Facebook

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9/11 Memorial Donations

This donation button is for 9/11Ashes Ashes tour! We are raising money for the 9/11 Memorial!

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The National September 11 Memorial is a tribute of remembrance and honor to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center site, near Shanksville, Pa., and at the Pentagon, as well as the six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993.

The Memorial’s twin reflecting pools are each nearly an acre in size and feature the largest manmade waterfalls in the North America. The pools sit within the footprints where the Twin Towers once stood. Architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker created the Memorial design selected from a global design competition that included more than 5,200 entries from 63 nations.

The names of every person who died in the 2001 and 1993 attacks are inscribed into bronze panels edging the Memorial pools, a powerful reminder of the largest loss of life resulting from a foreign attack on American soil and the greatest single loss of rescue personnel in American history.

About 911

The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or9/11)^{[nb 1]} were a series of four suicide attacks that were committed in the United States on September 11, 2001, coordinated to strike the areas of New York Cityand Washington, D.C. On that Tuesday morning, 19 terrorists from the Islamistmilitant group al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger jets. The hijackers intentionally piloted two of those planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York City; both towers collapsed within two hours. The hijackers also intentionally crashedAmerican Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and intended to pilot the fourth hijacked jet, United Airlines Flight 93, into the United States Capitol Building^[2] in Washington, D.C.; however, the plane crashed into a field nearShanksville, Pennsylvania after its passengers attempted to take control of the jet from the hijackers. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks including the 227 civilians and 19 hijackers aboard the four planes, none of whom survived.

Suspicion quickly fell on al-Qaeda, and in 2004, the group's leader Osama bin Laden, who had initially denied involvement, claimed responsibility for the attacks.^[1] Al-Qaeda and bin Laden cited U.S. support of Israel, the presence ofU.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, and sanctions against Iraq as motives for the attacks. The United States responded to the attacks by launching the War on Terror andinvading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, which had harbored al-Qaeda. Many countries strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers. In May 2011, after years at large, bin Laden was found and killed.

The destruction of the Twin Towers caused serious damage to the economy ofLower Manhattan and had a significant impact on global markets. Cleanup of theWorld Trade Center site was completed in May 2002, and the Pentagon was repaired within a year. Numerous memorials were constructed, including theNational September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York, the Pentagon Memorial, and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. After a lengthy delay, the 1,776-foot-tall (541 m) One World Trade Center is expected to be completed at ground zero in New York by 2013.^[3]

*thanks to those who helped us get the word out!
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Ashes Ashes The Twins Fall Down: Twin Towers 9/11 by Pauline L. Hawkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I saw this book available, I just knew I had to read it.  9/11 is one of those things that resonates with most of us Americans, and this book is a simple-to-read book about a time that changed America forever.  I think everything in today's America is judged pre-9/11 and post-9/11.  And the author (who is a wonderful person!)is right in saying that everyone wants to talk about where they were on 9/11.  The very words or images come to mind in an instant whenever 9/11 is spoken.

I appreciated her personal 9/11 story.  She was in Plano, Texas (and I was just down the road in Fort Worth), and her aim through the story was to show how 9/11 affected those of us not in New York or who did not lose anyone.  It affected all of us.

I will be honest that a couple of the sections at the end did not grab my attention as much, but I am glad she included them.  It is 9/11/12 as I write this, and I was not interested in the economy or the Patriot Act.  However, that does not mean I won't go back to them at some point.  I loved the fact that she wrote the chapters in a way that everyone can understand, and she was very open about her lack of knowledge of the world around us.

As I read the story of 9/11, I discovered details that I had either forgotten or not heard.  I haven't always followed everything in 9/11 merely because my ex did not agree with the U.S. response, and I had a little one that kept me from always keeping up on everything.  This book is an ideal reference, and you can finish it easily in one evening.

Maybe there are other books out there that discuss 9/11 in simple, unadulterated, layman terms, but I don't know of them.  This is a book that is genuine and informative, and I recommend it to all Americans.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are 100 percent mine, and I was not financially compensated.


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This Day in History September 11, 2001

http://www.flickr.com/photos/911pics/7835976816/

I know I shared last year, and I could have just linked to last year's post.  But I felt that I wanted to share anew 11 years later.  I will never forget this date in history as long as I live.  I know where I was when I heard the news, and even after all these years, my then-husband's response still haunts me.  To have someone tell me that the terrorists were perfectly right to do what they did still gets to me even after all of this time.  I could post a myriad of songs about 9/11, but there is a song I heard yesterday that although not about 9/11, it is a tender song that I think could be sung in memoriam about the victims or any lost loved ones.  So I post this now to remember.  May we never forget.

