Bleeps in Time

By Emily Chance
​
            “I had this realization that we are all connected in some way, but we are also just little bleeps in a giant bleep in time,” Allen said.
            “But, Allen, we are all bleeps in time. You say that you are insignificant and we don’t really matter much because that’s all we are: bleeps. Each of our tiny bleeps seems insignificant alone, yes, but some of those bleeps have major accomplishments, win wars, guide countries. Those bleeps make history, and history is still in the making,” I answer, wondering what he was trying to convey.
            After pausing for a minute to assess my response, he changed his answer to fix his meaning. “But we are each tiny little bleeps in time; tiny little bleeps that are inside of other larger bleeps. We are short bleeps of Earth, and Earth is a small bleep to the galaxy, and the galaxy is a tiny bleep in the universe. What I’m trying to explain is that we are tiny bleeps that make history, yes, but we also are people who need to make the most out of the tiny bleep we have left. We need to stop stressing out and roll with the times and understand that while things may be bad, it’ll all get better, or it won’t…”
            His eyes were full of wonder and excitement, the kind of excitement that came with the feeling of something clicking into place, and for once in my life, I felt like my little bleep held meaning. I realized that Allen meant that our lives may be short, and they may be hard, but we need to make the most out of what little time we have on this earth. We don’t know where we are going after this, but we need to enjoy what we have now without worrying about what the future has to hold.
 
Edited by London Koffler

Tell Someone You Love Them
By Emily Chance
​
I’m nearing the very last days of high school and I have realized that I have absolutely no filter. If someone is rude to me, I will specifically mention to them how I feel about their thoughts. I have been so done with everything since the end of the last semester and I have been trying so hard to get everything finished. Between work, an internship, and graduation, I have been relatively stressed out and have fallen into a slight depression.
I have noticed that everything I try to get done ends up falling apart because I have to shift my focus to another project, another story, another task. It usually results in me running around in a circle and forgetting most of the things I need to do and the rest of it being half finished. I am finally almost done and caught up with everything in my life, but I need to start college, which will also make my life hectic.
Throughout the stress in my life, I have had little to no downtime. I have had almost no time to myself and my schedules always conflict with my friends’ so it is very hard to hang out with them and catch up. I eventually had the nagging thought in my head that nobody really wanted to talk to me or even really liked me that much. Just the other day I wanted to sit down and have a conversation with someone, anyone, really. I called eight people. One person’s phone died, one person who picked up was busy, and the other one was rude. The other five people didn’t answer their phones and never texted me to see if I was okay.
I’ve been struggling with whether people actually cared about me and once a thought enters my mind, it doesn’t like to leave. It takes hold of that spot in my brain and it doesn’t let go until someone says or does something to fix that.
When all these negative thoughts were going through my head, a freshman I had just begun talking to walked up to me and said, “You know how I’m in the same summer program that you are?” I nodded my head in response and she said, “Every time I mention you, they automatically mention how much they love you and think you’re funny and cool. I didn’t know that many people liked you and you were that popular.”
Me, the smooth person I am, just said, “What? They do? I am?”
“Yeah, didn’t you know that?”
“No… Not really.”
“Well, they do,” she said and walked away.
I had no idea people noticed me, let alone liked me there. The point I’m trying to get across is that if you like someone, let them know you like them, as family, friends, or more. Otherwise, they might not have any idea. They could miss out on opportunities they never would have had, friendships that might never have formed. Tell someone you love them today, because I personally know that it sucks not knowing.

Edited by Laurel Copes

Rabbits, produced by the Public Radio Alliance
Reviewed by London Koffler
​
About the Podcast:
            When Carly Parker’s friend, Yumiko, goes missing under very mysterious circumstances, Carly’s search for her friend leads her headfirst into an ancient, mysterious game known only as “Rabbits.” Soon, Carly begins to suspect that Rabbits is much more than just a game, and that the key to understanding Rabbits might be the key to the survival of our species, and the Universe, as we know it.  

My Review: 4/5

            Rabbits is a difficult podcast to review without spoiling any details, so I will remain vague. Through many plot twists and turns, each episode of this docudrama series raises new questions and reveals new information. Carly Parker is a determined, fearless host, unwaveringly searching for the truth and her missing friend. We see her development and discover more personal details about her throughout the series. She and the other voice actors put on a compelling performance that encourages listeners to completely immerse themselves in the production. As Samuel Taylor Coleridge said, an audience may suspend its disbelief concerning the validity of a fictional story as long as the creator injects some truth and humanity into the work. Although its premise is imaginative, Rabbits manages to convince the audience the game is real. When I first started listening, I will admit I had to conduct some internet research to assure myself that it is, indeed, fictional. In my opinion, detailed and vivid imagery in conjunction with realistic and convincing characters allows Rabbits to attain the goal of the Public Radio Alliance—to create “television for your ears.”

            I gave Rabbits a four out of five rating only because of the ending. I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the podcast, but without going into too much detail, the end felt abrupt and unsatisfying. I would not recommend this podcast to a young audience because of some explicit language and intense situations. I would, however, highly recommend it to fans of mystery and suspense. If this appeals to you, I would also encourage you to listen to other docudramas produced by the Public Radio Alliance, such as Tanis and The Last Movie. All of these may be found on Spotify, the iPhone podcast app, or from the Public Radio Alliance’s website.
 
http://www.publicradioalliance.com/listen/
 
Edited by Emily Chance

Easy Lemonade Recipes

By Emily Chance

Lemonade is usually associated with summer, however, I like lemonade throughout the year. My family has a tradition of making lemonade at every family holiday or birthday.
​
Pineapple Lemonade
1 cup Lemonade Mix (I use Country Time Lemonade Mix)
3 cups Cold Water
1 can Chilled Pineapple Juice (46 oz. can)
2 cans Sprite (12 oz. each)
Mix all the ingredients together in a large pitcher. If you put the pineapple juice and Sprite in warm, let chill for a few hours or serve with ice. Mix entire pitcher each time before serving.
 
