Intimate Conversation with Pamela Leigh Starr


Intimate Conversation with author Pamela Leigh Starr



This week we celebrate the survivors Hurricane Katrina, on its five-year anniversary, and remember those who were lost. On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, LA.  At least 1,836 people lost their lives in the actual hurricane and in the subsequent floods, making it one of the deadliest U.S. hurricanes.  Katrina's storm surge caused 53 different levee breaches in greater New Orleans submerging eighty percent of the city. Author Pamela Leigh Starr wants to honor those who survived and continue to thrive by sharing her romance novel, STORM, with readers around the globe.


CATCH the Spirit of Survival
and Renewal!


Discussion: STORM by Pamela Leigh Starr and 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

Chat Date: Tuesday Night, September 14, 2010 at 8-10 pm EST
BAN Radio: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/black-author-network

Invite all of your friends and fellow readers to join the conversation at 646.200.0402

Purchase your copy of STORM by Pamela Leigh Starr and let's discuss the book on BAN Radio Show, Tuesday Night, September 14, 2010 at 8pm EST. 
Pick up your copy today, by clicking here


Call into the radio show at: 646-200-0402. Three callers will win other books by author Pamela Leigh Starr. 

STORM is a story of hope and the renewal of the spirit that can only come from surviving the devastation of one's history and the loss of everything we hold dear."
--- 4 Stars, Romance in Color Magazine



CATCH A STARR!

Author Pamela Leigh Starr traces her love for writing back to her first creation, The Terrifying Night, a comedic thriller illustrated by a classmate. Long after, Mrs. Starr developed romantic stories, falling in love with the never-ending cycle of two people meeting, opening their hearts and finding their way to love.

Ella: Where are you from? How did you start your writing journey?
PLS: I was born and raised in New Orleans where I still live, surrounded by its unique culture of jazz, the best food in the country and people who know how to let the good times roll! Les bon temps roulez!

Ella: Pamela, please introduce us the book STORM and the characters within?
PLS: POST-KATRINA NEW ORLEANS: In STORM experience the aftermath of the worst natural disaster to hit the Gulf Coast through the eyes of the Lewis's as Sabrina Adams and Josh Lewis find and preserve love in the midst of devastation.

John has always been a fixture in her life and Sabrina knew she could count on him to do any and everything... Except admit that he loved her. Despite the fact that she threw herself at him, Despite the closer, deeper relationship that had grown because of the hurricane and its aftermath, John was determined to stay within the eye of the storm brewing between them.

Sabrina was going to make sure that they quickly passed through that false calmness; for it they could survive the horrible winds and rain of the hurricane and deal with the horrific aftermath and destruction of their city after it had passed, she would make him understand that they deserved each other.

Ella: What would you like your readers to take away from your book, Storm?
PLS: I would like readers to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Though television allowed the world to witness the aftermath of the storm, the slow rescue and complete devastation of the city I love, I wanted to share a more personal insight of the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Through STORM, I was able to show the Post-Katrina effects on a family my readers have come to know and love. In my 4-book LOVE FOUND series, the Lewis clan gives a Pre-Katrina view of a black, southern family in New Orleans. STORM shows how this strong family came together to overcome the challenges Hurricane Katrina created in their lives as well as the discovery of a love despite them.

Ella: What is the most surprising thing you have learned in creating books?
PLS: The most surprising thing I've learned in the creation of my stories is that I should always listen to my characters. They "speak" to me as I write, guiding the story in directions I had not intended to go. When I begin a story I have an outline and set format. As my character develop they sometime tell me, "Whoa, Pam, that's not what I would do!" or "Are you crazy? I need to...". What can I do but give in to their demands?

Ella: What makes your book stand out and would entice a reader pick it up?
PLS: A pre-Katrina and post-Katrina view of family, love, resiliency and determination makes this series of books stand out. Readers have the opportunity to get to know and love a New Orleans family before Hurricane Katrina and then experience the changes in their livers after the hurricane. I began my LOVE FOUND series long before Hurricane Katrina blew into my life and the lives of the Lewis'.

In my 4-book LOVE FOUND series, the Lewis clan shows a Pre-Katrina view of a strong, New Orleans family . Through STORM, I was able to relay the Post-Katina effect on a family readers have come to know and love. STORM shows how this strong family came together to overcome the challenges Hurricane Katrina created in their lives as well as the discovery of a love despite them.



Ella: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book?
PLS: I would like readers to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Though television allowed the world to witness the aftermath of the storm, the slow rescue and complete devastation of the city I love, I wanted to share a more personal insight of the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Check out the Love Found book series by author Pamela Leigh Starr

FATE
· ISBN-10: 1585712582

CHANCES
· ISBN-10: 1585712965

MISCONCEPTIONS
· ISBN-10: 1585711179

IRONIC
· ISBN-10: 1585714046

STORM
· ISBN-10: 1585713236

Authors: Your Day Is Coming by Shelia E. Lipsey

Your Day Is Coming by Shelia E. Lipsey


Book Launch Party for My Son's Ex-Wife: The Aftermath by Shelia E. Lipsey
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 8-9:00pm EST
Speak to Shelia by calling into the show at 646.200.0402

Chat with the partygoers here: http://tinyurl.com/sheliapartyex


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."


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christian Novelist, Shelia E. Lipsey, is a native Tennessean, residing in the city of Memphis. She attended Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, graduating magna cum laude with a BBA degree. Shelia is an award winning, bestselling author of four Christian novels. She is also an inspirational speaker, professional proofreader and literary expert.

If you would like to contact Shelia Lipsey, please do so at shelialipsey@gmail.com  or http://www.shelialipsey.com/.   Click here to read the full bio, preview her latest release and listing of books: http://www.shelialipsey.com/content/biography.html



NEW BOOKS BY SHELIA E. LIPSEY
My Son’s Ex-Wife: The Aftermath  is the second book in Author Shelia E. Lipsey’s My Son’s Wife trilogy. The story of the Graham family continues in My Son's Ex-Wife. First Lady Audrey Graham is more than relieved when Stiles encounters the young, vivacious nutritionist Detria Mackey. Rena is equally captivated by recent divorcee, Robert Becton.

Does the handsome, science teacher Robert Becton possess what Rena needs to give her life a much needed jump start? When Rena returns to Memphis for less than pleasant reasons, Stiles and Rena realize they still have deep feelings for one another, but will their feelings overcome the past that severed their relationship?

Will Audrey manage to come between them again or will other circumstances intervene that will give them cause to rethink their past and move forward to the future. Available at bookstores and online at amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com and booksamillion.com.

Order your copies today at the author’s website: http://www.perfecstoriesaboutimperfectpeople.com/


Shelia E. Lipsey, Novelist/Speaker/Literary Expert
http://www.shelialipsey.com/
http://www.perfectstoriesaboutimperfectpeople.com/


Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine. Visit the magazine here: http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/

Intimate Conversation with Charles H. Fuller, Jr.

