Author Zetta Brown Talks about SEX & WRITING Today!

Today at All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP), Zetta Brown, author of Messalina - Devourer of Men, talks about sex and writing!

Messalina - Devourer of Men received a GREAT Book Bytes review from ChickLitGurrl: I absolutely loved this book! Didn't want to put it down. It's unique, it has hot sex (with a purpose), and the characters are like some I've never seen in books before. The first chapter alone will get you in the mood...in more ways than one. Messalina: Devourer of Men has much HEAT and much HEART. It's worth the buy! I'm looking forward to seeing what Zetta Brown puts out next.

For the month of September, AtBaP authors are talking about SEX; here's the question that was posed: Is sex an important component to develop in your writing? How are you able to weave it into a work AND also have a strong plot development?

What does Zetta have to say about sex, writing, and her novel? Head over to ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE today to read her response!

ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing: [http://alltheblogsapage.blogspot.com]

Tale It Like It Is: Interviews with a TWIST!

Click the image above to head to Blog Talk Radio and subscribe to the show!

Got Flow? Then Sound~N~Off is the Place for You!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE SHOWCASED ON SOUNDNOFF,

EMAIL SAMARA KING AT:

MS_SAMARA_KING@YAHOO.COM

Click image to go to Blog Talk Radio and Subscribe!

The Nubian Chronicles Magazine Seeks Submissions

**PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CIRCULATE THIS TO ANY GROUPS YOU MAY BELONG TO**



The Nubian Chronicles Magazine (http://www.tnc-magazine.net) is currently seeking submissions for its FALL 2008 issue, slated to be released on Monday, October 20, 2008. The deadline for submissions is Monday, October 6, 2008.


DO YOU HAVE gripping stories, thought-provoking essays, engaging articles and commentaries you want the public to read? If so, then you definitely want to consider submitting to TNC's column: NUBIAN belles-lettres.

N b-l is our column dedicated to short fiction, essays, articles, and commentaries written by African American writers.

ALSO - if you have a book that's due out and you'd like to get a little promo for it, you may submit excerpts to your book along with other information for TNC to publish!

If you are submitting short fiction, essays, articles, and/or commentaries, please submit the following:
1) work to be published, no longer than 2,500 words (within the e-mail)
2) contact information (e-mail, website, myspace)
3) picture of you (if you would like)
4) short bio
5) one- to two-sentence teaser of your work

If you are submitting an excerpt of a published work, please submit the following:
1) excerpt of your work, no longer than 2,500 words (within e-mail or as a WORD attachment)
2) contact information (e-mail, website, myspace)
3) picture of you (if you would like)
4) short bio
5) book cover image (in .jpg or .gif file)
6) purchase link


@ TNC, we know that writers have their own individual literary flows, and for that reason, we do not limit writers as to types of work they can submit to us; however, we do not do PORN- or HATE-related material. If you wish to submit erotica, that is fine.

Showcasing your work @ TNC is a great way to promote your writing to the literary community!


=====
Again, the deadline for TNC's FALL 2008 issue is slated to be released on Monday, October 4, 2008.


E-mail ALL WORK to either submit@tnc-magazine.net or sdb6812@hotmail.com, and in the subject line write NBL Submissions.



THANKS!


Da Management
http://www.tnc-magazine.net

Author Cynthia Polansky Discusses Faith & Writing @ AtBaP!

Today at All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP), Cynthia Polansky, author of REMOTE CONTROL, talks about faith and writing!






REMOTE CONTROL received a GREAT Book Bytes review from ChickLitGurrl: Even death can’t stop Judith McBride from controlling things like keeping her husband away from their sexy, yet dangerous accountant! Loved the humor, sensitivity, and enlightenment in Remote Control and how in the end, a simple truth remains: spiritual growth means relinquishing control and giving to a higher power.



Head over to ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE today to read Polansky's response to this month's AtBaP question: How does your faith, your spirituality integrate itself into your writing?


Also, if you haven't yet, check out the wonderful responses by James A. Jimason ("Give Me Destiny"), Susan McGeown ("Recipe for Disaster"), Pamela S. Thibodeaux ("Tempered Joy"), Niambi Davis ("From Dusk to Dawn"), and Beth Fehlbaum ("Courage in Patience")!

ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing: (LINK)

Subscribe to ChickLitGurrl on Writing

What are hot sites for writers? What videos are available that discuss/illustrate the writing craft? What quickie tips could you use to help your writing?

These questions and more are answered at my new mini-blog - ChickLitGurrl on Writing.

Each tip - whether it's a writing tip, a video, a link, or other - is just a short tasty morsel, so you can grab it, use it, and GO.

Check out ChickLitGurrl on Writing @ http://chicklitgurrl.tumblr.com/ and subscribe by clicking the RSS feed on the right hand side!

Brenda Janowitz & Summer Book Giveaway

Summer Book Giveaway!


Enter to win signed copies of the hottest books of summer!


Summer may be coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean that you should stop reading the hottest reads of the summer! And now you can enter to win a beach bag full of free books!





The winner will get signed copies of both of Brenda’s novels, JACK WITH A TWIST and SCOT ON THE ROCKS, as well as signed copies of these other fabulous reads:



ENGAGING MEN
by Lynda Curnyn



IT’S ABOUT YOUR HUSBAND
by Lauren Lipton



IF ANDY WARHOL HAD A GIRLFRIEND
by Alison Pace



THE REINCARNATIONIST by
M.J. Rose

To enter, just email brenda@brendajanowitz.com. You must be a subscriber of the www.brendajanowitz.com mailing list to enter.

Winners will be announced on September 9. So what are you waiting for? Enter today!

ChickLitGurrl Interviews Author/Scriptorium Founder Sherry D. Ramsey

Today @ ChickLitGurrl, I talk with SHERRY D. RAMSEY, the founder of the awesome site THE SCRIPTORIUM and contributor to the anthology Speculative Realms.



Check out an excerpt of our interview:


CLG: What are some of the more popular sections of The Scriptorium?
SR: The “toolbox” section is a very popular one, where we feature a glossary of writing terms, a quick writing Q&A, and printable forms and worksheets for character building, scene and plot development, world-building, critiquing, and submission tracking. Sue Lick’s monthly Everything But Writing column is a favorite as well; as the title suggests, Sue deals with all the "non-writing" bits of the writing life. Our "on writing" section is also popular, where we strive to include articles every month that cover a wide range of writing interests. Beyond that, I think readers tend to surf around the site, check out the latest book reviews and features, downloads, try the freewriting exercises, delve into the archives...a little bit of everything. There really isn't an area of the site that doesn't get hit!


CLG: What genres are you interested in writing in? Why?
SR: I write mainly speculative fiction--science fiction and fantasy. Maybe I’m drawn to write in those genres because I grew up reading and enjoying them, but I don’t really think that’s it as I’ve always read in a wide variety of genres. I think perhaps it’s because I’m energized by the idea that speculative fiction allows us to push the boundaries of imagination, to ask the vital “what if” of fiction writing in so many ways. Speculative writing allows us to view ourselves, our cultures, our relationships, through a different lens, and to uncover truths about ourselves in a different way. It also allows us to start with an idea and take it beyond the limits of what’s currently possible, to stretch it, twist it, turn it inside out and see where it might lead. That’s always exciting.



To learn more about Sherry, The Scriptorium, and Sherry's writing, head over to CHICKLITGURRL: high on LATTES & WRITING -- http://chicklitgurrl.blogspot.com!

Leave comments!

Why Subscribe to All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP)?

ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE - Where Everything Relates to Writing - is a monthly blogging series hosted by ChickLitGurrl™ in which writers and readers talk about writing and its relation to various topics!

In August, we're tackling FAITH & WRITING. In September, we'll be looking at SEX & WRITING, and in the upcoming months, we will be talking about such topics as gender, homosexuality, memoir, culture, death, and TV and movies.

