EMPOWERING SINGLE MOTHERS RAISING MALE CHILDREN
RAISING HIM ALONE: Things Black Women Can do to Raise Black Boys to be Men
By David Miller and Matthew P. Stevens
“Raising Him Alone” by David Miller and Matthew P. Stevens is a must read book for single mothers!" -- recommended by Ella Curry, president of EDC Creations Media Group
Raising Him Alone is more than just a book! It is a source of inspiration for millions of single mothers who struggle daily with the challenges of raising healthy and productive boys to responsible men. Raising Him Alone honors the struggles of single mothers raising boys through providing daily lessons that range from talking to boys about sex to assisting mothers with the process of dating.
Many of the statistics on Black men and boys are painful and are often daunting. For example, the most recent report on graduation rates among African American males published by the Schott Foundation indicates that in many US cities African American males are dropping out at rates that exceed 65%. The cities include but are not limited to Indianapolis, Detroit and Baltimore. With the lowest graduation rates in the nation among African American males, Indianapolis and Detroit’s graduation rates can only be viewed as a public health concern. We rarely hear about the countless numbers of mothers who are successfully raising boys alone. The book underscores the need for mothers to be more willing than ever to sacrifice to support positive Black male development. This sacrifice includes developing a greater understanding of contemporary issues that affect Black males as well as getting mothers and fathers to be willing to reconcile old wounds.
The book serves as a voice of reason that tells us how important it is to rescue our boys from failing communities and failing schools. Finally, we hope that Raising Him Alone compels mothers to band together to address the challenges of being a single mother. After reading Raising Him Alone, please make sure you pass this book along to other mothers who can benefit from the lessons and the wisdom of others who have successfully navigated the world of being a single parent. Visit the website for parenting resources, articles, video inspiration and so much more! Purchase the book, “Raising Him Alone” here: http://www.raisinghimalone.com/products.htm
About The Raising Him Alone Campaign
The Raising Him Alone Campaign is the vision of David Miller and Matt Stevens. It is based on Miller and Stevens' collective work to improve the life chances of African American males. Miller and Stevens were compelled to join forces to create an advocacy campaign that focused specifically on supporting single mothers raising boys.
The campaign is based on numerous conversations with local and national organizations on ways to better support African American boys. Additionally, Miller & Stevens hosted a series of focus groups and interviews with single mothers raising boys across the U.S. to determine the successes and challenges which confront these families. Overwhelmingly, mothers indicated issues related to understanding male development, issues with their sons father's and financial constraints as major challenges in their lives.
The campaign acknowledges that nationwide several groups are doing an exceptional job working with African American boys from an academic and social developmental standpoint, however few organizations are working with the parents of these boys.
The Raising Him Alone Campaign recognizes that there has been a total disregard for the voices of single mothers living in urban communities. Such neglect of mothers raising boys has created some alarming trends among African American boys. To this end, the campaign believes that by increasing awareness around the need to connect single mothers to greater access to services (mental health, financial literacy, strategies for parenting a male child and strategies to support school achievement of male children) we can produce more positive outcomes for African American boys.
The campaign focuses on four areas identified as key benchmarks in addressing positive outcomes for single mothers and their sons. The campaign's approach to provide greater advocacy and supporting parents gaining access to community based services. The following are the four key campaign areas:
Health & Well Being (Mental Health)
•Black males have the worst health status of any other race-sex group.
•Black males have the second lowest life expectancy at birth second only to Native American men.
•Black males have the highest death rate from all causes and the highest death rates from cancer, cardiovascular disease & homicides.
•Black male have the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections.
Educational Support & Advocacy
•Black males account for 8.62% of total enrollment in the nation's elementary and secondary schools, but account for 21.69% of total expulsions.
•Forty-two percent of all Black boys have failed an entire grade at least once.
•The national average high school graduation rate for Black boys is 47%.
Financial Literacy (African American Community)
•Nearly six of 10 children living with only their mother were near (or below) the poverty line.
•Of the 19 million children of single parents, two thirds live in rented homes.
Reconnecting Fathers & Sons
Children From Fatherless Homes More Likely To:
•Commit Suicide (5 Times)
•Have behavioral disorder (20 Times)
•Drop out of school (9 Times)
•Abuse drugs (10 Times)
•Go to prison (20 Times)
Raising Him Alone (RHA) is dedicated to researching, designing, and implementing a campaign to support the social well being of single mothers raising boys. Through a series of intense community forums, workshops and support group initiatives, RHA seeks to increase access to resources in the areas of Health & Well Being (Mental Health), Educational Support & Advocacy, as well as Financial Literacy.
For more information on Raising Him Alone, the campaign schedule of events and resources visit, http://www.raisinghimalone.com/. For more information on David Miller, visit http://www.urbanleadershipinstitute.com/.
Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine. Visit the magazine here: http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query david miller. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query david miller. Sort by date Show all posts
Serious Parenting Action Steps by David Miller
Article: Serious Parenting Action Stepsby David Miller
I would like to share with you a fantastic resource for parents that I found on the Raising Him Alone (RHA) website. Here is a wonderfully written article on "Serious Parenting Action Steps." Please take a moment and explore the advice offered by the founder David Miller and staff. Read the steps here: http://www.raisinghimalone.com/strategies.htm#Question5. I'm listing just a few below, but I encourage you to go to their site and read them all today.
The Family Unit
•Maintain an open and on-going relationship with your son's father (if possible, all attempts need to be made to cultivate this relationship)
•Surround your son with extended family and friends
•Create family meeting times with your son to discuss your lives
Household
•Set fair expectations and limits with your son - make sure expectations and limits are clear and appropriate for your child's age and ability
•As your son gets older, give him more choices, freedom and responsibility
•Pick your battles wisely. Things like your son's safety and respect must always be a priority
•Don't expect your son to like all of your decisions. As a parent it is your job to make final decisions
Punishment & Discipline
•Talk to your son about consequences and being accountable for his actions
•Make the "punishment fit the crime." Avoid being too harsh even when you are angry
•Be consistent and realize that growing up as an African American male is tough. Oftentimes we are too punitive with our sons.
Teach Your Son How to Act (Time & Place)
•Teach your son by your example what to do, not just tell him what he should do
•Help your son learn the power of solving conflicts- Our sons can not physically fight their way out of every situation
•Distract your son from unsafe activities- prior to age 12, an alarming number of boys get involved in carrying weapons to school, experimenting with sex and drugs
Raising Him Alone is a source of inspiration for the millions of single mothers who struggle daily with the challenges of raising healthy and productive boys to become responsible men. The book is based on hundreds of interviews, focus groups, and discussions with single mothers who are raising boys.
In 1999 Miller co-founded the Urban Leadership Institute in Baltimore, which has developed an international reputation for providing professional development for organizations working with youth to address alternatives to a gang lifestyle and succumbing to peer pressure while promoting diversity and increasing academic achievement.
For more information on Raising Him Alone, the campaign schedule of events and resources visit, http://www.raisinghimalone.com/. For more information on David Miller, visit http://www.urbanleadershipinstitute.com/. Purchase the book, “Raising Him Alone” here: http://www.raisinghimalone.com/products.htm
I would like to share with you a fantastic resource for parents that I found on the Raising Him Alone (RHA) website. Here is a wonderfully written article on "Serious Parenting Action Steps." Please take a moment and explore the advice offered by the founder David Miller and staff. Read the steps here: http://www.raisinghimalone.com/strategies.htm#Question5. I'm listing just a few below, but I encourage you to go to their site and read them all today.
The Family Unit
•Maintain an open and on-going relationship with your son's father (if possible, all attempts need to be made to cultivate this relationship)
•Surround your son with extended family and friends
•Create family meeting times with your son to discuss your lives
Household
•Set fair expectations and limits with your son - make sure expectations and limits are clear and appropriate for your child's age and ability
•As your son gets older, give him more choices, freedom and responsibility
•Pick your battles wisely. Things like your son's safety and respect must always be a priority
•Don't expect your son to like all of your decisions. As a parent it is your job to make final decisions
Punishment & Discipline
•Talk to your son about consequences and being accountable for his actions
•Make the "punishment fit the crime." Avoid being too harsh even when you are angry
•Be consistent and realize that growing up as an African American male is tough. Oftentimes we are too punitive with our sons.
Teach Your Son How to Act (Time & Place)
•Teach your son by your example what to do, not just tell him what he should do
•Help your son learn the power of solving conflicts- Our sons can not physically fight their way out of every situation
•Distract your son from unsafe activities- prior to age 12, an alarming number of boys get involved in carrying weapons to school, experimenting with sex and drugs
Raising Him Alone is a source of inspiration for the millions of single mothers who struggle daily with the challenges of raising healthy and productive boys to become responsible men. The book is based on hundreds of interviews, focus groups, and discussions with single mothers who are raising boys.
In 1999 Miller co-founded the Urban Leadership Institute in Baltimore, which has developed an international reputation for providing professional development for organizations working with youth to address alternatives to a gang lifestyle and succumbing to peer pressure while promoting diversity and increasing academic achievement.
For more information on Raising Him Alone, the campaign schedule of events and resources visit, http://www.raisinghimalone.com/. For more information on David Miller, visit http://www.urbanleadershipinstitute.com/. Purchase the book, “Raising Him Alone” here: http://www.raisinghimalone.com/products.htm
#SantaHelpers: What If It Feels Good by D. J. McLaurin
What If It Feels Good by D.J. McLaurin
In this story of love, betrayal, and revenge, bonds are tested, friendships are challenged, dark secrets surface and an epic romance blossoms amidst a media circus.
Michael Bagley, street savvy and beautiful, learned the art of the con and sleeps with older women to survive. When an accidental shooting sets off a citywide manhunt and thrusts Michael into certain danger, his mother, a stripper at a local nightclub, is finally forced to confront the biological father who didn’t know Michael existed. Soon, Michael finds himself whisked off the streets of Detroit and into a world of champagne dreams with more money at his fingertips than he ever thought possible.
But Michael’s life takes a bizarre turn as he bonds with his newfound father’s best friend. Chachi is a charming, down-to-earth ladies’ man, who awakens sensations Michael can’t explain, throwing him into identity turmoil. When the dust settles, Michael learns that neither riches, fame, nor age has anything to do with love.
As Michael struggles to find his place in a new world, he hopes the streets have toughened him enough to hold on to a secret relationship that may be against the odds and out of his league, and win the fight for the love of his life.
Book Review Written by Minnie E Miller
Looking for love, wherever!
In “What If It Feels Good?” D.J. McLaurin makes it clear in her opening that Michael Bagley is not your typical teenager. McLaurin’s skillful mapping of Michael’s life would seem to some “unspeakable.” Conversely, to Michael it was a matter of survival. Michael runs head-on with his mother’s boyfriend because of his abuse, which leads to a near fatal conflict between the two, causing the 14-year-old kid to escape into the streets, and live among the homeless. Legal trouble lands Michael into a home for adolescent boys. A friend of Michael’s biological father begs and threatens him into rescuing his bastard son, and taking him into his established family. Michael goes from rags to riches under Joe’s roof. The mixture is not mixing well, however.
Young Michael’s needs overpower his logic, and he falls in love with an
older man, who is fascinated by the young boy’s wit and wisdom, feels
he is 14 going on 30. The odd couple receives constant blows to the
stomach about their relationship, especially from an ex-girlfriend. This
novel makes it even more evident that the need for love does not go
away unless it’s satisfied, no matter the age. As I sat glued to D.J.’s
novel, my emotions were on a roller coaster ride. I felt fear, anger,
happiness, and sadness for Michael.
D.J. McLaurin is a professional author with undeniable talent, depth, and perception. She made a believer out of me, a seasoned woman, and author. I give the novel 5 stars.
Review written by Minnie E Miller, Author
http://msminerva.wordpress.com
minnie247@sbcglobal.net
minniemiller247@gmail.com
D.J. McLaurin is a professional author with undeniable talent, depth, and perception. She made a believer out of me, a seasoned woman, and author. I give the novel 5 stars.
Review written by Minnie E Miller, Author
http://msminerva.wordpress.com
minnie247@sbcglobal.net
minniemiller247@gmail.com
Book Excerpt: What If It Feels Good
The phone rang. Michael ran to it.