This Day in History September 11, 2001

This shouldn't surprise anyone that I chose this date in history in light of the 10-year anniversary that happens today.  I am not going to review the events of the day--there is enough information out there for all of you.  Instead, I will share my 9/11 story.

September 11, 2001, I went to work like any other day.  I was living in Fort Worth, Texas at the time, and I taught at Temple Christian School.  I was a music teacher, and I worked as the elementary secretary.  All the normal things were going on that morning.  Our administrator made the normal announcements.  It was just an average day.

I remember being in the office entering attendance when our administrator came in and made the first announcement about some bomb--I think there was even some kind of rumor about a car bomb--hitting a building in New York.  I only halfway understood because you know how it is when someone is making an intercom announcement and you are in the same room.  I asked our nurse (the health room and elementary office were the same place) what had just been announced, and she told me what I thought I heard.  I remember feeling pretty confused, so I turned to the internet.  What I remember was the internet being absolutely jammed.  All I got was an error message.  I had never before nor never since seen such a jammed internet.

It was not long before our administrator came in and made the second announcement.  He now spoke about airplanes.  He spoke of the World Trade Center.  I remember feeling saddened and shocked.  I put my head in my hands.  I wondered what on earth was going on.  I also realized that it was nearly time to teach my first class.  It was a group of second graders, and it seemed so strange to have to teach in light of what was going on in New York. We had been warned to not have the news on nor talk about the issues with the students.

I went to that class, and I remember the sweet children being so frightened.  They said they were afraid that planes were headed our way and would crash into our school.  I quelled their fears the best I could, and we sang songs.  I couldn't tell you what we sang.  I turned off my brain for that half hour, and we had regular music class.

When I left that classroom, things were indeed changing.  Parents had begun to pick up their children.  I can't remember when I heard about the Pentagon.  Everything seems to run together.  I still couldn't get online.  It was a good hour or hour and a half later, and the internet was still jammed.  I remember I called my then husband to see if he had heard.  He said that it was our next door neighbor who told him.

Shortly thereafter, our administrator made the decision to close the school early for that day.  Since my then husband was my ride home, I had to call him back.  He said he would come and get me.  All parents were called, and it was amazing how quickly the parents responded.  We had not problem completely clearing the school out, and then we were free to go.

Right before all this, I finally got on the internet.  Indeed, I can still recall the first pictures I saw of the disaster.  I called our nurse to the computer, and we were both horrified by what we saw.  I could hardly wait to get home and try to make some sense of what had happened.

Once home, I watched everything on TV like most of America did.  I began to understand what had happened.  I can remember calling everyone and talking with them about the horror.  That Friday, I participated in the candlelight vigil that America was being called to in remembrance of this horrible tragedy.  I felt so helpless, but I was willing to do anything and everything I could.

My then husband's response to the entire situation was so strange.  He longed to be a missionary in the country of Yemen, and we had even gone there on a missions trip a couple years prior.  This man to whom I was married had the strangest view.  He didn't see anything wrong with what the terrorists were done.  He thought that America had blown everything out of proportion.  It made sense for Muslims to attack America this way.  We needed to reach out to these people in love and not retaliate.  What??  Was he serious?  I can remember being so upset by what he said.  I was glad that he was not around as I watched the remembrance ceremonies.

In retrospect, I think this was the beginning of the end of our marriage.  I was vocal in my support of America against the terrorists. He thought I was crazy for feeling this way.  And he never spoke of 9/11 again.

That is my story, and all I can say is that even after 10 years, I can never get over what happened nor this this man's response.  I think this song sums everything up:

Another Question for Sandra Stiles (And Giveaway Reminder!)

I noticed last night that our fantastic author, Sandra Stiles, had another question from my wonderful readers.  And even though Sandra has gone back to work, she was generous enough to answer this question for us.

Our question was:  I am curious what she would do to get the 'writing juices flowing' when she ran out of ideas, creativity or hit a wall? 


Sandra's response was:
When I hit a wall with writing I do one of two things,  I pull out a file of writing prompts and just start writing on one.  Just the act of writing usually triggers something that gets the juices flowing.  If I'm having a really tough time I choose to look at pictures (Google Images, etc) that match my mood.  When I come across one that asks a question such as, I wonder...., How would I feel..., etc.  I start writing.  I do this with my students as well.