Take the time to head to ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE and read our wonderful works by the following authors: James A. Jimason, Susan McGeown, Pamela S. Thibodeaux, Niambi Davis, and Beth Fehlbaum. Our last FAITH & WRITING author for August will be Cynthia Polansky, who will go LIVE @ AtBaP Friday, August 29, 2008.

While you're there, take the time to SUBSCRIBE to ATBAP, too, so that you can kept in the loop to new updates and author features!

[Subscribe to AtBaP]

Check out interview with everywoman, APOOO Books Founder Yasmin Coleman

Today @ ChickLitGurrl, I talk with YASMIN COLEMAN, another everywoman, who is literary publicist and promoter, book reviewer, and founder of APOOO Books and BookClub.



When asked, "What are three things that EVERY author must have in his/her promotion arsenal," Coleman stated that one of those things was "a local presence. Many authors want to travel the country to promote their book and that's fine; however, when I ask them have they explored their local options they look at me as thought I just grew another head. LOL. Does your local newspaper know that you've written a book and have they done a feature article on you? Have you done book signings/appearances at your local bookstores? Are the local book clubs aware that you have a book and have you asked them to host you at an upcoming meeting? What about local organizations? Does anyone know your name? What about in your state? Before an author spends hundreds/thousands of dollars travelling to promote their book, they should make sure they've covered most of the bases in their home location.


To learn more about Yasmin, APOOO, and how SHE can help authors promote their literary works, head over to CHICKLITGURRL: high on LATTES & WRITING -- http://chicklitgurrl.blogspot.com!

Leave comments!

Writing a Memoir? Check Out My Latest Article for TIPS!

Well, it's the 17th of the month, and that means my latest Blogging in Black column is LIVE!

This month, I'm talking about memoir writing. I've met so many people who not only feel that their life story is important to write, but it's also important to publish for others to read.

This got me thinking about memoirs, about the difference between memoirs and autobiography, and about some of the problems that might occur when a novice starts out trying to write his/her innermost feelings.

Come check out my article - The Story of Me: Tips on Memoir Writing - and leave comments!!

Blogging in Black - (LINK)

Author/Publisher Susan McGeown talks about Faith & Writing @ AtBaP!

Today at All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP), Susan McGeown, author and owner of Faith Inspired Books, talks about faith and writing...

...two things that go GREAT together in her novel, RECIPE FOR DISASTER...

Nothing could be worse than being a bride abandoned on her wedding day, right? Wrong. Try factoring in an unplanned pregnancy that shatters what is left of Karly Martin's dreams to be a missionary. But Karly is a survivor, stronger and braver than she ever thought possible. Giving up her son for adoption and accepting a missionary position with a Navajo mission school gives her the chance to build on the dreams she thought she had had to abandon. Slowly, she begins to heal. Earl Nezbegay sees to all of his responsibilities: caring for his quadriplegic sister, and her eleven year old daughter, and helping out at the Navajo mission school. Keeping busy enough not to think, keeping numb enough not to feel, and keeping distant enough not to interact. It's not exactly living, but it's surviving. Recipe for Disaster brings together two very broken people. Neither is looking for love, but then life isn't always what we plan or expect, is it?


The question asked this month @ AtBaP is How does your faith, your spirituality integrate itself into your writing and Susan, in discussing her relationship with faith states: Through my successes and my failures I am determined to be a woman of faith no matter what anyone says or thinks. (Picture me with my hands on my hips, my chin raised in defiance.) I want it to be my defining feature, the glue that holds all my pieces together. No matter what hat I'm wearing: mother, sister, daughter, author, aunt, teacher, friend, classroom helper, annoyed customer, neighbor, or stranger – I want it to be the first distinctive quality anyone notices. It's a noble goal but requires constant work.


Head over to ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE today to read the rest of Susan's response and to share your OWN thoughts on faith and writing!


Also, if you haven't yet, check out the wonderful responses by Pamela S. Thibodeaux ("Tempered Joy"), Niambi Davis ("From Dusk to Dawn"), and Beth Fehlbaum ("Courage in Patience")!

ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing: (LINK)

Author Niambi Davis Talks about Faith & Writing Today!

Today at All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP), Niambi Davis - author of FROM DUSK TO DAWN - talks about faith and writing!





Something she knows a BIT about considering her novel...


Taliban wanna-be! Bible-thumping Crusader! Is this any way to begin a love affair? In the case of Ayo and Bilal, the answer is a resounding yes! After the dust from religious and familial wars has settled, the 42 year old widow and 32 year old appraiser fall deeply in love, until an unexpected diagnosis convinces Ayo that loving Bilal means letting him go. But has she underestimated the man who, in spite of a tragedy of his own, vows never to let her go?


The question asked this month @ AtBaP is How does your faith, your spirituality integrate itself into your writing and Niambi's first couple of sentences alone will make you want to read the rest of her response: I was a child when I first heard the word ecumenical. Once a year, the local AME, Episcopal, Catholic, and United Methodist congregations of our small town gathered together to praise the Lord. It was the only Sunday of the year when religion trumped race.


Head over to ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE today to read the rest of Niambi's response and to share your OWN thoughts on faith and writing!


Also, if you haven't yet, check out the wonderful response by Beth Fehlbaum, author of COURAGE IN PATIENCE!

ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing: (LINK)

Who is ChickLitGurrl?

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

CLG interviews Strebor Books Author Shelley Halima

Today, over at ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING, I'm interviewing Shelley Halima, author of BLINDING MIRROR.

Check out an excerpt of the interview!

EXCERPT

CLG: Talk to us about the writing process for BLINDING MIRROR. Was it a fast write? Was it more difficult than your previous two novels? Did the darkness of the material slow the writing process?
SH: Blinding Mirror was definitely a more difficult write than the first two novels. I'm very familiar with the cultures represented in AM and LM but with Blinding Mirror, I had the challenge to writing about some cultures and lifestyles of which I knew nothing of and to do so in a convincing fashion. The darkness of the character Olivia didn't slow the process at all. In fact it was a great spark. Just as some actors find it more appealing and more of a challenge to portray dark characters, I as a writer felt the same way about writing the dark character.

CLG: How has your work in screenwriting and movies influenced your novel writing -- or has it?
SH: Really I think my novel writing influenced the screenwriting. With some great advice from a couple of actors I learned to bring certain subtleties into play in the screenplay. I had to learn to not SAY but to SHOW through actions and imagery as I did in my novel writing.

CLG: You're going on vacation, and you're only allowed to take three books with you -- what are they, and why these three?
SH: It by Stephen King, Jubilee by Margaret Walker and Dark Rivers of the Heart by Dean R. Koontz. These are probably my top books of all time. It because it frightened me so with the improbable, Jubilee because I felt like I was transported back in time and could feel the pain and joy of those who were enslaved and then set free, and Dark Rivers because even though it was fiction it was chilling in its truth in how things are going on right now. All I can say is Patriot Act.

Want to read the rest of the interview? Then head over to ChickLitGurrl NOW (LINK)!

Beth Fehlbaum talks about Faith & Writing @ Premiere of All the Blog's a Page

(LINK)
Where Everything Relates to Writing ~~ A monthly blogging series hosted by ChickLitGurrl™ in which writers and readers talk about writing and its relation to various topics!

AtBaP premieres its series of writer talks with Beth Fehlbaum, author of COURAGE IN PATIENCE.

For the month of August, the series will focus on the subject of Faith & Writing.


Our panel was asked the following question: How does your faith, your spirituality integrate itself into your writing?





Want to see what Beth had to say about the question? Here's an excerpt:

I strongly believe that religion should not be used as a tool to tear people down. I think that belief comes through in my debut novel, Courage in Patience, a story of hope for those who have endured abuse.

Courage in Patience's protagonist is a fifteen-year-old girl named Ashley Nicole Asher. Ashley is removed from her mother's home because her stepfather is suspected of sexually abusing her. But even before she is removed from her home, she experiences what becomes for her a crystallizing moment that colors forever her perception of fundamentalist churches. This happens when her classmates who, while not really friends, pretty-much ignored her, change into born-again "zombies" who are intensely interested in whether or not Ashley is "saved."