“That little fool!” Sarah screeched. “He hung up on me!”
“Who?” Michael asked.
“I called the number you gave me and respectfully asked to speak to Joe, right? Why did that little prick ask me how I got the number? Like it was any of his business!”
“Who, ma?”
“I oughta hop a plane right now and go beat the crap out of him! I see what you mean now, honey! I don’t want you there anymore!”
“Ma, what are you talking about? Who hung up on you?”
“David! I asked to speak to Joe and he told me he couldn’t take my call, and just hung up on me--”
Michael dropped the phone and headed for the door.
“Uh, Oh,” Eric muttered. He and Leah scurried after him.
“What’s going on?” Leah asked as they descended the staircase. Michael ignored the both of them.
“Look man, this is just ridiculous!” Eric put his hand on Michael’s shoulder but, with a shake, Michael sent him sailing down several stairs before Eric was able to stop his fall by grabbing hold to the banister railing.
Michael searched rooms, kicking doors open, until he found David in Joe’s study, reading an investment magazine. David spun around in surprise.
“You hung up on my mother, you little prick?” Michael growled.
“Wha….?”
Michael’s fist made contact with David’s jaw, knocking him backward out of his chair.
“Daaaad! Daaaad!” Leah shrieked.
Michael grabbed David by his shirt collar and punched him over and over again.
Eric made a fruitless attempt to separate them before Joe and Dominic came rushing from the adjoining office.
David’s shirt was already splattered with the blood oozing from his nose and mouth when Joe reached them.
“Stop it!” Joe demanded. He wrapped his arm around Michael’s neck and attempted to pull him away from David. He underestimated Michael’s strength and all three of them went toppling forward.
Dominic wedged his body between the two boys to help separate them. It finally worked.
“What is your problem?” Joe yelled at Michael.
“You too!” Michael spat at him.
Joe touched his hand to his face and watched the wet stuff drip down his finger in disbelief. “He did not just spit on me…” he said, his eyes widening then shrinking as his face darkened.
“I hate all of you!” Michael shouted. His chest heaved, his eyes were red with anger. “You think you’re gonna treat my mother like a piece of shyt, you good-for-nothing, stuck up--”
Joe dived on top of Michael.
They tussled on the floor before Michael twisted from underneath his father. He sprang to his feet with the agility of youth, fist raised and ready.
Joe stood too, aghast with shock. “How dare you,” he snarled, seething with anger.
Eric, Leah, and David huddled behind Dominic, watching helplessly.
“Oh, you’re a man now?” Joe challenged Michael, his chest laboring. “You think you’re man enough to take me, Michael? Cause if you think so, let me know, and I’ll beat your ass like a man!”
“I swear,” Michael panted, “you hit me, I’ll kill you.”
Joe slapped Michael’s face with a force that sent him reeling.
Michael responded with a right hook, grazing Joe’s chin. Stunned, Joe cradled his face. He’s dealing with no ordinary boy. Michael darted across the room and headed for the stairs as soon as Dominic was able to detain Joe.
Joe shook himself from Dominic’s grip. Leah ran for the phone. Michael raced for his bedroom, attempting to push the door closed behind him, but Joe was already at the threshold. Using his foot and shoulder, Joe pushed his way in, slamming and locking the door behind him. Michael retreated to one side of the bed, Joe the other, out of breath, gazes locked. Outside the door, Lydia and Dominic pleaded with Joe.
“So, whatcha think now, Michael?”
Michael’s shoulder’s sagged. “Just leave me alone!” he pleaded.
Joe lunged across the king-sized bed and grabbed him.
“What’s wrong?” Joe asked, his face distorted and close, his breath coming fast, “Something wrong?”
Michael shook his head frantically.
“Oh, you’ve decided you don’t wanna be a man now, huh? C’mon Mike, make up your mind! You’re a man or a boy!”
Michael shut his eyes tight and lowered his head.
A key turned in the door.
Joe yelled, “Don’t come in here!” He turned back to Michael “I didn’t hear you.”
“I’m not a man,” Michael whispered, humiliated. He just wanted it to stop. This dude had gone mad.
“Oh, now I hear you,” Joe’s eyes were shining. “You’re a boy now. Good.” He shoved the boy onto the bed and unbuckled his belt, removing it from his pants loops. “Now I’ll just beat your ass like a boy.”
Joe sat in his office and swiveled in his chair. He could hear the commotion outside his door. Lydia, crying, begged for him to come out. Jake’s voice trailed toward the staircase. More muffled voices, then Dominic was at the door making his appeal. Joe knew he screwed up. He was upset with himself for losing control, but he was not crazy and he knew he had not done enough harm to cause Michael any permanent damage. The phone on his desk rang. He figured it was Chachi or maybe Sarah, or whoever. It didn’t matter. He was going to handle this his way. It wasn’t until Steven showed up, furiously banging on the door that he decided to emerge.
“Come out you crazy bastard! You coward!” Steven shouted.
Joe yanked the door open. Steven stared at Joe with rage-inflamed eyes. Joe leaned casually against the frame.
“You beat that little boy like that?” Steven yelled.
Joe waved a hand at Steven. “He’ll be okay.” He turned back into his office.
Steven stormed in behind him. “Okay? Are you crazy? That boy is up there hanging by a thread! You almost killed him!”
Joe walked over to his desk and sat down. “If I was trying to kill him, he’d be dead.”
“You think this is a game, don’t you?” Steven bent over Joe’s desk to meet his face.
“What’s your point, Steven?”
“My point? I’ll show you my point!”
Dominic and Jake had come in quietly. Steven had almost run the two of them down storming out of the office.
“Where are you going?” Dominic grabbed Steven’s arm.
“I’m taking him out of here!”
“Don’t you touch him!” Joe shouted. Steven turned to look at him. “He’s my son, and I say don’t touch him!”
Steven breathed deeply. “I’ll file a motion in the morning to have this child snatched from you so fast it’ll make you dizzy!”
“Do what you have to do,” Joe warned. “But don’t you touch him.”
Steven spun around, but Jake blocked his path.
“Wait a minute!” Jake pleaded. “Joe, what’s going on?”
Joe exhaled. “I know I lost it.” He shot a hot glance in Steven’s direction. “But I’ve got it under control now.”
“You need to see a doctor!” Steven charged.
“I need to see a doctor?” Joe flushed. “The boy spit on me! Spit! And he punched the shyt out of my face!” Joe turned his head to the side to display a bruised chin. “And yes, I beat his ass, and nobody is gonna come into my house and tell me how to raise my kids--not you,” he pointed at Steven, “not the judge, not the police!”
“You’re sick!” Steven shouted.
“Is he gonna be okay, Jake?” Joe asked as coolly as if he were asking about the weather.
“He’s got a bloody nose and some cuts as well as some bruising. He’ll be sore but he’ll be okay,” Jake said.
“Good.” Though Joe smiled, his eyes did not. “See?” he said turning to Steven with a sneer. “Now get the hell out of my house!”
( Continued... )
© 2014 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, D.J. McLaurin. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. Copyright infringement is a serious offense. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Share a link to this page or the author's website if you really like this sneak peek.
Purchase What If It Feels Good by D. J. McLaurin
Contemporary, Alternative Fiction
CBC: Day for Educators and Parents-Saturday, September 18th
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
Author Pavilion 2010
Author Pavilion 2010
Washington, DC Convention Center, Exhibit Hall E – Booth 107
Presented by The Renaissance Group, The Hurston Wright Foundation, Howard University and hosted by Patrick Oliver Founder of, Say It Loud! Readers and Writers Series. Online PR provided by EDC Creations Media Group.
Saturday, September 18th
(Pavilion Hours 8:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.)
“A Day for Area Educators and Parents”
Literacy NOW! Developing the Next Generation of Readers, Writers and Leader
Meet & Greet Children & Young Adult Authors
Panel Discussion ~ Storytelling
Special Discounts on Selected Titles
NEA Read Across America
Encouraging Our Son’s to Read: A Community Call to Action
National Association of Black Storytellers
Special Tribute & Conversation with Literary Icon Eloise Greenfield
Parent Call to Action: Literacy NOW!
2KNation Collective
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. LITERACY NOW!
1. Jamal Bryant – World War Me
2. L. Trenton Marsh – From 1.0 to 4.0 Ten Strategies for Academic And Collegiate Success
3. James A. Merritt – Spencer’s First
4. Deborah Gregory – Catwalk & Catwalk: Strike a Pose
5. Yaba Baker – Princess Briana & Dollar
6. David Miller – Mama Used to Say “PARENT CALL TO ACTION”
7. Randall Horton – The Lingua Franca of Ninth Street
8. Honoring and Celebrating a Literary Icon: Eloise Greenfield - Childtimes: A Three Generation Memoir
9. Bobbie Edmonds - The Legal Navigator “PARENT CALL TO ACTION”
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. LITERACY NOW!
1. Deborah Gregory – Catwalk & Catwalk: Strike a Pose
2. Yaba Baker – Princess Briana & Dollar
3. David Miller – Mama Used to Say
4. Eloise Greenfield - Childtimes: A Three Generation Memoir
5. Bobbie Edmonds - The Legal Navigator
6. Lyah Beth Leflore – The Come Up: Can't Hold Me Down & The World is Mine
7. Lori Nelson & Valerie Nelson - Hillary’s Big Adventure & I Can Do It by My-Self!
8. Ron Kavanaugh – Literary Freedom Project
9. Charisse Carney-Nunes – I am Barack Obama
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. LITERACY NOW!
Literacy NOW! Developing the Next Generation of Readers, Writers and Leaders
Moderator: Patrick Oliver Founder of, Say It Loud! Readers and Writers Series
Panelists:
Lyah Beth Leflore – The Come Up: Can't Hold Me Down & The World is Mine
Julianne Malveaux – Surviving and Thriving 365 Facts in Black Economic History
Cora Coleman-Dunham – Gathering a Great Understanding
Wade & Cheryl Hudson – Founders/Publisher of Just Us Books
Salome Thomas-El – Immortality of Influence
Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine.
Visit the magazine here: www.blackpearlsmagazine.com
Meet Ella at Capital BookFest '09— Author Schedule
Capital BookFest '09—Schedule
Author signings will follow each presentation
October 3, 2009, 10am – 7pm
Borders Largo, Maryland
Bookclub preidents Meet Ella at Capital BookFest to receive gift bags of review books! Let us help you select your next book of the month. We have several awesome books for your club to preview and to review. Look for the EDC logo on the table.
Pastor Jamal Bryant. Marita Golden. Omar Tyree. Shane Evans. E. Ethelbert Miller. Tim Reid. Charisse Nunes. Liza Mundy. Connie Briscoe. Victoria Christopher Murray. These are just a few of the amazing authors who will participate in the fifth annual Capital BookFest.
CAPITAL BOOKFEST 2009 CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS;
FEATURES OVER 80 NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AUTHORS
The popular, family-oriented Capital BookFest returns to the National Capital area this year on Saturday, October 3, 2009. Festivities are spread among four different zones in and around the Borders Books and Café, 931A Capital Centre Blvd, inside The Blvd at Capital Centre Mall in Largo, Maryland. The fun starts at 10:00 a.m. and lasts all day until 7:00 p.m. In addition, and in response to President Obama’s call to service, the Capital BookFest and the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services partner up to promote healthy homes for children in foster care.
The fifth annual Capital BookFest, presented in partnership with the Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, features author readings/signings, teen authors and programs, poetry, exhibitors, children’s storytelling, writers’ and publishers’ workshops, and discussion forums for parents and children alike. The first 1000 early birds even receive book giveaways! “…the Capital BookFest was born out of this desire to motivate and educate parents and children to enjoy a good book…together”, states Kwame Alexander, award-winning producer, publisher, poet, and co-creator of the annual BookFest. Hence the mission: Strengthen Families through Reading.
Please go to the Capital BookFest website www.capitalbookfest.org for more information about the festival, including the list of authors, exhibitors, forums, and the proposed schedule of events.
MAINSTAGE (Inside Borders)
11:00 am - 6:30 pm Ella Curry of EDC Creations has Intimate Conversations Interviews with featured authors.
