Conversation with Divine Women of Faith Book Club

The Divine Women of Faith Book Club (http://www.myspace.com/divinewomenofaithbookclub) took root after a conversation I had with my pastor. We're a fairly new book club and we're comprised of women from my church's congregation. There are currently seven active members.

We read Christian fiction and non-fiction. Some of our book of the months for this year: Everybody Say Amen by ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Scandalous Truth by Monica P Carter, Lady Jasmine by Victoria Christopher Murray, etc.

My name is Shelia Goss and I'm the founder of Divine Women of Faith Book Club.  Although I'm an author, I am also an avid reader. I love to be able to discuss books with others and the book club is a great reason to fellowship outside of church. I'm also a member of another book club where we read books in all genres.

Ella:  What is the vision for your organization? 
Besides promoting literacy in the community, our goal is to also assist others in areas of need. During each quarter, our goal is to do at least one act of service. Providing clothes to a local women's shelter is our primary goal for this quarter.

Ella:  On your nightstand now: 
Lady Jasmine by Victoria Christopher Murray

Ella:  Book all readers should own besides the bible: 
The entire Left Behind series. If you pick up one book in the series, it will forever change your life and you'll be hooked.

Ella:  Your top three authors. Why?
Kimberla Lawson Roby
ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Victoria Christopher Murray

All three of these authors make reading Christian Fiction entertaining and they allow readers to see that although we're all flawed that God loves us in spite of ourselves.


Ella:  Meet the president of  Divine Women of Faith Book Club/ Shelia M. Goss 
Shelia M. Goss is the Essence Magazine and  Black Expressions Book Club Best-Selling author of My Invisible Husband, Roses are Thorns, Paige’s Web, Double Platinum and the new teen series The Lip Gloss Chronicles (www.thelipglosschronicles.com).

His Invisible Wife is her fifth women’s fiction novel. Besides writing fiction, she is a freelance writer.  She’s also the recipient of three Shades of Romance Magazine Readers Choice Multi-Cultural Awards and honored as a Literary Diva: The Top 100 Most Admired African American Women in Literature. Her main website is www.sheliagoss.com

Ella:  Tell us about your passion for writing. 
The passion for writing comes from deep within. It's a part of me. I've been writing the majority of my life--whether it was a poem, a song, a short story or a full length novel.

Ella:  A Legacy is something that is handed down from one period of time to another period of time. What is yours?
My writing offers readers an alternate glance at the world of African-Americans; not just the negative side that many see on the news. My books are filled with ordinary people. The kind of people that I know--hard working and law abiding citizens who want the best for their families.

Ella:  Introduce us to your book, His Invisible Wife. 
In these hard economic times, what would you do or not do for money? HIS INVISIBLE WIFE explores that question and more. In this riveting novel, a marriage of convenience is plagued with lies, deceit, intrigue, and betrayal, as two newlyweds must learn to love each other to get through the drama and thrive.

Ella:  What inspired you to write this story, His Invisible Wife?
Several things inspired me to write HIS INVISIBLE WIFE. Number one--the readers. Several readers of My Invisible Husband sent me emails about wanting to see Nikki and Byron again. The storyline for His Invisible Wife gave me an opportunity to re-introduce those two characters and give readers an up-to-date view into their lives. Another thing that inspired me: One day I was listening to the news and a question popped into my head, "What would you do for a million dollars?" I wrote HIS INVISIBLE WIFE based on that one question.

Ella:  How would you describe the genre in which you do most of your writing?
I've been told that my stories are romance, chick-lit, romantic comedy and inspirational, so I usually categorize my books as women’s fiction. I also write young adult books.

Ella:  Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
I file away in my memory bank characteristics that I might find interesting in individuals I meet, and I use a combination of those characteristics for various characters. But to answer your question; no. None of my characters are based on people I know.

Ella:  What advice would you give a new writer?
If you want to be a writer, write. You'll never have enough time to write, so carve out time and stick to it. Believe in yourself and don't let the rejections discourage you.

Ella:  Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
His Invisible Wife is my fifth women's fiction book. I'm real excited that the book received an EDC Creations Top Books Award.  I'm also the author of the young adult book series--The Lip Gloss Chronicles. The first book--The Ultimate Test hit the book stands in June. The second book--Splitsville will be in stores on September 29, 2009.  My sixth women's fiction novel--Hollywood Deception will be in stores in 2010. I just finished working on the third book in the Lip Gloss Chronicles series so expect to see it in 2010 as well.

Ella:  Where can the readers find you online?
Main website: www.sheliagoss.com
Young Adult website: www.thelipglosschronicles.com
Myspace page: www.myspace.com/sheliagoss
Twitter page: www.twitter.com/sheliamgoss  

Shelia M.  Goss
National Bestselling Author of His Invisible Wife (July 2009), My Invisible Husband etc. http://www.sheliagoss.com

Intimate Conversation with Only One Key Stroke Away (O.O.S.A.)

