FEATURED AUTHOR: Jessie Jamie Coleman

SORMAG: Please give the readers a brief bio on you the person and the writer.

Jessie Jamie Coleman: Though I have been writing for over ten years, I didn't start my publishing business, Autumn Girl Press, until the spring of 2005. I then published such titles as "Sex on the Side," A Regrettable Twist of Fate" and "Where Will You Be in Two Years.

SORMAG: Tell us about your current book?

COLEMAN: My first non-fiction book is "Where Will You Be in Two Years," which will be available April 24, 2007. It is a self-discovery journal specifically tailored for the goal-oriented woman. It aids women in building self-esteem and setting goals.

SORMAG: What would you like your readers to take away from your book?

COLEMAN: Most of all, I want women to realize that they need not have a man in their lives to validate them and that they can validate themselves with self-love.

SORMAG: Tell us about your publishing experience?

COLEMAN: As of this date, I have six titles in print with a plan to publish ten more in the next three years. One day soon, I would like to publish other writer's work.

SORMAG: How do you feel about critique groups?

COLEMAN: I think writers should be leary of critique groups because a person who is not realizing their dreams, enjoys nothing better than to bring others down who are realizing their dreams. I personally would not take part in a critique group unless they were people who had a vested interest in my project. Say a movie producer or book publisher. Other than that, I am not interested.

SORMAG: What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?

COLEMAN: I wish that non-writers knew that writing is not about money. It is about writing stories, sharing stories that will entertain as well as inspire.

SORMAG: Do you have any promotional tips for writers?

COLEMAN: A good promotional tip which I just learned of is to send book covers and press releases to libraries so that they will order your book across the country.

SORMAG: What activity do you like to do in the spring?

COLEMAN: Some of my favorite activities are: journaling, movies and water parks.

SORMAG: What was the last book to keep you up at night reading it?

COLEMAN: The last book that kept me up at night was "Where Will You Be in Two Years" and "End the Struggle and Dance with Life." "End the Struggle and Dance wif Life" is one of the best self-help books I have ever read.

SORMAG: How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website)

COLEMAN: I can be contacted at jessie353@yahoo.com and my websites: www.jessiejamiecoleman.com and www.autumngirlpress.com.

Royalties

This week I received a message from an author asking her fans not to buy her books from a certain publisher, because that publisher wasn’t paying her royalties.

As a writer who dreams of publication, this is a scary notion, that when I do get published, there is a chance I won’t get my royalties.

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of this problem. Last year a few authors took their publisher to court because of the same problems.

What is up with these publishers?

Should writers boycott these publishers who don’t pay royalties?

Why do you think publishers are withholding royalties?

What can a writer do when they find out they are?

SORMAG would like to know your opinion on this issue.

HIGH TEA - LaShaunda's Birthday Party

WELCOME TO LASHAUNDA’s HIGH TEA

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. central time

Today’s High Tea Menu

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Chicken salad Tea Sandwiches

Cherry Scones

Caramel Toffee Scones

Blue Berry Scones

Lemon Curd

Strawberry Cream

Chocolate Strawberries

Chocolate Fondue with pound cake, strawberries,
pineapples, apples, shortbread cookies for dipping

Petiti Fours

Russian Teacakes

Chocolate Brownie Trifle

Birthday Cake - Split Lemon with whip cream topping

Assorted Teas

Please come in, visit the buffet for your refreshments.

We have tables prepared, find a seat and enjoy the tea.

We also invite you to check out our blog.

We have some great authors and their books featured here.

Click Comments to enter

FEATURED AUTHOR: Rhonda Jackson Joesph

Editor Note: It is always exciting to introduce someone I met on my path to publication. Rhonda is one of the members of SORMAG’s writer’s group and her romance novel makes its debut this month.

SORMAG: Please give the readers a brief bio on you the person and the writer.

Rhonda Jackson Joseph: I am the proud mother of four, and I hail from Houston, Texas. There is never an unwritable moment in my house! I am an avid reader, and I have always loved everything about words; so, it was a natural progression to a career in writing. I've had several short works published, and I have just stepped up to having my first contemporary romance novel, Call It What You Want published. I am currently working on several other novels and a screenplay.

SORMAG: Tell us about your current book?

JOSEPH: My current book is entitled Call It What You Want, and it's a contemporary romance about two up and coming business owners who propose to have a "no strings attached' type of relationship because neither wants to pull away from growing their businesses for a real relationship. Of course, this proposition spirals out of their control and they find that they need much more.

SORMAG: What would you like your readers to take away from your book?

