Blind Eyes

What is for you is for you. That is one statement that I have found to be entirely true in my life. Other people are not supposed to understand your you. We are not supposed to try and make them understand; when you come to realize that, you’ll be alright.

Pain comes when you understand and accept that some people don’t care about who you are, what your plans are, or what you have accomplished. They care when you’re riding the high wave, but when that wave dips, you better get ready for their version of suffering. Some words shouldn’t be spoken aloud – especially when the target hears them. Beware of the situation and surroundings when you run your mouth because although your lips may stop, the words keep on going.

Your parents are the vessel that physically brought you here, but God created you long before they connected. He made you a teacher and a student. We all have a story to tell and have all learned a lesson from someone. Life forces us take on many roles and the teacher/student partnership is one that we must manage simultaneously. It can be difficult at times trying to understand the why come they don’t get me and trying to make them understand you at the same time. Years of tears may fall from frustration that we view as a disappointment. Understand this – there is nothing disappointing about you.

An honest heart makes mistakes. An honest heart hurts from the mistakes that is has made. An honest heart will continue on until it corrects the mistakes and prospers.

 People always have something to say and if or how what they say upsets you, oh well. If you are not doing what they want you to do or allowing them to manage your finances with their hands deep in your pockets, you are of no use to them. When the wave dissipates, so do you. Living flesh doesn’t dissolve so easily – I’m still here. Don’t act like you can’t see me, you look so awkward.

So many smile in your face folks. Stop the fake presentations; no matter how good you think you look your teeth are yellow, your lips are chapped, your face is ashy, and, uh, I can see through you.  I don’t think that God made that your you, but hey, that is so not for me to understand.

Don’t expect anyone to realize your dreams. Blind eyes see what they want to see. It’s sad to find out that folks are only down with you when you’re up, family members included. When He puts you in position for your you, you have to take all that comes with it and keep on. Look at some situations as a temporary assignment – you have your time limit, you’re learning something new about people everyday, and you get what you need until the nest phase arrives.

I have said that when God taps you on your shoulder don’t shrug it off. I used to shrug it off all the time. He took me and shook me by my shoulders then. He has prepared me for people like you. A sista is ready – bring on the blessings!

The wave is forming again but blind eyes can’t see it and this time, it’s going to ride high for eternity.

 I luv yah’ll.

 

Miss Luv’s Books is LIVE!

Hey!

 

Wait for Love: A Black Girl’s Story and LuvMe are now available for purchase EVERYWHERE! WOOHOO!

 

Please visit your local bookstore and request Wait for Love: A Black Girl’s Story and LuvMe, by Wanda D. Hudson or publisher, Miss Luv’s Books,  or order online at any online retailer! You can also order from my website – http://www.wandadhudson.com

 

Aww, Lawd, the hot choco-latte is in the air! Mmmmm, doesn’t (don’t) it smell sweet?

 

 

 

 

Wanda D. Hudson

http://www.wandadhudson.com

Wait for Love:  A Black Girl’s Story

LuvMe – Because Everybody Needs A Little luv

Coming Soon – A Sheltered Life

Coming Soon – The Life of Luv

http://www.wandasway.blogspot.com

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandasway

http://www.facebook.com/wandadhudson

http://www.twitter.com/wandaluv

WandaLuv

“Remember, Everybody Needs A Little Luv”

Black Pearls Magazine: Meet Nikkea Smithers

Nikkea Smithers is a spoken word artists and Essence Magazine Best Selling Author She has performed on stages in front of thousands.

Her literary work often speaks to issues in the community that are often under-discussed. Her readers have fallen in love with her ‘tell it like it is’ approach to writing making her readers lifelong fans.

Intimate Conversation with Ella Curry, CEO of EDC Creations
Ella:   Hello Nikkea!  Introduce us to your book, On The Flip Side.
Nikkea: On The Flip Side deals with a situation that many men face but little light is shed on. We often hear the story about the single mother doing it for her kids on a daily basis. While I would never want to take anything away from them, what we don’t often hear about is the single father who is standing up to his responsibilities and being burdened with social issues beyond his realm of control.

What if the mother is not the one holding it down? What if the father has the kids but the mother has the greed? On The Flip Side deals with a different kind of baby momma drama and show that real men are fathers and not just baby daddies.

Ella: Tell us a little about your main characters. Who was your favorite?
Nikkea: Tavares was on the path to be a very successful young man. A one night stand turns his life up side down and he finds himself in a position where he has to be accountable. As he struggles to be a respectable father the mother of his children does everything in her power to break him down. The twist to this tale is he just isn’t just a single father, he is also paying child support as if his kids don’t live with him and in two different states.

Danica is a very interesting woman with a serious God complex. She truly believes that she is better than everyone around her. Not only does her complex cause her to throw stereotypes around like they are going out of style but it causes her to play the role of karma. The problem with playing karma is that it’s bound to come back on you if you aren’t living right.

My favorite is Tavares because he is the epitome of real man. He immediately steps up to the plate and makes things happen. As you read the book you genuinely feel for him. His kids come first, plain and simple. Who doesn’t love a man like that?

