COLUMN: Fresh Manna: Breaking of Bread From Heaven

Change is on the horizon. Even the climatic seasons lets us know that change is imminent. Summer has ended. Can’t you feel the chill of the autumn air and see the golden-brown leaves falling to the ground? That’s change you can see and feel. But what about the seasonal changes of life; those you cannot see or feel. Is this the change that we can believe in? Climatic seasonal changes are synonymous to changes in the seasons of life. Everything has its own time according to the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, “To everything there is a season.”

Perhaps you are dealing with some transitional changes in your own spiritual, physical, emotional or economical life. Change, although painful at times, is needful. Change is necessary for us to succeed in life, but effective change requires some work on our part. Often, I have heard people say, “The only place you will find success before work is in the dictionary.” I remember a great quote from one of my instructors in the school of ministry, “Change is not change until you change.”

Jesus often spoke in parables in the Bible to provoke change or to illustrate profound truths in certain situations. In Luke Chapter 8, He used the Parable of the Sower. He spoke to an infamous king in Daniel 5 by handwriting on the wall. Through my own experiences, I’ve discovered that God can and will speak by any means necessary to effect change in my life.


Over some eight years ago, I read “Who Moved My Cheese?” Today I still highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with or looking for change. On the front cover of the book are red inscriptions that read, “An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life.” After reading the book, I penned this entry in my journal on May 16, 2001:

“…I saw this sign on the billboard that read, “We need to talk God.” I am rephrasing it…God? We need to talk. NOW! I am talking to you with my pen. I may get ugly in what I say, but then you know me because you know my heart. It’s time for a change or move to occur in my life that will take me to the next level. When I read the book, “Who Moved My Cheese?” I was inspired and encouraged. I am a lot like Sniff and Haw. I will eventually move out of my comfort zone with some coaching, even fearful and afraid, but I am willing to take the plunge….”

Are you believing God for some changes in your life? Prayer changes things, and most importantly; prayer changes people. Yes! I got change, but the change was much more than
what I had envisioned for myself. If you are seeking change of any type or a new direction for your life, watch out! Fear will emerge through the opened door along with you. Fear stood toe-to-toe with me and never blinked its eyes. When I got the nudge to leave my good government job after 25 years of service in 1994, I struggled with it. But after the change was effected, I never looked back. Eight years later in 2003, I felt that tug again. With a little less resistance, I resigned from a staff position at my local church, and move forward. In the book, cheese metaphorically represented those things we desire in life to make us happy and successful.
Was I ready to move forward for my new cheese? Absolutely! One of the many inscriptions Haw wrote on the wall read, “The Quicker You Let Go of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Will Find New Cheese.” Letting go was hard… ouch!! The S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G really hurts.


I was comforted in knowing that God had a plan for my life (Jeremiah 29:11), and His plan unfolded daily. Was I afraid? Terrified is an understatement. But God does not change; He is the same today, yesterday and forever (see Hebrews 13:8). With the fears still tail-gating me, I embraced them and move forward on the path to destiny. Between 2001 and 2009, God took me completely out of my comfort zone. Here are a few of those God Winks (favors) upon my life after embracing change:


Released as speaker/writer – With the publication of two books and numerous published clips, doors opened for me to speak and teach at writing and ministry-related conferences and workshops. Doors opened for radio and television interviews to discuss my literary work. Some interviews led to the publication of several articles in newspapers and magazines.


Relocated to new church - The change continued in 2005. After 19+ years fellowshipping at my former church, God says, “It’s time to go to the next level.” That was almost 6 years ago, and all I can say is God is so faithful.


Enrollment and Completion of School of Ministry
In January 2005, we were happily settled in our new church. A few months later, the tugging started again. While attending the graduation of the Class of 2005, God spoke to my heart to enroll in the upcoming class, but I wasn’t trying to hear Him. He has a great sense of humor… but I wasn’t laughing either… He won!! Over the next two years, He took me through an intensive training in character building and cultivating spiritual fruit (see Galatians 5:22-23). Because of His grace and favor, I graduated in 2007 as class Salutatorian. To God be the Glory!


Deja vu! As the curtains close on 2010!  – Change is tugging at my heartstrings again. What’s up now? I cannot fathom what’s ahead; but in due time, He will reveal it to me. “Here I am Lord, send me.” Who Moved My Cheese? is on my reading list once again. Dejavu! Here we go again.


Happy Journaling!


Journaling Assignment: Jot down your thoughts on those changes affecting your life. How do they make you feel? I encourage you to either read or re-read “Who Moved My Cheese?” Get ready, my friend, for change is headed in your direction too.

