The Silent Conviction: The World Moved On, But A Sister Never Forgets Paperback – November 17, 2022

I loved the author’s flow and that she started each chapter with a bible verse. I have never lost anyone the way the author did, but it was truely heartbreaking to read about. However, she never gave up in her faith or gave up searching for her sister. Wonderful read and I highly recommend it.

This book opened my eyes to questions I once had for my dear friend whom was suddenly taken from our lives. I recommend highly others to buy this book and read it thoroughly. It will open others eyes to so many different aspects of life. Greatly wrote. I would give it more than 5 stars. Get this book and follow the author for more great work.

Very well written, from a personal point of view. I could almost feel the authors pain and frustration. The whole story is sad.

Short but emotional read; anyone with close relatives - and especially those with siblings - will be able to identify. I'm not a big reader but I knocked this out quickly because I didn't want to stop. You can feel the author's heartache and continue to hope for proper closure. And without giving away the punchline, the story here appears NOT to be over (I was intrigued enough by the narrative that I immediately started sleuthing the status of all-things-related after finishing). This book is absolutely a 'buy.'

My book finally arrived today and I was more than half way through it in less than an hour. It is written with love, passion and determination to get Yolanda’s story told. The author put her heart and soul into telling her sisters story and it comes through as you read it. 💙💙

There is truly no way for one to understand how it could possibly feel to lose someone that you love, a sister, with no justice. This read was enlightening in getting to know Yolanda better and the tip of the iceberg when understanding a situation like that. Very easy and well written read. Admire the faith spread throughout as well.

Margaret writes a beautiful first-hand account of what it’s like to lose your sister. As she takes you on a journey of worry for her sister, concern for her decisions, and despair when she goes missing, she brings God into the story every step. As she was Yolanda’s protector in life, she was her fierce advocate in her disappearance and ultimately the discovery of her death. Margaret lays her heart-wrenching feelings bare for us to follow along with her on this journey. You’ll feel worry, frustration, sadness, and anger for how the events unfold. Highly recommend!

This book was written so beautifully and with such great heartache and detail. Margaret writes with such warm and loving details of a deep friendship and sisterhood they shared. Her faith in the Lord has brought her from the great depths of despair and hopelessness to her unwavering resolve for peace for her sister and her family. The pain and frustration of countless roadblocks within the justice system are alarming. Margaret chronicles the struggle to find justice for Yolanda and her determined quest to bring the killer to justice. I highly recommend reading this account, outlining the devastating and tragic events of Yolanda’s life taken far too soon. May justice prevail for Yolanda!