Acclaimed Screenwriter and Playwright Charles H. Fuller, Authors First Children’s Book



SNATCH: The Adventures of David and Me in Old New York

Mr. Fuller’s rich, multi-layered children’s adventure novel provides a glimpse into the little known history of life for free blacks in antebellum New York during the 1830s. Both historically authentic and entertaining, “Snatch” is a must read for book lovers of all ages. Snatch is an adventure story about two brothers, David and Charles, ‘free’ black kids, living in the ‘Five Points’ neighborhood of antebellum New York City in 1838.’

While fishing in the Hudson River on a day in September, they meet a fugitive slave named Freddie Johnson who they manage to help elude a gang of slave catchers led by a mysterious man, called ‘Snatch.’ The gang is intent on returning escaped slaves or shanghaied ‘free blacks’ to the South and slavery for a bounty. Over thirty-six hours, the two brothers engineer a wild chase and escape, through the streets and tunnels of Old New York helped by the ‘Brewery Witches’ a trio of girls from the neighborhood. During this adventure they manage to involve ‘Five Points,’ their parents, and the ‘Vigilance Committee,’ as well as coming close to exposing the identity of ‘Snatch.


Intimate Conversation with Charles H. Fuller, Jr.

Charles H. Fuller, Jr.  is the author of A Soldier’s Play and the 1982 recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Best American Play, New York Critics Circle Award, Edgar Allen Poe Award for Mystery Writing and the 1985 Academy Award Nominee for Best Screenplay for the motion picture ‘A Soldier’s Story.’ Mr. Fuller began writing plays in the mid-sixties and soon went on to co-found the Afro-American Arts Theatre in his native Philadelphia. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America and Board Member of the Dramatists Guild Fund. He continues to urge his audience to reject old images and stereotypes in order to accept more realistic Black characters.

After a long history in Theatre and Film, Snatch: The Adventures of David and Me in Old New York, is Mr. Fuller’s first venture into the world of children’s books. Snatch: The Adventures of David & Me in Old New York is Volume 1 of a three volume series of young adult novels. Charles H. Fuller, Jr. is presently working on AMERICAN STORY a new play commissioned by Cherry Lane Theatre in New York as part of their 2010-2011 season. Read Charles' full biography here. http://www.davidandmeinnyc.com/fullerbio.html


BPM: Why did you decide to self-publish SNATCH: The Adventures of David and Me in Old New York?
CHF: I wanted to get the book in the hands of children through the school systems and libraries. We felt that we could do a better job at that than a publishing house.

BPM: How did you come up with the title, SNATCH?
CHF: The title was always ‘The Adventures of David and Me in Old New York’ but after the story was written my wife and I felt that since a character called Snatch, who kidnapped freemen and caught runaway slaves for money, was at the heart of the story we decided to title the story ‘SNATCH: The Adventures of David and Me in Old New York’

BPM: What did you hope to accomplish with it, besides just writing a novel for children?
CHF: Firstly, to create a story that young people and people of all ages would enjoy even though it took place in the past. Secondly, exploit the history of the period and describe how black Americans lived, struggled, survived, helped one another and fought against slavery in the north during the era when slavery existed throughout much of the United States.


BPM: What was your inspiration, as an author, for writing SNATCH? What compelled you to put the story down in tangible form?
CHF: My two sons were my inspiration. I also had the idea that black kids needed to have adventure stories in which they could see themselves as the heroes who have the power to change the world in which they live, if they choose to do so. At the time and since, many of the stories for our children have centered around great men and women whose lives they are asked to emulate. I decided I’d give my sons something that would be fun, inspirational and exciting – something to rival the best adventures in American storytelling.

BPM: What is it that makes SNATCH unique? How is it different from the other children’s books on the market?
CHF: Snatch has perils, thrills and uncertainty. It is still a story in which the history, as well as the tale itself is important. It has footnotes to give the reader information about the period in which it takes place. There is a Teacher’s Guide that accompanies the book because we felt very strongly that Teachers would use the story to teach history, language arts, math and social studies in the school system.

BPM: If kids could take away one thing from reading SNATCH, what would you hope that would be?
CHF: That it was an enjoyable story that they would encourage all their friends to read and then sit down and talk about, because they had learned something about our history in America they never knew before they read Snatch.

BPM: How did you get your start in the arts? What motivated you to pursue a career in the theater?
CHF: I decided to become a writer because myself and my best friend Larry Neal found that in the high school we attended, there were no books written by African-Americans in our library. Of course this was a long time ago, but the impetus was to correct what we felt was a major deficiency in the education we were getting in those days. My connection to theatre grew out of a job I had as a Housing Inspector. I worked in a mixed neighborhood -- blacks, Hispanics and whites -- largely poor people and I wrote sketches (short plays) that called on locals to lock their doors, watch their kids -- simple things that I felt could improve the neighborhood -- a woman came into the area and asked me to try to write a play that could be entered with a group of plays that McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey was considering for its 1968 season. I wrote 'The Village, A Party' they liked it, and that began my connection to the theatre.

BPM: What do you like most about your profession?
CHF: I like the immediacy of a play in the theatre. It goes up, you know right away if it is working or not -- if it isn't you know immediately -- the audience tells you. If it does, that same audience applauds – what can be faster than that?

BPM: What is your biggest challenge in business? How did you overcome it?
CHF: My biggest challenge was one felt collectively by the playwrights I grew up with in the theatre -- Ed Bullins, Richard Wesley, Aisha Rahman, Samm Art Williams, Amiri Baraka, Alice Childress, Ron Milner, Leslie Lee, Joe Walker, Lonnie Elder -- we all were trying to break through the racial barriers of the times and force our voices and 'who-we-are' onto the canvas that was America at the time. We overcame the challenge that a deaf and largely blind country presented by persevering -- pushing until the nation stopped, saw and listened.

BPM: You co-founded the Afro-American Arts Theater in Philadelphia in the 1960s. Do you feel that with musicals such as FELA! and Broadway plays such as Fences, RACE, The Color Purple, and the revival of Raisin in the Sun is indicative of a movement on Broadway to tell more stories related to the black experience?
CHF: FELA! and RACE are new, but Fences, Raisin In The Sun, and The Color Purple have been with us for awhile, and I believe harkens back to another time. Lynn Nottage's 'Ruined' is what's new. Katori Hall's 'Voodoo Love' is new. Susan Lori Parks, 'Book of Grace' is new. Tarell Alvin McCraney's 'The Brother/Sister Plays' is new. Branden Jacobs Jenkins, 'Neighbors' is new. And I believe their emergence and staying power should be supported. I don't believe there is any new desire on the part of theatre to showcase more blacks -- this moment can disappear as quickly as it arrived. WE need to support our playwrights with the same enthusiasm WE support our hip-hop artists -- or develop a desire among OUR young people to tell our stories on stage.

