Book
lovers join us on Monday and Wednesday nights for the most stimulating
conversation on the planet. Meet new authors, hear the latest literary news and
fellowship with other book lovers! Call into the literary themed radio show at
646. 200.0402.
Connect with BPM
Lovely
News Sign Up Here
Enter contests and
receive the latest news about books by Lutishia Lovely. Love Tish, show her by
bringing 5 friends to the Lovely News Center!
Join Lutishia Lovely's
Mailing List Today!
Share this page with friends and other book lovers. Monthly bookclub interviews
and special sneak peeks available for newsletter members!
Welcome
bookclubs, blog
tour hosts, radio show hosts and avid readers!
Share your love of literature with friends, colleagues, literary professionals, and other readers around the world, by giving them a link to this page.
You can take any thing from this page and share it on your blog or website. Please include
all of the links back to Lutishia so that others can find her!
Share the Excerpts Today!
Please only publish ONE of the chapter excerpts to your blog or Facebook Notes.
Include all links and the reprint notice.
PS. If you would like to share your feedback on the material or excerpts found on this page, email
Ella Curry, editor of BPM at: edc_dg@yahoo.com with
this subject line: Black Pearls Media Room Comments.
Black Pearls Magazine is a digital magazine committed to inspire, encourage and empower a international group of readers.
Our mission is to provide information that is essential, enlightening and entertaining.
We are here to bring you those
extraordinary literary jewels, Black Pearls, that are sure to bring you and your love ones much pleasure and empowerment. We believe in
Giving the Gift of Knowledge!
Black Pearls Author Media Rooms are a social hub for readers and bookclubs to meet new authors or to find out about newly released books. We have created a innovative place to discuss and buy books from every genre, and a literary destination for exclusive content that is sure to entertain and inspire you, the reader.
Here you can learn all about your favorite authors, writers and poets background, events and
work. Some of the authors are household names and some of whom haven't
been discovered yet. We want to bring readers up to speed on the next great book!
It's our desire to provide our fans and authors with a elegant, yet fun place where they can express themselves, promote their talents, and connect with other writers and bookclubs from around the world. Visit
the BPM Fanclub to get started discussing great books!
Lutishia Lovely burst on to the scene with
Sex In The Sanctuary, a novel that crosses genres and shakes up comfort zones.
Billed as the book “where sex and spirituality collide,” the year of its release SITS positioned Lutishia as a Debut Author Finalist at the Southeastern Arts Association’s Literary Awards.
The novel was a bestseller on Amazon, Black Expressions and other internet sites and the subsequent books in this ongoing series:
Love Like Hallelujah, A Preacher’s Passion, Heaven Right
Here, Reverend Feelgood and Heaven Forbid, have enjoyed tremendous success as well, and have made her a popular guest with book clubs, magazines and radio stations.
Thankful to be living her dream, Lutishia is also humbled to be the voice for so many who feel silenced.
From molestation, homosexuality and infidelity in ministry to her latest series,
The Business, that examines the dynamics of dysfunction among family and society, she approaches each topic with compassion and unconditional love—offering a safe place for those who’ve experienced such challenges to come forward and be “seen,” and also encouraging dialogue along with the space for healing and understanding. “You’re the only you that we will ever see,” she says, in celebration of individual uniqueness.
“To thine own self be true or, in other words…do you.”
Currently, Lutishia is busy at work on her second series, which features All Up In My Business,Mind Your Own Business, and Taking Care Of Business. Fans of the Hallelujah Love series will be happy to know that that series continues in 2012. In addition to juggling these two projects, she also keeps close tabs on her alter-ego,
Zuri Day, who whips up sizzling romances for the lover in us all. When not writing, Lutishia indulges in her other loves: sports, cooking, international travel, and entertaining family and friends in southern California.
Some of my fondest memories revolve around food and family. All of the women surrounding me were great cooks: my mother, grandmother, aunts, older sister. The kitchen was a gathering place filled with love, gossip and tasty treasures. Cooking was fun, and a process I initially learned almost by osmosis at my mama’s elbow. Tish, pour me this. Get me that. Measure me out a cup of flour. Stir the soup in that pot. Check those rolls in the oven. How are they looking? Stuff like that.
The love of cooking was passed down and with it, a little pressure. For years I thought if I measured anything my grandmother would roll over in her grave. (I’ve since learned that measuring has its distinct advantages, like recipes made perfectly every time!) But I guess these experiences laid the foundation for me being a chef in my own mind, often hosting my own cooking show while preparing a meal (yes, this includes talking to myself, translated audience, as I slice and dice), and even once submitting a tape to a food channel. I wanted to be the Next Food Network Star! :)
My family is from Arkansas by way of South Carolina and the food we ate was heavily influenced by this region.
In the 60s, these typically southern dishes were coined “soul food,” and are defined as such to this day.
Just like the characters in my latest work, All Up In My Business, we regularly feasted on southern standards: greens and cornbread, turnips, beans, yams, macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, chicken and dumplings and some of my favorite desserts—apple cobbler, pecan, sweet potato and lemon icebox pie!
My mouth is watering just remembering the Sunday spreads containing one or all of the above, along with offerings for which I never developed a palate: chitterlings, ox tails, liver, ham hocks and hog jowls.
These latter dishes, along with seeing my grandmother “ring” the neck of our evening meal and then watch said chicken flop around headless, is probably one of the reasons I’m a vegetarian today! But man oh man did this food taste delicious. My favorites still do, now created sans meat, lard and often dairy.
The results? Tasty and healthy. Now that’s a true yum-O!
The roots of soul food cuisine can be traced back to Africa where in the 14th century, interestingly enough, these natives maintained a primarily vegetarian lifestyle.
What? Who knew! Many of their native ingredients, such as rice, okra, and dark leafy greens became meal staples for those who travelled from Africa as slaves. During this trans-Atlantic transition however, their relatively healthy diet consisting of lots of vegetables and little meat, changed drastically.