Claudia Newby-Tynes, entrepreneur of Write 4U, is an author, speaker, teacher, and mentor. She has written two books and is a contributor to one. Claudia has approximately 200+ published credits online and in print publications. She served as both a columnist for The Spirit-Led Writer and a planning committee/faculty member for the Sandy Cove Christian Writers’ Conference. She is married and has one grown son. For more information, visit http://claudiatynes.com/


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FEATURED AUTHOR: Alexis Douglas

How did you start out your writing career?


Lol I more or less was told I was going to start writing by my mother. She called me in her office and told me that Carl Weber needed some authors to write stories for his full figured divas series and she volunteered me so that was pretty much it!! Lol


What did you learn while writing this book?


I learned how to finish a story. I took my idea and I saw it all the way through to the end and it was the first time I have ever done that and it made me really proud.


What did you hope to accomplish with this book?


I just want people to like it. I hope someone can relate to my main character and love her as much as I love her because I put some of my personality in her. If there is just one person who tells me that they loved my story and they could really relate to Simone and what she was going through, I will be happy.


Is the “writer’s life” what you thought it would be?


I don't think I actually had an idea of what an author's life was like. It's definitely not a piece of cake, especially the first time out. I probably thought I was just going to be able to write a story and that was going to be it but it is DEFINITELY a lot more to it.


Which five characters (can be from books, movies, or tv shows) would you invite over for dinner and why?


Um, that is a tough one. I probably would invite the characters from Grey's Anatomy. I love that show and I think it would be an interesting dinner.


What are three things you wish you’d known before you reached where you are now?


Looking back I can't really think of things I wish I would have known. This all has been a wonderful learning experience and I know there is a lot more to learn as I continue and progress in this industry.


Can you give us one do and one don’t for those aspiring to be a writer?


Do not overthink your writing process. I definitely had to learn that because I wanted to be so perfect in my technique that it hindered me, so don't over think your process. Just write and try to write everyday. Sometimes you'll write a scene a certain way and the character will take you into a different direction where you have to go back and change it, but just write.


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


It's not as easy as it sounds. Lol It's a lot of work that goes into the development process and it doesn't stop at just the story. The real work actually begins when you have to promote the book.


What was the best advice you’d ever gotten about the publishing industry? The worst?


I don't think I have gotten any bad advice thus far. Everyone who has given me advice are pretty much in the business and they all know what they're talking about. Lol I think the best advice I have gotten was from my mother about making my deadline. I don't know if that was advice or more of a demand from her as my agent.


What is something readers would be surprised you do?


I'm not exactly sure how surprised readers will be with this first story because I am a new author but I think they will be surprised with how scandalous my second will be compared to this story. Lol


If you could be a character from any book you've read, who would you be?


I would probably be a man named Mack in the book The Shack by William P. Young. He got to spend a whole weekend with the Holy Trinity and as freaked out as I would probably be at first, I definitely would like to have that experience.


Our theme this month is The Business Of Writing. Can you offer any advice about the business side of writing?


I think it's important to understand how the finances work. I definitely wanted to understand my contract and who I had to pay and how much I was making per book and about the sales and what I had to do to make my work successful. It's important to learn that early in the game because I'm young and new to the business but if it does ever get to the point where I become a big name author then I have learned the tools necessary to not be taken advantage of.


Oprah always asks, What do you know for sure?


My mother has always preached about knowing who I am, knowing whose I am, and knowing what I stand for and I think at this point in my life I know that for sure. I'm a silly, kind, loving, intelligent, strong woman who is a child of God and a beautiful product of my mother and I believe that God has a purpose for everyone's life and the ups and downs that you go through to find that purpose only prepares you for what he has in store.


Can you give us a sneak peek of your next book?


This next book is called Date Cute, Marry Rich and its definitely a lot more dramatic. It is 3 of the characters who are in my first story now living in New York, flourishing in their careers, and failing in love. I think people will be shocked but those who have been through the trials and tribulations of dating and love will be able to relate to each of their story.


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


They can contact we via email. Superalto_05@yahoo.com

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For Those Who Stare At the Moon Blog Tour with Tiffany Flowers

Getting to Know Tiffany Flowers


What has been the best and the worst experience you’ve had on your literary journey?

My best experience has been going to shows, and having all different kinds of people buy my books. My worst experience has been doing shows that weren’t advertised well and didn’t yield enough foot traffic to sell books.


What is the one thing that has surprised you the most during your writing career?


How willing people are to help you when you are an aspiring writer.


What challenges have you faced in your literary journey? How did you overcome them?