To read the rest of Beth's response and check out an excerpt of her novel COURAGE IN PATIENCE, head to All the Blog's a Page (LINK) and check out our premiere!

While you're there, think about the question in regards to your own writing...or reading and LEAVE COMMENTS!

ChickLitGurrl Interviews Strebor Books Author Marsha Jenkins-Sanders

Today, over at ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING, I'm interviewing Marsha Jenkins-Sanders, author of JEALOUSY.

Check out an excerpt of the interview!

EXCERPT

CLG: What themes, topics will readers find between the pages of JEALOUSY?

MJS: Jealousy is a volatile and destructive emotion, if left unchecked. It has been the driving force behind many homicides, abusive relationships, etc. The book can help shine a light on several topics: domestic abuse, child abuse, relationship issues, and insecurity.

CLG: Marsha Jenkins-Sanders: THE SOUNDTRACK! What TWO tracks would make it onto a soundtrack of your life, and why?

MJS: Never would have made it…Marvin Sapp, The Battle is not yours…Yolanda Adams! My life has been a roller coaster ride and my faith has been tested. God has seen me through many battles and brought me out of the “fiery furnace” unscathed. I am a better person because of these challenges, but never would have made it without HIS guidance, mercy, grace and love.

CLG: Who is ONE of your favorite writers, and how does he/she inspire you as a writer?

MJS: I really enjoy Terry McMillan. Her “voice” is so familiar and my life’s circumstances can relate.

Want to read the rest of the interview? Then head over to ChickLitGurrl NOW (LINK)!

Ain't Understandin' Mellow by Michelle Davis

ChickLitGurrl Interviews Urban Christian Author Brittney Holmes

Today, over at ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING, I'm interviewing Brittney Holmes, author of TESTING RELATIONSHIPS.

I am VERY pleased to be interviewing Brittney. In a world where there are so many youth who are not going down the right paths, Brittney Holmes is a walking testament to good parenting, good teaching, and good walk in faith.

Check out an excerpt of the interview!

EXCERPT

CLG: You wrote LIVING CONSEQUENCES at the age of 16; what propelled you at this young age to write a novel?
BH: Actually, I wrote Living Consequences when I was 14 and a freshman in high school. The book was actually published when I was 16. I was divinely inspired to write the book because before I physically sat down before my computer and began typing, I had no preconceived idea to write a book. I had planned on writing a journal for my own personal use and the story turned into something I had no intentions of creating. It was apparent that God had placed the story of Living Consequences in me so that I can share it and its message with the world.

CLG: Brittney Holmes: THE SOUNDTRACK! What three tracks would make it onto a soundtrack of your life, and why?
BH: Never Would Have Made It by Marvin Sapp would definitely make it onto the soundtrack because without God, I wouldn’t be here nor would I be able to get through any of life’s obstacles. Fantasia’s I Believe would also make the cut because it talks about reaching your highest potential and believing in what you can become. And finally, just because it’s my favorite song in the whole world, Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder would probably be on the soundtrack to illustrate my relationship with whatever man God has created for me.

CLG: Who are some of your favorite writers, and how do they inspire you as a writer?
BH: Of course, Kendra Norman-Bellamy, my mother, is one of my favorite writers. She inspires me the most because she took her lifelong passion and favorite pastime and made it into a career that has been more successful than most because she decided to put her faith in God and do what He has called her to do. Victoria Christopher Murray is also a favorite of mine because she is a phenomenal writer and doesn’t mind taking risks in creating her stories and she has taught me that there’s nothing wrong with me doing the same. Jacqueline Thomas and Tia McCollors are also authors who create realistic stories that inspire me to tap deeper into my own creativity when writing.

Want to read the rest of the interview? Then head over to ChickLitGurrl NOW (LINK)!

ChickLitGurrl Interviews Urban Christian Author Sharon Oliver

Today, over at ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING, I'm interviewing Sharon Oliver, author of KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER.

Check out an excerpt of the interview!

EXCERPT

CLG: What have you done or what do you plan to do - as author - to promote KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER?

SO: I’ve scheduled book signings, advertised in magazines, mailed and passed out brochures, sent email blasts and participated in online interviews.

CLG: Why do you feel compelled to write fiction that integrates Christian values?

SO: A fellow Urban Christian author summed up Christian fiction and there is one key point I’d like to borrow from her to answer that question. That is, it is a ministry I feel God has given me a heart for. I don’t have a desire to write erotica, horror, etc. So far, I’ve not been given any ideas for writing romance either and romance novels are the norm these days. I’ve always enjoyed mystery/suspense books as well as humorous novels. With that said, I’d like to reach that like-minded audience and add Jesus to the mix. Nothing too heavy, but enlightening, creating and/or keeping a thirst for God.

CLG: Sharon Oliver: THE SOUNDTRACK! What three tracks would make it onto a soundtrack of your life, and why?

SO: FENCEWALK, by a 70’s group named Mandrill just for the old school jam; Richard Smallwood’s, ANTHEM OF PRAISE for the uplifting and setting the tone and Marvin Sapp’s, NEVER WOULD HAVE MADE IT because…I mean, come on.

Want to read the rest of the interview? Then head over to ChickLitGurrl NOW (LINK)!

Summer 2008 Issue of The Nubian Chronicles is LIVE!

Author interviews, great poetry, engaging stories and essays, and more await you in the Summer 2008 Issue of The Nubian Chronicles, and it all starts (HERE)!

Check out the latest issue! You won't be disappointed!

Summer Issue of SisterDivas Magazine is Live!

HEAD OVER to SisterDivas Magazine and check out the great articles and interviews and episodes (of Love Bytes) in the Summer 2008 Issue. We have articles on relationships, health, self-love - see what our summer BUZZWORTHY movies, TV shows, books, and music are!

It all starts right (here)!

Join Me @ BlogginginBlack.com Today!

Over @ Blogging in Black, where I have a monthly column, I share my ROMANCE with writing. Please take the time to head there, read it, and leave comments about your own love affair with the WORD and with writing!

Here's the (link)!

ChickLitGurrl Interviews Urban Christian Author Shana Burton

Today over at ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING, I'm interviewing Shana Burton whose novel, SUDDENLY SINGLE, was released through Urban Christian.



Check out an excerpt of the interview!

EXCERPT

CLG: What's your favorite thing about SUDDENLY SINGLE?
SB: I love my two main female characters. Vashti (bless her heart) really makes me feel good about my failed relationships because I know that my love life will never be as tragic as hers. I love reading about characters that I don't have to be jealous of. Monique is great, too. She was really fun to create because she says whatever she feels and has some of the best lines in the book. She is definitely a scene stealer!


CLG: You're going on vacation, and you're only allowed to take three books with you -- what are they?
SB: The Bible, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Native Son


CLG: The main character of SUDDENLY SINGLE, 26-year-old Vashti Hunter is left at the altar and vows to be married within a year. Why do you think women - from young to old - still feel this incompleteness about themselves that only marriage can provide? Or do you think they do?
SB: I think a lot of them do for various reasons. When I was single, I had a son, so I didn't want to be out dating a plethora of guys. I wanted stability for myself and my son, and marriage gave me that. Being the type of person that I am, I don't think I would've felt complete without a family. By the same token, I also have friends who are looking for "financial completeness" and having two incomes provide that. Some want social status, and some are just tired of being alone. Then, of course, there are those who feel "complete" as they are and just see marriage as the icing.



Want to read the rest of the interview? Then head over to ChickLitGurrl NOW (LINK)!

The Things You Carried - A Prayerful Musing

You carried many things – some good and some bad; however, what hunched your shoulders, what sprouted sweat upon your brow, what grew a heart heavy, what made a spirit falter, what made faith dissipate, what made believing unimaginable were your burdens.


