I met you at the book signing in Phoenix and you are such a lovely lovely woman. Very inspiring. So I went home and read the story you recommended about cooking on your website. I couldn’t stop smiling. Super cute! After I finished with that, I began to read Guardians of the Dead. Just finished. I’m at a loss for words. Your writing is so spellbinding. You’re a true story teller. Ahh, I LOVED LOVED LOVED the book. So much. Words simply can’t describe. Thank you for writing such an amazing and wonderful(and insert great adjective here) book. I’m going to recommend it to all my friends – EVERYONE should read this book.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Now that is fiction, but in 2003, the olympics were held here in Ireland, and it was absolutely incredible. Amazing. For many, myself included, it was the highlight of the summer, and they were treated with far greater respect than the comedians you mention undoubtedly would have been. Each countries’ team were allocated a county to stay, and many of the families they stayed with gave them presents and gifts (I remember one family, while being interviewed on television with one of the athletes,said “show them the new present you got”, at which point he took off a track suit top, to reveal the local teams sport’s jersey. A touching moment that highlighted the warm welcome these athletes recieved. Made me proud to be IRish.)
It truly is an amazing event, and these competitors display far more resilience, far greater strength and incredible resilience. They put the Olympics, with its drug scandals and cheating, to shame. True sports men and women.

A better alternative is the “winning an argument on the internet joke”. Very difficult to offend anyone with that joke.

I just got in my copy of School Library Journal and Guardian of the Dead got a starred review! Congratulations!