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Women Power in Today’s Organizations
by Dr. Daryl Green
America has continued to learn how to deal with strong women during the great demographic shift in history. Corporate America celebrates media moguls like Oprah Winfrey. According to Fortune Magazine, 15 Fortune 500 companies are run by women. In fact, women of color are showing others how to break traditional barriers. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice transformed how powerful women can lead major government sectors. In fact, there is a long list of successful women in all types of institutions.
Yet, the road to success for most black women isn’t easy. Many women’s dreams of a successful career have come to reality. Strangely enough, some women have been trying to have it all. This marks the clash. There are women who focus on the primary care of their families while delaying their personal dreams. Others dedicate their lives to their careers while compromising the stability of their families. In the middle, there are millions of mothers who attempt to do it all out of necessity and attempt to chase the great American Dream. This article focuses on the issues facing professional women and provides solutions. Several professional women were interviewed. However, their real names are not disclosed, to protect them since they work in small industries.
The Problem
According to the 2005 Census Report, there are 82.5 million mothers in the United States , and there are 10 million single mothers living with children under 18 years old. Working moms make up 55 percent of mothers with infants. Feminists celebrate the liberation of working women while traditionalists postulate the merits of home-bound mothers for institutional stability. In fact, some people blame the moral decay of the country on mothers abandoning their families for professional careers. Many women try to maintain a healthy balance of work and family life, but this balancing act leaves some of them “burnt out.” Therefore, there is a growing problem for women in particular and society in general in understanding consequences of women’s power in the near future.
The Trend
Women stand at the fore front of disruptive change in the political, social, economic, and technological sectors of most counties. Dr. James Canton’s
The Extreme Future notes “Women will comprise a high percentage of new workers and leaders, forever changing the politics of boardrooms and markets.” According to a US Census report, nearly one-third of all married women in the US make more than their husbands. More than 25% of working wives earned more their husbands in 2007 (up from 20% in 1983). Furthermore, women are earning college degrees at a faster pace than men. Between 2000 and 2001, women earned 57% of all undergraduate degrees.
Woman power is also being flexed in the corporate world. In 1983, women held 34% of all US executive and managerial positions. However, women held more than 50% of these positions in 2003. Futurist John Cashmen predicts women will forever change the landscape of all institutions: “The number of women in the primary breadwinner role will likely grow in coming decades, driven by social change and the fact that women’s educational achievement is outpacing men’s in many parts of the world.” Therefore, executives must consider how the changing roles of women in organizations will impact their corporate strategies.
The Career Strategy
Progressive women need to develop critical career strategies in a holistic fashion. Balancing work and family is difficult. In general, some men are already taking this transition personally. Some men are opting for the domestic life while their wives become the principal breadwinners. Therefore, society watches gender role reversals and wonder how it will end…relational success or failure?
For working women, any results are often problematic anyway. Yenissee Alonso and Vickie Brint, authors of the article
Women in the Workplace, argue that women still deal with institutional barriers that keep them from being successful. For example, women in general are making less than their counterparts doing the same job with the same experience.
Alonso and Brint note, “Since nearly half of the workforce is comprised of women, it stands to reason that woman should be enjoying the same success as their male counterparts in terms of advancement opportunities and earning capacity.” Princeton researchers in a 2003 study concluded that college-educated women who hold higher expectations for their potential mate may lower their chances for getting married. In fact, some men may be uncomfortable with having a woman who has more education and makes more than them, postulate some theorists.
Sue Means is a professional engineer in a highly competitive consulting industry. She sees challenges for professional women. She notes that men are treated differently. Means explains, “Some of my colleagues talk about how pretty I am. They comment on my clothes and make suggestions regarding what I should wear. That would not happen to a man.”
Liza Fuller is a government program manager with a decade of experience in handling difficult environmental issues. She exists in a mostly male dominated industry. Fuller notes, “Women are still expected to work harder than men to prove themselves and avoid criticism. Attractive women still get grief about being promoted for reasons other than their own merit and it’s not fair.”
Furthermore, Canton suggests that the most educated, skilled, and experienced employees will be in high demand. Therefore, professional women need better strategies. Means recommends prioritizing what’s important: “I let go what’s not important. Most women get overwhelmed with trying to manage all of the household and family responsibilities while working at the same time. You need to be realistic about what you can do. It’s a balancing act.” Some women feel that they can have it all without any drop off. Fuller disagrees: “There is always a sacrifice because you spend more time away from your family.” Although there will be an ever increasing number of opportunities for women in the workplace, women must analyze every career move in a holistic fashion if they want to keep that delicate balance.
Conclusion
The future is bright for working women as never before. In fact, women will drive most institutions toward major changes in the near term. However, this article demonstrated that the road to success for most professional women isn’t easy. They must deal with sexism to a certain degree. However, the demands of their professional life have not kept up with the heavy demands of a family and personal life. Therefore, women must develop career strategies in a holistic manner that maximizes their efforts. Black women continue to excel against tremendous obstacles. In turn, society must learn how to embrace women’s power in the future if America hopes to continue to compete.
Dr. Daryl D. Green writes on contemporary issues impacting individuals, businesses, and society across the globe. With over 18 years of management experience, Dr. Green’s expertise has been noted and quoted by USA Today, Ebony Magazine, and Associated Press. For more information, you can go to
http://stores.lulu.com/darygre
or http://www.darylgreen.org
Connecting to Your Vocation: How to Get More from a Job
By Dr. Daryl D. Green
Do you enjoy your job? If you feel under-utilized in your organization, you are not alone.
On a routine basis, many employees force themselves to work without a clear purpose. Numerous people work to maintain their daily bread without ever doing what they love. Sadly, many managers are unable to inspire today’s workforce toward greater performance.
Manager guru Peter Drucker argued for several decades that managers must understand their employees as well as their customers. Few executives listened. Drucker concluded, “Business tends to drift from leadership to mediocrity. And the mediocre is three-quarters down the road to being marginal.” Yet, emerging leaders need to know how to rekindle such emotions in the workplace. This article will discuss how one’s calling can transform an individual’s life in order to improve organizational performance.
The Vocation
Becoming more productive in life is a function of working in a career that is aligned with one’s abilities. Unfortunately, many organizations fail to understand this simple principle. As a consequence, they have people in jobs that do not fit their abilities. Yes, the organization knows the individual’s education and career experience. However, managers are unable to understand the worker’s ability without input from that worker. There is a distinct difference between an occupation and a vocation. An occupation relates to the principal activity in an individual’s life that earns money for living.
Some people, due to their own financial situation, are forced to work in jobs they hate. Others must occupy jobs where they are overqualified; this speaks to the issue of underemployment in our nation. Yet, many folks are slaves to their jobs simply because of the income. This situation can lead to stress, depression, and unhappiness. In fact, some people take desperate measures. According to one study, more than 30,000 Americans take their lives annually. In fact, this works out to more than three suicides for every two murders.
A vocation is a natural alignment with one’s ability. Vocation relates to a career which a person is particularly suited or qualified to perform. Some individuals credit this special alignment to a divine provocation. In the medieval Christian period, it was believed that God called certain people and their work was a "calling." This calling was usually reserved for the clergy and priest. In the secular sense, individuals who can fully use all of their talents in a way that liberates them can make great contributions in society.
However, it does invoke a different mental journey. Marsha Sinetar, author of Do What You Love, The Money Will
Follow, argues that individuals rarely take the time for introspection: “Most of us think about our jobs or our careers as a means to fulfill responsibilities to families and creditors, to gain more material comforts, and to achieve status and recognition. But we pay a high price for this kind of thinking.” This mental awakening is happening across the nation. Thus, some people are able to tap into their own calling.
Therefore, it is important that individuals take the time to learn what they enjoy and what they are good at. This reality will lead them to their special calling. In fact, one has a calling when he or she realizes what can be done with his or her God-given abilities. Once this career revelation is realized, an individual can then take the journey toward greater happiness and job performance.
Conclusion
As society pushes people to acquire more things in order to be happy, individuals can become unhappy with life. Many black professionals struggle to connect on their jobs. Therefore, it’s important that individuals take a personal assessment of their own career objectives in conjunction with their own calling. Furthermore, organizations that understand how to tap into an employee’s calling will have a competitive advantage because they will maximize the talents of their workforce. In the future, there will be a global war for talent. Discover your innate calling and propel yourself into a better future.
Vanessa Miller of Dayton, Ohio, is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include: Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying. Vanessa is currently in the process of turning the novels in the Rain Series into stage productions. Vanessa's latest release,
Yesterday’s Promise, was #1 on BCNN April 2010 bestsellers list. View
here the list here.
Vanessa has been writing since she was a young child. When she wasn’t writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels, reading great books consumed her free time. However, it wasn’t until she committed her life to the Lord in 1994 that she realized all gifts and anointing come from God. She then set out to write redemption stories that glorify God.
To date, Vanessa has completed the Rain and Storm Series. She is currently working on the Forsaken series, Second Chance at Love series and a single title, Long Time Coming. Yesterday's Promise, a Christian romance, was released in April 2010 by Whitaker House Publishing. Vanessa believes that each book will touch readers across the country in a special way. It is, after all, her God-given destiny to write and produce plays and novels that bring deliverance to God’s people. These books have received rave reviews, winning Best Christian Fiction Awards and topping numerous Bestseller’s lists.
• Best Christian Fiction Mahogany Award 2003
• Red Rose Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction 2004
• Nominated for the NAACP Image Award (Christian Fiction) 2004
• Essence Bestseller’s List March 2008; May 2008 (Former Rain)
• Essence Bestseller’s List September 2008 (Rain Storm)
• Black Expressions Book Club Alternate Selection 2007, 2008 & 2009.
Vanessa originally self-published, then in 2006 she signed a five-book deal with Urban Christian/Kensington. Her books can now be found in Wal-Mart, and almost all major bookstores, including African American bookstores and online bookstores such as Amazon.com.
Vanessa is a dedicated Christian and devoted mother. She graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication. In 2007, Vanessa was ordained by her church as an exhorter. Vanessa believes this was the right position for her because God has called her to exhort readers and to help them rediscover their place with the Lord. Most of Vanessa’s published novels depict characters that are lost and in need of redemption. The books have received countless favorable reviews.
BPM: Where do you find your inspiration to write?
I find inspiration for my novels in stories that I read in the Bible, conversations that I have with family and friends, or something that I watched on the news. I have awakened from dreams with the beginning of a storyline for a novel… inspiration comes from many different sources, but my main goal is to make sure each of my books glorify God.
BPM: Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
Since all of my novels a meant to lead the reader back to or closer to God, I believe my legacy will be that I spread the good news of the gospel with thousands upon thousands of people… and many of them found strength in the inspiration they found between the pages of my books.
BPM: What specific revelation prompted you to write this book?
I was doing a book signing at the Indiana Black Expo and the lady next to my table was signing copies of her book that talked about the struggle for women to preach. Since the bishop of my church is a woman and we have women preach at my church all the time, I had never thought anything about any struggle that women faced when it came to preaching. But then a man walked into the room where we were signing our books. He took one look at Pastor Notoshia Howard’s book and started screaming at her. He told her that she had no business trying to preach to men and that women were not allowed to preach. That’s when the idea of Yesterday’s Promise was dropped in my spirit. I wanted to write a book that details the struggles women who have been called by God have to deal with in order to preach the gospel.
BPM: Vanessa, introduce us to your book and the main characters.
Yesterday’s Promise is a Christian romance about Melinda Johnson and Steven Marks. Melinda feels called to the ministry, but Steven doesn’t believe that women should preach. This disagreement between the two causes Steven to break off their engagement. But now, after ten years, Steven is back in Melinda’s life as the new bishop over her fellowship and he wants a second chance with Melinda. However, Melinda can never marry a man who doesn’t respect the call of God on her life. To love one another, the two must knock down the walls that separate them. But can the bishop finally do that for his lady or will Melinda be forced to leave Omega Christian Church?
BPM: What are two major events taking place in the book?
The major events in this book deal with Melinda’s struggle to preach. In several scenes she is forced to fight against her father and her ex-fiancé to prove that God has called her to preach. Yesterday’s Promise also deals with the issue of broken promises. Melinda struggles with this issue and finally allows God to heal her heart.
BPM: Who were your favorites? Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
I loved Melinda’s character because she was so complex. She was a preacher with issues of unforgiveness that stemmed from broken promises that had been made by her mother, ex-fiancé and her father. She was an interesting character study. I enjoyed watching as she resolved her issues and gave love a second chance.
Although Yesterday’s Promise is not about real people, it does deal with a real controversy in the Christian community. Not everyone believes that women should preach, but Melinda Johnson is determined to change minds and win souls.
BPM: What was the hardest part of Yesterday’s Promise to write?
Yesterday’s Promise deals with women in ministry. Since I know that this is a topic not everyone agrees on, I wanted to address the controversy but also find a way to some women believe they have every right to preach the gospel. I was very careful with those parts of the story because I wanted to make sure I told both sides of the story.
BPM: What is the most powerful chapter in the book for you?
Although there are many chapters in this book that will speak to the reader, in my opinion, chapter 22 is the most powerful because this is the chapter where Melinda learns to forgive.
BPM: Who do you want to reach with your book and the message within?
Women between the ages of 35-65, Christian women and Christian women in ministry would enjoy this story of romance and ministry.
BPM: How will reading your book shape the readers lives?
I believe that Yesterday’s Promise will give readers a better understanding concerning women in the ministry and will also help them understand a little bit more about the benefits of forgiveness.
BPM: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book?
I want readers to close the book on Yesterday’s Promise believing in themselves and in love again. Sometimes the world beats us up so much that we put aside the things we know we should be doing, in order to do the things that make the most sense – but if God called you to it, He will bring you through it.
BPM: What do you think makes your book stand out?
Although Yesterday’s Promise is Christian romance, it is one of the first romances to address the issue of women in the ministry. So, I believe that readers will find that aspect of the book interesting as well as the romance between Melinda and Steven.
BPM: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
I have four books releasing this year and another book due into my publisher by September. So 2010 is pretty busy for me.
My 2010 titles are as follows:
Yesterday’s Promise, April 2010
Forgiven, June 2010
A Love for Tomorrow, September 2010
Long time Coming, November 2010
BPM: How can our readers reach you online? Share with us your online contact info.
My web address is: www.vanessamiller.com
my Facebook page is: www.facebook.com/vanessamiller01 or readers can check out my Facebook fan page by typing in Vanessa Miller.
Intimate Conversation with Dwan Abrams
Dwan Abrams is a full-time novelist and freelance editor. She currently writes for Urban Books/Kensington. She’s the award-winning, best-selling author of My Mother’s Child, Married Strangers, Divorcing the Devil, Only True Love Waits, and The Scream Within. Her sixth novel will be released by Urban Books/Kensington in 2011. She’s the founder/facilitator of the Just Write! Workshop. Additionally, she’s the founder, publisher, and editorial director of Nevaeh Publishing, a small press independent publishing house. She was inducted into “Who’s Who” in Black Atlanta in 2006 and again in 2010.
BPM: Who are your mentors?
I have some literary big sisters, namely Kendra Norman-Bellamy and Marissa Monteilh. Where do you find your inspiration? My inspiration comes from so many things. I’m inspired by fascinating people that I meet, my marital relationship, and close friends and family members too.
BPM: A Legacy is something that is handed down from one period of time to another period of time. Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...that I was here and I had something to say.
BPM: Introduce us to your book, My Mother’s Child and the main characters.
My Mother’s Child is the standalone sequel to Divorcing the Devil. Nigel Fredericks made his debut in Divorcing the Devil, and he will give readers insight into his psychotic world. Lyric Stokes has the misfortune of becoming the object of Nigel’s obsession. Lyric’s husband, Michael, finds himself going through great lengths to protect his family. Ultimately, someone pays with their life.
BPM: Who were your favorites in My Mother’s Child?
My favorite character in My Mother’s Child was Lyric’s dad, Henry. I liked him because he took ownership of his past mistakes and changed his life. He also loved his daughter. Are your characters from the portrayal of real people? Not in this book.
BPM: What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your book?
Divorcing the Devil prompted me to write My Mother’s Child. Readers wanted to know more about Nigel, so I gave them what they wanted.
BPM: Take us inside the book. What are two major events taking place?
Two major events in My Mother’s Child are Nigel stalking Lyric, and Lyric’s pregnancy. A whole lot of drama surrounds those events.
BPM: Who do you want to reach with your book?
I want to reach as many readers as possible. My Mother’s Child takes readers on a suspenseful journey that will have them wanting to flip to the end just so they can see how it’s all going to pan out.
BPM: How will reading your book shape the readers lives?
I actually had a reader state the lessons they got from My Mother’s Child. The reader’s opinion was so insightful that I thought I’d share…
• You must be very careful who you let into your life
• Just because somebody seems nice doesn't mean they are.
• God will fight your battles if you let Him.
• True love conquers all.
• Everything that glitters isn't gold.
BPM: What are some of their specific issues, needs or problems addressed in this book?
Lyric Stokes seems to have a charmed life, yet she’s unfulfilled. No matter what she has materially, it can’t fill the void inside of her. She has daddy issues that she hadn’t addressed, and to top it off, she’s having a hard time getting pregnant. My Mother’s Child will make readers believe that unconditional love does exist.
BPM: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book?
Be careful what you ask for. And don’t ever lose faith.
BPM: What do you think makes your book different from others in the same genre?
The plot twist for sure. There’s nothing predictable about the story. Also, one of the topics isn’t something that a lot of people even knew was possible until recently. If there’s another fiction book that has addressed the topic, I haven’t heard about it.
BPM: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
I’m conducting a workshop on quitting your day job at the 2010 Black Writers Reunion and Conference. I’ll be representing my publishing company, Nevaeh Publishing, at the 2010 Faith and Fiction Retreat pitch session. We have three books being released in April, including a children’s book. I’m also releasing an ebook on publishing.
BPM: How can our readers reach you online?
Share with us your online contact info. I’m all over the web. My author site is
www.dwanabrams.com, and my publishing web site is
www.nevaehpublishing.com. I’m also on Facebook and Twitter. My books are available wherever books are sold, including online at Amazon.com,
BN.com, and Black Expressions.
Connect with Dwan Abrams
Best-selling Author/Freelance Editor/Publisher/Speaker
Books by Dwan
My Mother's Child Available wherever books are sold
Divorcing the Devil Available wherever books are sold
Married Strangers Available wherever books are sold
Shelia M. Goss is the national best-selling author of six women's fiction novels:
Hollywood Deception, His Invisible Wife, My Invisible Husband, Roses are thorns, Paige’s Web, Double Platinum and three young adult books: The Lip Gloss Chronicles series:
The Ultimate Test, Splitsville, and Paper Thin.
BPM: Introduce us to your latest book Hollywood Deception.
Hollywood Deception is a fast-paced romantic thriller about Hailey Barnes, a talk show host, whose dealing with a broken heart and a deranged fan.
Hailey wants what she can’t have, and that’s her ex-college sweetheart’s hand in marriage. Her on again/off again relationship with Trevon keeps her name in the tabloids, and that works for her, until she receives a wedding invitation in the mail—inviting her to Trevon’s wedding to another woman. He’s ready to settle down, just not with Hailey.
Besides dealing with a broken heart, the ex-supermodel is dealing with a deranged fan who has resorted to sending her disturbing mail at her Hollywood studio and her home. Hailey decides to use the opportunity as a quest to convince Trevon she should be his bride.
Trevon and childhood friend Garrett Morgan are co-owners of GT Securities, a security firm that caters to celebrities. Hailey’s plan backfires when Garrett heads her case instead of
Trevon. When ex-playboy Garrett starts developing feelings for Hailey, Hailey’s life becomes even more complicated. As Garrett investigates, all evidence points to the person Hailey least suspects.
BPM: What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your book?
Hailey Barnes first appeared in my book Double Platinum. She's also a character that I used in a web series. She was such a lively character, that she begged for her own story and that's how Hollywood Deception was born.
BPM: Take us inside the book. What are two major events taking place?
Hailey is dealing with a broken heart as she attempts to be the number one talk show host in the nation. She's also dealing with a deranged fan who stalks her at work and at home.
BPM: What are some of their specific issues, needs or problems addressed in this book?
Hollywood Deception addresses two issues in the book: stalking, which affects over 3 million people a year and a mental disorder known as bipolar.
BPM: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
I’m excited to announce that my next book, Delilah, will be Christian Fiction. I'm currently working on the edits. Its scheduled for a 2011 release. Where ever Delilah goes, drama is sure to follow. She wreaks havoc on the lives of every man she comes in contact with. Will her luck change when she meets the man of her dreams?
Besides writing for adults, I write young adult fiction. I'm honored to be the recipient of the
2009 EDC Creations Author of the Year for my teen series - The Lip Gloss Chronicles.
BPM: How can our readers reach you online?
To keep updated on any of my new projects or learn more about my old books, please visit me at
www.sheliagoss.com.
Shelia M. Goss - Author of Hollywood Deception &
5 other women's fiction novels & 3 YA Novels
Nakia R. Laushaul is employed as a Finance Administrator. She is a poet, novelist, and inspirational blogger. In her free time she enjoys performing her poetry and hanging out with her teenage son. Nakia serves on the Board of Directors for a non-profit,
KCCP, that was created to encourage arts participation in youth. Nakia is committed to challenging everyone in her reach to find compassion and empathy in the differences that exist among us all.
Ella: Introduce us to your book of poetry, The Truth As I See It: In Poetry &
Prose.
My book is called, The Truth As I See It: In Poetry & Prose. It’s an inspirational collection of poetry and essays about everyday life from my point of view. Although I absolutely love poetry, I am a storyteller to the depths of my soul. So, you will see a complete story in every poem. Every chapter tells a poetic story about You and Me, Love, God, Life, and how I came to be free in a way that every reader, no matter their favorite genre, will enjoy.
Ella: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer?
The God in me makes me feel powerful. I have overcome so many obstacles in my life that tried, yet failed each time to break me. I woke up one day and felt like yeah I finally got this, I got me. I am no longer ashamed of where I come from, who I am, what I lack, what I have, or where I’m going. All I know is that I am writing with the authority of God and that makes me a powerful woman.
Ella: Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
My hope is to inspire for generations to come. I want future readers to know— if you follow the hollow ground I’ve walked on, it will take you generations to be free. Learn from the past and take the shortcut, young one — here, take this shortcut.
Ella:
What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your book?
I have been (and still am) working on a novel for many years. I won’t even tell you exactly how many years it has been, not just yet (smile). All those years, I was afraid to write because I feared what I would come out of my pen and the impact it would have on others. I knew that whatever I wrote would be so drenched in truth that some people were bound to get their feelings hurt. In the process of avoiding what I was born to do, I was disobedient to God’s purpose, and my life was a mess. I woke up before dawn one day feeling distressed because God fills my head with so many thoughts, I don’t sleep well.
I found underneath my desk, a beautiful journal that I had never opened. Inside was an inscription by Picasso that read, “Everything you can imagine is real.” I wrote underneath, Then I imagine I love myself. I turned the page and wrote down all the reasons I loved myself. Those reasons turned into the first poem I wrote for this collection, “I Am A Tree.” By that evening I had a title for the entire book, The Truth As I See It. It was all poetry in the beginning, but I got hooked on blogging; hence prose entered the book.
Ella: Who do you want to reach with your book and the message within?