The challenges that I face are finding the time to promote my books in between my book events. So, I try to promote my books before my book tours start.

About the Book


This book is about a little girl that transports herself to the moon and back with a flick of her imagination. A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to New Orleans Public Library
Foundation. The purpose of this donation is to aid the Youth Services Department to rebuild the children’s literature collection after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.


About the Author


Tiffany A. Flowers is a native of Chicago, Illinois, and the author of two children's books. Born the child of an artist, she spent the majority of her childhood attending poetry readings, festivals, and art shows with her mother. The majority of her stories reflect a culmination of all of her experiences from childhood to adult. However, the ultimate goal of her work is to promote hope and creativity, and to bring joy into the lives of children.


Tiffany lives in the south and spends her time teaching, writing, reading, and spending time with her family.


Visit Tiffany online:

http://www.goldenbutterflypublishing.com/

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1426034761



Hear Tiffany read from her book:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqdYqxDcBkA



Be sure and leave a comment for Tiffany! Sign up for Tiffany’s blog and be entered to win one of three copies of For Those Who Stare At the Moon! Winner will be randomly chosen by the author and announced on the last day of the tour.


http://thegoldenbutterfly.blogspot.com/2010/10/re-book-give-away.html

REVIEW:

For Those Who Stare At The Moon is about a little girl who decides to visit the moon.  My kids and I are fascinated with the moon.  We like to think we might visit it one day.  This book is a cute example of what our visit to the moon might be like in our imagination. 

My 3 year old and I enjoyed this book.  The illustrations were beautiful and the story was cute.  It is always nice to be able to read to your child about something they want to do.  I look forward to reading more by Ms. Flowers.

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Soul Food and Living Water

As God-conscious families, we all struggle to maintain a vibrant faith that will lead to strength and happiness in the midst of declining social values and daily challenges. Marital commitment, child rearing, financial stewardship and family harmony are problems that can become intensely magnified, draining our joy and ability to sufficiently thrive.


Overflowing with Biblical teaching, practical examples and real encouragement, Soul Food and Living Water provides the spiritual nourishment you and your family needs. Written in culturally sensitive language, reflecting the rich heritage and strong faith of African Americans, Soul Food and Living Water refreshes and equips families for today’s challenges.


Soul Food and Living Water is a personal invitation to come and dine at the Lord’s table, to be comforted in His presence and to feast upon His Words. So eat heartily and drink deeply.

About the Authors


WILLIAM J. POWELL is a senior policy analyst for the District of Columbia and also pastors, Dominion International Ministries, a new start-up and dynamic church fellowship in Southern Maryland. YOLANDA POWELL is president of Oracles & Utterance, Incorporated, a Kingdom-advancing ministry to establish the global Body of Jesus Christ in deeper life intimacy, prophetic intercession, and spiritual warfare. She also serves as apostolic director of EXOUSIA, a Mid-Atlantic prayer training summit to equip church leaders and prayer teams in intense levels of intercession.


THE POWELLS reside in Dunkirk, Maryland with their three young adult sons.


Yolanda, tell us about Soul Food & Living Water.


Soul Food & Living Water is a potent scriptural oasis in the midst of the family desert and the daily drought. It’s creatively designed to strengthen Black parents and children where we are weak and lacking and provide us with what we need in both spiritual and practical ways.


Each chapter is a quick and easy read! The reading audience will identify with our real-life examples, laugh out-loud at our transparent stories and be built-up by practical aids…all flowing - from chapter to chapter - into your life like refreshing streams.


Overall, Soul Food & Living Water will help the family he Black discover joyful paths back into the Presence of a Loving God – Who sees, cares and knows EXACTLY where we live! It's a true manual for marriage and family - in the trenches where we live and work every day.


How did you come up with ideas for Soul Food & Living Water?


Our family lived the "ideas" of Soul Food & Living Water in the raw and discovered that what we had emerged from...job loss, poverty, spiritual bankruptcy, marital blues, sibling rivalry, extended family drama and the like - were things others could glean from. So it’s a living book with to life solutions.


Did you have to do quite a bit of research for Soul Food & Living Water


The majority of the research was during the book proposal stage, when I needed to justify why the 'concept' was a literal need in the marketplace and what a vacuum it would fill - even though it was to be written to a specified market niche like the African-American Christian family.


What do you hope readers will learn/discover from reading Soul Food & Living Water?