You carried

Lack of Money
Hunger
Thirst
Depression
Desperation
Heartache
Lies
Betrayals
Two-faced Friends
Backstabbing Co-workers
Familial Strife
Abuse
Disease
Discrimination
Distrust
Dysfunction
Deaths
Missed Opportunities
Societal Norms
Body Image Issues
Loneliness
Blame
Resentment
Jealousy
Anger
Fear of Any and Everything
Worry about the
Past
Present
Future


As the first burden takes shape, falls upon your back, and becomes a part of you; the tiniest of cracks forms. Invisible to the naked eye, invisible to all but two: God and the Devil.

God, the knower of all things, He who can do all things, watches, standing beside you, never leaving you, trying desperately to get you to believe, to remember that He never gives you more than you can bear.

But you can't hear. That crack, that tiniest of slits upon your psyche is just big enough for the Devil to niggle his way in, to whisper in your ear, onto your mind, into your heart your worthlessness. He tells you, "Yes, you deserve heartache. Yes, your fears are valid. Yes, you will die from cancer. Yes, that person is better than you because you're poor. Yes, you're fat and no one will love you. Yes, feed off your jealousy and riddle your body with its murky green acid. Yes, your man hits you, but don't you think you deserved it? Yes, you're without money and you will always – forever and a day – worry about having shelter and food. Yes, you are nothing, and no good shall ever come upon you."

And you listen. And you believe. And you allow every negative word to feast upon you until you're so desolate, so empty, so without that you become like a cracked shell upon a beach – discarded and abandoned.

As that last burden, that last straw falls upon your back, breaking it, you isolate yourself. No one would ever understand what you're going through. You have to be the only person on earth going through so much pain. You don't want to lay your burdens upon others. You don't want anyone to see you cry.

And when you are alone, in that quiet space that frightens you, you hear him – the Devil – whispering his ugly words, his death breath brushing across your cheeks.

Others try to talk to you. Friends try to get you to go out. Mother calls, asking, "Baby, are you okay? I'm worried about you. So is Dad." And you try to smile, but the face distorts as abstract as a Picasso painting.

At the moment in which your back does break, you fall upon your knees and cry like a baby fresh from its mother's womb, but it is you who are giving birth.

You've carried, for so long, your burdens – feeding them the right negative nutrients, nurturing them into angry growth – and as the water breaks from you, you cry to God to help you deal with the painful birth.

He smiles. He's been waiting, lovingly waiting to hear His name, to feel your connection, and He whispers into your spirit, "Come to me, you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (Matt 11:28-30).
You push. You breathe. You scream. You grunt. You bleed. You battle with the burden that has been a part of you for so long, it wishes not to depart.

But it does, when you scream with the voices of a thousand lost souls and allow your burden to rip itself from you and fall upon the ground – red and ugly as sin.

No nurses rush to its aid. No one tries to resuscitate it, for your burdens have now been laid.

Your breathing slows. Your weeping grows, but not of pain – of joy of the living water that pours from your eyes and caresses your cheeks as it takes its journey to your chin and falls away.

In the warm, glowing silence of after birth, you scream like a baby reaching deep into its lungs for its first breath.

And you are born anew.

I will be doing more pieces like this at my new MySpace page - Sisters of the WORD. SOTW is for ALL women - no matter the nationality - who have faith and who have power of the WORD (God's and her OWN) to express the many facets of womanhood. Please join!

UNDER THE MISTLETOE - short story - NOW AVAILABLE!

UNDER THE MISTLETOE – DATE OF PUBLICATION: JULY 2008(Romantic Drama)

Publicist Lita Gregory has been running. Four years ago, she ran away from Eric Thomas, the love of her life, when she caught him in bed with another woman. Because of him, she left for New York and barely made trips back to her hometown in Georgia. A year ago, her beloved father passed, once again, prompting Lita to run from the pain in heart, the pain that told her that there was no longer a man on the planet that loved her. When Lita heads home for Christmas, she learns that some things changed while others remained the same: her mother has a new man in her life, and Eric is still around, wanting an explanation as to why Lita left him years ago. During her stay, Lita must confront her past, deal with her mother’s new love, and decide if her future is in New York – single, or in Georgia with Eric.

EXCERPT

“Baby,” Lily Mae began, taking Lita’s hand and guiding her to the couch to sit down, “you remember when I told you how I had a friend?”

Lita closed her eyes for a brief moment. “Uh, yeah...barely. You didn’t tell me much.”

“Well, this is my friend, baby. Actually, more like my fiancé. He lives here now.” It was almost like Lita had been slapped across the face.

“Fiancé?” she asked, her voice strained.

“Yeah.” Lily Mae raised her left hand as Lita’s gaze fell upon a perfect two-carat marquise cut engagement ring.

“Wow!” was all that Lita could muster. Before she could say another word, tears slipped from her eyes.

Lily Mae reached for her. “Baby, don’t cry. I should have...”

“Mom, what about Daddy?” Lita questioned in an almost hysterical voice. “You forgot about him that fast?”

Lily Mae reached out to touch Lita, but she pulled away.

“No...no.” Lita jumped up and quickly walked out the front door.

She motioned herself down onto the porch swing and hugged her coat tightly around her. She didn’t want to be overly dramatic in there, but she felt as if her mother had totally done wrong by her father. Lita’s father, John, had passed away a little over a year ago from a heart attack. It had happened suddenly, taking him away at the young age of 49. Lily Mae was a widow at 45, and at the time, it had felt like life would just cease to exist.

For weeks, months, hell, even now, Lita went days at a time without eating, just crying and blubbering like her whole being had been stripped from her. Lita had a perfect home, with two people who loved each other more and more with each passing day. They made each other happy, and as a result, their love was that much more powerful toward Lita. She was blessed to have the love of her parents for 26 years. But she hated that the blessing was just ripped from her without warning. She had been struggling to go on, and it had appeared that her mother made that transition rather smoothly. She was shacking up—in her father’s home no less—with her soon-to-be husband while Lita cried and tried to pick up the pieces of her frail life.

“Are you okay?”

Lita slowly raised her eyes to meet up with the voice, but it was no need. Even after four years, she recognized it. All the praying she had done to have a peaceful trip with her mother was slowly being taken away from her. First, she was hit with her mother’s happy future, and now, she was being slapped by her painful past.

Lita’s eyes held contempt as she stared at the extraordinarily handsome creature before her. Even she had to admit that four years made Eric Thomas more sexy, appealing, and alluring.

She quickly put that attraction in check.

“I’m fine,” she answered, shortly. “What are you doing here?” Lita eyed Eric—his chocolate fine self encased in a pair of blue jeans and Timberlands, with a thick flannel jacket over a long-sleeved T-shirt. He sauntered up the steps and slowly took a seat beside her.

“What are you doing here?”

“Are you serious?” Lita asked, incredulously. “My mother lives here. It’s Christmas. What do you think?”

“Figured you would stay up in New York and spend the holidays with all of your friends.”

Lita’s emotions toward Eric are as cold as the frigid winter, and Eric doesn’t seem too happy with Lita, either. Will holiday cheer and a walk down memory lane warm Lita to Eric, the one man she has ever loved?

Pick up a copy of UNDER THE MISTLETOE – it’s only $1.95 – and enjoy it in between all those boring tasks of the day; let it be your sweet pleasure.

The e-story can be purchased via (Lady Leo Publishing)!

Once you read it, come check me out, and let me know what you think! I’ll post your comments!

GOT TIL IT'S GONE - the short story - is AVAILABLE!

GOT TIL IT’S GONE – DATE OF PUBLICATION: JULY 2008
(Women’s Fiction/Romance)

Rochelle is a beautiful sistah with a lot going for her: a great job, great family, great friends, and Will, her boyfriend that she adores more than anything. The problem? Lately, Will has been distant, spending more time at work and with his female friends’ problems than with her. When Will breaks one too many promises, Rochelle tells him off, goes to the club with her girlfriends, and attempts to forget her troubles with good friends, food, and dancing. When Will shows up while Rochelle’s in the arms of another man, the pair gets ready for their ultimate showdown. Will Rochelle be the victor in love? Or will Will learn that he doesn’t know what he Got Til It’s Gone?