JOSEPH: I'd like for readers to take away two main things from my book. The first is the fact that everyone needs someone. We are not made to be islands, all alone, and it is not a weakness to admit that we need another person. Secondly, I'd like us to think more about realizing that when a special person is placed in our lives, we would be smart to make time to see where our relationship with that person might go. Money and reaching career goals are great, but a forever love is even better.

SORMAG: Tell us about your publishing experience?

JOSEPH: It hasn't been quite the chore it could have been. I have been blessed to have linked up with a local publisher who has been very helpful to me in setting up my publishing company and getting my book printed as the first work. I've learned so much on the back end of publishing, and I have found, over and over again, that writers are such a wonderful group of people! Whenever I've found myself stuck or with questions, there is never a shortage of answers. But I'm glad the release date is just about here. I really think the hardest part is yet to come...

SORMAG: How do you feel about critique groups?

JOSEPH: I've had both good and bad experiences with critique groups. I think it depends on the writer. If the writer is strong and confident in her/his work, then it would be hard for even a bad experience to bring that person down or discourage them. But even a strong writer has to determine after a few conversations with a potential critique partner/group whether or not the partnership would actually be benefical to their writing process.

SORMAG: What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?

JOSEPH: I wish non-writers would understand that writing is a job, too. It requires time and concentration. One book doesn't usually make an entire career, and writers do not get rich instantly.

SORMAG: Do you have any promotional tips for writers?

JOSEPH: One thing I find that has worked really well for me is to tell everyone you talk to what you're doing. When you start to believe you're a writer, everyone else does, too. And you become accountable for making your words come true because you have given them to others. Also, always carry business cards, and use them. They're great conversation starters, and you never know what role the person you're talking to might play in your journey, or you in theirs.

SORMAG: What activity do you like to do in the spring?

JOSEPH: I get spring fever real bad, and I love to change things-- around the house, the car, the wardrobes. I feel like everything needs to be new in the spring.

SORMAG: What was the last book to keep you up at night reading it?

JOSEPH: I devoured Divine Destiny by Gwenyth Bolton. It was absolutely wonderful, and I couldn't have put it down if I'd wanted to. I had to read the whole thing in one sitting. And I'm so glad I did.

SORMAG: How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website)

JOSEPH: Readers can contact me via my website at: www.rhondajacksonjoseph.com, or by email: rjacksonjoseph@yahoo.com. My snail mail address is: P.O. Box 14804, Houston, Texas 77221-4804

MAR 07 FEATURED AUTHOR: Patricia Haley

Patricia Haley, national bestselling author of Nobody's Perfect, Blind Faith, Baby Blues, and No Regrets is a trailblazer in the mainstream faith-based fiction genre. She self-published her debut novel, Nobody's Perfect, in 1998 and immediately sold nearly 20,000 copies in an industry where selling 5,000 copies is highly regarded. Her faith-based novel was the first of its kind to repeatedly make numerous national best sellers list, including #1 on the Essence (African-American) bestselling list.

Originally from Rockford , IL , Patricia now lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Jeffrey. With an engineering degree from Stanford Univ. and an M.B.A. in marketing and finance from the Univ. of Chicago , readers are often surprised to hear that Patricia is writing faith-based fiction, given her technical and business background.

http://www.patriciahaley.com/

MAR 07 EXCERPT: No Regrets

Feeling a moment of relief, she meandered to the window, which was squeaky clean as far up as a step-ladder-assisted arm could reach. She stared into the evening wondering where the week had gone and how late her husband would get home this time.

******
Johnny could still turn the heads of women when he walked into a room. His six-foot-two silhouette stood in the arched doorway of the large banquet room. [He’d] been coming to this club for over eleven years, with more frequency in recent months. He kept his slightly graying hair short to draw attention away from his balding. He no longer had the trim body he sported in college. Over the years, extra pounds had taken up residency in his physique. His age had started showing, but his handsome demeanor was still winning out.
He eased into the room like a warm knife slicing butter.
Standing next to the bar was Johnny’s friend, Tyrone. The two leaned on the bar and Johnny scoped the room. [He} was on alert. His game seemed to work best with a married woman or a pure party girl who was looking for fun without commitment. The ‘nice, goody-two-shoes type’ was too dangerous. Johnny didn't want to kickoff a fatal attraction with a single, available, and searching woman. He wanted companionship without any strings attached. A shred of a good time away from his pressures was all he needed. He wasn’t looking for a wife seeing that he already had one of those at home. Isabelle was a red flag, but something about the game drew him in. Even though he was married… [he preferred] the kind [of women] who knew he was unfaithful and liked him anyway.