Inside of Soul Food & Living Water, readers will find spiritual nurture and practical solutions to aid and assist them in everyday family life. They'll discover how to:


• Place Christ as HMIC (Head Master in Charge)
• Take Spiritual Inventory of your household life
• Develop a 5-5 Family Plan of Spiritual Bounty
• Respond to the Father’s Invitation to “Come, Buy & Eat” without money or price
• Enjoy Corporate fasting with a unified purpose
• Maintain household orderliness along with cleanliness
• Institute ongoing times of Sabbath rest and reflection


And so much more!


Okay, a not-so-fun question. How important are reviews to you as a writer?


Reviews represent a 'voice of the people' (not just the professional reader) and is extremely important; especially in a busy world where folks desire to make informed decisions and choice - from where they will live and what they will eat, to where they should invest money and what they should read. So reviews are prime and very important to me as a writer and literary consumer.


PODCAST – It’s Family Time

PODCAST – Excerpt from Chapter 1

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COLUNIST: Building Colorful Characters

Building Colorful Characters—
The Literary Bones of a Story, Part 10

The familiar spine-chilling howling on Halloween and its murky air of gloom and doom would never mystify or scare anyone to the point of regurgitation or bone-shaking screams without the visuals of its many colorful characters. Those bold and fearless enough to often immerse themselves in this frightening genre, lending their eyes and mind to the chilly tales of horror and creepy villains even have their favorites.

Whether they are murderous tyrants or bloodthirsty vixens, Halloween and the industry of horror, thriller, and suspense continues to spew the public with the unique litter of engaging characters they seem to be dying for. Movies, television shows, cartoons, commercials, videos, toys, and games make huge sums of money all year-round from this popular field. Old-time characters such as Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, vampires, witches, and warlocks have been leaving their physical and literary fiendish marks on mankind for centuries. But even if you are a person that loathes such type of entertainment, an impression of some sort has still been made on you and your psyche about the ghouls and goblins because of their colorful existence.

Take, for instance, the Hunchback of Notre Dame. In your mind’s eye, can’t you picture this character just because of the mere mention of his name? An impression has been left on your mental-camera, even if you didn’t allow a movie, film, or comic book to flirt this character in front of you for too long. Why? Because the veteran misfit owns qualities of unforgettable uniqueness. The character’s huge hump, gross facial features, ragged clothing, and defective walk draws a permanent picture in your mind.

And then there’s the Bride of Frankenstein, whose haystacked silvery hairdo is as memorable to us as any bumblebee looking for a beehive. The character’s hissing voice inspires pure terror, accented by her dark, dead, vacant eyes, pointed white teeth, and hideous long nails all serve up distinct memories that claw at our minds and souls with unforgiveness. Frankenstein himself couldn’t mumble a believable word if he wasn’t sporting his usual neck bolts and flat head that hideously has been tattooed and sewn on as his own.
Modern-day horror junkies have characters such as Chucky, Jason, Freddie, and Mike Myers. Each of these characters have their own trademark of delivering their share of bloodcurdling drama given to us through costume, verbal delivery, props, and background scenery, as well as eerie music. Each gory scene we hungrily devour with an insatiable appetite as the characters sear their image in our brain. But if we take away their gross characteristics, they’d be like any other familiar, dysfunctional person, so instead, we continue to await them to return, hoping each time they will swoop us down deeper into the dark pits of heart-stopping madness that jars us out of our skin and makes those goose bumps pop up.

While the Twilight series offer up young fresh and handsome faces, it also ripples its characters with one of the oldest horror and thriller designs of bloodthirsty vampirism. Characters can retell stories that have long ago torn open our civilized psyche with unmentionable horrors just as long as the writer can thrust a new dagger into the story’s spirit and heat up the taste in the mouths of their readers with their own style and dressing. Imagine making the Bride of Frankenstein a bit younger or sexier but keeping her ghoulish vamp intact simply by a change in hairstyle or updated wardrobe?

The long-ago movie Blacula gave Dracula a new spin simply by making him black. With some creativity, a writer could take any horror character and make him, her, or it uniquely different simply by changing the race or its usual activity. What would happen if a creepy character suddenly developed an alter ego?

Ask yourself, why do you remember the evil laugh of a wrinkled witch in all-black with a pointy hat or immediately picture one flying through the air atop a straw broom? Because the producers stenciled them to live in your mind long after you’ve seen them. As you read, can’t you envision a long, bent, warty nose and hear the squealing voice of a childhood character in bewitching drag? Of course you can, and so can most readers long after they shelf their book. Are you giving your readers bewitching characters to remember and envision after they put their book down? Their drag does not have to be one of horror.

