Intimate Conversation with Jacqueline E. Luckett
Searching for Tina Turner

After leaving the corporate world, Jacqueline Luckett took a creative writing class on a dare—from herself. During that time she began writing short stories and poetry and, since then, has never looked back. The Bay Area native loves living in Oakland, but travels frequently to nurture her passion for photography and cooking. Her first novel, Searching for Tina Turner, released in January 2010, was chosen by Essence Magazine as its January 2010 Book Selection. Her second novel, Passing Love, is scheduled for publication in October 2011.

» What are you most thankful for today?

I am blessed. This journey to writing and publication has been a dream come true. I’m thankful for my friends, old and new, who’ve offered their support with book parties, signings and the right words at the right minute. I’m so grateful that my mother, at age 88, is still with me and full of energy and good spirit—not to mention her constant supply of chocolate chip cookies and peanut brittle. I’m thankful for having rediscovered my passion.

» Tell us about your fondest holiday moment or event. Do you have Holiday rituals that absolutely, positively must be followed?

My sister and I took ballet lessons when we were young. Neither one of us liked the formal structure of ballet; I think we were more interested in Saturday morning cartoons than dance lessons. Although I can't quite remember how old we were at the time (under 12, for sure), I do recall one special Christmas recital.

We learned a very simple dance choreographed to the music of Johnny Mathis’ “Winter Wonderland”—“sleighbells rings, are you listening?” –an easy step, step, glide. We wore shimmering, short skirts that made us look like professional ice skaters and beige tights that made our skinny legs took big above our white ballet slippers. In the Bay Area, Berkeley, where I grew up, it only snows on the rarest of occasions, but for that recital we wore fuzzy earmuffs and matching hand muffs, white like the sumptuous ermine they were supposed to imitate.

We kept our costumes and for many Christmases afterwards we turned that dance into our ritual. Christmas Eve, we put Johnny Mathis’s Christmas album on the Hi-Fi and nearly wore out the groove on song number one. We danced to the tune over and over again, carefully executing our steps on the small stage that was our living room floor, as if that would urge Santa Claus to tumble down our chimney earlier, or make the clock spin faster to midnight and Christmas and all the joys of that morning. I don’t know how many Christmas Eves we spent dancing to “Winter Wonderland.” I only know we truly believed that without that song and dance, Christmas would never be the same.

» Do you have a favorite holiday menu, story or song?
Share with us.

Next to Thanksgiving, Christmas is my favorite time of the year to cook. I love those holidays because of the focus, among other things, on food—eating it, preparing it, talking about it; sampling, testing, putting dishes together. I experiment with cooking during the holidays more than any other time of the year. I have dozens of cookbooks. About two weeks beforehand, I pull several from the shelf, pile them on my table, and the search begins.

I look for unusual recipes for appetizers, salads, entrée dishes and desserts. For years, I baked all sorts of cookies at Christmas—nut balls covered with confectioner’s sugar, cranberry chocolate chip, and snickerdoodles. I taste while cooking, but I rarely test the recipes in advance—I suppose that since I make my selections from tried and true favorite cookbooks, there’s no need to. These are a couple of cookbooks from my collection that have great recipes: Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen, The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook (Lukins and Rosso), and LaBelle Cuisine (Patti LaBelle).

The preparations are almost a ritual for me. Typically, I create a menu with many more dishes than I intend to cook. I let the menu sit for a day or so and then come back to it and balance the meal with light and heavy dishes and veggies and sweets.

Many of my friends spend the holidays with family or take trips out of town and we don’t have the chance to spend holiday time together. For the last couple of years, I’ve prepared a meal the Sunday before Thanksgiving complete with dishes that bring back memories. Last year, I decided that there was enough time for turkey, so I cooked a pre-Thanksgiving dinner without that big bird: tossed salad of mixed greens, broccoli casserole, brined and roasted whole chicken, pork roast stuffed with peppers and onions, mac and cheese, a yam soufflé covered with mini-marshmallows, cornbread dressing with homemade cranberry chutney, and bread pudding for dessert. Yes, I overdid it, but the leftovers were fantastic! Happy eating!

» Tell us about your latest book. What are two main events taking place in the book?

Searching for Tina Turner is the story of Lena Harrison Spencer, a woman on the verge of change. Lena confronts the hard truths of what it means to have it all and still find oneself unfulfilled. She determines that what she needs is the strength to say no to all that is extraneous in her life, and Tina Turner becomes the icon from whose story she derives strength, even as everyone else tells her she’s crazy for giving up her cashmere cocoon.

Lena takes both an emotional and physical journey in the novel, and without giving away too much, readers who’ve always wanted to go to the South of France and Paris will enjoy the descriptions (and the action) in the last half of the story.

Review for Searching for Tina Turner by Jacqueline Luckett

“A fierce, beautiful tour de force . . . a heroine for the ages . . . Luckett is a writer to watch and admire.”
--ZZ Packer

» Have you ever considered what kind of legacy you want to leave future generations? What do you want to be remembered for?

This is a great, thought-provoking question and one that I’ll continue to ponder. Writing, finishing, and having my novel published have made their marks on my bucket list. I don’t suppose I’m too different from many writers who want to make a positive impact on the world.

My novel speaks to reinvention, inner strength and finding one’s passion. It’s my hope that my characters and stories provide inspiration and spark my readers to think about their own lives and ponder the possibilities for change at any age. Midlife characters are the focus of my novels; I look forward to dispelling the myths of being “over the hill.” I want “baby boomers” to have strong, sexy, and determined characters that they can relate to.

» How may our readers contact you online and pick up your latest work?

Searching for Tina Turner is available online, electronically, and at chain and independent bookstores everywhere. If you don’t see it, bookstores can order it for you. I’d love for readers to become Facebook fans, follow me on Twitter or email me.

Follow me on Twitter: @jackieluckett at  http://twitter.com/jackieluckett;  Website: http://www.jacquelineluckett.com/;   Finish Party:  http://www.finishparty.com;  FB Fanpage: www.facebook.com/pages/Jacqueline-Luckett-Searching-for-Tina-Turner/108871448654

A Love for Tomorrow  by Vanessa Miller
When Christian talk show host Serenity Williams' fiancé calls off their wedding because he can't deal with her popularity, she determines that she will never fall in love with another pride-filled, ego-driven pastor.

Then, Serenity's producer asks her to interview the charismatic Pastor Phillip McKnight, who has recently gone through a divorce. Serenity feels that this is her chance to expose the arrogance of ego-filled pastors to the world.

But Pastor Phillip is broken and humbled from his experiences, and the surprising humility of this man causes Serenity to want to un-break his heart. However, Serenity will need the Lord to fix her heart and change her mind about male preachers before she and Phillip can become all they were meant to be to each other.