Initially, The Truth As I See It was God’s attempt to reach me. God was calling out to me through my own voice, God to Nakia. Come in Nakia. I discovered so much about myself during the writing process. Now I know I can’t force anyone else to change. However, my goal is to encourage a positive and willing acceptance of what is true and right.
Ella: How will reading your book shape the readers lives?
When my readers put my book down, I want them to imagine me saying personally to them, “You are strong, you are beautiful, you can make it, and you are uniquely fashioned in His image. You are A Tree!”
I want my readers to concentrate more on being who they are and not what others want them to be. I would like them to feel empowered enough to break away from generational curses and self defeat, find their purpose, and truly live.
Ella: What are some of their specific issues, needs or problems addressed in this book?
The thing with writing poetry is that others always assume every poem is about the poet. I can’t tell you how many poems are actually about you and what you are going through in your life, what I’ve read, or what I’ve overheard. I am a thief of juicy conversations. I wrote a poem about abortion, “Liberated,” that spawned from reading a Gwendolyn Brooks poem called “The Mother.” I heard the testimony of a famous gospel singer and wrote “Happy Mother’s Day.”
I wrote a poem that deals with what will surely happen to our future if we don’t do something called, “Deuteronomy.”
Many of my messages are a bit taboo and I wrestled intensely with writing them, but either I stand up for what I believe in, or I should have called my book, The Lies I Tell Myself. That was not going to happen because I’m done with lying to myself just to make someone else feel comfortable.
Ella: What was the most powerful poem in the book?
I cannot pick a most powerful poem as each one tells a story that is special to me. I would very much appreciate if my readers would send me an email letting me know which poem affected them the most and why. On the other hand, my novel, Running From Solace is my baby waiting patiently to get here. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the excerpt I included at the end of The Truth As I See It.
Ella: What do you think makes your book different from others?
Ecclesiastes 1:9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Since there is nothing new to be done, the only difference between my book and others’ is the way I choose to offer my poetic stories. I give them in a page-turning, here’s the truth, now deal with it—in a plain and simple sort of way. You will not need a decoder to decipher the message because I give it straight up—no chaser, so be ready.
Ella: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
Presently, you can purchase and autographed copy of The Truth As I See It: In Poetry & Prose on my website. It will soon be available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and through other Internet sources where books are sold. I am currently working on my novel, Running From Solace.
Ella: How can our readers reach you online?
I am a real life Social Butterfly, so I welcome you to rant it up with me on my blog, Random Rants of Truth of a Social Butterfly:
http://nakialaushaul.blogspot.com
Friend me and get chatty on FaceBook, or stop by my website anytime you like to see what I’m up to and what’s new:
www.nakiarlaushaul.com . You never know, I may be headed to your town very soon! I also welcome your emails, so share your thoughts about my work:
Nakia@nakiarlaushaul.com
The Truth As I See It: In Poetry & Prose
ISBN: 978-0-9843682-6-6
Nakia Laushaul...is making the best of today!
author, The Truth As I See It: In Poetry & Prose www.nakiarlaushaul.com
Intimate Conversation with Tia Stewart
Tia Stewart is an award-winning African-American writer whose penchant for verbiage started in the fifth grade when her teachers thought she was passing handwritten notes about boys, but she and her best friend were editing each other’s books and magazine articles. Her first publication,
Colors of a Man: Transgressions and Hope was published in April 2009 as an
eBook on Amazon. She writes in several genres, but poetry is her passion.
BPM: At what age or point in life did you unlock your gift for poetry?
I discovered my ability for writing in fifth grade. I wanted to write magazine articles for Ebony Jr at age eleven. One of my girlfriends was working on a novel in fifth grade and I use to edit her writings. A few years ago, I worked nights on a 24 hour Nurse Advice line for an insurance company, and a fellow poet, encouraged me to start writing poetry. Working the night shift, gave me the solitude to delve into poetry, and I rediscovered my dream of writing. “Black” was my first poem, that won critical acclaim. All my clients and friends loved that poem. I performed “Collateral Damage” at an open mic summer 2009 at The Canal Club, in Richmond, Virginia, and people started asking about my book. So I collected all my poems and Colors of a Man, Tribute to African-American Men was published for Christmas 2009.
BPM: What moved you to begin writing?
The best of the poetry came out of the worst of personal tragedy. I ran a successful bail bonding company, in Richmond, Virginia called Big Momma Bail Bonds. One of my fellow bail bondsman, James Woolfolk and good friend was murdered. Really wonderful person, always smiling and his family ran a soul food restaurant within walking distance of Richmond City Jail. Most of my bail bonding business had me in more rural, country parts of Virginia, and I spent most of my time shopping and eating fried chicken with my cousins. We had a funny, competitive rivalry between the city bondsman and the country bondsman. He cooked at the restaurant, and was always trying to feed me (Smile).
As a bondsman, you spend alot of time with the magistrates, police officers, judges, and court officials, and between them and my family, everybody really wanted me to stop because of safety issues after his death. I started writing poetry to deal with all the loss. My mother was the first female African-American police office in Virginia, in the seventies, so I grew up around law enforcement all my life. Many of my college friends and family were DEA, ATF, CIA,
FBI and Secret Service, so I know many people in criminal justice. As a military brat, I loved the adventure of being a bail bondsman. I attended high school and college in Detroit and Chicago. I even attended medical school for one year at Michigan State University, before becoming a full-time mommy. My writings, for the poetry and the novels, come from all these experiences.
BPM: Introduce us to your latest published work, Colors of a Man. What style is it?
Colors of a Man, Tribute to African-American Men is a sexy, romantic freestyle poetry collection that entertains, excites, enthralls, and educates. Men are compared to colors. This book comes with an accompanying neo-soul, jazzy, hip-hop poetry
CD.
BPM: Does your work offer a glimpse into your philosophy of life? Colors of a Man, Tribute to African-American Men the title came about because I thought the brothers were getting a bad rap. I had finally learned the lesson that my grandmother was trying to teach me; Men are not God, they make mistakes. Most men just need you to spotlight the good points. God makes each of us a wonderful masterpiece, somewhat flawed. But still each of us is an artistic masterpiece. Barack Obama had just been elected President and the time seemed right to publish a book about African-American Men.
I starting comparing men and woman to colors in my poetry. We all start out just like the simple colors on an artist’s palette, like white, yellow, red; and end up irreplaceable like a priceless painting hanging in an art gallery.
Most men, whether judge, criminal or preacher, want to be a good father and take care of their family. It is time to solidify the family. You cannot have it all as a woman. You have to set your family as your priority, but not lose yourself. It is a delicate balancing act for most women. Men and children require your attention. Setting a firm boundary for family time is essential. Taking me time is critical for self-preservation for all women. We love to cook pastries and home-made pizza at my house. Cooking and working out at the YMCA together are our family activities. My “me time” is time spent at the hair and nail salon, massages, and shopping.
BPM: Does your writing offer refuge or healing in its form of expression?
Healing and refuge. I tried to capture the experiences of African-Americans from a female perspective. In my writings, I give a glimpse of being African-American and what that truly means. My paternal great-grandmother, Nellie Coleman, was born a slave, and she died when I was nine. She was 88, blind with diabetes, but this brilliant, gentle force. She had never learned to read. My paternal grandmother, Annie Mae Stewart worked as a domestic and seamstress. She loved everything and everybody. “Mae-Mae” as we all called her, had only completed fifth grade. Amazingly, she was an excellent reader. Her heartfelt desire was that I attend college and get all the education that she never had an opportunity to get.
My writings are an amalgamation of this multi-generational experience of being an African-American woman through the centuries. My children have been afforded the luxury of public, private, and home-schooled education, and even have family ties to Kenya and Nigeria. So we seemed to have come full circle, and I am excited about taking the children back to the African continent to truly understand their African ancestry. I love to travel and my writings take you to many different countries such as Kenya, Brazil, Bahamas, London, Tanzania, Thailand, Jamaica, South Africa, and St. Lucia.
BPM: What has been the main literary or cultural influences on your poetry?
The Harlem renaissance writers such as James Baldwin, Richard Wright, and Zora Neal Hurston gave me a foundation for literature at an early age. I am avid reader. Writers Claude Brown, Lorraine Hansberry, Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, and Ntozake Shange influenced my poetry in high school. They made me proud to be a “colored girl.” Terry McMillan, Alice Walker, and Bebe Moore Campbell influenced my writings in college, because they spotlighted the difficulties of balancing work, family, and your dreams. Hometown writers, Nikki Turner and Stacy Hawkins Adams are polar opposites in writing, but give me exposure to the totality of this experience as an African-American female. My poetry has references and hidden metaphors to many of the entire genre of African-American writers.
BPM: Does your writing depict the struggles of our people or show the world how we love?
(Laughing) I am the love poet. I “make rainbows out of rain” it what one of my reviewers said. My father died when I was five from complications of diabetes, so I have always been able to retreat into this fantasy world, where I get to make my own characters. Fiction writing and especially poetry lets you write about all the different types of love. Love between a man and a woman. Love between a brother and a sister. Love between a mother and a child. Love of country. Love for God. Love for mankind.
I write from how I view the world. I am a mother, sister, daughter, granddaughter, cousin, nurse, entrepreneur, girlfriend, sister-friend, neighbor, poet, novelist, and world citizen. I value faith and family. My grandmother and her sisters were close. I have at least 500 second, third and fourth cousins. I have cousins who graduated from Harvard University and Princeton University, and cousins selling drugs on the corner, as a means of economic survival. I have been in the housing projects as a bail bondsman and a visiting nurse, and the country clubs as a writer. But somebody struggled so that I could go to the country club and attend universities such as Northwestern University, and University of Michigan. So I write about struggles also.
Additionally, I also have a concealed weapon permit. I have a book about healing prayers that I used as a nurse. I am the new millennium African-American woman. Gun-toting, and praying. See why they call me Big Momma?
BPM: Do you feel as if poetry is a performance art?
All poetry is meant to be heard. When I write my poetry, I decide if it is going to be a performance piece or not. Performance pieces have a message, they are meant to be spoken out loud. Performance pieces must possess “swag.” Some the Richmond rappers are helping me develop my “poetry swag” and poet’s bravado. Shakespeare was the original rapper. His writings had rhyme and rhythm. Jill Scout at her concerts does the blending of music and poetry, so well. My poetry is meant to be played on your MP3 or CD player. The words of the poem should intoxicate and hypnotize you to a different space. A good poem has some signature words or uses a new expression.
My poems that I write for publication come from a different space. I make sure that each letters makes love to the paper, as I write it down. Each letter has a place and a purpose, and needs to be doing something in order to stay in the poem. Poems tell the story. Paper poems have a typography and symmetry of word and a different type of literary purpose.
BPM: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer?
God gives me the power. Writing is a gift from Him. I write in numerous genres. One day I may write a poem. The next day I can write a prayer. Most people fail to realize that the Books of Psalms, Proverbs, and Songs of Solomon are the poetry and romance books of the Bible. The next day, I may write something more sensual and erotic. I love literary devices such as alliteration, echopation and metaphors. African-American writers have a mandate to teach the craft of writing as well as entertain. My writings are meant to educate as well. The Colors of a Man series of poetry books and novels excites, entertains, enthralls and educates.
BPM: What literary legacy do you leave our future readers and leaders?
I want my great-grandchildren to remember that at one time, we, African-American women were property, and bred like horses. We were legally forbidden to read and write. Education gave me the foundation to dream. My legacy is that I am my great-grandma Rebecca’s wildest dream; college-educated, writing about love, faith, and everyday struggles of being a woman, and living in the suburbs with weekly manicures, spa days, hair salon days, monthly massages, health club membership, shopping trips, fine dining, international travel, and paid help occasionally.
From playing croquet with my writing colleagues at the Country Club of Virginia, to doing poetry open-mics with the rappers to hanging out with Virginia’s most notorious bounty-hunters, I will write about it all in my series of books, Colors of a Man.
BPM: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
Colors of a Man, Tribute to African-American Men won the Readers Views 2009 Literary Awards, and Reviewers Choice first place poetry and the Book Hitch Award for Most Innovative Book of poetry.
I will be at National Black Book Festival in Houston and also Book Expo America in May 2010.
“Green Caviar”, my first romantic suspense novel is due for release late summer 2010 about my heroine, Angela, a well paid tobacco lawyer, her rapper boyfriend, Nick and her best friend Big Momma, the bail bondsman.
BPM: How can our readers reach you online? Share with us your online contact info.
Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond has written for AOL, The Village Voice, Metro and Trace. Her short story "Bush Girl" was published in the May 2008 issue of African Writing and her poem, "The Whinings of a Seven Sister Cum Laude Graduate Working Bored as an Assistant," was published in 2006's Growing up Girl Anthology.
A graduate of Vassar College, she attended secondary school in Ghana. Her first novel
Powder Necklace is loosely inspired by the experience.
BPM: Nana, who were your mentors growing up? How did they shape your life?
My mentors were my family who not only taught me but showed me the importance of working and sacrificing as hard as it takes to achieve my goals. Because of them, I know there is no barrier I can't overcome or figure my way around.
Specifically, my father explicitly challenged me to defy the notion that girls aren't as smart as boys. He had me reading by the age of three, playing educational games instead of Barbie dolls, and he sacrificed so much to pay my exorbitant college tuition.
Growing up, my mother was the hardest worker alive. She literally worked around the clock to earn overtime, yet managed to find time to go back to college, and hit up her favorite flea markets on the weekend.
My maternal grandmother whom I lived with in Ghana has been a huge influence as well. I watched this woman run an advertising company that she founded, open her home to strangers who needed shelter, haggle with businessmen, admit when she was wrong, seek peace when it was more convenient to just let things be, wake up at dawn to pray and squint over the text of her Bible, and encourage her children and grandchildren to dream and pursue the seemingly impossible.
BPM: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer?
I think the fact that I did not give up was what enabled me to become a writer. I went from getting no response to my queries to "no" responses for many years, but I kept writing. I also remained flexible and took opportunities that allowed me to write even if they weren't necessarily part of the "path" I had envisioned.
BPM: What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A. Humility, Ambition, and Sharpness
BPM: Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
I hope my writing offers present and future readers a legacy of encouragement to investigate and take pride in who they are, where they come from, and what their purpose in this life is.
BPM: Take us inside the book. What are two major events that take place? Powder Necklace is a coming of age story inspired by my childhood experience attending boarding school in Ghana, West Africa. Set in London, the cities of Kumasi and Cape Coast in Ghana, and Long Island, the book is a sort of reverse Diaspora story of a 1st generation Londoner's return to her parents' native land, and her discovery of her own connection to this land.
The main characters in Powder Necklace are Lila Adjei and her mother. The first major event that takes place is when Lila's mother sends her to Ghana when she misconstrues an innocent scene between Lila and a male friend that walks her home from school. That decision by Lila's mother sets the girl on a journey of self-discovery. Another seminal moment in the book takes place when Lila returns from Ghana to London. Not only has her family situation changed - her mother has started dating a man with a daughter her age - but she has changed. She realizes that, after her short stint in Ghana, she will never be the same again.
BPM:
Powder Necklace is loosely based on your own personal experience attending school in Ghana. How much of your story is part of Lila’s?
Lila’s experience in Ghana is very similar to my own. When I was twelve my parents sent my siblings and I to Ghana. Because of the way the school system works over there, we couldn’t all go to the same school, and I had to cut my hair – my long, thick hair that I LOVED flipping like a white girl.
As if that weren’t enough for my twelve-year-old mind to process, when I got to the school, I learned I was required to wake up at five a.m., bathe in an open bathhouse, make my bed with perfect hospital corners, perform daily chores like scrubbing a sidewalk-length patch of concrete or sweeping a large plot, hand wash my own clothes, etc. Oh, and to make things interesting there was a wicked water crisis going on.
But unlike Lila, my grandmother and aunt visited me pretty much every weekend, loaded down with home-cooked food and water, and my parents sent me goodies and dollars when they could. I also clung to my newfound faith. I became a born-again Christian at the beginning of my visit in Ghana, before I started school there—in that respect I was a lot like Brempomaa and Ivy—and it helped A LOT just to cry out to God in the many moments of loneliness, desperation, misery, and fear I experienced. I released Lila from her school experience after six short months as a fantasy gift to my twelve-year-old self; I had to stay in Ghana for three long years!
Outside of the Ghana portion of the novel, the similarities between Lila’s story and mine are more subtle. I made her British because Ghana was colonized by the British, and so a lot more of the bronis in Ghana were from London; I also have tons of family in London and spent a lot of time with them on summer breaks en route to New York. Lila’s parents’ divorce was my way of dealing with the feeling of separation from my parents. Even though I saw them each summer, I felt so disconnected from them at that time. On one summer vacation in the States we went to Disney World. Looking back on it, it was such an American moment in my life/American place to be when I was starting to feel more Ghanaian than anything else.
Finally, the feeling of being at the mercy of the adults in her life was something I felt during that time and definitely wanted to explore through Lila. Ghanaian culture is heavily into seniority. As noted in the book, any adult in your life is reverentially referred to as “Auntie” or “Uncle” whether they’re a blood relation or not; seniors at school are respectfully called “Sister”; and, as a rule, “children are to be seen and not heard” (that was the constant refrain I heard growing up in the States). It was important to me to stress that though the events in your life may feel random and out of your control, if you believe that God is in control of all the factors in your life—even the adults—you’ll see that a lot of those random moments actually had more meaning than you first realized. That very turbulent moment in my life gave me a story that helped me realize my dream of writing a published novel.
BPM: How will reading your book shape the readers' lives?
I think Powder Necklace presents a slice of life in Ghana, London, and Long Island as experienced by a young girl trying to find the meaning in and of it all. So, on the surface, reading the book will educate readers about the specific sights and sounds of the characters' experiences in these disparate locales, but on a deeper level, I hope it spurs readers to learn more about these locations, these experiences, and their own place in the world.
BPM: What are some of their specific needs, issues, problems addressed in this book?
Everyone's got issues in Powder Necklace. :-) Lila, the main character, is frustrated by her powerlessness to make decisions for herself. Her mother decides she should go to Ghana indefinitely, then her mother and father decide she should go to New York indefinitely. Lila's mother is lonely and sick of doing it all by herself. She has sacrificed so much for her daughter's own good, but she needs a break; she wants to do something for herself.
BPM: What's the most powerful chapter in the book for you?
One of my favorite chapters in the book is when Lila is exposed as knowing how to speak Twi and as a result has to drop the "I'm special because I was not born in Ghana" routine. It's the beginning of her confronting why she has this 1st World Superiority complex which I think is important to her growth as a character.
BPM: In Powder Necklace Lila fell into writing her book through a series of happy coincidences (or perhaps fate). What has been your own literary path? Have you always wanted to have a career in writing?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but being immigrants, my parents wanted me to pursue a more stable (and clichéd) path to success: doctor, lawyer, or investment banker. Even though I graduated college with a poli-sci degree, I sought writing internships (and interned at the Village Voice newspaper), and after college skipped I law school and decided to try my hand at writing. I took office jobs, but during my lunch breaks, after work, and on weekends, I wrote up query letters to different magazines, which I would hand deliver.
I got a few paid writing gigs and eventually landed a dream job as an assistant editor at an international fashion magazine, where I got to write and edit professionally—and meet celebs! When funds ran too low, I started over as an intern in the acquisitions department at Sony Pictures Classics, where I got to read and review screenplays. During that time I wrote a script that was a Sundance Screenwriter’s Finalist. My editorial experience and fashion background helped me land a gig as a copywriter at an interactive agency where I got to write for the NikeWomen, L’Oreal Paris, and Avaya accounts. I continued to freelance for newspapers and magazines on the side.
In the midst of all of this, I was working on Powder Necklace.
BPM: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book?
I want Powder Necklace readers to develop an appetite for the world beyond their borders; understand that what's on the news, in the news, in books, etc are just one slice of a gargantuan pie. I also want readers of this book to see that even the most random events in our lives are not random at all - everything does happen for a reason.
BPM: What do you think makes your book different from others on the same subject?
As far as the marketplace goes, I think Powder Necklace is unique because it tells a reverse immigration story, if you will. We mostly read about people leaving "the old country" for opportunity and a new life in the Western world, but Lila, the protagonist of this book and the daughter of an immigrant goes back - and it's in returning to her parents' native land that she starts to understand herself more deeply.
BPM: How can our readers reach you online? Share with us your online contact info.
Readers can visit the official Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond's website at: www.nanaekua.com
I'm on Twitter too - www.twitter.com/nanaekua
Email: writer : nanaekua@aol.com
Indu Sundaresan was brought up in India and came to the US for graduate school in economics and operations research.
The Twentieth Wife, Indu’s first published novel, is the first part of the
Taj Mahal trilogy. She’s the author of The Feast of Roses (second novel of the trilogy);
The Splendor of Silence; In the Convent of Little Flowers and Shadow Princess (third novel of the trilogy).
Ella: How did you begin writing, and what do you want readers to gain from your
books?
IS: I was trained to be an economist, and really thought, for the longest while that was what I would do in some form or the other. I began writing for the sheer pleasure of it. And the first novel I wrote is still unpublished.
Actually, I have two unpublished novels that I wrote, looked over in a desultory manner, and made the wise decision not to publish. They were valuable from the point of view of teaching me the discipline of being at the computer for long hours, conceptualizing an entire novel—beginning, middle and end—and putting it down on paper with no excuses for why I couldn’t write. The wise part came in realizing that the novels weren’t (to put it mildly) very good at all; they weren’t marketable, and while they could have been revised, it wasn’t worth it at the time.
So I began the tale you will read in the first installment of the Taj trilogy—The Twentieth Wife and went on to write The Feast of Roses also before I looked for representation. These two novels, the stories of Empress Nur Jahan’s life, were stories I stumbled upon while reading about the Mughal harems during my last year of graduate school and they stayed with me after I had finished my degrees.
There was no thought of what I wanted readers to take away from the stories, no point I wanted to make—my focus then, during the writing, was to put together the novels in the best form I could. I was concentrating on the craft of writing, of telling a story, of deciding how to best present the story. And this, I think, should be the motivation of all writing.
Soon after The Twentieth Wife was published, when I heard back from readers, I realized what my work meant to them. Most Indian readers have akin reactions. If they belong to an older generation, the novels are intensely familiar to them—they point out stories they had heard about Nur Jahan either in history classes or conversations with friends. Younger readers tell me that their mothers and grandmothers narrated these stories at bedtime—tales of powerful women who tweaked the path of Indian history living in harems, in a time when women were meant not to be seen and rarely heard.
Readers who haven’t had this background in Indian history still connect with my work in similar ways. What impacts them is the story of an independent, assertive, ambitious woman—though from a different culture and time period—still resonates startlingly with their contemporary lives.
In other words, it’s exactly what fascinated and enchanted me about the women of Mughal India, and I’m glad to have been able to translate it adequately in my writing.
One of the best stories I heard was from a reader in South America, reading the Hebrew translation of The Twentieth Wife, who named his newborn daughter Ladli, which is translated as “one who is loved.” Ladli was Mehrunnisa, Empress Nur Jahan’s daughter from her first marriage, before she becomes Emperor Jahangir’s wife, and the name is historically accurate and comes from documented evidence.
Ella: Who were your mentors growing up? How did they shape your life?