BPM: You recently decided to publish your first young adult historical novel, SNATCH: The Adventures of David and Me in Old New York. This is a departure from the stage. What brought about this decision and how have you found the book publishing world to differ from the theater?
CHF: I promised my two sons Charles, III and David Ira Fuller when they were 11 and 8, and I was living between New York and Philadelphia, that I would write a history story in which they would be the heroes. In the process, I wanted to describe the life of African-Americans in the North before the end of slavery. I did the research, wrote the outline and -- (cut) -- my life as a playwright began, and I didn't get to it for more than forty years. But I had made a promise and I intended to keep it -- so, I did just that and they got their story at ages 45 and 42. Their response was, 'It's about time!' The book publishing business is very hard and requires a lot of hard work. I can honestly say, the reason I am doing it myself is that everyone I spoke to before doing it, said it couldn't be done. And there is a chance that they may be right -- but 'fail' is not an English word I ever understood.

BPM: You are the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize for your play, A Soldier’s Story, which is obviously a major accomplishment and honor. What advice would you give someone just starting out as a playwright or author?
CHF: Read a lot, write a lot and persevere. Human life is built around stories we tell each other about ourselves -- we never tire of it, so there is always something to write about and there will always be an audience for whatever it is as long as it’s about us. We are nothing if not narcissistic.

BPM: What message do you hope readers will take away from SNATCH?
CHF: I hope whoever reads it enjoys the adventure and delights in the way it’s told. Also I hope that people will begin to understand that the world of 'freemen and women' in the North before the end of slavery was no bed of roses. Despite our difficulties, we always cherished one another, helped one another and whenever there was a chance we could disrupt those who were out to harm us, we did everything in our power to do so -- from child to adult. Finally, I hope young people will learn that they have the power to act on behalf of us all -- to save a life -- to save a community with just the power of their determination.

BPM: What are three things all leaders possess?
CHF: I can't imagine three things all leaders possess -- one thing I think they possess is the power to convince us that following them will lead us to a state -- real or imagined -- that is better than the one in which we exist when they arrive. They can't suggest that we can get to that better place on our own -- the term leader always implies followers.

BPM: How do you feel that your work has impacted people?
CHF: I'm not sure how it’s impacted my audiences. I've always tried to make sure we defined ourselves and not be lazy enough to believe that someone else can do it for us -- or to do it better than we can, or that whatever the stereotype is, it's not even close to who we really are. Our humanity is largely overlooked whenever we're examined by others. I hope my work has helped to change some of that.

Visit the official website of SNATCH to learn more about Charles H. Fuller, Jr.: http://www.davidandmeinnyc.com/home.html


For interviews with Charles H. Fuller, Jr. or to request a review copy of SNATCH: The Adventures of David and Me in Old New York, please contact Dawn Roberts at 215.704.2615  or Dawn@KDComm.com.

 
Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine. Visit the magazine here: http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/

Digital Book Excerpt: One Who Loves You More by Andrea Clinton

Life Knows No Bounds: One Who Loves You More
by Andrea Clinton


Explore the book excerpt for Life Knows No Bounds: One Who Loves You More.


Alisa is a money grubbing gold digger who sashays through her days wearing this title like a tiara. Feeling life’s all about the expensive gifts and money a man can give her, Alisa follows the steps of her mentor and basks in the glory of using men, until she stumbles upon Omar.

Omar is an African American Muslim trying to fight his demons and find his way back to the Islamic life he knew as a child. Distraught over disagreements that divided the Muslim community a decade prior, where many Muslims became victim to inner city chaos, Omar became a product of his environment and is at the head of that chaos.

Tired of hearing her mother rant and rave about her gold digging ways, Alisa decides to take her great grandmother’s advice, "Always get a man who loves you more than you love him." Stumbling upon Omar in his brand new Cadillac, Alisa decides to make him her man, or rather, her victim, or will the tables turn? Hell erupts, splatters like geysers, while skeletons and bones fly out closets in, Life Knows No Bounds, “1 Who Luvs U More.”

Author Andrea Clinton: What Impact will this book have my readers?
Readers will learn about a very overlooked profession on the rise, "Gold Digging." They'll get to see that there's more than what meets the eye when women toy with men's emotions and use them for their hard earned money.

Read the a full excerpt from book  1 Who Luvs U More
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/document-preview.aspx?doc_id=51592385


Alisa Speaking: My Plight
Some would say I was ungrateful, and I guess to a degree I was. But more than ungrateful, I was blind, too blind to see straight. Even now I can’t see what it is I should’ve done. I just know what I shouldn’t have done. And I know I wasn’t happy. I was unhappy with myself, with what was going on, and it was the unhappiness that drove me. It drove me to do things, drove me to where I am today, nowhere, with no one. Just sitting here playing the song, I know how it feels to be lonely by Morgana King, in my head, over and over and over again.

I was a mental mess, and I mucked things up really bad, and now they can’t be fixed. Forgive me if my story’s scrambled, but how else can I tell it when my mind is scrambled. So, when my story sounds twisted, shaky, and unclear at times, just know, so is my mind. Why else would I be sitting here talking to a Greek statue of a white woman with cellulite thighs, barely any clothing and no pupils? Yes, I’m really messed up in the head, and my nerves are shot. But that’s how it is when you see yourself as a casualty, and the world deems you the antagonist.   ###

ISBN-10: 0981837638
ISBN-13: 978-0981837635
Categories/genre: Urban/Realism-Naturalism

Visit with Andrea at her website Around-The-Way Publishing, LLC
Website: http://www.aroundthewaypublishing.com/

Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine.
Visit the magazine here:  
http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/

Sept. 20, 2010-Meet Cave Canem Fellow Tara Betts

A Celebration for author, Def Poet, and Cave Canem Fellow Tara Betts. Special guest poets, Derrick Weston-Brown, Sonya Renee, & Truth Thomas.



MahoganyBooks is excited to bring world renowned poet and author, Tara Betts, to Washington DC . The event will take place at  U-topia Bar & Grill on Monday, September 20th, from 6:30pm – 8:30pm. This event is a celebration of the one year anniversary of Tara Betts debut poetry collection, Arc & Hue.   Arc and Hue will be available for purchase at the event and will be signed by Tara Betts.

Tara Betts, a lecturer in creative writing at Rutgers University , has had her poetry appear in various journals and anthologies, as well as, in publications such as XXL, The Source, BIBR, Mosaic Magazine and Black Radio Exclusive. As a performer Ms. Betts has appeared on both HBO’s “Def Poetry Jam” and the Black Family Channel series “SPOKEN” with Jessica Care Moore.

