The Frederick Douglass High Dancing Divas are the most popular girls at school. Every girl wants to dance like them and be them. The school year is going as planned until the new principal sees their dance routines and calls it vulgar. Believing the way they dance is who there are, so the girls fight back when the principal try to change them. The Divas soon find out the principal is not the only thing standing in their way of making the dreams of come.
Nia, Cammy, Latisha, and Perri are members of the hottest dance squad in Atlanta, Georgia, The Frederick Douglass High Dancing Divas. The girls are on top of the world until the new principal disapproves of their sexy dance routines. Drama at school and at home is threatening to destroy their year. Can the girls overcome their personal problems and take on their city rivals? The girls must fight to keep and find their own self-image on and off the dance floor. It seems the school, their parents, and the whole world are against them, but all they want to do is dance and follow their dreams: Nia wants to go to college and dance, Cammy wants everyone to see her for the talented dancer she really is and not the token white girl on the team, Perri just wants to sing the type of music she wants, and Latisha wants to get over the pain of a horrific incident.
About the Author
L. L. Turner has a M.A. in Creative Writing from Kennesaw State University. Shake What Your Momma Gave U! is her first Young Adult novel. She resides in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. An avid reader, she enjoys reading different genres.
Blog: http://www.llturner.blogspot.com/
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Some people, especially young people, sag physically in the way they wear their pants. Others, old and young, sag mentally in the way they think about themselves. Raised in public housing, Emery Franklin sagged not in his clothing but in his thinking. He dreamed of making a living as a fine artist but saw no way out. He searched for the key to success and found it in reading the right books and connecting with positive influences. When he changed the way he thought, his life changed. Now a successful and prolific artist, Emery turns his thoughts, hopes, dreams and visions into paintings. His paintings tell stories. In his 2011 “Crossroads: From Sagging to Success” art series of 15 paintings, he highlights sagging pants and changing mindsets as he takes his viewers on a short journey through African American history and into the life of his main character in the paintings. The main character in many of the paintings (Derrick) is a young man who sags physically for the sake of fashion and mentally because of low self-esteem. Like Emery, he searches for the key to success and finds it in reading. Written by Florence M. Howard, “From Sagging to Success: The Story of Emery Franklin” is a mixture of biography, history and storytelling based on the paintings in his Crossroads series. The book contains 15, 8”x10” full-color prints of paintings by the artist. Readers will be inspired to examine their attitudes and to follow the steps used by Emery in becoming successful. Highlights in the book include an original portrait of President Barack Obama by Emery Franklin and bonus section on black inventors.
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African American on the Move Book Club and Write on Promotions will be collecting used books and distributing pajamas, along with signing copies of their novels at the Boys and Girls Club Cobb County, 785 Fontaine Rd. Austell, GA .30126 to benefit their reading program. The focus of the reading program is to gain involvement from the community of Marietta, Georiga. This Reading Club is striving to promote stability, dignity, and self-reliance for these children. Collection of books has begun and will last until the duration of the drive.
What: Collecting Children Books, Pajamas and Signing Books
When: Friday, December 14, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Where: Boys and Girls Club, 785 Fontaine Rd. Austell, GA 30126.
Why: To provide reading material for the Boys and Girls Club Cobb County and provide the homeless children with clean and comfortable bedtime clothing.
This event is sponsored by: African American on the Move Book Club, Write on Promotions, Charm Kommunications, Urbania Magazine, To find out how to become a sponsor email aambookclub@gmail.com or writeonpromotions@gmail.com.
We will be there taking photos and conducting live author interviews during the duration of the drive. Come out and support this great and worthy cause!
If you would like to send books and or pajamas, please send to: Holiday Book Drive C/O AAMBC and Write on Promotions Po Box 80883 Atlanta, GA 30366.
For more information regarding this press release, please contact Kolonda Scott, Publicist 702-541-5642or email at charmkommunications@gmail.com
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Angelia Vernon Menchan, wife, mother, mentor, budget officer and former Job Corps Counselor, born and raised in Ocala Florida, resides in Jacksonville, acvermen@yahoo.com http://acvermen.blogspot.com
The Blacks: Love's Politics
In Mrs. Black? Cinnamon Brown finally divorced her husband, William Brown, who had flagrantly disrespected their vows for decades. Cinnamon, however is not without sin, she had an affair with Malcolm Black and was set to become his wife. Does Cinnamon and Black get married? And if they do marry will they be able to withstand their comeuppance, because one must always pay for their transgressions. Not only that what could possibly occur if politics enter the already volatile mix? To find out, delve into the pages of, The Black's: LOVE'S POLITICS - New Beginnings and find out. You will not be disappointed as Angelia Vernon Menchan plunges you into a story filled with love, family, retribution, revenge, politics, and ultimately love.
READ ANGELIA's INTERVIEW in the SEP/OCT issue of SORMAG Digital
Dr. Maxine Thompson is a novelist, poet, columnist, short story writer, book reviewer, an editor, ghostwriter, Internet Radio Show Host, and a Literary Agent. She is the author of The Ebony Tree, No Pockets in a Shroud, A Place Called Home (A Short Story Collection), The Hush Hush Secrets of Writing Fiction That Sell, a contributor to bestselling anthologies Secret Lovers, All in The Family, and Never Knew Love Like This Before, (Also a Kindle Bestseller). Hostage of Lies, LA Blues, and latest novel, LA Blues II. (Slipping Into Darkness.)