IS: My father was a fighter pilot with the Indian Air Force and this took our family to various postings in India. The bases were usually outside city limits, sometimes in proximity to the many forts and palaces in the country. Dad would take us on trips to these monuments and tell us the stories of the kings and queens who inhabited these palaces, point out crumbling battlements and guard towers, and show us battlefields and elephant stables with large iron rings still embedded in the sandstone floors to which the animals were tethered.
He told my older sisters and me bedtime stories also—some from his imagination (two ongoing sagas of an elephant named Jumbo and a horse named Silver come to mind); some from Hindu mythology. Dad had a flair for dramatic timing; I remember that he would (much like Scheherazade) insist upon “ending” his stories at night at a point of climax, leaving me to ponder on how they ended until he had the time to take up the tale again.
I write today, largely due this influence from my childhood. I learned to write stories in my head long before I came to put them down on paper. And as children, we also read extensively, again due to our father’s influence and his example.
Ella: Introduce us to your book, Shadow Princess. What genre is this book?
Is this part of a trilogy?
IS: Shadow Princess is historical fiction, set in 17th Century India, during the Mughal Empire and, during the building of the Taj
Mahal. It’s the story of Jahanara, who at seventeen is by her mother’s bedside in June of 1631, as she dies after a long and labored childbirth. Jahanara’s father, Emperor Shah
Jahan, is devastated by her mother’s death and he transfers all of the deep love he had for Empress Mumtaz Mahal onto their oldest daughter. In his grief, the emperor also briefly considers giving up a throne and is convinced by Jahanara not to do so.
But that one fleeting decision, soon revoked, sets into motion a rivalry between two of Jahanara’s brothers that will last for the next quarter century of their father’s rule—they each want the throne, and each enlists the support of a sister to do so.
During her father’s lifetime, Jahanara is immensely rich (given all of her mother’s income) and powerful. She champions one brother,
Dara; her sister Roshanara supports another, Aurangzeb and thus the two women engage in a political rivalry within the walls of their father’s harem.
Never given permission to marry, they also fall in love with the same man, a noble at court, but it is Jahanara who wins and keeps Najabat Khan’s love, and engages in a clandestine affair with him all of her life. In the end, all these events will overshadow Jahanara’s life, none more important to posterity than the tomb her father builds for her mother—the Taj
Mahal.
Shadow Princess is the third novel in my Taj Mahal trilogy. The first two, The Twentieth Wife and The Feast of Roses, are based on the life of
Mehrunnisa, Empress Nur Jahan, who marries Jahanara’s grandfather, Emperor
Jahangir. Mehrunnisa is also Jahanara’s mother’s aunt, and the moment she steps into the royal harem as Jahangir’s wife, she manipulates affairs to bring together her niece (her brother’s daughter) and her husband’s son, Shah
Jahan.
So the three novels of the trilogy are based on the two women who were aunt and daughter of the woman for whom the Taj Mahal is built.
Ella: What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your book?
IS: Shadow Princess, this third novel of my Taj Mahal trilogy, has been a few years in the making. I had done a considerable amount of reading and research for the first two novels of the trilogy—The Twentieth Wife and The Feast of Roses—and it was during this that I encountered the stories of Mehrunnisa, Empress Nur Jahan’s grand-nieces, Jahanara and Roshanara.
Mehrunnisa’s history was fascinating to me because of just how unlikely it had been for someone of her background and upbringing to become, eventually, the most powerful woman in the Mughal dynasty that built the Taj Mahal in India. She was the daughter of an impoverished Persian nobleman who had to flee his homeland to India, dogged by debts unpaid.
Her father rose through the ranks of the Mughal nobility to become the treasurer of the Empire, but it was her marriage to Emperor Jahangir that changed the course of Indian history. She was a widow when she married Jahangir, had a child from this previous marriage, and her family had fallen into disgrace at court—her father embezzled money from the imperial treasury and her brother had attempted to assassinate the emperor. Yet, Emperor Jahangir loved her enough to forgive her real (and perceived) flaws and grant her immense power. She then made sure that her niece married Jahangir’s grown son, the man who became Emperor Shah Jahan.
Mehrunnisa’ grand-nieces had a (comparatively) easier life. They were born royal, into the first tier of the imperial family and their father became emperor in 1628 after a difficult decade when he was fighting for the throne. But the two girls, Jahanara and Roshanara, had their own battles to fight.
When their mother died in childbirth in 1631, Jahanara assumed the position of eminence their mother had enjoyed and received more than a fair share of their father’s love. This led to a bitter and lifelong rivalry between Jahanara and Roshanara. They fought for their father’s affections and for the affections of the same noble at court whom they both fell in love with. They were not allowed to marry and step outside their father’s harem. They supported different brothers as heir to their father’s crown.
During my research of the first two novels, I found many foreign travelers’ accounts of these two princesses, with an emphasis on Jahanara—on how they attended to their father’s injunction on staying unmarried, but smuggled men into the harem and entered into illicit alliances in search of love.
Shadow Princess, which focuses on Princess Jahanara’s life is also, much like The Twentieth Wife and The Feast of Roses, the story of a woman who was omnipotent in the world she inhabited, despite all of her disadvantages—she lived in a harem, behind a veil, was never seen by the men at court—and yet managed to have a say socially and politically in contouring the map of India’s history.
Ella: Wow! This is an incredible story. How can our readers reach you
online for more?
IS: Very easily. As you’ll see from the response to the previous question, I’m happy to connect with my readers and it’s heartwarming to me to hear their stories, as much as to receive praise for mine.
I have a web site: www.indusundaresan.com
, with an email address on the site, to reach me. And plenty of information about my books—reviews, synopses, excerpts, backstory.
The Taj Trilogy also has its own web page, placing the three novels including Shadow Princess on a family tree so readers can see the chronology of the novels and where the most important monuments from that time period came to be in the timeline.
Intimate
Conversation with Connie May Fowler
New York Times bestselling writer
Connie May Fowler is an essayist, screenwriter, and novelist. She is the author of five novels, most recently The Problem with Murmur Lee, and a memoir, When Katie Wakes. In 1996, she published Before Women Had Wings, which became a paperback bestseller and was made into a successful Oprah Winfrey Presents movie. She founded the Connie May Fowler Women With Wings Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to aiding women and children in need. Connie lives in Florida.
Ella: What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your new
book, How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly?
I was reading up on pre-Civil war Florida history and discovered that when Florida was a Spanish territory, women could be property owners and slavery was outlawed. But Spain and the United States signed an agreement that would change all of that. The Florida Purchase Treaty of 1819 guaranteed that the United States would lay claim to Florida in 1821. With a stroke of a pen and strike of a clock, suddenly all women and blacks would have their rights stripped away. That haunted me and I walked around with that kernel in my head for a few years before I sat down to write the novel, which takes place in 2006 but is populated with ghosts.
Ella: Take us inside the book. What are two major events taking place?
The book tracks a day in the life of Clarissa Burden, a woman who wakes on the Summer Solstice with the knowledge that her life must change because she is wracked with spousal death scenarios and writer’s block. Concurrent with her story is that of Olga Villada. Villada and her family are ghosts, their souls unable to move on from the place where they were brutally murdered. Their stories converge, resulting in a startling and life-changing chain of events.
Ella: Who do you want to reach with your book, How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly,
and the message within?
I think this book will have a broad appeal. The book, at its core, is about freedom—individual and universal—and it’s wrapped up in a story that is both comedic and dramatic. I think readers of many ages and races will identify with the struggles of Clarissa Burden and Olga Villada.
Ella: How will reading your book shape the readers lives?
One, I hope it will make readers laugh even amid a few tears. But if there is one message I want readers to gain, it’s that how easy it is for the course of history—the course of one person’s individual day—to go suddenly very, very wrong.
There are bad people in this world—sometimes bad people have all the trappings of kindness—and they are capable of terrible things. So we have to be vigilant for ourselves and for one another. Casual prejudices and ordinary meanness can, in the blink of an eye, become lethal. So we have to learn to be pro-actively kind and relentless protective of our rights.
Ella: What are some of their specific issues, needs or problems addressed in this book?
Women’s issues, race, personal empowerment, marital relations, Florida history.
Ella: What was the most powerful chapter in, How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly?
I think that once Clarissa decides—in a fit of rage—to kill her husband, this book takes a major turn and all the chapters that follow are highly entertaining, shocking, and ultimately satisfying.
Ella: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
I recently wrote a story for Slate’s online women’s site DoubleX about how the Haitian earthquake has severely impacted their women’s movement. How Clarissa Burden Learns to Fly will be in stores April 2, 2010.
In March, in honor of Clarissa and
those pesky spousal death scenarios that haunt her, I am launching the Clarissa
Burden Postcard Project in which I will be asking readers to anonymously
send me one secret they cannot tell their spouse or partner. The secrets
can be silly or serious, and will be posted on my website.
Purchase How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly today
ISBN-10: 0446540684 | ISBN-13: 978-0446540681
Intimate Conversation with Jacqueline
E. Luckett
“A fierce, beautiful tour de force . . . a heroine for the ages . . .Luckett is a writer to watch and admire.”
ZZ Packer on Searching for Tina Turner
Meet author Jacqueline E. Luckett a former sales representative for Xerox. After leaving the corporate world, Jacqueline took a creative writing class on a dare (from herself) and began writing short stories and poetry and never looked back. Jacqueline loves living in Oakland, but travels frequently to nurture her passion for photography and learning to cook exotic foods. She is currently hard at work on her next novel.
Ella: Jacqueline, what makes you powerful as a
writer? Who are your mentors?
An interviewer recently asked me why I was able to finish my novel when so many people say they want to, but never get around to writing a novel. That’s where my power lies—as a person and a writer. Once I take the plunge into a project, I always try to finish what I start. Someone once told me that I know how to put on the “full court press.” Yes, when I know what I want, I go for it. There’s a power in that, if it’s channeled correctly.
I’m in a wonderful writing group with seven other women writers of color (www.finishparty.com). We call ourselves The Finish Party. From the start our goal was to help each other finish our respective projects and to continue, start and finish new ones.
These writers are my mentors and my friends. We share information about the publishing world, writing in general, and books we love. In our monthly meetings, we workshop ideas, pages, chapters or whole manuscripts. I’ve learned so much from them. They offer valuable insight into the craft of writing and helped me to shape the novel.
Ella: Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
… An example for women of all races, economics, and ages to understand that reinvention and new beginnings are within reach if we value self and our dreams.
Ella: Jacqueline, please introduce us to your new book, Searching for Tina Turner.
Searching for Tina Turner is the story of Lena Harrison Spencer, a woman on the verge of change, whose journey is inspired by Tina Turner’s strength. There is no physical abuse in Lena’s life, but there is the longing to follow a dream. Lena loves her life, her husband Randall—successful, attentive, but distant—and their two children—Kendrick, the oldest, trying to nip a drug habit in the bud, and Camille, seventeen and disgusted by her mother’s overbearing behavior. Sparked by Tina Turner’s struggle to move forward, Lena makes the choice to reinvent herself and try something new.
Ella: I so enjoyed
the BAN Radio exclusive interview with you and Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of Wench. At this time, I would like to offer readers a chance to experience this wonderful event too!
Click
here to listen now.
Ella: Are your characters from the portrayal of real people? Favorites?
Funny people?
My characters are not portrayals of real people. Lena and Randall are both part imagination and a combination of men and women I’ve come across in my life. I loved developing these characters and letting them make their own choices. There were times that, as the writer, I disagreed with their behaviors and decisions, but I let them do what was true to their personalities.
I liked Lena’s mother, Lulu. She has a sense of humor and an old-school commitment to her man that took her through five decades of marriage. She’s a woman who believes that she knows what it takes to keep a man—despite what her daughter thinks. Later in the book, following in Tina’s footsteps, Lena visits a psychic who reminds her of her late father and gives her sound advice. Vernon is a sort of crotchety man, who pretends to be irritated, but is really a teddy bear. Harmon, who pops up later in the novel, is my favorite because unlike many people, he’s willing to acknowledge his mistakes.
Ella: Take us inside the book. What are two major events taking place?
A reader can look at “major” events in Searching for Tina Turner through action and character. Lena, the main character, makes the final decision, though she loves her husband and her family, to move on because they cannot accept the growth she wants for herself.
In terms of action, Lena’s trip to the South of France is a major event. It takes a little prodding for her to let go of her fears, but once she does, she begins to explore new directions for her life.
Ella: How do you think Tina Turner feels about this tribute to her success? How did you select her as your muse/mentor?
Tina Turner is a wonderful, vital woman. I have great respect for her, and I hope she regards the novel as a tribute to her triumphs and accomplishments.
Truthfully, I don’t remember now if it was the movie (“What’s Love Got to Do with It?”), a TV interview, or reports of her final concerts that triggered the idea of Tina Turner as role model—but the depth of what she had done, impressed me and something clicked. Once I read her book, I Tina, I was even more amazed. In her forties, Tina Turner left her marriage with her name, her talent and the conviction that she could make it on her own. I became obsessed with the idea of that strength and how it could inspire a character—without the abuse—on the verge of change. Initially, I wanted to explore surviving divorce, but with each new draft, universal themes surfaced: reinvention, new beginnings, and the challenge of remaining true to self.
Ella: Who do you want to reach with your book and the message within?
My first thought, when shaping the book, was that it would appeal to readers over forty or fifty. Movies are beginning to portray women in this age group, but there don’t seem to be many books with protagonists who reflect the Baby Boomer generation. As the book’s themes of new beginning and reinvention evolved, it became clear to me that anyone regardless of age, could benefit from those messages.
Ella: What was the most powerful chapter in the book?
In a recent New York reading, the actress Barbara Montgomery read the scene where Lena and Randall make the decision to end their marriage. It was amazing to hear the room quiet as everyone focused on the actress’ interpretation of Lena and Randall’s conversation. That scene is powerful because it is the turning point for both characters and captures the emotional breadth of two people who love each other, yet can't make their marriage work.
Ella: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from Searching for Tina Turner?
An insight themselves and the knowledge that they, too, hold all the power they need to realize their dreams
Ella: What do you think makes your book different from others on the same subject?
Many of the books on my shelves suggest that there are only so many stories to be told; it’s the telling that keeps readers’ attention. Searching for Tina Turner is the story of a woman who decides to leave her marriage and how she copes with that change. I’m not sure what plot line that falls under—maybe it’s a woman and man fall in love, they get married and build a life together, and then they fall out of love.
The characters in the novel come from a world of privilege. The descriptions of their lieves and opportunities offer an insight into a part of the Black community that many don’t know about. Yet, everyone can relate to their personal and family struggles because their challenges, for the most part, affect so man.
Searching for Tina Turner is different because of who inspires the main character, Lena, not to change, but to make something out of that change.
Ella: In the advance readers copy, we reviewed, you write, “To every woman: this is what you must do—Go.” What did you mean by this statement?
I love that you read the acknowledgements. I always read every word in a book, from the title page and the copyright straight through to the last page. Actually, I deleted that line in the final edit. I decided to let the novel send the message. My intention was to charge women to take their fate into their own hands and mold it into a life they love—whether they’re married or not. Sometimes as wives and mothers, women can get lost in taking care of family and forget to care for themselves. That’s what happened to Lena; she would have loved to have kept her family together, stayed married and pursued her photography, but fate had other plans for her.
Ella: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases. Searching for Tina Turner was Essence Magazine’s January 2010 book pick.
Black Expressions Book Club selected me as their Star on the Rise. Read about it in their February 15th newsletter.
Women’s Day magazine will feature Searching for Tina Turner in the February 17 issue in the column, First Line.
Look for more interviews: www.jacquelineluckett.com/readings.html
Ella: Do blog or write articles in relation to creating "change" in our lives?
I’ve blogged on the topic of divorce and recovery in the Living Section of the Huffington Post.
Your readers can click
on this link and read it.
Ella: How can our readers reach you online?
In this age of social networking, it’s easy to connect in a variety of ways. I’m especially hopeful that people will follow my blog and leave comments. Here’s how I can be reached.
IRIS GOMEZ is the author of the novel TRY TO REMEMBER (Grand Central May 2010) and of two poetry collections, Housicwhissick Blue (Edwin Mellen Press 2003) and When Comets Rained (CustomWords 2005). An award-winning writer, she is also a nationally-respected public interest immigration lawyer and law school lecturer. She was born in Cartagena, Colombia and presently lives in the Boston area.
Ella: Iris, it was such a pleasure to meet you a few weeks ago! The book is
so beautiful. Take us inside the book. If she tries, Gabriela can almost remember when her father went off to work . . . when her mother wasn't struggling to undo the damage he caused . . . when a short temper didn't lead to physical violence. But Gabi cannot live in the past, not when one more outburst could jeopardize her family's future. So she trades the life of a normal Miami teenager for a career of carefully managing her father's delusions and guarding her mother's secrets.
As Gabi navigates her family's twisting path of lies and revelations, relationships and loss, she finds moments of happiness in unexpected places. Ultimately Gabi must discover the strength she needs to choose what's right for her: serving her parents or a future of her own.
Ella:
What are two major events taking place?
A major event that is happening is that Roberto is losing his mind, which is causing him to also lose his jobs, his temper, and his traditional place in the household.
Another major event for Gabi is the discovery that she has lost her father.
Ella: Introduce us to the main characters of TRY TO REMEMBER.
Gabriela (“Gabi”) is the main character – a soulful and generous Colombian teenager who is trying to help her bewildered immigrant family cope with her father’s growing mental illness without going crazy herself.
Roberto (Gabi’s father) is a once proud breadwinner who now keeps losing jobs and has suddenly been given to fits of temper and episodes of mental unraveling that no one around him understands.
Evi is Gabi’s mother, a traditionally raised immigrant woman forced by circumstances into an uncomfortable head of household role she shamefully hides from her husband as he slips deeper into his strange illness.
Gabi has a trio of tíos, or uncles, who dutifully answer the family’s 911s, though not always so successfully, as well as two younger brothers, and a lively group of relatives, friends and romantic interests who pull Gabi back and forth between the competing norms of Latino and “American” culture & traditional versus modern ideals of womanhood – and who also make her day-to-day life interesting and even fun!
Last but not least, Gabi’s absent grandfather Gabriel, who appears to us only in letters he writes to her from Colombia, is an important symbolic character – when the threat of violence begins to grow in her immediate family, he becomes the emblem of hope in her safe though distant childhood.
Ella: Who were your favorite characters? Are your characters
a portrayal of real people?
I loved my fictional Gabi, whom I named after my own smart and charming daughter. The fictional Gabi shares some of my daughter’s qualities along with a little of the younger me, but the circumstances that unfold in the novel inevitably turn Gabi the heroine into her own person, and by the time I was done writing the book, I wanted her to be my best friend!
Another favorite character I’d like to mention, if a place can be a character, is Miami, the novel’s setting, which is based on a real city, of course, and one whose history I was intrigued by, since I’d witnessed its transformation first-hand when I lived there. Like Gabi, Miami is just coming into its own, developmentally and culturally, during the course of the novel – the southern expansion that began during the post-war boom years has accelerated, and the population is growing and diversifying, until finally a sprawling multi-cultural and international cosmopolis rises up from its dusty roots in the South.
Ella: What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your book?
The initial questions that inspired me to want to write this book were personal and similar to those Gabi faces throughout the course of the novel: what does it mean to love in a traditional family? Can you love your family and yet be independent of them? Is “love” the same as loyalty? Like Gabi, I was raised with a strong ethic of family loyalty that in some ways conflicted with the ethic of independence I perceived was necessary for a young woman to achieve career success in this country. In the novel, I try to explore these conflicts by dramatizing how far a girl might have to go in remaining true to her family, despite the difficult burdens they impose.
Thematically, I was also interested in the issue of mental illness, which touches virtually all families and cultures, yet remains one of the untold stories of the Latino community. In my book, I try to illuminate some of the cultural taboos that keep mental illness hidden and untreated in families like Gabi’s, as well as the external social forces that drive many immigrants, even legal immigrants, into isolation and away from government entities that could actually help them.
Additionally, in dramatizing the practical effects of Roberto’s mental decline, I found a perfect context in which to explore the human dimension of one of the legal problems that has troubled me in my work as an immigration lawyer: the rule that keeps immigrants forever vulnerable to losing their “green cards” and everything they’ve built in the U.S., even when this has become their permanent home.
Ella: Who do you want to reach with the message within TRY TO REMEMBER?
I hope the book reaches anyone struggling to love a difficult person, whether mentally ill or not – and the related message I aim to impart to them is that the effort itself is honorable and ultimately redemptive.
I also hope to reach people who are interested in the ways each of us navigates a place for ourselves in this increasingly global, multi-ethnic and multi-racial world. One of the messages I hope the book imparts about Latinos is that the bonds of love which sometimes appear compulsory in our families can also be a saving grace, a strength.
Ella: How will reading your book shape the readers lives?
In addition to being moved and enlightened by the novel’s big-picture dramas, I imagine readers will delight in getting to know Gabi
and her unique, colorful world, and in going along on some of her adventures.
Ella: What are some of their specific issues, needs or problems addressed in this book?
Dealing with a loved one’s mental illness can be an enormous challenge. The challenge is even greater when the illness remains untreated, as with Roberto’s in the novel. Gabi and her family make many mistakes out of pride as well as confusion as they watch Roberto deteriorate, but their mistakes are only part of the greater tragedy that in the end is no one’s fault.
Ella: What was the most powerful chapter in TRY TO REMEMBER?
Some of my readers have said that the most dramatic chapter is the one in which the family conflicts come to a head (especially onto Gabi’s head!) and in which love is ultimately betrayed, but the chapter I personally find most powerful is the one with the hurricane – it’s my very humble homage to the magnificent hurricane scene in Zora Neale Hurston’s classic, THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD, which remains one of my all time favorites in literature.
Ella: What do you think makes your book different from others on the same subject?
Many books address the immigrant experience, some of them about the plight of undocumented people and some of them exploring cultural collision. My novel differs from novels and memoirs I’ve loved about Latinas coming of age (e.g.,
When I Was Puerto Rican, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent, The House on Mango Street, Dreaming in Cuban,
and others), since those focused on earlier or other Latino subgroups, and my book is about a girl forging her identity in the middle of Miami’s Cuban diaspora though she is actually part of a different diaspora, the Colombians, who’ve become the largest South American group in the U.S., according to census data. Gabi’s story explores the combined experience of being a newcomer with that of having a shared cultural identity – a feature of the new panamericanism that is shaping the cultural dynamics of the U.S.
My book is also different from others about the immigrant experience because it addresses a little-understood immigration problem: whether people who’ve been allowed to live in this country permanently and have families here should be subsequently stripped of their right to remain. In my novel, Roberto, a man with an untreated mental illness, commits a fairly run-of-the-mill offense that for a citizen would result only in a minor criminal punishment, but for an immigrant carries the double penalty of criminal punishment plus the threat of expulsion. Such deportations go to the core question underlying our larger public policy debate about immigration today: who really belongs here?
Ella: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
TRY TO REMEMBER will be released on May 5, 2010 and is now available on pre-order from Amazon and from Barnes & Noble.
I’m excited to report that on March 6, 2010, I was part of a panel of women writers speaking at an International Women’s History event at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, MD. For more information, go to
www.prattlibrary.org In May and June, following the release of my book, I’ll also be reading from the book and signing copies at various venues in Boston, Chicago, and D.C., among other places – check my web site for more details!
Ella: How can our readers reach you online?