Additionally, Tara has performed her work in Cuba, London, New York, on the West Coast and throughout the Midwest . The venues in which she has performed have spanned notable sites such as Arie Crown Theater, The New School, Studio Museum of Harlem, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and the Bowery Poetry Club among others.

The highlight of the evening will feature Tara Betts and special guest poets, Derrick Weston-Brown, Sonya Renee and Truth Thomas, reading from her acclaimed book in the relaxing and eclectic atmosphere of U-topia Bar & Grill.



Guest poets Derrick Weston-Brown is a Cave Canem fellow and the poet-in-residence at Busboys & Poets bookstore and restaurant; Sonya Renee is a National Poetry Slam Champion and Truth Thomas work has appeared in: African Voices, Art Times, the anthology Fingernails Across the Chalkboard: Poetry and Prose on HIV/AIDS From the Black Diaspora and many more

This is a must attend event for fans of poetry, as well as, admirers of great books. On the same historic street that once bore witness to Langston Hughes' genius, you will meet and hear Tara Betts, a poet whose "...debut collection [Arc and Hue ] solidifies her status as a defiant and singular voice, joyous indication of a fresh new direction in poetry." Attending this event is the best way to start your week.





About MahoganyBooks
Created by an enterprising husband and wife duo in the Washington DC area, MahoganyBooks is positioned to become the premier online destination for books written for, by, and about people of African descent. Coupling a dynamic social networking community, robust inventory selection and easy to use website, MahoganyBooks is an online African American bookstore dedicated to “Books, Community, Words, & You.”



Meet the Guest Poets


Derrick Weston Brown   holds an MFA in Creative Writing from American University. He has participated in VONA and is a Cave Canem fellow. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Ginosko, Mythium, The Columbia Review, Beltway Poetry Quarterly, Drunken Boat, and MipOesia. In 2006 he released his first chapbook of poetry, The Unscene, and has recently completed a full-length manuscript, Wisdom Teeth. He teaches poetry at Hart Middle School in Washington, DC. He is the Poet-In-Residence at Busboys and Poets' 14th & V location in Washington, DC, and the bookstore, which is operated by the nonprofit Teaching For Change.




Sonya Renee  is the director of Peer Education at Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS), a non-profit organization that promotes HIV prevention and empowerment programming in Washington, DC. At work, she recruits, trains and supervises current and former sex workers to act as sex educators in their communities. In addition to her professional job, she is a National Poetry SLAM-winning performance poet who is committed to using the power of spoken word to bring empowering and progressive ideas to the public. Sonya’s poetry is blunt, raw, and poignant. She speaks the truth with no mixed words and challenges society to face its deepest and most long-lived ills with strength, courage and sometimes a lot of laughter. In the same light, her work also reflects a checkered childhood overcoming a family riddled with drug addiction and mental illness, and dealing with the reality of living completely on her own from the age of 17. Sometimes all that is left, is to get real.




Truth Thomas is a singer and poet, born in Knoxville, Tennessee, raised in Washington, DC. He studied creative writing at Howard University under Dr. Tony Medina and E. Ethelbert Miller, before earning his M.F.A. degree in Poetry at New England College. He is formally writer-in-residence for the Howard County Poetry and Literary Society in Maryland.

Bottle of Life–another tide rising–September 30th of 2010. Truth Thomas’ reputation as an “ironic, funny, sexy, tender” poet is founded on the seeds of his debut pamphlet, Party of Black, which introduced the world, not only to his eloquent, politically-charged voice, but also to a new poetic form of his own invention – the Skinny. But the roots of his recognition lie in his sophisticated, inventive first collection, A Day of Presence. In the run up to the release of his second full collection, Bottle of Life, his poem ‘Harriet Tubman’s Email 2 Master’ has been selected by Nikki Giovanni, to be published in The 100 Best African American Poems, due out in the fall of 2010.



###

Ramunda Young
Chief Community Relations Officer
MahoganyBooks
Tel: 703.730.3873
Fax: 888.573.3987
http://www.mahoganybooks.com/
Books, Community, Words & You

 
Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine. Visit the magazine here: http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/

Excerpt: One Who Loves You More by Andrea Clinton


Life Knows No Bounds: One Who Loves You More
by Andrea Clinton

• Alisa is a money grubbing gold digger who sashays through her days wearing this title like a tiara. Feeling life’s all about the expensive gifts and money a man can give her, Alisa follows the steps of her mentor and basks in the glory of using men, until she stumbles upon Omar.

Omar is an African American Muslim trying to fight his demons and find his way back to the Islamic life he knew as a child. Distraught over disagreements that divided the Muslim community a decade prior, where many Muslims became victim to inner city chaos, Omar became a product of his environment and is at the head of that chaos.

Tired of hearing her mother rant and rave about her gold digging ways, Alisa decides to take her great grandmother’s advice, "Always get a man who loves you more than you love him."   Stumbling upon Omar in his brand new Cadillac, Alisa decides to make him her man, or rather, her victim, or will the tables turn?   Hell erupts, splatters like geysers, while skeletons and bones fly out closets in, Life Knows No Bounds, “1 Who Luvs U More.”

Andrea Clinton: What Impact will this book have my readers?
Readers will learn about a very overlooked profession on the rise, "Gold Digging."  They'll get to see that there's more than what meets the eye when women toy with men's emotions and  use them for their hard earned money.

Excerpt from  1 Who Luvs U More

My Plight:
Some would say I was ungrateful, and I guess to a degree I was. But more than ungrateful, I was blind, too blind to see straight. Even now I can’t see what it is I should’ve done. I just know what I shouldn’t have done. And I know I wasn’t happy. I was unhappy with myself, with what was going on, and it was the unhappiness that drove me. It drove me to do things, drove me to where I am today, nowhere, with no one. Just sitting here playing the song, I know how it feels to be lonely by Morgana King, in my head, over and over and over again.

I was a mental-mess, and I mucked things up really bad, and now they can’t be fixed. Forgive me if my story’s scrambled, but how else can I tell it when my mind is scrambled. So, when my story sounds twisted, shaky, and unclear at times, just know, so is my mind. Why else would I be sitting here talking to a Greek statue of a white woman with cellulite thighs, barely any clothing and no pupils?  Yes, I’m really messed up in the head, and my nerves are shot. But that’s how it is when you see yourself as a casualty, and the world deems you the antagonist.   ###


RAWSISTAZ Book Review -- 4 Stars
"Life Knows No Bounds: 1 Who Loves You More,"  Andrea Clinton's first installment in the LIFE KNOWS NO BOUNDS chronicles, is a harsh realistic portrayal of urban love and life in mid-1980's New Jersey. Alisa, a boastful, self-proclaimed gold-digger, finds herself lost in a world of love and conflict as she tries and fails to apply her great-grandmother's wisdom to her complicated love life.