EXCERPT

Rochelle turned back to the mirror. She couldn’t even remember what possessed her to cut off all her hair and get twisties. But a month ago, she went to her favorite beauty shop, From Naps 2 Glory, and told them to chop it...chop it down to two inches at the most...and twist it. Ever since, she had been sporting her new look, and much to her surprise, the men were still trying to get to her. With her short, funky ‘do, her caramel-kissed skin, 5’6” slim figure, perky breasts, sistah booty, runner’s calves, and her sweet disposition, it wasn’t hard to figure out why the men kept trying to get her number

But she wasn’t interested in MEN...just Will. Will Jones. She had been dating that gorgeous piece of man for almost a year now, and was ready for the big C...and men know what that is ‘cause they go running every time they hear it. Will appeared to be the type of man sistahs complained were in short supply. He was good-looking, with his honey complexion, big brown eyes, and a smile that could light a thousand dark nights. He had a good job, loved his mother, and all his friends—mostly women, much to Rochelle’s chagrin—thought he was just the living end.

Rochelle was definitely thanking her lucky stars for meeting Will at the library of all places. They were both trying to reach for the last copy of Eric Jerome Dickey’s latest book, and Will, being the gentleman, let Rochelle take it. Since then, they had been each other’s constant companion, going to movies, restaurants, clubs, sitting at home watching videos, cooking dinner for each other—everything that couples did.

Recently, however, Will hadn’t been around. Almost a month to the day it had been since Rochelle had a decent amount of “couple” time with Will. Coincidently, that was about the time she chopped off her hair. Sure, Will’s excuses could be legit; after all, his job was becoming more demanding, and he had personal issues to deal with, but Rochelle’s thought always came back to, “What’s that gotta do with me?”

Rochelle snapped from her thoughts when Monica snuck up behind her and wrapped her arms around Rochelle’s waist. She smiled. She, Monica, and Audrey had been friends since the womb, having been born only about a week apart from one another. To look at them, you would have sworn they were triplets. They all had the same traits, minus Monica’s more voluptuous figure, and Audrey’s more diminutive figure, which placed Rochelle right between them figure wise, and oddly enough, personality wise, too. She wasn’t flamboyant like Monica or as quiet as Audrey.

“If it’s the last thing I do tonight,” Monica said, “I’m going to hook you up with a dude.”

“I already have a dude, thank you very much,” Rochelle said, slipping from Monica’s embrace and dropping down onto her queen-sized bed, beside Audrey. “His name is Will.”

“And where is he?” Monica asked. “I mean for real, girl. If my man had been giving me the cold shoulder for a month, he would be getting the cold shaft indefinitely.”

“It has been ridiculous, Ro.” Audrey sighed. “So, what was his excuse this time for not coming to the club with us?”

“He didn’t give one because he’s still coming.”

Monica laughed. “Girl, in about two seconds he’s going to be calling here, telling you another sob story...just watch.”

As if Monica had it timed, the phone rang.

“Watch” is all she said.

Rochelle stilled her anxiety long enough to reach over to her nightstand and pick up the cordless phone.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Hey, it’s me.” It was Will. Just the sound of his voice alerted Rochelle that he wasn’t coming, and instantly her defenses came up, irritation etched all over her face.

It’s obvious Will’s in the doghouse, but will Rochelle leave him there, or will the pair finally get down to the heart of the matter and strengthen their relationship?

Pick up a copy of GOT TIL IT’S GONE today – it’s only $1.95 – and enjoy it as a guilty lunchtime pleasure.

The e-story can be purchased via (Lady Leo Publishing)!

Once you read it, come check me out, and let me know what you think! I’ll post your comments!

Purchase the short story CONNECTIONS today!

CONNECTIONS – DATE OF PUBLICATION: JULY 2008(Romantic Comedy)

Connections is a romantic comedy that’s perfect for today’s world where love is often found in Cyberspace.

Monday through Friday, for one hour a day, newspaper reporter Christianna Dayne’s life is wonderful. Despite her hectic life, she always manages to spend her lunch hour at Cyber Town where she can catch up with her best friend Samantha, grab a bite to eat, and most importantly, hook up with her cyber boo online. Christianna is definitely feeling LitGuy66, but she’s too afraid to meet him because she doesn’t want reality to come crashing down around her. What Christianna doesn’t know is she’s not in control; fate is, and when fate puts a flesh and blood man before her – a man who just happens to not only be her possible Mr. Wonderful but also her ultimate scoop – Christianna must decide whether to flee or stick around and pursue the endless possibilities.

EXCERPT

I smiled when I noticed my girlfriend, Samantha, working. I waved, skipping over to her.

“You’re awfully giddy today,” she said as she handed a customer his change.

Approaching the counter, I leaned over, widening my smile.

“Actually, no,” I replied. “I’m tired, pissed, and cold as hell, but you know I couldn’t miss my lunch date.”

“What did Dave do this time?”

Samantha and I laughed. Dave was brothers with Samantha’s stepfather, so she knew all the dirt on him—even what wasn’t fit to print.

“Sam, he has me doing yet another mission impossible which means I won’t be able to hang with you this week.”

Sam’s icy blue eyes widened before she slapped the counter and chuckled. “Um, excuse me,” she said in her hard born-in-New-York accent, which so contrasted with her epitome-of-American-beauty blond hair, blue eyes, and model figure. “When was the last time we went out? You never go out.” She wiped the counter and nodded, her long blond hair dipping over her shoulders.

“Which explains why you haven’t dated in how long?”

I raised my eyebrow. “Sam, I didn’t come here to be reprimanded for being a spinster.” I sighed. “Besides, dear old Mom already beat you to this convo over the weekend.”

Sam reached across the counter and patted my hand.

“I’m sorry, chica,” she said. She brightened and added, “But you do have your date today.

How long has this been going on, two months now, right?”

I broke into a jaw-hurting smile. “Yeah,” I said as if shy.

“Why don’t you two just get over it and meet? It’s not like it’s a crime to meet someone on the Internet these days or anything.”

I pushed my thick, wiry hair back from off my face and blew into my hands. “I never really thought about it. I mean, he sounds too good to be true, and this one hour of my day makes me so happy. I would hate us to meet and negative vibes pop off. Then, I wouldn’t have this…” I lifted my arms and spun in a circle before I pointed to my favorite spot in the café.

Sam’s eyes moved toward my PC in the corner and then back to me. “Chris, you need to stop playing what if. I mean this could be the guy for you.”

“What’s gotten into you, Sam?” I asked, laughing. “You’re hardly the advocate for Internet romance. I often wonder why you even work here because I can bet you that a lot of these people come here to talk to people they are interested in romantically.”

“I guess I just see you in here, every Monday through Friday, talking for your hour, and floating out of the door because you’re so happy. Maybe I’d like to see you happy for more than one hour a day, five days a week.”

I smiled at my girl, taking her hands in mine and giving them a squeeze. I glanced at the contrast of our hands—hers being alabaster and mine the color of cinnamon. I chuckled, thinking of how people often looked at our color; raised brows at our loud, usually not politically correct discussions; and refused to see that we were sisters beyond our hues. Since we hooked up and lucked out as roommates our first year of college, Sam and I had been joined at the hip. Not even full-time jobs or the daily grind of life could keep us from staying connected.

“Thanks, Sis,” I said. “I know you’re just worried about my so-called love life. Not all of us can be graced to have a love like you and Jake.”

“True, but you know Jake and I have our problems…”

I gave Sam a serious look, before asking, “So how are things, between you, Jake, Jax, and Jamaica?”