Ella: Are your characters from the portrayal of real people? What inspired you to write this story?
Nikkea: The characters aren’t based on real people but are influenced by conversations. I love talking to people and my husband and I often throw these parties where there are debates on different topics. Of course one of the most popular topics of debate is child support. The men thought they paid too much. The women thought it wasn’t enough.

One man talked about how he was paying support in both NY and VA. He talked about how neither state would take into consideration the order in the other state. This blew my mind! My mother was even present and shared her views on the subject which opened my eyes even more. I see story lines in the strangest of things so I thought, what if was the other way around? What if the man had his kids and was still paying child support? So I wrote the poem On The Flip Side and was surprised at the response it got from men that were going through this very thing. Then a friend of mine and I were talking after she saw me perform the poem and was telling me about a friend of hers going through this only his child’s mother left the kids at the hospital after birth! I immediately thought oh this needs to be a book! I then took the poem and turned it into this book.

Ella: What issues in today’s society have you addressed in the book?
Nikkea: Child support is the obvious issue addressed in the book but there are several subliminal messages. I love dealing with subliminal messages and try my best to place a few in every novel I write. One issue is accountability. Society is really hard on women in regards to promiscuity but men don’t always get the same scrutiny. I want to show young men that they have to be responsible for their actions as well. That one night of passion could mean kids with a woman you don’t know or worse, a death sentance of H.I.V. Another issue that is addressed is karma. We really need to understand that what we throw out into the universe will come back to us pressed down, shaken together and running over.

Ella: What was your primary quest in publishing this book?
Nikkea: I love to break down barriers and talk about things that no one is talking about. At least not in this sense. I wanted the roles to be reversed and stretch my imagination. Especially with Danica’s character, I had to dig deep for her because she is so far from me and what I would naturally do. I wanted this book to be true to the characters and show them for who they are regardless of the outcome. I love being able to uplift my brothers and say kudos to those doing the right things. Through Tavares I get to connect with readers and share with them the story of a good man.

Ella: Thousands of books are published each year. What sets your book apart from other books in your genre?
Nikkea: It’s all about the message. My work is educational but entertaining. I want to enlighten people. I want them to finish one of my books thinking about the subject matter and want to take action. How can we change things if we don’t start by talking about them? I actively strive to write away from whats popular and get to the bottom of social issues that need to be addressed.

Ella: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Nikkea: When I’m not writing I love to read! I’m the biggest book worm. My husband and I joke that our house looks like the Library of Congress. I don’t discriminate. I have poetry from Langston Hughes to Nikki Giovanni. I have nonfiction from George Jackson to Steve Harvey. I have fiction from John Gresham to E. Lynn Harris. With me being a self published author I am also a huge supporter of self published authors because I understand their grind. I also enjoy culture. I love museums, art viewings, jazz clubs, and poetry readings. I love the movies too!

Ella: What does your family think of your writing?
Nikkea: My family is very supportive. My husband has a prized collection of all of my books in his ‘man room’ that he shows off to all his friends. He gets the first copy in every edition of all of my works. When he sees something has discouraged me he tells me to shake it off and keep doing what I do. My mother buys my books in bulk like she doesn’t know me! They are my two biggest supporters. I appreciate being surrounded by positivity and they keep me inspired to keep on writing.

Ella: Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
Nikkea: I was excited to find out that two of my books (Keith’s Story and Attitudes of a Woman) were awarded with the Literary Hallmark & Legends Top Books 2009 award by your Magazine. That honor was one of the highlights of my year! Within the next year I have three more books that will be released. I also look forward to touring and performing. I want to dedicate my time in the new year connecting with my readers. Book clubs who select my book as their book of the month can reach out to me so that I can make plans to either be present or available for a teleconfrence.
Email: info@nikkeasmithers.com  Website: www.nikkeasmithers.com  

Purchase the book at:  Amazon Online

Purchase the book at:  Barnes & Noble Online

 

 

 

Even Sinners Have Souls Too

Even Sinners Have Souls Too
Introduction by National Best selling author, K’Wan, with four stories by Darrell King and Essence Magazine bestselling authors, Michel Moore, Tysha and Victor L. Martin.

Meet author and editor E.N. Joy
E.N. Joy is the author of Me, Myself and Him, which was her debut work into the Christian Fiction genre. Formerly a secular author writing under the names Joylynn M. Jossel and JOY, this author has fully dedicated her writing to Christ. She is currently working on the “New Day Divas” series as well as completing the “Sinners Series” project.

 

Intimate Conversation with Ella Curry of EDC Creations

Ella: Introduce us to the book, Even Sinners Have Souls TOO.
E.N. Joy: Even Sinners Have Souls TOO is book two from the “Sinners Series”. As editor and publisher of this project, it was my goal to share with the reading audience well written and compelling stories by some of the industry’s most respected and authority authors in the Urban Lit genre.
 