Too many loved ones go missing without a trace leaving their families bereft with worry and distraught with fear - for which there is no end until closure arrives with the discovery of the missing beloved either well, or otherwise.This is a harrowing story, a true story of sisters one year apart who were not only siblings but each other's best friends. They even dressed the same. Yolanda, the youngest disappeared after leaving her sister (Margaret) and her friends in a bar for an assignation with an unknown person. Her skeletal remains were discovered 25 months later. The family lived through the horror of uncertainty and the indifference and ineptitude of a New York state, small town police department where the officers put their personal vendettas with each other above doing their job. The author keeps nothing back and pursued the truth with a vengeance over two decades until she and her family found some closure.This is also a heartwarming story of how Margaret managed her life and found the strength to continue through her Christian faith. Small leads and developments that non-believers will write off as coincidence empowered her to continue a lonely quest for her sister's killer. For others who may be suffering from the pain and uncertainty of knowing the well being and whereabouts of a missing family member, this is essential reading. If only to make you aware of the presence of an organization that will pursue cases gone cold where the authorities have made no progress in finding the person or their truth. This is a non-fee paying organization, free of charge to families in this distress - and they are good. This story is not fiction but a btrue account and one can understand the reason for repetitions, of which there are some and forgiven along with a number of sentences that are not clear. When one is suffering the agony of not knowing the truth of what happened to a loved one for so long, with the same words, phrases, doubts and opines churning around in one's head, repetitions are understandable. I believe I am now better able to help those who suffer the tragedy of disappearances through reading this book.Last updated on November 27th, 2022When you're writing your book, it is common to include a lot of words that you don't need. This doesn't mean that you are a bad writer, because everyone does this.Additionally, there are so many words that are unnecessary, and many authors don't even know it. As you gain experience writing, you will find that these words feel stale, and that there are better words to replace them.Thankfully, using the advice in this article, you can turn weak phrases into good writing and become a better writer in the process.So what do you do about all of these words, and how can you find them?In this article, you will learn: The different types of words to cut A list of specific words you should avoid How to find and replace these wordsNote: in this article, we will be using ProWritingAid and Atticus as software examples to get this job done. These are our best recommendations for a proofreading software and a writing software, respectively. However, much of this can also be done in almost any writing program you use. It just might take a little longer. Some of these links may also be affiliate links.Types of Words to CutWhile we do provide a list of the most common words to look for, there are whole categories of words that you should avoid in your writing, unless you have a specific reason to use them.AdverbsAdverbs are words that usually end in “– LY”. They can be helpful, but should not be overused. Adverbs are a good example of “telling, not showing”, when there is a better action verb or descriptor to convey the same information.To Be VerbsTo be verbs include the words was, is, are, were, etc. While these verbs are certainly necessary, they often act as a big signpost that a better verb could be used.For example, instead of saying “John was tired,” you could say, “John rubbed his eyes,” or, “John collapsed in his chair.”Once again, to be verbs provide a clue that you are telling instead of showing.To be verbs are also a potential sign of passive voice. For example, instead of saying “the ball was thrown by John,” you could say “John threw the ball.”Prepositional PhrasesA prepositional phrase is a short phrase that ends with a noun, phrases that often increase the length of the sentence.An example could be, “at the store,” or, “near the middle,”. There are usually better ways to phrase these sentences.Run-on SentencesWhile a little harder to spot using a find and replace feature, run-on sentences are sentences that go on for too long, and could easily be divided into several shorter sentences.Some tools, such as the Hemingway app, as well as a report in ProWritingAid, will help you identify potential run-on sentences.NominalizationsNominalization are verbs or adjectives that are turned into a noun, when it would be better to keep them as an adjective or verb.Examples include words like collection, analysis, slowness, intention, accuracy, disagreement, or suggestion.For example, the phrase, “she performed an analysis,” would usually be better off said, “she analyzed.”TautologiesTautologies are words and phrases that mean the same thing, meaning you can cut one of the words.Examples include things like “evening sunset”, or “autobiography of her life.” In these examples “evening” and “of her life” mean the same thing as “sunset” and “autobiography” respectively. You don't need both.Excessive Dialogue TagsDialogue tags are necessary when constructing good dialogue, as they inform the reader who is speaking.However, if you have a conversation between two people, putting a dialogue tag at the end of every single piece of dialogue becomes excessive. Sooner or later, the reader will know who is speaking, and the tags begin to slow down the pacing.Therefore, when you have two people talking, include the dialogue tags at the beginning of the conversation, but remove them as the conversation progresses.Overused WordsWe all have these, and it is different for every author. There are words that you rely on more than others. These could be words like grin, sigh, suddenly, etc.Get to know your own personal writing style and identify the words you use as a crutch. ProWritingAid can help with this, as they have a tool that quickly identifies your most-used words.AtticusFormatting Has Never Been EasierWrite and format professional books with ease. Never before has creating formatted books been easier.Click here to see it in actionSpecific Words to AvoidNow that we've covered some of