She is also an ebook author of The Hush Hush Secrets of Writing Fiction That Sell, The Hush Hush Secrets of Making Money as a Writer, The Hush Hush Secrets of Creating a Life You Love, a contributor to bestselling anthologies Secret Lovers, All in The Family, and Never Knew Love Like This Before, (Also a Kindle Bestseller). Proverbs for the People, and Editor/Contributor to anthology, Saturday Morning.
Her novels, The Ebony Tree, (Won a Pen Award in 1997), Hostage of Lies, (Voted a Best Book of 2009), LA Blues, (2011), and LA Blues II, (2012), which were featured in Black Expressions’ Catalogue in August 2012
Running her private detective agency, staying off the sauce, and coming to the rescue of her trouble-prone family members keeps former LAPD cop Zipporah “Z” Saldano very busy. And now, just as she’s on the verge of tracking down the notorious serial killer known as the Grim Sleeper—and just as things are getting hot and heavy with hard-bodied detective Romero Gonzalez—word comes that Z’s brother, Mayhem, has been kidnapped. The name should be a dead giveaway; but Z is shocked when the feds inform her of Mayhem’s long rap sheet, and his new role as a snitch, which seriously threatens to shorten his lifespan. Shuttling between LA and Brazil, Z desperately tries to free her brother…but what she learns will shake her to the core.
How did you start out your writing career?
I’ve been writing since I was eight years old. However, I began to write professionally after I won $1,000 honorable mention in Ebony’s first writing contest in 1989. In 1990, I had three short stories published in Obsidian Magazine, A North Carolina University quarterly magazine. I self-published my first novel, The Ebony Tree, in 1995 and my novel, No Pockets in a Shroud, in 1997. From there I got into the publishing industry side of the business and became an editor and a literary agent. I have since had 14 books published. I have negotiated over 70 book deals. I am working on an independent film, Hollywood Blues based on my novel, LA Blues.
What did you learn while writing this book?
LA Blues was my first mystery and thriller, and I came to it with a women’s, historical fiction background. Although I read a lot of mysteries, I had to do an extensive rewrite after the first content edit. I had to learn how to ratchet up the tension. I also had to learn how to set high stakes, solve the puzzle, and end with some kind of natural order being restored.
LA Blues II was a little easier to write because I knew the characters and because I used a variation of Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey.”
What did you hope to accomplish with this book?
I hope to expose the plight of foster children in the system in L.A, the long-reaching effects of having an incarcerated parent, the negative effects of alcoholism, the inordinate amount of African American male youths, murdered (which ironically the murder victim’s name was Trayvon, which I wrote 2 years before the Trayvon Martin case,) bereavement help for grieving persons, and family of origin therapy. I also looked at the LA riots, the rival gang situation in Los Angeles.
In LA Blues Book II, I examined the international scope of the war on drugs and the drug trade.
What came first with this story, the characters or the plot? Why?
The character of Z came first. I kept seeing this character tiptoeing down a hall where a mother had been murdered by her husband. I started out with a social worker. Later, she became a police officer who was a former foster child. Talking about baggage and back story. I am seeing that Z can easily carry a series. I love her spunk.
What has surprised you most about becoming a published author?
My biggest surprise is that this isn’t about fame. It’s about passion. That you have to constantly keep learning the craft and keep growing as a writer.
I’ve gotten better as both a writer and an editor as a result of studying the craft.
I also found you can make a living as a writer when you use your talents in more than one area. I have content edited many New York Times Best Selling Authors such as Wahida Clark, and Carl Weber, and many Essence bestselling authors, such as EnJoy.
What aspect of writing do you love the best, and which do you hate the most?
I love the revision process. All writing is rewriting as you search for story. I also like the craft of knowing how stories are structured. It has really helped make my writing and editing process easier.
What I hate the most is the collection of money. I am an artist, but I’ve had to become a business person when it comes to collecting money for my freelance jobs and for the writers I represent as an agent.
What are three things you wish you’d known before you reached where you are now?
This has definitely been a learning curve.
1. I wish I had evaluated writers whom I became the agent for, who were not into being career novelists. Now I evaluate writers to see how many books they have in them. If they will keep growing, and promote their books.
2. I wish I had known my worth and how much to charge.
3. I wish I had known how to separate the “wannabe writers” and the true story tellers. Over the years, I’ve mentored many writers and now I know the difference.
Can you give us one do and one don’t for those aspiring to be a writer?
Do read, read, read. Study the craft. Take writing classes. Join writing critique groups.
Don’t approach an agent before your manuscript has been edited and rewritten.
What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?
That this is a craft and it takes time and study. Any endeavor from art, to sports, to music will take practice to develop your expertise and skill set, so writing is no different. Writing deals with knowing how to get reader engagement, how to develop dramatic tension, build hero empathy, and a vicarious experience for the reader.
Tell us something few know about you?
I like to do line dancing with my Seniors on the Move group. I worked as a social worker 23 years; 7 years in Detroit, then 16 years Los Angeles.
I’ve been in the literary industry since 1998. I am a mentor for many writers.
I currently book coach authors to help content edit and upload their books up on Kindle. My latest client, Sandi Webb, author of Out of Ignorance, hit the Amazon best seller’s list after one day on November 21, 2012.
I am the mother of 4 adult children; I have 13 grandchildren.
I am currently working on my first independent film, Hollywood Blues, based on my novel, LA Blues.
When you're not writing, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I love to read. I love movies. Now that I’ve become a producer, I like evaluating films, and listening to the director’s cut on the Netflix films I order.
I pitch books and films to publishers and movie producers. I edit or ghostwrite other writers’ books.
What do you do to interact with your readers?