 

Ella: Why was it important to produce this work today?
E.N. Joy: Books and authors of books that are categorized as urban, erotic, street, ghetto, gangster, Hip-Hop fiction, or whatever else they are being labeled, are taking hard hits in the industry, especially by these so-called “literary writers”. Why is it that whenever black people bring the life they live front and center and turn it into art, society goes crazy? Are we that afraid and offended of the ghetto and the projects to the point where we ridicule those who talk about it? Is growing up in the hood that taboo?

E.N. Joy: Despite popular belief, everything that comes from the ghetto isn’t all bad. There are some good products of the ghetto. It produces great individuals, some even authors. But because of the type of genre that these authors choose to pen, they are stigmatized and rumored unable to create literature without glorifying a trigger happy, drug dealing thug, or a burgundy micro braid wearing, gum poppin’, promiscuous gold digger, or a television stealing crack head (in addition to at least two curse words per paragraph).
 

 

Ella: Will this book change how Urban Lit is protrayed as a industry?
E.N. Joy: There is a huge misconception that authors who write Urban Lit, referred to as Street Lit by many, can’t pen a decent story that doesn’t include foul language and explicit sex scenes. These authors are even often accused of glorifying street life. The “Sinners Series” forces critics and skeptics alike to take a different stand when they read the storylines contained in the “Sinners Series.”

Ella: What are some unique aspects of the Sinners Series?
E.N. Joy: Even Sinners Have Souls Too offers more of Urban Lit’s finest take a walk on the other side in book two, Even Sinners Have Souls Too, of the three book Sinners Series. Darrell King and Essence Best-Selling authors, Victor L. Martin, Tysha and Michel Moore bring you four smashing tales, but not before National Best-Selling author, K’Wan, hits you with the powerful introduction, “Oh Sinner Man.”

E.N. Joy: The authors bring to life the same raw and gritty characters found in some of their other works. There are the dope boys, the hood rats, the promiscuity, homosexuality, the gang bangers, abuse, drugs, alcohol, etc…; all the things that exist in real life on the streets. But what makes these tales so phenomenal and unique is that in the midst of it all, just like in real life on the streets, there is also, God, prayer, and sometimes a praying grandmother. What pleased me the most about each and every story is that they never, for one moment, lost their authenticity. The authors still walked away from this project with their street credit, so to speak.

Ella: What impact with the Sinners Series have on the community?
E.N. Joy: The “Sinners Series” is going to shatter the myth about urban and street literature and its authors once and for all. This project is not so that authors have to defend their work, or even compromise it.

The purpose is to show that they are multi-talented with a natural gift to pen what flows through their spirit and not just what’s selling, and at the same time to add a creative twist on their already original writing styles. In doing so, we pray that readers will be touched and moved by every single character; every single story…that they won’t be the same person as they were before reading these works.

Website: www.enjoywrites.com

ISBN-10: 0970672659 | ISBN-13: 978-0970672650

Pick up a copy at Amazon

EXCERPT ALERT – LuvMe – This Rhythm is Rated L

“Just come open the door. I’m outside your apartment.”

“I’ll be right there.”

The phone landed somewhere as I ran to the door faster than I did before.  This time when I opened it, Sheree stood before me with a long red coat on and a pair of thigh high red boots. She breezed past me and dropped her coat to the floor. The floor mat to the game Twister was wrapped around her body. She unwrapped it and let it fall. No other covering was on her. There was nothing that could do her justice. I closed the door.

“Take off your clothes.”

Without questions my ragged jogging pants and tee shirt came off. We faced each other naked – like a stand off, with her boots giving her more leverage than me.

“I want you to do what I say and do it well. Do you understand?”

My head shook up and down, then again, up and down, then again. I was dizzy within her.

“Go and get the ice bucket.”

Sheree’s voice came to me like a dominatrix in training. She spoke like she had one more test to pass before she could hold the crown. Her voice was forceful, soothing, and pleading from within for love. I listened.When I returned to the room with the bucket as she requested she had spread the mat out, and was standing at one end of it.

“Lay the bucket in the center of the mat on the yellow circle.”

I obeyed.

“Stand in the middle of the mat with my p**** over the bucket.”

As I began to move I heard My, My, My from the CD. I wanted to cry out that I was in love. A figure eight, a coke bottle, her waist, her thighs, her breasts, I, I…I couldn’t believe she stood before me. Her legs were spread a bit and I noticed a small tattoo high on her inner left thigh. I wanted to suck it.

“Left hand blue.”

The blue circle was to my rear so I bent back and placed my hand on it.

“Right hand green.”

The green circle was also to my rear. My bending more to the rear made my middle come down low over the ice bucket. I held my head back and let it hang. My body was open wide to her. She had me. Finally, I was hers.

The touch of her tongue blazed me to my heart. It pumped with anticipation. Sheree was between my legs teaching me how to love us. The ice gliding around me gave me a sensation of hot, cold, cool, and flaming at the same time. My mind ran far and came back close as she gently crawled over my body. My position was the same, my back was inner arched and my legs were open wide. She kissed my chest, my breasts, my belly button, and came back up to my neck. A tear escaped me.

“Right foot red.”