My web site is www.irisgomez.com , and it contains a link to a dedicated email address I’ve set up especially for TRY TO REMEMBER readers. That address is:
info@irisgomez.com
If anyone is trying to reach me in connection with issues that involve my immigrant rights attorney role, it may be best to contact me at my office (that information is also available on my web site.)
Intimate Conversation
with Tiphanie Yanique
Tiphanie Yanique is the author of
How to Escape from a Leper Colony. Her writing has won the Boston Review Prize in Fiction, a Pushcart Prize, a Fulbright in Creative Writing and an Academy of American Poet's Prize. Her fiction has also appeared in Callaloo, Transition Magazine, American Short Fiction, the London Magazine and other places. She is an assistant professor of creative writing and Caribbean Literature at Drew University. On January 1st, the Boston Globe listed her as one of the sixteen cultural figures to watch out for in 2010.
Ella: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer?
Who are your mentors?
Is the Tiphanie I think I am the same as Tiphanie who is presented to others? I don’t know and so, I don’t know what makes me powerful. But I have hopes. I hope that my writing causes people to touch their beloveds more intimately, to venture beyond physical and emotional places of comfort with more bravery…that’s what my writing does for me, and if does that for even one more person I will feel magical!
If I am more concretely powerful I would say that it might be in the classroom, as a teacher. I tell my students that they’re gods and goddesses—creating characters and universes on the page. I want them to be brave enough to reveal their own beauties and flaws, to learn to appreciate these things in all other people, even the ones they create. I think writing, in itself, is incredibly powerful. Even if it’s just writing for yourself, it’s affirming and reflective and even prophetic.
I have been blessed with many mentors, but my first and everlasting mentor is my grandmother, who raised me. She has always been a champion for my better possibilities. She is a former librarian and an everlasting bibliophile. There are always books around the house and so there are great readers in my family. I’m not the only writer! My husband recently asked me what my first important books were and I had no idea. There have always been important books for me. That’s in great part because of my grandmother.
Ella: What specific situation prompted you to write How to Escape from a Leper
Colony?
The honesty is that it’s so many things. One thing leads you to another and then another and then you’ve forgotten what the initial thing is. Surely, every heart brake I ever had, every fall on the face I ever experienced informs the heart brake and fall that gets written in a story. One of my favorite elements of a story comes from a song that has followed me and the Virgin Islands people for years. The title for the story “Kill the Rabbits” comes from a calypso called “Legal,” which has “kill the rabbits” as a refrain.
The band, which has changed membership over the years, still exists under the name “Jamband.” The lyrics ask about the purposes of culture. Should natives of the Caribbean dance in the street in a way that pleases tourists and makes for good pictures? Or should natives dance in the street for their own pleasure, as a communal way to exercise self-identity? The song demands that rabbits, those with “the tourists color” should be ignored, even removed from the revelry. The song was banned when it came out and still causes controversy when it plays today…and still causes people to dance in the street. I don’t want my story to answer the questions surrounding the song, but I would like to create more questions that we might each go on to answer for ourselves and communities. This is a very political and, I hope, provocative issue in the writing, but if that was the single specific revelation the story would be a lot less full than it is. Ultimately, I am interested in the human beings that live through the song. The ones that dance in the street and the ones that watch.
Ella: Introduce us to your book,
How to Escape from a Leper Colony, and the main characters. Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
How to Escape from a Leper Colony is a collection of short stories, so there are many characters. But even in the novel I’m now working on I have communities of characters. I like people and I like having many of them in my writing!
The characters that remain the most interesting to me are the ones that are still mysterious to me. These are the ones I might return to, either for longer narratives in the future or just in my mind. Lazaro isn’t the main character in the story “How to Escape from a Leper Colony,” but I’m still curious about him. He’s brave in his love for his friend Deepa and in his vengeance for his mother’s death. I don’t quite understand him yet, but I like not fully understanding him. I also admire Herman, in the story, “Kill the Rabbits.” Her man is a bit provincial in his ideas of the Caribbean, but he is invested in learning. When he fails he is devoted to his own contrition.
Many of my characters are seeking belonging. Some seek this in another person, in love. Others seek it in a physical place. I think Herman and Lazaro do both.
But if you asked me tomorrow to talk about the key characters, I’d probably list others! My favorites depend on my mood!
Ella: Take us inside the book. What are two major events taking place?
Two major events in How to Escape from a Leper Colony are the bridge collapsing in “The Bridge Stories” and the church burning down in “The Saving Work.” You find out about these things early on, but the stories then take you to the characters impacted by the events. Both the bridge and the church represent the destruction of a physical entity that reflects something historical and intimate for the characters. The bridge is supposed to connect the different islands to each other, making commerce flow more easily. It’s opening is a major moment for Caribbean history. The intimate moment comes when Margo walks on the bridge in search of her husband, whom she hasn’t seen in almost a decade. The church is a place of refuge and power for the two women who are otherwise marginalized because of their interracial marriages. But the story begins when Deidre arrives at the burning church to set up for her son’s wedding. I really love finding places where history and intimacy meet.
Ella: Who do you want to reach with your book and the message within?
Everyone. Old men who have lost the loves of their lives, young girls in St. John who didn’t know before that their experiences are worthy of examination, women in Korea who long to travel, men in Africa who love football, Feminists and womanists in South Carolina who haven’t met each other, humans anywhere from now and the future who love language and love the private joy of reading and the social joy of story telling. And myself. I wanted to teach myself something; something about humans, something about language. When I was in undergrad I was writing a novella that is now the novel I’m working on. I was eager to finish it. When my professors asked me why, I answered that I needed to finish the project because I wanted to read it.
Ella: How will reading your book shape the readers lives?
I hope readers of How to Escape from a Leper Colony will gain a greater consideration for the relationship between public history and our private realities. I hope that the love scenes will make readers want to kiss their beloveds. I hope the books will makes an unbeliever go to church; make a believer question her belief. I hope reading each story will give readers opportunities for bravery in their own historical and personal spaces.
Ella: What are some of their specific issues, needs or problems addressed in this book?
I am interested in romantic love, though, I hope, not in a cliché or simplistic way. I am also interested in things that seem mythical or magical. Often in our society we play down faith or love as things to be suspicious of; things that make us weak or at least reveal our weakness. I agree! But I absolutely think that revealing weakness is the only true way to strength. And I also think we must be suspicious of blind faith so that we might get to a more complicated faith that matures as we do. I hope How to Escape from a Leper Colony addresses the fear that comes in diving into love, the true magic in finding that love and the reality, I believe, that if we’re alive we are always searching for that magic.
Ella: What was the most powerful chapter in the book?
One of the most emotional sections for me to write is in “The International Shop Coffins.” That story is told three times from the perspective of three different people who find themselves together in a coffin shop. The two young girls in that story pain me every time they appear. Their version of events is the one based on true events. What happened to them happened to two girls who went to my high school. They were also my students when I returned home to teach for two years. I felt that I needed to write their story, but even as I wrote it I felt as though I was living it. When I think of what happened to them I see their faces sitting in the classroom. It’s frightening for me.
Readers have told me that other stories are the most powerful. “How to Escape from a Leper Colony,” the title story, won a major prize while I was in graduate school. I wrote the story fast and submitted it so sloppily that Junot Díaz, who called to me to tell me I’d won the Boston Review Prize, told me it was pretty amazing that I won considering all the typos. In my mind the powerful thing about the story is its lushness. One of my graduate school professors, Antonya Nelson, told me that “Canoe Sickness” was the most powerful story. She said she appreciated the spare voice and the direct portrayal of the main character. That’s the opposite of lush! So much of what is considered powerful is subjective, I think.
Ella: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book?
I hope readers come to see the Caribbean as a place that is more than beautiful beaches and piña coladas or more than a place of poverty and marijuana…more than any of the clichés, but rather a place of human beings with full, complicated lives.
Ella: What do you think makes your book different from others on the same subject?
While there’s nothing new under the sun, I do think that this book is something close to brand new. There really isn’t much fiction coming out of the Virgin Islands and getting outside attention. The most well known Virgin Islands fiction texts even in the VI are not by Virgin Islanders. My perspective is among those that are presenting this part of the Caribbean completely differently.
Ella: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
The Boston Globe just reviewed the book and listed me as the writer to watch out for in 2010!
I’m so excited about that I put it in my bio. Towards the end of last year “The Saving Work” was published in the “Best New African American Fiction.” The book has been getting positive reviews. My first major book party will be in March at the Teachers & Writers Collaborative in New York City. The book party in the Virgin Islands will be on March 19th at one of my favorite bookstores, Dockside Books.
Ella: How can our readers reach you online?
My email address is: tyanique@drew.edu.
But I’m pretty awful at email! I’m old fashioned that way…
Ella: Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
I have no idea what legacy my writing offers. I hope readers will tell me. Whatever I say would be a desire and might be pompous or too humble. But there is one sure thing I would like to offer. When I was in high school we didn’t read Caribbean authors, certainly not anyone from the Virgin Islands. The vast majority of people who visit the Virgin Islands see it as a place of beaches and rum heavy drinks. They don’t see it as a place of literary or artistic value. I hope my book contributes to an image of the Virgin Islands as a place worthy, not only of natural beauty but also intellectually cultivated beauty. I want this not only for the visitors but also for Virgin Islanders.
Intimate
Conversation with Dr. Folake Taylor
Folake
Taylor, MD was born in the United Kingdom to Nigerian-born parents in the
early 70s and was raised in both countries before settling in the United
States to live the American dream. She is a 2006 graduate of the Internal
Medicine Residency Program of the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA.
Taylor obtained her initial medical degree from Nigeria. Taylor is a member of
the American College of Physicians (ACP) and is board certified by the
American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM).
She
has always loved to write but never dreamt of actually writing a book. She
would write sixteen page letters to her friends in boarding schools as a
teenager which was always eagerly anticipated by the recipient and shared with
those around! Perhaps being the daughter of a writer had something to do with
it. Prior to her debut as an author, she had medical publications and
conference presentations to her credit.
Folake
loves to have fun, especially with her favorite people, her husband and little
girl. She loves to travel, loves water sports (though a non-swimmer) and she
loves to read and watch great movies. Guess what else she loves? Go carts and
Six Flags! She believes in making the world a better place, one person
at a time, one good deed at a time. And she has faith that it is possible if
only we try. She communicates this message as she debuts on the literary scene
with "The Only Way is Up: The Journey of an Immigrant." This
is a book about empowerment and hope, especially but not exclusively for
women.
The
Only Way is Up: The Journey of an Immigrant by Dr. Folake Taylor
Genre: Non-fiction; Culture; Immigrant Overview
EDC Rating: 4.0 / 5 stars
This
book features the author's experiences and views on pertinent life issues as
an immigrant to the United States. The objective is to empower women though
the greater part is of relevance to a general audience. The book provides
insight and solutions for a variety of common issues in our society including
issues with identity, weight, health, nutrition, finding a mate, relationships
in general and gender roles. It also gives insight into borrowing from other
cultures. Buy
the book at Amazon today.
BPM:
Folake, what makes you powerful as a person and a writer?
I would say my global exposure and my background as a medical doctor makes me
powerful as a person with my message. As a writer, I would say the fact that I
have written all my life and always gotten positive responses. I have always
been able to capture people’s attention with my writing but I just never
planned to do it on this scale. Also, my mother is a writer. She’s written 3
books, one of which was published by Africa World Press and was read in
American Universities (Womanism and African Consciousness). It is still listed
on Amazon.com today. I must have inherited those genes!
BPM:
Who are your mentors?
My parents most importantly, especially my mother who taught me to be a strong
black woman but still keep a marriage and family together. They are still
waxing strong. If anyone had told me twenty years ago I would someday name my
mother as my mentor, I probably would have said, “Shoot me”! But we live
and learn. I also admire Michelle Obama for what she represents for women in
general but most especially the black woman, how she supports her man, how she
stands by him and uplifts him.
BPM: A Legacy is something that is handed down from one period of time to
another period of time. Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following
legacy to future readers…
My writing offers the following legacy to future readers: Empowerment and
family values.
BPM: Introduce us to your book, The Only Way is Up. How
does society, history or current affairs influence the story? The Only Way is Up is a book mainly about the restoration of family
values. The book also gives a proper perspective on what our priorities should
be in life. It manages to do this without being boring or judgmental. Though
non-fiction, it is a fun and easy read that touches on both triumphs and
personal failures as well as everyday events that we can relate to. It even
has elements of humor scattered throughout; a reflection of my spirit,
regardless of the surrounding circumstances. It of course also has information
about other cultures, tolerance, continual self-reflection and introspection.
It chronicles how I learnt from my mistakes–it does not tell you about a
perfect life at all!
Being
well aware of the fact that people do not necessarily want to read a memoir
about a previously unknown author except you just discovered the cure for AIDS
or something like that, I did not set out to write a biography or memoir. It
was however necessary to introduce me, who I am and what I do so the book does
start off with that. I also often draw on my life experiences and upbringing
in different parts of the book so as to draw a parallel and paint a picture of
what could be if certain decisions and choices were made differently. In other
parts of the book, I am purely expressing an opinion and linking to events
around us that we can all relate to. I in no way just throw lists of things to
do or not to do at you. It has been described to me as reading like a laid
back conversation between friends about life. As a person who would not
typically buy how-to or self help books, that exactly was my aim.
BPM: What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your
book?
I believe God gave me the inspiration, however. It came primarily from
watching my husband and daughter interact which took me back in time to my
relationship with my father and his role in my success as the man in my life
from the beginning. Not to underestimate the value of a mother in one’s life
which is not quantifiable but I believe a lack of understanding of the role of
fathers in their children’s lives (both male and female alike) is
responsible for many of the downward trends in our society now. Kids grow up
without the balance from both parents and for the most part, both sexes.
Also,
having a responsible male role model while growing up painted a picture of
what a man should be in my life and I was not going to settle for less. It
became clearer to me just how much young people growing up without both
parents are missing. 70% of African American families presently are single
parent homes. Staggering statistics such as this make me ask myself questions
like “How do we fix this?” and “What can I do to help?”
This
was buttressed by a Larry King Live special titled Women & Self Worth:
Defining One's Self Could Be the Key to Complete Success. That was the
magical moment. “I have a message,” I thought. It was literally like
“Ding, dong!” I picked up my Blackberry and started to type....
Having
a happy childhood that was full of love has a direct relationship to who I am
today. I make the distinction between wealth that is superficial (material),
and wealth of the mind and spirit in the book. It saddens me as I look around
daily and realize certain life lessons I took for granted growing up were not
taught to many and the so called “common sense” is actually quite
uncommon.
Being
an MD, I frequently share these views with my patients. I just never dreamt I
would be a published writer. I have always written for fun however. When I was
young, I would write sixteen page letters to my friends in boarding schools
and they would report back to me that they eagerly awaited my letters and read
them with their peers. More recently, it was Facebook notes and the likes.
BPM:
Who do you want to reach with your book and the message within?
My target audiences are women, African Americans and immigrants. That however
does not preclude someone outside of those demographics from benefiting from
the book as my readers have demonstrated. The message of hope is of relevance
to a general audience. All the men I have heard feedback from have had a very
positive response to the book. My reviewer from Midwest Book Review was
actually a man.
BPM:
How will reading your book shape the readers’ lives?
It will shape their lives by giving them the confidence to start to take
control of their situation and stop feeling like victims of circumstances,
regardless of their background or their past. The book communicates a can-do
attitude. It’s about empowerment, hope, faith, possibilities and constantly
improving ourselves in life, hence the title: The Only Way is Up. It
paints a picture of just what we can achieve if we start by conceiving it in
our minds and then taking action which ultimately brings about a change in our
situation. It’s really more about an initial change in attitude which then
translates to a renewed confidence and an eventual change in actions. It’s
uphill from there.
BPM:
What are some of their specific issues, needs or problems addressed in this
book?
To give a clearer picture, some of the issues that are the focus of this book
are:
· Identity & Gender roles
· Health & Preventive medicine
· Finding a mate
· Relationships & Family
· Single parenthood
· Teenage pregnancies
· Diet & Nutrition
· Global exposure
· Spirituality and faith
· Life outside the United States
BPM: What was the most powerful chapter in the book?
I think that’s different for everybody. For me, it was the parts of the book
where I discuss my past failures, be it in relationships or otherwise. But it
really depends on who is reading it I would say!
BPM: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book?
I want them to feel empowered. I want them to feel they can do anything and
everything because they can. I want them to take control of their situation
and make things happen because they can. Yes we can!
BPM:
What do you think makes your book different from others in the same
genre?
I believe these are mainly two things. I have not come across any self help
book that addresses as many issues as I do in this book that is written by an
immigrant. There are a lot of amazing self help books out there written by
wonderful people but usually, there's a 400 page book about dating, or a 300
page book about spirituality or another separate book about finance. Also, the
books I have seen written by immigrants are mostly either a biography or
fiction. What I have done is like a summary book so to speak. It's about a
change in attitude and perception. For that person that does not have the time
or the resources to buy ten different books on each subject matter, my book is
it. Another factor is the fact that I was born in the UK, raised in both the
UK and Nigeria and have lived in the United States for 10 years. It gives me a
global view; a view from within and without. Now, that's priceless wouldn't
you say?
BPM:
Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
Midwest Book review gave me 5 stars. I had a free book giveaway contest on
Goodreads for a week
(I just joined actually) and 616 people were interested. My signings are going
well and the bookstore workers often make comments like, “I have never seen
an author sell that many books in an hour.”
This happened on a day after we had 3 inches of snow in Atlanta which meant
most people never stepped out of their house! So yes, the response has been
very positive and the challenge is getting the word out there about my book. I
already know there is a huge market for my message. I just need to continue to
strive to connect to my audience better.
In the tradition of Dennis Lehane and Greg Iles comes a powerful new voice in American fiction: Attica Locke delivers a brilliant debut thriller readers will not soon forget…
With intelligent writing that captures the reader from the first scene through an exhilarating climax,
Black Water Rising marks the arrival of an electrifying new talent.
Attica Locke is a novelist and a screenwriter who has written scripts for Paramount, Warner Bros, Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, HBO Films and more. A graduate of Northwestern University, she was a fellow at the Sundance Institute’s Feature Filmmaker’s Lab.
Black Water
Rising, her first novel, was nominated for a 2010 Edgar Award and a 2010 NAACP Image Award. She is currently at work on her second book.
Ella: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer?
Courage. I wake up every day not sure where the work will take me, scared that I won't have anything to say. And yet I still show up for it every day. Which is the same way I approach life. I'm often scared of the unknown, of what I can't see about my future, but I'm willing to show up to life every day. I live and write by faith.
Ella: Who are your mentors? Where do you find your inspiration?
You know the person I think of a lot when I'm writing? Lightnin' Hopkins, the Texas blues musician. His music is clean, simple and deeply moving. I want my writing to be like his blues - tough and melodic and full of raw beauty. Ella:
Introduce us to your book, Black Water Rising,
and the main characters. Black Water Rising is a murder mystery, following the character, Jay Porter, a low rent criminal defense attorney who was heavily involved in the civil rights movement in the late '60s and early '70s and now finds himself trying to transition from the political activism of his youth into the Reagan '80s - a time when the whole country and black people in particular had shifted our focus from political progress to economic progress. And along the way he has to come to terms with the demons of his past.
Jay Porter is hardly the lawyer he set out to be. His most promising client is a low-rent call girl, and he runs his fledgling law practice out a dingy strip mall. But he’s long since made peace with his path to the American Dream, carefully tucking away his darkest sins: the guns, the FBI file, the trial that nearly destroyed him.
Houston, Texas, 1981. It’s here that Jay believes he can make a fresh start. That is, until the night he impulsively saves a drowning woman’s life – and opens a Pandora’s Box. Her secrets put Jay in danger, ensnaring him in a murder investigation that could cost him his practice, his family, and even his life. But before he can get to the bottom of a tangled mystery that reaches into the upper echelons of Houston’s corporate powerbrokers, Jay must confront the demons of his past.
Ella: Who were your favorites? Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
Well, Jay is certainly my favorite character in the book. He's not any one person in particular, though some facts of his life are similar to the details of my father's life. But he's more representative of my parents' generation - a group of people who, in their late teens and twenties, devoted their lives to political activism and then somehow had to find their way out of that when the movement ended.
Ella: Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
...a deep compassion and love for the choices and mistakes and small victories that make us human.
Listen
to BAN Radio Exclusive with Ella Curry, Lynda Johnson, Go On Girl
President and Attica Locke. Discussing the Black Power Movement, legendary
books and her journey to publication. Click
here to listen now.Share with your network too!
Book Reviews for Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
"Black Water Rising is a near-perfect balance of trenchant social commentary, rich characterizations and an action-oriented plot..."
– Los Angeles Times
“Locke, a screenwriter with both film and TV credits (including a forthcoming HBO miniseries about the civil rights movement) steers a gritty drama to a satisfying end… Locke remains an author to watch.”
– Publishers Weekly
“Locke expertly etches a portrait of her anxiety-ridden protagonist, and she animates the complex plot with the assurance of a practiced screenwriter...”
– Kirkus Reviews
Intimate Conversation with
Gwendolyn Zepeda
Gwendolyn Zepeda began her writing career on the Web in 1997 and has won praise and awards for her short stories, poetry, and children’s books. Her first novel,
Houston, We Have a Problema was critically acclaimed for its wit and upbeat story.
Booklist calls Zepeda’s latest novel, Lone Star Legend (Grand Central Publishing, 2010) “fresh and smart” and Publishers Weekly says she “gives readers a funny and smart heroine that readers will easily pull for."
Ella: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer?
Who are your mentors?
I am of mixed ethnicity (father Latino, mom white) so right off the bat that prepared me to see more than one perspective in any given situation. And I’ve lived a lot of lives – I’ve been an inner-city “at-risk” youth and a housewife, an artist and a mother, a college student on full scholarship and a country bumpkin in a mobile home. So I’ve packed a lot of experience into my years so far, and I feel like my family taught me to use that experience well. My mentors have always been my dad, various bosses at the corporate day jobs I’ve worked, and women in my community who run non-profits and raise strong families.
Ella: Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
My writing offers future readers an accurate depiction of the women around me and how they live their lives today. When readers look back on novels of the 2000s, they’ll see a lot of books about what women wanted – fantasies in which we’re famous and rich and we score fabulous men. And when they read my books, they’ll see how not (yet) famous, not (yet) rich women worked with what they had to get closer to those goals.
Ella: Introduce us to your book,
Lone Star Legend, and the main characters.
Sandy Saavedra, the main character in Lone Star Legend, is the first woman in her family to attend college, and she’s earned a B.A. in Journalism that she wants to put to good use, writing positive stories about her people. That becomes difficult when the news site she works for is purchased by an organization that specializes in “snarky” gossip blogs broken down by various cultures. There’s “Don’t Call Me Sassy” for African Americans, “Banana Nation” for Asian Americans, and “Nacho Papi’s Web Site,” the site for which Sandy is expected to produce content about Latino celebrities.
Sandy gets grief from her boyfriend, who thinks Nacho Papi is trash and she’s too good to write for it, and from her mom, who thinks Sandy’s makeup and hairstyle are more important than her writing credentials. So she vents about the two of them in her secret, anonymous blog, where she’s sure they’ll never see it.
But nothing is private on the Internet, as Sandy will soon find out. A wise old man teaches her another lesson: that once a crab starts to climb out of the bucket, all the other crabs will try to pull her back down. Can Sandy deal with other writers writing snarky gossip about her? And can she pull free of the claws and get out of the bucket once and for all?