I am so grateful that Sandra was so willing to work with us.  And if anyone else has questions, feel free to ask.  She is willing to respond to whatever questions you may have.


And in case you missed her first inerview, check here.  And remember that the giveaway ends September 3rd.  Very low entries!!

Well-Spoken Wednesday--Steps to Courage by Sandra Stiles Review/Interview and Giveaway (ends 9/3) (CLOSED)

Summary from Amazon:  Trina Lacy knew all about survival. Since her accident, she has been determined never to feel like a victim, but live life as a survivor. Her classmate, Mark Jacobs did not think he deserved to be a survivor. Plagued by guilt for his role in his parent’s death, he felt life was not so great. Trina’s ex-boyfriend Lucas James felt guilty for the accident he caused that left his former girlfriend scarred. When Trina proposes a fundraiser to be held at Windows on the World for their community service project Lucas and Mark jump at the chance to help. Each of them has their own reasons. Once in the Towers, they decide to divide and conquer. They had not expected someone to fly planes into the Towers. They never expected to face escaping the burning towers with all the odds stacked against them. Now the fears they have been carrying with them must be dealt with as they take steps to get out. The question is, will they survive the events of 9/11?


Steps to Courage by Sandra Stiles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first time I have dared to read any book--fiction or nonfiction--about 9/11, and I have to say that I was impressed and touched.

The first half of this book is absolutely stellar.  I was pleased to discover how much research the author had done concerning 9/11 and New York.  The descriptions of the terror attack and just afterwards were heart-wrenching and brought a tear to my eye.  I will say that I do not normally cry when reading a book, and had it not been for the well-written text, I would have dreaded picking it up each night to read.  I found myself so drawn into the story, and I cared about the three main characters--Lucas, Mark, and Trina.

My only criticism concerns the second half of the book.  Following the events of 9/11, I feel that the author tried to rush too fast through the rest of the story.  I realize this is a young adult book, and I understand that keeping the book short is important in this case.  I also realize that the reader cares about these teens and wants to know how 9/11 ultimately affected the rest of their lives.  But I would have preferred either spending more time on the event of 9/11 and only following the characters through the end of their school year or writing a sequel to detail how 9/11 affected the characters' lives so that we could learn more about the characters' journey to healing.  Because the second half of the book was rushed, I felt that much of the story became disjointed and too easy to predict. Granted, I was glad to discover what happened to the characters, but I would have preferred having more time for the stories to develop.

I was quite impressed with the writing style of this author.  It is her debut book, and it is neat to note that she wrote it in response to a challenge from the students she teaches.  I felt like the first half of the book was written by a seasoned professional, and the author accomplished her ultimate purpose.  I learned a lot about the events of 9/11, and it is important to be reminded of that horrific day as the 10-year anniversary looms near.  I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.


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Disclosure:  I received two signed copies from the author in exchange for my honest review--one for me and one for a giveaway.  No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sandra Stiles graciously agreed to do an interview.  One blog reader submitted a question, so we will begin with that.

• What inspired you to write this story?

Our principal required us to keep the TV's on in our classroom all day.  The first concern my student's had was in regards to who was in the towers.  They wondered if there were kids in the towers.  They remembered the daycare center in Oklahoma and thought maybe there was a daycare center in the towers.  Over teh course of the day my students made comments about what they would have done if they had been in the towers.  That got me to thinking about how it might be different for a teen as opposed to an adult.  My sister lost a former roommate in one of the towers that day.  Her body was never recovered and they finally had her declared legally dead just to have some closure.  My husband's sister lived a few blocks from the Pentagon and when he finally got in touch with her she told us the impact was so great that she had dishes flung out of her cabinets.  We waited three days to find out if my husband's cousin's daughter was alive.  She worked in the Pentagon.  She had gone across the street just five minutes before the plane hit.  All of these things together floated around in my head and made the 

urge to write this story almost unbearable until I put pen to paper.

The rest of the questions are mine.  

1.  How long have you been teaching, and which subjects have you taught?  What is your favorite age/subject to teach?  Why?  Least favorite?  Why?

This will be my 19th official year teaching.  I've taught Kindergarten, PE, Elementary through High School Spanish,  High School English, Biology and American History to non-English speakers, Middle school Histories, Middle School Remedial Reading, Middle School Life Science, Middle School Language Arts And Middle School Remedial Math.  My favorite to teach is English/Language Arts because of my addiction to reading and writing.  I hated teaching math because I struggled with it myself.  I now understand it but it makes it difficult to teach it to someone else.