A Love for Tomorrow Book Reviews


Trust, Forgiveness, and faith, the core of author Miller’s message are woven into a light love story that offers help and healing… good romance that ministers. – CBA Retailers Reviewer  


5.0 out of 5 stars by  Pat Simmons 
Vanessa Miller keeps getting better and better with this romantic stuff in her series. I enjoy a happy ending and A Love for Tomorrow delivers. If a man needs pointers on how to romance a woman, ask Phillip. Two hints: gift card and dressing room. That's all I've got to say!  I cheered on Serenity as she refused to settled for less, and I loved how she depicted the life of a preacher's kid (PK). – Reviewed by Pat Simmons


5.0 out of 5 stars by  WB Amazon Review
This was one of the best love stories from a Christian perspective that I have ever read." This story is a testament of Gods true love for us and the blessings that he has waiting for us when we reach out to him. The world is a better place because of writers like Vanessa Miller. Her ability to help us see through her eyes by giving us the story of Serenity Williams and Phillip McKnight. The story line which showed that although God is sometimes late by mans standards he's always on time. Ms Miller has yet written another outstanding book and provided her readers to tie a knot and hang on because Gods yet in control.
– Reviewed by WB Amazon Review


5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read! by  Charlene L. Amsden "Quilly"
I loved this story! Finally, a Christian romance that showed couples with issues working their way through them. They sought prayer, meditation, scripture and advice from Godly friends and mentors -- just as the Bible instructs us to do in our daily lives. And, despite the fact that there was much soul searching going on in this book, there was also much action and much story. Vanessa Miller is an excellent writer. I highly recommend this book. It is a page turner that kept me riveted in my seat.
– Reviewed by Charlene L. Amsden 


True Love!  By  LOVE2READ "TJ" (MARYLAND) 
This review is from: Love for Tomorrow (Second Chance at Love #2)
This book is about two people that have been burned in love and have built walls to protect them from being hurt again. But God had a different plan. Serenity and Phillip both have felt pain and eventually they both open up and let love in. This is a great story and I highly recommend it. Phillip is an ideal man which is hard to find nowadays.....

  

About the Author

Vanessa Miller  is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has been centered on themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multi-dimensional struggles.

Vanessa’s  novels have received rave reviews, with several appearing on Essence Magazine’s Bestseller’s List. Miller’s work has receiving numerous awards, including “Best Christian Fiction Mahogany Award” and the “Red Rose Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction.” Miller graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication. She is an ordained “exhorter” in her church, explaining, “God has called me to exhort readers and to help them rediscover their place with the Lord.”

Love for Tomorrow  (Second Chance at Love #2) 
ISBN-10: 1603742085 
ISBN-13:  978-1603742085
Categories/genre:  Christian Romance
Book Video Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2YnQEDMnJg

Christmas with author Renee Wiggins

Renee Wiggins has mentored, trained, and changed lives in the health and wellness industry for more than twenty years. A strong believer and encouragerin living an authentic, healthy lifestyle, Renee specializes in designing customized lifestyle programs that are tailored to the client's needs, goals, and habits.

Renee Wiggins is a registered dietitian, and certified massage therapist. She is the author of several books, "Can I Exercise Sitting Down?" and Stress Down and Lift UP. My fourth book, will be release in  March 2011, it is a collection of stories to help uplift and encourage people to embrace their struggles and to know that the  storm is only temporary.

What are you thankful for Today?
I am thankful for being alive. I am  in  constant pain with heel spurs and, some days, I hardly can walk, but I am grateful. I am thankful for the friends I have and for the  caring, love, and closeness among my family members. I'm also thankful for the freedom I have because of people who gave their lives to ensure it.  I thank GOD everyday for their sacrifice.

Tell us about your fondest holiday moment or event?
When I was 7 years old, I received an Annie Oakley cowgirl outfit as a Christmas gift. You know, the boots, the skirt, vest, shirt and hat along with two cap guns. I thought I was on top of the world with that outfit and that remains one of my fondest memories ever.

Do you have a favorite holiday menu, story, or song?
 My favorite holiday menu includes candied yams, cranberry sauce and macaroni and cheese. I love the way my mother used to fix these items and, to this day, I have to have them every Thanksgiving.

How do you celebrate the holidays?
I celebrate holidays with my mother.  She's getting older, so now I do the cooking.  I make our special holiday meal for the two of us and we both enjoy it.

Tell us about your latest book, Transformations: Give UP The Struggle.  Transformations: Give UP The Struggle is a collection of affirmations that motivate the reader to do what's necessary to heal their brokenness and to move forward.

How my our readers contact you online and pick up your latest work?
Your readers can contact me at renee@resultsbyrenee.com.

The book is available on Amazon.com or http://www.resultsbyrenee.com/ or Follow me on www.twitter.com/giveupthestrugg or http://www.transformationsgiveupthestruggle.blogspot.com/



Transformations: Give Up The Struggle by Renee Wiggins
ISBN-10: 098256130X
ISBN-13: 978-0982561300
Author website: http://www.resultsbyrenee.com/

True Confessions by Electa Rome Parks

Twenty-eight year old Kennedy Logan is gorgeous, educated, talented, and in love. Unfortunately, Drake Collins has other ideas about the true state of their relationship. Kennedy hopes to turn him around; Drake just wants to turn her out sexually. Kennedy is also searching for her biological mother, who gave her up at birth. She wants answers and she has tons of questions. The enormous weight of these predicaments leads to a failed suicide attempt.

Her overprotective and overbearing mother, Dorothy Logan, moves in with Kennedy and makes it her mission to get her daughter's life back in order. The first step is getting rid of Drake Collins once and for all, but that's easier said than done. Drake has no intentions of going anywhere. Kennedy's ever loyal and fun-loving best friend, Taylor, and her absentee father join forces to help support Kennedy in her time of need.

At her psychiatrist's advice, Kennedy uses writing as her therapy. She starts to keep a daily journal detailing the erotic circumstances and family drama that led up to her despair. Through very personal, funny, and graphic entries, readers will share her confessions. Brace yourselves for a very steamy journey!



Prologue True Confessions by Electa Rome Parks
(Erotic Thriller)

My reality is surreal and happens in super, slow motion. A nervous giggle escapes my chapped, dry and parched lips. I lick them to restore moisture. Then, there is utter, deadly silence. If I listen closely, I can hear my heartbeat beating away at an accelerated pace. My senses are heightened and I marvel over the brilliant, bold colors of my bedroom as I inhale my favorite fragrances, from their spot on my antique dresser, colliding into one another with their potent allure. Even my sense of touch is different somehow. Everything is magnified to the nth degree. It’s like I’m looking down at myself from a huge movie screen with surround sound as I ready myself for the big finale---the final shot and then fade to black.

I’ve never been good at saying goodbye, even on short, weekend trips. I keep the handwritten note short and sweet and pray to God that mother will understand, and hopefully, one day, forgive me.

I don’t mean to hurt her or cause her any fresh pain. I sincerely don't. I hope she understands that this isn't her fault, that I love her with all my heart and being. No matter what, that fact will never change. I’m so thankful and forever grateful that she chose me to be her daughter out of all the orphaned babies in the world. She chose me. I told myself over and over again that that made me special. I needed to feel special instead of unwanted and discarded.

I’ll miss mother the most, but the hurt I feel inside is too unbearable and indescribable. It is too painful for me to continue, day in and day out, with just a hollow emptiness that erodes and corrupts any happiness that briefly surfaces. The dawn of each new day only brings me more heartache and renewed memories. Some memories are like leeches. They latch on for dear life and slowly, ever so slowly, suck and drain all the blood, all the living out of you. You are left with just a shell of the old you and that's no way to survive. Not for me, anyway.

When they find me, I want it to look like I’m sleeping, peacefully. Just like Sleeping Beauty who only needed a handsome prince to kiss her and awaken her from the darkness that engulfed her. However, for me, there won't be a handsome, charming prince to wake me, save me, and ride off into eternity. All my so-called princes were monsters in disguise with their own hidden agendas that attempted to crush and stamp out my self-esteem. Yes, just blessed sleep awaits me.