And if you really want to observe colorful characters at their best, attend any grown-up Halloween party. These people go all out in costume and assume the character’s identity. Try talking to your local banker at one of these creative junketers and you’ll be surprised at the gobble-gook you’ll receive as he lives the life and body of Count Dracula. While reading over a copy of your approved loan that jolted you because of the bank’s high percentage rates, you thought then he was going for your juggler vein—until you faced him in party drag and he leaned in with his jagged teeth scraping your neck, and you suddenly realize the true colorful character that he really is.

Writers such as Ann Rice and Stephen King know that bleeding unique styles, voices, and behavioral patterns into their characters continuously make them memorable, believable, and emotionally engaging. Each time these writers put out something new, it’s a guarantee that it will chatter your teeth and constrict your throat with fear, but it’s always done in a different, yet colorful way, using each character to emotionally bleed it’s viewer with a different sway from the last time. It’s fresh.

Of course, every writer should be ready at any given time, with pen and paper or recorder, to make note of interesting things that could be useful in character development. Missing the opportunity to write down snippets of an unusual conversation or noting a peculiar person and personality is a horror all of its own. Recognizing new ways to make old characters come alive, clawing their way to the top, and knowing where to look to find them is a wicked talent that will keep your readers howling for more of your creativity for years to come. HAPPY HALLO-WRITING!

Wordsmiths, remember to e-mail me with your creations, and I’ll post them here for all to meet and utilize. For your gifting, I’ll post a picture of your latest book and a link to your Web site.

Pens up! to building colorful characters the write way.

Rachel Berry has been gifted by our creator to be many things; on the list of these blessings are daughter, caregiver, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, best friend, aunt, published author & poet, motivational speaker, radio talk show host, mentor, columnist and community leader.


She has been a government employee for 24 years.


Rachel is the founder and president of Black Pearls United INC. (an African American sister-circle) which was founded in 2000.


Berry is also an alumni member of Toastmasters International where she has earned her CTM and has been awarded as Toastmaster of the Year.


Rachel is proudly promoting her books 'From The Heart And Heat Of Me.' and her novel ‘Family Pictures:’ the family saga of two women with too many secrets and the up and down relationships they have with those people they call family.


To arrange speaking engagements e-mail her at admin@blackpearlsunited.org. For book signings please e-mail her at rachelwrites2@yahoo.com. To preview and buy her books please visit her web site at http://www.lulu.com/RachelBerry, http://www.rachelberry.webs.com/.


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FEATURED AUTHOR: Kamekio Danielle Lewis

Kamekio D. Lewis is the founder of A New Day Rehabilitation & Counseling Services. She is a native of Camden, Arkansas, but currently resides in Memphis, TN with her husband, Dennis Lewis, and their two children, Kaveyon & Kemareyon Lewis. She graduated from Camden/Fairview High School and has earned bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, a Masters of Education from Auburn University, and she is a 2010 graduate of Ministry Training International. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She served 8 years in the United States Army and she is very committed to touching and changing lives. She has continously worked in the helping field throughout her military career in Alaska, Kansas, and now in Tennessee.


Kamekio is also the author of Looking 4 Love…In All the Wrong Places. This book gives a detailed account of her experiences going through and surviving an abusive relationship. Her sincere hope is that her testimony will inform, inspire, and encourage women to still hope, stand on faith, and walk in love as they transition from being the victim to being victorious.

Looking 4 Love...in all the wrong places
If you search for Him with all your heart you will find Him-Deuteronomy 4:29


He loves me…He love me not…He loves me... He loves me NOT…


As little girls many of us played pretend. Yes, in our own little minds, we filled our world with dolls, dreams, and our perfect love. Once I was grown and out on my own there was no more pretending. I was playing house and trying to handle grown folks business. I was trying so hard to enhance this romance, but I had to realize that there was no happily ever after to my story. My fairy-tale romance was turning into a horror film and I was the main character.


I was on a scavenger hunt looking for love and expecting happiness. I was disappointed with the love that I found and not satisfied with the happiness I had made.


He offered me a bogus brand of what I thought was real love. You know that love that looks just like the real thing and from a distance you can't tell if it's an original or just a knock off. But usually if you look at it, really examine it; you can tell that it's a fake! The stitches are different, the texture is different, but most of all the quality is different. I knew that the quality of love that Marcus offered was flawed, but I wanted it so bad, I carried it around perpetrating it as an original.


He loves me….He loves me not…Yes, He loves me…..


He is the complete expression of love. It is His desire to lavish so much love on me.


Every good gift that I receive comes from His hand.


For He is my Provider and He will meet all my needs.


His plan for my future has always been filled with hope.


He loves me with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).


How did you start out your writing career?


I started writing as a way to heal from some past hurts and pain. I began to hear women talk about how they were still in abusive relationships and how this was affecting their life. I felt that sharing my experience and testimony would help others heal and learn to forgive.