11:00 – 11:45
Fiction Reading: Donna Hill & Tinesha Davis, Holler at the Moon
11:50 - 12:40
Talk: E. Ethelbert Miller, The 5th Inning: A Memoir
12:50 – 1:40
Reading & Talk: W. Ralph Eubanks, The House at the End of the Road: The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the American South
Jennifer Bazille, Black Girl Next Door
1:50 – 2:40
Talk: Liza Mundy, author Michelle Obama
2:50 – 3:50
It’s About Love Reading hosted by Marita Golden
4:00 – 4:50
Reading: Connie Briscoe, Sisters and Husbands
5:10 - 6:10
Talk: Conversation with Tim Reid, Comedian and author of Tim and Tom
6:20 until
Reading & Talk: R. Dwayne Betts, A Question of Freedom: Memoir
WRITE ON (TENT BEHIND BORDERS)
10:20 - 11:00
Talk: David Johns, The State of Black America "Message to the President”
11:10 – 11:45
Talk: Kimberly Seals Allers, author of The Mocha Manual to a Fabulous Pregnancy
12:00 – 1:00
Teen Authors Spotlight: Book-in-a-Day & Write-a-Book Programs
1:10 – 1:50
Talk & Tasting: Chef Gillian Clark, Chef and author of Out of the Frying Pan
2:05 – 3:00
Talk: Omar Tyree, The Equation & Kathryn Freeland, Navigating Your Way To Business Success
3:10 – 3:55
Talk: Jewell Powell, Marriage 101 & Tameesha Tucker, Single & Saved in PG County
4:00– 5:10
Poetry Reading: Deanna Nikaido, Le Hinton, Rebecca Gonzalez, Van Garrett, Sami Miranda, Barbara DeCeasare
5:20 – 6:15
Talk: Alicia Crowe, REAL DADS STAND UP! What Every Single Father Should Know About Child Support, Rights and Custody
David Miller, Raising Him Alone:Things Black Women Can Do to Raise Boys to Be Men
6:25 – 7:15
Ministers Panel: Jamal Bryant, pastor of Empowerment Temple, World War Me
Charlotte Avery, No One Ever Told Me
KIDS ZONE
Hosted by Dwe Williams, Storyteller
10:00 DWe Williams
10:35 Cassandra Hill, Shyann the Cat
11:10 Barbara Alexander, Papa’s Penny Party
11:45 Omar Tyree, 12 Brown Boys
12:35 Ashti
Hosted by Sylvia Dianne Beverly
1:15 Shane Evans
1:50 Ralph Burgess, Cool Calvin
2:30 Lori Nelson, Hillary's BIG Business Adventure
3:10 Charisse Carney Nunes, I am Barack Obama
3:55 Shane Evans
4:30 Tiffany Alexander, Braided in my Hair
BORDERS CAFE (Inside Borders)
10:15 – 11:15 pm
Talk: Dr. E. Curtis Alexander: Civil War
Stolen Honor: Afro-Union Medal of Honor, Gilmore Medal and Army of the James/Butler Medal Recipients
11:25 – 12:10 pm
Talk: Toni Cade Bambara Panel: Linda Holmes/Cheryl Wall, authors of Savoring the Salt
12:20 – 1:20 pm
Everything You Wanted to Know about Getting Published: Kevin Johnson, Donna Hill, Charisse Carney Nunes, Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke
1:30 – 2:10
Fiction Reading: Monda Webb, 7:33 am & Wendy Thompson, triptych
2:20 – 3:10
Fiction Reading: Victoria Christopher Murray, Lady Jasmine & Stacy Hawkins Adams, The Someday List
3:20 – 4:00
Fiction Reading: Booker T. Matison, Unsigned Hype
4:10 – 5:00
Talk: Pamela McBride, author of The Mocha Manual to Military Life: A Savvy Guide for Wives, Girlfriends, and Female Service Members
5:10 - 6:10
Panel: A Woman's Guide to Soulful living
Moderated by Dr Anita Davis Defoe
6:20 – 7:10
Talk: Valencia Campbell, Advice from the Top: What Minority Women Say about their Career Success; Kimberly Seals Allers, author of The Mocha Manual to Turning Your Passion into Profit
Author signings will follow each presentation
October 3, 2009, 10am – 7pm
Borders Largo, Maryland
Bookclub preidents Meet Ella at Capital BookFest to receive gift bags of review books! Let us help you select your next book of the month. We have several awesome books for your club to preview and to review. Look for the EDC logo on the table.
Pastor Jamal Bryant. Marita Golden. Omar Tyree. Shane Evans. E. Ethelbert Miller. Tim Reid. Charisse Nunes. Liza Mundy. Connie Briscoe. Victoria Christopher Murray. These are just a few of the amazing authors who will participate in the fifth annual Capital BookFest.
CAPITAL BOOKFEST 2009 CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS;
FEATURES OVER 80 NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AUTHORS
The popular, family-oriented Capital BookFest returns to the National Capital area this year on Saturday, October 3, 2009. Festivities are spread among four different zones in and around the Borders Books and Café, 931A Capital Centre Blvd, inside The Blvd at Capital Centre Mall in Largo, Maryland. The fun starts at 10:00 a.m. and lasts all day until 7:00 p.m. In addition, and in response to President Obama’s call to service, the Capital BookFest and the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services partner up to promote healthy homes for children in foster care.
The fifth annual Capital BookFest, presented in partnership with the Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, features author readings/signings, teen authors and programs, poetry, exhibitors, children’s storytelling, writers’ and publishers’ workshops, and discussion forums for parents and children alike. The first 1000 early birds even receive book giveaways! “…the Capital BookFest was born out of this desire to motivate and educate parents and children to enjoy a good book…together”, states Kwame Alexander, award-winning producer, publisher, poet, and co-creator of the annual BookFest. Hence the mission: Strengthen Families through Reading.
Please go to the Capital BookFest website www.capitalbookfest.org for more information about the festival, including the list of authors, exhibitors, forums, and the proposed schedule of events.
MAINSTAGE (Inside Borders)
11:00 am - 6:30 pm Ella Curry of EDC Creations has Intimate Conversations Interviews with featured authors.
11:00 – 11:45
Fiction Reading: Donna Hill & Tinesha Davis, Holler at the Moon
11:50 - 12:40
Talk: E. Ethelbert Miller, The 5th Inning: A Memoir
12:50 – 1:40
Reading & Talk: W. Ralph Eubanks, The House at the End of the Road: The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the American South
Jennifer Bazille, Black Girl Next Door
1:50 – 2:40
Talk: Liza Mundy, author Michelle Obama
2:50 – 3:50
It’s About Love Reading hosted by Marita Golden
4:00 – 4:50
Reading: Connie Briscoe, Sisters and Husbands
5:10 - 6:10
Talk: Conversation with Tim Reid, Comedian and author of Tim and Tom
6:20 until
Reading & Talk: R. Dwayne Betts, A Question of Freedom: Memoir
WRITE ON (TENT BEHIND BORDERS)
10:20 - 11:00
Talk: David Johns, The State of Black America "Message to the President”
11:10 – 11:45
Talk: Kimberly Seals Allers, author of The Mocha Manual to a Fabulous Pregnancy
12:00 – 1:00
Teen Authors Spotlight: Book-in-a-Day & Write-a-Book Programs
1:10 – 1:50
Talk & Tasting: Chef Gillian Clark, Chef and author of Out of the Frying Pan
2:05 – 3:00
Talk: Omar Tyree, The Equation & Kathryn Freeland, Navigating Your Way To Business Success
3:10 – 3:55
Talk: Jewell Powell, Marriage 101 & Tameesha Tucker, Single & Saved in PG County
4:00– 5:10
Poetry Reading: Deanna Nikaido, Le Hinton, Rebecca Gonzalez, Van Garrett, Sami Miranda, Barbara DeCeasare
5:20 – 6:15
Talk: Alicia Crowe, REAL DADS STAND UP! What Every Single Father Should Know About Child Support, Rights and Custody
David Miller, Raising Him Alone:Things Black Women Can Do to Raise Boys to Be Men
6:25 – 7:15
Ministers Panel: Jamal Bryant, pastor of Empowerment Temple, World War Me
Charlotte Avery, No One Ever Told Me
KIDS ZONE
Hosted by Dwe Williams, Storyteller
10:00 DWe Williams
10:35 Cassandra Hill, Shyann the Cat
11:10 Barbara Alexander, Papa’s Penny Party
11:45 Omar Tyree, 12 Brown Boys
12:35 Ashti
Hosted by Sylvia Dianne Beverly
1:15 Shane Evans
1:50 Ralph Burgess, Cool Calvin
2:30 Lori Nelson, Hillary's BIG Business Adventure
3:10 Charisse Carney Nunes, I am Barack Obama
3:55 Shane Evans
4:30 Tiffany Alexander, Braided in my Hair
BORDERS CAFE (Inside Borders)
10:15 – 11:15 pm
Talk: Dr. E. Curtis Alexander: Civil War
Stolen Honor: Afro-Union Medal of Honor, Gilmore Medal and Army of the James/Butler Medal Recipients
11:25 – 12:10 pm
Talk: Toni Cade Bambara Panel: Linda Holmes/Cheryl Wall, authors of Savoring the Salt
12:20 – 1:20 pm
Everything You Wanted to Know about Getting Published: Kevin Johnson, Donna Hill, Charisse Carney Nunes, Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke
1:30 – 2:10
Fiction Reading: Monda Webb, 7:33 am & Wendy Thompson, triptych
2:20 – 3:10
Fiction Reading: Victoria Christopher Murray, Lady Jasmine & Stacy Hawkins Adams, The Someday List
3:20 – 4:00
Fiction Reading: Booker T. Matison, Unsigned Hype
4:10 – 5:00
Talk: Pamela McBride, author of The Mocha Manual to Military Life: A Savvy Guide for Wives, Girlfriends, and Female Service Members
5:10 - 6:10
Panel: A Woman's Guide to Soulful living
Moderated by Dr Anita Davis Defoe
6:20 – 7:10
Talk: Valencia Campbell, Advice from the Top: What Minority Women Say about their Career Success; Kimberly Seals Allers, author of The Mocha Manual to Turning Your Passion into Profit
Workshops: Empowering Single Mothers Raising Male Children Alone
EMPOWERING SINGLE MOTHERS RAISING MALE CHILDREN
Raising Him Alone Workshops for Single Mothers Kick-Off Philadelphia, PA
The Urban Leadership Institute, Residential After-School Program and the Institute for Interactive Instruction are pleased to announce the Raising Him Alone Campaign (RHAC). The campaign seeks to create a larger community dialogue around the importance of supporting single mothers who are raising boys. With generous funding from the Open Society Institute’s Campaign for Black Male Achievement the Raising Him Alone Campaign has created a national platform to support single mothers raising boys in some of the toughest communities throughout this country.
On Wednesday, November 17, 2010 the campaign kicks off the first of many workshops to be held in Philadelphia, PA and will continue through June 2011. The campaign has partnered with a host of recognized organizations in the area to help mobilize mothers who are raising sons. BAEO- Philadelphia, Black Male Development Symposium and The Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color are just a few of the campaign’s strategic partners who are support our work to improve the social and academic outcomes among boys of color.
Raising Him Alone Kick-off Philadelphia PA: Securing Our Sons Future Workshops:
» Saturday, Dec 18, 2010
Keeping Him Alive & Free
Co-Parenting Young Black Males
(Northwest Community Coalition for Youth)
Imhotep Charter High School
6201 N. 21st Street
Philadelphia, PA 19138
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Kwanzaa Celebration to Follow
» Friday, March 25, 2011
10 Rules of Survival When Stopped by the Police
Special host organization: Institute for the Development of African-American Youth (IDAAY)
Temple University
1801 Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
» Thursday, April 21, 2011
Monitoring Your Son's Technology
Police Athletic League (PAL)
2423 N. 27th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19132
6:30p.m. - 8:00p.m.
» Saturday, May 14, 2011
Black Male Development Symposium
7th Annual Symposium
Special Panel: Mothers Raising Sons
Cheltenham High School
500 Rices Mill Road
Wyncote, PA 19095
8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m.
» Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Parent Retreat
FOP Lodge #5
1336 Spring Garden Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123
6:00p.m. - 8:00p.m.
All workshops will provide a licensed child care provider, lunch or dinner and great giveaways. Attendees must R.S.V.P by contacting 215.851.1795, 215-572-8510 OR 877.339.4300 or visit us at http://www.raisinghimalone.com/
Raising Him Alone (RHA) is dedicated to researching, designing, and implementing a campaign to support the social well being of single mothers raising boys. Through a series of intense community forums, workshops and support group initiatives, RHA seeks to increase access to resources in the areas of Health & Well Being (Mental Health), Educational Support & Advocacy, as well as Financial Literacy.
About The Raising Him Alone Campaign
The Raising Him Alone Campaign is the vision of David Miller and Matt Stevens. It is based on Miller and Stevens' collective work to improve the life chances of African American males. Miller and Stevens were compelled to join forces to create an advocacy campaign that focused specifically on supporting single mothers raising boys.
The campaign is based on numerous conversations with local and national organizations on ways to better support African American boys. Additionally, Miller & Stevens hosted a series of focus groups and interviews with single mothers raising boys across the U.S. to determine the successes and challenges which confront these families. Overwhelmingly, mothers indicated issues related to understanding male development, issues with their sons father's and financial constraints as major challenges in their lives.
The campaign acknowledges that nationwide several groups are doing an exceptional job working with African American boys from an academic and social developmental standpoint, however few organizations are working with the parents of these boys.
The Raising Him Alone Campaign recognizes that there has been a total disregard for the voices of single mothers living in urban communities. Such neglect of mothers raising boys has created some alarming trends among African American boys. To this end, the campaign believes that by increasing awareness around the need to connect single mothers to greater access to services (mental health, financial literacy, strategies for parenting a male child and strategies to support school achievement of male children) we can produce more positive outcomes for African American boys.
###
CONTACT: Lee McDonald
Email: therenaissancegrouplm@gmail.com
What If It Feels Good by D.J. McLaurin
What If It Feels Good
by D.J. McLaurin
by D.J. McLaurin
Michael Bagley, street savvy and beautiful, learned the art of the con and sleeps with older women to survive. When an accidental shooting sets off a citywide manhunt and thrusts Michael into certain danger, his mother, a stripper at a local nightclub, is finally forced to confront the biological father who didn’t know Michael existed. Soon he finds himself whisked off the streets of Detroit and transplanted into a world of champagne dreams with more money at his fingertips than he ever thought possible.
Then Michael’s life takes a bizarre turn as he bonds with his father’s best friend. Chachi is a charming, down-to-earth ladies ’man who awakens sensations Michael can’t explain, throwing him into identity turmoil. But when the dust settles, Michael learns that neither riches, fame nor age has anything to do with love. As Michael fights to keep a relationship that may be against the odds and out of his league, he hopes the streets have toughened him enough to withstand a scorned woman’s wrath, his parent’s attempted sabotage—and the public’s outrage.
In this story of love, betrayal, and revenge, bonds are tested, friendships are challenged, dark secrets surface and an epic romance blossoms amidst a media circus.
Book Review by Minnie E Miller
Looking for love, wherever!
In “What if it feels Good?” D.J. McLaurin makes it clear in her opening that Michael Bagley is not your typical teenager. McLaurin’s skillful mapping of Michael’s life would seem to some “unspeakable.” Conversely, to Michael it was a matter of survival. Michael runs head-on with his mother’s boyfriend because of his abuse, which leads to a near fatal conflict between the two, causing the 14-year-old kid to escape into the streets, and live among the homeless. Legal trouble lands Michael into a home for adolescent boys. A friend of Michael’s biological father begs and threatens him into rescuing his bastard son, and taking him into his established family. Michael goes from rags to riches under Joe’s roof. The mixture is not mixing well, however.
Young
Michael’s needs overpower his logic, and he falls in love with an older
man, who is fascinated by the young boy’s wit and wisdom, feels he is 14
going on 30. The odd couple receives constant blows to the stomach
about their relationship, especially from an ex-girlfriend. This novel
makes it even more evident that the need for love does not go away
unless it’s satisfied, no matter the age.
As I sat glued
to D.J.’s novel, my emotions were on a roller coaster ride. I felt
fear, anger, happiness, and sadness for Michael.
D.J. McLaurin is a professional author with undeniable talent, depth,
and perception. She made a believer out of me, a seasoned woman, and
author. I give the novel 5 stars.
Minnie E Miller, Author
http://msminerva.wordpress.com
minnie247@sbcglobal.net
minniemiller247@gmail.com
Book Review Written by CHayes
What If It Feels Good by D.J. McLaurin is a riveting novel that throws you into the pit of hell and drags you into another world. This book is filled with everything from abusive relationships, cheating, stardom, uniting, and salvaging memories; you name it, it is in here.
Meet Michael Bagley, a young man forced to move out of his mother's home because of an abusive boyfriend. Where can he turn when he does not know who is his real father? Michael hits the streets where he does anything for money, food and shelter. When Michael tries to save his mother, Sarah, from her violent boyfriend the confrontation has him on the run. Facing jail time, Sarah must tell Michael the truth about the identity of his father, and Michaels' life will never be the same.
D.J. McLaurin pushes you to the point of no return. When Michael meets his father and is faced with his fathers' lavish lifestyle and happy family, all hell breaks loose. For goodness sake he was eating out of garbage cans, prostituting himself and sleeping under a bridge. How could Sarah let him live under these conditions given his father's status?
Michael now has a new battle to face; he has fallen in love with his father's best friend of twenty years. Will love prevail? When the lies become too much and boundaries are crossed who will come out unscathed?
This book is filled with an abundance of emotions; forcing me to feel the inevitable, cry and pray for Michaels' safety and sanity. As a parent, I was filled with mixed emotions, in regards to the lack of parental control the parents had over his life. I did however, enjoy reading this book, and look forward to the riveting sequel to find out if love conquers all. I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys reading, feeling and appreciating a good story. Reviewed by: Cheryl H, APOOO BookClub
Book Excerpt: What If It Feels Good by D.J. McLaurin
The phone rang. Michael ran to it.
“That little fool!” Sarah screeched. “He hung up on me!”
“Who?” Michael asked.
“I called the number you gave me and respectfully asked to speak to Joe, right? Why did that little prick ask me how I got the number? Like it was any of his business!”
“Who, ma?”
“I oughta hop a plane right now and go beat the crap out of him! I see what you mean now, honey! I don’t want you there anymore!”
“Ma, what are you talking about? Who hung up on you?”
“David! I asked to speak to Joe and he told me he couldn’t take my call, and just hung up on me--”
Michael dropped the phone and headed for the door.
“Uh, Oh,” Eric muttered. He and Leah scurried after him.
“What’s going on?” Leah asked as they descended the staircase. Michael ignored the both of them.
“Look man, this is just ridiculous!” Eric put his hand on Michael’s shoulder but, with a shake, Michael sent him sailing down several stairs before Eric was able to stop his fall by grabbing hold to the banister railing.
Michael searched rooms, kicking doors open, until he found David in Joe’s study, reading an investment magazine. David spun around in surprise.
“You hung up on my mother, you little prick?” Michael growled.
“Wha….?”
Michael’s fist made contact with David’s jaw, knocking him backward out of his chair.
“Daaaad! Daaaad!” Leah shrieked.
Michael grabbed David by his shirt collar and punched him over and over again.
Eric made a fruitless attempt to separate them before Joe and Dominic came rushing from the adjoining office.
David’s shirt was already splattered with the blood oozing from his nose and mouth when Joe reached them.
“Stop it!” Joe demanded. He wrapped his arm around Michael’s neck and attempted to pull him away from David. He underestimated Michael’s strength and all three of them went toppling forward.
Minnie E Miller, Author
http://msminerva.wordpress.com
minnie247@sbcglobal.net
minniemiller247@gmail.com
Book Review Written by CHayes
What If It Feels Good by D.J. McLaurin is a riveting novel that throws you into the pit of hell and drags you into another world. This book is filled with everything from abusive relationships, cheating, stardom, uniting, and salvaging memories; you name it, it is in here.
Meet Michael Bagley, a young man forced to move out of his mother's home because of an abusive boyfriend. Where can he turn when he does not know who is his real father? Michael hits the streets where he does anything for money, food and shelter. When Michael tries to save his mother, Sarah, from her violent boyfriend the confrontation has him on the run. Facing jail time, Sarah must tell Michael the truth about the identity of his father, and Michaels' life will never be the same.
D.J. McLaurin pushes you to the point of no return. When Michael meets his father and is faced with his fathers' lavish lifestyle and happy family, all hell breaks loose. For goodness sake he was eating out of garbage cans, prostituting himself and sleeping under a bridge. How could Sarah let him live under these conditions given his father's status?
Michael now has a new battle to face; he has fallen in love with his father's best friend of twenty years. Will love prevail? When the lies become too much and boundaries are crossed who will come out unscathed?
This book is filled with an abundance of emotions; forcing me to feel the inevitable, cry and pray for Michaels' safety and sanity. As a parent, I was filled with mixed emotions, in regards to the lack of parental control the parents had over his life. I did however, enjoy reading this book, and look forward to the riveting sequel to find out if love conquers all. I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys reading, feeling and appreciating a good story. Reviewed by: Cheryl H, APOOO BookClub
Book Excerpt: What If It Feels Good by D.J. McLaurin
The phone rang. Michael ran to it.
“That little fool!” Sarah screeched. “He hung up on me!”
“Who?” Michael asked.
“I called the number you gave me and respectfully asked to speak to Joe, right? Why did that little prick ask me how I got the number? Like it was any of his business!”
“Who, ma?”
“I oughta hop a plane right now and go beat the crap out of him! I see what you mean now, honey! I don’t want you there anymore!”
“Ma, what are you talking about? Who hung up on you?”
“David! I asked to speak to Joe and he told me he couldn’t take my call, and just hung up on me--”
Michael dropped the phone and headed for the door.
“Uh, Oh,” Eric muttered. He and Leah scurried after him.
“What’s going on?” Leah asked as they descended the staircase. Michael ignored the both of them.
“Look man, this is just ridiculous!” Eric put his hand on Michael’s shoulder but, with a shake, Michael sent him sailing down several stairs before Eric was able to stop his fall by grabbing hold to the banister railing.
Michael searched rooms, kicking doors open, until he found David in Joe’s study, reading an investment magazine. David spun around in surprise.
“You hung up on my mother, you little prick?” Michael growled.
“Wha….?”
Michael’s fist made contact with David’s jaw, knocking him backward out of his chair.
“Daaaad! Daaaad!” Leah shrieked.
Michael grabbed David by his shirt collar and punched him over and over again.
Eric made a fruitless attempt to separate them before Joe and Dominic came rushing from the adjoining office.
David’s shirt was already splattered with the blood oozing from his nose and mouth when Joe reached them.
“Stop it!” Joe demanded. He wrapped his arm around Michael’s neck and attempted to pull him away from David. He underestimated Michael’s strength and all three of them went toppling forward.
(Continued...)
