Long before the movie or the book, my late Saluki mentor introduced me to the concept of Pay It Forward. When I was planning to leave the depressing dead end existence I had let myself get into, she handed me $100.00 to help fund my new life. Her one condition was that I help someone else in the future.

Wow, that was a long time ago. I have when possible followed her advice: help others even when I’m not going to get anything back directly. And I find the more I do this, the less I stress about life and helping others. Okay, I’m no angel and sometimes I do let myself fall into a “why doesn’t anyone help ME” sort of funk. In the end it all works out, and I feel better for the experience. RIP Shirley, you were an awesome human being.

This is an introduction to my Pay It Forward Saturday blog plan. Each week I’ll promote someone who has asked for the exposure. If no one is scheduled, I’ll introduce the work of one of my many artist friends.

This first post is for AmyDeClerk. We’re going to help with her cover reveal for BOUND TO YOU. Wow what a great way to start paying it forward!

Title: Bound to You
By: AR DeClerck
PREORDER 3/1/15
Blurb:

Jackson Baine is a man with a gift, and he has never had a problem with selling it to the highest bidder. His newest job is with one of the biggest terraforming companies in the universe, and the money he stands to make will allow him and his crew to retire on any planet in any galaxy they choose. His biggest problem: Ferrell Terraforming has assigned him a company liaison to see to his needs and protect their interests. But that’s not his only problem. Lia Bernardi is smart, beautiful and strong, and she entices Jacks in a way no other woman ever has. She is a distraction he cannot afford on the surface.
Anatolia Bernardi is ready to climb the corporate ladder, get out from under her egotistical boss, and impress her overbearing father. All she has to do is turn one dead, empty planet into an oasis. Her company says Jacks Baine is the key, and it’s her job to make sure he’s productive and happy. Both of which, she soon learns, are harder than she’d thought they’d be. For some reason Jacks can get under her skin and break down every wall she’s constructed between herself and the world.
On the surface of a long-dead planet Jacks and Lia will be forced to face the startling realization that the past never really goes away.

Author Bio:
AR DeClerck lives in the Quad Cities, IL. She is a wife and mother of two daughters. She has two dogs and a cat, and always has her nose in a book. She’s either reading one, or writing one. She writes romance in many sub-genres, and has always had a soft spot for sci-fi romance. She credits her love of reading and writing to her mother, who always keeps a book handy.

AMY’S WEBSITE AND BLOG
FACEBOOK

I do tend to wander through You Tube, or our extensive ‘old’ music collection. Heck Tom still had 45s! This was one of his favorite songs, not because of his upbringing, but because of the truth he saw in the words:

I enjoyed Harry Chapin, and the other singers  At some point, while I soaked up the utter romanticism of songs from that era, this came to my attention:

So much beauty and truth in music.

Money and Success and Fame are wonderful but your children need you NOW.

Are you of an age to remember folk singers who poured their souls out to expose what they saw as issues we all needed to recognize? I’m feeling kind of nostalgic tonight and wanted to share some memories from those long ago years.

This concert was in 1986.

Even earlier, Peter, Paul, and Mary gave us this song Bob Dylan wrote in 1963:

The same song in a duo, 1983

More than thirty years ago. Thirty. Years.

Seriously…how many more years will it take?