I chose pills. I couldn’t subject mother to a messy, bloody scene that comes with slitting one’s wrists or shooting one's self. I refuse to take my final breath with that heavy on my heart. I don't think my heart could handle anything else weighing against it. As it is, I feel like I have three hundred pounds weighing me down. Crushing the life out of me.

As I settle myself comfortably on my queen-size bed, slowly pull the red, satin comforter up to my chin and stare at the full bottle of prescription pills carefully nestled in my right hand, I can’t imagine not waking up in the morning.

What will it be like to not see the rising sun? To not hear my alarm clock going off announcing it’s time to get ready for another day of work? Not hitting snooze to give myself another fifteen minutes? Not rushing to finish my morning rituals before I dash out the door and into rush-hour traffic? What will that feel like?

More important to me now, though, is will it hurt? I hope not. I have never been able to tolerate too much pain, physical, mental or emotional. Yet, that’s what Drake has caused me for the last year of my life. Pain. Intolerable suffering.

I only wanted to love him and for him to love me in return. Simple enough. Was that asking too much? My part of the equation was accomplished, effortless. Drake claimed he loved me, but he really didn’t. Probably never could. Didn't know how to love or receive it. After what happened last week, I know he didn’t. Yet, I gave him everything: my heart, my body, my soul. Now, I have nothing left to give myself. I'm empty inside.

As tears slowly flood my weary eyes and blur my vision, I look around my cozy bedroom for the last time. Ever. It used to be one of my favorite rooms in my small two bedroom, one bath apartment. There was nothing better than lighting several fragrant candles, drinking a little white wine and cozying up with a good romance novel. Yes, that was heaven. Simple things excite me. Always have. Watching a sunrise or sunset, waking up to birds chirping in the treetops, walking hand in hand through the park with the one I love, all these things brought me great joy.

Mother will have to understand. I left her a note, propped up on the nightstand, in full view, that explains how much I love her and daddy. What will she think when she can’t reach me tonight? I would love to hear her soothing, loving voice one last time. Yet, I know I wouldn’t be able to go through with my plan if I did. I’d give away my intentions over the phone or mother would pick up on my foul mood and that would be that. I’d wake up another day with this aching, dull pain inside, tearing me apart, bit-by-bit. Pain that dulls and diminishes every ounce of my strength, all the way down to my pores.

Drake Collins. His name leaves a bitter taste on my tongue. Just the thought of him brings bile to the back of my throat. I will forever regret the day I met that man. If I could turn back the hands of time, do it all over again, I would have called in sick that day or run for the hills. I was just fine with my life the way it was. Sure, it wasn’t exciting or glamorous, but it was enough for me. Drake came with the charm, movie star looks, glitz and high drama and reeled me right in like a bass caught at sea. I gladly jumped into his net.

I say a silent prayer of forgiveness as I place one, then two colorful pills on my tongue and swallow dry. I didn't think of getting a glass of water. I can't think. The lump in my throat quickly diminishes. There’s no turning back now. Just like there was no turning back when Drake turned me out. The countdown begins. Ten, nine, eight. . . I've lived a happy life. I have tons of good memories. I've treated others the way I wanted to be treated.

I hope this happens quickly. I steadfastly place three, four pills on my tongue and swallow again. Hot tears start to spill forth and stream down my cheeks as I realize the final result of my actions. Seven, six, five. . . It’s for the best. I need to stop the pain. Will he even miss me? Or will he just move on to his next victim? Will all this be in vain?

I guess I’ll never have that family now. The one I used to daydream and write about in my journal. The family with the almost perfect mommy and daddy and two kids, a boy and girl. The boy would be the oldest, and he'd look out for and protect his younger sister. They'd have cute, adorable names and they'd know they were wanted and loved and cherished by their parents. They'd never feel unwanted.

Four, three. . . I swallow a handful of pills this time. I've lost count as to how many I've digested. As spittle escapes from my mouth, I gag. I wipe the overflow away with the back of my hand and keep right on shoving pills in my mouth until the orange-brown medicine bottle is empty. I look inside, in awe, shake the bottle, and can’t believe the pills are gone so quickly. Just like the illusion of love. If you blink, you'll miss it.

I wonder if Drake even realizes how much I loved him? Now, I wait for blessed relief and peace to take away my hurt and pain. I’m so tired. Tired of loving the wrong men. Tired of giving my all, coming up empty, and getting absolutely nothing back in return. Good sex isn’t the end all to everything. Drake taught me that lesson.

Two, one. . . It won’t be long now. I faintly smile and lay back against my down pillow.

I welcome peace. In my mind, I start silently repeating Psalms 23. I shall walk through the valley of death; I shall fear no evil, for thou art with me. I’m so sleepy. I can barely keep my eyes open. I can feel myself giving in to the fog that slowly invades my mind. Maybe if I close my eyes for a few moments. Yeah, just rest them for a few minutes without seeing Drake’s face behind my heavy eyelids.

Suddenly, I feel lightheaded, like I’m floating on a big, fluffy white cloud, bouncing up and down, giddy with not a care in the world. This is a different sensation that I literally reach out my right hand to embrace and never let go of. Not a care in the world. Nothing matters but blessed, uneventful sleep. I close my tired, weary eyes as the countdown ends. Fade to black.

(continues in the book)

True Confessions by Electa Rome Parks
Order your copy today!



© 2010 All rights reserved. Book Excerpt Reprinted by Permission of Electa Rome Parks, author. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. Copyright infringement is a serious offense. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Share a link to this page or the author's website if you really like this sample from True Confessions.

About the Author
Electa Rome Parks lives outside Atlanta, Georgia and is the best-selling author of six acclaimed novels, The Ties That Bind, Loose Ends, Almost Doesn't Count, Ladies' Night Out, These Are My Confessions (anthology) and Diary of a Stalker. Dubbed a "book club favorite," avid readers have embraced Electa's true to life characters that tackle prevalent and heavy hitting issues that take them on an emotional roller coaster.The self-proclaimed Queen of Real, Electa has been a frequent guest on radio shows, nominated for many industry awards and interviewed by numerous newspapers and national magazines. Electa is currently following her passion and working on her next novel and first screenplay.


Connect with Electa Rome Parks online at:
www.electaromeparks.com
www.electaromeparks@blogspot.com
www.facebook/electaromeparks.com

Home Again: Stories of Restored Relationships

Home Again is a compelling journey into the relationships that matter most: family, friends and self. Each story is founded on natural love, but will require the Father s love to heal the brokenness. Travel with husbands and wives, brothers, sisters, friends and families as they maneuver through life's hurts and betrayals while leaning on a power greater than themselves.

Home Again: Stories of Restored Relationships
by Wanda B. Campbell & Friends
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. Currently, Wanda has three published novels: First Sunday in October, Illusions and Right Package, Wrong Baggage. Her fourth novel, Silver Lining is scheduled for August 2011. She is also the founder of Micah 6:8 Books, LLC.


Meet the Home Again Authors
Wanda B. Campbell (Author), Dijorn Moss (Author), Tyora M. Moody (Author), Trinea Moss (Author), Maurice Gray Jr. (Author), Shenette Jones (Author), Bernard Boulton (Author), Tavares S. Carney (Author), and  Dr. Linda F. Beed (Author)


Tavares S. Carney uses her God-given talents to inspire, motivate and encourage others. She is the owner of Echelon Entertainment, an internet and social media promotion company, and the Founder of Echelon Book Club. She is married and the mother of two children. Tavares is a graduate of Davenport University and is currently matriculating toward a Masters degree in Secondary Teacher Education. In addition to reading and writing, her interests include event planning, traveling and listening to music. Contact Tavares at TavaresWrites@Yahoo.com .