I am in a senior book club at Faithful Central Baptist in Inglewood, where I have had my books read. I also promote the writers I’m the agent for.
I teach writing classes where I meet readers.
I use Facebook, twitter, linked in, and pinterest to reach out to readers. I’ve been interviewing writers in order to promote their works since 1999 on my website, then from 2002, on Internet Radio Show. I currently still interview writers on Artistfirst.com, which reaches a growing number of Internet readers. I talk about my books every week.
Our theme for this month is BUSINESS OF WRITING. What were you surprised by about the business side of writing?
When I first went into writing, I was just about writing my own books. Since I’ve been on the business side of writing, I’ve found that this is a business where a writer can make money in more ways than just writing their own books. Someone has to write back covers, format books, eBooks, write synopses, ghostwrite, and negotiate book and film deals. You can make a lucrative living in the industry. I’ve edited and ghostwritten numerous books over the years.
Who was the first author you ever met?
In 1968, I met the now famous Joyce Carol Oates at a writer’s conference in Oakland, MI, when she was still a relatively new author. This happenstance came about after I organized a walk-out for Black students while I was in the twelfth grade. I was always an activist. As a result of the walk out, we were given a Black history class and a black lit class.
It was my English Lit teacher who took me to the conference when she saw my first manuscript, about being the first black student to attend St. Francis high in Traverse City, MI. the year before when I was in the eleventh grade.
Oprah always asks, what do you know for sure?
I do know when you have a passion for writing, you will take the classes, study the craft, and read writers in the field or genre you’re interested in. You will attend writers’ conferences. You will do whatever it takes to be successful.
This is a marathon you can participate in as long as you live. Since 1998, I’ve met writers who dropped out the field, and I think they only wanted the status. A true story teller will weather the slow times, the ups and downs of the industry, and the lack of recognition. They will keep sharpening their craft and building an audience for their work.
Can you give us a sneak peek of your next book?
LA Blues III (5 Smooth Stones), is due out in August 2013. It is the follow-up to book 1 and in the LA Blues series.
How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website) twitter, face book, LinkedIn.
I can be reached at maxtho@aol.com, http://www.maxinethompson.com , and http://www.maxinethompsonbooks.com. I’m on twitter at @MaxineEThompson, Facebook at Maxine-Thompson, and Linked in/Maxine Thompson.
SORMAG celebrates 12 years this year, Can you tell us what SORMAG has meant to you as a reader and writer?
Congratulations on celebrating 12 years. Your magazine was a pioneer for emags.
I have enjoyed reading Sormag over the years. The magazine has always been very professional. I love how the magazine has given a platform to both African American and multi-cultural writers, plus self-published and traditionally published writers.
Kudos to you, LaShaunda Hoffman. Continued success!
MIRANDA PARKER is the author of the Angel Crawford Series. After graduating from Agnes Scott College she began working as a professional writer. While there, she began writing features for newspapers and magazines, focusing on subjects in lifestyle, religion arts and entertainment. She published over fifty articles. However, writing fun, fiesty, redemptive bad girl gone good stories is her passion. She began writing fiction in 2005 after she took a year-long online writing workshop taught by Chuck Palahniuk[Fight Club.]. Now Miranda Parker writes comic romance suspense novels. She is currently very busy writing stories for Kensington Publishing Corp.Miranda has appeared at the 2011 National Book Club Convention, the 2011 Decatur Book Festival, the 2012 SC Book Festival and has been featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, RT Book Reviews and Publishers Weekly. She resides with her family in Georgia.. Visit her at www.mirandaparker.com.
In the bestselling tradition of Janet Evanovich, Miranda Parker's debut novel, A Good Excuse To Be Bad, brilliantly blended mystery and humor, and introduced a beautiful, brainy, and tough-as-nails, single mom and bail recovery agent turned sleuth.
In Parker’s second novel, Angel Crawford has a lot on her plate—but between crime-solving and kindergarten carpool, it’s all in a day’s work… Angel Crawford appears to be on good terms with her family and on the cusp of a budding romance with her sidekick/pastor/crush, Justus Too-Hot-to-Be-Holy Morgan. But Angel still hasn’t solved a mystery that has haunted her for six years—her fiancé Gabriel’s murder. Then she receives a mysterious delivery on her doorstep that not only splits Gabe’s case wide open, but sends her on a chase through Atlanta’s secretive speakeasy society, the annual Running of the Brides, and a romp around the Okefenokee Swamp with a hot U.S. Marshall. Will Angel find the answers she seeks, or just unearth more danger?
READ MIRANDA's INTERVIEW in the SEP/OCT issue of SORMAG Digital
Regina Hart is the contemporary romance pseudonym of award-winning author Patricia Sargeant.
Regina’s contemporary romances feature the franchise members and friends of the Brooklyn Monarchs, a fictitious National Basketball Association team set in Brooklyn, New York.
In addition to Patricia Sargeant’s various pastimes and hobbies, Regina loves football, basketball and track-and-field – college as well as pros. Her favorite teams are the New York Knicks, New York Jets, New York Giants, Syracuse Orangemen and the West Virginia Mountaineers.
To be a pro basketball champion takes endless drive and passion. But being a winner on the court can often mean losing off the court.
He’s an NBA legend, considered the best of the best. Now veteran player Warrick Evans is determined to lead his team all the way to the championship. It’s his last shot before he retires, but the media can’t get enough of his story — and all the attention is turning his teammates against him, not to mention his wife.