Having to make do with leftovers in their new country Africans, and some equally unfortunate Europeans, transformed their former cuisine to fit the ingredients now at their disposal. Pork replaced the nuts and seeds that were formerly used as seasonings and thickeners, game such as “coon” and “possum” became meat staples, and once slaves began to cook in the big house, modern standards such as fried chicken and mashed potatoes were added to the typical lunch or dinner menu.
In the 17th century, somebody in North Carolina threw a piece of pork marinated in what was then used to preserve fresh meat—vinegar, salt and various peppers— over an open fire. Barbeque was born and, baby!
A plate of soul food never looked the same! These dishes, often created from leftovers and throwaway scraps, are now celebrated as gourmet.
I can see my dad now, smacking his lips and shaking his head while sopping a fresh-baked, buttery biscuit into a saucer of sorghum molasses.
“This is good eating, girl,” he’d say. Of course, he’d also say that after taking a bite of pig guts, otherwise known as chitterlings, a declaration that would often send me running from the room with a resounding, “Yuck!”
Yes, we’ve come full circle. Soul food is big business. In the novel All Up In My Business art imitates life.
The Livingston family business of soul food chains is thriving, gossip and love still fill the kitchen, the tables are laden with mouth-watering choices and everybody agrees that life is infinitely better with just a little “Taste of Soul!”
About the Author
Lutishia Lovely burst on to the scene with Sex In The Sanctuary, a novel that crosses genres and shakes up comfort zones. Billed as the book “where sex and spirituality collide,” the year of its release SITS positioned Lutishia as a Debut Author Finalist at the Southeastern Arts Association’s Literary Awards. The novel was a bestseller on Amazon, Black Expressions and other internet sites and the subsequent books in this ongoing series: Love Like Hallelujah, A Preacher’s Passion, Heaven Right Here, Reverend Feelgood and Heaven Forbid, have enjoyed tremendous success as well, and have made her a popular guest with book clubs, magazines and radio stations.
Thankful to be living her dream, Lutishia is also humbled to be the voice for so many who feel silenced. From molestation, homosexuality and infidelity in ministry to her latest series, The Business, that examines the dynamics of dysfunction among family and society, she approaches each topic with compassion and unconditional love—offering a safe place for those who’ve experienced such challenges to come forward and be “seen,” and also encouraging dialogue along with the space for healing and understanding.
“You’re the only you that we will ever see,” she says, in celebration of individual uniqueness.
“To thine own self be true or, in other words…do you.”
Currently, Lutishia is busy at work on her second series, which features All Up In My Business, Mind Your Own Business, and Taking Care Of Business.
Fans of the Hallelujah Love series will be happy to know that that series continues in 2012.
In addition to juggling these two projects, she also keeps close tabs on her alter-ego, Zuri Day, who whips up sizzling romances for the lover in us all. When not writing, Lutishia indulges in her other loves:
sports, cooking, international travel, and entertaining family and friends in southern California.
Women
in the Workplace: Baby, Have We Come A Long Way?
By Lutishia Lovely
“Why
can’t a woman be on top?” This is the first line in my novel Mind
Your Own Business, spoken by the daughter of a successful soul food
chain. The company is expanding out west and she is competing with her older
brother to head up the new location. In 2011, one might consider that a moot
question. After all, we have females in all manners of high government, female
presidents of major corporations, female fire fighters and police officers,
doctors and EMT personnel. We’re no longer wearing aprons, pearls and heels
while waiting for daddy to come home…but we’re not yet a gender-blind
society either.
For instance in the workplace and regarding same-held positions, women still
generally make less than men. In 1979, when the National Committee On Pay Equity
was founded, women made 59.7 cents to every man’s dollar. In 1994, this total
had risen to 72 cents to the dollar men received. This organization estimates
that the figure is still hovering around 76-77 cents to the dollar. Now, in
2011. Can you believe that there’s still a need for the slogan “equal pay
for equal work?” If you’re doing the same thing, isn’t getting the same
pay a no-brainer? The reality causes me to shake my head and brings to mind one
of my father’s favorite quotes, “common sense ain’t too common.”
While conducting research for the Business
Trilogy (okay, translated staying glued to the Food Network, one of my
favorite channels), I learned that women make up roughly ten percent of the
chefs/cooks in America. For me, that was an astonishing figure. How is it that
when it comes to home cooking women rule the proverbial roost but when it comes
to cooking as a career, as a money maker, it’s a man’s world? Do you find
this as interesting, and somewhat disturbing, as I do? If you are a chef or a
cook in the industry, do you have an explanation?
One of the joys in writing the above-quoted character, named Bianca Livingston,
was the ability to portray a smart, strong, successful woman who knew what she
wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it. Who could hold her own in the
boardroom, and roll with the big boys. When I recently read this line during an
internet radio show, it was met with knowing chuckles. Some readers assumed
Bianca wanted to be on top in the bedroom. Knowing Bianca, these readers are
probably right but taking this question from the boardroom to the bedroom would
be a whole other discussion! Maybe next time… ::smile::
About
the Author
Lutishia Lovely is
the award-winning, best-selling author of sixteen novels. The
Business Trilogy, her latest work, combines two of her passions: writing and
food. This series (All Up In My Business, Mind Your Own Business and Taking Care
Of Business) centers around the Livingstons, owners of a soul food dynasty
called Taste Of Soul—where sizzling scandal and delicious drama are always on
the menu. Find out more about this series and Lutishia at her website: www.LutishiaLovely.com.
And please sign up for her newsletter, where readers are treated to contests,
updates, excerpts from upcoming novels, contests and more!.
Lutishia Lovely is the award-winning, best-selling author of sixteen novels. The Business Trilogy, her latest work, combines two of her passions: writing and food. This series (All Up In My Business, Mind Your Own Business
and Taking Care Of Business) centers around the Livingstons, owners of a soul food dynasty called Taste Of Soul—where sizzling scandal and delicious drama are always on the menu.
Find out more about this series and Lutishia at her website:
www.LutishiaLovely.com. Also please sign up for her newsletter, where readers are treated to contests, updates, excerpts from upcoming novels, contests and
more!
BPM: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer? What drives you to write?
What makes me powerful as a person and a writer is my connection to and constant communication with Spirit, the ultimate creator!