Alisa is well known in her hood for her selfish, gold-digging ways. Despite aggressive warnings from her family, she has mastered the game of getting a man for everything he has and gracefully moving on to the next. But when she hooks up with Omar, she soon realizes that she has entered into a game that she is ill-equipped to play.

Omar, a young, sexy hustler from around the way, knows what it takes to get Alisa's attention. He uses his flashy car and genteel manners to lure her in, but he has so much more in store for her. They start a tumultuous love affair that's riddled with gun fights, jealousy, expensive gifts, explosive arguments, and Alisa's spoiled rotten attitude. When Alisa's antics push Omar to the limit as he struggles with the conflict of his religion and his love for her, the future of their relationship is gravely threatened.  "Always get a man who loves you more than you love him", the powerful last words of her dying great-grandmother which Alisa vowed to follow. When she finally understands the meaning of those words, it may be too late, as she comes dangerously close to losing what she fought so hard to gain.

With Life Knows No Bounds: 1 Who Loves You More, Andrea Clinton has created a dynamic urban love story, decorated with realistic dialogue and hard-hitting pragmatism. The story was compelling and the characters were vibrant. Although Alisa was a spoiled brat with an ugly attitude, I found her to be relatable and worthy of my empathy. I felt Alisa's and Omar's struggle until the very end and found myself routing for them despite their flaws and troublesome relationship. Life is no fairytale and Clinton has colorfully portrayed that truth through this novel.  I was able to thoroughly enjoy the read. I recommend this novel for those looking for an explosive urban love story with a realistic perspective.
--- Reviewed by Guest Reviewer Monique D. Mensah, The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers



Author Andrea Clinton

About The Author:
Andrea Clinton is a novelist, poet and essayist, and aspiring screenwriter/filmmaker. As a Montclair State University graduate, she posses’ a degree in English, Film and Journalism. She’s the founder and CEO of the non-profit organization, People Helping People; worked as Editor in Chief of AMISTAD newspaper, New Jersey; and is presently working on a biography and screenplay featuring the life of her uncle George Clinton of Parliament/Funkadelic and the Clinton family.

Visit with Andrea at the Around-The-Way Publishing, LLC website: http://www.aroundthewaypublishing.com/.  To request a complimentary review copy and press kit, or to purchase copies for resale, call: (973) 280-2729. Tear sheets may be sent by email: AroundTheWayPub@aol.com.   ISBN-10: 0981837638


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Finding the Way Home by Fabiola Sully

Finding the Way Home by Fabiola Sully
This book is for any one who experience roadblacks, challenges, and obstacles in life. I am opening my soul and experiences to the world; so that readers will know that they are not alone.

I have written and published my book of poetry, "Finding the Way Home" in 2009.  It is a group of poems written from my early college years through the year 2008. The poems pertain to my life experiences, roads I have taken and obstacles I have faced growing up. I've dealt with my emotions and issues more effectively by writing them down. Whenever I felt low and going through situations, I wrote them down. My poems are about growth and finding your true self.  You can't find yourself or see what you are capable of, without dealing with the harsh roadblocks and walls in your life.  I have written this book for young girls and adult women who are dealing with a life of fear and doubts.


Book Video: Finding The Way Home


WHO I AM by Fabiola Sully

I'm the one you tease
Because I'm different.
I'm the one you bother
Because I'm merely there
I'm the mat you step on
I'm the rock you kick around

And you think you can control me
Like I'm the clay and you're the sculptor
Like I'm the robot and you press my buttons
But you can't control me

I may be nothing as you say
But your words don't mean jack to me
I am SOMEBODY
Sooner or later you'll see me on the street
With my head held high,
While you're eating my dust
And I'll be wondering
Who's laughing now!




About Fabiola Sully
I am from Long Island, NY but born in Brooklyn. I have been writing since I was seventeen. I became interested in poetry after taking a writing course in high school, this continued on into my college years. Currently, I work full-time and write part-time. I started taking part in poetry slams and blogs to show off some of my work. I would like to do poetry readings and perform in more shows.

You can view samples of my work and blog on my Myspace page: www.myspace.com/fabiolaakamysticpoet   or on Facebook under Fabiola Sully. Other than poetry, I am into movies, reading, acting, wrestling and basketball, the arts & theater, music and world travel. If you have any questions or comments, you can email me at mysticpoet729@gmail.com  For more information, visit http://outskirtspress.com/findingthewayhome

ISBN-10: 1432716220 | ISBN-13: 978-1432716226

Finding the Way Home by Fabiola Sully
ISBN-13: 978-1432716226
Category: POETRY / General
Distributed via: Ingram, Baker & Taylor
Available at:   www.outskirtspress.com/findingthewayhome
Receive up to 40% off at: www.outskirtspress.com/bookstore


Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine. Visit the magazine here: http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/

Bookclubs and Friends Slideshow

Check out just a few of our event photos and photos submitted by bookclubs to Black Pearls Magazine. You can meet the bookclubs here:  http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/bookclubs2010.htm





Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine. Visit the magazine here: http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com./   If you can't view the slideshow above, click here to view.

Intimate Conversation with SUES Books Club

Intimate Conversation with SUES Books Club
Sistahs United on the Eastern Shore Book and Social Club


Sistahs United on the Eastern Shore Book and Social Club was found on July 26, 2008 by Lori Morris. She got the idea to start the book from family and co-workers. The conversation of books always came up at family gatherings and at work. A co-worker told her she should start a book club. She invited friends and family members to the first meeting, there were 6 ladies that registered at the first meeting. Now we have 11 members. We are a small group of women on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delaware, we coming together once a month, for at least three hours to discuss books.

Our first book of the month was “Jezebel” by Jacqueline Thomas. We have attend the Chocolate Social and National Book Club Conference 2010. The vision for our organization is to come together as sisters to share our feelings, love of reading and to socialize. We host the Mother's Day Social each year.

BPM: Give us a deeper understanding of how important reading is to you.
I love to read a good story, I like when I see the characters as if I were looking at a movie and it keeps my attention thru the whole book.

BPM:  Would you say you read more for escape or for entertainment?
I read two to three books in one month, I read more for the escape and entertainment.

BPM: Do you download books? Do you prefer a hard copy book or a digital book?
I do not download books, I perfer to have a hard copy book. I do think that digital books will replace printed books in the near future.

On your night stand now:
Shack by William P. Young

Favorite book when you were a child:
The series from author Mildred D. Taylor "Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry" "Road to Memphis" "Let the Circle Be Unbroken".

Book you bought for the cover:
A Change Had to Come by Gwynne Foster

Book that should be a movie or play:
Up To No Good by Carl Weber.

Name three authors you would like to do a phone chat with this year:
Wes Moore, Victor McGlothin, and Jacqueline Thomas.