******
[Several hours passed before] Tyrone held up his wrist and pointed to his watch. He didn’t mind meeting Johnny for a drink from time to time but always knew when it was time to go home. Johnny got the message.

Heading for the door, Johnny helped Isabelle put on her jacket. Outside, he pulled the parking ticket from his pants pocket and handed it to the valet.
Isabelle’s eyes widened as the car approached.
He peeled a ten-dollar bill from his pocket as the valet attendant drove the new Cadillac up to the curb. He walked around to the passenger’s side of the car and opened the door for Isabelle. He hadn’t opened the door for Karen in ten years, but then she wasn’t someone he had to impress.
“Hi, Johnny,” a soft voice echoed from over his shoulder.
He turned to see who it was.
“Tina!” He went cold on the inside, but struggled to maintain his composure. Of all the people he could have run into, Johnny was wondering why it had to be Ms. Motor Mouth. Karen’s nosey friend was the last person he wanted to see.
Tina flashed a cunning smile, knowing Johnny was caught in the act. She had him right where she wanted, squirming.
“How’s Karen?” Tina asked while getting a good look at the lady sitting in her girlfriend’s car.
He closed the door and walked towards the driver’s side of the car. “She’s fine.”
“Tell her I said hello.” Tina walked past the car and without looking back said, “No, better yet, I’ll just call her myself.”
“Will do.” Johnny hopped into the car. He drove away as quickly and with as little drama as possible.
The twenty-minute drive was filled with small talk and moments of complete silence. The unexpected run-in with Tina had put a damper on Johnny’s playboy routine.
As soon as Isabelle got out of the car, he pulled off without extending any extra courtesies. Three blocks down the road, he was back in husband mode.


Johnny sat at the stop sign, turned on his cell phone and dialed home to see if Karen still needed him to stop by the pharmacy and pick up anything. His best hope was that Tina hadn’t told Karen about his escapade at Floods.
Karen answered the phone to hear Johnny on the other end.
“Hey, I’m on my way home.”
“It’s about time!”
“I told you I was going to be out.”
“If I’d known you were going to take this long, I would have gotten the Tylenol myself.”
“Look, I’m tired and your nagging is really starting to get on my nerves.”
“Well, I’m sorry Johnny, but I deserve a little more consideration.”
“I’ll be there when I get there. Bye.” Beep went the sound of the disconnecting cell phone.


Johnny was feeling the weight of running a plant and a household. He was doing the best he could. The only gratitude he got from Karen was suspicions and constant badgering. He thought more and more about what he'd been working for? He didn't want to give up living the American dream, but Johnny felt the installments were becoming too difficult to keep up. Something was going to have to give and soon.


“Johnny, Johnny!”
Karen heard the dial tone and put the receiver on the hook. When the phone rang again, she grabbed it.
"Johnny."
“No, it’s not Johnny. This is Tina, Karen. How you doing?”

Classic SORMAG

Are you new to SORMAG?

Have you been with SORMAG since day one?

Why not revisit SORMAG at the beginning and see how far we come.


CLASSIC SORMAG – ISSUE 3
MULTI-CULTURAL PUBLISHERS

Do You Have What They Are Looking For?

http://sormag.com/index03.html

When SORMAG started it was a webpage featuring interviews.

We moved to PDF form, print and now blog. My how times changed.

Leave your comments here.

MAR 07 AUTHOR INTRO: Francine Craft

Francine Craft is a national best selling multicultural romance writer whose novels have captured the hearts of her readers. A native Mississippian, she has lived in both New Orleans and Washington, D.C. Francine has pursued a lifelong interest in writing magazine and newspaper articles as well as song lyrics. Since 1995, she has published over 17 novels, some of which have made the top 100 list on Amazon. Recently, one of her novels was selected for inclusion in the Black Expressions Book Club. Francine is a prodigious reader who loves photography, songwriting, and sharing those precious moments with her soulmate.

http://www.francinecraft.com/

MAR 07 EXCERPT: Be Encouraged

Be Encouraged
by Lynn E. Hubbard

When Goodbye Is A Gift

Life is full of surprises, some pleasant and some not so pleasant. One thing we all will experience is losing someone or the end of relationship. These things happen for many reasons. Sometimes what starts out as a simple misunderstanding can snowball into a full-fledged battle. Or maybe you are hurt by something another person has done. Whatever happens the result is the same, a bond is broken. Angry goodbyes are flung at each other like weapons and a door slams as one of you walks off. Been there? I’ll bet you have. Much as you may regret leaving or being left behind consider this- sometimes goodbye is a gift.