Dr. Marilyn Devry-Evans has always stood by her man, even when it meant standing in his shadow. Now she wants to focus on her own career and on scoring her own dream job. But with the spotlight bearing down on them, Marilyn is reaching her breaking point. Especially when a secret comes to light — one that could destroy not only her career, but her marriage.
READ REGINA's INTERVIEW in the SEP/OCT issue of SORMAG Digital
How does a person move from a place deficient of light? How can an individual shift from a place of complete and utter chaos, obscurity, apathy, and adversity? The pathway to transformation is through in-depth conversations with the One True God of Creation–El•ō•hēm'. For you to move to a place of prophetic providence, your conversation must be divinely inspired. Hebrews 11:3 states: “The worlds were framed by the Word of God.” Framing begins with an idea, expands as a result of the imagination, and gives life through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through divine utterance for a specific purpose. Declaring the Word of God releases the creative power of God for authentic transformation.
K. E. Allen designed this book to draw you into a deeper conversation with the Father to renew your prayer life, mend your brokenness, enlighten your pathway, and arrange your chaos according to the divine order of God. This resource will help you exercise your kingly and priestly authority and impose kingdom mandates to release God’s original intent in your life, family, community, city, region, and nation. It will encourage you to frame your prophetic destiny.
About the Author
K. E. ALLEN has proven to be an incredible, spiritual force in the Kingdom of God by displaying a God given indomitable spirit to change atmospheres and environments. Through the extraordinary gift of intercession and pure worship, she has become a spiritual weapon in the hand of the Lord whose knowledge is relevant for the church today. She is a dynamic leader, extravagant worshiper and prophetic intercessor whose worship has become a definitive lifestyle that penetrates and permeates every facet of her life and the lives of those she touches. Karla is a leader to leaders and lives a life of committed consistent intercession, giving selflessly of herself in her prayer closet. For over 20 years, as a student and teacher of the Word and woman of faith, she implements the truth of the Bible through the dynamics of intercession and worship that releases a tangible anointing. Knowing firsthand the transformative power of God in her own life, she is determined to see others healed, delivered and set free. Karla will stop at nothing to see God move in the lives of His people!
I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. I have a strong legacy of women and men of God that have impacted my life. But, the person who has had the greatest influence on my life is my grandmother, Mary Williams. She was a strong woman of faith and prayer. In a denomination where female preachers were not accepted, one could always find her preaching, teaching, and hosting meetings/shut-ins where people would be filled with the Holy Spirit and demons were cast out. In fact, I have her ordination papers that she kept hidden under her bed. Why do I tell you about my grandmother when you ask about me? Because if it wasn’t for her courage and strength I would not be who I am. I watched her life until the day of her passing and as an adult, it is my desire to emulate her life. As she was a woman of wisdom and grace, so am I. Who am I? Inside of me is a strong inheritance of prayer, faith, and a full life in Christ Jesus-all passed down to me by my grandmother, my grandfather, and my parents.
What was the most difficult aspect of writing this book?
By far, the most difficult aspect of writing this book was the editing process.
Did you have to do any special research for this book?
When one writes about principles pertaining to the Bible, there is always extensive research and study involved so as to ensure accuracy.
Why do you write?Is it something you have always done or always wanted to do? Or is it something you started fairly recently? I write because it is a passion I enjoy. As far as I can remember, I have always loved to write. As a young child I wrote fiction stories all the time. In my teenage years, I wrote poetry and by the time was in college I started writing songs. So, writing, in some form, has always been a part of my life.
How did you feel when you received the first copy of your book?
It was a surreal moment. Being able to hold what God had given me in my hands literally overwhelmed me. My heart was filled with so much gratitude towards God and all the people that had help my God-given dream become a reality.
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Getting to Know More about M. Ann Ricks
What can we expect from you in the future?
It is my hope to continue to assist other Christian writers with my literary workshop for aspiring Christian writers called, “Conversations…. Writing to Reconcile”. I had the wonderful opportunity to share it regionally but would love to be afforded a venue that could allow me to do so nationally. As believers in Christ it is our mandate to reconcile others to God. Using our literary gifts is certainly one way we can accomplish that awesome task. Additionally, for all who are interested, I distribute electronically, (on-line), a monthly newsletter, M. Ann’s Literary Communiqué and prayerfully it will continue to increase in circulation. Lastly, I’ve begun my 4th novel, The SHIFT!
How do we find out about you and your books?
Please feel free to visit my website www.mannricks.net. Interested readers may find all of my novels on all online literary establishments. (i.e.: www.amazon.com / www.bn.com).
How may readers contact you?
For speaking engagements, Literary Dialogues and book club gatherings, or simply to provide feedback, please feel free to contact me directly using: Godsauthor@mannricks.net. I also have an Author’s Page on Facebook: M. Ann Ricks Literary Creations.
Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?
Firstly, one must believe in their gift and talent. Rejection is part of the process but persistence is the key. I have learned that what God has started in me, He is obligated to finish and I will be successful. If He has called you to it… He will see you through it!! As an author, your assignment is to write, God will send people for your life. The other aspects; promotion, marketing, notoriety and money will come… Seek ye first the Kingdom, (seek to do God’s will) and everything else will be added!
What question would you love to answer that I didn't ask?
There is one question… People write for so many reasons so the question would be for me to finish this statement:” I became a writer because”… I am a writer because creating and sharing stories of faith, His unconditional and unending love will change lives and provide spiritual revelation thus augmenting the Kingdom of God. I believe this is what God has purposed for my life and I am determined to walk in my purpose!
This is such a wonderful opportunity and I certainly thank you so very for this interview! I feel amazingly BLESSED!!!