Connect with us online:
http://suesbookclub.webs.com/
www.myspace.com/suesbookclub
www.facebook.com/sistahsunited-easternshore-bookclub


Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine. Visit the magazine here: http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/  

Reader Spotlight: Rose Wright, Pres.of Savvy Book Club

Intimate Conversation with Rose Wright
President of the Savvy Book Club



BPM: Rose, tell us a little bit about yourself and your favorite things, hobbies and about your family.
My name is Rose Wright and I live in Jackson, Mississippi with my family. Husband Frank of 20 years. Our family consists of 3 lovely children, Takesha, Khadijah and Frank Jr.. I am an educator by profession. I have been in the education arena for 22 years.

I currently teach APAC  U. S. History. I love to read and spend quality time with family. I am the President and Founder of the Savvy Book Club. My hobbies include reading, cross-stitch and flora arrangement.

BPM: Share with us the history of the organization. How did you get started?
Savvy Book Club began April 2007 in Jackson, MS. The club started because we were always talking about the good book we read, when we passed each other in the hallway at work. And people use to think we were talking about someone real and when we revealed we were talking about a book character everyones response was, you all should start a bookclub.

So, one day I told them I was ready and wanted to know if I could count on them as members. They agreed. I researched other clubs and even visited other meetings to get ideas. The librarian at the local library in the area were looking to start bookclubs in their library so we started our club at their library. We had a lot of help from the ladies at the library. Three of them joined the book club and have been faithful members from the beginning. Our First Book chosen was "Let the Church Say Amen" by Roshonda Tate Billingsley. We currently have 15 active members.

Events: Since beginning the bookclub we have met over 40 authors. Many in which we hosted Author Meet and Greets for them. We have also hosted several book release celebration. We have hosted alot of writers over the years. This year we sponsored several book release celebrations for authors. Those authors include:

Virginia Deberry &Donna Grant /NY Best Selling Author
Kendra Norman- Bellamy /Atlanta Christian Fiction
Brian S. Smith /Texas
Bruce Wright/Atlanta

We also hosted Mississippi author Sydney Molare' (Author Pick of the Year 2009) We teamed up with author to do a Literacy Drive and she provided books to everyone who attended the event.

BPM: What is the vision for your organization? Do you host events during the year? Donate to charities or provide any service for the community?

Our Vision: Keeping in tune with the latest Books and Literature, through our Love of Reading and Meeting those who have touched our lives through books.

Charity: We have donated books to youth through day care centers, learning centers and summer programs. We hold book drives to do this.

BPM: Give us a deeper understanding of how important reading is to you.
Reading is so important. As my pastor recently said. "Words have power." When I read a book I always try to find the message. It may not be the one the author has set for me, but a message no the less.

BPM: What impact has reading had on your life? Has there been any books that help shape your life or gave you inspiration during a trying time in life?
Reading had impact me alot. It is my escape. When you have a family you sometimes need some down time. So after everyone has gone to bed I curl up with a book. I can relate to many of the books I read.

BPM: How many books do you read in one month? Would you say you read more for escape, for educational purposes or for entertainment?
Books are my escape. I speed read so I can finish a book in two to three days. Sometimes in shorter time (summer months). Summer months I may read 6 to 10 books a month. Other months two at the most. Unless I have a book to reivew. If the book is really good I can really get through it fast. I will read a book before I watch television.

There are so many books I have not read and many that I have read and want to read. I can't mention them all but I do love their work. I mostly Christain Fiction, Romance, little Mystery Autobiographies and Drama.
I have not read Sci Fi, Vampire etc. It does not interest me. But it doesn't mean they don't have some good novels.

BPM: Do you download books? Do you prefer a hard copy book or a digital book?
I have only dowloaded one book. I like the hard copies and audio books. I can clean my house, exercise, and drive using audio books. I don't think it will ever replace a printed book. Some may like it. I just dont have time for it, right now.

BPM: Do you think the writings of today's authors are leaving the same legacy as authors from other generations? Do you see others following their path? If so, who?
I think that all writers have had a author to inspire them at one point in their lives and or career. Some authors may have more impact than others. I think that today many authors write about everyday life situations and are not limit as many earlier writers were. That's why we are finding more and more self publish authors with great little books. I think there are many that will go on to be just as great as many of those past auhtor if not greater.

Finish these fun loving sentences with the question and answer:


BPM: Living your best life includes:
Love, Trusting in God and Spending time Family & Friends

BPM: On your nightstand now:
Power of the Praying Women

BPM: Favorite book when you were a child:
Little House on the Praire and Box Car Children.

BPM: Book all readers should own excluding the bible:
Daily Devotionals, I recommend Jacequlin Thomas's novels

BPM: Book you gave as a gift:
Kimberla Lawson Roby's " Deep Dark Secret"

BPM: Book you've bought for the cover:
The Vow

BPM: Favorite couple from a book:
Hosea Bush & Jasmine Lawson, series "Victoria Christopher Murray" and Mary Monroe, "God Don't like Ugly series"

BPM: Book you most want to read AGAIN much slower, to savor:
Terry McMillian's "How Stella Got Her Grove Back"

BPM: Favorite genre, series or sequels:
I read a lot of Christian Fiction. I do not have just on type I love to read. Brenda Jackson "Madris Soga" or Kim Robys "Curtis Black Series" or maybe Mary Morrison's "Darius Jones Sogas". There are so many. Hard to chose just one.

BPM: Book that should be a movie or play:
Several of Brian S. Smith book's

BPM: Name three authors you would like to do a phone chat with this year.
Maya Angelou, Terry McMillian, and Francis Ray

Website Address: www.savvybookclub.com


Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine. Visit the magazine here: http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/

Reader Spotlight: Meta V. Anthony, Book Talk Book Club

Intimate Conversation with Meta V. Anthony
Book Talk Book Club



BPM: Meta, tell us a little bit about yourself and your favorite things.
My name is Meta Anthony and I am an 50 plus avid reader and president of Book Talk Book club in Atlanta. My favorite authors are James Patterson and Kimberla Lawson Roby. I enjoy all types of plays, mostly geared to black artists.

BPM: Share with us the history of the organization. How did you get started?
Our book club was formed in 1997 by four co-workers who worked at a local company in Atlanta, GA. Since that time we have had many members, fortunately some have stayed and unfortunately some have decided to move on to other things. We have had as little as five members and as many as twenty-one. As you can see Book Talk goes on.

Our current active members are 12. I'm not sure of the first book we read back in 1997, but the first one we read in January of 2004 was Mary's Little Lamb by Lawrence Christopher. We are currently reading Uptown by Dewberry and Grant for August, 2010. We usually attend the National Book Club Conference in July/August in Atlanta. We also attended the 1st Black Book Club Expo on August 7th in Atlanta, GA this yr. Also, in December we will be attend the Dekalb Count Jubilee Annual Book Conference in Decatur, GA.