Ella:
Take us inside
Lone Star
Legend. What are two major events taking place?
In Lone Star Legend, Sandy is becoming a celebrity. Her audience loves her and wants to know more about her, her friends and family pay her more respect, and she gets a lot of perks. With all that, however, comes a loss of privacy, anti-fans who hate her, and professional jealousy. So Sandy has a rocky road, learning to deal with that.
At the same time, Sandy finds Tio Jaime, a grandfatherly figure who connects her to her past and helps her find peace within herself. On the one hand, Sandy wants to share Tio Jaime with her audience. On the other hand, she has to protect him from the negative aspects of fame when she barely knows how to deal with them, herself.
Ella: What do you want readers to gain from your book?
The obvious lessons are that people need to be mindful of what they put online, and that fame isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. But I hope readers also see that Sandy makes a difference in strangers’ lives with her honest, thoughtful writing. Despite all the drama that goes down on the Internet, it’s still a way to connect people who wouldn’t have been able to find each other before. I hope that if readers are considering sharing their stories on the Internet, this book will inspire them to go ahead and do that.
Ella: How can our readers reach you online?
Readers can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and my official author site by searching for my full name, Gwendolyn Zepeda. They can also see me sharing my stories on
www.Gwenworld.com
Intimate Conversation author Kitty Sewell
Ella:
Kitty please tell us a little about yourself. I was born in Sweden but have lived in Wales, Canada, Spain and
the Canary islands. The Canadian Arctic, where I lived for two years, was the setting for my first novel. ICE TRAP became a bestseller and sold in 20 countries around the world. I speak four languages but write in English. Before I came to fiction writing, I practiced as a psychotherapist and sculptor. Now I live in Spain and write full-time.
Ella: Introduce us to your book Bloodprint.
BLOODPRINT is a psychological suspense novel. The story centers around three women from different worlds whose paths are inexorably linked. Madeleine is an American psychotherapist who, after the death of her husband in a Florida hurricane, decides to move to the city of Bath in England where her parents live. Her father is a famous English painter, divorced from her Cuban mother, Rosaria, who is a Santera (a practitioner of a Cuban religion which has sorcery at its heart). Rosaria is a patient in a psychiatric hospital, and her delusions and predictions play havoc with Madeleine’s own sanity. Madeleine, in her quest to heal her life, is torn between her conventional father’s world-view and her mother’s ancient beliefs.
Rachel, a single mother with a tortured past comes to Madeleine for therapy, hoping to rid herself of the man who is her former pimp and the father of her son. Madeleine endures Rachel’s scornful attitude towards her as part of the psychotherapeutic process, but, increasingly wary of Rachel’s intentions and reasons for coming, she begins to imagine an impossible scenario.
The increasingly complex relationship between Madeleine and Rachel soon begins to take a sinister turn and finally unleashes a terrifying series of events which neither woman could have predicted and neither can control. In their different ways, each woman seeks redemption for the crime that binds them.
Ella: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer?
I think my power as a person and as a writer comes mainly through my maturity. I don’t mean necessarily maturity through years, but through experiences and life changes. I feel I’ve lived many lives, having struggled hard but also been extremely fortunate. Many extraordinary things have happened to my family. Through my psychotherapy work I’ve had the privilege of emotional intimacy with people from all walks of life, and heard many astonishing stories. I’ve always asked too many questions and wanted to hear what lies beneath the answers. I’ve lived in many countries,
traveled extensively and seen unusual things.
I think I can convey this accumulation of life experiences into my writing, yet I
endeavor to retain a sense of humility. Life is a mysterious and complex affair with no set answers, and my uncertainty about everything informs my characters, in the way they grapple for insight and understanding.
Writing is a skill too, a craft that must be learned and honed, so the power of a writer comes through a lot of hard work, discipline and dedication, but never at the expense of seeking to live life to the full.
Ella: Who are your mentors?
I feel that there is no end to how much you can learn so I’m always looking for mentors. For me there are mentors for writing and mentors for living, but often they have both functions. My writing mentors have been a number of writers and teachers. Liz Jensen, the novelist, has been invaluable to me. Her writing is flawless. She has read all my
scribbling and shows no mercy. This is the problem with an ego; unless you can take rigorous critique, mentors will not be able to do very much for you. Gritting my teeth I set aside my pride and invite criticism. How else will I know what readers want? Some writers maintain that they write primarily for themselves. Well, good luck to them!
A few other brilliant novelists have read my work and taught me lessons. I’m lucky enough to list Celia Brayfield, Stevie Davies, Deborah Moggach and Lindsay Clark among these. Then there are novelists who don’t know they are my mentors, and they are too numerous to list. Suffice it to say that to write well, you need to read widely, and all the time.
Karsten Diettrich, editor-in-chief (now retired) for the global Bertelsmann Group, took me under his wing when he made ICE TRAP the International Book of the Month with book clubs world-wide. He talked to me at length about Bloodprint (the title was his inspiration) and reviewed it several times, offering strong criticism and advice. I was still new to fiction-writing and very open to the guidance from someone with a whole life-time of experience. We speak often and he reads all my work.
Ella: Where do you find your inspiration?
My main inspiration is without doubt some of the experiences of my own outrageous family. In fact, it will be fodder for plots and characters for years to come. For example, in ICE TRAP I was able to disgorge bucket-loads of frustration, angst and bewilderment, because some of the bizarre things that happened to my characters, actually happened to me and my husband. I was truly empowered by writing about them, especially as ICE TRAP became a bestseller, and I turned adversity into a fantastic career.
In BLOODPRINT I drew on the sadness and guilt I felt after the death of my sister. My sister’s difficult and tormented life was, in part, reflected in the character of Rachel.
I’m very inspired by nature and this comes across strongly in my writing. Trees have special meaning in all five of my novels. All the stories have exotic locations. BLOODPRINT is partly set in the tropical lushness of Key West and partly on the imposing Georgian streets of Bath, England. In ICE TRAP, the icy Arctic setting was almost a character in itself, and in CLOUD FEVER my hero battles his demons in the deserts of the Tibetan plateau. The novel I’m writing now is set in Gibraltar, a huge solitary rock, and an astonishing place of secret stories, underground tunnels and unusual people.
Ella: How will reading your book shape the readers lives?
I think novels are written primarily to entertain, and it is verging on arrogant to assume that one’s stories can have any major impact on readers’ lives. Having said this, I have had scores of emails from readers, both questioning the premise of BLOODPRINT and telling me how they have been affected by it. I
realize, almost in retrospect that BLOODPRINT, despite being a suspense/thriller type of novel, is quite a powerful story about the relationships between women. The issues of three generations of women come out in protest, pain, guilt, lust and fury, whilst this emotional battle plays itself out against increasingly disturbed and destructive
behavior. Issues such as single parenthood, adoption, mental illness, human trafficking and prostitution are central to the novel, and if nothing else, I think readers might learn things they knew little about.
Ella: What was the most powerful chapter in the book?
I’ll try and answer this question without spoilers. The first half of the novel maps the building of a relationship between the psychotherapist Madeleine, and her client Rachel. As time goes by, Madeleine becomes more and more suspicious about Rachel’s identity. Concurrently to this process the reader gets glimpses of a back-story that explains how Madeleine could come to
harbor these suspicions. In the climatic chapter, Rachel commits an unspeakable crime. It is done through sheer desperation, but also through a long build-up of rage.
After the deed has been done, Rachel is desperately afraid, confused and alone. She doesn’t know what to do, where to turn, so she goes to the only person she can think of, her therapist. But during the powerful confrontation which ensues between the two women, Rachel also divulges her true reasons for wanting therapy with Madeleine. She claims there is a debt to pay, and Madeleine has to deliver. From being a respectable professional, Madeleine finds herself embroiled in a grotesque cover-up, and with blood on her hands her life has changed for ever.
Ella: How can our readers reach you online? Share with us your online contact info.
Easy! You can go into my website www.kittysewell.com
and access my contact details. I really enjoy receiving mail from readers and try as far as possible to answer them.
Intimate Conversation author
Niobia Bryant
Niobia Bryant a self described chameleon of the written word has contributed to the book world since 1999 with the release of her first short story Hush, Hush. Since then she has garnered publishing deals with 3 major houses, Simon & Schuster, Dafina and Harlequin.
As a full-time writer she has penned over 15 novels using three different monikers including Simone Bryant (Young Adult) and Meesha Mink (Urban Fiction) within four genres of fiction literature targeted for African American females including romance and contemporary. In 2010 she will release three new books a contemporary, a romance and a young-adult within months of each other. This Newark, NJ native splits her time between South Carolina and New Jersey.
Ella: Introduce us to your book Message of a Mistress.
Message from a Mistress is my third mainstream work and it is a look at the dynamics of both marriage and friendship and how they can be affected by secrets, lies and betrayals. My main inspiration was not just to deliver drama and scandal but to really travel the road many marriages take that leads to that ultimate betrayal and then to examine the effects of it.
Three female friends, whose husbands are on an outing together, are at their favorite day spa when each simultaneously receives a text message from a mutual friend, Jessa Bell, taunting them that she has run away with one of their husbands. Question is: Which one?
Jaime and her husband Eric have been married for seven years and have made an art of putting on appearances. They sleep in separate beds, lead separate lives, and do everything in their power to make sure no one knows it.
Renee and Jackson Clinton have been married for well over twenty years. Both are high-powered executives making six figure incomes, but this was not the case when they first wed. For the first ten years of their marriage, Renee was a housewife. Once their youngest child was old enough to enter school, she found a career and now her success equals that of her husbands--a major point of contention in their marriage.
Aria and Kingston Livewell have a truly happy marriage but its Aria and Jessa Bell that have a history filled with competition. In fact, Aria talked Kingston into buying their lavish home in Richmond Hills just to one up Jessa Bell. The ladies have been the best of friends since college but neither one’s quite sure if their friendship is more hate or love. She can’t help but wonder if Jessa Bell has finally succeeded in getting the one thing Aria loves the most–her husband.
Ella: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Message of a Mistress?
Since I write in multiple genres it helps me stay organized by creating a synopsis and an outline for each of my books. I write a full synopsis of the entire story and the first chapter which I usually have to submit to the publisher. Afterward I begin writing with the use of an outline and chapter breakdown. Message from a Mistress took a few months not including editing.
Ella: With seventeen novels under your belt, how have you changed in terms of your growth in the publishing industry?
I've learned so much in the past 10 years as an author. My first book took me a year to write and now I can definitely complete a well written book in less time. Writing in multiple genres allows me to continuously work towards perfecting my craft as a storyteller too. I've grown in my business acumen. I am a knowledgeable author. I research the industry, who's doing what, and I keep abreast of what sells, where and why… this all helps me stay fresh and relevant to what avid readers want from authors.
Ella: You write in 4 genres… and are signed to 3 different publishing houses... very impressive…how did that happen for you?
I am definitely ambitious and very focused on living my dreams. The same way that I write in different genres, I read different genres. Black, white, whatever. From non-fiction by Cornel West to street-lit by Donald Goines.
Sci-fi, young adult fiction, romance, commercial fiction, literary fiction and those like Tina McElroy Ansa and Gloria Naylor who have found a nice blend of commercial and literary
fiction--
I read it all. I wanted to try my hand at a lot of it. People always say to write what you enjoy. Well, I enjoy a lot of different things and it transitioned over into my writing.
I started out in romance because I did my research and discovered it was easier to get published without agent in this particular genre. Those books did well and I eventual got the agent. I had these different stories in me that I wanted in print so I came up with proposals over the years and my agent got to work making the deals happen. Now I have deals in mainstream, romance, urban fiction and young adult/teen fiction.
Ella: This year you are nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best African American Romance for your 9th full length romance novel "Make You Mine" as well as the Best Steamy Romance in the 2010 Emma Award presented by Romance Slam Jam. Congratulations on those accolades.
How important are these award nominations to you?
The award nominations are great. They are testament that the hard work you put into a book is appreciated and respected. It’s a great way, besides having a great sell through percentage, to know that you’re getting it done; that people enjoy what you’re doing. I’ve been up for a lot of awards in the past ten years and I’ve won some, but I’m always just as excited as if it was my very first nomination because I have great passion and love for this writing game.
Ella: For someone who is celebrating her 10-year anniversary in book publishing and has over 15 novels of your own,
what would you like to accomplish in the next 10 years?
I think the fact that I once dreamed of getting published and having just one book deal and to now have four is a great achievement for me. I’m a girl from a single-parent household from Newark, NJ who use to sit on the back of the public bus and tell stories to my friends and anyone who would listen. I used to write short stories in my notebook. I used to say I will have a book published before I turn a certain age. I did it. But I have even more dreams. I am a national bestseller which means I have hit some bestseller lists across the country but I definitely want to hit the New York Times or USA Today. Also, like any other author I would like to see one of my books turned into a major movie or television show. So in a nutshell, New York Times and a movie deal. Point blank, those two things are definitely on my to-do list.
Self Published? Are You Really An Author?
by Nanette Buchanan
I really found this conversation quite interesting. Being a self published author and consistently looking for opportunities which include, literary agents, publicist and other avenues, I've found that each path has it's ups and downs. It depends on what you're willing to pay for, have the patience for or have had an experience with. I decided to self publish, not to duck the traditional guidelines but after being scammed by a few of the "so-called" people of the industry, I decided if I should lose another dime it will be because I tossed it in the well not someone else.
As far as the editing, marketing, advertising and sales I agree we all need the win win path. Most of us will complain about what others have or have not done but there are only a few willing to share the concepts without a cost. Again, the competitive edge.......so why complain if you have the perfect novel, the desired genre, the distribution and your sales? Why worry about the self published author that lacks the knowledge, courage or intelligence to know that with research they could have a best seller? If they are making phenomenal sales, it's because they have captured what we often forget, an audience.
I don't have time to worry about your method as a writer.....I wish you success.
I wish you the best in what you do. I wish you all the blessings and hope to read your methods, your path and learn from your experience as I grow as a self published author. Some traditional authors use this term "self published author" as though it was a virus that was rapidly spreading. A disease that should have been quarantined and forbidden to resurface. There are so many readers, so many genre's, so many paths to promote and sale that we should be encouraging each other.
We all agree that this is not a get rich venture, only those who take it serious (proper editing, promotions, marketing) will succeed. The readers may read the "new" novel but will they follow that lazy author. I seriously doubt it. There are many best selling authors that started as "self published" authors. There are many markets that have those who create their own method and audience and still do well. So does the "self published" author. Those in the industry who have those query letters that have not been answered, the dreaded pain of trying to meet the deadlines, the arguments to save their creativity while working with the editor, and yes finally being signed, do deserve kudos.
But, honestly, just because they do doesn't mean that the "self published" author doesn't deserve to share the world of readers who really don't care.......as long as the story is well written and holds them captive. Thank God, the decision to publish is not left to those who decided they would NEVER self-publish........the success is not how it's published but rather or not it's purchased. Self published books do sell.....ask Stephen King or Tyler Perry.
Books by Nanette M. Buchanan
New Release: Bruised Love, Family Secrets, Lies & Alibis and
A Different Kind of Love
About the Author
Nanette M. Buchanan was born, raised and educated in Newark, New Jersey. After graduating from Arts High School in Newark she attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
It was then that she first set her pen to pad, written expressions of her love for poetry. She is a proud mother, wife and grandmother, now residing in Somerset, New Jersey. Nanette is employed with the State of New Jersey within the Department of Corrections.
Her pad to pen accomplishments include three volumes of poetry: Thoughts, Thoughts & Reflections, and Quiet
Times; five children stories and seven novels. Nanette’s first published work and debut novel was
“Family Secrets….Lies & Alibis. ”
Since then the publication of the sequel, “A Different Kind of Love” and the release of her first volume of poetry, “Thoughts” an e-book hit the market. In October of 2009, Nanette’s murder mystery,
“Bruised Love” was released. It is her goal to become a successful author without limits. Writing and producing plays that feature her poems as well as adaptations of her novels on the “big
screen.” This dynamic author is looking forward to making writing a full time career after retiring from her current position with the State of New Jersey.
VISIT www.ipendesigns.net to pick up your copies and join as a member to get updates on book signings and events.
The Literary Lunch Bunch
(LLB)
History – We discussed THE SISTERHOOD OF BLACKBERRY CORNER in two meetings.
At the 1st meeting in which we discussed it, one of our members did “show and tell.” She brought the stoneware jar in which her husband’s great aunt stored their ‘juice’ and shared stories she was told about how this aunt used to go into the hinterlands of West Virginia to deliver babies. She also showed us a handmade quilt that contained photographs of the family, and genealogical information.
• Friendship/Celebrations – When people meet together on a regular basis to perform a common activity, bonding occurs. This situation is no exception to that phenomenon. New and deeper friendships have been formed. We have celebrated occasions that are special to a member, such as a birthday, a wedding anniversary or the wedding of a son or daughter. One member and her husband hosted a party to celebrate the inauguration of our new president. It started prior to the administration of the oath of office, and ended with the changing into eveningwear for the ball.
• Identity – We have custom made caps on which our club name is embroidered.
How did the Literary Lunch Bunch get together?
We are a group of women who retired from professional careers. Upon her retirement, the founder of our club (Evelyn Gilliard) felt that she did not want to loose contact with many of her professional friends. Thus, our club was founded in September, 2002 by Evelyn and a core group of four ladies. Each person was commissioned to recruit one to two additional members, so that our initial membership consisted of 13 people. We range in age from 62 to 87 years old.
How does your bookclub work and how does your bookclub decide what to read?
On the third Thursday of each month we meet at one of Atlanta’s finest restaurants for lunch. The role of session leader is assigned in alphabetical rotation. The responsibility of the leader is to choose a reading assignment, to decide on the method of discourse for that assignment, and of course, identify a restaurant in which to hold the meeting.
What makes your bookclub unique?
• We read short stories and place emphasis on intellectual discourse.
• We look at the authors and their possible motivation for writing the stories. •
We thoroughly dissect the story.
• The session leader will also share her rationale for the selection of the respective readings.
Our session leader has used a variety presentation and discussion strategies such as:
• Small group (2-3 persons) discussions
• Chat with the author
• Large group discussions
• Movie/Book Comparisons
• Debates
• Power point presentation
• Prepared questions given to individual or pairs that are to be addressed and presented to the total group
• Invite younger ladies to attend meetings so that a different perspective on the story or situation can be obtained.
What have been your favorite selections?
We have read stories by Harlem Renaissance authors such as Langston Hughes, internationally recognized authors such as Maya Angelou, well-known drama playwrights such as Amiri Baraka, and numerous contemporary authors, such as Anthony Grooms, Dr. Oz and President
Barack Obama.
Are you planning any special trips or events around a book you're reading?
• Annual Sail – In June, a summer gathering consists of a meeting on the boat of one of our members. It’s a two-day meeting, consisting of a discussion of our reading selection and a sail on the lake.
• Fall Frolic – Every Fall (October or November) we go to the mountains of North Georgia for two days. On this occasion, our session leader conducts our discussion by candlelight, after a meal eaten on fine china and excellent wine.
Summary
What started out as a means of keeping in touch after retirement has turned out to be a stimulating and rewarding seven years for Literary Lunch Bunch members. Not only has our inquisitiveness for literary works been heightened, but also, our viewpoints on life have broadened. And most importantly, it has resulted in the cementing of relationships with each other.
Intimate Conversation
with the Black Orchids Book Club
Black Orchids History
The Black Orchids Book Club of Houston, Texas was founded in February, 2005, by Sheryl McConnell and Sherral Berry. The purpose of starting the book club was to reach out to African American women who were 40+ and shared the love of reading.
Presently our group consists of 21 diverse Orchids from various professions. We cover the entire relationship spectrum from married, single, divorced, and widowed.
We meet on a bi-monthly basis at homes of club members or local restaurants. Our primary goal is to get together for a lively evening of discussion, debating, eating and drinking. We occasionally have authors attend our meetings to discuss their books. We also periodically dress or decorate the meeting site based upon the theme of the book. Our members are noted for putting 100% into our meetings. All of these activities translate in fun filled events.
Vision for Organization
The vision of our club is to be more than a book club. Additionally, we also want to serve as a “sisterhood.” We are striving to expand our activities into more community outreach projects. To date, we’ve made several individual donations as well to organizations such as the Food Bank and the Covenant House.
How important reading is to you?
Reading is very important to us because it provides the mind with nourishment. It exercises the brain and provides us with food for thought. Reading also provides a venue for
traveling around the world from the comfort of your home. How awesome is that!
Reading is also beneficial to us because it is a perfect medium for relaxing. It allows us to temporarily remove ourselves from places of pain and sorrow. Books can serve as remarkable friends.
Living your best life includes:
Being thankful for everything, everyday and throwing out the negative and embracing the positive!
On your nightstand now: Starting Your Day Right & Ending Your Day Right (double-set) by Joyce Meyer
Favorite book when you were a child: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Favorite line or couple from a book:
Lindes from Now and Then, Again by Bonnie Hopkins
“You can’t get weary in well doing. Even if it means doing good to somebody who wronged you in the worst way.” AND, “You shouldn’t let anyone make you have a hard heart against them. It’ll make you sick or shorten your life.”
Book you most want to read AGAIN much slower, to savor:
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Klyosaki
Favorite genre, series or sequels:
All time favorite sequels is The Pact and The Bond by Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt. Two books of triumphant and inspiration for the youth of today.
Name three authors you would like to do a phone chat with this year.
Steve Harvey, Mark Dulaney and Maya Angelou
Intimate Conversation with The Pillars Book Club
BPM: Share with us the history of the organization.
History -The Pillars Book Club was established in November of 2008 by Sondra George. We meet quarterly as we have members in Louisiana and Texas. Each quarter a hostess chooses a destination location (We travel!) for our meetings. Our meetings usually last two or three day and the events are centered around the book we're discussing.
In addition to our quarterly meetings we participate in community service events. Recently we held our 1st annual "Gift of Literacy" event gifting 400 books to children. We currently have fourteen members
spanning five generations. We hold our annual Meet & Greet for new members in the fall each year.
BPM: What is the vision for your organization?
•
It is our vision to share the love of reading with each other and to use this gift of literacy to bless others while we have fun.
BPM: Sondra, please tell us a little about you and the things you are passionate about.
•
I am Sondra George of Dallas, Texas. While I am an avid reader of all genres, I have a passion for history,
African American, French, American and otherwise. My vision is to share my love of reading with others hoping to enhance their lives on all levels. To use the book club as a platform to build life long relationships.
( Pillars Book Club on a
cruise)
Finish these sentences:
BPM: Living your best life includes:
•
Having no regrets, learning from your mistakes and embracing all days, good and bad, while reading your heart out!
BPM: Share a book that changed your life:
•
"A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini, gave us insight to the struggles of women today. It changed our
perception of our Eastern sisters here in American and abroad. It gave us a new respect for their culture and their plight.
BPM: On your nightstand now:
•
The Help - K Stockett and
The Million Dollar Divorce - RM Johnson
BPM: Name three authors you would like to do a phone chat with this year.
•
Maya Angelou, Barack Obama and
Eric Jerome Dickey
BPM: The Pillars Book Club President's favorite quote:
• The worth of a book is measured by what you can carry from it.
Photo: The Pillars Book Club president, Sondra George
Intimate Conversation with The
Regal Sisterhood
The
Regal Sisterhood was founded in October 2005 by Misty Irby, on the premise of
fostering new friendships around a common activity--- reading.