Through this connection, and the beliefs I hold as a result of it, I know that God is all there is, that everything is possible, and that our beings are so powerful that everything we think and speak ultimately comes to pass. In short, our words (thoughts and spoken) create the world we live in.
BPM: How do you define success?
Being happy, healthy, living comfortably, sharing love and giving back.
BPM: What have you realized about yourself since becoming a published author?
I’ve learned a lot about myself. For one thing, I have more stories in me than I ever dreamed and that with all of my knowledge of oneness with Spirit, I am still more than I imagined. I’ve learned that when I don’t think I can write another word, I can actually write pages. And I’ve realized how much I enjoy using my gift to enrich others lives.
BPM: Besides the creative process, what is the most gratifying aspect of being a writer?
I am living my dream. I get to wake up every day and do what I love. Now granted, some days I may not like every aspect of it.
The job of being a successful author is not for the faint of heart. But every time I finish a book that I’m proud of, or read letters about how my book has changed someone’s life, or why someone stayed up all night because they couldn’t put the book down, I’m reminded why I work so hard.
BPM: Share with us one thing most readers don’t know about you?
Because of the succulent meat dishes described in The Business Trilogy, many people would be surprised to know that I’m basically vegan!
The descriptions and tastes so vividly portrayed in my writing comes from memory, research and a wild imagination!
BPM: What is your daily writing schedule like? How long did it take you to complete the book?
My daily schedule varies but this year as many as eight hours a day have been devoted to writing with the rest of the work day divided between marketing, promotions and responding to readers. Because of the number of books I write a year, it is hard to give a specific
time frame for how long each one takes to write. The processes overlap each other and at any given time I am usually writing one book, editing another and promoting a third.
BPM: We are amazed at how each of your books get better and better. How did
you come up with the idea for your earlier books?
Ah, Ella, thank you so much! I strive to deliver excellent product which means the bar gets raised with each release! When it comes to contemporary fiction, this genre chose me! The storyline for my first novel, Sex In The Sanctuary, literally dropped into my spirit and most subsequent storylines come to me through characters who enter my head and force me to tell their story. How? By not shutting up until they get on the page!
BPM: Do you insert your own characteristics in your writing?
Do I insert my own characteristics? I’m sure that I do though most often not consciously. I must say that some of the characters I love so much are because they are so different me, often portraying characteristics that I wouldn’t dare exhibit, but secretly enjoy and even admire!
BPM: Do you have any advice for people seeking to publish a book?
I think that most writers are full of advice! J I think my basic advice would be to study all aspects of the literary industry; beginning with that which is most important…writing a good book! Then, because of the ever-changing field that is the world of publishing, I’d suggest that they do their homework when it comes to which publishing vehicle helps them best reach their goal. And lastly I’d say…happy writing!!!
BPM: What's the most important role writers play in today’s world?
I’m not sure there’s one singular answer to that question. I believe our stories provide different things to different readers for different reasons. For some, our stories are entertainment, for others…escape.
Still others read the pages and see themselves in the storyline – often finding answers to questions, solutions to challenges and exposure to different points of view.
As a writer, my goal is multi-leveled: to allow the character to have its voice, as well as to entertain, enlighten and inspire.
I believe that as one popular poem says, when we let our light shine, we give others permission to do the same.
BPM: Finish this sentence “My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...”
…the legacy of risk-taking, brand-making, light, laughter and love.
Lutishia Lovely dishes up a decadent helping of love, lust, greed, and secrecy in this riveting tale of a family's soul food dynasty...
Life is good for the Livingstons. Business is booming, Taste of Soul
is launching a West Coast division, and Bianca Livingston and her brother, Jefferson, are vying to head it up—which means their long simmering rivalry is about to boil over...
Having completed a culinary course in Paris—along with a hot love affair—Bianca feels more than ready to take the reins in L.A. Her parents' insistence that she marry a man of their choosing only fuels her ambition. Jefferson is hoping the position will free him to be with the secret L.A. love his family would never approve of. But the two soon realize that between their meddling cousin, Toussaint, and the return of an enemy bent on crushing the Livingston empire, they aren't the only ones in this competition. And when company money mysteriously starts disappearing, they'll find it's hard to run a business when no one can mind their own...
Peer Reviews for Lutishia Lovely
"Lovely once again expertly illuminates the wacky world of the devout and devoutly devilish. "
—Publishers Weekly on Reverend Feelgood
"Vibrant characters, artful storytelling, and an original voice make Lutishia Lovely worth every moment. "
—Donna Hill
"A great new taste in the literary world. " —Carl Weber
Chapter One from Mind Your Own Business
"Why can't a woman be on top?" Bianca Livingston demanded, tossing shoulder-length, straightened hair over her shoulder. She stood over her older brother as if ready to strike, looking totally capable of kicking butts and taking names. Her quick smile, short stature, and girly frame had caused many men to underestimate her—to their peril. But anyone seeing her now—shoulders back, hands on hips, her perfectly tailored black suit and four-inch heels adding to her aura of power—would believe her capable of running almost anything. "I'm as qualified to run the West Coast division as you are, even more so, matter of fact."
"You're qualified to run the kitchen, maybe," her older brother retorted. Jefferson suppressed a smile. He'd taunted his sister from birth, and he did so now. Her fiery personality was the perfect foil for his laid-back teasing. But even with his ongoing provocations, this time Jefferson's antics masked the seriousness of his quest. He had every intention of being the Livingston who moved to LA to establish the Taste of Soul restaurants both there and in Nevada.
But unlike most Livingstons, he didn't like confrontation or competition. He'd quietly made his bid to step away from his cushy position in the finance department to run the West the same way he cooked his ribs: low and slow. "Isn't that why you spent the last nine months in Paris?" he queried to underscore his point. "Learning the fine art of cooking so that you could give our soul food some class?"
Actually, Bianca had fled to Paris to get away from the chain around her neck otherwise known as fiancé Cooper Riley, Jr. But only one other person knew this truth—her cousin, Toussaint Livingston. Initially, forestalling the marriage everyone else believed was a fait accompli was also why she'd expressed interest in running the West Coast locations. But now, after months of talking with Toussaint, who, besides being her confidant and a Food Network star, was also the ambitious brainchild behind their company expanding out West, Bianca wanted to relocate to put her mark on the Livingston dynasty and make the West Coast Taste of Soul restaurants shine.