2.  It is clear from your book that you are strong in your faith with the Lord.  What is your religious/Christian background?

  I am a Christian and have been since I was 8 years old.  I attend an evangelical Southern Baptist Church here in Florida

3.  Tell me a little about your family.  Parents, husband children?  Whatever you feel comfortable talking about.

     

 I am married with a son and daughter and a step-daughter.  My mother lives with us due to her health.  We are blessed to have her with us.    We lost my father in   1999.  In addition to his job he was a gospel singer and came from a performing family.  At the time of his death he played 14 instruments.  He was self-taught.   My husband works from home so that he is here with my mother.  We  have a total of 9 grandchildren.  Three of them we have only seen through pictures or on web cam due to their circumstances.  They range in age from 11 months to 12 years.  My son and his family live in El Paso Texas.  He is a sergeant in the army stationed at Fort Bliss.  My daughter and her family live here in Florida .  My husband's daughter lives in Illinois and her children live with their father in Wisconsin

4.  Where did you grow up?  What was your childhood like?

 I grew up on a farm in Indiana.  It had been my great-grandmother's house.  I loved it.  There are a lot of memories there.  This is where I honed my imagination along with my sisters.  I was pretty much a tom-boy.  I could be found either with a book or a notepad in my hands.  When it was too rainy outside we played school  inside.  Both of my younger sisters could read, write and do math when they started school.  I played for real.

5. Although this is your debut novel, have you written any other unpublished works?  Elaborate if you would like to.

I have a children's picture book called The Princess Pirate.  It needs some more work.    I write poetry when I am emotional, such as when I learned my youngest sister had cancer, or the poem called "The Training" after attending the world's most boring training program for school.  One day I will take the collection of poems I write each year as an example for my students and put them together into a book.

6.  How would you describe your personality?

 I actually have a very easy going personality.  I try to stay on the positive side.  That doesn't mean things don't get me down.  I've always been described as being extremely helpful and have had to learn how not to let people walk on me.  I can be fun but not in a loud manner.  I would never be described as the "life of the party".  I'm the one you would find hidng in a corner with a book.

7.  What do you like to do in your free time?

 Besides reading and writing, I quilt and I paint with acrylics.   I do other crafts such as crocheting Barbie clothes for grandkids.

8.  What other ideas/plans do you have for books/stories in the future?

I actually have 3 going right now.  I have a story half finished about an abusive mayor who takes his anger toward is son out on other kids by killing them.

I have a historical time travel back to the East side of the Berlin Wall

I have a story of a preacher's kid involved in a hit and run accident of an Amish man and the external and internal things he struggles with.

9.  How would you have described yourself as a teenager?  Anything you want to share there is fine.

My students think it is funny when I tell them how shy I was.  I walked with my head down and could barely talk to anyone.  Definitely could not talk to boys not even my male cousins.  I was always standing up for the underdog in school.  I started coming out of my shell when we moved to Florida.  The captain of the football team kept trying to talk to me and I told him he couldn't because he was a jock and I was not a cheerleader so he couldn't talk to me.  Difference in the school I came from and this one.  He fell out of his seat laughing and told me it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard of and he would do whatever it took to bring be out of my shyness.  I was a very studious person.  Always had to do the extra research because one topic always led to another.

10. Tell me one thing that not everyone knows about you.  

My students found out this last year that I used to do puppetry.  I inherited an ventriloquist dummy from a gentleman who was in one of my dad's quartets.  I used them in Children's church and later had my father build me aportable puppet stage from pvc pipe and I made my own puppets and wrote my own scripts and traveled to churches in the area doing puppet shows for VBS and other things.  I can't project my voice anymore.  Five surgeries within a year damaged the vocal chords.

The other question I asked would spoil the story, but if you get a chance to read this (and you should!), know that she did a lot of research concerning 9/11 and New York.  If you question anything in the first chapter, check out this link for verification:

http://www.authentichistory.com/2001-2008/1-911/1-timeline1/index.html

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This must be the longest post I have ever published here, but there is still one more part.  Sandra Stiles has agreed to offer one of her books to one of my readers.  It is a signed copy, and I am willing to ship anywhere in the world.   She does ask that the winner will review it on Amazon so she will know what you thought of the book.  Please fill out the rafflecopter form below and only comment on this post as required or if you have a question.  The giveaway will end September 3 at 9:00 P.M. Pacific.

I want to thank Sandra Stiles for everything she has done.  She has gone far above the call of duty, and I am so honored to be featuring her on my blog!