Maurice M. Gray, Jr. is the author of two novels, To Whom Much Is Given andAll Things Work Together and the owner of Write The Vision, Inc. His short story “Long Term” appears in The Soul Of A Man anthology. Maurice is an HIV Prevention Counselor for Beautiful Gate Outreach Center, where he educates people about HIV/AIDS.  Maurice worships at Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, DE. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc and of Toastmasters International. He lives in New Castle, DE with his family.


Shenette Jones is mostly known for her vocal abilities. From classical to soulful jazz, Shenette displays a wide range of musical experience. She balances music endeavors with her other hidden passion: creative writing.  Shenette has participated in writing clubs, poetry groups, and spoken word events throughout Memphis. Shenette has combined her writing and music and has created a theme song for the Home Again anthology.  Married with two boys, Shenette Jones resides in North Carolina where she is a professional fitness trainer. “Uncovered” is her first published work.


Dijorn Moss holds a degree in English from San Jose State. He is the author ofMy Father’s House, which is available in stores now and The Retreat which will be released in December of 2010. He currently resides in Long Beach, California with his wife, Trinea.


Trinea Moss grew up in the Bay Area of Northern California. She graduated from Oceana High School in Pacifica, California. She obtained an Associate Arts Degree in Multimedia Communications and Presentations. Growing up Trinea enjoyed writing poems and short stories. When she met and married her husband Dijorn, she was truly introduced to writing. Since then Trinea has developed new skills and has paired that with her unique perspective to write “Couple On Trial”. She currently lives in Long Beach California with her son Caleb and husband Dijorn.


Bernard Boulton is the author of DO YOU WANNA BE MADE WHOLE? He is married to Vantoria Boulton and they are the parents of Bernard Quincy Boulton. He is the pastor of the New Mine Creek Church in Danville, VA.  An avid reader from his childhood Bernard dreamed of the day when he would be an published author, a dream that has come to fruition. His writing mission is to encourage and entertain people with stories that speaks to mankind potential and purpose.


Dr. Linda Beed is a gifted educator, speaker and author of the award-winning novel, Business Unusual the first in the Covenant Series. The second installment, Not Your Own will release in 2011.  Her leadership abilities and teaching prowess has made her an asset to such entities as the Faith Based Arts Conference, Romantic Times Convention, Romance Slam Jam, The Black Writers Reunion & Conference along with numerous other literary events.  She is the co-moderator of BWChristianLit online writers group, the founder of the Damascus Road Authors and is a veteran Children’s minister. Linda lives in Seattle, WA with her family.


Tyora Moody is a writer, graphic designer and online book promoter. For over ten years, she’s specialized in marketing and design for authors and small businesses. Tyora is a member of Sisters in Crime (SinC) and American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). She loves to read and write romantic suspense and cozy mysteries. Her short story, “Birthing Pains,” is included in the anthology Home Again: Stories of Restored Relationships.


Purchase Your Copy of the Book Today!
ISBN-10: 0979045819
ISBN-13: 978-0979045813

STAY IN YOUR LANE: Judge Karen's Guide to Living Your Best Lifeby Judge Karen Mills-Francis


STAY IN YOUR LANE  is a collection of life lessons culled from Judge Karen's more than thirteen years of experience as a criminal defense attorney and a respected family court judge in Miami-Dade County.  She offers sound advice on how to move past the hand we may have been dealt, dispel our feeling of victimization, and turn our lives around.  Her no-nonsense talk will give readers a push in the right direction--mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Fans of Judge Karen know the phrase “Stay in Your Lane”  is one of her favorites, and she believes that within us all sits the moral compass to find our direction when we are lost.  In STAY IN YOUR LANE, Judge Karen delivers a collection of tried-and-true advice in her signature witty, practical, compassionate style that made her a successful judge and a trusted courtroom TV arbitrator.   She offers sound advice on how to move past the hand we may have been dealt, dispel our feeling of victimization, and turn our lives around. Her no-nonsense talk will give you a push in the right direction—mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

STAY IN YOUR LANE  is packed with powerful and to-the-point lessons on everything from cultivating positive relationships and avoiding collisions of the heart, to learning how to move on from a painful past, to being a good parent, neighbor and citizen, to creating positive images to the world through dressing to express, etiquette, and making your home a personal sanctuary.  Judge Karen shares anecdotes in these areas not only from her professional life but also her personal life, revealing her own struggles with depression, relationships, and weight, among other things.  As the second African-American woman to be elected family court judge of Miami-Dade County, a passionate advocate for disadvantaged youth and victims of domestic violence, and a foster parent, Judge Karen shares her wisdom in five major life aspects:
  
• The Past
Learn from past mistakes, take responsibility for yourself, drop emotional baggage and personal hang-ups, and keep moving forward with a positive outlook.

• Family and Friends
Surround yourself with people who are positive and who make you feel stronger, and put your children’s safety and well-being first at all times.

• The Heart
Love and respect yourself first, because without self-love, someone else cannot love you.  Stop looking for someone else to validate who you are.

• Reconstructing You
Focus on finding activities and interests on your own, not relying on others to provide entertainment for you.  If you always wanted to do something, go do it!

• The Future
Your personal style of dress conveys how seriously you want to be taken.  Play host/hostess often because it teaches you to be gracious and sharpens your conversation skills.  See only clear skies ahead and embrace life’s possibilities.

And after going through the pages of this unique, uplifting book, you’ll learn that you already have the power within you to find your direction when you’re lost. Because Judge Karen tells it like it is. And you’ll be glad she did.


PRAISE FOR STAY IN YOUR LANE


“This book is a must-read. Judge Karen expertly shows how to go outside of your comfort zones and seek your own truth.” 
—Suzanne de Passe, CEO, de Passe Entertainment

“Judge Karen has written a powerful guide to creating a purposeful life. This book belongs in the collection of every self-respecting renaissance woman.”
—Sylvia Rhone, president, Universal Motown

“In Stay in Your Lane Judge Karen delivers advice with spice!”
—Amy Goldson, entertainment attorney

“An inspirational and commonsense roadmap for creating positive change, finding your moral compass, and living a wellness oriented existence.  If you are ready for change and want to start living a healthier and more honorable life, you simply must read this book!”
—Dr. John H. Sklare, creator, The Inner Diet

“Judge Karen’s no-nonsense advice and experienced insights will help any reader map out their own life course and enjoy every step of the journey!” 
—Catherine Hughes, Chairperson and Founder, Radio One

“Judge Karen is a goldmine of wisdom and wit. Her many years on the bench have given her more insight than a thousand shrinks and better timing than a stand-up comic. You will not be able to put this book down.” 
—Jane Velez-Mitchell, host of “Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell”

About The Author
Judge Karen Mills-Francis is the star of TV’s syndicated shows Judge Karen and Judge Karen’s Court. Judge Karen was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and is the oldest of five children. She practiced criminal defense law for thirteen years both in private practice and as a public defender, and was elected twice as Miami-Dade County Judge, only the second African American woman ever to serve in that position. She is a respected advocate for disadvantaged youth and victims of domestic violence and often speaks around the country on those issues. Judge Karen is a graduate of Bowdoin College and Levin School of Law at the University of Florida.

Mills-Francis’ no-nonsense worldview offers sound advice as it inspires, delights and motivates.  “Our life's journey is hard enough without the weight of all the baggage we carry with us from our past,” writes Mills-Francis.