What did you learn while writing this book?


I learned that you will have a lot of critics, good and bad, but that you must stand your ground, stay focused, and continue to promote your book and believe in your product.


What did you hope to accomplish with this book?


I wanted women to feel a sense of relief. I wanted them know that they were not alone during this time, and though they felt lonely, they were never alone, but that they could trust and depend on God to help them transition from being the victim to being victorious. My prayer is that are able to connect with my story, learn from my mistakes, and move into a place of peace and happiness


Is the “writer’s life” what you thought it would be?


No. First, I do have a lot of people that were able to connect with my story and are already requesting the 2nd book. I have had so many women email me to share their stories and thier testimonies. It has truly been a blessing to connect with so many women on so many different levels


Which five characters (can be from books, movies, or tv shows) would you invite over for dinner and why?


Maya Angelou - she is a woman of wisdom, grace, and love. She always plays a humble and intelligent role.


Mr. Brown - he is so funny and he always makes me laugh, he says the most off the wall stuff, but somehow it makes a lot of sense.


Tasha (The Game) - she is unsensored, straight forward and to the point. You get what you see and she is all about her business. She values her relationships with her friends and family. She is always together, hair, nails, clothes.


Mamma Joe/ Big Mamma (Soul Food) - She managed to keep her family together, she taught them values and she stayed with her husband, even when he was coming home the morning after. She appeared to be a praying woman and she never spoke anything against her husband.


Dewayne (Different World) - Wow! The example of college life was really influential. The characters in this sitcom displayed some very real issues about real people with real problems, but through it all they maintained, stayed focus, and through all the mistakes, breakups, and transitions they excelled.


What are three things you wish you’d known before you reached where you are now?


Effective marketing strategies - The importance of organization - The importance of networking and building a customer base.


Can you give us one do and one don’t for those aspiring to be a writer?


Do get your book edited at least twice - Don't assume everybody will like your book.


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


Paper & Pencil can take you a long way, once you sit down and take time to write. It does take time and patience to write. It requires discipline, timelines, and accountability


What was the best advice you’d ever gotten about the publishing industry? The worst?


Best Advice = Research the industry - Worst = none


What is something readers would be surprised you do?


One thing I did = lived in Alaska for 3 years


If you could be a character from any book you've read, who would you be?


Me...I am the character in my book. I am the lonely girl, lost, and looking for direction, but I accept that. I have learned to embrace the challenges in my mind and allow my mess to become my message and my test to become my testimony. Each detrimental experience, I consider as a high growth learning opportuntiy, so I am now living, learning, and loving.


Our theme this month is The Business Of Writing. Can you offer any advice about the business side of writing?


Research - Research - Reshearch - Know the market, know how to market, and market yourself and your product


Oprah always asks, What do you know for sure?


I know that I must allow the passion, purpose, and love inside of me, to be greater than the pain which I have experienced.


Can you give us a sneak peek of your next book?


My next book will uncover the issues and actions of women and thier lovers. Thier love for money, men, and sex.


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


3125 S Mendenhall - Suite 230 - Memphis, TN 38115 --email - kamekio@a-new-day.org - www.kamekiolewis.com


Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Looking 4 Love...in all the wrong places.

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FEATURED AUTHOR: Nana Malone

Nana's love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she borrowed from her cousin on a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana at a precocious thirteen. She's been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.


Waiting for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, Nana, meantime works out her drama, passion and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is. Though, until that ninja job comes through, you'll find her acting out scenes for hubby and puppy while catching up on her favorite reality television shows in sunny San Diego.

Game Set Match


Off the court, tennis star Jason Cartwright’s playboy image is taking a public beating. On the court, he’s down forty-love. A knee injury is shutting down his game, and the paparazzi are splashing his love life on every magazine. A comeback is in order, but the makeover he needs to save his faltering career is in the hands of the woman he loved and left fifteen years ago.


While single-mom, Izzy Connors, sees people for who they really are through the lens of her camera, even without it, she knows Jason isn’t the star he appears to be. Although his charm and good looks haven’t dimmed since he broke her heart, all she sees is his wasted talent and playboy lifestyle.


Can Izzy put the past behind her and help Jason get his game, and his image, back on track? Or will the click of her camera shatter his world as well as his heart?


How did you start out your writing career?


I've always written, but as a child of strict Ghanaian parents, any career that wasn't engineering, law, or medicine wasn't a viable option. I didn't have the courage to start writing with publication in mind until about ten years ago out of dissatisfaction with my PR job at the time. Who knew you had to be perky and love people in order to do PR?