BPM: What is the vision for your organization? Do you host events during the year?
Our vision to make life better for someone by reading and making dreams come true. We are not currently involved as a book club in donating to charities, but several members donate their time and energy on their own.

BPM:  Speak to the writers, what would you like to see written in books?
Reading is very important to me, for it helps me to look at this in a different prospective.

BPM: What impact has reading had on your life? Has there been any books that help shape your life or gave you inspiration during a trying time in life?
Reading has been a great impact on life. Mainly, because I come from a background of teachers....mother, grandmother, aunts and uncles..I always loved to read, for it took some places I may never visit

BPM: Would you say you read more for escape, for educational purposes or for entertainment?
I usually read at least books a month, if time permits. One for the book club and two on my own.

BPM:  Do you prefer a hard copy book or a digital book, such as a Kindle book?
Yes, I have been introduced to the kindle and I enjoy the books on digital. I do have some authors that I collect their writings and I prefer them on hardback. No, I don't think the digital will ever replay the hardback, for some just like the feel of a book and turning pages..

BPM: Do you think the writings of today's authors are leaving the same legacy as authors from other generations? Do you see others following their path? If so, who?
Not too sure about this statement, for a lot of these new authors are just catering to todays subjects...such as hip hop urban books.


Finish these fun loving sentences with the question and answer:

BPM: Living your best life includes:
...being true to yourself

BPM: On your nightstand now:
...my kindle and Uptown by Dewberry and Grant

BPM: Favorite book when you were a child:
Raggedy Ann & Andy

BPM: Book all readers should own excluding the bible:
Write it down make it happen by Henriette Anne Klauser

BPM: Book you gave as a gift:
Fifteen Years by Kendra Norman Bellamy

BPM: Book you've bought for the cover:
E Lynn Harris -- In My Father's House

BPM: Book that should be a movie or play:
Fifteen Years by Kendra Norman Bellamy

BPM: Name three authors you would like to do a phone chat with this year.
Kimberla Lawson Roby, James Patterson and Victoria Christopher Murray


Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine. Visit the magazine here: http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/





Reader Spotlight: Denise Turney founder of Book Lover's Haven

Intimate Conversation with Avid Reader Denise Turney


BPM: Denise, tell us a little bit about yourself and your favorite things.
I am an avid book reader and an author (Portia, Love Has Many Faces, Spiral, Long Walk Up, Rosetta's Great Hope, and Love Pour Over Me @ www.chistell.com). My favorite male singer is Maxwell. Aretha Franklin is my absolute favorite female singer (have been loving her sound for years)! Love to travel and visit with my family. The one and only, Gwendolyn Brooks, is a writing inspiration.

BPM: Share with us the history of  the Book Lover's Haven . How did you get started? Do you host events during the year?Founded the Book Lover's Haven ten years ago. Over 1,000 avid subscribers read the literary magazine monthly. In March 2010, founded the Book Lovers Haven Network. It's a Ning site that is free for writers and readers to join. Forums, blogs, chats, book reviews, etc. are posted at the Book Lovers Haven Network. Also host the annual Chistell Writing Contest (short stories and poetry). The contest is going into it's 11th year!!

BPM: Speak to the writers, what would you like to see written in books?
I'd like to see more literary pieces (i.e. James Baldwin, Edwidge Danticat) and intricate storytelling (i.e. J. California Cooper). I'd also like to read more autobiographies of people sharing their personal stories of struggle, faith, and triumph (i.e. The Pursuit of Happyness).

BPM: What impact has reading had on your life? Has there been any books that help shape your life or gave you inspiration during a trying time in life?
Currently reading Paula Deen's, "It Ain't All About The Cooking." Her book (as do other books that I read and enjoy) encourages me, lets me know that focus and perseverance yield tremendously good rewards. Gwendolyn Brooks' and other poets' work have inspired and enlightened me as well. I love the lessons that J. California Cooper teaches through her stories.

BPM: Would you say you read more for escape, for educational purposes or for entertainment?
I haven't been reading as much as I used to. My average reading is about two books a week. I read for escape, inspiration and entertainment.


BPM: Do you prefer a hard copy book or a digital book, such as a Kindle book? I prefer hard copy books (print).

BPM: Do you think the writings of today's authors are leaving the same legacy as authors from other generations? Do you see others following their path? If so, who?
Yes. Urban erotica and other urban literature that focuses on dysfunctional relationships has become popular. But there are many books (and writers) that respect and continue to hone their craft. The same Source that brought us the Mayas, Octavias and Alexes is still at work in the universe gifting us with great art.

Finish these fun loving sentences with the question and answer:

BPM: Favorite book when you were a child:
Pippi Longstocking books

BPM: Book all readers should own excluding the bible:
A journal (so they can pen experiences from their own life journey)

BPM: Book you gave as a gift:
Long Walk Up, Spiral and Portia

BPM: Favorite line or couple from a book:
Something to the effect "The calvary ain't coming. If you want to change or do so something, you've got to get out there and make it happen" -- from "The Pursuit of Happyness"

BPM: Book you most want to read AGAIN much slower, to savor:
A Course in Miracles

BPM: Favorite genre, series or sequels:
Autobiography, inspiration

BPM: Book that should be a movie or play:
Loving Donavan by Bernice McFadden

BPM: Name three authors you would like to do a phone chat with this year.
Bernice McFadden, Jamaica Kincaid, J. K. Rowling


Ella, thank you again for the opportunity!!

Denise Turney, Author - Long Walk Up
Website: http://www.chistell.com/


Off The Shelf Radio Host

Denise host the international radio program Off The Shelf which airs on Blog Talk Radio live from 11AM-12PM on Saturday and 24/7 throughout the rest of the week.

Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine. Visit the magazine here: http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/

Book Video: When I Get Where I'm Going by Cheryl Robinson

When I Get Where I'm Going by Cheryl Robinson
featured in Essence Magazine, September 2010!


 
"WHEN I GET WHERE I'M GOING is about three very different sisters and is a wonderfully entertaining read."  --- Kimberla Lawson Roby, New York Times Bestselling Author
 
 

(Can't view the video, click here to see the original video spotlight)



=======================================================


When I Get Where I'm GoingAfter thirteen years in Hollywood, Alicia Day is ready to give up on her dream of becoming a movie star. A call from a woman in Detroit claiming to be her half sister couldn't have come at a better time, and Alicia decides to return to her hometown to meet her.

Heaven Jetter was shocked when her father told her about his secret daughter. But now that she and her full sister, Hope Teasdale, have fallen out again—perhaps permanently this time—and her abusive boyfriend has finally gone too far, Heaven yearns for a fresh start.

Hope is still mourning over her husband's disappearance two years ago in a boating accident, struggling to be a good mother to her young daughter. She doesn't need more drama from Heaven—or her new "sister."