“As sure as my name is Judge Karen, life will test us and twist us in ways that are unimaginable. Just staying squarely on the road as we move toward our destination will at times be a challenge. We cannot move toward living our best life if our eyes are always looking in the rearview mirror.”


STAY IN YOUR LANE
Judge Karen’s Guide to Living Your Best Life
By Karen Mills-Francis
978-0-345-52483-6 * $23.00 * 256 pages

  
Judge Karen | FacebookStay in Your Lane: Judge Karen's Guide to Living Your Best Life
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Judge-Karen/43066979695

 Don't  Blame the Devil  by Pat G'Orge-Walker

Walker's latest hilarious faith-based romp spotlights a devilish diva who finally realizes that, although she might look like Lena Horne, she "ain't Lena Horne."  But in Walker's world, second chances at happiness are not only possible but probable, even at 63. Almost 40 years have passed since Delilah Dupree Jewel left her husband, Deacon Thurgood (aka "Thur-no-good") and put their two-year-old son, Jessie, in foster care in order to pursue a career in showbiz that took her all the way to California.

Back in New York, running out of money (but not out of smarts) and licking the wounds of her failed shot at stardom, she asks Jehovah for help. Ask and ye shall receive: she runs right into Thurgood at Harlem's New Hope Assembly Church. Now 70, but still sporting the same hairstyle he wore in his youth, Deacon is mortified; he doesn't want Delilah to know that he's befriended Jessie, now a widower, but he's never told Jessie that he's his real father. But the truth finally, and humorously, comes out. Walker shines a little light on a wacky family reunion with her usual inspirational, knee-slapping style.
-- From Publishers Weekly Book Review




Hang on to your seat as Pat G'Orge Walker spins a hilarious, inspiring novel of mistakes and second chances, heartache and love, sin and salvation...

Appearances mean everything to Delilah Dupree Jewel. So after hearing of her daughter-in-law's sudden death, Delilah decides that coming to the rescue of her long estranged son Jesse and her granddaughter Tamara would be a good look . . . though Lord knows she-ll have to dig hard to find her maternal instincts.

But Delilah quickly discovers Jesse wants nothing to do with her. And Tamara, who's following in Delilah's musical footsteps, isn't interested in her career advice, especially since Delilah got ahead using the singing couch. And Delilah's old flame Deacon Pillar, an ex-convict who-s traded in his gangster ways for a Bible, is stirring up a past that-s sure to shock.  Now, all Delilah knows is that she'd better hold on to her faith, because she needs God now more than ever. . . .


Don't Blame the Devil  by Pat G'Orge-Walker
BOOK EXCERPT:

“Okay, that’s enough!” Tamara said finally. “I think I want a DNA test done before I believe that I’m carrying any genes from you two. Damn!”

“Hold up young lady, didn’t I tell you before that you can’t cuss. You got too much class for such language.” The deacon rose from his seat to put emphasis on what he’d said. Pointing to Delilah, he continued, “Now Dee Dee only pretends to have a lot of class. That’s why she has the potty mouth.”

And then Delilah and the deacon went for round two. They were scrapping like two old champions and several times, they each laid a verbal T.K.O. One acted as if they knew more than the other did when it came to God’s word.

“Stop acting like this Dee Dee. Baby Girl knows Christians don’t fight like cats and dogs.”

Well stop acting like God didn’t have a mafia in the Bible, Delilah barked.

Delilah turned to her granddaughter and smiled. “Tamara sweetheart, I know you’ve gone to church probably a lot more and longer than me.”

“I know I sure have.” Deacon Pillar muttered.

“I don’t care if I’ve only passed by a church or only seen a picture of it,” Delilah snapped, “I still know about God. So you two can’t tell me that you don’t know that God gave permission to some of his folks to kill or maim other folks.”

Delilah’s supposed words of wisdom hung in the air like a mushroom cloud. “Y’all need to read up a bit more from your Bible. Try reading the Old Testament. There was a lot of retribution going on. I don’t know how y’all call yourselves a deacon and a church girl and don’t know about God’s mafia. God had a hit list too. In fact, if I recall Moses was one of God’s biggest enforcer’s just like that Mafioso Tony Soprano on television.”

Delilah grabbed a nearby broom and threw it to the floor. “You know Moses took a broomstick and turned it into a snake and then he sure turned that Pharaoh into a punk. He did all that after God gave him the go-ahead. And you think David would’ve killed Goliath if God hadn’t wanted it to happen?”

Both the deacon’s and Tamara’s jaws dropped.

Tamara leaned over and whispered to Deacon Pillar.” She’s not kidding is she?”

“She’s as serious as Obama was about becoming President.”

 ###

 About the AuthorPat G'Orge-Walker is the Essence bestselling author of Somebody's Sinning in My Bed; Somewhat Saved; Cruisin' on Desperation; Mother Eternal Ann Everlastin's Dead; Sister Betty, God's Calling You, Again!; and contributed a short story to the anthology Proverbs for the People.

Growing up a preacher's kid gave G'Orge-Walker a quirky perspective on the church community and inspired her to create a one-woman comedy show centering on Sister Betty, an elderly super saint whose un-Christian-like behavior blocks her blessings. With the success of the Sister Betty comedy show, G'Orge-Walker turned her humor and imagination to writing. She resides in Long Island, New York, with husband Rob. Visit her online on Facebook, http://www.sisterbetty.com/ and http://www.patgorgewalker.com/


ISBN-10: 0758235429
ISBN-13: 978-0758235428
Sequel to Somebody's Sinning in My Bed

Purchase your copy  of  Don't Blame the Devil  at Amazon today!
http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Blame-Devil-Pat-GOrge-Walker/dp/0758235429

Purchase your copy  of  Don't Blame the Devil at BN.com  today!
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Dont-Blame-the-Devil/Pat-GOrge-Walker/e/9780758235428

Soul Food and Living Water: Spiritual Nourishment and Practical Help for the Black Family (Lift Every Voice Books an Imprint of Moody).

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 need. 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 well and drink deep!


Introduction:     The Spiritual Reality of Hunger & Thirst

Section I. Our Personal Faith and Relationship with GodChapter 1: An Invitation to Come & Dine
Chapter 2: Spiritual Nourishment Without Cash or Credit
Chapter 3: The Sweet Taste of Personal Surrender
Chapter 4: The All You Can Eat Word Buffet


Section II. The Intimacy of Our Marriage RelationshipChapter 5: An Elegant Evening & Dinner for Three
Chapter 6: Power Lunch of the Christ-led Husband
Chapter 7: Flowers & Brunch for the God-fearing Wife


Section III. The Parenting Relationship and Our Family LifeChapter 8: The Parent’s Prayer Breakfast
Chapter 9: Nutritional Meals from the Kid’s Menu
Chapter 10: Healthy Snacks & Thirst Quenchers for Teens
Chapter 11: Household Operations: Well Stocked Cupboards & A Full Fridge


Section IV. Our Cultural Heritage & Relationship with OthersChapter 12: Revival at the Old Landmark
Chapter 13: Extended Family Feasts
Chapter 14: Elder’s Lifetime Tribute & Awards Banquet

Conclusion: Passing On Family Legacies

Epilogue: Meet the Authors at the Wall: The Nehemiah Challenge

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. William and his wife, Yolanda, have co-authored the book Soul Food and Living Water: Spiritual Nourishment and Practical Help for the African American Family.

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.

Visit  www.soulfoodandlivingwater.com for more information on the authors and the book.