I slid my foot forward not knowing where it was going to end. I didn’t care; I just wanted to please Sheree.

“Left foot yellow.”This time the motion left me laying flat on my back with my eyes facing my baby. We took each other in within a twisted rhythm of euphoric colors. Her tender breasts lay on mine and my tears continued.

“Don’t cry, lover.”

Our lips met. I wrapped my arms around her trying to press her into me. Her hips, her ass, and her back belonged to me. I squeezed them all. My, My, My, our love came in yellow, red, blue, and green. A game so simple, yet so complex. The bucket tipped and a sensation came. More sensations followed. A game that taught me to release my fears in love.

The game taught Sheree to love the one her release is with.  That night we played more than a mere child’s game. We dealt our cards, we rolled our dice, and ultimately we hit the Lotto. We won them all and have never stopped pleasing each other.  We decided that night that we would work on having a relationship. Sheree thought all a relationship consisted of was sex, freaky or not. I didn’t know sex was a major part of one. That was seven years ago. To this day, Sheree makes me proud to say that my rhythm is rated L. 

***************

Alright, that’s it! The excerpt above if from the erotic/romantic short story collection, LuvMe! Get LuvMe as a part of The SEXY Special! Buy Wait for Love: a Black Girl’s Story – LuvMe is FREE! Awww, Lawd, the hot choco-latte is coming! Don’t miss out
Wanda D. Hudson
Wait for Love: A Black Girl’s Story
LuvMe – Because Everybody Needs A Little Luv
Coming Soon – A Sheltered Life
http://www.wandadhudson.com 
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandasway
http://www.wandasway.blogspot.com
http://www.cafepress.com/wandasway
http://www.facebook.com/wandadhudson
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Contributing Author -
Succulent – Chocolate Flava 2
Purple Panties – An Eroticanoir.com Anthology

Color Me Jazzmyne By Marian L. Thomas

 

I would like to introduce you to a fantastic new book, Color Me Jazzmyne. Readers of Color Me Jazzmyne have been captivated by the depth of the emotional journey that the book takes them on. It digs deep into what it takes for women to embrace who they are no matter what size, color, educational background or social status. Sisters will learn to love themselves despite what society says or the voices that surround them!

Author Marian L . Thomas not only delivers her first novel but takes on real-life topics that are affecting society today. The topics that are discussed throughout her book are ones that are often rejected by mainstream publishing houses. She cuts to the core of serious subject matter: rape, the mental health of young women, self-esteem issues with women and the cutthroat world of the music business and lands the reader into the thick of a good story.

Color Me Jazzmyne – By Marian L. Thomas
Listen to Chapter 1 and tell us how you feel about this topic.
http://www.hudsonaudiopublishing.com/player.php?file=Chapter1.mp3

“Color Me Jazzmyne” is an unconventional, yet fascinating first novel by Marian L. Thomas.  At the frighteningly young age of thirteen, Naya Mona (later to be known as the famous jazz singer Jazzmyne) is raped by her own father and eventually gives birth to her son who is taken from her, his whereabouts unknown for many years. At seventeen, she escapes the intolerable household of her father to live in the city where her voice is discovered by the wrong people.

She meets struggle after struggle; people take advantage of her talent nearly wrecking her spirit, people she thought to be friends use her to get ahead in their own lives. But she does not break spirit, in spite of her many hardships. Later in life, as the story opens up, Jazzmyne meets her adult son for the first time since his birth. Many surprising facts are revealed about her past and her son’s past.

Jazzmyne likens her existence to a box of crayons. Each color expresses a different emotion, strength or weakness that makes up the essence of Jazzmyne. Thomas’ writing is so reflective and interesting.  But this is the purpose of the novel, to find out what color is Jazzmyne, which I still do not know or maybe do not understand her completely. Perhaps honesty is her color. In a world of hiding behind fame and from a past of deception from those who were supposed to be the closest, she wants only to be honest and real, especially concerning her son.

Thomas definitely cuts to the core of serious subject matter: rape and incest and the cutthroat world of the music business. The shocking reality of it all mixed with Jazzmyne’s relaxed and melodious voice makes “Color Me Jazzmyne” a true reading pleasure. The book is written in a kind of free flow, stream of consciousness style that one can hear her melody singing through the pages.

ISBN-10: 0615270670;  ISBN-13: 978-0615270678

Pick up a copy from Amazon , Barnes & Noble.com , or a Kindle download

Email: larrita@lbpublishingco.com ;  Website: http://www.marianlthomas.com

Snippet of a Review by Hudson Audio Publishing
http://www.hudsonaudiopublishing.com/featured.html

SOMEBODY’S SINNING IN MY BED by Pat G’Orge Walker

Pat G’orge Walker on Gospel Interviews with Larry W. Robinson

Pat G’orge Walker, author of “SOMEBODY’S SINNING IN MY BED” shares with Larry W. Robinson, host of http://www.gospelinterviews.com about her latest book which EXPOSES a Mega Church Pastor CAUGHT “In the Act!!!”
For more visit http://www.gospelinterviews.com

SOMEBODY’S SINNING IN MY BED by Pat G’Orge Walker
ISBN-10: 0758235402 | ISBN-13: 9780758235404
Available wherever books are sold

Pat G’Orge-Walker delivers a wickedly funny, uplifting novel of love and betrayal…good karma and bad karma…sin and redemption

Chyna and her sister Janelle are always moments away from a catfight. They love each other, but Janelle has never forgiven her sister for swiping her first love, Cordell. That was ages ago, and now Chyna is showing off as the First Lady of New Hope Assembly, a church that’s caught between the old ways of Holiness and new ways of serving its community. New Hope’s leader, Reverend Grayson Young, is also caught…in the infamous Sweet Bush lounge, an establishment well-known for adult pleasures.