Answer the following question and be entered to win an autographed copy of The Blood Done Signed My Name: What did my husband tell me during one of my pity parties? Go to my website, www.mannricks.net
to find the answer....And come back tomorrow to find out even more about me!
About the Author
M. Ann Ricks, a Christian Fiction novelist is the author of Awesome Wonder: The Gift of Remembrance , The Son and THE BLOOD DONE SIGNED MY NAME. She resides in Bear, Delaware and is a graduate of Rider University and formerly a national accounts insurance executive. Using Jesus Christ as her example, as He shared many parables, she creates stories with fictional characters who contend with real life issues and inserts the Word of God to communicate the genuine and unfailing love of God. She is honored to be used by God to spread His message with the stories she creates with the leading of the Holy Spirit, knowing that He will provide her with the stories that will lift up the name of Jesus as He promised that if He is lifted up, He will draw all men to Him. M. Ann is also what one may consider a motivational/inspirational speaker but prefers, “Godspirational” as one may only be truly inspired and transformed when hearing the uncompromised word of God.
About the Book
Are the sins of the father and mother visited upon their sons and daughters?
Undoubtedly damaged, Honey Lamb is a descendant of a legacy of molestation, addiction, murder and bad decisions. As long as she could remember, she believed the unhappiness she experienced was bequeathed to her; almost as if her own blood tainted her DNA. Experiencing more than her share of misery, Honey believed she’d overcome her past when she married Mason. Unfortunately, unsettling memories emerge to crack the veneer of her happy existence. Feeling unable to escape what she believed to be her destiny, Honey makes a decision that may have ruined her life. Not realizing God places people in our lives, she embarks upon a journey that will open her heart to a divine inheritance. Will she accept what God has already given or shun the invitation of salvation, allowing her familial legacy to continue? Will she understand that Jesus redeemed us with a spiritual blood transfusion that could change us all?
Rochelle Alers has been hailed by readers and booksellers alike as one of today’s most prolific and popular African American authors of romance and women’s fiction.
With seventy titles and nearly two million copies of her novels in print, Ms. Alers is a regular on the Waldenbooks, Borders and Essence bestseller lists, regularly chosen by Black Expressions Book Club, and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Emma Award, Vivian Stephens Award for Excellence in Romance Writing, the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award.
She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Iota Theta Zeta Chapter and her interests include gourmet cooking and traveling.
A full-time writer, Ms. Alers lives in a charming hamlet on Long Island.
Sometimes love can take you by surprise ...
Kara Newell has a big-city life that needs a major shake-up. Her dedication as a social worker is unwavering, yet her heart tells her that there is more to life than just work. Kara gets the push she needs when she shockingly inherits a large estate on an island off the South Carolina coast. Now the charming town of Angels Landing awaits her . . . along with a secret family she never knew she had.
After surviving war, loss, and heartbreak, ex-marine Jeffrey Hamilton takes his position as sheriff of idyllic Cavanaugh Island very seriously. So he is the perfect person to watch over the beautiful, confident woman who has turned her new family's expectations upside down-and stepped into the crosshairs of angry local residents.
But soon Kara becomes more than just a job to him, and he begins to need her in ways he never expected. As Kara and Jeffrey confront the town gossips together, they'll learn to face their fears and forgive their pasts in order to find a future filled with happiness in Angels Landing.
READ ROCHELLE's INTERVIEW in the SEP/OCT issue of SORMAG Digital
Have you ever experienced a premonition that you just couldn't shake? A foreboding dream or sign that you deeply wanted to ignore but...your spirit just wouldn't release it? Well meet Gabriana Hilson...
Gabriana is a dreamer in more than one way. She has daydreams of living the good life on her terms, and without compromise. But then, there are the “other” dreams. The very strange and disturbing omens that come while sleeping. They whisper the conflict of everything, and arrange messages that Gabriana doesn't want to hear...or see. Especially the ones about her boyfriend. She wants them to just go away. But they won't. The visions only multiply, and are rapidly distorting her reality, threatening and interrupting the life that she wants so badly to exist. That's a problem.
To Gabriana, Scholar is the king of kings. She is willing to sacrifice it all for him, including family, friends, God, and her sanity. She believes that Scholar is a beautiful dream come-true...but is he really? After signing a record deal as a rapper, Scholar brings Gabriana along for the roller coaster ride of her life. He knows how much she loves him so when the drama begins, he uses his manipulative tactics to hold her in place. He is the ruler of their world, and everything is running the way he has always planned until things go horribly wrong. Suddenly, a well-planned dream quickly turns into the nightmare of all nightmares. Both Scholar and Gabriana learn the hard way to expect the unexpected - for he comes out of the blue. Or does he? He is extremely calculating...and his name is Khali Simone. After meeting him... Gabriana has no idea of the door she opens. Will she discover the truth behind her peculiar premonitions, and make a meditative escape?...Or will Gabriana continue to run until she falls?
About the Author
Stephanie Acon has been writing edgy fiction tales and poetry since the age of ten years old. However, it wasn't until the age of 21, when she found Hip-Hop, (or Hip-Hop found her) that subsequently she became known to the underground Hip-Hop world as NinaRaw. For ten years consistent, she rocked with force, and played a vital part on the side of Systematic Muzick Inc. ('The OESC' and 'The Murc Unit'). In the mist of performing, writing, rhyming, recording, selling and shopping mixtapes...amongst the community, somewhere, NinaRaw became hailed and dubbed as the "queen". And not by way of cliché props, but strictly because those saying the title "queen" meant it when they said it, and said it when they felt it necessary. 'ESCAPE FROM A NIGHTMARE' is her first urban fiction novel. Her inspirations have been drawn from the many experiences she has endured, observed, and inhabited in the streets of St. Louis.