 Because He Loves You
When Daddy's Girl is Disciplined 


By: Dr. Karia Bunting, author of Daddy's Delight: Embracing Your Divine Design

I am unabashedly a daddy's girl.  It is not that my dad had a lot of time to spend with me - he didn't.  Rather, the time he spent with me was meaningful.  Even when I had to be disciplined as a child, I knew that he still loved and accepted me.

I remember one time getting in trouble for riding my bike to MacArthur Park in spite of the fact that I had been told not to do so.  MacArthur Park was the hang-out.  It was the place where all the teenage  kids and teenage wanna-bes went and played music,  leaning coolly on their Camero Z28's talking to girls.  It was the place I wanted to go.

I convinced my little brother, Vadrick, to come with me.  Five years younger than me, he did almost anything I said. So we got on our bikes, and off we sailed.   

Of course, I wasn't going to stay.  I just wanted to ride through and be seen.  I wanted someone to say, "I saw Karia riding through MacArthur Park on Sunday.  Did you see her?" 

I wanted a brief brush with cool. 

We sped down the street together, stirring up the leaves from the tree-lined sidewalks.   As we approached, I pumped my pedals harder, working up my speed so I could cruise effortlessly around the bend where I would make my grand entrance.  The wind whipped my blue blazer as I floated through the sunny September afternoon.  When I rounded the corner, I could hear the booming bass of the popular Marvin Gaye song resonating through the kid-packed park, "Let's get it on...oooh, baby.  Let's get it on." 

I glanced at Vadrick, "We are just going to ride through, okay?"   "Okay," he replied.

I coasted across the grass, through the parking lot, around the park, and out the other side.  As I disappeared into the neighboring white-fenced forest of blue and yellow houses I thought to myself, "Now I'm cool.  I was at MacArthur Park.  Everyone will know."

And everyone did know.  Including my parents.   The moment we walked in the door my brother announced, "Hey Mom, Dad!  Guess where we have been?  At MacArthur Park!"

Just like a little brother.

My mom looked at me with angry eyes.  My dad rounded the hall doorway, and spoke in his daddy-voice: deep, penetrating, like a preacher.
"Didn't we tell you not to go there, Karia?" 
"Yes, Daddy." 
"Then what do you have to say for yourself?"
"Nothing."
"Alright.  Well, have a seat.  We are going to talk."
I hated those talks.  They always preceded Daddy not sparing the rod. 

But there was mercy in the rod.  The mercy was that, before I received it, I knew exactly why it was coming.  The second mercy was that it never lasted longer than was necessary for me to get the point.  And the final mercy was that I learned to be a young lady who did not need to follow the crowd.

Daddy's discipline spoke to me, "Karia, this is where you belong.  Your reference point is here. The rules you must obey are here.  You are mine, and I love you." 

Have you ever experienced the loving hand of God's discipline?  Are you experiencing it right now? 
Maybe you have made a critical mistake, and you are suffering the consequences of it.  Maybe you are worried about tomorrow, because your yesterday and your today do not express faith in God.  You are still repeating the same mistakes that got you into this mess.         

The Scripture says, "Whom God loves, He disciplines" (Hebrews 12:6). And again God's Word says in Proverbs 3:12,  "For the Lord corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom He delights."   If you are in the midst of divine discipline, know that He is doing it because you belong to Him, because He loves you too much to let you go your own destructive path. 

Where is your McArthur Park?  Where is the place in life where God has told you not to go, but where you would like to go anyway?  Is it divorce court?  Is it a second date with that wonderful guy?  Is it the loan department of your local bank?  Is it happy hour at the hotel bar? Stay away from the places God has told you not to go.  He He has given you these limitations because His plan for your life excludes hanging around in places which may be harmful to you, or with people who do not honor His standards. 

God disciplines you, just like my father disciplined me, because He wants His best for you.  You are His beloved daughter.  Before the world began He lovingly fashioned you, knowing the path your life would take, and He loves you too much to let you fall from His glorious design. Ephesians 2:10 proclaims our divine identity, "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."

The Greek word "workmanship" has the same root as the English word "poem." It refers to a creation of some sort, a work of art; a masterstroke of brilliance.

In the mind of God, you are a creation far greater than Leonardo da Vinci's striking portrait Mona Lisa or Maya Angelou's poem Phenomenal Woman.  You are a masterwork more lovely than the Eiffel Tower of Paris and Rotterdam's Swan Bridge.  When the wind adorns your hair, the majestic plains of Africa pale in comparison to your beauty.  The Grand Canyon lacks the depth to search your soul.  You are a crowning creation; you are God's Picasso. 

My dear sister, take delight in God's design for you, accepting His discipline, so that you can truly become the woman He intends for you to be. 

###

About the Book, Daddy's Delight In Daddy's Delight, Dr. Karia Bunting reminds women that they are God's workmanship, His masterpiece, His "poema".  That God has intricately woven together every fiber of their being and created each one special and unique.  That God, having completed His work of art, gave her to mankind as a gift.  Evident in this great care God took in fashioning woman is the importance and value of each one.  So why do so many women struggle with God's design, wishing they could change just this or that one thing about themselves?

Dr. Bunting challenges each reader to accept and embrace the fact that, in whatever season of life, she is God's masterpiece - not her own work of art.  When God sees her, He sees His beautiful creation.  A creation that yes, has some wrinkles needing to be smoothed out and yet is one in whom He delights to love to perfection.

 About the AuthorKARIA BUNTING (Dallas Theological Seminary; Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary; University of Texas) is an expository Bible teacher and the founder of Focused Forward Ministries.  She currently serves as an adjunct professor at Dallas Baptist University and teaches a weekly Bible study at her church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship.  Karia and her husband, George, live in Dallas and have three children.

Karia's Bookings 

Dr. Karia Bunting is an active international conference speaker; to book her for speaking engagements please visit her website: http://focusedforwardministries.org/ 


To request a review copy or to schedule an interview, please contact: Stephanie S. Smith, Moody Publishers
Email:  steph.duncan.ssd@gmail.com

The Lonely Wife: How Did We Get Hereby Tweedy Poole

The Lonely Wife is an intriguing, mind-bending novel.  You’ll bring to life each character, as they find themselves engulfed in a realistic twist-of-fait.  A story of sex, lies, abuse hatred and envy.  Many of them are in  a place they choose not to be.  Forcing them to make decisions they don’t want to make.  This must read will caputure your full attenion.  “Don’t let the title fool you.”

Book Preview -- The Lonely Wife: How Did We Get Here http://www.audioacrobat.com/note/CRMgpywQ

  
EXCERPT:  The Lonely Wife
How did we get here?  Somehow or another, life has drawn a wedge between us.  What once began as a life of love and laughter has now become a life of assumption.  How did we get here?  There is not another woman and certainly not another man.  So what is it?

Was it when you left the toilet seat up and I fell in? Or was the time you left the damp towel on my side of the bed and I had to sleep in the wet spot?  Oh, maybe it was the time you shaved and didn’t clean off the sink?  No…none of that.

This is the man I prayed for day after day.  The only man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.  No one can talk like him.  No one can make me smile the way he does.  No one can hold me like he can and sureley no one can…well you know.  Now the very thought of him touching me has become repulsing.  Why?
Life has put me in a place, where I choose not to be.  Demanding things I don’t want to give.  Forcing me to make decisions I don’t want to make.  Now I ponder.  I question.  I complain.  I’m angry.  But…Humph, there’s that word again.  But…a word that confounds us.  It almost makes us who we are.  According to it, there should be a contingency play.  Insinuating a plan “B”.  Well guess what?  I don’t have a plan “B”.  How did we get here?