With the church congregation running wild in the aftermath of her husband’s scandalous behavior, Chyna turns to her sister Janelle for guidance. But if Chyna thinks she’s getting sympathy from Janelle, she’d better think again, because Janelle’s got her own crisis. And when Cordell suddenly comes back into the sisters’ lives, what follows are squabbling, chaos, and surprises that show just how hard the road to salvation really is…

—

“Author Pat G’Orge-Walker is a comic genius! She’s woven a brilliant netting of both comical and loving characters that will cause readers to ’spill their guts’ with ‘out loud’ laughter.”

-Dawn Carter, Fox Pictures Diversity, Executive Producer, Contradictions of the Heart, Donlyn Pictures

One Night with You by Francis Ray

One Night with You by Francis Ray New York Times bestselling author Francis Ray continues her captivating series about the Grayson family and their circle of friends with One Night With You, as two people with no plans for romance find themselves blindsided by desire…

One Night with You by Francis Ray New York Times bestselling author Francis Ray continues her captivating series about the Grayson family and their circle of friends with One Night With You, as two people with no plans for romance find themselves blindsided by desire…

Latest Release: One Night with You
November 03, 2009
Series: Grayson Friends Series
ISBN-13: 9780312365066; ISBN-10: 0312365063

When you first started writing, did you think you would ever write as many books as you have and have such a loyal following? Did you know this would become a “business venture” for you?
Francis: I had no idea I would write this many book or have such a loyal following when I started writing. I simply keep trying to write the best book possible, and was blessed to find an editor who kept buying my books. Yes, I always knew that you had to take the business side of writing seriously to stay in this industry for years. It requires a great business head for book promotions and even more professionalism to handle the contracts.

What has been the best and the worst experience you’ve had on your literary journey?
Francis: The best is after I sold my first book, I’ve never had a book that was rejected. The worst was walking away from one publisher and unsure if I’d find another publishing house that wanted my books. Scary. Scary.

How long does it take you to write a novel?
Francis: The time frame differs. I wrote ONE NIGHT WITH YOU, my November 03, release in 3 months. IT HAD TO BE YOU, Book #4 in the Grayson Friends series, and the last book I wrote took six weeks.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Francis: No, the writing bug didn’t hit me until I read SHANNA by Katherine Woodewiss. By her third book I knew I wanted to write similar books. The difference was I wanted people of color to take center stage.

How did you get started writing?
Francis: I joined my local chapter of Romance Writers of America, North Texas Romance Writers of America. I’m proud to say I won the first service award, The Yellow Rose. The friendships and mentors were invaluable. I can honestly say that without them I would not be published now.

Do you remember the very first story you ever wrote? What age were you when you wrote it? Was it romance even then?
Francis: I had no idea I wanted to write until Woodewiss’ third book. The first story I wrote was Wife For Hire for Black Romance. I was an adult.

Since romance novels have a pretty set formula that they follow, how difficult do you find it to continue to write stories that will make loyal romance readers overlook that aspect of the book?
Francis: The only set formula I can see is that hero and heroine are at odds, but by the end of the story they’re in love and the writer has tested that love so the reader knows that whatever happens in their lives their love is strong enough to endure. I’d say the possibilities are endless. My plotting skills, not the parameters, is the challenge I face.

Several romance authors have ventured into writing in other genres such as mystery, etc. Have you ever considered taking that step also?
Francis: I wanted to write Christian fiction and was blessed to have been given that opportunity when Harlequin publishes, HOW SWEET THE SOUND. I’ve thought of writing young adult but I haven’t gotten past three pages.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?
Francis: The actual writing is probably my favorite part. Starting a new book is always scary. I plot slow. And despite my best intention, I always have loads of research on my character’s profession, the setting, even the cars they drive..

What is the hardest part of writing for you?
Francis: I guess the hardest part of writing is plotting. If I can’t see it, no matter how wonderful the story might be, I can’t write it.

What challenges have you faced in your literary journey? How did you overcome them?
Francis: Probably the biggest challenge in my literary journey was finding a publisher who wanted to publish African-American romances. Then, when I did find a publisher, distribution was spotty at best. If the book did make it to an outlet, the challenge was getting readers not to think the book was badly written because it was written by an African-American. I overcame the challenge by continuing to write and believing that I had a story to tell that people wanted to read.