What If It Feels Good by D.J. McLaurin
Contemporary, Alternative Fiction
http://www.amazon.com/What-If-Feels-Good-McLaurin-ebook/dp/B00NC9KFEC
Contemporary, Alternative Fiction
http://www.amazon.com/What-If-Feels-Good-McLaurin-ebook/dp/B00NC9KFEC
Events: Capital Book Festival--Oct. 3, 2009
Capital Book Festival--Oct. 3, 2009
Capital BookFest (Author signings will follow each presentation)
Time: 10am – 7pm
MAINSTAGE (Inside Borders)
10-10:50
Slideshow & Talk: The Muslim World: Alexandra Avakian, author of Windows of the Soul: My Journeys in the Muslin world
11:00 – 11:45
Fiction Reading: Donna Hill & Tinesha Davis, Holler at the Moon
11:50 - 12:40
Talk: E. Ethelbert Miller, The 5th Inning: A Memoir
12:50 – 1:40
Reading & Talk: W. Ralph Eubanks, The House at the End of the Road: The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the American South
Jennifer Bazille, Black Girl Next Door
1:50 – 2:40
Talk: Liza Mundy, author Michelle Obama
2:50 – 3:50
It’s About Love Reading hosted by Marita Golden
4:00 – 4:50
Reading: Connie Briscoe
5:10 - 6:10
Talk: Conversation with Tim Reid, Comedian and author of Tim and Tom
6:20 until
Reading & Talk: R. Dwayne Betts, A Question of Freedom: Memoir
WRITE ON (TENT BEHIND BORDERS)
10:20-11:00
Talk: David Johns, The State of Black America "Message to the President”
11:10 – 11:45
Talk: Kimberly Seals Allers, author of The Mocha Manual to a Fabulous Pregnancy
12:00 – 1:00
Teen Authors Spotlight: Book-in-a-Day & Write-a-Book Programs
1:10 – 1:50
Talk & Tasting: Chef Gillian Clark, Chef and author of Out of the Frying Pan
2:05 – 3:00
Talk: Omar Tyree, The Equation & Kathryn Freeland, Navigating Your Way To Business Success
3:10 – 3:55
Talk: Jewell Powell, Marriage 101 & Tameesha Tucker, Single & Saved in PG County
4:00– 5:10
Poetry Reading: Deanna Nikaido, Le Hinton, Rebecca Gonzalez, Van Garrett, Sami Miranda, Barbara DeCeasare
5:20 – 6:15
Talk: Alicia Crowe, REAL DADS STAND UP! What Every Single Father Should Know About Child Support, Rights and Custody David Miller, Raising Him Alone:Things Black Women Can Do to Raise Boys to Be Men
6:25 – 7:15
Ministers Panel: Jamal Bryant, pastor of Empowerment Temple, World War Me
Charlotte Avery, No One Ever Told Me
KIDS ZONE
Hosted by Dwe Williams, Storyteller
10:00 DWe Williams
10:35 Cassandra Hill, Shyann the Cat
11:10 Barbara Alexander, Papa’s Penny Party
11:45 Omar Tyree, 12 Brown Boys
12:35 Charisse Carney Nunes, I am Barack Obama
Hosted by Sylvia Dianne Beverly
1:15 Shane Evans
1:50 Ralph Burgess, Cool Calvin
2:30 Lori Nelson, Hillary's BIG Business Adventure
3:10 Ashti
3:55 Shane Evans
4:30 Tiffany Alexander, Braided in my Hair
BORDERS CAFE (Inside Borders)
10:15 – 11:15 pm
Talk: Dr. E. Curtis Alexander: Civil War
Stolen Honor: Afro-Union Medal of Honor, Gilmore Medal and Army of the James/Butler Medal Recipients
11:25 – 12:10 pm
Talk: Toni Cade Bambara Panel: Linda Holmes/Cheryl Wall, authors of Savoring the Salt
12:20 – 1:20 pm
Publishing Central: Kevin Johnson, Donna Hill, Charisse Carney Nunes, Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke
1:30 – 2:10
Fiction Reading: Monda Webb, 7:33 am & Wendy Thompson, triptych
2:20 – 3:10
Fiction Reading: Victoria Christopher Murray & Stacy Hawkins Adams
3:20 – 4:00
Fiction Reading: Booker T. Matison, Unsigned Hype
4:10 – 5:00
Talk: Pamela McBride, author of The Mocha Manual to Military Life: A Savvy Guide for Wives, Girlfriends, and Female Service Members
5:10 – 6:10
Panel: A Woman's Guide to Soulful living
Dr Anita Davis Defoe
6:20 – 7:10
Talk: Valencia Campbell, Advice from the Top: What Minority Women Say about their Career Success; Kimberly Seals Allers, author of The Mocha Manual to Turning Your Passion into Profit
Capital BookFest (Author signings will follow each presentation)
Time: 10am – 7pm
MAINSTAGE (Inside Borders)
10-10:50
Slideshow & Talk: The Muslim World: Alexandra Avakian, author of Windows of the Soul: My Journeys in the Muslin world
11:00 – 11:45
Fiction Reading: Donna Hill & Tinesha Davis, Holler at the Moon
11:50 - 12:40
Talk: E. Ethelbert Miller, The 5th Inning: A Memoir
12:50 – 1:40
Reading & Talk: W. Ralph Eubanks, The House at the End of the Road: The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the American South
Jennifer Bazille, Black Girl Next Door
1:50 – 2:40
Talk: Liza Mundy, author Michelle Obama
2:50 – 3:50
It’s About Love Reading hosted by Marita Golden
4:00 – 4:50
Reading: Connie Briscoe
5:10 - 6:10
Talk: Conversation with Tim Reid, Comedian and author of Tim and Tom
6:20 until
Reading & Talk: R. Dwayne Betts, A Question of Freedom: Memoir
WRITE ON (TENT BEHIND BORDERS)
10:20-11:00
Talk: David Johns, The State of Black America "Message to the President”
11:10 – 11:45
Talk: Kimberly Seals Allers, author of The Mocha Manual to a Fabulous Pregnancy
12:00 – 1:00
Teen Authors Spotlight: Book-in-a-Day & Write-a-Book Programs
1:10 – 1:50
Talk & Tasting: Chef Gillian Clark, Chef and author of Out of the Frying Pan
2:05 – 3:00
Talk: Omar Tyree, The Equation & Kathryn Freeland, Navigating Your Way To Business Success
3:10 – 3:55
Talk: Jewell Powell, Marriage 101 & Tameesha Tucker, Single & Saved in PG County
4:00– 5:10
Poetry Reading: Deanna Nikaido, Le Hinton, Rebecca Gonzalez, Van Garrett, Sami Miranda, Barbara DeCeasare
5:20 – 6:15
Talk: Alicia Crowe, REAL DADS STAND UP! What Every Single Father Should Know About Child Support, Rights and Custody David Miller, Raising Him Alone:Things Black Women Can Do to Raise Boys to Be Men
6:25 – 7:15
Ministers Panel: Jamal Bryant, pastor of Empowerment Temple, World War Me
Charlotte Avery, No One Ever Told Me
KIDS ZONE
Hosted by Dwe Williams, Storyteller
10:00 DWe Williams
10:35 Cassandra Hill, Shyann the Cat
11:10 Barbara Alexander, Papa’s Penny Party
11:45 Omar Tyree, 12 Brown Boys
12:35 Charisse Carney Nunes, I am Barack Obama
Hosted by Sylvia Dianne Beverly
1:15 Shane Evans
1:50 Ralph Burgess, Cool Calvin
2:30 Lori Nelson, Hillary's BIG Business Adventure
3:10 Ashti
3:55 Shane Evans
4:30 Tiffany Alexander, Braided in my Hair
BORDERS CAFE (Inside Borders)
10:15 – 11:15 pm
Talk: Dr. E. Curtis Alexander: Civil War
Stolen Honor: Afro-Union Medal of Honor, Gilmore Medal and Army of the James/Butler Medal Recipients
11:25 – 12:10 pm
Talk: Toni Cade Bambara Panel: Linda Holmes/Cheryl Wall, authors of Savoring the Salt
12:20 – 1:20 pm
Publishing Central: Kevin Johnson, Donna Hill, Charisse Carney Nunes, Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke
1:30 – 2:10
Fiction Reading: Monda Webb, 7:33 am & Wendy Thompson, triptych
2:20 – 3:10
Fiction Reading: Victoria Christopher Murray & Stacy Hawkins Adams
3:20 – 4:00
Fiction Reading: Booker T. Matison, Unsigned Hype
4:10 – 5:00
Talk: Pamela McBride, author of The Mocha Manual to Military Life: A Savvy Guide for Wives, Girlfriends, and Female Service Members
5:10 – 6:10
Panel: A Woman's Guide to Soulful living
Dr Anita Davis Defoe
6:20 – 7:10
Talk: Valencia Campbell, Advice from the Top: What Minority Women Say about their Career Success; Kimberly Seals Allers, author of The Mocha Manual to Turning Your Passion into Profit
Oven Baked Secrets by Tyora Moody
Oven Baked Secrets by Tyora Moody
A Eugeena Patterson Mystery, Book 2
A Eugeena Patterson Mystery, Book 2
EUGEENA PATTERSON is not happy about her next-door neighbor, Louise Hopkins, being sent to live in a nursing home. Without her fellow neighborhood watch buddy, Sugar Creek isn’t the same anymore. In fact, life after retirement has become a whole new adventure of exploring social media and blogging.
While she tries not to meddle into her adult children’s lives, Eugeena can’t help but dish out relationship advice. Eugeena’s own budding romance with Amos Jones has her emotions in upheaval. Is she really finding love again as she turns sixty?
When a stranger reveals a stunning secret about Louise’ past, Eugeena questions if the young woman’s claim is for real or if she is a con artist? Roping in Amos for help, Eugeena digs up a few skeletons from her elderly friend’s closet. When Eugeena stumbles upon a long forgotten murder case, she realizes the layers of a long dormant secret still have the potential to be deadly.
Meet Eugeena Patterson on her blog: http://eugeenapatterson.com or join her fans on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eugeenapatterson. Don't forget to check-out the first book in the series, Deep Fried Trouble, Book 1.
Excerpt: CHAPTER TWO
I blinked. I opened my mouth and then shut it to give my mind a chance to process. I stared at the girl. Despite her creative outfit, she was really a pretty little thing, her big eyes were slanted and she had full lips that would’ve rivaled Angelina Jolie’s. I guess what I was seeking was some resemblance. It occurred to me despite my rash response, that the girl could’ve been telling the truth.
Louise’s son, William, wasn’t exactly the most responsible man in the world despite him being well over forty years old. He’d never married, but it’s quite possible he had a love child. How often had I heard Louise talk about wanting to be a grandmother? Why would William keep that from his mother? Or did William know he was a father?
I motioned for the girl to walk away from the side of Louise’s bed. As she came closer, I placed my hand on my hip. “Are you trying to tell me you’re Louise’s granddaughter?”
The woman shook her head like she had a puppet master pulling her strings. “Yes, ma’am.”
I looked at her for a minute and then shook my head as if this was a bad dream. Despite my better judgment, I said exactly what came to my mind. It just slipped out. “No sugar, that can’t be.”
The girl stepped back as if offended. “Ma’am?”
“You see I’ve known Louise for many, many years. If this woman had a grandchild she would’ve told the whole world.”
The girl put her hand on her hip. “I told you I’m her granddaughter. My mom told me so and she wouldn’t lie about it.”
I held my hand up as if stopping traffic. “Okay, calm down. Let’s start over. I don’t think I introduced myself. I’m Eugeena Patterson, Louise’s next door neighbor. Now tell me your name?”
The girl let out a sigh before responding. “I’m Jocelyn Miller.”
“That’s a pretty name. So, you live around here?” I hated small talk, but I was really digging for more information. What I did know was William didn’t stay put for long and he’d only recently been back in South Carolina the last few months.
“I was raised in Beaufort.”
“Oh. Gullah country.” The language from West Africa still thrived in certain areas of South Carolina and mixed with English it was known as Gullah.
Jocelyn smiled. “Yes, I have relatives that talk Gullah or Geechee.”
I glanced over at Louise, wondering if she could hear us. Was she just pretending to be sleep or had that medicine really knocked her out? I wanted to shake her awake. Jocelyn seemed like a nice woman, but I still wasn’t sure what was going on.
I cleared my throat. “Jocelyn, did your mother tell you about your father? I mean have you met him?”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Your dad is Miss Louise’s son.” Knowing his egotistical behind, William might have known about his daughter and rejected the girl. That would have been a real shame.
Jocelyn started to shake her head furiously. “My dad’s name is David Miller.”
Words escaped me. And my head started to hurt because this girl was confusing the mess out of me. “Is David your dad or your step-dad?”
“My biological dad.”
I’m a smart, educated woman, with three grown children, four grandchildren and one on the way. Children aren’t this complicated. Okay some of us do come in the world a bit willy-nilly, me being one of those people. But this girl can’t be related to Louise as much as she would like to be. “Honey, I’m trying to work with you here. Are you sure you have the right room?”