 Only One Key Stroke Away (O.O.S.A.) was founded in January of 2005 by a group of readers, wishing to share their thoughts and opinions with others. We started out as a group that simply read together. Eventually we moved to inviting authors to chat with us about their books. Shortly thereafter, we decided to review our selected reads. Our reviews are posted at several sites including: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, MySpace and GoodReads. The rest is…OOSA! Our resume includes hundreds of titles of varying genres as our motto is: OOSA Gets It Read!

Ella: What is the vision for your organization? 
We do not have a president. We are a team and there is no “I” in team. We each have responsibilities and tasks that make OOSA what it is. We are an online book club and reviewing team that focuses on African American authors. We wish to further promote African American literature by taking special interest in new and self published authors. We read, review and recommend.

Ella: Give  a deeper understanding of how important reading is to you.
It’s cliché, but reading is fundamental. It’s the corner stone to life. We read everyday in our lives, whether we want to or not. Because literacy is so important we believe in starting as early as possible. The Ladies of OOSA are mothers, grandmothers and aunts. We promote literacy within our families first. When our children see us reading and enjoying ourselves, it encourages them to read. They learn reading is not a chore but something fun to do. What better method than to teach by example.

Ella: Favorite couple from a book:  Nina and Dutch (Dutch - Kwame Teague), Yuri and Britt (The Sweetest Taboo - Risque), Portia and Jay (A Dollar Outta Fifteen Cent - Caroline McGill), Clark and Devin (Caught in the Mix - Candice Dow) and Natalia and Shawn (Triangle of Sins - Nurit Folkes).

Ella:  Favorite genre, series or sequels:  We are a group of avid readers with various tastes in literature. As such, we really don’t have particular preferred genres. We welcome and enjoy all genres. Some of our favorite sequels include: Little Black Girl Lost by Keith Lee Johnson, the True2Life series by Al-Saadiq Banks, Dutch by Kwame Teague, Naughty by Brenda Hampton, the Vernetta Henderson legal thrillers by Pamela Samuels Young and the Dilemma series by Reign.

Ella: Name three authors you would like to do a phone chat with this year. 
We’ve been fortunate enough to have had phone chats this year with several of our favorite authors including Mike Sanders, Torrian Ferguson, Kwame ‘Dutch’ Teague, Anthony Fields and Al-Saadiq Banks. We’re hoping to get in a few more before the year comes to an end.

Ella: Share your news or events with us. What's next for your group? 
What’s next…more Author Spotlights and contests.. And as always, we read, review and recommend. It’s what we do.

Book club and contact info: 
Website: www.oosaonlinebookclub.com  www.facebook.com/oosaonlinebookclub    http://twitter.com/OOSABookClub  

Intimate Conversations with Sharon Haynes Coordinator  of Sisters Sippin’ Tea Literary Group – Tulsa Chapter

 

Ella: Welcome, Sharon Haynes, coordinator for the Sisters Sippin’ Tea Literary Group – Tulsa Chapter. It is such a pleasure to have you visit with us the chapter.

Ella: Tell us about the mission of the literary group.
The Tulsa chapter of Sisters Sippin’ Tea Literary Group is committed to providing an opportunity for women from all walks of life to come together for a common and primary goal…reading and promoting literacy through our community outreach programs. Our pledge is to transmit our passion for literary pursuits to future generations.

Ella: Sharon, tell us a few books that you would define as "Literary Hallmarks."
The Known World by Edward P. Jones
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due

Ella: That is a wonderful selection of books! What do you define as Quality Literature?
Quality Literature encompasses style, characters, plot and the ability for the written words to come to life and embrace you in a way that totally consumes you. We know the characters personally and can visualize the settings and after reading the book we’re wishing for more.

 

Ella: How did your organization develop? How many members are in the group?

There were so many aspects to how we initially started. The African American Resource Center was hosting Roslyn McMillan and extended an invitation for people to read three of her books and we would meet once a month for three months prior to her visit to discuss.

We had an awesome time and wanted the group to continue but because of prior commitments and time constraints the AARC Coordinator could not commit. A couple of us located book clubs but they were not a good fit, they lacked structure and consistency. Several months later I attended a weekend Literary Retreat with two friends at a secluded B & B in Texas hosted by Sistah Circle Book Club. We had an awesome time. I decided then that if we couldn’t find what we were looking for I would get a few ladies together and we would discuss starting our own club. My vision was to form a sisterhood who shared a passion for reading, promoting literacy and making a difference in our community.

 

We began as Emerging Minds Books and More. After a few months I started investigating national book clubs and brought the idea to the group of becoming affiliated with a national group where we could broaden our literary experiences and connect with other sistah’s from all around the globe. I provided the group information on three national organizations and it was a unanimous decision that we join up with Sisters Sippin’ Tea; it’s been a wonderful journey every since! The Tulsa chapter currently has 11 members.