What are your best and worst experiences as a writer?
Francis: The best is after I sold my first book I have never had a book that was rejected. The worst was walking away from one publisher and unsure if I’d find another publishing house that wanted my books. Scary. Scary.

What is the one thing that has surprised you the most during your writing career?
Francis: That people think all published authors are wealthy.

What authors influence your work?
Francis: Katherine Woodewiss, Elizabeth Lowell, Amanda Quick, and Nora Roberts.

What are you currently working on?
Francis: I’m working on BECAUSE OF YOU, Book # 6 in the Grayson Friends series.

How may we contact you online?
Website: www.francisray.com
Blogspot: www.francisrayblog.com
Myspace: myspace.com/francisray
Fanclub: readersoffrancisray@yahoogroups.com

Pick up a copy at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/One-Night-You-Grayson-Friends/dp/0312365063/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1256167034&sr=8-1

Pick up a copy at Barnes and Noble
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/One-Night-with-You/Francis-Ray/e/9780312365066/?itm=3

One Night with You by Francis Ray —Read the First Chapter Excerpt

Link to read full screen:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/document-preview.aspx?doc_id=13513498

EXCERPT ALERT – Wait for Love: A Black Girl’s Story

Terrance started a fight with me that morning over my use of water. He said I should pay the water bill, along with the rent, because I was bigger than him and used more of it. It was early and I was cranky from not having much sleep the night before. He had his friends over for an all night party on a Tuesday. None of them had jobs, so no one had anywhere to be but where they were. I didn’t feel like hearing what he had to say, so I replied with a smart quick tongue, hoping to silence him.

“That’s the stupidest thing you’ve said to date. I guess you expect me to pay the cable, gas, light, and phone bill as well since your pathetic ass isn’t man enough to do it. Shut up, Terrance. It’s too early for your mouth.”

 My response caught him off guard because his reply to me was that of silence. I started walking towards the bathroom to get dressed when I heard him running up behind me. My face was met with his head when I turned towards him. The fool head butted me. His exact target was my eye. I fell backwards on the floor and grabbed my face in pain. Gray stars and filthy vultures circled my face and moaned a song of gloom; it hurt so bad. While I was on the floor crying and screaming how sick I thought Terrance was, he started kicking me in my back, sides, and face, while yelling in crazy man lingo.

“Don’t you ever talk back to me, you fat, sloppy bitch! Your stupid ass is going to pay every bill that comes into this house whether I have a job or not! Now get your sorry ass up and fix me some breakfast!”

He stopped kicking me and walked away muttering words under his breath that only a psychotic nut would understand. I managed to get up and went into the bathroom to look at my face. My left eye watched my right eye swell up, and my right eye noticed my left eye was red and puffy. My black eyes were on their way.

I took my nightgown off and looked at my stomach in the mirror. It was bruised and I imagined my back was, as well. There was no need to look because I’d felt this way before. I wanted to call into work, but I was already absent two days that week and couldn’t afford to miss anymore. My right eyeball was no longer visible, and I’d have to wear a pair of light colored shades all day as I’d done before. I was at the point of not even bothering to put on makeup to try and cover it up, knowing what I was hiding, as did everyone else. I’m not sure who was who, but I came out of the bathroom to see Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde standing in my living room in the form of Terrance’s body.

“Hey, baby. I have some interviews to go on today, so I’ll drop you off at work. I put your purse and jacket in the car, and I want to stop and grab you some breakfast, so hurry your sweet self up.” He walked out the door and I stood in the middle of the room waiting for an answer. Someone needed to tell me Terrance was sick and I wasn’t the person that had his cure. Sure, I had the answer; I just didn’t feel like talking to myself.

************************************************

Alright, yah’ll! It’s about to go down! Did you order your copy yet? The SEXY Special is still in effect! Buy Wait for Love: A Black Girl’s Story – LuvMe is FREE! Mmmm, I smell hot chocolate

Wanda D. Hudson Wait for Love: A Black Girl’s Story

LuvMe – Because Everybody Needs A Little Luv

Coming Soon – A Sheltered Life

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Contributing Author – Succulent – Chocolate Flava 2

Purple Panties – An Eroticanoir.com Anthology

I Need More by Kimberley White

 Meet Multi-Award Winning Author… Kimberley White
Kimberley White resides in metropolitan Detroit where she is a nurse practitioner during the day and a writer of steamy romances at night.  Visit her website at www.kwhitewrite.com.  Write to her at P.O. Box 672 Novi, MI 48376. Email: kwhite_writer@hotmail.com

I Need More by Kimberley White – New Release Blog
http://edcmagazine.blogspot.com/2009/10/all-way-by-kimberley-white.html

I Need More by Kimberley White
Paperback; ISBN-13: 9780758222107; ISBN 10: 0758222106
 

She Has Everything She Wants. . .
Dr. Erika Johnson’s life couldn’t get any better. Her practice is flourishing and her hunk of a husband Brock can’t keep his hands off her–until the day he suddenly leaves her without a word of explanation. Stunned, Erika has no choice but to cobble together a new life on her own. When she serves Brock with divorce papers, Erika is certain he’ll sign them so they can both move on. But that’s when the surprises really begin. . .