“Mrs. Patterson, I promise you; I have the right room. This woman is my grandmother. Look, I will show you something and you tell me what you see.” Jocelyn went over to the chair in the corner.
I hadn’t noticed the hot pink backpack. I watched her pull out a black marbled notebook. She flipped it open and pulled out what appeared to be a photo. Jocelyn walked around the bed and handed it to me. “Here, this is my family. I’m much younger on this one, only about sixteen. There’s my mom, dad and my brother. My dad passed away a few years ago.”
I took the photo from her. Now I could tell this girl was telling the truth about her father. Despite the difference in skin tones, Jocelyn was the spitting image of the dark brown-skinned man. Jocelyn definitely had his eyes.
Now Jocelyn shared the same honey-colored complexion as her mom. Both mom and daughter shared the same full lips.
That’s when it hit me.
The more and more I stared at Jocelyn’s mom, I started to see something. It was the heart shape of the woman’s face and her eyes. The woman’s complexion was more bronze, but her eyes were vivid blue. I glanced at Jocelyn, who was staring back at me with bated breath.
Then I looked back at the photo.
Dear Lord!
Louise moaned from the bed. I stared over in her direction catching as my friend’s eyes flickered open.
Louise Hopkins, you got some explaining to do.
There was no denying this one. In a lifetime I didn’t know anything about, had my dear old friend given birth to a daughter? It didn’t go past me that the woman in the photo was mixed race. So who could have been the father of Louise’s love child?
( Continued... )
© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Tyora Moody. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.
Oven Baked Secrets by Tyora Moody
Link: http://amzn.com/B00S2AORI6
Meet the Author
Tyora Moody is the author Soul-Searching Suspense novels in the Serena Manchester Series, Victory Gospel Series and the Eugeena Patterson Mysteries. As a literary-focused entrepreneur, she has assisted countless authors with developing an online presence via her design and marketing company, Tywebbin Creations LLC. Popular services include online publicity, social media management, book trailers and book covers. She is also the author of the nonfiction series, The Literary Entrepreneur's Toolkit, and the host of The Literary Entrepreneur Podcast.
Tyora won 2nd Place for the 2014 Yerby Award for Fiction. She is the 2013 Urban Literary Awards Debut Author Winner and 2013 Urban Literary Awards Mystery / Thriller / Suspense Winner.
Tyora is a member of Sisters in Crime and American Christian Fiction Writers. For more information about her literary endeavors, visit her online at TyoraMoody.com
Tyora "Ty" Moody, Author and Literary Entrepreneur
TyoraMoody.com | TheLiteraryEntrepreneur.com
Books by Tyora: http://www.amazon.com/Tyora-Moody/e/B005966RJ8
WHAT'S NEXT?
Oven Baked Secrets, Eugeena Patterson Mysteries, Book 2 (January 20, 2015)
The Literary Entrepreneur Virtual Events Planner (March 2015)
Hostile Eyewitness, Serena Manchester Series, Book 1 (March 31, 2015)
When Women Become Business Owners, Stepping Into Victory Anthology (May 2015)
EXCERPT: Oven Baked Secrets by Tyora Moody
Oven Baked Secrets by Tyora Moody
A Eugeena Patterson Mystery, Book 2
A Eugeena Patterson Mystery, Book 2
EUGEENA PATTERSON is not happy about her next-door neighbor, Louise Hopkins, being sent to live in a nursing home. Without her fellow neighborhood watch buddy, Sugar Creek isn’t the same anymore. In fact, life after retirement has become a whole new adventure of exploring social media and blogging.
While she tries not to meddle into her adult children’s lives, Eugeena can’t help but dish out relationship advice. Eugeena’s own budding romance with Amos Jones has her emotions in upheaval. Is she really finding love again as she turns sixty?
When a stranger reveals a stunning secret about Louise’ past, Eugeena questions if the young woman’s claim is for real or if she is a con artist? Roping in Amos for help, Eugeena digs up a few skeletons from her elderly friend’s closet. When Eugeena stumbles upon a long forgotten murder case, she realizes the layers of a long dormant secret still have the potential to be deadly.
Meet Eugeena Patterson on her blog: http://eugeenapatterson.com or join her fans on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eugeenapatterson. Don't forget to check-out the first book in the series, Deep Fried Trouble, Book 1.
Excerpt: CHAPTER TWO
I blinked. I opened my mouth and then shut it to give my mind a chance to process. I stared at the girl. Despite her creative outfit, she was really a pretty little thing, her big eyes were slanted and she had full lips that would’ve rivaled Angelina Jolie’s. I guess what I was seeking was some resemblance. It occurred to me despite my rash response, that the girl could’ve been telling the truth.
Louise’s son, William, wasn’t exactly the most responsible man in the world despite him being well over forty years old. He’d never married, but it’s quite possible he had a love child. How often had I heard Louise talk about wanting to be a grandmother? Why would William keep that from his mother? Or did William know he was a father?
I motioned for the girl to walk away from the side of Louise’s bed. As she came closer, I placed my hand on my hip. “Are you trying to tell me you’re Louise’s granddaughter?”
The woman shook her head like she had a puppet master pulling her strings. “Yes, ma’am.”
I looked at her for a minute and then shook my head as if this was a bad dream. Despite my better judgment, I said exactly what came to my mind. It just slipped out. “No sugar, that can’t be.”
The girl stepped back as if offended. “Ma’am?”
“You see I’ve known Louise for many, many years. If this woman had a grandchild she would’ve told the whole world.”
The girl put her hand on her hip. “I told you I’m her granddaughter. My mom told me so and she wouldn’t lie about it.”
I held my hand up as if stopping traffic. “Okay, calm down. Let’s start over. I don’t think I introduced myself. I’m Eugeena Patterson, Louise’s next door neighbor. Now tell me your name?”
The girl let out a sigh before responding. “I’m Jocelyn Miller.”
“That’s a pretty name. So, you live around here?” I hated small talk, but I was really digging for more information. What I did know was William didn’t stay put for long and he’d only recently been back in South Carolina the last few months.
“I was raised in Beaufort.”
“Oh. Gullah country.” The language from West Africa still thrived in certain areas of South Carolina and mixed with English it was known as Gullah.
Jocelyn smiled. “Yes, I have relatives that talk Gullah or Geechee.”
I glanced over at Louise, wondering if she could hear us. Was she just pretending to be sleep or had that medicine really knocked her out? I wanted to shake her awake. Jocelyn seemed like a nice woman, but I still wasn’t sure what was going on.
I cleared my throat. “Jocelyn, did your mother tell you about your father? I mean have you met him?”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Your dad is Miss Louise’s son.” Knowing his egotistical behind, William might have known about his daughter and rejected the girl. That would have been a real shame.
Jocelyn started to shake her head furiously. “My dad’s name is David Miller.”
Words escaped me. And my head started to hurt because this girl was confusing the mess out of me. “Is David your dad or your step-dad?”
“My biological dad.”
I’m a smart, educated woman, with three grown children, four grandchildren and one on the way. Children aren’t this complicated. Okay some of us do come in the world a bit willy-nilly, me being one of those people. But this girl can’t be related to Louise as much as she would like to be. “Honey, I’m trying to work with you here. Are you sure you have the right room?”
“Mrs. Patterson, I promise you; I have the right room. This woman is my grandmother. Look, I will show you something and you tell me what you see.” Jocelyn went over to the chair in the corner.
I hadn’t noticed the hot pink backpack. I watched her pull out a black marbled notebook. She flipped it open and pulled out what appeared to be a photo. Jocelyn walked around the bed and handed it to me. “Here, this is my family. I’m much younger on this one, only about sixteen. There’s my mom, dad and my brother. My dad passed away a few years ago.”
I took the photo from her. Now I could tell this girl was telling the truth about her father. Despite the difference in skin tones, Jocelyn was the spitting image of the dark brown-skinned man. Jocelyn definitely had his eyes.
Now Jocelyn shared the same honey-colored complexion as her mom. Both mom and daughter shared the same full lips.
That’s when it hit me.
The more and more I stared at Jocelyn’s mom, I started to see something. It was the heart shape of the woman’s face and her eyes. The woman’s complexion was more bronze, but her eyes were vivid blue. I glanced at Jocelyn, who was staring back at me with bated breath.
Then I looked back at the photo.
Dear Lord!
Louise moaned from the bed. I stared over in her direction catching as my friend’s eyes flickered open.
Louise Hopkins, you got some explaining to do.
There was no denying this one. In a lifetime I didn’t know anything about, had my dear old friend given birth to a daughter? It didn’t go past me that the woman in the photo was mixed race. So who could have been the father of Louise’s love child?
( Continued... )
© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Tyora Moody. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.
Oven Baked Secrets by Tyora Moody
Link: http://amzn.com/B00S2AORI6
Meet the Author
Tyora Moody is the author Soul-Searching Suspense novels in the Serena Manchester Series, Victory Gospel Series and the Eugeena Patterson Mysteries. As a literary-focused entrepreneur, she has assisted countless authors with developing an online presence via her design and marketing company, Tywebbin Creations LLC. Popular services include online publicity, social media management, book trailers and book covers. She is also the author of the nonfiction series, The Literary Entrepreneur's Toolkit, and the host of The Literary Entrepreneur Podcast.
Tyora won 2nd Place for the 2014 Yerby Award for Fiction. She is the 2013 Urban Literary Awards Debut Author Winner and 2013 Urban Literary Awards Mystery / Thriller / Suspense Winner.
Tyora is a member of Sisters in Crime and American Christian Fiction Writers. For more information about her literary endeavors, visit her online at TyoraMoody.com
Tyora "Ty" Moody, Author and Literary Entrepreneur
TyoraMoody.com | TheLiteraryEntrepreneur.com
Books by Tyora: http://www.amazon.com/Tyora-Moody/e/B005966RJ8
WHAT'S NEXT?
Oven Baked Secrets, Eugeena Patterson Mysteries, Book 2 (January 20, 2015)
The Literary Entrepreneur Virtual Events Planner (March 2015)
Hostile Eyewitness, Serena Manchester Series, Book 1 (March 31, 2015)
When Women Become Business Owners, Stepping Into Victory Anthology (May 2015)
Oven Baked Secrets by Tyora Moody
Oven Baked Secrets by Tyora Moody
A Eugeena Patterson Mystery, Book 2
A Eugeena Patterson Mystery, Book 2
EUGEENA PATTERSON is not happy about her next-door neighbor, Louise Hopkins, being sent to live in a nursing home. Without her fellow neighborhood watch buddy, Sugar Creek isn’t the same anymore. In fact, life after retirement has become a whole new adventure of exploring social media and blogging.
While she tries not to meddle into her adult children’s lives, Eugeena can’t help but dish out relationship advice. Eugeena’s own budding romance with Amos Jones has her emotions in upheaval. Is she really finding love again as she turns sixty?
When a stranger reveals a stunning secret about Louise’ past, Eugeena questions if the young woman’s claim is for real or if she is a con artist? Roping in Amos for help, Eugeena digs up a few skeletons from her elderly friend’s closet. When Eugeena stumbles upon a long forgotten murder case, she realizes the layers of a long dormant secret still have the potential to be deadly.
Meet Eugeena Patterson on her blog: http://eugeenapatterson.com or join her fans on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eugeenapatterson. Don't forget to check-out the first book in the series, Deep Fried Trouble, Book 1.
Excerpt: CHAPTER TWO
I blinked. I opened my mouth and then shut it to give my mind a chance to process. I stared at the girl. Despite her creative outfit, she was really a pretty little thing, her big eyes were slanted and she had full lips that would’ve rivaled Angelina Jolie’s. I guess what I was seeking was some resemblance. It occurred to me despite my rash response, that the girl could’ve been telling the truth.
Louise’s son, William, wasn’t exactly the most responsible man in the world despite him being well over forty years old. He’d never married, but it’s quite possible he had a love child. How often had I heard Louise talk about wanting to be a grandmother? Why would William keep that from his mother? Or did William know he was a father?
I motioned for the girl to walk away from the side of Louise’s bed. As she came closer, I placed my hand on my hip. “Are you trying to tell me you’re Louise’s granddaughter?”