Buy now: http://tweedypoole.com/content/books/the-lonely-wife

About TweedyI grew up in Baltimore and now reside in Greenville, South Carolina.  Never would I have thought I’d be a southern girl, but I actually like it here.  I am married to a wonderful loving man of God that completes me.  My family and I have a lot of fun together.  They are determined to turn our home into sitcom.

I am a former State of Maryland employee and am now working in the engineering field.   Though I love my job, writing is my passion.  I started my first book in 2004 and release it, but after a series of events in my life I pulled it.   Never would I have thought I’d be doing what I am doing,  yet here I am.

It was New Years day 2004, and I was sitting in my office cleaning out some things when I switched from doing my budget sheet to actually typing a book.   I actually had an outer body experience and when I came to myself the printer was going and I had typed five chapters.  I must have sat at the computer for about 6 hours not realizing the time.  Oh and by the way, I removed my budget sheet from chapter three. Lol.

My desire is to help those who have lost hope.  Many of us have had our life experiences, but the key is moving on from them.  I bless God for trusting me to do this.  I would never be able to do this without Him.  So many people are lost and broken and have just given up not only on others, but also themselves.  I welcome you to become apart of what God is doing in this hour.

This fiction novel will rock your world.  It’s unlike anything you’ve ever read.  So sit back, fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride.  Don’t even bother to pump the brakes, trust me, they won’t work.

» Join Tweedy Poole Readershttp://www.facebook.com/pages/TWEEDY/146783219875

»  "The Lonely Wife, How Did We Get Here"Website:  http://www.tweedypoole.com/
ISBN: 978-1-4507-1874-5

The Little Black Book of Success:  Laws of Leadership for Black Womenby Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood, and Rhonda Joy McLean


July 2010 Little Black Book is a #1 Bestseller on Amazon in the "Management and Leadership" category!

Complete with a foreword by Essence® editor-in-chief Angela Burt-Murray, this book will help you maximize your leadership potential and exceed all expectations. (ISBN: 9780345518484)

Nearly 40 percent of black women report that they don’t have other black women who can serve as role models, and there have been no books that specifically focus on black women and leadership—until now.  Black women in today’s workforce face unique challenges as they seek to advance their careers.  Performing as well as their colleagues is not enough to win leadership positions; they also need a special brand of strength and confidence to rise above the double burden of racism and sexism and tap into their true leadership potential.  But where can they turn for advice? 

With THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF SUCCESS: Laws of Leadership for Black Women (A One World Hardcover; March 2, 2010)—an engaging and invaluable resource guide for black women at any stage of their professional lives—Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood, and Rhonda Joy McLean have pooled almost 100 years of collective wisdom and leadership experience to create the guide they wished they had along their own remarkable career paths.

What these dynamic, successful black female executives show is that the building blocks for success are often right below the surface.  As they point out, “although they’re able to get jobs, many of today’s young black women don’t realize they have the potential to move themselves forward.  Many black women hold leadership roles in their communities, schools, and churches, but aren’t aware that they can transfer skills from those leadership positions to the workplace.  Research indicates that their talents often remain invisible both to the women who possess them and their business managers.  But leadership can be taught.”

With THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF SUCCESS, you will learn how to:

• Use your duality to build strength—turn the lessons learned from the double burden of racism and sexism to your advantage
• Distinguish between “church values” and “business values”—adapt your spiritual values to business ethics without selling your soul
• Consider yourself a VIP—cultivate high self-esteem and self-leadership to maximize your potential
• Stay Positive—use your well-honed tools of affirmation to change the way you think and to develop a leader’s mental attitude
• Control and learn from your emotions—don’t let others get in the way of what you want
• Communicate like a leader—develop critical superb verbal and written communication skills
• Use the “N” word: Networking—and be sure to network outside your comfort zone
• Reach back and bring others along—when given the chance, offer a helping hand


Some leaders are born, but most leaders are made—and THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF SUCCESS will help black women at all professional levels realize their leadership potential, whether their goal is a promotion or a seat at the table in the C-suite.


Chapter One-The Little Black Book of SuccessLaws of Leadership for Black Women

Always Consider Yourself a VIP

Many of you are already active in the workplace or will soon be entering workforces all over the world - in privately held corporations, large foundations, small not-for-profit organizations, advocacy groups, government positions, or other jobs right in your neighborhood - and yet, you may not know a very important secret: There is a leader inside each of you just waiting to come out! All you need to do is develop and hone the skills that will help the leader in you to surface and shine. Leaders are not only born, they can also be created.

Even if you have never held a leadership position and were told that you did not have “leadership potential” as you were growing up, you can learn what it takes to be a leader right now. Like math, science, and languages, leadership can be learned because it requires skill sets that can be taught. And since you are clearly capable of learning, the path to leadership is one you can always pursue. However, along the path to leadership success, you will have to refuse to give in to negative thinking that can hold you back. Too often brilliant and beautiful young women of color sabotage themselves, sometimes without even knowing that they are doing it, so that they never become the leaders they are capable of becoming or achieve the level of leadership success they deserve.

The most critical aspect of leadership is self-esteem, which must flow from the core of your being. In order to become a leader and remain an effective one, you must always consider yourself a Very Important Person (VIP). This doesn’t mean that you should be arrogant or cocky and walk into your job believing that you already know everything you need to know. Instead, it means that you need to feel confident that you are bringing much value to any workplace and that your cultural strengths, values, and work ethic will stand you in good stead as you go about learning how to do your job, and that you will be successful despite any challenges you may face, whether they are small or large.

How you feel about yourself is imperative to moving forward and sustaining your efforts to meet your leadership goals. Feeling that you’re a VIP, reminding yourself that you’re a VIP, dressing like you’re a VIP, and acting like you’re a VIP (within reason, of course) will help to give you the confidence you need to conquer real and imagined obstacles in your workplace. Rest assured that you can overcome any hurdles you may encounter on your way to becoming a leader  - just be prepared and hang on to your hat.

###

Excerpted from The Little Black Book of Success by Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood, and Rhonda Joy McLean Copyright © 2010 by Elaine Meryl Brown. Excerpted by permission of One World/Ballantine, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.


Book Reviews for The Little Black Book of Success


"[The Little Black Book of Success] offers invaluable insight for anyone ready to step up and take the reins."
- Essence® Magazine

"[A] great resource to get (or keep) your career on track. Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood and Rhonda Joy McLean are mentors in your pocket." - Heart & Soul® Magazine

"Finally: a small but extremely powerful book full of successful business and lifestyle rules written by women of color." - B. Smith, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, B. Smith Enterprises.


The Little Black Book of Success by Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood, and Rhonda Joy McLean

Visit the Author's Website:  http://www.littleblackbookofsuccess.com/

Read Excerpt from The Little Black Book of Success http://www.littleblackbookofsuccess.com/book.asp#excerpt


Available at Barnes and Noble - Purchase Your Copy Today!
ISBN-10: 0345518489   |    ISBN-13: 978-0345518484
Genre: Business & Economics - Motivational; Self-Help - Personal Growth

Sistergirl Devotions: Keeping Jesus in the Mix on the Jobby Carol M. Mackey

Encouragement, advice, and real talk from a successful sister

It's not always easy to live your faith during the nine to five. But no matter where you work, that's the mission field in which God has placed you. It doesn't matter if you're a waitress or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company--you're equally important to God. And he wants to use you to build his kingdom.