Bianca replied, "Need I remind you that I have not only a culinary certificate from Le Cordon Bleu, but also an undergrad and a graduate degree in business administration?"
"No, little sis, you don't need to remind me." Jefferson's smirk highlighted the dimple on his casually handsome face, his sienna skin further darkened by the November sun. His deep-set brown eyes twinkled with merriment. "But do I have to remind you that I have double masters in business administration and finance?" Jefferson had been the first Livingston in two decades to follow up his stint at Morehouse with two years at Wharton's School of Business.
Bianca, knowing that she couldn't go toe to toe when it came to her brother's education, tried a different route. She walked away from Jefferson and sat in one of the tan leather chairs in the artistically appointed office. Reaching for a ballpoint pen that lay on his large and messy mahogany desk, she adopted a calmer tone, yet couldn't totally lose the petulance in her voice. "Jefferson, the only reason Dad is promoting the idea of your heading up the location is because you're the oldest."
"And the son, don't forget about that. You know Dad doesn't want to see his baby girl fly too far from the nest."
"Okay, probably that, too," Bianca conceded. It was no secret that when it came to her father, Abram "Ace" Livingston, she was the apple of his all-seeing eye.
"Besides, how are you even considering relocation when you've got a fiancé champing at the bit to get married? Cooper has been more than patient with you, Bianca. Not many men would let the woman they love move to the other side of the world, even if it was, as you successfully argued, for the union's greater good. What did you call it? Increasing your company value and the marriage's bottom line? As if being a Livingston isn't value enough? No, Bianca, Cooper allowed the wedding to be pushed back once already. He's not going to delay it a second time. And you know he isn't moving to LA."
Tears unexpectedly came to Bianca's eyes. She abruptly rose from the chair where she'd been sitting and walked to the window. The glory of the day, boasting colorful autumn leaves framed by a sunny blue sky, was lost on her. "You're probably right," she said, quickly wiping her eyes. "If everyone has their way, in six months I'll be married and in nine have a baby on the way." But how can I marry Cooper after what happened in Paris?
"Hey, sister, are you all right?"
Bianca jumped. She hadn't heard Jefferson rise, hadn't been aware that he'd walked from his desk and joined her at the window. "Actually, no, if you want to know the truth. Jeff, I—"
"Hey man, oh, Bianca, I'm glad you're both here." Toussaint Livingston burst into Jefferson's office, and now rushed toward his cousins on the other side of the room. The seriousness of his countenance took nothing away from a face that models would envy, along with six feet, two inches and almost two hundred pounds of delectable dark chocolate. "We need to roll to y'all parents' house right now. Emergency family meeting."
Their conversation forgotten, both Jefferson and Bianca turned at once, talking simultaneously.
"What's the matter?"
"What's going on?"
Bianca's heart raced with concern. "Why are we meeting at Mom and Dad's house, Toussaint, and not in the conference room?"
Toussaint turned and headed for the door. "That's what we're getting ready to find out. I'll meet y'all there."
Fifteen minutes later Toussaint, Jefferson, and Bianca joined their family members in the living room of Ace and Diane's sprawling Cascade residence. Toussaint's parents, Adam and Candace, and his brother, Malcolm, were already there. The trio from the office was the last to arrive and as soon as they sat down, Ace began speaking.
"We've got a situation," he said without preamble. "Somebody's stealing company funds."
Reactions were mixed, with bewilderment and anger vying for equal time.
"Who is it?" Bianca demanded, ready for battle though the culprit remained unnamed.
The family members looked from one to the other, a myriad of thoughts in each mind. Who could it be? How did this happen? Is the guilty party somehow connected to someone in the room? One family member even pondered the impossible: Is the thief one of us?
"What kind of money are we talking about?" Toussaint
asked. "Hundreds, thousands ... more?"
"A couple hundred thousand," Ace replied, his tone somber and curt.
Again, responses were symphonic.
"What the hell?"
"Who could do such a thing?"
"Oh, hell to the N-O. We're not going to take this lying down."
"You're absolutely right, baby girl," Ace said to Bianca. "We're not going to stand for this, not at all. Nobody steals from our company without feeling the wrath of a Livingston payback."
Chapter Two from Mind Your Own Business by Lutishia Lovely
Three hours later and Bianca was still reeling. Whose hand is in the cookie jar ... and how did they grab all of that money without anyone's knowledge? The Livingstons had bandied about a variety of scenarios and made a chart of potential employees, past and present, who they felt best poised for betrayal. Bianca's eyes narrowed as she remembered one name that had come up, a woman who'd had an affair with her cousin and who'd worked for the Livingston Corporation until her relationship with Toussaint abruptly ended. This ex-marketing director had disappeared into thin air and, as far as anyone knew, was no longer in Atlanta. But with the Internet making the world smaller, click by worldwide click, Bianca didn't count out the woman she'd never trusted. Whoever was stealing from what had been a relatively dormant bank account could be anywhere.
A knock at her door startled Bianca from her musings. Belatedly, she remembered Cooper's phone call and subsequent promise to drop by. She took a breath and steeled herself for the encounter. "Hey, Coop," she said, standing back from the door to let him in.
"Hello, dear," Cooper replied, the kiss on her forehead as sexy as that which an uncle or grandfather would bestow. "You look troubled. Come here and tell Papa all about it."
Bianca fought the urge to roll her eyes and, going against every fiber of her being, dutifully followed Cooper into the living room of her designer-decorated townhome. She loved her split-level, three-bedroom spread: the hardwood floors and gourmet kitchen; bright yellows and oranges tempered by ebony wood; windows everywhere, letting in the bright autumn sunshine. The cheery surroundings were in stark contrast to her ever darkening mood.
Cooper sat down and tried to pull Bianca into his arms.
"Please, Cooper," Bianca said, placing more distance between them. "I'm ... not in the mood."
"Some women would welcome the touch of their fiancés at a time like this."