The woman shook her head like she had a puppet master pulling her strings. “Yes, ma’am.”
I looked at her for a minute and then shook my head as if this was a bad dream. Despite my better judgment, I said exactly what came to my mind. It just slipped out. “No sugar, that can’t be.”
The girl stepped back as if offended. “Ma’am?”
“You see I’ve known Louise for many, many years. If this woman had a grandchild she would’ve told the whole world.”
The girl put her hand on her hip. “I told you I’m her granddaughter. My mom told me so and she wouldn’t lie about it.”
I held my hand up as if stopping traffic. “Okay, calm down. Let’s start over. I don’t think I introduced myself. I’m Eugeena Patterson, Louise’s next door neighbor. Now tell me your name?”
The girl let out a sigh before responding. “I’m Jocelyn Miller.”
“That’s a pretty name. So, you live around here?” I hated small talk, but I was really digging for more information. What I did know was William didn’t stay put for long and he’d only recently been back in South Carolina the last few months.
“I was raised in Beaufort.”
“Oh. Gullah country.” The language from West Africa still thrived in certain areas of South Carolina and mixed with English it was known as Gullah.
Jocelyn smiled. “Yes, I have relatives that talk Gullah or Geechee.”
I glanced over at Louise, wondering if she could hear us. Was she just pretending to be sleep or had that medicine really knocked her out? I wanted to shake her awake. Jocelyn seemed like a nice woman, but I still wasn’t sure what was going on.
I cleared my throat. “Jocelyn, did your mother tell you about your father? I mean have you met him?”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Your dad is Miss Louise’s son.” Knowing his egotistical behind, William might have known about his daughter and rejected the girl. That would have been a real shame.
Jocelyn started to shake her head furiously. “My dad’s name is David Miller.”
Words escaped me. And my head started to hurt because this girl was confusing the mess out of me. “Is David your dad or your step-dad?”
“My biological dad.”
I’m a smart, educated woman, with three grown children, four grandchildren and one on the way. Children aren’t this complicated. Okay some of us do come in the world a bit willy-nilly, me being one of those people. But this girl can’t be related to Louise as much as she would like to be. “Honey, I’m trying to work with you here. Are you sure you have the right room?”
“Mrs. Patterson, I promise you; I have the right room. This woman is my grandmother. Look, I will show you something and you tell me what you see.” Jocelyn went over to the chair in the corner.
I hadn’t noticed the hot pink backpack. I watched her pull out a black marbled notebook. She flipped it open and pulled out what appeared to be a photo. Jocelyn walked around the bed and handed it to me. “Here, this is my family. I’m much younger on this one, only about sixteen. There’s my mom, dad and my brother. My dad passed away a few years ago.”
I took the photo from her. Now I could tell this girl was telling the truth about her father. Despite the difference in skin tones, Jocelyn was the spitting image of the dark brown-skinned man. Jocelyn definitely had his eyes.
Now Jocelyn shared the same honey-colored complexion as her mom. Both mom and daughter shared the same full lips.
That’s when it hit me.
The more and more I stared at Jocelyn’s mom, I started to see something. It was the heart shape of the woman’s face and her eyes. The woman’s complexion was more bronze, but her eyes were vivid blue. I glanced at Jocelyn, who was staring back at me with bated breath.
Then I looked back at the photo.
Dear Lord!
Louise moaned from the bed. I stared over in her direction catching as my friend’s eyes flickered open.
Louise Hopkins, you got some explaining to do.
There was no denying this one. In a lifetime I didn’t know anything about, had my dear old friend given birth to a daughter? It didn’t go past me that the woman in the photo was mixed race. So who could have been the father of Louise’s love child?
( Continued... )
© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Tyora Moody. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.
Oven Baked Secrets by Tyora Moody
Link: http://amzn.com/B00S2AORI6
Meet the Author
Tyora Moody is the author Soul-Searching Suspense novels in the Serena Manchester Series, Victory Gospel Series and the Eugeena Patterson Mysteries. As a literary-focused entrepreneur, she has assisted countless authors with developing an online presence via her design and marketing company, Tywebbin Creations LLC. Popular services include online publicity, social media management, book trailers and book covers. She is also the author of the nonfiction series, The Literary Entrepreneur's Toolkit, and the host of The Literary Entrepreneur Podcast.
Tyora won 2nd Place for the 2014 Yerby Award for Fiction. She is the 2013 Urban Literary Awards Debut Author Winner and 2013 Urban Literary Awards Mystery / Thriller / Suspense Winner.
Tyora is a member of Sisters in Crime and American Christian Fiction Writers. For more information about her literary endeavors, visit her online at TyoraMoody.com
Tyora "Ty" Moody, Author and Literary Entrepreneur
TyoraMoody.com | TheLiteraryEntrepreneur.com
Books by Tyora: http://www.amazon.com/Tyora-Moody/e/B005966RJ8
WHAT'S NEXT?
Oven Baked Secrets, Eugeena Patterson Mysteries, Book 2 (January 20, 2015)
The Literary Entrepreneur Virtual Events Planner (March 2015)
Hostile Eyewitness, Serena Manchester Series, Book 1 (March 31, 2015)
When Women Become Business Owners, Stepping Into Victory Anthology (May 2015)
Meet Your Favorite Authors Sept 24-26 in DC
Meet Your Favorite Authors!
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Author Pavilion 2009
Washington, DC Convention Center, Exhibit Hall E
Schedule Subject to Change!
Thursday, September 24th (Pavilion Hours 10:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M.)
Author Pavilion hosted by Patrick Oliver Founder of, Say It Loud! Readers and Writers Series & host and executive producer Literary Nation KABF FM 88.3
Noon – 1:30 p.m. (Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
Bernadette Stanis – Situations 101
Kwame Alexander – And Then You Know: New and Selected Poems
Valencia Campbell – Advice From the Top What Minority Women Say About Their Career Success
Congressman Chaka Fattah – State of Black America 2009 Message to the President
Lloyd Price & William “Dollar-Bill” Waller – The True King of the 50’s The Lloyd Price Story
Russell Price, Jr. – Is He Your Man or is Your Head in the Sand?
Janice Bryant Howroyd – The Art of Work: How to Make Work, Work for You!
Jamal Bryant – World War Me
Calvin Mackie, PH.D. – A View From the Roof – Lessons for Life & Business
Hilda Gurley-Highgate - Sapphire’s Grave A Novel
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
Aaron W. Smith – In the Black Live Faithfully, Prosper Financially
Stephanie L. Jones – The Enemy Between My Legs
Derrick Barnes - Ruby and the Booker Boys Series (Children’s Series)
Rodney M. Jackson – A Philanthropic Covenant with Black America
Yaba Baker – Princess Briana & Super TJ (Children Series)
Jacquette Timmons - Financial Intimacy How to Create a Healthy Relationship With Your Money and Your Mate
Victoria Christopher Murray - The Divine Divas (Christian Fiction for Teens)
Mildred Muhammad – Sacred Silent The Mildred Muhammad Story
Dan Ouellette - Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes (Jazz Legend Ron Carter will appear for this signing)
Peggy Brooks-Bertram & Barbara Seals Nevergold - Go, Tell Michelle, African American Women Write to the New First Lady
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Panel Discussion, Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
The Black Writer as Cultural Activist and Gatekeeper of History hosted by Hurston Wright Foundation
Moderator: Marita Golden author of Don’t Play In The Sun: The Color Complex
Panelists:
Ralph Eubanks - The House at the End of the Road
Paula Giddings - Ida: A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching
Howard Dodson - In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience
Annette Gordon Reed – The Hemingses of Monticello
David Levering Lewis - W. E. B. Du Bois, 1919-1963: The Fight for Equality and the American Century
Meet, Greet & Book Signings:
Sheilah Vance – Land Mines A Novel
Veronica T. White, MSPH - How to Maximize FEMA Funding After a Natural Disaster
T. Dweylan Wilson – Four Stars Conversations on Life Success, Leadership, Mentorship, Culture and Diversity
Meet Your Favorite Authors!
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Author Pavilion 2009
Washington, DC Convention Center, Exhibit Hall E
Schedule Subject to Change!
Friday, September 25th (Pavilion Hours 10:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.)
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
Bernadette Stanis – Situations 101
Janis F. Kearney - Something to Write Home About: Memories from a Presidential Diarist
Gil L. Robertson IV & Sandra Jowers - Family Affair: What it Means to be African American Today
Thembisa Mshaka – Put Your Dreams First Handle Your Entertainment Business
Layah Beth LeFlore – Wildflowers
Nika C. Beamon – I Didn’t Work this Hard Just to Get Married Successful Single Black Women Speak Out
Kim Collier – Kia’s Aftermath
Farai Chideya – Kiss the Sky
LaVerne Gill - African American Women in Congress Forming and Transforming History
Jeff Johnson - Everything I'm Not Made Me Everything I Am
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Panel Discussion, Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
Mind Readers: Mental Health, Wellness, and Self-Help hosted by Emerging Leaders and sponsored by AstraZeneca.
Moderator: Michelle Gourdine M.D. - Reclaiming Our Health: A Step by Step Guide to African American Wellness
Panelists:
Cornel West – Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud -- A Memoir
Terrie Williams – Black Pain It Just Looks Like We are Not Hurting
Kamau and Akilah Butler – The Love Ethic: The Reason Why You Can’t Find and Keep Beautiful Black Love
Haki Madhubuti – Liberation Narratives: Collective Poems 1966-2007
Wade Nobles - Seeking the Sakhu: Foundational Writings for an African Psychology
Pedro Noguera – The Trouble with Black Boys: And Other Reflections on Race, Equity, and the Future of Public Education
Bryant Terry - Vegan Soul Kitchen Fresh, Healthy and Creative African American Cuisine
Meet, Greet & Book Signings:
Deborah Gregory – Catwalk (Young Adult Series)
Congresswoman Barbara Lee - Renegade for Peace and Justice
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
Michael Taylor – A New Conversation with Men
Trice Hickman – Keeping Secrets and Telling Lies A Novel
Lori Nelson – Hillary’s Big Business Adventure (Children’s Book)
J.D. Mason – That Devil’s no Friend of Mine (Christian Fiction)
Ivan J. Houston –Black Warriors: The Buffalo Soldiers of World War II
Carla Douglin – The Foreclosure Workbook: Complete Guide to Understanding Foreclosure and Saving Your Home
Monda Webb - 7:33 am
Tanya Brockett – The Loan Solution Nine Steps to Community Express
Katie McCabe & Dovey Johnson Roundtree – Justice Older Than the Law The Life of Dovey Johnson Roundtree
Meet Your Favorite Authors!
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Author Pavilion 2009
Washington, DC Convention Center, Exhibit Hall E
Schedule Subject to Change!
Saturday, September 26th (Pavilion Hours 9:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.)
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (Panel Discussion, Meet, Greet, Book Signings)
Raising Him Alone Empowering Single Mothers Raising Young Boys hosted by Urban Leadership Institute
Moderator: Patrick Oliver author of Turn the Page and Don’t Stop
Panelists:
David Miller – Raising Him Alone Things Black Women Can Do to Raise Boys to be Men
Cassandra Mack - The Single Mother's Little Book of Wisdom
Sheron “Umi” Smith (Mos Def’s Mother) - Shine Your Light Life Skills Workbook
Dr. Brenda Green (Talib Kweili’s Mother) - Meditations and Ascension: Black Writers on Writing Jaquita Clayton mother of Mark Clayton Baltimore Ravens Wide Receiver and
Director and co-founder of the Mom Squad a group of NFL, NBA and Entertainers mothers
Meet, Greet & Book Signings:
Bernadette Stanis – Situations 101
Michelle Caple Taylor – Trouble Won’t Last Always (Christian Fiction)
Kareem Moody - Raise them Up: The Real Deal on Reaching Unreachable Kids
Eureka A. Wright - Called for a Purpose (Gospel CD Signing)
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (Panel Discussion & Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
Impact of the Black Writer on Today’s Culture: How Our Story is Told and Who Tells It!