I still have a day job, but no more PR for me. I'm a software project manager by day.


What did you learn while writing this book?


I learned that I truly could do anything. GSM was my third completed novel and the first one I'd written without a prolonged break in the middle. As I wrote and applied the learnings from all the worshops I'd taken, I realized that somehow, I'd become a writer.


What did you hope to accomplish with this book?


To become a NYT bestselling author. Kidding...mostly. I wanted to write a book that would entertain. I wanted readers to fall in love with the characters as they fell in love with each other. Hopefully I managed that.


Is the “writer’s life” what you thought it would be?


Ha. No. Alas, I still have to go to the day job. I had this picture of me sitting around in my pajamas all day as I spilled out sparkling prose. The reality is, between, my day job as a project manager, my husband and new baby, I eek out writing time between diaper changes and during lunch.


Which five characters (can be from books, movies, or tv shows) would you invite over for dinner and why?


This is one of the best interview questions I've ever had!


Clair Huxtable (The Cosby Show) because she was just awesome. You need a strong woman in charge to organize the troops.


Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice) Because she loves her family fiercely, is strong and capable of enormous love.


Jason Bourne (The Bourne Identity) I like having a bad ass as a dinner companion just in case something breaks out.


Holden Caulfield (Catcher in the Rye) - Because you always need one misfit at a dinner party


Gabriel Aubry (Halle Berry's ex man) - Just cause he's pretty :)


What are three things you wish you’d known before you reached where you are now?


What? Only three? I could go on forever with these. But I will follow the rules.
I wish I'd known how to build a cohesive plot.
I wish I'd known that a cute meet and sizzling chemistry do not a story make.
I wish I'd known how much work I'd have to put it and what I'd have to sacrifice to get here.


Can you give us one do and one don’t for those aspiring to be a writer?


The Do: Write. The book will do you no good in an unfinished state.
The Don't: Don't listen to anyone who says you can't. You'll find that all kinds of things and people will act as obstacles. But if this is your dream you won’t let anything stand in the way of it.


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


That it's the hardest job you'll ever do and saying something along the lines of "Oh, I've always wanted to write a book, but I'm just too busy," or "Writing a romance book is easy right. Just follow a formula," will make the writer crazy enough to do something drastic.


What was the best advice you’d ever gotten about the publishing industry? The worst?


Best advice: Always be professional and courteous. You never know know who is in a position to help or hurt you. Like any day job, the world is just too small and you don't want to stick your foot in it.


The worst: To give an agent exclusive reading rights. Agents have a lot on their plate. I've had one or two who didn't get back to me for six months. If you give them an exclusive, it could be months before you hear anything. All the while, your book is sitting on the shelf.


What is something readers would be surprised you do?


I also take photographs. It's my other outlet.


If you could be a character from any book you've read, who would you be?


That's easy. Elizabeth Bennet. She's spunky and doesn't back down from what she believes is right.


Our theme this month is The Business Of Writing. Can you offer any advice about the business side of writing?


I will pay it forward with the same advice that I got. Be professional. Do your research. Know the agencies you want to submit to. Only send them what they ask for. Get their name right etc.


Oprah always asks, What do you know for sure?


That I am loved.


Can you give us a sneak peek of your next book?


I'm working on a series. Each book will feature one of three best friends living here in San Diego.


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


Feel free to email me @: nana@nanamaloneromance.com
Please visit me@: http://www.nanamalone.com/

Lea ve a comment for a chance to wina a copy of Game Set Match.

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Loved To Death Tour w/author Rosa Ferguson

Rosa Elmore Ferguson is the author of LOVED TO DEATH: A Different Kind of Love Story and LOVED TO DEATH: The Truth Unfolds. LOVED TO DEATH: The City Speaks will be out in early 2011.


Born Infant Sleigh, Mrs. Ferguson, and adoptee, has been searching for her biology for over forty years. Rosa uses her writing to release the frustration and anger caused by failed attempts to find out who she is and where she came from. The author would like her readers to have a better understanding of what can happen when they become a part of an unsuccessful adoption triad.


Mrs. Ferguson is the proud mother of two sets of twins and currently resides in Olive Branch, MS with her husband.