Misty
wanted to introduce a reading club which embraced the concept of
“Sisterhood”, creating a unified literary circle!
BPM:What is the vision for your organization?
• The vision of the Regal Sisterhood Book Club is to expand literary knowledge
and personal growth amongst its members and their families. Regal stands for
“ Reading , Empowering & Gaining Abundant Life.”
Finish
these sentences:
BPM:
Living your best life includes:
• Living a life of joy and peace with a commitment to get better every
day.
BPM:
On your nightstand now:
• “Beater” by Brian W. Smith
BPM:
Book that changed your life:
• “Up Pops The Devil” by Angela Benson
BPM:
Book you most want to read AGAIN much slower, to savor:
• “The Shack” by William P. Young
(The
Regal Sisterhood)
BPM:
Favorite
genre, series or sequels:
• Favorite genre is Christian Fiction. Favorite series of books is on the
character Jasmine Larson by Victoria Christopher Murray.
BPM:
Name three authors you would like to do a phone chat with this year.
• L.Y. Marlow, Victoria Christopher Murray and Stephanie Perry Moore.
Intimate Conversation with The Reading Divas Book Club
BPM: Tell us a little about your passion for reading and your position in the bookclub.
My name is Sharon Richardson-Lucas and I am the founder and Chairperson of the Reading Divas Book Club. Though we have structure, we’ve never felt a need to elect officers but rather to draw on the individual strengths displayed by the club members.
I am a wife, mother, grandmother and a Reading Diva! I recently retired after 20 years as a District Sales Manager with Avon Products, Inc. I have read all of my life – I come from a family of readers. I do not remember a time when I didn’t read – going back to when I had to hide “True Confessions” under the covers and read after I was supposed to be asleep.
The picture, in this interview, shows book club members at their first Brunch. Sharon
Richardson-Lucas is in the second row, over from Miss Mary Monroe (she has on hat) in the front row. BPM: What was your first meeting like? How was it organized and structured?
After thinking about it for some time, in July 1998, I invited a group of friends to my home to review the book, “The Good Negress” by A. J. Verdelle. It wasn’t the most exciting read, but it did allow me to share my vision of a book club with the attendees and thus was born “The Reading Divas”. After more than 12 years, our basic structure remains the same: We are a group of African American women who meet monthly to review a book, share ideas, and exchange stories. Thus, we have formed a “sisterhood” of book lovers! My initial goal was to have at least 12 members so no one would have to host a meeting more than once each year, currently there are 14 members; we meet monthly, rotating from house to house; the hostess for the month selects the book for the month. We primarily read books written by African American Authors, but do not limit ourselves to any race or type of book. By silent vote, we don’t usually read the now popular “street” books or “erotica”.
Several years ago, another charter member, Lena Tanguep, and I attended the National Book Club meeting in Atlanta hosted by Curtis Bunn. After that uplifting experience we agreed that the club needed more structure and we also needed to give something to the community and not limit ourselves to simply reading a book a month and socializing (we love mimosas and sangria). We then adopted a club charter to define our structure and we agreed to host an event to celebrate our 10th Anniversary. We weren’t sure exactly what we wanted to do, but we knew it had to be “literary” and not just a social event.
BPM: Share with us the history of the organization.
In October 2008, we successfully hosted the “First Annual Reading Divas Literary Brunch” featuring Mary Monroe - she was fabulous and so was our audience of about 100. In October 2009, when we held our second Brunch featuring Virginia Deberry and Donna Grant- we knew we had hit on something good. Virginia and Donna were “excellent” – they made themselves at home and our audience loved them. We closed this affair knowing that our event has a “following” and that we were keeping our commitment to involve the community not just through our audience participation but also by inviting local authors, many of whom are self-publishing and trying to get their foot in the door – to participate and therefore expand their reach.
In October 2010, we will host our third Brunch – we have moved to a larger facility and our featured author will be Dr. Daniel Omotosho Black – Nationally Acclaimed Author of the 21st Century. Please go to Dr. Black’s website to read more about him –
www.danielblack.org
BPM: What is the vision for your organization?
Our vision is to “keep on keeping on” – reading, discussing, and socializing – as we help others to realize how important it is to our culture that we read the works of African American authors and to continue to grow our own annual Literary Event.
BPM: Living your best life includes:
Living my best life includes: having books and my Kindle at my fingertips at all times – my motto is “Never Leave Home Without Something to Read”.
BPM: On your nightstand now:
On my nightstand now are: “Book Clubs” by Curtis Bunn and “They Tell me of a Home” by Daniel Black along with many books on my Kindle including “God Ain’t Blind” by Mary Monroe, “And Mistress Makes Three” by Francis Ray, and “Witch & Wizard” by James Patterson & Gabrielle Charbonnet.
BPM: What types of books did you read as a kid?
I’ve always been a mystery and suspense lover – so I loved “Nancy Drew” as a child but I soon moved on to Perry Mason.
BPM: What book would you read again to savor?
The book I want to read again and again to savor is “What Seems Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day” by Pearl Cleage.
BPM: What's your favorite book series?
My favorite series is anything in the Alex Cross series by James Paterson.
BPM: How important is reading in your life?
I cannot imagine life without the ability to enter new and different worlds through the written words of others.
BPM: How can our readers reach out to you?
Please go to our website – www.thereadingdivas12.com
– to read more about us or to get in touch with us. You can find out more
about the Annual Reading Divas Literary
Brunch on our site too.
Interview presented by chairperson – Sharon Richardson-Lucas
The Importance of the Black Book Clubs
by Dr. Maxine E. Thompson
Twice
last month, I met with Book Clubs, once at the Inglewood Library, where I did a writer’s workshop and the other day at my book club, Seniors on The Move. I was happy for the feedback, the reminiscing and the discussions. It started me to thinking about how important the Black Book Clubs have been in this Literary Renaissance.
In fact, I know one writer who is self-published and who makes a good living doing 2-4 book clubs per month. So the Black Book Clubs are definitely important.
It made me want to revisit an article I wrote 2 years ago that is still apropos.
Sometimes God sends an angel into our lives and we don’t even know it. When God has a plan for our lives, He will make a provision.
In 1999, I had been off my job approximately two years when I re-issued my debut novel, The Ebony Tree. Looking back, The Special Thoughts Book Club was the first Los Angeles book club–in fact the first book club–to host me as a writer. Since then I’ve had the pleasure of being hosted at many book clubs, known and some even unknown.
In 1999, when I met with the founder, Janel Stephenson, and she paid me my first check (which was sizable,) for my books, I thought, “Wow! Someone will actually pay you for your dreams.”
Somehow, in chatting, I told Janel of my dilemma. I had just received a letter offering me to return to work as a supervisor, (which was a promotion) at the Los Angeles County Department of Children’s Family and Services, or I could stay on the unknown rocky path of living the writer’s life. I had no idea what the future held, and financially, it didn’t look like I’d be able to make it. After two years, I had run through my savings, my sick leave, and my vacation time. At the time, I had two mortgages, my youngest son in college, and grandchildren, a dog, etc. etc.
At any rate, Janel encouraged me to pursue my dreams. “You’ll never know if you don’t try.” With that check and Janel’s words of encouragement, I took one day at a time, and that one day has led into almost eleven years since I was last an employee.
Looking back, when I attended the Special Thoughts’ book club meeting, I was impressed by the number of members–almost thirty readers and 50 percent of them men. They were articulate and challenged my thinking.
Last year, in celebrating the Special Thoughts Reading group’s tenth anniversary, I congratulated them.
As for the journey, I am happy to report the following:
Since my first book club meeting, I’ve either published or been published in 11 books, (2 novels, 1 short story collection, 3 self-help e-books/manuals, and five anthologies,) one that I published under my company, Black Butterfly Press, Saturday Morning, (and two pending novel deals and one pending nonfiction book deal). I’ve edited, formatted or ghostwritten numerous books for other writers or companies. Many of these books have made bestseller’s lists, some even have made the New York Times’ bestseller’s list.
I am the agent for books for other African American writers and we are now pursuing film or independent deals for some of these deals.
As another business, I’ve hosted Internet radio shows for writers since March 2002 to promote writers’ works. I currently host on Artistfirst.com.
So I’d like to give special thanks to Janel Stephenson for acting as an angel and for her encouragement and continued support of Black writers. I also want to thank the Special Thoughts’ book club members for pulling me through a dark hour. Congratulations on their upcoming eleventh anniversary in November 2008.
Now, once again, we are faced as a nation with that same dilemma that I had in 1999–except the economic climate is worse. Even so, many people have a dream of either being a writer, a magazine owner, a publicist, a book store owner, an agent, actor, artist, or you name it, but the economy looks so bleak. Wall Street crashed the week of 9-15-08 and banks failed. I mean how bad can it get during a recession?
Therefore, how do we make it as Black businesspersons during these trying times? What can we do?
Well, we can work together. We can build resources through one another. We can support one another’s dreams. We can barter. We can help each other. However, what we cannot do is to ever give up hope and faith. Remember, no good work goes unrewarded. In this vein, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many Black book clubs across the country that have supported Black books, thereby promoting literacy! I give a special thanks to Special Thoughts Book Club, Rawsistaz and
Apooo.org. In behalf of Black writers, I applaud and commend you, Black Book Club Leaders and Members.
About the Author
Dr. Maxine E. Thompson is a novelist, poet, columnist, short story writer, book reviewer, an editor, ghostwriter, Internet Radio Show Host, and a Literary Agent. She is the author of The Ebony Tree, No Pockets in a Shroud, A Place Called Home (A Short Story Collection), The Hush Hush Secrets of Writing Fiction That Sell, a contributor to bestselling anthologies Secret Lovers, All in The Family, and Never Knew Love Like This Before, (Also a Kindle Bestseller), Proverbs for the People.
Hostage of Lies is her latest fiction novel, was voted a Best Book of 2009 by EDC Creations:
http://edcmagazine.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-books-of-2009-our-relationships.html
A
Book Club’s Best Friend By
Sherryle Kiser Jackson
And, the number one reason why you should make Soon and Very Soon your book club
selection is . . . Sherryle Kiser Jackson is a book club’s best friend!
That’s me, and that along with reasons 2-10 ala David Letterman style was
printed in my promotional material for my debut novel.
Book Clubs were my target in my marketing plan and I courted them with my words
like Cyrano de Bergerac did Roxanne. I started with the list on Mosaicbooks.com
(the quintessential place for booklovers) and started relaying the message of my
self-proclaimed title. I also had success with meeting with area book club’s
to do what I coined, a book tasting. Much like a chef/baker would have a tasting
for potential clients I used this as an opportunity to read and share excerpts
of my upcoming novel the first fifteen or the last fifteen minutes of their
gathering. I was prepared to also take them through my literary journey from
manuscript to the printed page and have tons of giveaways just to make an
impression. It made sense to me.
Out of all the people who pass by a Borders
bookstore in their daily travels, book club members would nine times out of ten
drop in with their Rewards card and buy something. I believe book clubs are
imperative to books for and about our people.
Aww, the naivety of a debut author, I didn’t understand the form and function
of different book clubs and like Cyrano I didn’t really know how to court
them. I was spending lots of money and not sure to this day if some of the clubs
I tried to woo with dramatic readings and baked goods ever chose my book as a
monthly selection. I was starting a grassroots campaign with the type of book
clubs that meet monthly and discuss a pre-selected book. I call them the page
turners. I knew this type. I personally own a copy of Go On Girl!: Book Club
Guide for Reading Groups by Monique Greenwood, Lynda Johnson and Tracy
Mitchell-Brown when I revamped my sorority’s book club in the late
nineties.
After
my book came out I met with many like the Black Women’s Reading Group that
have been in existence in Washington DC for over thirty years. I was surprised
to find another entity in the book club world though with an amazing scope of
influence-the Online Book club. These powerhouses such as The Grits Online
Reading Club.com, the Good Girl Book Club and RAWSISTAZ are of the
book-promoting, book-reviewing, and book-selling variety. I call them the mini
publicist brigades. They have mastered the art of networking to a target
audience and can draw thousands to their site in search of recommendations on
what to read next. Promoting with these groups and sometimes even getting your
book reviewed may cost you, but selecting the right online book club can be well
worth your marketing dollars.
As authors, we sometimes have arrogance about us. Don’t make the mistake like
me and presume that since you’ve cranked out 261 pages of narrative you can
tell an established book club when and where to function like they’re on your
pay roll. Most book clubs whether the grassroots page-turners or the publicist
brigades have websites and guidelines. Use them. Remember there are truly too
many books and too little time. Keep this in mind when marketing to book clubs.
Research book clubs. As I’ve said before many of these groups have been
together for a long time and have established criteria for selecting monthly
reading selections. Target book clubs that read your specific genre. Inquire
with online book clubs about the range of services provided from reviews to
banner ads on their web page.
Capture information about these book clubs to add to your contact list. Do not
inundate them with emails, a monthly correspondence to tell them about your new
literary projects and signings in their area is effective in keeping them
updated.
Be accessible. Let book clubs know you are available to meet with them to
discuss your book. Offer to meet with clubs in different cities before or after
a signing. Use freephoneconfere.com to “appear” at club gatherings via the
phone. Many book clubs have blogs or radio shows through BlogTalk radio. Pitch
an idea for a show or guest appearance to really relate to readers from the
comfort of your own home.
Attend the National Book Club Conference. This is where literary giants
and those authors like me with emerging notoriety walk among avid readers and
adoring fans. I’ve been told its more like a family reunion. http://www.nationalbookclubconference.com.
See you there.
Courting has not gone out of style. A bookmark and a review copy goes a
long way.
ABOUT SHERRYLE
Sherryle Kiser Jackson is a fresh voice in Christian fiction. Her style reflects
an honest commentary on her life with Christ. Soon and Very Soon is her debut
novel. She anxiously awaits the publication of her second novel, The Manual,
October 2009. Experience her too real to be preachy, Biblically based,
out-the-Christian-box fiction at www.sherrylejackson.com
Rock-solid
Answers to the Black Marriage Questions
by Dr. Harold L. Arnold, Jr.
Marriage
in the Black community has become an enigma—filled with too many questions
and too few answers. Once a clearly valued staple of Black family life, research
reveals marital erosion. In the fall of 2009, scholars from the Institute for
American Values in conjunction with the
National
Center
for African American Marriage and Parenting validated a precipitous decline in
Black marriages since the 1970’s.
Though
this decline belies any simplistic explanation, we as a community benefit as we
seek answers to two questions posed by two influential African Americans,
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and film icon Tyler Perry. Though Norton and
Perry hail from widely different platforms, they have each used their influence
to submit an important question into the public square that highlights the Black
marriage dilemma. What has happened to marriage in the Black community?
In
September 2009, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s Congressional Black
Caucus Foundation hosted a forum “Single Women, Unmarried Men: What has
happened to marriage in the Black community” to a jam-packed room. This forum
candidly engaged the crisis. More than half of all Black adults are unmarried
compared to less than 40% of Whites and Hispanics. Since the 1970’s, the Black
community has seen its number of children born to single moms more than double,
rising from 30 to 70 percent. Children in single-mother households are
significantly more likely to live in poverty and to have emotional and
behavioral problems.
Norton’s question centers on the social maladies created by the proliferation
of single mothers, teenage parenting, and fatherlessness that have become the
norm in many Black communities. Underneath this question is a challenge to the
decisions that too many African Americans are making to forgo a long-term
marriage partnership for short-term encounters.
Our
second question courtesy of Tyler Perry takes a different aim—married African
American couples who are second-guessing their decision for this long-term
commitment.
Why
did I get married? In 2010 Tyler Perry releases his new movie, Why did I get married too, the
sequel to his successful 2007 comedy-drama, Why did I get married. For some of
us the first movie brought comic relief to serious marital stressors that are
often at the center of our marital conflict. For others the film was a darker
reminder of abuses that have left marital scars. This movie caused many of us to
think personally about our own reason for marriage.
Perry’s
question highlights the lack of fulfillment that many Black couples experience.
It speaks to the frustration and disappointment of many couples that feel their
marriages have not delivered the “promised” emotional, physical, and
economic benefits.
Both Norton and Perry present questions deserving meaningful consideration and
comprehensive answers if the Black community’s social, economic, and spiritual
capital is to rise.
ROCK-solid answers
My book, Marriage ROCKS for Christian Couples, offers a framework to reverse the
Black marriage trend by challenging couples at all levels of relational intimacy
to discover God’s purpose for their marriages. Black relationships with a
shared sense of purpose tend to understand that marriage offers a long-term
commitment to their emotional, sexual, financial, and spiritual aspirations. The
Marriage ROCKS model posits a five-step response.
Step 1: Redeem one another through graceful acts (Redemption) What are the emotional wounds in your marriage? In some cases these
wounds manifest as emotional scabs—leftover reminders from past abuses. In
other instances, they are fresh sores hindering the development of healthy
relationships.
Black
couples often struggle with positive emotional engagement because of external
stressors like joblessness and educational inequalities that impinge on the
marriage. However, internal stressors such as power imbalances, infidelity, and
disrespect also trap many Black couples.
Black relationships need healing that can only be found through redemption.
Redemption promises hope that we can learn to identify our own faults and
sacrifice ourselves for our spouses in ways that honor the sacrifice that Christ
made for us. Step 2: Offer intimacy by spending time together (Offering) Black marriages are time-starved. With our myriad of obligations couples
fail to adequately attend to our most intimate relationships. God has actually
wired us for intimacy. It should not surprise us then that time-starved
marriages lack this intimacy, primarily because there is a shortage of
spiritual, emotional, and physical sharing. Sharing conveys priority. Because
you choose what to do with your time, you make a statement about your marital
relationship when you prioritize it over other activities. Starting today,
reserve your time for just the two of you.
Step 3: Develop healthy boundaries (Covenant) The flexibility of the Black family structure has a rich history; the
term family is not simply a matter of bloodlines. Perhaps more than any other
American subculture, the Black family has adapted to injustices by contracting
and expanding as necessary to survive as a community. While this structure is
clearly a strength, it often poses marital challenges.
Many
of our marriages rely on overly rigid boundaries that feel controlling and
isolating while others express loose boundaries that lead to undue outside
influences and infidelity. Any kind of unhealthy boundary makes it difficult for
your marriage to achieve its purpose because such boundaries are contradictory
to the concept of mutuality.
The
key to defining healthy boundaries in your marriage is for each spouse to value
the perspective and strength that each brings to the relationship. It requires a
level of comfort with oneself and trust in one’s spouse that you are both
working towards a future shared goal. Healthy boundaries are permeable and
purpose-laden.
Step 4: Share your experience with others (Knowledge) Media pundits and narcissistic celebrities distort an ideal view
of marriage, typically lacking a faith narrative and highly self-centered.
However, God desires that your marriage be a light that directs others to him.
Your positive and negative marital experiences have the power to change lives
when you give them away to others.
Your
testimonies are a fountain of knowledge, especially for your children. Many
Christian parents frustrate the faith development of their children errantly
believing that they should shield them from their marital struggles. You give
your children an astonishing gift of knowledge, not by being models of
perfection, but by being living memorials to redemption. Of course, this
narrative does not only benefit your children. It impacts our culture at large.
Step 5: Mobilize your marriage as a ministry (Sacred Space) As a faith-based model Marriage ROCKS is ultimately about ministry.
Husbands and wives are ministers to each other first, understanding each other,
forgiving one another, and elevating to new levels of intimacy in their pursuit
of partnership and covenant. God desires to open your spiritual eyes to a world
in which your marriage is a living temple, ushering the sacred into all of the
spaces that you traverse—fostering communities of relational belonging with
the power to heal and transform.
There
are no easy answers to the Black marriage questions. We do know, however,
that solutions must be redemptive in healing our wounds, revealing the avenues
to intimacy, educating us about healthy boundaries, and encouraging us to share
our testimonies in the pursuit of God’s purpose.
Meet
Dr.
Harold L. Arnold, Jr.
Dr. Harold L. Arnold, Jr., www.haroldarnold.com,
author of Marriage ROCKS for Christian Couples and founder of Discovering Family
International, is a psychologist specializing in Black family life. He holds a
Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. A member of the American
Association of Christian Counselors, Dr. Arnold serves as adjunct faculty,
minister, and counselor in Philadelphia.
Lord, I'm Ready to Be a Wife: Helping You Go
From Single to Married God's Way
by Christine Pembleton (Author)
You can fulfill your dream of being a wife, God's Way!
Are you waiting for your wedding day to become a wife? Your future husband isn't looking for any old woman; he's looking for his wife. If you want to attract him, stop acting like a single woman, and start acting like a wife-in-waiting. With fresh perspectives on traditional Bible stories and the wisdom of happily married
women.
Do
you want to get married, God's way?Lord, I'm Ready to Be a
Wife will show you how to avoid common dating pitfalls and recognize a
potential husband when you meet him. Funny, real, and relevant, this book will
encourage you while you're waiting, and help you prepare to be the woman he's
always wanted to marry. The stories of Ruth and Esther will show you what it
takes to get a man to "put a ring on it" and still maintain your love
for the Lord. Today could be the day you meet the man you've been praying to
meet.
ISBN-10: 0615292011
ISBN-13: 978-0615292014
About the Author Christine Pembleton is a proud wife, mother, entrepreneur, teacher, talk show host, author, and minister of the Truth. With a sincere desire to encourage and empower women who want fulfillment and happiness in their marriages, she helps people understand the foundational truths of the Word of God through her ministry of writing, speaking and teaching.
In 2008, she established the Christian Wives Club Show, a weekly internet radio show for Christian wives and women desire to be married. The show airs every Sunday at 9 p.m. EST on BlogTalkRadio.
With guidance from the Lord, Christine was able to complete two products, designed to encourage and teach single women how to prepare to be wives.
Dating Tips for Saved Women: The Series is a 2-part audio series. It covers the basics women need to know about choosing a Godly husband, and becoming a Godly wife, before marriage. Christine has also completed her first book,
Lord, I'm Ready to Be a Wife: Helping You Go from Single to Married God's
Way, scheduled for Internet release in June 2009.
Believe
Again!
A
video clip
aired recently on ABC Nightline stating that 70% of black women are single and
that there are over 1.8 million more black women than black men. It also
reports 42% of black women have never been married, and that a large number of
them will remain single as there are currently 12 women to every 1 black male.
Upon
first reading that report it's easy to feel disheartened and get in a funk.
However, we must remember that based on the billions of people in the world, as
you believe God for a mate, remember - You only need one. Also, I want to
submit to you, to counteract their report - "Whose report, will you
believe?"
Sometimes
when you've been single for so long you begin to get comfortable in your
singleness.
I
remember speaking to a wonderful woman of God who was in her early forties and
still single saying, "I've just given up." I was crushed
listening to her words because, to me, she was not only giving up on ever being
married, but she was also giving up on the one thing that we, as believers,
should never, under any circumstances, give up on - and that's hope.
But
if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Romans 8:25
It's
quite alright to desire marriage, and it's even okay to believe it can happen
for you. However, you don't want your desire to turn into an anxious care
(Philippians 4:6), or even a want.
The Word of God reminds us in Psalm 23:1, The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not
want.
The
word, "want," in this passage of Scripture means, "to fail, want,
lessen, (have) lack, make lower, want." In other words, it indicates
that something is missing in one's life, however with God on your side you
already have every thing you could ever need.
Instead of "wanting" a mate, I submit to you that you instead,
"expect" a mate.