the basic categories of words to avoid, let's look at individual words that should be a big warning sign for you.Feeling and Thinking WordsThese are words like felt, feel, think, thought, wonder, ponder, understand, realize, or believe.All of these words are usually unnecessary, and they are sign that you are telling, not showing. There are usually better verbs to use, or you can rephrase the sentence to show more.This way, you are not distancing yourself from the viewpoint character. You can get directly inside their head, instead of describing what they are feeling.Example: instead of saying “I thought the food tasted horrible,” you could say, “Yuck! That food made me gag.”Then“Then” is a commonly used word to transition in a sequence of events. It is overused and can sound basic. Try rearranging your words, and use “and” instead.Example: instead of “I tripped on the dance floor, then fell flat on my face, then everyone laughed at me,” say, “I tripped on the dance floor, fell flat on my face, and everyone laughed.”BreathingWords like breathe, breath, inhale, exhale, etc. our words frequently relied on by authors to show an internal character emotion. I know for myself that I relied far too heavily on “let out a breath I didn't know I was holding” in my early books.This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can get overly repetitive. Instead, change it up by finding another way to show what caused that character to breathe differently.Example: instead of “David rushed around the corner and I inhaled sharply,” use, “David rushed around the corner, a manic look in his eye, and my body tensed.”Shrug, Nod, Smile, ReachThese are common words used by authors over and over again. While this doesn't make them bad, you want to make sure there isn't a more accurate and specific way of describing the situation.Sometimes, a smile is just a smile, and you don't need a more specific word or phrase, but sometimes you've used it too often, and you need a better way of saying it.Example: instead of, “He reached for the hammer,” use, “He lunged for the hammer.”Really, VeryReally and Very hard to words overly used in writing. In almost every situation, there is a stronger adjective that will describe the situation more accurately (the exception, of course, is when a character might use them in dialogue).Example: instead of, “the giant was very big,” use, “the giant towered over me.”JustJust as a word, similar to “very” or “really” that can be easily deleted. It is unnecessary in most situations, and often doesn't even need a replacement.Example: instead of, “he just wants to be loved,” say, “he wants to be loved.”That“That” is a necessary word, but is often overused. There are many instances when you can remove the word and maintain the meaning of the phrase.Example: instead of “Dave told Jason that that explosion was deliberate,” say, “Dave told Jason that the explosion was deliberate.”Overused -ly AdverbsAdverbs should be reduced in general, but there are some that are overused more, including: totally, completely, absolutely, literally, definitely, certainly, probably, actually, basically, virtually.All of these words added nothing to the sentence, and you can usually remove them. An action word makes a better replacement.Example: instead of “the drawer was completely full of socks,” say, “the drawer was full of socks.”Thing, It“Thing” and “It” are vague words that don't accurately describe what you're talking about. One possible, replace these words with a more specific word to describe the object you are referring to.The exception for “it” occurs when you have already used the object's name in a sentence, in which case you can use “it” as the correct pronoun going forward.Example: Instead of, “Bring me that thing,” say, “Bring me that book/smartphone/food/etc.”Start, BeginWords like start, began, began, and begun are often unnecessary, as you can just describe the action instead, with the “starting” of that action already implied.Example: instead of, “she began to run,” say, “she ran”.There Was“There was” is a common way to start a sentence, and can be easily replaced by a more descriptive action.Example: instead of, “there was a cat scratching at the door,” say, “a cat scratched at the door.”Up, Down“Up” and “down” are often unnecessary words, since the direction is usually implied by other words in the sentence. Analyze whether you need these words, and delete if necessary.Example: instead of, “she sat down on the carpet,” say, “she sat on the carpet.”Have Got“Have got” is a tautology, meaning that both words mean the same thing. Instead, you can just use “have”.Additionally, “got” is not a useful word overall, and you can usually find a better word to use instead.Example: instead of, “she got to her feet,” say, “she leapt to her feet.”Literally“Literally” is a word that is often used out of context, in a situation where it is not meant to be taken…literally. Make sure that when you use this word, that it means what it says.There are exceptions, like when a character is supposed to talk that way, but generally you should avoid it.Example: instead of “The sun was so hot, John was literally melting,” you can remove the word “literally” or replace it with a word like “practically”.About“About” is a vague word that doesn't specify anything. You can use words like “approximately” or provide a more specific range instead.Example: instead of “the wall was about 10 feet high,” say, “the wall was between 10 and 12 feet high.”Filler PhrasesThere are a lot of filler words and phrases that can be entirely cut from your manuscript. These words and phrases include: Each and every As yet As of yet In order to At the end of the day As a matter of fact For all intents and purposes For the most part With regard to In reference to Needless to say It is important to note that During the course of When it comes to Due to the factAll of these phrases are empty, add new meaning to the sentence, and should be avoided.Example: instead of, “At the end of the day, it is important to note that, as of yet, we have not found a cure for the common cold,” say, “We have not yet found a cure for the common cold.”Sort of, Kind ofThese two phrases are used often in spoken language, but are unnecessary in writing. They are empty phrases that mean nothing and you can easily eliminate them.The meaning can shift slightly when you eliminate it, so make sure that there isn’t a better way to say it, or that it means what you want it to say.Example: Instead of “The meeting progressed kind of on schedule,” say, “The meeting progressed on schedule.”