“It’s going,” Sam said, sighing. “Jake and I can do nothing but continue loving each other and watching out for Jax. Jax is so young. I don’t want to hurt her with her mother’s crazy issues. If Jamaica is going to act up, then we’ll just have to deal with it then. She’s been okay since we talked to her, but you never know.”

I nodded. Our conversation was halted as a guy approached the counter. Wow, I thought, he’s cute. I knew Sam was thinking the same thing because she offered me a smirk before helping him.

“What can I do for you?” she asked.

“Uh, yeah,” he said, looking rushed, “can I get a cup of coffee and a turkey Swiss croissant?”

“Sure thing.”

“Ditto on that order, Sam, but make my coffee a caramel latte, please.” She nodded and turned away. I drummed my fingertips along the counter, catching glimpses of the guy out of the corner of my eye.

“Hi,” he said, catching me glancing. I turned toward him, a blush rising in my cheeks.

“Hi,” I replied, embarrassed. Now looking directly at him, I was like Elvis, all shook up.

He was gorgeous, in that artsy kind of way, and his Hispanic heritage just added to his machismo factor. He had the most beautiful pair of brown eyes—after my own—and a nice full mouth. He ran his hand over his slightly spiky brown hair and offered the other to me.



Want to know what happens to Christianna and her cyber boo? Pick up a copy of CONNECTIONS today – it’s only $1.95 – and enjoy it over a sweet latte.

The e-story can be purchased via (Lady Leo Publishing)!

Once you read it, come check me out, and let me know what you think! I’ll post your comments!

ChickLitGurrl Interviews Steeple Hill Love Inspired Author Margaret Daley

Today, over at CHICKLITGURRL: high on LATTES & WRITING, I interview Steeple Hill Love Inspired author Margaret Daley, who talks to me about her latest book FAMILY EVER AFTER and writing.

CHECK OUT THE EXCERPT BELOW!

CLG: What was the initial spark that brought FAMILY EVER AFTER into being?

MD: It started with a concept I had for a series about foster children and parents. I taught school for twenty-seven years and saw many situations where children were hurting because of their home life. I wanted to explore various situations children find themselves in. The first book was out in 2007 called ONCE UPON A FAMILY and the second one was out in December 2007 called HEART OF THE FAMILY. The series centers around three foster brothers who remained close after they left their foster home. They start the Henderson Project to help foster children. The fourth book, SECOND CHANCE FAMILY, will be out in July 2009. This is Whitney’s story (Noah’s sister).

CLG: What have you done and what are you doing - as author - to help promote FAMILY EVER AFTER?

MD: I have a web site I update monthly as well as a blog that is drawing some attention from readers. I love to interview different writers about their books. I have a drawing each week on my blog for my guest author’s book. I also participate in the Steeple Hill forums at eharlequin.com. I have spoken to several groups from a church to a writer’s conference.

CLG: FAMILY EVER AFTER is published by Steeple Hill Love Inspired; why do you feel yourself drawn to writing inspirational stories?

MD: It’s a natural for me. I have a strong faith, and I believe hope is paramount to us. Without hope, what do we really have? My faith gives me that hope. Also, I love exploring different aspects of human nature.

To check out the ENTIRE interview, head over to (CHICKLITGURRL) now! Don't forget to comment! Let us know you were there!

ChickLitGurrl Interviews Love Inspired Author Lisa Mondello

ChickLitGurrl Interviews Love Inspired Author Lisa Mondello


Starting today, ChickLitGurrl will begin her interviews that will feature authors from specific publishing houses. TODAY, her stop is at Love Inspired, an inspirational imprint of Harlequin.

First author up? Lisa Mondello, whose ninth published novel, an Inspiration Suspense called Her Only Protector, will be published August 2008 by Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense.

Check out an EXCERPT:

CLG: How difficult is it for you to integrate the suspense genre into your inspirational stories?
LM: Suspense comes naturally for me. My first manuscript, written 17 years ago, was supposed to be a Harlequin Romance type book. Dead bodies ended up in it and the heroine was running for her life. I love suspense so it's not difficult for me to put it in my stories.

CLG: Now that your novel is set for release, promotion arises. What have you done and what do you plan to do - as author - to help promote HER ONLY PROTECTOR?
LM: I plan on doing some booksignings and continuing with my blog with other Love Inspired Suspense authors at www.ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com. I love hearing from readers so I always like to get emails and mail and I love writing back. I've developed a few friendships with some readers who contacted me at Cradle of Secrets was published.

CLG: What are three adjectives that best describe HER ONLY PROTECTOR?
LM: Edgy, fast, and romantic.

Want to check out the rest of the interview and leave comments! Want to learn about advertising opportunities and how your book can make it onto the new BOOK BYTES?

Head over to CHICKLITGURRL: high on LATTES & WRITING (LINK) NOW!

Have You Found YOUR Writing Voice?

Have You Found YOUR Writing Voice?

Today over @ Blogging in Black, the original chicklitgurrl™ - MOI - discusses why it's important for writers to find their voices; I also talk about how aspiring writers can begin to find their voices.

Definitely come back and check out my commentary, and PLEASE take the time to leave a comment - let me know you stopped by!

Here's the (LINK)!!See you there!

Why Should You Subscribe to ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING?

Initially, author-editor-educator-everywoman Shon Bacon created the blog ChickLitGurrl as a way to express her angst as she tried to break BACK into the publishing industry as a solo author, but she quickly realized that she cared more about words and writing and talking about writing with other writers than she did waxing pathetically about her rejection woes. Thus, ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING was born.

Since 2005, Shon Bacon has interviewed several women writers to include Marissa Monteilh, Wendy Nelson Tokunaga, Abiola Abrams, Patricia Sargeant, M.J. Rose, Angela Henry, P.C. Cast, Brenda Janowitz, Electa Rome Parks, Libby Street, Bettye Griffin, Donna Hill, Kayla Perrin, Mary Castillo, Deanna Carlyle, Karen Siplin, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Melissa Senate, Reon Laudat, Alesia Holliday, Jennifer O'Connell, Bernice McFadden, Gena Showalter, and Carly Phillips.


Starting at the end of this month, CLG will be interviewing authors from various publishing houses: the first three houses/imprints will be Harlequin/Steeple Hill (Love Inspired/Love Inspired Suspense), Kensington/Urban Christian, and Simon & Schuster/Strebor Books...


In the future, CLG will also interview those people who help authors SHINE - publicists, editors, agents, etc.

To SUBSCRIBE to the CHICKLITGURRL group and be kept abreast on new interviews and CLG-related information, click HERE to apply for group membership!

The Importance of the WORD: Death & Language

"We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives" - Toni Morrison


I'm blessed for the WORD, whether it be the word of God or it be the words that I come in contact with as a writer.

One of the first classes I took while in pursuit of my MFA degree back in 2001 was Form and Theory of Poetry I. Even fiction writers had to take it, and I can see why. In this class, I learned to appreciate the word: the look of a word, the sound of a word, the way a word felt in my mouth when spoken, the relationship of a word to other words. I learned, truly learned, how to make meaning in a way that not only told a good story or revealed some great "truth", but also revealed remnants of myself.

Toni's right; we do die.

We live to die. That's the big thesis to which the essay on the meaning of life is constructed; it's the thesis we don't want to talk about...no matter how inevitable it is.

Toni's also right when she says we do language, too.

Our time here on Earth is not in vain. Through the LIVING Word, through OUR words, we can leave traces of our journey, of our time, of our culture, of our beliefs, of our loves, of our losses, of our joys, of our heartaches -- of our TRUTHS.

And though we die, those who live, those who shall be born will be able to link themselves to our traces and build upon what we left behind.

Why Hire CLG for Editorial/Writing Services?

http://chicklitgurrl.wordpress.com/kudos2clg/






the link above will tell you.

New Editorial Services...and Fees

To anyone who is interested in editorial services or know someone who is, I just wanted to let you know that my fees have changed effective June 1, 2008.

I currently edit short stories, novellas, novels, synopses, query letters, essays and articles, and screenplays.