Think about it for a minute. Not all friendships are good for you. A true friend will never lead you into danger or wrongdoing. Young people have to learn to distinguish true friends from false one. You might be sad when a “friend” stops hanging with you because you wouldn’t go along with the crowd. They might even make fun of you and make you feel left out and alone. Listen, this may the biggest favor they could ever do for you. The price tag is way too high for the “fun” they claim you will have. If they stop calling you let go. That goodbye is a gift. Accept it.

To those of us that Reverend Flowers call the Not-So-Young, the same lesson applies. Some friends want to discuss everything that is wrong with everybody else. Resist. Life is tough enough without finding reasons to be mad. Avoid the chronically dissatisfied critic who picks through even the sunniest day to find the cloud. If you don’t cooperate, she’ll probably stop calling. That goodbye is a gift. Accept it.

You may be dating someone who does not treat you with the respect or consideration you deserve. No matter how hard you try it’s not enough. Guys complain about women who want them to buy things as proof of affection. Women complain, “He doesn’t call when he says he will” and fuss about how thoughtless a man can be. If you spend more time feeling bad than good, take it as a sign. Though you may grieve over the loss of this relationship take that goodbye as a gift.

Goodbyes can be hard, even painful. Yet sometimes it is better to let go. Do what is best for yourself in the long run. Don’t hang on because you fear being lonely or ridiculed. Sometimes saying goodbye is the best thing someone can do for you.

Be Encouraged

Life can be like a highway,

With twists and turns,

With road signs,

And signals,

And lessons to learn.

When the way is divided,

With many a lane,

Just be cautious,

Pay attention,

For wisdom to gain.

Be ready to slow down,

For potholes and shocks,

Stay alert for

A detour,

To avoid those roadblocks.

Look for warnings and signals,

Hold to God’s sweet lifeline,

Where there’s trouble,

Don’t falter,

Take the Lord’s Exit sign.

For He’ll never forsake you,

Or leave you alone,

Stay the course,

Be encouraged,

And you’ll find your way home.

Lynn E. Hubbard

www.BeEncouraged.wordpress.com

e-Tours: Carlene D. Heeter

Mama's Tears

by Carlene D. Heeter

This book is about one mother’s trials and tribulations and how God enabled her to carry on when all appeared hopeless.

Heeter shares her breakdown in faith and perseverance when she was powerless and her breakthrough. As you read her sequence of trials, you will surely be able to relate to many events in this book. Get your box of Kleenex ready because her story is guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, want to fight and even rejoice.

http://www.mamastears.com/

MAR 07 EXCERPT: Sweet Sensation

Sweet Sensation

Gwyneth Bolton
ISBN 1-58571-206-X
Genesis Press
March 2007

Brief Blurb:

Deidre James has never revealed that her daughter’s father is rap super producer Flex Towns…until a TV show spills the beans. Flex resurfaces and wants to marry Deidre, so he can protect them both from a rival record label owner. But when violence from their past explodes, will eidre be able to keep from running again? Sweet Sensation is the second book in Gwyneth’s Hip-Hop Debutantes trilogy

Excerpt:

Deidre James, poet and teacher, was a far cry from Sweet Dee, the bold and sometimes vulgar female rap artist, and she liked it that way. Her life was quiet. No one got shot after a poetry reading. For the most part, the media wasn’t trying to find out the latest dish on an up and coming poet.

Thinking of her simple life made the fact that in two days she was going to have to fly to New York and face Flex all the more stressful. Maybe he’ll be out of town. Maybe he’ll be on tour or something like that. She smiled at her wistful thoughts.

Deidre drove up the back alley, hit the garage door opener, and sailed into her small one car garage. As she walked into the back door of her home, she could hear someone ringing the front doorbell. She wondered if it was the FedEx man. He always came when she wasn’t home. She always filled out the back of the ‘delivery attempted’ card telling them to just leave future deliveries, but he never did. So, she ended up having to drive to the distribution center to pick up the package.

Determined to catch him this time, she ran to the front of the house, almost skidding across the polished hardwood floors. Maybe Kayla is right. Maybe it is time for some new slippers. These have no traction whatsoever.

Deidre banished the thought from her head. There was nothing wrong with her slippers. They had lasted her a good five years and she believed they would last her another five.
She snatched open the door to see Flex Towns turning to walk away.

When the door opened, he turned back around and looked her dead in the eyes. Her mouth fell open and goose bumps suddenly traveled up and down her arms. Handsome was too mild a term to describe the man standing at her front door. He was tall and had filled out with muscles in all the right places. The last time she’d seen him he’d had a head full of small locs. He now sported a close-cropped haircut. His dark chocolate complexion was still smooth and flawless.

Yikes. Not good.