Expect
God's promise to come to pass in His season for your life since He promised to
give you the desire of your heart in Psalm 37:4 as you continue to delight in
Him. A lot of times, if you're seeking the face of God and in His presence
in prayer consistently, then it's He who put the desire for marriage in your
heart in the first place.
Expect
God to be true to His Word and see yourself that blushing bride on your wedding
day, and even, see yourself, now, as that virtuous woman and loving wife who is
a crown to her husband who will do him good and not evil all the days of his
life (Proverbs 12:4, Proverbs 31:12).
Envision
and become her now, as you believe God for a mate, and in the meantime become
the best you today and use this year to really focus on what God has called you
to do and get to know your Heavenly Father even more this year through prayer,
praise and worship, and service to Him and His people.
Become
as much like Jesus as you can this year - no, not so you can snag a man, but so
that God will be pleased with you and so your life will be fulfilled.
Don't be hopeless, don't give up on hope - again remain hopeful and stay in
a state of expectation that God will do what He said He would do in due season
as you really trust, depend on, and rely on Him.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is
faithful that promised;) -Hebrews 10:23
In
2010, it's time to believe again!
Written
by Kim Brooks in the Single Heart eNewsletter Kim Brooks,
author of upcoming book, How To Date and Stay Saved and Black Expressions
Bestseller, He's Fine...But is He Saved? and highly acclaim
non-fiction debut for singles, "The Little Black Survival Book for
Single Saints." Website: kimontheweb.com
Nakia R. Laushaul is employed as a Finance Administrator. She is a poet, novelist, and inspirational blogger. In her free time she enjoys performing her poetry and hanging out with her teenage son. Nakia serves on the Board of Directors for a non-profit, KCCP, that was created to encourage arts participation in youth. Nakia is committed to challenging everyone in her reach to find compassion and empathy in the differences that exist among us all.
Ella: Introduce us to your book of poetry, The Truth As I See It: In Poetry &
Prose.
My book is called, The Truth As I See It: In Poetry & Prose. It’s an inspirational collection of poetry and essays about everyday life from my point of view. Although I absolutely love poetry, I am a storyteller to the depths of my soul. So, you will see a complete story in every poem. Every chapter tells a poetic story about You and Me, Love, God, Life, and how I came to be free in a way that every reader, no matter their favorite genre, will enjoy.
Ella: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer?
The God in me makes me feel powerful. I have overcome so many obstacles in my life that tried, yet failed each time to break me. I woke up one day and felt like yeah I finally got this, I got me. I am no longer ashamed of where I come from, who I am, what I lack, what I have, or where I’m going. All I know is that I am writing with the authority of God and that makes me a powerful woman.
Ella: Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
My hope is to inspire for generations to come. I want future readers to know— if you follow the hollow ground I’ve walked on, it will take you generations to be free. Learn from the past and take the shortcut, young one — here, take this shortcut.
Ella:
What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your book?
I have been (and still am) working on a novel for many years. I won’t even tell you exactly how many years it has been, not just yet (smile). All those years, I was afraid to write because I feared what I would come out of my pen and the impact it would have on others. I knew that whatever I wrote would be so drenched in truth that some people were bound to get their feelings hurt. In the process of avoiding what I was born to do, I was disobedient to God’s purpose, and my life was a mess. I woke up before dawn one day feeling distressed because God fills my head with so many thoughts, I don’t sleep well.
I found underneath my desk, a beautiful journal that I had never opened. Inside was an inscription by Picasso that read, “Everything you can imagine is real.” I wrote underneath, Then I imagine I love myself. I turned the page and wrote down all the reasons I loved myself. Those reasons turned into the first poem I wrote for this collection, “I Am A Tree.” By that evening I had a title for the entire book, The Truth As I See It. It was all poetry in the beginning, but I got hooked on blogging; hence prose entered the book.
Ella: Who do you want to reach with your book and the message within?
Initially, The Truth As I See It was God’s attempt to reach me. God was calling out to me through my own voice, God to Nakia. Come in Nakia. I discovered so much about myself during the writing process. Now I know I can’t force anyone else to change. However, my goal is to encourage a positive and willing acceptance of what is true and right.
Ella: How will reading your book shape the readers lives?
When my readers put my book down, I want them to imagine me saying personally to them, “You are strong, you are beautiful, you can make it, and you are uniquely fashioned in His image. You are A Tree!”
I want my readers to concentrate more on being who they are and not what others want them to be. I would like them to feel empowered enough to break away from generational curses and self defeat, find their purpose, and truly live.
Ella: What are some of their specific issues, needs or problems addressed in this book?
The thing with writing poetry is that others always assume every poem is about the poet. I can’t tell you how many poems are actually about you and what you are going through in your life, what I’ve read, or what I’ve overheard. I am a thief of juicy conversations. I wrote a poem about abortion, “Liberated,” that spawned from reading a Gwendolyn Brooks poem called “The Mother.” I heard the testimony of a famous gospel singer and wrote “Happy Mother’s Day.”
I wrote a poem that deals with what will surely happen to our future if we don’t do something called, “Deuteronomy.”
Many of my messages are a bit taboo and I wrestled intensely with writing them, but either I stand up for what I believe in, or I should have called my book, The Lies I Tell Myself. That was not going to happen because I’m done with lying to myself just to make someone else feel comfortable.
Ella: What was the most powerful poem in the book?
I cannot pick a most powerful poem as each one tells a story that is special to me. I would very much appreciate if my readers would send me an email letting me know which poem affected them the most and why. On the other hand, my novel, Running From Solace is my baby waiting patiently to get here. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the excerpt I included at the end of The Truth As I See It.
Ella: What do you think makes your book different from others?
Ecclesiastes 1:9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Since there is nothing new to be done, the only difference between my book and others’ is the way I choose to offer my poetic stories. I give them in a page-turning, here’s the truth, now deal with it—in a plain and simple sort of way. You will not need a decoder to decipher the message because I give it straight up—no chaser, so be ready.
Ella: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
Presently, you can purchase and autographed copy of The Truth As I See It: In Poetry & Prose on my website. It will soon be available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and through other Internet sources where books are sold. I am currently working on my novel, Running From Solace.
Ella: How can our readers reach you online?
I am a real life Social Butterfly, so I welcome you to rant it up with me on my blog, Random Rants of Truth of a Social Butterfly:
http://nakialaushaul.blogspot.com
Friend me and get chatty on FaceBook, or stop by my website anytime you like to see what I’m up to and what’s new:
www.nakiarlaushaul.com . You never know, I may be headed to your town very soon! I also welcome your emails, so share your thoughts about my work:
Nakia@nakiarlaushaul.com
The Truth As I See It: In Poetry & Prose
ISBN: 978-0-9843682-6-6
Nakia Laushaul...is making the best of today!
author, The Truth As I See It: In Poetry & Prose www.nakiarlaushaul.com
Black Like Me by Shelia E. Lipsey
Remember the famous slogan, “I’m Black and I’m Proud?
I grew up chanting these infamous words as a teenager and through my young adulthood. For me, it meant pride in my race, my color, my nationality. It stood for strength and courage to persevere through some of life’s most difficult times as a black person. It meant having an attitude that would overcome the spirit of segregation, bigotry and racism. Say it loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.
Today, I want to sing at the top of the rafters and proclaim these words again to our youth, to those who don’t know anything about the struggle that were endured so that we can enjoy the opportunities we have today as a people. I want to somehow convince our young men and women that we are unique, divine, and special. We are victors and not victims. What will it take for us to stop black on black crime? What can we who know the struggle, who’ve lived the history of our people, do to help make a difference that will leave an indelible mark on our young people?
When will we learn more about our history and the importance of supporting and encouraging one another? There comes a time when enough is enough. This is the beginning of a new decade. Let us reach out to embrace one another rather than murder and maim each other. It’s time to change from gangs to help each other gain.
We need more James Baldwins in the world today. James Baldwin (Aug. 2, 1924-Dec. 1, 1987) was a very important American author who wrote about the struggle of being black in America. James was the oldest of nine children and was born into poverty in Harlem, New York.
We need to encourage our youth to use their minds to invent again, like Sarah Goode.
Goode invented the folding cabinet bed, a space-saver that folded up against the wall into a cabinet. When folded up, it could be used as a desk, complete with compartments for stationery and writing supplies. Goode owned a furniture store in Chicago, Illinois, and invented the bed for people living in small apartments. Goode's patent was the first one obtained by an African-American woman inventor (approved on July 14, 1885). http://www.npr.org
We need more youth aspiring to be like Maggie Walker. Maggie Lena Walker (July 15, 1867-December 15, 1934) was the first woman in the USA to become a local bank president. Throughout her life, Walker worked for civil rights and other humanitarian causes. http://www.npr.org
It’s time for our young people to put down weapons of destruction and began to build mental weapons of knowledge to improve life for themselves and others. We need more great novelists like New Hampshire indentured servant-turned-novelist Harriet Wilson who wrote Our Nig: or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black more than a century ago. Wilson’s work is the first known publication by an African American. http://www.npr.org
The time is now. It’s a new decade. It’s time to make a positive difference. It’s time to bring dreams from the realm of thoughts to the realm of reality. It’s time to become proud of who we are as a people again. With the first Black president in office, and black people holding higher positions and obtaining greatness, there should be a greater sense of urgency to turn things around for the good. It’s time to believe and achieve.
It’s time to rise and shine and proudly proclaim that we are Black and Proud.
Let me hear you say it. Say it loud: I’m Black and I’m Proud!
What would happen if…
•Black history—including the scarring reality of the slavery—were a point of pride and legacy for today’s black youth?
•More youth saw themselves through the lens of the perseverance and triumphs of their ancestors?
•People of all shades and sizes realized the value and impact of African Americans’ contributions to the U.S. legacy?
If all of these things were true, would today’s youth, and the nation as a whole, experience more Good Fortune?
Introduction to Good Fortune by Noni Carter
A stirring debut novel from a young talent, Good Fortune traces one girl's journey from slavery to liberation -- and how she finds her true self along the way.
Good Fortune is an inspiring story of an African-American slave woman in
the early 19th century. Brutally kidnapped from her African village and shipped to America, Ayanna Bahati struggles to come to terms with her new life as a slave. Rising from the cotton fields to her master’s house, Ayanna is threatened by the increasingly dangerous world of the plantation. Risking everything, she escapes and makes her way north to freedom and an education, but can she shed the chains of her harrowing past to live the life she has longed for? She struggles with the concept of emancipation verses freedom, praying for miracles to manifest in her life, and finally understanding the importance of her homeland, engrained into her soul through her name: BAHATI, or Good Fortune.
A stirring debut novel from a young talent, Good Fortune traces one girls’ journey from slavery to liberation, and details how she finds her true self along the way. Through this account of Ayanna’s journey through slavery; through her dreams of honest freedom; through her aspirations; and through her love, sorrow, pain, joy, readers will find that
Good Fortune will inspire and stimulate many to keep the memory of these ancestors alive.
[click here to read the story behind Good
Fortune] ISBN-10: 1416984801 | ISBN-13: 9781416984801
Noni Carter: Writer, Poet, Scholar & Accomplished Classical Pianist
An accomplished classical pianist, poet and novelist, 18-year-old Noni Carter has always cherished the history, values and life lessons of her ancestors. With her debut novel,
Good Fortune, Noni hopes to inspire a generation of black youth (her generation) to also embrace with pride the rich legacy of black history—including the gripping experience of slavery.
In Good Fortune, Noni presents an inspiring, historical fiction slave narrative—woven through the flashbacks and remembrances of Ayanna Bahati, an African-American slave woman in the 19th century. The novel is poised to do for Noni’s generation what Alex Haley’s Roots did for his generation—using a compelling story, inspired by the true story of Noni’s great-great-great-great grandmother, to motivate readers of all ages to treasure all aspects of their history; to value education and learning; and to never, ever give up. This novel is not the first significant achievement for Noni Carter, and as she is esteemed by many as a “once in a lifetime young inspiration”, it is certain that this won’t be the last.
"Noni Carter was only a child when she first conceived of this story of a young girl's journey from freedom to slavery and back to ultimate freedom--but her debut novel is written with wisdom and heart far beyond her years. Well researched and delightfully well-written, Good Fortune is an empowering testament to history that will move readers both young and old."
-- Tananarive Due, American Book Award-winning author of The Black Rose and Joplin's Ghost
"Noni Carter is an old wise soul in the body of a beautiful young woman. She has listened to the elders and the ancestors and brought us a story from the past that gives hope to our present and future. "
-- Bertice Berry, author of Redemption Song and The Ties That Bind
A Thousand Never Evers by Shana Burg
IN KUCKACHOO, MISSISSIPPI, 1963, Addie Ann Pickett worships her brother Elias and follows in his footsteps by attending the black junior high school. But when her careless act leads to her brother’s disappearance and possible murder, Addie Ann, Mama, and Uncle Bump struggle with not knowing if he’s dead or alive. Then a good deed meant to unite Kuckachoo sets off a chain of explosive events. Addie Ann knows Old Man Adams left his land to the white and black people to plant a garden and reap its bounty together, but the mayor denies it. On garden picking day, Addie Ann’s family is sorely tested. Through tragedy, she finds the voice to lead a civil rights march all her own, and maybe change the future for her people.
ISBN: 0440422094 | ISBN-13: 9780440422099
Meet the Author
Shana Burg is an educator, journalist, and public speaker who continues to work toward the promise of social justice. She lives in Austin, Texas.
The debut of a major new talent, SAPPHIRE'S GRAVE tells the stories of several generations of African-American women, bringing their spirit and their sorrow to life with a power, sensitivity, and immediacy.
In 1749 in Sierra Leone, a woman of fierce dignity is captured and forced onto a slave ship. On the harrowing voyage to the Americas, she is beaten for her unrelenting will and staunch pride. When she arrives, she gives birth to a daughter who is called Sapphire because of the "black-blue-black" complexion she shares with her mother. Sapphire has also inherited her mother's strength and defiant spirit, and despite a life of poverty and
oppression, she grows up to mother several daughters of her own. Even when tragedy strikes and part of Sapphire dies, her strength gives rise to a legend that will sustain the women who follow her, "each carrying something of her mother, her grandmother, her aunts; each passing on to her own daughters blessing and cursing, the consequences of her own choosing.
Through the lives of Sapphire and her descendants, Hilda Gurley-Highgate not only creates a poignant and engrossing saga of black women in America, she brilliantly illuminates the meaning of roots and the links between women and their female ancestors, a tie that often appears tenuous, undefined, and distant, but is strong, palpable, and much closer than we imagine. Written in luminous prose, SAPPHIRE'S GRAVE is an astonishing work by an author poised to take the literary world by storm.
HILDA GURLEY-HIGHGATE is an attorney in Detroit, Michigan. This is her first novel.
ISBN-13: 9780767908832 | ISBN: 076790883X
Honoring Marie Johnson Brown
For My Mother (Who Should Have Been a History Teacher)
By Niambi Davis
"I
should have been a history teacher." It was my mother's
mantra, especially during Black History Month. She was however, a home economics
teacher, but African-American history was her passion. I'll never forget the
February she decided that our county library was the perfect place to share that
love and spread some knowledge.
First,
a little background on Marie Johnson Brown. She was born in 1915, a
"late", therefore only child to her 55-year old father and 44-year old
mother. Her love of history began as a "Daddy's girl." My grandparents
owned a farm they called Mt. Pleasant, and while following her father around on
his chores, she heard stories about "Hat" (Harriett Tubman), Frederick
Douglass and the Quaker who would bind his horse's hooves with burlap to ferry
slaves across the Maryland/Pennsylvania border at night. According to my
grandfather's tale, this man could be heard whistling on his way back in the
early morning hours. (Each time we traveled to our family reunion at the
"home place" she would point out the spot where his journey was said
to have begun).
In
1937 my mother came by train to teach at Kennard High School in Centreville,
Maryland. While she taught science and home economics at the school built to
serve Queen Anne's County's African-American students, my mother collected
almost every article she could find about the achievement of local
African-Americans. She collected high school yearbooks, graduation programs,
lesson plans, prom, graduation and sports team pictures. She was passionate
about the school where her teaching career began, and until she passed away,
determined to keep its legacy alive.
My
mother was a well known, minor hoarder. We laughed at her reluctance to
throw away anything - folded up newspaper crosswords, recipes, the Soap Opera
Digest, and greeting cards stretching back to the Year One. If there was an
article written about championship games of the Baltimore Colts or Orioles, my
mother owned it. If anybody in the family needed a childhood picture from when
they were toothless or in pigtails, they would "ask Aunt Marie."
There
was, however, a bonus to her compulsion - she also owned invaluable pieces of
history - a 19th century graduation program from Howard University, photos from
mid-20th century life on an HBCU campus, an early 1900's course catalog from
Hampton, the program from a 1935 recital of the great Roland Hayes, I don't how
she came to own it, but among her collection was the 1930's ledger from a local
church, listing members as well as "backsliders." One of her most
prized possessions was a letter to her parents from their attorney Thurgood
Marshall.
One
February, my mother decided that more exposure was necessary for local African
American history. By then she was in her 80s, and although she had suffered
three strokes, still had enough of her mind to put this project together. She
put in a call to the county library. When they agreed to host the exhibit, she
and I went to work. From her many file folders, and boxes of articles and
pictures, she chose items of local interest - segregation-era black businesses,
the story of a World War veteran, an honor given to a long-time municipal
employee, and of course, her beloved Kennard. There were pictures of the
original, "old" Kennard High School (which became Kennard Elementary)
and the "new" Kennard, built just across the street.
She
chose the pictures and articles. She wrote the captions. I typed the text and
mounted each item. When the display was done to her satisfaction, I took it to
the library, along with the sculpture of a proud Buffalo Soldier in full
uniform. It was placed where anyone entering could enjoy her efforts. That
month, to her great satisfaction, she was interviewed by a local reporter. If my
mother had her way, the call could have gone for hours, turning into an
impromptu Introduction to African American History.
I
have inherited those boxes, file folders and photos, all in need of 21st century
preservation. Some are even worthy of donation to a museum dedicated to
African-American history and culture. Whenever I pull out an old photo or
document from a time gone by, I'm reminded of her straight-ahead, unwavering
dedication. Well done, Miss Marie.
About
the Author Niambi Brown Davis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She and her family lived for many years in Washington, DC and for three and a half years, made the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago their home.
Read
more here.
She has written for Bronze Thrills, True Confessions and Black Romance Magazines. Niambi indulged her passion for sailing and travel by serving as publicist for the Black Boaters Summit and as a member of the National Association of Black Travel Writers. A script for her first digital novella has been accepted and published by Arrow Publications, LLC. Presently, Niambi writes for Travel Lady Magazine.
Aside from travel and writing, Niambi is an avid reader of historical fiction, and deeply involved in tracing the history of both branches of her family tree. Her day job is running the business of Sand & Silk / Soleful Strut, her own line of handcrafted bath and body products.
MY WRITING GETS NO ATTENTION
by author/poet Marc Lacy
No attention? I know this is not coming from you because your friends and family are ecstatic at the fact that you’ve written a book and are a published author. Your former high school English instructor and her current writer’s guild have been following you as you’ve become versed in article publishing and blogging. Meanwhile, your name has a certain “buzz” attached to it via the internet and your popularity has been increasing gradually.
You recently found out a New York Times Best-Selling author has acquired a copy of your monthly e-newsletter and now wants to keep in touch with you. Things seem to be going very well. Fruits of your hard literary labor have become manifest at a quicker rate than your reading radar could have ever forecasted. You now feel
“all things literary” while promises from your prose passion seem to be fulfilled generating a smile on your face. You’re saying to yourself how easy you could get accustomed to
“this literary thing.”
Several months later, you reach a lull and all the writing (no pun) on your publishing wall leads to the fact that the honeymoon is over! No longer are you a fresh and new face in the game. The initial buzz people acquired from meeting you and reading your material for the first time exists no more. You feel like calling Dr. Phil because you’ve been a victim of a “one write stand.” The book review, tour stop inquiries, and interview requests have waned. Your
Amazon sales have dried up and you’ve exhausted all of your local contacts by which a booksigning or discussion could be scheduled. Your publishing bank account has been emptied, shaken, and turned upside down for loose change.
But the only thing that falls out is a note that reads, “I need money.” At this point you are frustrated because everywhere you go, people are asking, “hey man, how’s the writing going?” Then while you’re in Wal-Mart shopping, the proverbial “Didn’t you write a book or something?” will most definitely be asked…even if it is six months after the release. You’ve reached a place where you just want to toss your pen and pad into the river and call it a career.
Go ahead and react the ways in which you want to react. But after the feelings wear off, make sure you leave the door cracked enough for common sense to seep back in. After it settles into your head, you’ll soon realize…it just “seems” as if your writing gets no attention because you are not getting the reaction now that was received months ago when your book first came out. Hello! Welcome to the life of a writer/author. One of these days you’ll realize that there is a difference between “inside the literary circle” and “outside the literary circle.” If someone is outside of the circle, they may know of one or two household names as far as authors and writers are concerned…but that’s it.
However, with brand-new to mid-level authors (via popularity standards), it is almost a guarantee that the person will not be familiar with that author’s work. That is just how the cookie crumbles in the literary community. And if this fact alone depresses you, you may as well write your eulogy, climb into the wooden box, and just wait on the funeral. Keep in mind, some friends inquire about how your writing is going because they are genuinely happy for you. Do not expect them to know the nuances of what you do (unless you take time to break everything down). All they know is, “My boy gotta book and I’m happy for him. He’s successful…and I want to say I knew him when…” All of that is fine and dandy. Just remember, it is not up to them to know all of what you know about your career.
Writing can be a glamorous profession in some cases; but 90 percent of writers will tell you; there’s nothing glamorous about it. Factor in the business and political aspects and you’ve got yourself a crazy grind. But still, you must find a way to get past the various elements that govern/control the writing/authoring “business.” Understand the God given gift that allows you to put a “spin” on your writing belongs to you. God gave this to you. This is what should bring you joy. Then when another person gains some form of uplift or is impacted in a positive way…and let’s you know…THAT IS YOUR REWARD. That is all of the attention you need to stay influenced to keep churning out books/articles. Remember, your literary creative genius in a published format, may not yield an immediate financial return on investment.
Also, you may never be able to sell everyone inside/outside the literary circle on your writing; because EVERYONE IS NOT A WRITER. With that being the case, they may not be able to appreciate what you go through to be able to do what you do. Regardless of how anyone reacts, your passion is what drives you. If you are applying the level of passion needed daily in your writing; trust me, your writing will get all of the attention it needs and then some. It may not be today or tomorrow. But when it is time…IT’S TIME. I can’t wait to see you there!
About the Author
Marc Lacy, a graduate of Alabama A&M University is a nationally renown, award winning poet/author and spoken word artist. He has performed all of over the country for many national literary events and spoken word venues. Marc is the author of Rock & Fire - Love Poetry from The Core, and The Looking Heart - Poetic Expressions from Within. He is also the producer of REFlux, RTIQLation, and LyriCode 256 spoken word CDs.
Marc is the contributor to many anthologies such as: The Soul of a Man, Step up to The Mic, and Witness the Truth. Marc is a member of ArtNSoul Society of Expression, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Church Street CPCA, Huntsville Literary Association, and National Society of Black Engineers. He credits his faith in God and love of family for providing energy to succeed.