Except The Man She Loves…
Brock is sure he did the right thing. All he ever wanted was to bring joy into Erika’s life, not pain and sorrow. But when rumors reach him that Erika is seeing another man, he’s torn between what he thinks is right and what he feels is right. Despite everything, there’s no denying the fierce attraction she and Brock have always shared is burning hotter than ever. And when Erika finally learns Brock’s secret, they must decide if they will face the uncertain future together-or apart. . .
 

Preview Chapters from the book here.
 
Buy the book today!

You Down With NPP?

Different times call for different initials. Most of us remember the catchy hook; yea, you know me. Well, it can surely fit today. I’m down with NPP! The Noble Peace Prize was awarded to our President Barack Obama! Next phrase – are you ready for some football?

Is it sad to say that our President now has to stick diligently to a plan for every move he makes? Stick to the playbook, Sir, because if you sneeze during a speech at the United Nations, a statement will be released detailing the severity of it. Aww, Lawd, he got the swine! He’s trying to infect his views on the world! Impeach is ass! After all, a Nobel Peace Prize winner does not have any flaws. Some say he won to soon – he hasn’t done anything. I guess they weren’t on the nominating committee.

We all live history; some of it is printed in text books, most of it isn’t. This particular day, Friday October 9th, 2009, is a part of my minds legacy. See, on this day I volunteered at a fund raiser for Northeast Public Radio – NPR. I was a part of the valiant personnel who answered telephones, and recorded pledges from people who desired to keep NPR going strong. Giving up money in a recession? Some folks need to mind their own recession business and stop inflecting negative views on others – just my opinion. Broke isn’t always Poor. Poor isn’t always Po’. Yah’ll know what I’m saying…

The enthusiasm that filled the room was amazing. Not just for seeing the station reach its goal, but also for our President winning the Nobel Peace Prize. I received calls from people pledging amounts that ranged from twenty-five dollars to one thousand dollars. Amazing. The part of the pledgers and my conversation that made me feel validated was not the fact that they so effortlessly divulged personal information, but that they wanted to leave a comment to be read over the air – name included. They wanted people to know that they enjoyed the station AND that they were so proud of OUR President for being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

I noticed that I was the only black volunteer during the time that I was there, which was between the hours of 8am and 3pm. There were maybe 25-40 people in room at various times. Did they notice, too? I’m sure they did, but I got the vibe that on that day it didn’t matter. The more things stay the same, the more they change. I know, I said it “backwards” but I meant it moving forward. Many times I have been the only black person in the room and it mattered, and it was noticed. I filled the quota. Somebody’s job had been done.

Twenty years later I wasn’t a quota – I was a welcomed addition to a cause. A cause to keep an informative station on the air, and a valuable asset to show that we as a people desire the same things. Validation. Shoot, I want a cup of coffee and a donut for breakfast sometimes just like everyone else. I want to provide for my family and have job security just like everyone else. I want to commend our President on his achievement just like everyone else.

I do believe that certain things will always be present between races. There are differences that, well, make us different. It’s okay. Racism, hmm, well, it exists. To finally physically see people of a different race applaud and rally behind a man that my race let the world borrow because he is ours, is incredible. WE (and WE encompasses yah’ll, too) voted for him. WE support him through all adversity. WE all are united and can sing the jingle proudly – You Down With NPP? Yea, you know me!

Wanda D. Hudson
Wait for Love: A Black Girl’s Story
LuvMe – Because Everybody Needs A Little Luv
Coming Soon – A Sheltered Life
http://www.wandadhudson.com
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandasway
http://www.wandasway.blogspot.com
http://www.cafepress.com/wandasway
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Contributing Author -
Succulent – Chocolate Flava 2
Purple Panties – An Eroticanoir.com Anthology

In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor

The Making of In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor

Hello Martha!  It is such a pleasure to have you on The Black Authors Network author’s tour. The Give the Gift of Knowledge tour is used to expand the variety of books that our readers receive each month. Your book is a welcomed edition. Tell us a little about you and your passion for writing.
MAT:  I am a sixty year old grandmother of four. My writing career, until the last few years, has been one of those “don’t quit your day job arrangements”. I am a  tax professional who discovered early on that my creative writing skills came in handy when writing client letters to the IRS.  My passion for writing becomes evident in my books. It is a blessed opportunity to give birth to a character and watch them grow throughout the development of the story.

 Introduce  us to the story behind  the book, In the Land of Cotton:

MAT: As a child growing up in Memphis I could not have known that the Boyd family, the main characters in In the Land of Cotton, would have such a haunting effect on me. Last fall, their indelible personas became overwhelming. They were all I could think about. I sat down one afternoon and the book began to flow to paper. I still had vivid memories of Cypress Grove, a primitive farm the Boyd family had lived on since the days of the Civil War. They had no electricity, no running water and certainly no refrigeration yet they wanted for nothing. It was a step back in time but, as a child, I wanted to be part of that. As the reader journeys through the 1960’s, they travel along side the Boyd family as they experience the historic events of that decade. You will find as a reader that you will become immediately vested in the characters. The Boyd’s have the voice for every Black American that lived through those turbulent times.