Prologue
Tall houses surrounded the large pond. There was a great distance between them, but somehow, they all appeared together. He watched her through the upstairs window. Her hair was thick and curly, but the strands were disarrayed. The dress she wore was a dingy white. She sat before the pond with bare feet curled at her side. She intrigued him.
Slowly, he approached her from behind. The cold air caused the pond to release a steamy mist that blended with the surrounding fog. He wanted to touch her, but he did not want to frighten her. So he stood. Then, he looked up to the dimly lit sky. The sun peeked through one great hole amongst the clouds. It appeared a million light years away.
He then lowered his head to look at her. She stretched out her legs before the pond and was about to place her bare feet into the freezing water. “Stop!” he shouted.
He thought she would turn completely around, but she didn’t. She only slightly turned, exposing the side of her chocolate-brown face. He noticed the dimple as she smirked. With her legs still outstretched, she dipped part of her feet into the water.
Judy Lynn Hubbard is a native of Dallas, Texas and has always been an avid reader—particularly of romance. Judy’s first book, THESE ARMS OF MINE, hit the shelves in January 2012. Her second book, OUR FIRST DANCE, was released on June 19, 2012. Judy loves well-written, engaging stories with characters she can identify with, empathize with and root for. When writing, she honestly can't wait to see what happens next; she knows if she feels that way, she’s created characters and a story that readers will thoroughly enjoy, and that’s her ultimate goal.
Bad-boy impresario Damien Johnson lives to capture the spotlight and play the field. Dancing too close to the flame got him burned once before, so a relationship definitely isn't in his master plan. But the beautiful newcomer to his ballet company has all the right moves—and is proving to be a challenge he's not sure he can resist.…
Natasha Carter is committed to becoming a prima ballerina. So Damien Johnson is the kind of temptation she doesn't need, no matter how dazzling his technique. She's sure she can keep the unexpected passion between them strictly professional and achieve everything she's worked so hard for. But every step, every caress and every tantalizing kiss is making Natasha question if a forever without Damien is really a dream worth achieving.…
CLICKto read her interview in the SEP/OCT edition of SORMAG -Digital
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Karen E. Quinones Miller’s AN ANGRY-ASS BLACK WOMAN is a sassy, shocking autobiographical novel by Essence bestselling author Karen E. Quinones Miller which captures the racial tensions, the hardships, and the bonds that formed between families and neighbors growing up poor in Harlem.
You’d be angry, too…if you grew up poorer-than-poor in Harlem in the 1960s and 70s, a place of unrelenting violence, racism, crime, scamming, drinking, and drugging…with a dad permanently checked out in Bellevue and a mom at the end of her rope raising you, your twin sister, and your two brothers, moving every time the money runs out—and doing what it takes to survive.
But there’s more to her story…Ke-Ke Quinones was whip-smart and sassy, a voracious reader of everything from poetry to the classics. No matter what, 117th Street—where you could always count on someone to stand up for you—would always be home. And with every hard-knock lesson learned, Ke-Ke grew fiercer, unleashing her inner angry-ass black woman to get through it all.
Is this her final chapter? Now, decades later, comatose in a hospital bed after a medical crisis, she reflects on her life—her success as a journalist and renowned author, her tragicomic memories of Harlem, her turbulent marriage, the birth of her daughter, future possibilities—all the while surrounded by her splintered family in all of their sound and fury. Will she rise above once more?
With its sharp sense of realism, AN ANGRY-ASS BLACK WOMAN will leave readers unable to set it down, determined to see it through with Ke-Ke Quinones until the very end of her triumphant story.
ABOUT KAREN E. QUINONES MILLER:
Karen E. Quinones Miller is the Essence bestselling author of the novels Satin Doll, I’m Telling, Using What You Got, and Uptown Dreams. Visit her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, or learn more at www.KarenEQuinonesMiller.com.
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With a unique candor and glimpses of desperation, GOD allows Lorieen to use There is a Miracle in 21: GOD COMPLETES as therapy. Welcome to Lorieen’s therapy with GOD! Journey with her through the MESS to the MIRACLE! It is an unorthodox book where she shares her struggles while simultaneously pouring out her heart, hope, inspiration and encouragement as the Lord allows. Whether she is sharing feelings of inadequacy, confessing faults or sharing words of encouragement, she does it with a heart to glorify GOD.
Excerpt:
Get Rid of the Bootleg
One day God said to me, ‘Quit watching the bootleg DVD and playing the bootleg CD of your life.’ Those of us who have watched a bootleg DVD or listened to a bootleg CD know that they are not always the best quality, nor did we pay full price for it. As God was speaking to me, He broke it down in the sense of ‘we tend to accept anything the enemy gives us and then we replay it over and over as if it was intended for us-as if it is the real thing.’
Somebody is thinking, ‘Bootleg . . . Bootleg . . . Bootleg, what does she mean?’ The bootleg version is the illegal . . . prohibited version. You either got it free from an illegal source, you burned or recorded it without permission, or you got it from some unauthorized vendor at knock-off price. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Bottom line, you did not make the full investment to obtain this product. You don’t own the rights nor do you have the right! You either wanted it prior to its release. You didn’t have the money to pay for it in the first place (which may be an indicator that you didn’t need it). Or you have that giving friend who wants to share it with you because they are the local illegal distributor.
