You don't have to be a parent of a Special Needs child, a teacher, or a therapist to enter able2able giveaways. They are open to anybody and everybody (continental U.S. only for this one). New to blog giveaways, and a little nervous? Check out able2able's Blog Giveaway FAQ's.

The winner is... JHS! You have been emailed and your have until 11:59pm CDT Monday to contact me with your shipping information or Random.org will be used to select another winner.

We all go through phases where there are reasons we can't do what's needed to be our best selves. This is more of a natural part of life than a true problem. It becomes a problem when we cling to the reasons long after they are gone. Reasons become excuses and excuses are what hold us back.

Yvonne Pierre is a woman who has learned to rise above the excuses to take control of her life's direction. Here's Yvonne's "before" list: sexual abuse, alcohol addiction, drug abuse, functional illiteracy, unwed teen mother, and homelessness. Sounds like a person more destined to be a statistic than an woman on the rise, doesn't it? Wait until you see the "after" list for Yvonne's self-transformation.

I had the pleasure of reading a draft of The Day My Soul Cried: A Memoir and of interviewing Yvonne for Parenting Special Needs online magazine.



Yvonne's memoir is so personal and honest that when I finished, I felt as if I had completed a long conversation with her rather than read a book.



Yvonne Pierre is the mother of Zyair, 18, who was born with clubfeet so severe that the 19 year old single mother was told he would never walk. Her 8 year old son, Zyon, has Down Syndrome. Educators and a variety of professionals had been telling Yvonne for years that success was not something she could obtain. Twice in her life Yvonne was blessed with the opportunity to choose between believing in herself or being defined by her "before" list. Her belief in both of her children's potential and right to thrive was so strong that she unintentionally chose herself when she put their needs above her excuses.

The "after" list? Yvonne is a Special Needs advocate. She's a public speaker, working on her Master's Degree, hosts her own BlogTalk Radio show, has just published her first book, and is involved in the production of a documentary about stigmas surrounding disabilities.



This "momtrepreneur" also has her own website, Have Ya Heard... Positively Speaking about Disability. The Have Ya Heard emagazine celebrates achievements of individuals with disabilities, there is a free online club for families of Special Needs children, and you can purchase inspirational books and apparel.



What do you think, now that you've seen a little of Yvonne "before" and Yvonne "after"? Is it your time to transform into the person you want and need to be? Have your reasons become excuses and are those excuses defining you? Read The Day My Soul Cried: A Memoir and let Yvonne's transformation inspire you to create your own "after" list.

To enter this giveaway, post a comment following the rules below (scroll to the end of the comments and click on "post a comment"). You have the opportunity to enter this giveaway up to 16 times!!:

All entries must have an email address or a public profile. Email me for directions on how to post anonymous entries without sharing your email address.

Mandatory 1st entry: Visit Have Ya Heard and post a comment about something you learned from that site. NOTE: There is a description of each section of Have Ya Heard on the homepage. Your entry CANNOT be information from the homepage. You have to go through "click here" in one of the sections and check it out for your entry.

The mandatory first entry must be completed before you can complete any of the following additional entries! You can choose to do one or all of these additional entries.

For an additional 1 entry: Join the Have Ya Heard Virtual Club.

For an additional 1 entry: Subscribe to the Have Ya Heard emagazine.

For an additional 1 entry: Like The Day My Soul Cried on Facebook. Read your updates - there will be a trivia contest there in July and the winner will win $100!

For an additional 1 entry: Listen to one of Yvonne's on demand BlogTalk Radio programs and post a comment about something you learned.

For an additional 1 entry: Enter another able2able giveaway. Post the name of the giveaway you enter in a comment here, and while you're there post the name of this giveaway for an additional entry!

For an additional 1 entry: Become a Facebook Fan of able2able... Your Special Needs Resource Directory and post a shout out comment on the fanpage wall. Current Facebook Fans may post an entry.

For an additional 3 entries: Become a public follower of able2able. Post 3 separate comments for your entries as a new follower. Current able2able followers may enter 3 times.

For an additional 2 entries: Post a link to this giveaway on your Facebook status. Post a comment for each entry. Click "Share" at the end of this post to quickly spread the word.

For an additional 2 entries: Tweet the link to this giveaway. Post a comment for each entry. Click on "Share" at the end of this post to quickly spread the word.

For an additional 4 entries: Blog about this giveaway! Your blog post must include links to this giveaway and mention The Day My Soul Cried. Include a link to your blog post in your comment. You must post a comment for each entry.

It is very important that you post a comment for each entry. Why? Because a random number generator will be used to select the winner. Each comment will be numbered by Blogger, and I will use those numbers for the drawing. So if you combine entries into one post all your entries will not be counted. There will be no do-overs!

I will verify that the winning entry has met the requirements above, so if your comment for a FB status update is the winning comment then I might ask to see that link, etc. If I cannot verify your entry, then all your entries will be removed from the list and the drawing will be repeated.

This giveaway ends at 11:59 pm (CT) on Thursday, July 1st.

The winner's name will be posted on able2able on Friday, July 2nd and I will also email you. The lucky winner will have until 11:59 pm (CT) Monday, July 5th to contact me.

Warning - I have been having problems with Gmail holding my sent emails then releasing them with a new release date. I cannot be responsible if your email notice gets delayed by gmail so check back at this post or on Facebook to see if you won!

I read an email draft of The Day My Soul Cried prior to publication. This review was not influenced by any products I received. The links for The Day My Soul Cried are affiliate links.

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