Ella: Do you have outreach programs or events that we can support?
Yes, each October our main event is our annual Fall Books and Brunch (B&B) where the purpose is two-fold. Our first goal is to give back to our community by enhancing educational opportunities for African American high school students and recent graduates who demonstrate an interest in community and literacy, and our second goal is to discover creative ways to promote literacy.

Sisters Sippin’ Tea is dedicated to promoting literacy in our community. We are actively involved in various activities that are geared towards raising literacy awareness through mentoring, counseling and outreach programs.

In 2007 we established the SST Scholarship Fund which is subsidized by a portion of the B&B proceeds. Additionally the B&B allows us the privilege of showcasing phenomenal authors, introducing them to a Tulsa base of avid readers that are a force to reckon with. We are always looking for authors that motivate and inspire as well as entertain our audience. We happily accept donations for our scholarship fund as well as donations that can be utilized for door prizes, etc.

Each May we co-host the African American author Expo at the local library. This program highlights approximately 15 African American authors by providing a platform for the authors to showcase their written work.

Ella: What does a typical meeting consist of for the members?
We start in prayer. We fellowship while dinning on whatever delicacies the host has prepared. A short business meeting follows and then the book discussion begins. We have a pool of talented fabulous opinionated women so the discussions are pretty lively. We end with each lady providing a rating of the book. We close out in prayer. Our meetings are held the third Saturday of each month in members’ homes or a locale selected by the host. We are together officially for approximately 2 ½ hours.


Ella: Who are some of the other authors your group has featured?
We have been so fortunate to have the caliber of authors who have supported our literary endeavors. To name a few - Terrie Williams, JD Mason, Professor Charles Ogletree, Clifton Taulbert, Dr. Bertice Berry, Lorna Owens, Lee Thomas, LY Marlow, Obrey Hendricks, Travis Hunter, James Guitard, Donna Hill, Whitney LeBlanc, Lisa Teasley, Camika Spencer, Dr. Monique Anderson – the list goes on and on so a name not mentioned is definitely unintentional.

Ella: Name three authors you would like to have on a phone chat.
President Barack Obama, Toni Morrison, Bell Hooks.

Ella: What advice would you give authors about approaching book clubs to read their work?
If the book is self published, be sure you’ve gotten it edited to perfection. Poor spelling, bad grammar, limited plotting and characterization – these are the definite no-noes and time wasting turn-offs.

Ella: Ultimately, what do you want members to gain from your union?
The true meaning of sisterhood and community. We’d like each meeting to create a virtual retreat where for a few hours each month we share a serene and meaningful diversion as we assemble for the sake of sisterhood and reading.


Ella: How may our readers find out more about you and the group?

Sisters Sippin’ Tea Literary Group – Tulsa Chapter
Visit SST online: http://www.sisterssippinteatulsa.com

http://www.myspace.com/tulsa_sisters_sippin_tea

Sharon Haynes – Coordinator

Keyonda Campbell - President of Kreative Readers

Share the History of the Kreative Readers.
I was searching for a book club to join at end of 2007, I found one, which name I won't mention and it seemed so cliquish and distant to the new members so I just kept looking. One of my friends joked about me starting my own group and I was on my journey since then. I began asking my online friends on Myspace would they be interested and also my friends off line. After starting a online YAHOO group we started our meetings. Our first in person meeting was March, 23rd 2008 at my house and the book of the month was The Coldest Winter ever. Which is a classic! Since then we have grown and have over six active in person members and four via online. We have meet several authors and even the Governor of IL.

The vision of the Kreative Readers:
When the group was first founded I promised myself not to be one of those groups where if you weren't a member you felt like you were looking at a secret society. I wanted the members and the group in general to be friendly and welcoming. Reading is more than just looking at a book, its absorbing some ones craftsmanship and traveling to a new place and or venue. Looking at the world through some one else's eyes and I feel that a book club should explore different, places and try different things that doesn't always line up with the literary world. Our slogan is "Where we put a Kreative Twist on reading" and I eventually want to add to that....Life.

Living your best life includes:
Enjoying all that the world of art has to offer with the emphasis of music, food and books!! And also a rewarding relationship with God.

On my bedroom book stand right now is: The List by Sherri Lewis and also We take this Man by Candice Dow and Daaimah S. Poole.

Favorite book when I was a child: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Name three authors you would like to do a phone chat with this year.
I would love to do a phone chat with Author Angelle Michelle, Bernice L. McFadden, E. Lynn Harris

Book you most want to read AGAIN much slower, to savor:
I really enjoy V.C. Andrews earlier work so I would like to re-read Flowers in the attic and savor her creative abilities.

THE KREATIVE READERSwww.myspace.com/kreativereaders