With novels and screenplays, in addition to editing, I do a manuscript evaluation of the project.

For those who have ideas for stories but have NO IDEA how to get the story OUT, I offer my WRITERS BOOT CAMP, a four week, one-on-one program that will have you ready to jump into the story by week five!

To learn more about my editing, you can go to my page at Wordpress and click on the NEED EDITING? tab.

If you'd like to learn about fees and turnaround times, you can e-mail me at sdb6812@hotmail.com!

The Nubian Chronicles Mag Seeks Stories, Essays, Book Excerpts, Etc.!

**PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CIRCULATE THIS TO ANY GROUPS YOU MAY BELONG TO**



The Nubian Chronicles Magazine (http://www.tnc-magazine.net) is currently seeking submissions for its SUMMER 2008 issue, slated to be released on Monday, July 21, 2008. The deadline for submissions is Monday, July 7, 2008.


DO YOU HAVE gripping stories, thought-provoking essays, engaging articles and commentaries you want the public to read? If so, then you definitely want to consider submitting to TNC's column: NUBIAN belles-lettres.

N b-l is our column dedicated to short fiction, essays, articles, and commentaries written by African American writers.

ALSO - if you have a book that's due out and you'd like to get a little promo for it, you may submit excerpts to your book along with other information for TNC to publish!


If you are submitting short fiction, essays, articles, and/or commentaries, please submit the following:
1) work to be published, no longer than 2,500 words (within the e-mail)
2) contact information (e-mail, website, myspace)
3) picture of you (if you would like)
4) short bio
5) one- to two-sentence teaser of your work

If you are submitting an excerpt of a published work, please submit the following:
1) excerpt of your work, no longer than 2,500 words (within e-mail or as a WORD attachment)
2) contact information (e-mail, website, myspace)
3) picture of you (if you would like)
4) short bio
5) book cover image (in .jpg or .gif file)
6) purchase link


@ TNC, we know that writers have their own individual literary flows, and for that reason, we do not limit writers as to types of work they can submit to us; however, we do not do PORN- or HATE-related material. If you wish to submit erotica, that is fine.



=====
Again, the deadline for TNC's SUMMER 2008 issue is Monday, July 7, 2008.



E-mail ALL WORK to either submit@tnc-magazine.net or sdb6812@hotmail.com.



THANKS!


Da Management
http://www.tnc-magazine.net

Check Me Out @ Author Terra Little's Blog!

Today, CHICKLITGURRL stops by author Terra Little's blog to talk about HOW TO MAKE YOUR EDITOR HAPPY.

In the article, I talk about little things that writers can do to their manuscript to "help" alleviate stress on the editor when it's his or her time to make the manuscript SHINE!

Do you have problems with punctuation, tag lines, points of view, capitalization, showing vs. telling, camping vs. marching, active vs. passive voice, and pitching your story? If so, come read what I have to say and add YOUR two cents!

Here's the link: (LINK)

See you there!

ChickLitGurrl...aka...SHON

My Mother's Day Tribute on APOOO

As part of APOOO'S month-long Mother's Day tribute, I pay honor to my grandmother, Audrey Marilyn Bacon, in a story-commentary titled AND I RISE.

Please take the time to read it, to comment on it, and to share YOUR stories about the wonderful mother figures in YOUR LIFE. We shouldn't celebrate Mother's Day on just ONE DAY, and with APOOO -- now we don't have to!

Here's the link to my tribute: (LINK)

My Next Column on Blogging in Black - LIVE!

Every once in a while, as columnist on BiB, I will be doing a series titled THE ANATOMY OF AN AUTHOR. These interviews are different than others I've done in the past. These attempt to look beyond the latest publication to learn about what attracted an author to writing, how many books an author actually wrote before getting one published, the search for agents and editors, the publication of a work, and the promotion of a work, among other things.

My FIRST interview for THE ANATOMY OF AN AUTHOR is Terra Little, whose novel RUNNING FROM MERCY was released this year from Q Boro Books!

Please take the time to head over to BiB (WEBSITE) to check out the interview and to LEAVE COMMENTS.

Much appreciated ~~ Shon

From Here to ETERNITY PHILOPS: an interview

Over @ ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING (website), I interview Eternity Philops whose wonderful collection of poems and prose - VISIONS OF A CRYPTIC MYSTERY illustrate love, loss, and life.





Here's a TASTE of the interview:


CLG: When did you know that writing was something you truly wanted to do?
EP: Hmm…wanted to do as in professionally? Honestly, I’m not seeking to be the next big writer or anything like that. I do it because I enjoy it, because I have a talent for it, and I wish for others to enjoy it. But I figured that part out gradually as I grew up. I’d read books and think to myself, “I can write like this”. After I thought that over and over, I guess it finally hit me that if I thought I could write, then maybe I should.


CLG: What's your favorite thing about VISIONS OF A CRYPTIC MYSTERY?
EP: Truthfully, my favorite thing about it is that I DID IT! I wrote and published my own book, my first book. Everything about VISIONS, its cover, the editing, everything, I was able to do. It’s really something to hold something in your hands that you created. It is an accomplished goal, and that alone is something I take much pride in, despite whether or not anyone else enjoys it.




CLG: Do you have a standard process to your writing? Are you an outliner or a jump-right-in writer?
EP: For stories I develop the basics in my head first. I know how I’ll start it, and I know how it will end because there’s normally a message or tone I want to convey. Getting from beginning to finish is usually planned out, but not written in stone. As I write an idea may come to me, so I might have to back track and change a few things. But normally, with a story, I don’t sit down and write it physically until I’ve written it mentally. For example, with “Other Side of the Moon”, I was able to pump out the story itself within two hours, with very little editing done to it since I originally finished it.Poetry, on the other hand, is a labor of love. Sometimes all I have is a title, which I jot down, and then it may sit for months until the rest of it flows out of me. Or I’ll begin with one thing in mind, but by the time I’m finished I’ve written something completely different. The poem “Historian” was like that; I began it as a lover’s loss poem, and it ended being a Black perspective piece. Poetry is much more complicated, because if it doesn’t flow right, it’s no good.



To read the rest of the interview, head over to CHICKLITGURRL (website) now; leave comments!

SisterDivas Magazine - Spring 2008 Issue - is LIVE!

SisterDivas Magazine - Where REAL Women Congregate
http://www.sisterdivasmagazine.net


QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
SPRING 2008 (April - July)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

TO SUBSCRIBE TO SD Quarterly Newsletter/Magazine and
discussion, send an e-mail to
sisterdivas-subscribe@yahoogroups.com !


Copyright 1999 - 2008
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

CONTENTS

**Check out the new SD BOUTIQUE!**
1) MEDIA
2) TOTAL BODY
3) FEATURE
4) LIFE
5) RELATIONSHIPS
6) BUZZWORTHY
7) CONTACT INFORMATION!


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
**Check out the new SD BOUTIQUE!**

SD now has a spot on the net where we are showcasing products
that you, the ultimate SISTERDIVA, might be interested in! Check
out our SD Boutique today!

SD Boutique @ http://astore.amazon.com/sistemagaz-20 !


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
1) MEDIA

::This issue, SD talks with author JENNY GARDINER, whose debut
novel, SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER has received RAVE
REVIEWS -- one from Meg Cabot reads: A fun, sassy read! A cross
between Erma Bombeck and Candace Bushnell, reading Jenny Gardiner
is like sinking your teeth into a big frosted chocolate cupcake...you
just want more.

::Sensual, real, jazzy, neo soul, eclectic music your thing? According
to SD founder Tonya yt Howard, it should be, and this issue, she
introduces us to the wonderful artist, SHARON MUSGRAVE!

::Being HOT and BOTHERED takes on a whole new meaning when
SisterDivas talks with poet (and SD deems "life commentator")
PHYLLIS JOHNSON, who talks candidly about that time in women's
live when temperatures rise...and not in the "good" way!

