and the winner of the autographed FORGIVEN is

Sylvia Sanchez!!

All of you had amazing answers to what place inspires you. But the contest hat has picked Sylvia, who responded with this:

Sylvia Sanchez said...
All life I always dreamed of moving as far away from home as I possibly could and when I graduated high school my dream came true. I left my home in NYC and went to a very small college in Florida called Saint Leo University. It was the first time in my life that I was truly happy and made me feel proud of myself. Everytime I feel depressed I just visit and it puts all my doubts about myself right out of my mind.

My most favorite place in the world and the place that inspires me is a beautiful lake behind my dorm at Saint Leo. To me its the most magical place. Living in the Bonx, I really never had a place to about nature but looking out at the lake made me realize how much more there is outside of new york waiting for me to find it.

My nephew Raymond came to visit me once while I was at Saint Leo and I took him to my lake so we can relax under the weeping willow trees and talk. Raymond is autistic and has never been to a "normal" school but confessed he dreamed of going to college but knew he had to go to a regular high school in order to do it. We talked for hours and while siting on the shore an alligator floated by (since this was florida no one thought to warn me of huge reptiles living in my backyard) and for some strange reason it inspired Raymond to try for high school saying "if the gator can live here and not eat me then I can go to school....it can happen"

That day on the lake was over 8 yrs ago but Raymond went to High school and graduated. he is attending community college.

Congrats Sylvia! Please email me with your mailing address and Janet will send you your book!