“Fredrick.” Even though he would always be Flex to her, she called him Fredrick. At one time she did it because everyone else called him Flex and she wanted to be different. Later in their relationship, when she told herself she could care less about standing apart from all the groupies and hoochie mamas circulating in Flex’s world and hanging around The Real Deal, she called him Fredrick simply because it got on his nerves.

“Deidre.” His face was stoic. The stern stare made his always quiet demeanor scarier.

She realized that she was standing there with her mouth gaping, eyes wide, and the door open. She let out a hiss of air and tried to fight the dread knotting up in her belly. Flex had obviously seen the television special. There was no reason to try to lie. She was caught.

FEATURED AUTHOR - Ann Christopher

SORMAG: Please give the readers a brief bio on you the person and the writer.

Ann Christopher: Well, I’m a “retired” lawyer who specialized in litigation and family law, especially divorces. I’m also a native Cincinnatian, and I live here with my husband, son, daughter, and 2 cats. We’ve recently had lots of snow and ice (nothing like Oswego, though!) and several snow days, so I’m counting the days till spring.

I’ve always enjoyed love stories, and started writing them in 2001. My first completed novel, A DELICATE SITUATION, was truly awful, and I’m glad it never saw the light of day. I found an agent in 2004, and she sold my second novel, TROUBLE, about two brothers in love with the same woman, to Kensington in 2005. It was published last July. I also write for Harlequin, and my first book for them, JUST ABOUT SEX, debuts this month.

SORMAG: Tell us about your current book?


CHRISTOPHER: JUST ABOUT SEX

A Dirty Little Secret?

Sex therapist Dr. Simone Beaupre is living large. Her popular dating-and-advice column, 'Just About Sex,' has made her the toast of Cincinnati . And that's not all. Her column is about to go national. A 'phat' syndication deal is in the works. But Simone's big-time future teeters on the brink of disaster, when an obnoxious lawyer threatens to expose her. At thirty-four years young, Simone is still—a virgin?

Prominent attorney Alex Greene is on a crusade to 'out' Dr. Simone as the fraud he believes she is, until he meets the good doctor in person. Then his campaign turns from prosecution to one of sizzling seduction.

SORMAG: What do you do to make time for yourself?

CHRISTOPHER: I used to practice yoga (which I highly recommend), but my schedule got crazier and I’ve REALLY slacked off. I read a lot, and the time I spend writing is wonderful because I love it so much. I also love to cook and bake (and eat, unfortunately!)

SORMAG: What aspect of writing do you love the best, and which do you hate the most?

CHRISTOPHER: I love planning, writing and editing. I’m not very wild about research, but maybe that’s a side effect from my days of a lawyer, when I did tons of legal research all the time. When I was unpublished, I never realized how much time writers spend on marketing their books. That really cuts into the writing time, but if you don’t market, then no one will know you have a book out there.

SORMAG: What’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

CHRISTOPHER: Wow. Hard question. People told me lots of things, but I sort of had to learn things for myself, you know? That the business is hard, that it can take a long time to get published, that you have to have a thick skin, that it can be very frustrating.

The advice I’d give to any aspiring writers who might be interested is a) don’t give up (remember what Winston Churchill said, “Never, never, never quit”); and b) study hard. Check books out of the library and study the craft of writing. Learn everything you can about plotting, dialogue, description, etc. Your writing will thank you for it.

SORMAG: What was the last book to keep you up at night reading it?

CHRISTOPHER: Up at night … up at night … let me think … Probably one of L.A. Banks’ Vampire Huntress novels (I’m thinking of THE HUNTED, when Carlos was a pretty naughty boy) or J.R. Ward’s LOVER AWAKENED. These two authors really have a knack for writing larger than life characters that get into your head and won’t let you sleep.

SORMAG: How can readers get in contact with you?

CHRISTOPHER: I love to hear from readers through my website at http://www.annchristopher.com/.

AUTHOR INTRO - Deatri King Bey

Deatri King-Bey

I’m a fiction content editor by trade and love working with authors. Being an author on the other end of the editing spectrum was quite interesting for me. I do my own writing at least two hours a day and read one novel a week for pleasure. Science Fiction, Fantasy and romance are my favorite genres. I’m even writing a fantasy romance and have written a science fiction romance.

Beauty and the Beast

Many see Bruce Maxwell as a beast, but to Nefertiti Townes, he is her Prince Charming. Being under the protection of the man she loves should be a dream come true for Nefertiti, but their personal demons strive for a nightmare.

Deatri can be reached at deatri@deewrites.com or
Deatri King-Bey
2405 Essington RD. Unit B
PMB 212
Joliet, IL 60435
Or on the web at http://www.deewrites.com