"I'm sorry."
Sorry for what, Bianca? Stringing out our engagement for two years? Becoming more and more engrossed with your work? Or our not having made love in almost a month? Instead of voicing these questions, Cooper refocused on Bianca's bad mood. "What's going on, dear? Something at work?"
Bianca nodded.
Cooper leaned back, waiting.
Bianca hesitated for only a moment before answering. For obvious reasons this matter was confidential, known only to the Livingston clan, the private investigator Ace had immediately hired—and the thief. But not only was Cooper almost a family member, but his analytical, lawyer mind might see clues or connections where Bianca would not.
She turned to face Cooper. "Somebody's stealing company funds."
His only reaction was a slight narrowing of the eyes. "From one of the restaurants?"
"No, from corporate."
Cooper sat up, rubbing his chin in thought. "Corporate, huh? That's interesting."
"Very."
"Any ideas as to whom it might be?"
"A few." Bianca stood and began to pace. "But the most obvious one right now is our ex-marketing director, Shyla Martin. I think you met her two years ago, at the company Christmas party."
Cooper pondered this statement, even as he remembered why last year's Christmas party had been subdued and low-key. "What does she look like?"
"Tall, attractive. She was Toussaint's date."
"Oh, her," Cooper replied, nodding. "Sure, I remember Shyla. I remember thinking that she was funny and intelligent, and that she and Toussaint made a good couple."
"Yeah, well, she thought they made a great couple, too. And she wanted to make their union permanent." Oh, shoot. The last thing I want to do is put marriage on Cooper's mind.
But she'd already done so, as Cooper's next words verified. "So there are women out there who want to get married."
"Coop ..."
"Okay, I won't press right now. But we've got to make plans for the future, Bianca. Neither of us is getting any younger. It's time to get married and start a family ... soon."
Bianca returned to the couch and sat down. Her brow was furrowed in thought—about the theft, Cooper's words, and other things.
"What happened?"
Bianca's eyes widened at Cooper's question. Am I that transparent? Are the memories so poignant, so strong, that they're written all over my face? "What do you mean, what happened?" she asked breathlessly.
Again, Cooper's eyes narrowed, as they often did when his sharp mind whirled. "Between Toussaint and Shyla ... what happened?"
"Oh, right, between Toussaint and Shyla. You know what happened to them, Cooper. Alexis St. Clair happened."
"Of course I know about Toussaint's wife, Bianca." And the baby they're expecting. "But I didn't know that Alexis caused the breakup between him and Shyla, nor would I imagine Shyla as the type of person who would go to these extremes as a result."
"It wasn't just about their breakup." Bianca sighed, remembering that she'd never shared with Cooper the extent of what went down between the Livingstons and their former employee. She gave the short version: how Shyla Martin's attempt to come between Toussaint and the love of his life had cost Shyla her job.
"Oh, I see. Shyla not only lost love, but she lost money, too." Cooper nodded his head. "That makes your assumption that it is her imminently more plausible." Cooper eyed Bianca, noting her stiff countenance and rigid neck. "Come here, dear," he quietly commanded, even as he reached for her arm. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about a thing. We'll get to the bottom of this."
This time, Bianca did not resist as Cooper pulled her into him. Talking this situation out reminded her of the things she loved about him, and one of those things was that he made her feel safe. In many ways this fair-skinned, freckle-faced man was like her dad, Ace Livingston, and Bianca would never deny that Cooper was a good man who came from an upstanding family. But that was the problem. She respected him, admired him, even loved him—as one would a good friend.
But Bianca wasn't in love with him, the way she wanted to be with a man when she walked down the aisle. The way she'd fallen for a Frenchman in Paris, after only two months of dating. Cooper might be able to help her solve the mystery of who stole the company money. But as Bianca laid her head on his shoulder, she wondered who would help her solve the mystery of how to get over the man who'd stolen her heart.
Chapter Three from Mind Your Own Business by Lutishia Lovely
On the other side of town, in the comfortable surroundings of the same den where the news had broken, stealing was also the topic of conversation. After work, the Livingston men had returned to Ace's house for further discussion on the day's news. They were joined by Sterling Ross, the tall, dark, debonair family friend who was also one of the country's most preeminent detectives. Jefferson watched Toussaint prowl the room, while his dad, Ace; his uncle, Adam; and his cousin Malcolm refreshed their drinks. Sterling flipped a page on his pad and continued writing notes.
"I think the money trail will lead to Shyla," Toussaint said, a slight scowl marring his otherwise perfectly chiseled face. Like a fine wine, thirty-three-year-old Toussaint Levon Livingston only got better with age, and like everything else, marriage and impending fatherhood agreed with him. "She went away a little too quietly, no fuss at all. I know Shyla, and trust me, that's not like her."
Ace returned to his seat and passed a hand over his smooth, bald head. "You paid her two hundred thousand dollars, son. I'd say that's a fuss. Granted, she wasn't happy about leaving the company—"
"She wasn't happy about leaving Toussaint," Jefferson interjected. Ace grunted. "But I don't think she'd stoop to stealing. Shyla is classier than that."
"Besides," Adam continued, "the choice is almost too obvious. It's been a year since she left the company. All of her company credit cards were cancelled immediately. How would she have accessed the account? Why would she risk her reputation, not to mention her freedom, by stealing from us?"
"Because she's being influenced by the man who shot you, that's why!"
Toussaint's observation quieted the room. Sterling stopped writing. The name of the man who'd left Adam Livingston clinging to life on the Livingston Corporation's parking lot pavement hadn't come up in the earlier meeting. At that time, the focus had been solely on past and present Livingston employees. But now everyone's mind was on the man who'd eluded capture for almost a year: Quintin Bright.
Adam responded. "We know that for a while they were in the same place at the same time. But we don't know if they met—"
Toussaint snorted his disbelief.
"And if they did meet," Adam continued, "we have no idea what they talked about. And even if our name did come up, would a man like that admit to a crime, and would a woman like Shyla keep quiet about it?"
"For a brothas like Q?" Toussaint offered. "She'd keep quiet and she'd stay in touch. Shyla might be classy, Uncle, as you say, but she's got a messy side."