Panelists:
Gwen Ifill – The Breakthrough: Politics and Race In the Age of Obama
Stephanie J. Jones – The State of Black America 2009: Message to the President
Charles Ogletree – Road to Abolition: The Future of Capital Punishment in the United States
Dwayne Betts – A Question of Freedom
Mary Frances Berry – And Justice for All: The United States Commission on Civil Rights and the Continuing Struggle for Freedom in America
Meet, Greet & Book Signings:
Solomon Jones – Payback
Jesmyn Ward – Where the Line Bleeds
Booker T. Mattison – Unsigned Hype
Tiffany Warren - The Bishop’s Daughter
1:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Panel Discussion followed by a Poetry & Drum Performance!)
Teen Girls, Arts and Education hosted by Say It Loud! Readers and Writers Series
Moderator: Patrick Oliver author of Turn the Page and Don’t Stop
Panelists:
Jessica Care Moore - God is Not an American (poetry performance)
Gloria J. Browne-Marshall - The Report on the Status of Black Women and Girls
Celia Anderson - Love, Ocean
Cora Coleman-Dunham - Gathering a Greater Understanding: The Guide for Life (drum performance)
Julianne Malveaux - Unfinished Business: A Democrat and a Republican Take On the Top Ten Issues Women Face
Meet, Greet & Book Signings:
Sister Claudette Marie Muhammad – Memories
Sloane Baxter - Concrete Dreams A Collection of Poems by 7 Young Men
Bey Bright – How to Attract a R.E.A. L. Man 10 Qualities R.E.A.L. MEN Look for In a Woman
Charisse Carney-Nunes - I Am Barack Obama
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Author Pavilion 2009
Washington, DC Convention Center, Exhibit Hall E
Schedule Subject to Change!
Thursday, September 24th (Pavilion Hours 10:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M.)
Author Pavilion hosted by Patrick Oliver Founder of, Say It Loud! Readers and Writers Series & host and executive producer Literary Nation KABF FM 88.3
Noon – 1:30 p.m. (Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
Bernadette Stanis – Situations 101
Kwame Alexander – And Then You Know: New and Selected Poems
Valencia Campbell – Advice From the Top What Minority Women Say About Their Career Success
Congressman Chaka Fattah – State of Black America 2009 Message to the President
Lloyd Price & William “Dollar-Bill” Waller – The True King of the 50’s The Lloyd Price Story
Russell Price, Jr. – Is He Your Man or is Your Head in the Sand?
Janice Bryant Howroyd – The Art of Work: How to Make Work, Work for You!
Jamal Bryant – World War Me
Calvin Mackie, PH.D. – A View From the Roof – Lessons for Life & Business
Hilda Gurley-Highgate - Sapphire’s Grave A Novel
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
Aaron W. Smith – In the Black Live Faithfully, Prosper Financially
Stephanie L. Jones – The Enemy Between My Legs
Derrick Barnes - Ruby and the Booker Boys Series (Children’s Series)
Rodney M. Jackson – A Philanthropic Covenant with Black America
Yaba Baker – Princess Briana & Super TJ (Children Series)
Jacquette Timmons - Financial Intimacy How to Create a Healthy Relationship With Your Money and Your Mate
Victoria Christopher Murray - The Divine Divas (Christian Fiction for Teens)
Mildred Muhammad – Sacred Silent The Mildred Muhammad Story
Dan Ouellette - Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes (Jazz Legend Ron Carter will appear for this signing)
Peggy Brooks-Bertram & Barbara Seals Nevergold - Go, Tell Michelle, African American Women Write to the New First Lady
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Panel Discussion, Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
The Black Writer as Cultural Activist and Gatekeeper of History hosted by Hurston Wright Foundation
Moderator: Marita Golden author of Don’t Play In The Sun: The Color Complex
Panelists:
Ralph Eubanks - The House at the End of the Road
Paula Giddings - Ida: A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching
Howard Dodson - In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience
Annette Gordon Reed – The Hemingses of Monticello
David Levering Lewis - W. E. B. Du Bois, 1919-1963: The Fight for Equality and the American Century
Meet, Greet & Book Signings:
Sheilah Vance – Land Mines A Novel
Veronica T. White, MSPH - How to Maximize FEMA Funding After a Natural Disaster
T. Dweylan Wilson – Four Stars Conversations on Life Success, Leadership, Mentorship, Culture and Diversity
Meet Your Favorite Authors!
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Author Pavilion 2009
Washington, DC Convention Center, Exhibit Hall E
Schedule Subject to Change!
Friday, September 25th (Pavilion Hours 10:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.)
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
Bernadette Stanis – Situations 101
Janis F. Kearney - Something to Write Home About: Memories from a Presidential Diarist
Gil L. Robertson IV & Sandra Jowers - Family Affair: What it Means to be African American Today
Thembisa Mshaka – Put Your Dreams First Handle Your Entertainment Business
Layah Beth LeFlore – Wildflowers
Nika C. Beamon – I Didn’t Work this Hard Just to Get Married Successful Single Black Women Speak Out
Kim Collier – Kia’s Aftermath
Farai Chideya – Kiss the Sky
LaVerne Gill - African American Women in Congress Forming and Transforming History
Jeff Johnson - Everything I'm Not Made Me Everything I Am
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Panel Discussion, Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
Mind Readers: Mental Health, Wellness, and Self-Help hosted by Emerging Leaders and sponsored by AstraZeneca.
Moderator: Michelle Gourdine M.D. - Reclaiming Our Health: A Step by Step Guide to African American Wellness
Panelists:
Cornel West – Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud -- A Memoir
Terrie Williams – Black Pain It Just Looks Like We are Not Hurting
Kamau and Akilah Butler – The Love Ethic: The Reason Why You Can’t Find and Keep Beautiful Black Love
Haki Madhubuti – Liberation Narratives: Collective Poems 1966-2007
Wade Nobles - Seeking the Sakhu: Foundational Writings for an African Psychology
Pedro Noguera – The Trouble with Black Boys: And Other Reflections on Race, Equity, and the Future of Public Education
Bryant Terry - Vegan Soul Kitchen Fresh, Healthy and Creative African American Cuisine
Meet, Greet & Book Signings:
Deborah Gregory – Catwalk (Young Adult Series)
Congresswoman Barbara Lee - Renegade for Peace and Justice
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
Michael Taylor – A New Conversation with Men
Trice Hickman – Keeping Secrets and Telling Lies A Novel
Lori Nelson – Hillary’s Big Business Adventure (Children’s Book)
J.D. Mason – That Devil’s no Friend of Mine (Christian Fiction)
Ivan J. Houston –Black Warriors: The Buffalo Soldiers of World War II
Carla Douglin – The Foreclosure Workbook: Complete Guide to Understanding Foreclosure and Saving Your Home
Monda Webb - 7:33 am
Tanya Brockett – The Loan Solution Nine Steps to Community Express
Katie McCabe & Dovey Johnson Roundtree – Justice Older Than the Law The Life of Dovey Johnson Roundtree
Meet Your Favorite Authors!
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Author Pavilion 2009
Washington, DC Convention Center, Exhibit Hall E
Schedule Subject to Change!
Saturday, September 26th (Pavilion Hours 9:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.)
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (Panel Discussion, Meet, Greet, Book Signings)
Raising Him Alone Empowering Single Mothers Raising Young Boys hosted by Urban Leadership Institute
Moderator: Patrick Oliver author of Turn the Page and Don’t Stop
Panelists:
David Miller – Raising Him Alone Things Black Women Can Do to Raise Boys to be Men
Cassandra Mack - The Single Mother's Little Book of Wisdom
Sheron “Umi” Smith (Mos Def’s Mother) - Shine Your Light Life Skills Workbook
Dr. Brenda Green (Talib Kweili’s Mother) - Meditations and Ascension: Black Writers on Writing Jaquita Clayton mother of Mark Clayton Baltimore Ravens Wide Receiver and
Director and co-founder of the Mom Squad a group of NFL, NBA and Entertainers mothers
Meet, Greet & Book Signings:
Bernadette Stanis – Situations 101
Michelle Caple Taylor – Trouble Won’t Last Always (Christian Fiction)
Kareem Moody - Raise them Up: The Real Deal on Reaching Unreachable Kids
Eureka A. Wright - Called for a Purpose (Gospel CD Signing)
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (Panel Discussion & Meet, Greet & Book Signings)
Impact of the Black Writer on Today’s Culture: How Our Story is Told and Who Tells It!
Panelists:
Gwen Ifill – The Breakthrough: Politics and Race In the Age of Obama
Stephanie J. Jones – The State of Black America 2009: Message to the President
Charles Ogletree – Road to Abolition: The Future of Capital Punishment in the United States
Dwayne Betts – A Question of Freedom
Mary Frances Berry – And Justice for All: The United States Commission on Civil Rights and the Continuing Struggle for Freedom in America
Meet, Greet & Book Signings:
Solomon Jones – Payback
Jesmyn Ward – Where the Line Bleeds
Booker T. Mattison – Unsigned Hype
Tiffany Warren - The Bishop’s Daughter
1:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Panel Discussion followed by a Poetry & Drum Performance!)
Teen Girls, Arts and Education hosted by Say It Loud! Readers and Writers Series
Moderator: Patrick Oliver author of Turn the Page and Don’t Stop
Panelists:
Jessica Care Moore - God is Not an American (poetry performance)
Gloria J. Browne-Marshall - The Report on the Status of Black Women and Girls
Celia Anderson - Love, Ocean
Cora Coleman-Dunham - Gathering a Greater Understanding: The Guide for Life (drum performance)
Julianne Malveaux - Unfinished Business: A Democrat and a Republican Take On the Top Ten Issues Women Face
Meet, Greet & Book Signings:
Sister Claudette Marie Muhammad – Memories
Sloane Baxter - Concrete Dreams A Collection of Poems by 7 Young Men
Bey Bright – How to Attract a R.E.A. L. Man 10 Qualities R.E.A.L. MEN Look for In a Woman
Charisse Carney-Nunes - I Am Barack Obama
Raising Him Alone Campaign on BAN Radio
Listen to the encouraging interview with authors Matthew Stevens and David Miller. Special guest Sheron Smith (mother of Grammy nominated actor and rapper Mos Def) Hosted by Ella Curry, president of EDC Creations.
Raising Him Alone Campaign features thought-provoking workshops, series of community forums addressing a variety of diverse topics (legal resources, financial literacy, mental health support, health & nutrition & educational advocacy). The Kick Off also features workshops, resource fair and an intimate panel discussion featuring several celebrity mothers who have raised boys become men. The mothers include the following: Dr. Mahalia Hines (mother of rapper Common), Dr. Brenda Greene (mother of rapper and activist Talib Kweli) and Sheron Smith (mother of Grammy nominated actor and rapper Mos Def). Other featured speakers include: Meshelle, Cassandra Mack, Richard Rowe, Adeyemi Bandale, Kenneth Braswell and Joel Austin.
The campaign focuses on four areas identified as key benchmarks in addressing positive outcomes for single mothers and their sons. The campaign's approach to provide greater advocacy and supporting parents gaining access to community based services. The following are the four key campaign areas:
Health & Well Being (Mental Health)
Black males have the worst health status of any other race-sex group.
Black males have the second lowest life expectancy at birth second only to Native American men. Black males have the highest death rate from all causes and the highest death rates from cancer, cardiovascular disease & homicides.
Black male have the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections.
Educational Support & Advocacy
Black males account for 8.62% of total enrollment in the nation's elementary and secondary schools, but account for 21.69% of total expulsions.
Forty-two percent of all Black boys have failed an entire grade at least once.
The national average high school graduation rate for Black boys is 47%.
Financial Literacy (African American Community)
Nearly six of 10 children living with only their mother were near (or below) the poverty line.
Of the 19 million children of single parents, two thirds live in rented homes.
Reconnecting Fathers & Sons
Children From Fatherless Homes More Likely To:
Commit Suicide (5 Times)
Have behavioral disorder (20 Times)
Drop out of school (9 Times)
Abuse drugs (10 Times)
Go to prison (20Times
Visit the main website to purchase the book and for more information:
http://www.raisinghimalone.com/index.htm
The Renaissance Group, LLC
Marketing Consulting · Extraordinary Events
therenaissancegrouplm@gmail.com
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