Bootleg by definition means to produce, distribute, or sell without permission or illegally.
Everything free is not legal nor is it good for you. Look, I’m no one’s judge, but we need to really pray about the stuff we burn (music/movies that is). Are we stealing someone’s work when we burn a CD? And is it okay if it is gospel music? I’m just here to make you think. Many of us are guilty of bootlegging the Gospel. Some may disagree with me but remember, I am not pointing fingers. I’m merely pointing out that most CDs and DVDs, say, do not reprint or redistribute without consent.
Now that I have ‘gone there’about bootlegging, let me go back to my point in the first paragraph. God holds the master copy of your life’s DVD/CD. It is free if you accept Him. He wants to give you life and give you an abundant life at that. The devil’s bootleg copy of your life may portray a whole lot of glamour, glitter, and gold. Those things are temporal. Remember, the enemy is a lie and a cheat, so hecan’t be trusted. Nonetheless, the Almighty Godis offering ‘The Eternal’. When the enemy tells us something, sells us something, or gives us something, we gravitate toward it like it’s the real deal. He offers cheap thrills and makes promises he can’t keep. The devil is a bootleg artist, and he cannot give us things that He doesn’t have. Sure he can make it look like quality, but it is still bootleg. Stop investing in bootleg, in the evil one because he is a thief! Sure, the devil flashes the quick fix, easy money, and worldly happiness on the bootleg DVD. However, he never shows the pain after the party. We believe the lies of the enemy time and time again, just as we convince ourselves that bootleg DVDs/CDs are okay.
Do we stop and think about the heads at the bottom of the screen in a bootleg DVD or that it came out in another country first, but it was filmed in America? Oh, or do we just ignore the slight bounce in the picture because someone wasn’t holding the camera steady? Maybe the music has a barely noticeable five-second pause in the middle of the song. Glitches and picture quality get thrown out the window because we got a deal? There have been some technological advances in recent years, and bootleg products have been produced at higher quality. However, in most cases, we know what is legit. So let’s not forget it is stealing!
In the same regards, we can’t forget that the enemy is a thief. He steals, rerecords, and then plays back lies to us. We can’t become complacent with bootleg and not recognize that it is wrong. We have to recognize that the DVD/CD that the enemy plays for us is distorted. The enemy is on his job of destroying us. He wants us to watch his version of our lives because this allows him to deposit negativity and doubt into our spirit. You see our greed and lack of patience leads us down the tumultuous road of destruction. We are too busy trying to get stuff fast when we should be seeking God and investing in Him. Noooo, we don’t want to invest in the things of God. We have a hard time spending time in God’s Word, in praise to him, in prayer to Him so that we may receive His copy of our lives. Instead, we settle for low budget, an illegal release, or ill-advised release . . . the bootleg. The enemy sells it! We buy it and believe it to be true! Eventually, the bootleg becomes our reality. I don’t know if you realize it, but once you dabble in bootlegging, that person who sold it to you comes back faithfully. We have to be cautious about taking shortcuts in our budget by buying bootleg. Just as we can’t take shortcuts in our lives; it could cost us our souls. Join me in waiting on the Master’s copy of our lives, it’s worth the wait. We must be steadfast and wait on God!
Meet The Author Lorieen Henry grew up in the small town of Flora, MS. Her parents Willie Lee Jackson, Jr. (deceased) and Karen M. Jackson instilled great morals and values in her and introduced her to Jesus as a child. She accepted Jesus as her Savior at the age of 7 and has been excited to share about him ever since.
Lorieen commissioned by God as an exhorter is a homemaker and a veteran of the United States Army. She graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi August 6, 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army that same day.
Lorieen served as an Army Logistics Officer for 8 years supporting both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. She had the opportunity to travel the world by being stationed in Korea, Germany and Virginia as well as deployments to Hungary, Macedonia and Turkey (in support of Iraqi Freedom).
Since exiting the Army, Lorieen’s time has been devoted to her family, church and community. Lorieen is “Seasoned for this Season” and is fully aware that her Purpose = Impact!
Get to Know Lorieen:
What inspired you to write this book?
This book journey arose from discontentment in my life. The realization that I had become someone I didn’t want to be inspired the writing of this book. I was so unhappy with my situation until it hurt. I once had a pastor that always said, “Hurt people, hurt people”. I didn’t want to hurt others. However, I couldn’t recognize my blessings, and I felt as if I were being cursed. Therefore, during “my woe is me” session in September 2010, I had the epiphany of taking a 21-day journey in hopes of change. I quickly grasped that “Pain pounds out your purpose and propels you to your destiny if you dare to trust God to complete.” God took me from my messy state to my Miracle.
Is there one person outside of family members that played a significant role in your book journey?
My Prayer Partner is a true gem. Our daily fellowship is a fountain of life. Matthew 18:19 says again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. Her support and prayers were especially critical down the home stretch when I wanted to quit as well as during my reluctance to submit my completed manuscript to the publisher. This book is in the hands of readers because not only were people praying for me, but I had a prayer partner praying with me and speaking words of affirmation at every turn. The most memorable words that she spoke into my life are, “My Purpose = IMPACT!” Having a prayer partner has been a life changing experience. If you don’t already have a prayer partner, I encourage you to ask God to send you one. The relationship is like none other.
What’s your favorite part of your book?