"Wait," Sterling said, holding up his hand. "You guys are getting ahead of me. Adam, you know the identity of the person who tried to rob you?"
"Robbing was the last thing on that asshole's mind." When Sterling's brow rose, Toussaint realized that he had said too much. Robbery was the motive police assumed had led Quintin Bright to shoot Adam, the motive quoted in newspaper articles and television reports. The Livingstons had done nothing to dispel this assumption.
If the above title sounds like an oxymoron, well, it is. But that title is my story and I’m sticking to it! Confusing, I know, but I think you might understand the phrase once you understand my journey.
I never ever set out to be vegan, or even thought it possible. I grew up in Kansas, cow country. My family often brought meat not by the pound but by the measurement: half a cow, a quarter cow, etc. Additionally, my grandparents owned a farm, so it was not unusual to see a pig being smoked in the smokehouse, a headless chicken running out its last breaths of life in the dusty driveway or body parts such as pig ears being pickled in a jar.
Meat was, and for my family still is a major part of the diet and during my growing up years was a huge part of mine as well.
My favorites included pork chops, bacon, smoked sausage, ground round and the cream of the meat crop…the barbequed rib. I’m not sure more than 48-hours ever went by without my having one of these carnivorous delights, and at that time, I’m not sure I thought I’d live if that happened!
And then, totally by accident, I discovered that when lessening my meat intake, my body applauded!
It was the mid-80s and I was practicing something learned from a former piano teacher: observing Lent.
This practice involves giving up something that you really love for forty days, something you love so much that it would be a sacrifice to do without. I gave up my go-to favorites: bacon and barbeque. After forty days, you can imagine that the first thing I did was buy a short-end of tender goodness, slathered with sauce. I dug in with gusto, but became nauseous before I became full. Thinking that I’d simply eaten too fast, I eventually (and unknowingly)
re-adapted my body to pork and went on about my life. Because giving these items up had been such a sacrifice, I repeated this decision the following year. But this time when the nausea hit, the light bulb flashed. My body is rejecting this food!
Almost immediately, I gave up two major meat groups: pork and beef. Of course this left all manner of fowl, fish and seafood so this change caused only a minor ripple in my lifestyle. But the change in my body was pronounced. I felt better, simple as that. About ten years later, chicken no longer served me and it went off the menu. I ate my last bite of fish or seafood in 2004 and since 2007 have been 80% vegan, eliminating almost all dairy from my diet.
So why would I call myself a meat-loving vegan? Okay, maybe that’s a stretch and a more accurate moniker would be “former meat-loving vegan.”
But the fact of the matter is, when I ate meat, I loved it. There are fond memories attached to its presence on the table, like being freshly caught from my grandmother’s catfish pond. But my body clearly showed me that when it came to my health, meat wasn’t what it needed. Ironically, I’ve also always loved vegetables, starches, beans and fruit so supplementing the loss wasn’t hard at all. And because of how great I felt, I determined that it, meat, wasn’t what I needed either.
Instead of living to eat, I began eating to live, and now occasionally satisfy those memorable meaty taste buds with an organic soy sausage patty or by topping a black bean burger with homemade barbeque sauce. But more often than not I am too busy enjoying my acquired tastes for fresh herbs, whole grains, well-seasoned vegetables, super foods such as cacao, goji berries and noni fruit, and culturally vegan dishes such as Indian or Greek, to pine for that which calls for loss of life to be on my plate.
And along the way I learned that not only could I go 48-hours without a slice of bacon or slab of ribs…I could go a lifetime.
I’m planning to make it a long one!
In future centuries, what about instead of hearing
“you’re as old as Methuselah,” in reference to age, people say “you’re as old as Lutishia!”
Now, that has a nice ring to it, which I’ll toast with a glass of kombucha!
About the Author
Lutishia Lovely is the award-winning, best-selling author of sixteen novels. The Business Trilogy, her latest work, combines two of her passions: writing and food. This series (All Up In My Business, Mind Your Own Business
and Taking Care Of Business) centers around the Livingstons, owners of a soul food dynasty called Taste Of Soul—where sizzling scandal and delicious drama are always on the menu. Find out more about this series and Lutishia at her website:
www.LutishiaLovely.com. And please sign up for her newsletter, where readers are treated to contests, updates, excerpts from upcoming novels, contests and
more!
Taking Lemons and Making…Lemon Ice Box Pie!
By Lutishia Lovely
I don’t know about you, but memories of food punctuate much of my childhood and in fact, my life. Untold hours of bonding occurred while my mom was fixing a meal or, even more delectable, a dessert!
I’d be asked to measure a cup of this, or a teaspoon of that, to check the item in the oven and determine whether or not it was ready to come out.
During these times spent together in a warm and aromatically amazing kitchen, I developed a respect for food, a love of cooking, and a wonderfully close relationship with Mama!
Do you have a particular food or dessert that elicits a wonderful childhood memory? Or does your family have a favorite dish that encapsulates who you are, or epitomizes your taste buds? For me, there are several dishes, but one would absolutely have to be the lemon ice box pie. If anyone is having a birthday, or if it’s a holiday, or if there is any type of celebration in my family, the hands-down dessert request for my mama to prepare was, and continues to be, a lemon icebox pie.
There’s something you need to understand. It’s not so much the ingredients of this relatively simple, yet absolutely succulent dish that makes it special. It’s the love that goes into its preparation. If you try and skimp with the recipe, using prepared graham cracker crust, for instance, or imitation lemon juice instead of fresh squeezed, the results won’t be the same.
But if you follow the recipe below, the one that I requested and then typed (pretty much) verbatim from the letter my mother sent me…then you’ll not only taste a dessert that is delicious, but you’ll feel a whole lotta love!
Lemon Ice Box Pie
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1 Box Honey Graham crackers, crushed to make the crust, finely crushed, and add ¾ cup butter along with 1 ½ T. sugar. Form in pan. Normal for one 9-inch pie crust, takes two packages (of graham crackers from the box).