Meet Author and Publisher Wahida Clark
-- Wahida Clark was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey. She is no stranger to the hard work and the sacrifices that breed success. This Trenton native
once owned and operated L.M. Clark Printers & Publishers Inc., a printing and publishing company in Trenton.
She is crowned the Queen of Thug Love Fiction by Nikki Turner, the Queen of Hip Hop Fiction. Wahida's style of writing is the "TEMPLATE" for urban literature. When you read her novels, they are so real you are convinced of one of three things: you know the characters; you want to know the characters; or you are one of the characters.
Her Essence and Black Issues Book Reviews bestselling novels include Thugs and The Women Who Love Them, Payback Is A Mutha, Payback With Ya Life, and her latest anthology with Kiki Swinson titled "Sleeping With The Enemy."
Wahida has been a New York Times bestselling author several times. Her work has
received rave reviews from bookclubs across the globe.
She has just completed her latest Novel 'The Golden Hustla' which will be released August, 2010. Coming in May is 'What's Really Hood?' Part 1 an Anthology featuring, Wahida, Lashonda Teague, Victor Martin, Shawn 'Jihad' Trump and Bonta. She is vice president of the non-profit organization based out of East Orange, New Jersey, Prodigal Sons and Daughters Redirection Services, a re-entry program for convicts and ex-convicts. The organization also provides support groups and mentors for at-risk youth.
Today, Wahida operates her printing & publishing company out of East Orange, New Jersey, Wahida Clark Presents Publishing. Her first releases include: Trust No Man 1 & 2 by Cash, Thirsty by Mike Sanders, Cheetah by Missy Jackson, Karma With A Vengeance by Tash Hawthorne and The Ultimate Sacrifice by Anthony Fields.
Just
as liquids are important to flush toxins from your system as you diet, a similar
approach can trim the bulge in your budget. Americans have been bingeing on debt
and according to the Federal Reserve Board have racked up more than 2.26 billion
dollars in consumer debt.
Like
dieters who get on the treadmill daily and the pounds don’t come off it can be
difficult to gain control of your finances. The culprit---- fees and monthly
interest charges that have the same affect on your budget that nutritionist say
artificial sweeteners and refined sugar have on weight loss. Here are a few
ideas that you can use to implement a financial cleansing.
Financial
Fast
Like a fast when you’re dieting it is important to approach ridding yourself
from debt gradually otherwise you feel deprived and then start to binge or in
this case overspend. Start by making a list of all your debt and identifying the
largest balances with the highest interest rates first. Pay off your small
balances first and eliminate a bill or tackle the balance with the highest
interest rate in order to short circuit the compound interest on your balances.
The key is to gradually reduce your debt burden and experience a feeling of
financial peace.
Drink
your liquids
When I talk about putting liquidity in your budget I’m not talking about
grabbing a can of Slim Fast, I mean having readily available cash. One of
the main causes of credit card debt is not having an emergency fund. Building
liquidity may require you to cut your expenses. If you haven’t been saving
money, I hope to convince you to reverse that trend.
Make
a commitment to pay yourself ten percent of your take home pay each week and
have it automatically transferred from your paycheck or checking account. into a
savings or a money market account.The trade off is settling for the paltry current interest rates of 1.50%
or less. For listings of top-yielding savings, money market accounts and CDs,
check www.bankrate.com and www.imoney.net
When an emergency happens you can reach for cash instead of credit.
Spend
Organically
Going green in your finances means using cold hard cash. A study on
spending behavior found that people who use credit cards for everyday purchases
spend fifteen percent more than if they were using cash.
Give yourself an allowance every pay period and make a commitment to use cash
only. When you open your wallet and there is no cash it means you have
reached your spending limit. The sweetest sound a financially responsible person
hears is the sound of their wallet or purse snapping shut.
Deborah Owens is the Wealth Coach on My Generation TV on PBS and
is the author of a Purse of Your Own; The Easy Guide to Financial Security
published by Simon and Schuster. Visit www.deborahowens.com
to read an excerpt.
Better Career
Strategies
How Blacks Can Overachieve during the 2010 Economic Crisis
by Dr. Daryl Green
On Monday morning, an employee tries to open her office door to find that her key does not fit. She waits for her secretary to arrive and provide her with a duplicate key. The secretary does not arrive. Finally, her boss arrives and brings the employee her pink slip. She stands in disbelief; she has been downsized.
Introduction
Are you fed up with your current job? The rapid pace of globalization makes it difficult for anyone to be secure. Given this reality, can you afford to be content with someone else entrusted with my future career options? As I conducted research for Breaking Organizational Ties: How to Have a More Fulfilled Life in Your Current Job, I heard numerous complaints about bad bosses and uncaring organizations.
Although today’s job represents an uninspiring journey at work, rarely is a person willing to do something different. Many people become unhappy in their lives because they work in awful conditions. However, you can find a way to be compensated for your talents even if that means changing your environment or leaving it. This article examines how an individual can gain greater confidence in his or her ability to grow by exploring alternative strategies, even in the midst of downsizing and layoffs.
Economic Crisis
Economic troubles continue to presence a challenge to our economic future. America has lost 7.2 million jobs with the unemployment rate topping 10% since November 2009. This situation has been very problematic for black community. The unemployment rate for blacks is over 15%, with more than one in four being out of work. Companies have shed 11,000 workers from their payroll. State agencies have had to layoff or furlough workers. Millions of Americans are now waiting longer for food stamps, unemployment checks, and disability payments. Margaret Simms of the Urban Institute notes, “The length of the recession clearly has put a strain on the resources that states bring to bear.” Therefore, our lives continue to unravel as things we depend on disintegrate before our eyes.
Career Strategy
An economic crisis and an uncertain future require individuals to explore new personal strategies. For many people, happiness means more than having a job. According to a Yankelovich Monitor’s study in 1997, only 25% of adults said “a lot of money” signified success and accomplishment. Unfortunately, many individuals work in organizations that don’t stimulate their professional growth.
In my own situation, I’ve kept my primary job but created my own business venture. This decision started my professional development and gave me a competitive edge in the market.
It doesn’t necessarily mean giving up your current job. However, it does involve a different mental journey. Marsha Sinetar, author of Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow, argues that individuals rarely take the time for introspection: “Most of us think about our jobs or our careers as a means to fulfill responsibilities to families and creditors, to gain more material comforts, and to achieve status and recognition. But we pay a high price for this kind of thinking.”
Therefore, you may need to change directions. These steps include the following: (a) take a personal assessment of your current work situation; (b) determine your primary focus; (c) prepare a plan for professional development at your job; (d) decide what you need to do in order to obtain your dream job; (e) weigh the consequences of changing directions; and (f) surround yourself with a positive support system.
Conclusion
Many individuals are rethinking their career situations during this economic crisis. Blacks are not the exception. I see a sense of despair encompassing them. Yet, most people don’t know how to get out of this vicious cycle of hopelessness. Individuals should continue to sharpen their skills and never let anyone else decide their future. It appears that few managers are concerned about employee career development.
Therefore, I caution you not to get too comfortable in your jobs while the rest of the nation is going through unprecedented change. This article demonstrated that you can mobilize yourself and take control of your own situation. In fact, it’s a critical step in achieving personal fulfillment and acquiring future wealth. Through this process, you will gain the insight to develop and enhance your skills while pursuing your personal goals and dreams.
About the Columnist
Dr. Daryl Green provides motivation, guidance, and training for leaders at critical ages and stages of their development. He has over 20 years of management experience and has been noted and quoted by USA Today, Ebony Magazine, and Associated Press. For more information, you can go to
http://stores.lulu.com/darygre
or http://www.darylgreen.org
A
PURSE OF YOUR OWN by Wealth Coach Deborah Owens
You’ve seen her, know
her, and might even be her! The woman with the “counterfeit purse.”That’s the term for the symbolic bag that some of us may carry.Those who might dress fashionably and drive a nice car but have nothing
of real value. Many women are smart enough to know that they should put their
hard-earned money to work for them.However,
most are too overwhelmed, bored or intimidated by the particulars of stocks,
bonds and mutual funds to be proactive.
In A PURSE OF YOUR OWN: An Easy Guide to Financial Security
(ISBN: 9781416570813; $15.00), Wealth Coach Deborah Owens shares how women can
use what they know about fashion, dieting and romance to take charge of their
finances. This book offers respite to women who are tired of “renting”
a wealthy lifestyle with credit cards and are ready to utilize their unique
strengths to build wealth-a la Oprah and J.K Rowling.In this straight-forward and easy to understand financial guide, women
learn how to increase their PQ or Purse Quotient and learn the
principles to becoming financially fit in any economy.
The purse is a reflection
of a woman’s economic power and Owens insists that in order to fill up a
purse, women must adopt wealthy habits that put them on the path to fiscal
independence and a financial identity. These are the behaviors that Deborah
observed in financially successful women throughout her more than twenty years
in financial services.She is a
former financial advisor and was a vice president at Fidelity Investments.A PURSE OF YOUR OWN shares examples of women practicing The 7
Wealthy Habits,” which include: 1. A Wealthy Outlook 2. A Wealthy Appetite
3. A Wealthy Vision 4. A Wealthy Mindset 5. A Wealthy Legacy 6. A Wealthy System
and 7. A Wealthy Focus. A PURSE OF YOUR OWN provides a distinctly
feminine financial perspective.
By adopting these habits,
Owens was able to fill her own purse. As an author, radio talk show host and TV
wealth coach she now shares her successful strategies with others.Each chapter of A PURSE OF YOUR OWN focuses on one of these
principles and discusses how to acquire and then apply the wealthy habits.In this easy to follow financial guide, Owens covers the basics and
intersperses stories from real women who have used the 7 Wealthy Habits and
achieved their own success. Owens empowers women to discover their own Purse-onality,
and use their female intuition to take control of their finances and create
financial security in their lives. In addition, A PURSE OF YOUR OWN
includes helpful quizzes and exercises and offers a free online supplement. [Read
More]
To
everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
This is taken from a well known passage of scripture, Ecclesiastes 3:1 King
James Version to be exact. I have found this verse to be true with each moment
that passes in my life. There was a time when I felt like I would never reach
the pinnacle of success that I have achieved in my literary career. There were
times I would cry and ask God, “When is my time?” I have learned through
living that there is a time for everything, even when it comes to the ordinary
things of life. Even when it comes to my writing, there is a time for
everything.
I often dream of doing great and marvelous works. I have a desire to help
others achieve their dreams and provide the resources they need to help them
accomplish greatness. I believe that my time has arrived. It is my season to see
the desires of my heart come into fruition. Not only has God blessed me to be a
writer, but he has blessed me to be an award winning author of Christian fiction
books. The desires of my heart are constantly being met, but not in my time.
They are being met because it is my season. My season is now. I see doors
opening and I see pathways being stretched before me. I am closer than I think.
If you are an aspiring author, I encourage you to remain full of hope. I
encourage you to keep moving in the direction of your dreams. I encourage you to
learn and study the craft of writing. Read what you want to write. If you desire
to write fiction, read fiction. If you desire to write nonfiction, read
nonfiction. If you desire to speak, listen to successful speakers. Learn your
craft. Many of us ask for certain things to come forth in our lives, but we
don’t want to do the work that is required to bring dreams into the state of
reality.
Your desires, your dreams, your life’s goals, your hopes, are achievable if
you first of all: Believe. Believe that what you desire is possible. Believe
that your day is coming. Believe that you are closer than you think.
Next: Work. Work toward achieving your dream. Research, learn, study and
do not give up. Work hard at what you want. Work hard for what you want. Network
with others who are willing to share information with you. Work on your dream as
often as possible. Work on being the best that you can be. Work. Work. Work.
Have Passion: Passion is what will drive you to never give up. Passion
will push you toward seeing your dreams and the desires of your heart come to
pass. Passion will ignite the fire within you to move in the direction that
leads you on the road to success. Without passion, your dreams, your desires and
goals will die. Keep Passion in your life, even when you don’t see anything
happening.
Applaud. Applaud others for their accomplishments. Do not be envious or
jealous of those who are already at the place you’re trying to reach. Applaud
them because that means you have a chance to make it too. When I see someone
else who has ‘made it’ then I know that God will do the same for me. If I am
jealous and angry, mad or envious over the success of others, then I null the
chances of my success. Always seek good for others and good will return to you.
Your desires may not come when you want them to, and that’s all right.
They may not come when you expect them to. So what? All you have to do is
believe that to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under
the heaven. Believe, work, have passion and applaud others because your day is
coming. As a matter of fact: "You're closer than you think."
Share
with us your news, events and articles. Black
Pearls Magazine is a online, bi-weekly updated magazine which gives voice to
the issues that drive our national conversation. Our readership is thoughtful,
intelligent, widely read and appreciative of ideas and writing of the highest
quality. With that in mind, we seek thoughtful, well-researched articles and
insightful fiction, book reviews and poetry on a variety of subjects from a
number of different viewpoints. We welcome all writers to send their work!
If
you would like to submit articles for the Black Pearls Magazine, please check
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Seeking Book Reviewers EDC
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Reviewers receive books from EDC Creations’ publishing partners monthly.
You can review our policy for book reviewers by
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Seeking
Book Club Interviews Ella
Curry and EDC Creations celebrates the rise of book clubs in the publishing
industry. We host monthly tributes and parties for our featured book clubs. You
too can become a Black Pearls Bookclub Star! Request that your book club obtain
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Your book club and network of friends are invited to check all the great authors
in the Bookclub Reading Room and to explore
the magazine for your next featured book of the month. Email Ella Curry for more
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Seeking
Blog Tour Hosts
and Radio Hosts Each
month EDC Creations hosts a tour of 5 wonderful authors. We travel across the
web sharing our message of Give the Gift of Knowledge. We are now seeking
bloggers, book clubs and book lovers to host the authors on their websites,
blogs or radio shows. If you would like to feature authors on your website or
blog, we provide all the material for you. It's as simple as emailing us your
interest.
We
will hold live readings weekly and would like for readers to share the news on
Twitter, Facebook and Myspace. Gather 5 or more friends and meet us for an
online party! We promote great books via the phone, Skype and the web. Great
benefits available for tour hosts. Email Ella Curry for more details on joining
the tours at: edc_dg@yahoo.com
Please take a moment to view our previous tour
hosts here.
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Business
Interviews Requested Do
you have a great business that serves our community? Tell Black Pearls Magazine
about it! We are seeking community leader interviews. We showcase 5 business
owners per month. Email Ella Curry for more details at: edc_dg@yahoo.com
The
Black Pearls Magazine family wants to take the time to thank each of you for
joining us monthly in celebrating the best in literature and the arts. Our
team of writers, bookclubs and authors are so humbled that you have allowed us
entrance into your life. It amazes me each month as I check our subscribers how
many of you deem us worthy of your time and support.
We
appreciate each of you for telling 10 people about the magazine and for driving
people to this site. YOU make Black Pearls the magnificent publication that it
is, by sharing the gift of knowledge!
Please
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As we take off in this new decade we hope to bring you more provocative topics
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For
My Sisters
America has continued to learn how to deal with strong women during the great demographic shift in history. Corporate America celebrates media moguls like Oprah Winfrey. According to Fortune Magazine, 15 Fortune 500 companies are run by women. In fact, women of color are showing others how to break traditional barriers. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice transformed how powerful women can lead major government sectors. In fact, there is a long list of successful women in all types of institutions. 
The Career Strategy
Do you enjoy your job? If you feel under-utilized in your organization, you are not alone. 
Vanessa Miller of Dayton, Ohio, is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include: Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying. Vanessa is currently in the process of turning the novels in the Rain Series into stage productions. Vanessa's latest release,
Yesterday’s Promise, was #1 on BCNN April 2010 bestsellers list. 
BPM: What specific revelation prompted you to write this book?
Dwan Abrams is a full-time novelist and freelance editor. She currently writes for Urban Books/Kensington. She’s the award-winning, best-selling author of My Mother’s Child, Married Strangers, Divorcing the Devil, Only True Love Waits, and The Scream Within. Her sixth novel will be released by Urban Books/Kensington in 2011. She’s the founder/facilitator of the Just Write! Workshop. Additionally, she’s the founder, publisher, and editorial director of Nevaeh Publishing, a small press independent publishing house. She was inducted into “Who’s Who” in Black Atlanta in 2006 and again in 2010. 
BPM: Who do you want to reach with your book? 
Shelia M. Goss is the national best-selling author of six women's fiction novels:
Hollywood Deception, His Invisible Wife, My Invisible Husband, Roses are thorns, Paige’s Web, Double Platinum and three young adult books: The Lip Gloss Chronicles series:
The Ultimate Test, Splitsville, and Paper Thin. 
Nakia R. Laushaul is employed as a Finance Administrator. She is a poet, novelist, and inspirational blogger. In her free time she enjoys performing her poetry and hanging out with her teenage son. Nakia serves on the Board of Directors for a non-profit,
KCCP, that was created to encourage arts participation in youth. Nakia is committed to challenging everyone in her reach to find compassion and empathy in the differences that exist among us all. 
Ella:
What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your book? 
Tia Stewart is an award-winning African-American writer whose penchant for verbiage started in the fifth grade when her teachers thought she was passing handwritten notes about boys, but she and her best friend were editing each other’s books and magazine articles. Her first publication,
Colors of a Man: Transgressions and Hope was published in April 2009 as an
eBook on Amazon. She writes in several genres, but poetry is her passion.
BPM: Does your work offer a glimpse into your philosophy of life? 
Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond has written for AOL, The Village Voice, Metro and Trace. Her short story "Bush Girl" was published in the May 2008 issue of African Writing and her poem, "The Whinings of a Seven Sister Cum Laude Graduate Working Bored as an Assistant," was published in 2006's Growing up Girl Anthology. 
BPM:
Powder Necklace is loosely based on your own personal experience attending school in Ghana. How much of your story is part of Lila’s?
So I began the tale you will read in the first installment of the Taj trilogy—The Twentieth Wife and went on to write The Feast of Roses also before I looked for representation. These two novels, the stories of Empress Nur Jahan’s life, were stories I stumbled upon while reading about the Mughal harems during my last year of graduate school and they stayed with me after I had finished my degrees.
Ella: Introduce us to your book, 
New York Times bestselling writer
Connie May Fowler is an essayist, screenwriter, and novelist. She is the author of five novels, most recently The Problem with Murmur Lee, and a memoir, When Katie Wakes. In 1996, she published Before Women Had Wings, which became a paperback bestseller and was made into a successful Oprah Winfrey Presents movie. She founded the Connie May Fowler Women With Wings Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to aiding women and children in need. Connie lives in Florida.
Ella: How will reading your book shape the readers lives?
Ella: Jacqueline, what makes you powerful as a
writer? Who are your mentors?
Ella: How do you think Tina Turner feels about this tribute to her success? How did you select her as your muse/mentor?
IRIS GOMEZ is the author of the novel TRY TO REMEMBER (Grand Central May 2010) and of two poetry collections, Housicwhissick Blue (Edwin Mellen Press 2003) and When Comets Rained (CustomWords 2005). An award-winning writer, she is also a nationally-respected public interest immigration lawyer and law school lecturer. She was born in Cartagena, Colombia and presently lives in the Boston area.
Ella: Who were your favorite characters? Are your characters
a portrayal of real people?
Ella: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer? 
Ella: Introduce us to your book,
How to Escape from a Leper Colony, and the main characters. Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
Folake
Taylor, MD was born in the United Kingdom to Nigerian-born parents in the
early 70s and was raised in both countries before settling in the United
States to live the American dream. She is a 2006 graduate of the Internal
Medicine Residency Program of the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA.
Taylor obtained her initial medical degree from Nigeria. Taylor is a member of
the American College of Physicians (ACP) and is board certified by the
American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM).
The
Only Way is Up: The Journey of an Immigrant 
In the tradition of Dennis Lehane and Greg Iles comes a powerful new voice in American fiction: Attica Locke delivers a brilliant debut thriller readers will not soon forget…
Ella:
Introduce us to your book, 
Gwendolyn Zepeda began her writing career on the Web in 1997 and has won praise and awards for her short stories, poetry, and children’s books. Her first novel,
Houston, We Have a Problema was critically acclaimed for its wit and upbeat story.
Booklist calls Zepeda’s latest novel, Lone Star Legend (Grand Central Publishing, 2010) “fresh and smart” and Publishers Weekly says she “gives readers a funny and smart heroine that readers will easily pull for."
Ella:
Ella:
Kitty please tell us a little about yourself.
Niobia Bryant a self described chameleon of the written word has contributed to the book world since 1999 with the release of her first short story Hush, Hush. Since then she has garnered publishing deals with 3 major houses, Simon & Schuster, Dafina and Harlequin. 
I really found this conversation quite interesting. Being a self published author and consistently looking for opportunities which include, literary agents, publicist and other avenues, I've found that each path has it's ups and downs. It depends on what you're willing to pay for, have the patience for or have had an experience with. I decided to self publish, not to duck the traditional guidelines but after being scammed by a few of the "so-called" people of the industry, I decided if I should lose another dime it will be because I tossed it in the well not someone else. 
Black Orchids History
BPM: Share with us the history of the organization.
The
Regal Sisterhood was founded in October 2005 by Misty Irby, on the premise of
fostering new friendships around a common activity--- reading. 
A
Book Club’s Best Friend
Marriage
in the Black community has become an enigma—filled with too many questions
and too few answers. Once a clearly valued staple of Black family life, research
reveals marital erosion. In the fall of 2009, scholars from the Institute for
American Values in conjunction with the 
Lord, I'm Ready to Be a Wife: Helping You Go
From Single to Married God's Way
Sometimes
when you've been single for so long you begin to get comfortable in your
singleness. 
Today, I want to sing at the top of the rafters and proclaim these words again to our youth, to those who don’t know anything about the struggle that were endured so that we can enjoy the opportunities we have today as a people. I want to somehow convince our young men and women that we are unique, divine, and special. We are victors and not victims. What will it take for us to stop black on black crime? What can we who know the struggle, who’ve lived the history of our people, do to help make a difference that will leave an indelible mark on our young people?
Sapphire's Grave by Hilda Gurley-Highgate
No attention? I know this is not coming from you because your friends and family are ecstatic at the fact that you’ve written a book and are a published author. Your former high school English instructor and her current writer’s guild have been following you as you’ve become versed in article publishing and blogging. Meanwhile, your name has a certain “buzz” attached to it via the internet and your popularity has been increasing gradually.
Today, Wahida operates her printing & publishing company out of East Orange, New Jersey, Wahida Clark Presents Publishing. Her first releases include: Trust No Man 1 & 2 by Cash, Thirsty by Mike Sanders, Cheetah by Missy Jackson, Karma With A Vengeance by Tash Hawthorne and The Ultimate Sacrifice by Anthony Fields. 
Just
as liquids are important to flush toxins from your system as you diet, a similar
approach can trim the bulge in your budget. Americans have been bingeing on debt
and according to the Federal Reserve Board have racked up more than 2.26 billion
dollars in consumer debt. 
To
everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
This is taken from a well known passage of scripture, Ecclesiastes 3:1 King
James Version to be exact. I have found this verse to be true with each moment
that passes in my life. There was a time when I felt like I would never reach
the pinnacle of success that I have achieved in my literary career. There were
times I would cry and ask God, “When is my time?” I have learned through
living that there is a time for everything, even when it comes to the ordinary
things of life. Even when it comes to my writing, there is a time for
everything. 
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The
Black Pearls Magazine 