My favorite part of the book is the letter to the reader on page 9. I love the letter because my goal is to usher in the presence of God even before the book is read. I feel that with the song, scripture and prayer the atmosphere is set for the Holy Spirit to take control. Let’s face it, I really didn’t know what I was doing as a writer. However, I knew that I needed to get my feelings out to become better and in doing so I must trust God to complete.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
It would be my pleasure. Although my book is not a book of poetry, I had some poetic moments throughout. “Lord, It’s Me” is a poem that I feel many will be able to relate to.
LORD, It’s ME!
I’m afraid to be successful! What if I succeed?
As I travel down this road, I wonder where does it lead?
I feel guilty about my feelings! I know GOD wants me to have the best.
As I fight the demons in my head, I know that this is just a test.
Funny how I know what’s going on and ultimately who is in control.
But I must admit I sometimes give way to fear which delays me from reaching my goal.
Though my goal is delayed, I don’t quit, I continue to beat feet down this path.
Rising and falling! Falling and rising! The cycle is starting to get old.
So, I reach up toward the heavens and stretch my hands out to thee.
I say, “Lord, help your child, you know who it is …Lord, It’s ME!”
What message do you want readers to take away from this book?
You don’t have to be perfect or have it all together. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you. (Matt.6: 33, KJV) If you try and fail, continue to seek. Don’t give up! You don’t have to fit a mold or covet someone else’s journey. Be YOU! God can take you to heights you never knew. He can use your uniqueness for His glory. Trust God to complete!
Do you have any advice for other writers?
WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! What may not be right for your current project just may be right for a future project. Then again, some things you have to write down as a vent. Other things that you write can serve as inspiration for yourself or for others. Everything you write doesn’t have to be placed in a book or for a specific project. However, at an appointed time, you will find that it was placed within you to share with someone. Our words breathe life if used Purposefully! Be responsible with what you write. Your writing may be the only words that make things right in someone’s world.
What’s next for you?
You can look for my 3rd title: “Seasoned for this Season” in December 2013. My 2nd title is already out. It is an E-devotional, “Dig In” (September 2012) which samples some of my writing from “There Is a Miracle in 21: God Completes!” Over the next 24 months, I will be busy with school. I’m pursuing a Master of Arts in Education as well as a Christian Life Coach Certification. I’m excited about what God is doing for me and my family. And as always, I will be encouraging others along the way and testifying of the goodness of Jesus.
"Holy Mayhem"...Two church-ladies-turned-sleuths who are sure to raise more than a little hell when they decide to make crime-solving miracles.
How did you come up with ideas for this book?
Several influences: the political climate of today. The prospect of getting a second chance to do what you really love if lay off. And what could possibly go wrong when a prophecy is taken out of context, by of all folks; church folks. Did you have to do quite a bit of research for this book? I didn't have to do much. The character Percy, the famous detective godson of Joy and Patience's was based partially upon the investigative/law enforcement career of my husband. He is a highly decorative JTTF/Justice Department veteran.
What do you hope readers will learn/discover from reading Holy Mayhem?
I want the reader to take away that the power of prayer, faith and ones perceived reality differs from God's. I want the reader to understand that all they have NOT done is just as real as all that they HAVE. Faith is what pleases God. Obedience will always be better than sacrifice. The characters in my book find this out as they travel several very different paths.
Okay, a not-so-fun question.
How important are reviews to you as a writer? Initially, when I began writing, reviews were very important. At this junction, reviews are still important but in a different context. There are professional reviews such as Essence, PW or Romantic Times, etc., that are not as important to me as those I received from the everyday reader or book clubs. I pray when I write. When I've done what I believe is what God wants me to write about...then I'm good with the good and the bad reviews.
About the Book
They'd been laid off, they're broke, and their faith is really being tried. But dedicated Mount Kneel Down Church members Patience Kash and Joy Karry figure now is the perfect time to pursue their other true calling--becoming private detectives. And if that means putting up with their thug-wannabe cousin Porky's delusions while hilariously interfering with their famous detective godson Percy's investigations, it's still a heaven-sent opportunity to hear all the town dirt and find customers... When a thief steals the prized family Bible right out from under Porky's nose and church funds are missing on Patience's watch, these sisters-in-God find themselves sleuthing out the strangest family and church secrets--and up against someone more than ready to send them to their heavenly reward. Now, they'll need their most inspired hunches, their not-real-fierce dog Felony, and their license-to-missionary to uncover the truth and crack this holy case...
They don't have a clue but they've got plenty of faith!!!
About the Author
Pat G’Orge-Walker is in a league of her own. This accomplished Christian author and comedienne has an amazing mind and talent for turning her observations of church life into gems of sidesplitting humor. It is her own special gift from God that enables her to depict the often ridiculous antics of church folk without subverting the Good News or watering down the potency of its message.
Pat’s comedic gifts range from a southern folk humor laden with parables to an intelligent wit that appeals to a wide-variety of audiences. Her gift as a storyteller has attracted a diverse and loyal fan base. Moreover, she is a captivating speaker who is as every bit as poignant as she is funny.
Pat G’Orge-Walker has paid a high price for the ever-present smile on her face. This Mt. Vernon, New York PK (preacher’s kid) has survived a raging house fire; a violent assault; a car crash that mangled her body and a viral infection that left her temporarily blinded. Through it all, Pat quietly soaked in material from her father’s Baptist congregation and her mother’s Pentecostal assembly to create the stories that keep readers and audiences howling with laughter.
The First Lady of Gospel Comedy is a national and Essence Best Seller, multi-award winner forged a successful career, as author and comedian; and has paved the way for many in both fields. Pat’s storytelling has been likened to Zora Neale Hurston’s folklore—a documentation of American culture and church life in literature.