Sistergirl Devotions  is for you--the working woman who wants to grow spiritually while on the job. Using Scripture, "sistergirl" wisdom, and true stories, each down-to-earth devotional shows how your faith can empower you to have success no matter where you work. With topics such as respect, resourcefulness, image, timeliness, honesty, setbacks, and balancing work, church, and home, each devotion ends with a "Power Move"--practical affirmations that will drive you toward victory.

--

As editor-in-chief of the esteemed Black Expressions Book Club, Carol M. Mackey has her finger on the pulse of African American women and what they’re reading, thinking about and their search for information that speaks to their daily lives and struggles.

In “Sistergirl Devotions”, Mackey addresses the stresses that crop up at the workplace.  With workplace stresses ranging from bad bosses to gossipy coworkers to a lack of passion for what you’re getting paid to do, what’s a Christian woman to do?  Sometimes it can feel like your faith is putting in overtime, too, just to get you through the week.

Mackey can speak to these and other hurdles that working women face through a collection of 90 insightful and inspiring readings.  Using Scripture, conventional wisdom and stories from her own experiences, Mackey teaches how faith provides timeless and trusting answers to these daily struggles.  Each devotion offers a “Power Move,” which will give women actionable tips for applying these principles to their own lives and careers.  Sistergirl Devotions Website: http://carolmackeyonline.com/

Endorsements for Sistergirl Devotions: Keeping Jesus in the Mix on the Job

"Carol Mackey has done a masterful job of incorporating the practicality of God's Word into daily meditations. She does not shrink from the real issues we often struggle with. Carol addresses them boldly, giving clear answers and 'Power Moves' to equip us to have the victory we long to experience in our everyday lives."--Michelle McKinney Hammond, author of The Power of Being a Woman

"Sistergirl Devotions is by far one of the best self-help books I have read in a long time. Carol Mackey masterfully weaves in Scripture, invaluable wisdom, and her own personal experiences. Absolutely brilliant!"--Kimberla Lawson Roby, New York Times bestselling author; author of A Deep Dark Secret and Be Careful What You Pray For

"Sistergirl Devotions delivers inspiring daily nuggets that will warm the soul and motivate every reader to succeed on the job for the Lord."--Stephanie Perry Moore, author of the Payton Skky series and the Beta Gamma Pi series

About Carol M. Mackey
Carol M. Mackey is editor-in-chief of Black Expressions Book Club, twice voted the best book club by the African American Literary Awards. Named among the "50 Most Powerful African Americans in Publishing" by Black Issues Book Review, Carol's career has included work at Newsday, as well as for The New York Times and Essence Communications.

Carol has appeared on the CBS-TV Morning Show and is frequently interviewed by Publishers Weekly on the state of African American publishing. She lives in New York with her husband, and enjoys time with her two grown sons.

 Purchase your copy today:http://www.amazon.com/Sistergirl-Devotions-Keeping-Jesus-Mix/dp/0800733975 

Blackface by Q. B. Wells
Travel with Black and experience Blackface!

To protect his mother, teenager Demitris Zachery a.k.a Black must runaway from his home. Forced to mingle with the worst elements and conditions of urban life, he meets Face, Penny and Zero-together they fend for the American Dream. Inevitably, experience provokes Black to observe his friends, his lifestyle and his own aspirations. In his journey of self-discovery, Black must learn how to survive on the streets of Chicago, alter his life decisions or perish in the confusion of life.  Evocative, elegantly crafted and fast paced, Blackface challenges the reader and promises to be one an engaging read.

Read the full excerpt here:http://www.freado.com/read/6568/blackface-a-novel



Excerpt/Chapter One: Blackface

Black slouched his face in the bathroom sink and listened to the water drip down his earlobes as he waited for the rust to clear from the faucet. You ain’t never been nothing in the past and you won’t be nothing in the future; no good nigger, the thoughts from his mother reverberated through his mind.

Black threw his navy book bag against the rear of the tub and sat on the lid of the toilet, staring at the sink until the water overflowed and dampened his school supplies-I shouldn’t even go to school.

He stared into the mirror, picked up a bridle pad. Pouring a few drops of Palmolive, he wiped his face fierce, as if scrubbing a stain from the carpet. White suds foamed atop his fat forehead and his eyes burned, he closed them to splash water over his face. Black dreamed of lighter colored eyes, smoother light skin on his face, but nothing had changed in his physical appearance.

Reaching beneath the sink, Black grabbed a luffa, splashed bleach onto the surface and scrubbed his cheeks. His dark neck and broad shoulders heated as his eyes tiered from the fumes. Forced to rinse his face, he looked at the discoloration he caused, the skinny scars from the busted pimples of a grotesque face. He brushed his fingertips over his bumpy skin as if reading brail. The filthy black skin stenched and he resembled a homeless man. The red bone kids that have golden skin complexions all look better he thought. He grabbed the top of his head, just look at this nappy hair. It hasn’t been cut in weeks and everybody at school is going to heat me up, talking bought what I already know, I look like a big black guerilla.

No matter what, he couldn’t scrub off the part of himself that he hated the most. And he did hate his irritating black face, like an itch that he couldn’t reach in the middle of his back. But, like an itch in the middle of his back, if he could get to it- He’d scratch that itch, then scratch and re-scratch some more, until the itch ignited into a flaming sensation. Like mercury mixing in his bloodstream blood would bleed down the middle of his back. That would feel good Black thought as he spotted a book of matches.

Could the tar black skin burn off? "Clinton Ray," Ms. Dean, yelled, "You been in that bathroom too long, you better be ready for school." "I’m not going to school today." "Why not, do you feel sick or something?" "No." "Well then nigger, if you not sick, you better take your tail to that school." "I can’t go. I have knots in my hair and they going talk about me, just look at it." "So what, haven’t I told you that you go to school to learn?" "Yes." "Well then, why you worried about what they think about your hair?" "I don’t know. I just am." "Well boy, I don’t have any money to get you a haircut this week. You’ll get one next week."

Black opened the bathroom door prepared for school. His Chicago Bulls t-shirt reeked of bleach; his hair in thick knots, his face bumpy, and the backpack still damp as if caught in a morning shower. Staring at his mother in her robe, Black pleaded.

"They still gone say my shoes is talking, my pants is flooding and that I can’t buy a belt." Raising her hand, "Clinton Ray, if you don’t get out this house and go to school…"

"If I go, I’m just going to end up smashing one of them in the face for talking about me." Clinton walked toward the door and waited. "You just want to be a no good nigger. Let one of them school people call me and make me take off work today to come get you. I’m going to smash you in your face way harder than one of them little school boys."

 "I’ll hit them back." The room doubled as Ms. Dean backslapped Black’s face and he regained single vision. "I do not want to hear another word." Without another word, Black slammed the door and ran down the apartment stairs, weeping all the way to school. As he walked to the street he daydreamed of the past recalled illustrations of his mothers love.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.


Blackface by BPM:  B. Wells  is NOW available!http://www.artofficialmedia.com/urban-media-store.html


Author Biography
Q.B. Wells is the author of Blackface and Doughboy. Currently he is the editor of http://www.urbaniamag.com/ and the C.E.O of Art Official Media LLC. He resides in Baltimore where he enjoys meeting readers, teaching writing courses and spending time with family.

To contact BPM:  B. Wells for an interview, event or book signing @ qbwells@artofficialmedia.com.
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