1 can condensed milk
½ c., plus 1T fresh lemon juice
3 egg yolks, and the zest of 1 lemon
Save the 3 egg whites for topping
(Mix the above ingredients together, and pour into the pie pan lined with graham cracker crust.)
Beat the 3 egg whites until stiff, gradually adding 2 T. sugar.
Creating a meringue for the topping. Spread meringue over lemon/milk/yolk mixture.
Place pie into the oven, leaving in only until the meringue has a nice, toasty look on top. Transfer pie from the oven to the refrigerator, leaving it there for two-three hours or until filling is firm.
Slice and enjoy!!!
About the Author
Lutishia Lovely
is the award-winning, best-selling author of sixteen novels. The Business Trilogy, her latest work, combines two of her passions: writing and food. This series (All Up In My Business, Mind Your Own Business
and Taking Care Of Business) centers around the Livingstons, owners of a soul food dynasty called Taste Of Soul—where sizzling scandal and delicious drama are always on the menu. Find out more about this series and Lutishia at her website:
www.LutishiaLovely.com. And please sign up for her newsletter, where readers are treated to contests, updates, excerpts from upcoming novels, contests and
more!
It was the summer of my first year in junior high when my mama did the most
un-cool thing that a mother can do to a closet country girl trying to act like a city chick…she planted a garden.
What? Are you kidding?
A garden in the backyard of our newly built home in the small Kansas town of three-thousand where I grew up. How do you tell your peers that you can’t meet with them in the local grocery store parking lot and ride up and down 6th Street (to honk and wave at the same people about six zillion times) because you’re picking weeds from among the lettuce plants, or digging holes for sticks to help tomato vines stand?
Soooooo not cool, Mama!
But that was me, twelve with a bullet (yep, I started kindergarten at four years old) and totally frustrated that my mother didn’t understand how she was seriously messing with my oh-so-fly reputation.
It seemed to not bother her at all, she simply asked me to grab the box of seeds and follow her out to the yard where she dug little holes about a foot apart, and I dutifully planted, with an appropriately pre-teen scowl on my face a garden that included onions, greens and tomatoes.
I should give a little background here. Although I grew up in the Midwest I am, at heart, a country girl. Many of my weekends were spent about seven-hundred miles from our Kansas abode, in Arkansas, hanging out with my grands. My grandmother had a beautiful garden and I enjoyed many meals that came directly from her planting, sowing, and cooking hands.
In fact, when in Arkansas, almost all of our food came from the land and directly from the farm: the vegetables from the garden, the eggs from the henhouse, and the meat from the pasture…or the front yard. I believe that the seeds of my vegetarianism were planted the first time I saw my grandmother ring a chicken’s neck! Imagine the trauma when hours later I run into the house, smell a tantalizing odor, ask what’s for dinner and hear the answer…chicken. I walk into the kitchen, raise the top on the pot on the stove and look down on the plucked, boiling memories of the bird that had run for its life, even without a head.
Needless to say, there was no fowl for me that night and, after getting past that experience and eating it for a long time, no meat of any kind for the past decade.
But back to the oh-so-not-cool garden.
The summer passed, filled with serious softball tournaments (my dad was the coach), trips to Arkansas and my first crush on the boy with the afro who lived across town. And then, in August, something magical happened. The tomato plants came into maturity, with these huge, bright red globes of juicy goodness hanging on the vine. I have one very clear memory: my going out to the garden (yeah, the oh-so-not-cool one), plucking a perfectly formed, ruby red tomato off of a vine, and going into the kitchen. There, I rinsed off the fruit, reached for the salt shaker, poured a little of the white stuff on it and took a bite.
I just have three words for what I felt and tasted. Oh. My. God.
I’d initially intended to simply taste the tomato and then, as any reasonable person with brought-upsy would do, slice it up, put it on a saucer and eat it with a fork. Never happened. Before I knew it, I’d gobbled up that delicious tomato, with juice sliding down my arm and my mouth, and in the moment realized what a little bit of heaven might taste like.
In short, the oh-so-not cool garden that my mama planted that fateful summer ended up being one of the fondest memories of my twelfth year on earth. And I’ve never since eaten a tastier tomato.
About the Author
Lutishia Lovely is the award-winning, best-selling author of sixteen novels. The Business Trilogy, her latest work, combines two of her passions: writing and food. This series (All Up In My Business, Mind Your Own Business
and Taking Care Of Business) centers around the Livingstons, owners of a soul food dynasty called Taste Of Soul—where sizzling scandal and delicious drama are always on the menu. Find out more about this series and Lutishia at her website:
www.LutishiaLovely.com. And please sign up for her newsletter, where readers are treated to contests, updates, excerpts from upcoming novels, contests and
more!
An Evening with
author Lutishia Lovely
Featured Book: Heaven
Forbid
Lutishia Lovely is the bestselling author of the
Hallelujah Love Series, and The Business Trilogy debuting in 2011. A lover of words in almost any format, she is also an accomplished actor, and former radio DJ and talk show host. When not writing, she herself enjoys a good book, along with traveling to exotic destinations and cooking vegan cuisine. Lutishia enjoys spending time with family and friends in metropolitan Los Angeles.
BPM: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer?
What makes me powerful both as a person and a writer is the freedom I get from a close relationship with Spirit. The absolute belief that at any given moment I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, doing exactly what I’m supposed to do, is very liberating. This truth gives me the ability to be myself, and fearlessly write what my characters are telling me about their lives.
BPM: How much of what you write reflects on your outlook on life?
I think in the sense that my writing is free-spirited and uninhibited, with storylines that embrace a diverse set of viewpoints from a variety of people-types, my work reflects how I think and live. However, when it comes to some of my beliefs, my more judgmental Hallelujah Love characters might think I need Jesus! :)
BPM: What do you think of the increasingly fortuitous sex in African American literature?
I think what we read is a reflection of life. As casual, meaningless sex has increased in our culture and our world, so too has it increased in our novels. It’s true that sex sells, but that doesn’t mean you can just throw together a bunch of body parts, positions, grunts and groans and call it a day! Readers are becoming more discriminating, and the overcrowded literary playing field calls for authors to step up their imaginary game. I love to write (and read) intimate scenes, but only when they have a purpose in the storyline and are tastefully done. Having said that, “taste” is in the eye of the beholder. Some people view my work as obscene, and what might seem ridiculous to me could be what someone else just tried last night! In my work, I try and present what is supposed to be a sacred and giving act between two people who love each other in a way that brings beauty to the art of lovemaking…and a tingle or two to the one reading my words!