In LOVED TO DEATH: A Different Kind of Love Story and the sequel, LOVED TO DEATH: The Truth Unfolds readers are introduced to a fictional Gaston City, Indiana and will see it through the eyes of Morosa Denise McKinley. Morosa is the adopted daughter of Morrow and Rose McKinley. Adoption, love, murder and intrigue seem to rule the day with the underlying theme being the pitfalls of adoption and what happens when a person isn't allowed to know the truth about themselves. These are the first two books in the LOVED TO DEATH short story trilogy


Follow the author along her virtual blog tour and as she chats with readers about her books and the challenges she faces in finding her roots. Enter for a chance to win a copy of LOVED TO DEATH: A Different Kind of Love Story and LOVED TO DEATH: The Truth Unfolds courtesy of the author. The winner will be announced at the end of the tour. Please visit the author’s website at www.RosaFerguson.com. .


Now, let’s have a conversation with Rosa about her books and her quest to find her biology. Leave a comment and be a part of the conversation.

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Right Package, Wrong Baggage Blog Tour

Wanda B. Campbell is an extraordinary and talented writer who brings creativity, a new sense of hope, and restoration through the healing power of God to the Kingdom, by way of Christian fiction. She uses real life everyday issues to exhort, motivate, and give comfort.


Wanda B. Campbell’s literary achievements include: Mommy’s Present, a short story appearing in the anthology The Midnight Clear (KNB Publications, November 2006) ISBN 0-9742207-0-1, First Sunday in October (W.B. Campbell Publications, January 2007) ISBN 978-0-9790458-0-6 and the Crusin for Christ I Short Story Contest winner with Illusions by Urban Christian, February 2009, ISBN 978-1601629432. Right Package, Wrong Baggage is her third novel.


Wanda currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband of twenty years and two sons. She also has the unique position of being the oldest of five siblings and also the youngest of twelve. Her hobbies include writing and reading of course, traveling, and collecting magnets from around the world. Wanda is the self-proclaimed biggest Oakland A’s fan.

Wanda, tell us about Right Package, Wrong Baggage.


My current book is Right Package, Wrong Baggage. I love this story. It has romance, comedy and drama. It’s the sequel to my first published short story, Mommy’s Present in The Midnight Clear. Readers will remember little six-year-old Matthew Roberts who went on a mission to find his mother the perfect Christmas present-a husband. Right Package, Wrong Baggage picks up from there.


Micah Stevenson turns out be the perfect package for Pamela Roberts. He loves God, is a great role model for her son, and has good credit plus, he’s handsome.


As Micah and Pamela build a solid relationship, everything appears perfect. That is until Micah trusts Pamela with his heart and shares his tainted past with her. Will the man he used to be prevent Pamela from loving Micah for the man he is now?


How did you come up with ideas for this book?


Basically, I let my character dictate the story.


Who are your main character(s)?


Pamela Roberts, a widowed single mother and Micah Stevenson, a dedicated Christian with an interesting past.


Did you have a favorite character(s)? Who and why?


My favorite character in Right Package, Wrong Baggage is Micah. I love his honesty and sensitivity. He is a man of integrity and he places the needs of others above his own. Most of all, his courage is something to be admired.


What do you hope readers will learn/discover from reading Right Package, Wrong, Baggage?


First, there is a reason behind every action a person does. Second, don’t judge a person by their actions. Third, don’t hold ones past against them; we all have one. And last, but most important, always extend love and forgiveness.


Okay, a not-so-fun question. How important are reviews to you as a writer?

I’ve had both good and not so good reviews and I enjoy the feedback. Some of the comments have helped me grow as a writer.


About the Book


For five years, Pamela Roberts, has balanced the demands of being a single mother and a devoted Christian. She unselfishly places the needs of her son, Matthew, above her own. Although she tries to convince everyone that she’s happy with Jesus alone, Matthew handpicks the perfect present for her—a husband. Everything about the man her son chooses is perfect, except for his past.


Micah Stevenson is excited when he learns the son of the woman he has been praying about wants him to join their family permanently. Believing Pamela Roberts is his soul mate sent from God, Micah pursues her. Once he is certain of her love for him, Micah reveals his dark history, shaking the foundation of the once loving and stable relationship. Trust is broken as judgments and prejudices threaten to deny the couple’s destiny.

Will the man he used to be prevent Pamela from loving Micah for the man he is now?


Podcast

Purchase the Book Online at:


• AMAZON.COM - http://www.amazon.com/Right-Package-Wrong-Baggage-Campbell/dp/1601628617/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285720732&sr=8-1

• BARNES & NOBLE - http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Right-Package-Wrong-Baggage/Wanda-B-Campbell/e/9781601628619/?itm=1&USRI=right+package+wrong+baggage

• BOOKS A MILLION - http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781601628619?id=4715246323067

• BORDERS - http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=1601628617

• INDIEBOUND - http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781601628619

For More Information


• Visit the authors at http://www.wandabcampbell.net/.
• View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/RightPackageWrongBaggage


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