But an earth-shattering discovery, a lucky lottery ticket, and a near-fatal encounter finally bring all three estranged sisters together . . . and they realize that nothing can save a person like family.

Note: Discussion Topics inside When I Get Where I'm Going by Cheryl Robinson
Domestic violence, sisterhood, estranged family, the entertainment industry, specifically the lack of roles for black women in Hollywood.


About the Author
Cheryl Robinson was born and raised in Detroit. She has a degree in business marketing from Wayne State University, and currently resides in Ocala, Florida where she is writing her next novel that is due out in the fall of 2011.   ISBN: 978-0451229472    |   Website: http://www.cherylrobinson.com/

Purchase your copy today at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/When-Get-Where-Im-Going/dp/0451229479


Cheryl Robinson
http://www.cherylrobinson.com/
www.myspace.com/cherylrobinson
When I Get Where I'm Going available September 2010


Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine. Visit the magazine here: http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/

Intimate Conversation with author Cheryl Robinson

Cheryl Robinson is the author of five novels. Most recently, In Love with a Younger Man and Sweet Georgia Brown. She is a native Detroiter and graduate of Wayne State University. Robinson now resides in Central Florida where she is writing her next novel.


BPM: What makes you powerful as a person and a writer?
As a person I feel power in my faith. It allows me to press on through the rough times and to remain positive. I try not to let the daily stresses of life get to me. And I try not to judge others. The more I stop myself when I feel my mind going in that direction, the easier it becomes. I get tired of seeing people get built up by the media to later get knocked down. The less I judge others the better I not only feel, but also when I write and develop characters it's much easier for me to remove myself from the situation. I realize it's impossible for everyone to love my books, but I always keep that as one of my primary writing goals. And, I try to keep a healthy balance between being my own worst critic and one of my biggest fans.


BPM: Where do you find your inspiration?
All of the inspiration I could ever need I can find from everyday life--the joys and the pitfalls. I can open one email from someone telling me how upset they are at the way I ended my last book and then turn around and open another email from someone telling me how much they thoroughly enjoyed it. That's an example of how life is in general. One minute you can be down, but in a second it can all turn around. You have to take the good with the bad and learn from them both. But honestly, sometimes I just want it to all be good.


BPM: What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your book?
Some years ago, when I was about nineteen or twenty, I answered the phone at my parents' home and there was a woman on the other end who insisted that we were related. She was trying to tell me that she was my half sister and that we had the same father. I remember my heart sinking. In order for that to be true, based on her timeframe, that would mean my father, who I thought had been happily married to my mother for years, had cheated. But as the conversation continued we both realized that while the two men shared the same name they weren't the same person.

Still, for those few minutes, I had to ask myself what if that was actually the case. The thought never completely escaped my mind, and in some ways it was that event that prompted me to eventually get around to exploring the scenario. And now, in the age of social networking, it's much easier to find your missing relatives. And in the case of these three sisters, it's also true, and they do share the same father.


BPM: Who do you want to reach with When I Get Where I'm Going and the message within?
I am a Women's Fiction author. That does not mean I only write for women. Nor does the fact that I'm black mean I only write for black people. I don't write to exclude any one, but to enlighten and entertain us all. I write about women and women's issues, and of course, men are in my novels too. As an author I have an opportunity to go beyond stereotypes. I've learned over the eight years that I've been writing professionally that there is a way to entertain without offending.

If I, as a black woman, do not feel good about how we are represented in the media. If I don't feel empowered about what is being written about us on the internet and elsewhere and if I have to continuously hear from the media that black women are "the least desirable of all the races" or not a preference by some men even within our own race, as an artist, I have an opportunity to present a different message that isn't a negative one, but can still be realistic. It's like music. Some songs only have a good beat while others also have wonderful lyrics. I want to write books that make people feel good.

My intended message isn't given to readers, but written in such a way that the reader gets out of it what they came to the story with and how they view the story and the characters will be interpreted by how they view the world. But maybe, if I do my job as I intend to, they will have a different opinion after it's all said and done.


BPM: Introduce us to your latest book, When I Get Where I'm Going.
What would you do if you discovered that you had a sibling you never knew existed? Would you be like Heaven, so excited to connect to that person that you quickly took to Facebook and started searching? Would you be like Hope, too caught up in the trials and tribulations of your own life to even care? Or would you be like Alicia, skeptical at first, but willing to open up to the idea?

Alicia, Hope, and Heaven are three estranged sisters embarking on one special reunion. And it will take an earth-shattering discovery, a lucky lottery ticket, and a near-fatal encounter to finally bring three sisters together and have them realize that nothing can save a person like family.


BPM: Introduce us to your main characters in When I Get Where I'm Going.
Heaven Jetter, Hope Teasdale, and Alicia Day are three special sisters! Heaven is twenty-one and the youngest sister. She's on probation, caught up in an abusive relationship, and trying desperately to get her life back on track. Hope is a young widow and single mother searching for the truth behind her husband's death, but once she finds out, can she handle it? Alicia is a struggling actress trying to catch a break in Hollywood after thirteen years of trying, but a devastating one-two punch forces her back to Detroit.


BPM: What are two major events taking place?
The novel is written in third person and begins with a prologue that occurs five months prior to the start of the story. And then the rest of the novel is divided into three parts and most of the chapters alternate between the point of view of each sister. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that each sister has a major turning point that makes each of them reevaluate their life.


BPM: What are a couple of the specific issues or problems addressed in this book?
One issue in the story is domestic abuse. Heaven is involved in an unhealthy relationship, but like so many other women involved in something like that, she finds it nearly impossible to leave. Her story isn't from the viewpoint of a woman who is both a wife and mother and being abused, but from a young woman who has gotten caught-up with the wrong man and finds herself so confused that she doesn't know what to do and feels that her life in general is spiraling out of control.

Alicia Day's character was written for anyone who has been holding on to a dream for a very long time and wondering if it will ever come true. Aspiring actors, singers, and writers should be able to especially relate to her story. Black actresses, in particular, should also be able to as much has been discussed about the struggles that black women experience while trying to succeed in Hollywood.


Discussion Topics inside When I Get Where I'm Going by Cheryl Robinson
Domestic violence, sisterhood, estranged family, the entertainment industry, specifically the lack of roles for black women in Hollywood.

BPM: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
When I Get Where I'm Going is featured in the September issue of Essence Magazine. And I recently completed my next novel, Remember Me, that will be released in September 2011.
BPM: How can our readers reach you online?
Readers can connect with me through my website at http://www.cherylrobinson.com/  and also join me on my recently created Facebook page. There is a link on my web site.


Purchase your copy today at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/When-Get-Where-Im-Going/dp/0451229479

Cheryl Robinson
http://www.cherylrobinson.com/
www.myspace.com/cherylrobinson
When I Get Where I'm Going available September 2010

 
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