Heaven Forbid catches readers up on several past characters in the Hallelujah Love series including Stan and Passion Lee, Princess Brook and Kelvin Petersen (all from A Preacher’s Passion), as well as series regular Mama Max and her husband, the Reverend Doctor Pastor Bishop Overseer Mister Stanley Obadiah Meshach Brook, Jr.
BPM: What specific situation prompted you to write Heaven Forbid?
Heaven Forbid wasn’t so much prompted by a specific event as it was by readers asking what was going on with so-and-so or such-and-such. And it was amazing how as I began to type, the characters let me know exactly what had been happening. Believe it or not, we writers don’t always know, and are often just as shocked as you are! ::smile::
BPM: Take us inside Heaven Forbid. What are two major events taking place?
Heaven Forbid, book number six in this ongoing series, begins with Gospel Truth Church, a congregation first introduced in Reverend Feelgood, having hired a new pastor, Mama Max’s husband, Reverend Doctor Brook. He’s invited Passion Lee’s husband, Stan, to Palestine, TX, to conduct a revival because the members of GT are not trying to abide by his stringent, Christian philosophy and suffocating rules. What neither the reverend doctor nor Mama Max know, is that something else needs reviving—Stan’s marriage, or more specifically, his libido…
BPM: Who are your favorites? Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
I could never pick a favorite among my characters, but I enjoyed this storyline that featured “seasoned” individuals. Seventy-something Mama Max is probably a combination of every older, wise-cracking, wisdom-spouting woman I’ve ever known, including my own mother, aunts and grandmother, and the older women in the church where I grew up.
BPM: What role do you give the "mean-spirited" characters? Do you have such characters?
Hum, good question, Ella! There were definitely some people whose motives were suspect in my last book, Reverend Feelgood, but in this one, each person is too absorbed in their own drama to create much for anybody else.
BPM: What do you think makes your book different from others on the same subject?
Ella, if there are any other books out there like mine, I haven’t read them! I think this series, blatantly combining sex and religion, is a new twist in the literary mix! Yes, there are other books involving drama in the church, but I think my work pushes envelopes that heretofore have not been opened. The storyline in Reverend Feelgood is unique, and if any other novel in this genre has touched upon what Mama Max ultimately discovers about her conservative pastor husband, y’all let me know!
BPM: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
I am blessed to have a full plate, and am really excited about The Business Trilogy, a new series that debuts in 2011. While I plan to write Hallelujah Love as long as people want to read it, it is refreshing to write a totally different storyline. This trilogy deals with the Livingstons, the Atlanta-based owners of a soul food dynasty. The first book, All Up In My Business, has all things Lovely—drama, humor, inspiration, multiple main characters and a layered storyline—happening in the food industry instead of the church. I’m also appearing in my first anthology, along with Cydney Rax and Michele Grant, and that novella was very fun to write.
Lastly, I’m thrilled to be heading to Detroit, Michigan in October for my first panel discussion sponsored by a library. I’m so thankful for these institutions and what they mean to our communities. At various times in my life, libraries have for me been a lifeline. I am honored and humbled that my books are now on their shelves.
BPM: How can our readers reach you online?
I can be contacted through my website, LutishiaLovely.com, or through Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Shelfari and other sites, all via the end tag — Lutishia Lovely.
Receive
a monthly text message when Black Pearls Magazine has new contests for book
lovers, news of hot topics and has updated the list of featured authors
and books for the
month. Stay abreast of the events we are attending so that you can come
join us for great gifts and swag bags! Play our weekly Books & Babes
game by signing up today. We will not blow up your cell-phone with ads! Calls on
Sunday evenings only.
Seeking Book Reviewers EDC
Creations seeks to add avid readers to our community as book reviewers. We would
like readers to share their honest opinions about the books they read. You do
not have to be a professional writer, we want to feel your passion for reading.
Reviewers receive books from EDC Creations’ publishing partners monthly.
You can review our policy for book reviewers by
clicking here. 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! Let us know what you think
of the fresh new content by emailing
us here. Thank you!
Ella Curry, President of EDC Creations
Founder & Editor In Chief Black Pearls Magazine
About the Author
“Why
can’t a woman be on top?” This is the first line in my novel 
Lutishia Lovely is the award-winning, best-selling author of sixteen novels. The Business Trilogy, her latest work, combines two of her passions: writing and food. This series (All Up In My Business, Mind Your Own Business
and Taking Care Of Business) centers around the Livingstons, owners of a soul food dynasty called Taste Of Soul—where sizzling scandal and delicious drama are always on the menu. 
If the above title sounds like an oxymoron, well, it is. But that title is my story and I’m sticking to it! Confusing, I know, but I think you might understand the phrase once you understand my journey.
I don’t know about you, but memories of food punctuate much of my childhood and in fact, my life. Untold hours of bonding occurred while my mom was fixing a meal or, even more delectable, a dessert!
I’d be asked to measure a cup of this, or a teaspoon of that, to check the item in the oven and determine whether or not it was ready to come out.
During these times spent together in a warm and aromatically amazing kitchen, I developed a respect for food, a love of cooking, and a wonderfully close relationship with Mama! 
It was the summer of my first year in junior high when my mama did the most
un-cool thing that a mother can do to a closet country girl trying to act like a city chick…she planted a garden.
Lutishia Lovely is the bestselling author of the
Hallelujah Love Series, and The Business Trilogy debuting in 2011. A lover of words in almost any format, she is also an accomplished actor, and former radio DJ and talk show host. When not writing, she herself enjoys a good book, along with traveling to exotic destinations and cooking vegan cuisine. Lutishia enjoys spending time with family and friends in metropolitan Los Angeles. 
BPM: What specific situation prompted you to write Heaven Forbid? 
The
Black Pearls Magazine 