::SD editor Shon Bacon knows a thing or two about being a
renaissance woman, and in this issue of SD, she meets her match
with poet, radio host, editor, and (more) NICOLE STEVENSON,
a woman with her hands in everything!


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
2) TOTAL BODY

::In Letters to My Sisters, Dr. Ngozi Osuagwu, through thirty intensely
personalized letters to her patients, addresses various questions that
focus on women’s medical issues. These include routine and complex
questions that every patient would want to ask and expect their doctor
to answer. Read Sharon Haynes' review on this insightful book!

::Everyday, people suffer with failure - of relationships, of jobs, of
finances...the list goes on ad nauseam. Many times, these same people
can't see the nugget of truth that hides within the failure, the truth
that can enable them to grow and prosper in the future. In her latest
commentary, There is No Failure, Only Feedback, Dr. Cherry examines
how we can find the purpose behind failure in order to move from the
failure in a positive way.

::Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We're Not Hurting, by Terrie Williams,
identifies emotional pain—which uniquely and profoundly affects the
Black experience—as the root of lashing out through desperate acts of
crime, violence, drug and alcohol abuse, eating and shopping, gambling,
and sex. Few realize these destructive acts are symptoms of our inner
sorrow. Reviewer Sharon Haynes shares her thoughts on this provocative
book, a book desperately needed in the African American community.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
3) FEATURE

In EPISODE Three of LOVE BYTES, SD's new online serial, Destiny
couldn't get Devon's sexy dance out of her head, and she couldn't
get him out of her home as he paid her a surprise visit full of food,
talk, and kisses!


NOW, in EPISODE FOUR, Destiny's cyberfriend suggests she finally
accept a date with Devon. She takes his advice, and although she's
beyond giddy to spend time with him, she can't help but to let her
past creep into her mind, dampening her excitement...


::Excerpt::

Destiny nodded her head, remembering the question and sighed.
"He does have a point."

"Who does?"

Destiny swiveled in her chair, her eyes falling upon Devon , looking
just as good as he had yesterday, except for today he was stylishly
dressed in a black suit, crisp white shirt, and black and gold designer
tie.

Damn, Destiny thought, he would have to look all fine and
everything today.

She cleared her throat and responded, "No one. Was just talking
out loud, thinking. So, what's up?"

Devon smiled his big, bright, come hither smile and sauntered
across Destiny's office, sitting down in the stiff back, burgundy
leather chair in front of Destiny's desk.

"I wanted to say hi," he said, placing his large hands upon her
desk. "Wanted to see how things were with you."

Destiny laughed. "Didn't you see me yesterday?"

"Yeah, but we were interrupted..." Devon 's eyes linked with
Destiny's and for a brief moment, she felt as if she would
spontaneously combust. The heat that shot from Devon 's eyes
was lethal. "I was wondering if we could pick up where we left
off." Devon reached out and touched Destiny's hands. She jumped
from her chair.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
4) LIFE

::No one wants to say the "R" word these days: RECESSION, but
let's face it, money is TIGHT for EVERYBODY! And those women
who want to be fabulous are finding it devastatingly hard to budget
fabulousness into their spending habits. All That Glitters columnist
Melodye Shore feels women's plights, and in her article, OF
LIPSTICK AND OTHER LOW-COST LUXURIES, she reveals how
women can still pamper themselves and be glam...and not go broke
doing it!

::L. Denise Jackson, better known as The Sipping Sommelier here
@ SisterDivas, is beyond giddy this issue! During one of her
"Sipping Saturdays", she tasted several wines that are PERFECT
for Spring, and in this issue, she dishes on all of them while taking
you on a journey to Chile, Oregon, Australia, Spain, and Italy!

::Microsoft or Apple? iPod or Zune? Which side of the fence do
you dwell? SD founder Tonya Howard jumps in and shares her
thoughts on the battle of the MP3s and wants to know YOUR
THOUGHTS, too!

::This issue of SisterDivas, we talk with author Keshia Dawn about
her novel BY THE GRACE OF GOD and one of the most important
facets of life: FAITH.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
5) RELATIONSHIPS

::Do you want grace and miracles in your life? If so, then you
definitely want to read Alicia M. H. Latimer's review for Everyday
Grace, Everyday Miracle, by Lorna Owens!

::Author Kwyatt Storhm comes to SD to talk to us about relationships
and her novel, BITTERLY!


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
6) BUZZWORTHY

Every issue of SD, we give you our BUZZWORTHY picks in books,
movies, TV, and music! Come see what WE think is HOT for SPRING
2008!

Do you have a book, CD, TV show, DVD, anything media worthy that
you would like us to consider for BUZZWORTHINESS?

If so, e-mail us at info@sisterdivasmagazine.net and tell us about
your product!


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
7) CONTACT INFORMATION

To contact SisterDivas regarding submissions or other inquiries,
please e-mail us at info@sisterdivasmagazine.net .

We work hard to answer ANY and ALL e-mails as quickly as possible.




SisterDivas: Where ALL Women Congregate!
http://www.sisterdivasmagazine.net

Need YOUR Literary Baby Edited: Special Edition

First-time writers – and not-so-first-time writers – often have great ideas for stories and jump right into them, pouring out pages upon pages. Once they come to the end, they look at the screen or the page and say, "Now what?"

They know that they love words and that they love to tell stories, but the writers may not be able to analyze their work to check for:

o sentimental writing
o overwriting
o clichéd writing
o powerful, first chapter punch
o tightly woven story arc
o holes in storyline
o camping and marching in a story
o developed characters


I am now offering manuscript evaluation services to help in developing your story as A STORY, one that is strong from beginning to end.


A manuscript evaluation includes the following:

o an edit of your work (electronic or hard copy), looking at the above bulleted issues to analyze your submission as a literary work; if you submit electronically, I will use the TRACK CHANGES and COMMENTS features in Microsoft Word; if you submit a hard copy, I will mark the manuscript.

o assessing glaring grammatical, sentence-level, and story-level errors that hinder the work

o a written manuscript evaluation that summarizes and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the work


Types of Works Evaluated*
o Submission Package Evaluation – (one- to two-week turnaround, depending on size) – if you have the first three chapters of your book, a query letter, and a synopsis, and you believe you're ready to send it out to potential agents and editors, this evaluation will check for story structure and also offer copy editing and proofreading of material.

o Query Letter Evaluation – (three- to five-day turnaround) – there are key components needed in a query letter. The letter will be read for format, structure, "punch," and grammatical/mechanical issues.

o Synopsis Evaluation – (week turnaround) – the synopsis evaluation will analyze the synopsis' structure, development, and grammatical/mechanical issues.

o Completed Manuscripts up to 80k – (three- to five-week turnaround)

o Completed Manuscripts from 80k to 100k – (four- to six-week turnaround)


***SPECIAL ALERT****SPECIAL ALERT***
If you hire me to edit your completed manuscript (up to 100k) during the month of April, you will receive a 40% discount* for the project!
***SPECIAL ALERT****SPECIAL ALERT***



*If you wish to receive quotes for your project, please e-mail me, and in the e-mail, tell me a bit about your project.


Want to learn more about me? Check out my (VITA)!

Realize Your Literary Dreams TODAY!

Do you have an idea for a story? Have you been visualizing the story and can literally see and hear your characters? Are you unsure where to go now that you have this idea?

Many new writers often feel lost when they sit to begin writing a story. It seems like such a daunting task to look at a blank screen or an empty page and realize that you not only have to fill that screen/page, but you have to do it several hundred times.

Because of this seemingly Herculean tasks, would-be writers put their literary dreams on the backburner, promising to return to them once they have time.

Well, guess what? Things will always arise that will keep you from pursuing your dreams.

Because of this, the time is NOW, and the literary dream you hold onto can be envisioned within four weeks with WRITERS BOOT CAMP.



What IS Writers Boot Camp? Learn more (HERE) and get started on realizing your literary dreams!