I tried this recipe when I had a friend over. We have been wanting to try it for a while, but we never had the time or motivation. When we made it, we nearly drank the entire pitcher of lemonade between the two of us. For effect, I made lemonade-cubes shaped like pineapples to keep the lemonade cold without making it too watered down. I would suggest adding water to taste after you complete the recipe and taste it to see how well you like it. Once we got closer to the bottom of the pitcher, it ended up tasting very strong.
***
 
Frozen Lemonade
* Makes one serving
1 cup Water
3 tablespoons Lemonade Mix (I use Country Time Lemonade Mix)
2 cups Ice
                Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until slushy.
 
                I also tried this recipe when I had my friend over. We were sitting around and talking and decided we wanted something colder than just lemonade, so we attempted to make frozen pineapple lemonade but gave up because it made a huge mess. Instead of attempting any more disasters, we just went with regular frozen lemonade.
 
Edited by London Koffler

 
NEW CHILDREN'S BOOK RELEASE!
Target Audience: 12  year olds
Age Range: Approximately 8 to 14 - Middle Grade
Publisher: Dreaming Big Publications, dreamingbigpublications.com
Author: Anita Stafford
Available in paperback and ebook. Paperback page count, 116
ABOUT THE BOOK: 
Twelve-year-old Kale Flores knows life is not fair. He needs a friend, but more than that, he needs money. When he learns there could be a fortune hidden in the Sassafras house, he thinks his luck may have changed. Never mind the house is supposed to be haunted.
When Jasmine Palmer revealed the legend of Sassafras house to Kale, she never thought it could lead to so much trouble. She says it's a place someone could go into and never come out.
Is she right?
The only thing Kale is sure of is that his problems will be solved if he finds the money. He doesn't know the deserted house holds secrets from the past, secrets that are waiting to tangle him in a dangerous web.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 
Anita Stafford makes her home amid the scenic hills of Crowley's Ridge in the northeastern corner of Arkansas. She worked as a teacher and a counselor in public school before becoming a full-time writer. The Legend of Sassafras House is her first children's novel.
AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: www.anitastafford.com


BLOGGERS, VLOGGERS, REVIEWERS: 
​Please contact Kristi at dreamingbigpublications@outlook.com to request your free electronic review copy of this book. As always, your reviews are much appreciated, and we thank you for all your hard work! Don't have time to do a full review? Consider hosting a blog spot! We have an author interview available upon request, and bonus material: a teacher's guide for classroom discussion. 

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DISCLAIMER: I was asked to review the website but was not obligated to give a positive review. All thoughts are my own. I am not receiving any payment or gift in exchange for this review. 

Difference Maker
By Emily Chance
            There was one time in my short-lived life where I actually made a difference in someone else’s. No matter how many times I held the door open for someone or picked up fallen groceries off the ground for a struggling mother, there is one time that specifically sticks out to me.
            We were running out of body wash, so I made a trip to the dollar store, the only store in town, and got some body wash. When I was standing in line, I noticed a little old lady standing in front of me. She dumped a couple of pennies on the counter, and I noticed nothing else was in there. In her hand was a debit card. She was looking really flustered and embarrassed because her card kept denying her buying less than five dollars’ worth of groceries.
            “Well, maybe if you take off the milk I could pay for it…” she said shakily.
            Once again, her card was denied. Instead of consoling the old lady or helping out, the cashier just looked annoyed, so I decided there was nothing else that could possibly be done.
            “Ring everything up again. I’ll get it,” I said.
            The cashier just looked relived that she wouldn’t have to put stuff away. This little old lady was near tears, thanking me over and over again, as I simply swiped my card.
            “I thank you,” she said. “My dinner thanks you!”
            I just waved it off, saying it was fine, and she simply asked, “How could I repay you?”
            “It’s just money,” I smiled. “Don’t you worry about it.”
            In that moment, I’ve never seen someone look so touched.
            It was sad to see that in my little town there was such poverty. Yet, there was nobody who wanted to help her out. I want to strive to set an example that even if someone thinks they’re broke, they really aren’t until they can’t even buy two, three, or five dollars’ worth of groceries to feed themselves, to keep themselves alive. And even then, I would like to think that human beings could take care of their own instead of getting annoyed or frustrated over something someone can’t help. Someone may say that she should get a job, but it was obvious by the way she grimaced when she shuffled to the door there was no way she could get a job to support herself. It is up to people like us to take care of those who can’t take care of themselves. It is up to us to be difference makers.
​
Edited by London Koffler

​Author: Barry Nelson
Publisher: Dreaming Big Publications, dreamingbigpublications.com
Editor-in-Chief: Kristi King-Morgan
Genre: Science Fiction
Formats: Available in ebook and paperback


ABOUT THE BOOK:
The United Protectorate is under attack by the Brelac, a bloodthirsty reptilian alien race bent on destroying humanity. A dark alliance between the Brelac and the Vendetta, a separatist organization, looms over the Protectorate. The Brelac's onslaught brings forth the creation of the genetically engineered humanoid weapons called Reploids. Reploids are identical copies of real humans captured, killed, cloned, embedded with powerful psionic abilities, and programmed to serve the Brelac. The balance is upset when a weapon powerful enough to bring the Protectorate to its knees is about to be unleashed and the Protectorate's only hope of stopping it are Colin, Diane, and Kelly.


FOR BLOGGERS, VLOGGERS, REVIEWERS: This book is available in electronic (PDF) format upon request. We also have an AUTHOR INTERVIEW available on request.