We would like to explore some of the Intimate moments in the book. Read on as Martha takes us inside.

Martha, in your own words, tell us why this book was meant to be written.
MAT: In the Land of Cotton is a provocative and emotional chronicle of a young, inquisitive white girl coming of age in the color divided South of the fifties and sixties. My story places you smack dab in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement. It’s a heart-felt journey through American history that weaves a tale of forbidden friendships, misconceptions and human nature… human nature at its best and worst. 

 After all of these years I suddenly became compelled to write the story of Silas and his family. I wanted this new generation to know that it hasn’t been that long since black families lived in seclusion with no electricity…no running water or sanitation…no telephones or refrigeration. My heart is always in my words as I define that sole-mates are forever and true love..really is colorblind.  I wanted to remind the people of my generation of how long this journey has been; and to the younger generations, I wanted to present a time capsule of events so they would never forget the anguish, fear and tremendous sacrifices of their ancestors. In light of this year’s Presidential Election, In the Land of Cotton defines a beacon of hope for any individual, who has ever felt different or longed for more out of life.

Beside Lucy, the part-time maid for the family,  what made you so drawn to the woods? MAT:  It was the “not knowing”. It was the excitement of going somewhere no white person had ever been. It was the wanting to belong to something bigger than myself.   (Snippet From Cotton) Not smoke like the woods was on fire but smoke like came out of a fireplace; soft, mesmerizing smoke that called you to come explore the woods, smoke that carried your imagination and made promises of a different life, far far away from the one you were living.  

 

When did you know you were in love with Silas your childhood friend? MAT: One evening after Silas walked me back to the “white neighborhood.” We were always terrified someone would see us. It would have been tragic. Silas, who was an African American male, could have been killed but, we always took the chance.   (Snippet  From Cotton) I stood there holding my bike like some anchor that tethered me to the ground I was standing on. I watched Silas until he completely disappeared into the woods then waited a few more minutes after that, in case he returned.    

 

At the peek of the Civil Rights Movement when did you realize there still remained tension between the North and the South? MAT:  When martial law became the order of the day. When southern Governors stood chained to university doorways. When buses were bombed and almost daily we heard about some southern Black school that had been burned.   (Snippet  From Cotton) Martial law was declared in the South. Robert Kennedy, the Attorney General got involved and once again, Walter Cronkite had a television camera in every nook and cranny, capturing every slur and clubbing. For days he regurgitated the entire travesty right into our living rooms. The majority of country was enraged but here in the south, it was just another day in Dixie.    

 

Did Silas share your feelings and deep emotional bond? MAT:  Silas always appreciated the unspoken line in the sand. Inter-racial marriages were against the law in most states and prejudice ran high. “The Dream” was spoken of often by everyone; trouble was it was totally out of everyone’s reach and we all knew it.   (Snippet  From Cotton) We finished our picnic with small talk about his daily routine and the friends he’d met. Even Silas used color as a first descriptor. We were a long way from Martin Luther King’s dream. We were certainly a long way from mine.  

Was there a sense that time was short for you and the Boyds? Did you feel complete racial equality would ever be realized

? MAT:  The country had come so far in such a short period of time I knew we had reached the point of no return. Civil Rights and racial equality were marching through the streets of the South. At the same time, I felt it would be generations before racial equality would become the way of life.   (Snippet  From Cotton) I thought about what Lucy had said about poverty being generational. I thought the advancement of civil rights would most probably be generational also.

I thought that the Wallace’s (Governor of Alabama) of the world would eventually die off and each generation that followed would be raised to be less prejudice. I thought surely at some point all the seedlings that had been planted would eventually grow into strong trees and under their branches we would all live in harmony. I hoped that would be in Silas and my lifetime.  

Thank you Martha for sharing with us!  How may the readers contact you?
Martha A. Taylor, Author, “In the Land of Cotton”
Email: Taylortsg@Aol.com ISBN:978-1432734718

Purchase is In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor from Amazon

 

Meet Author Monique D. Mensah

 

Join Author Monique D. Mensah on a virtual tour…

EDC Creations and the Sankofa Literary Society announces the official virtual book tour of Monique D. Mensah, the award-winning author of the dramatic fiction, Who Is He To You. From September 1 to October 30, 2009, follow Monique D. Mensah on an interesting journey all over the Internet from the comfort of your home. Readers will be intrigued by the intelligent exploration of sensitive issues such as cutting, emotional abuse, depression, and drug-addiction.The first page which is filled with intense emotion and a descriptive setting that pulls the reader right into the scene. This virtual book tour is brought to you by EDC Creations Media Group. To learn more about our virtual tours, visit  www.EDC-Creations.com.

Give the Gift of Knowledge Campaign

EDC Creations announces the launch of the 2009-2010 Give the Gift of Knowledge Campaign, bringing readers and authors together to help improve literacy and change lives through the gift of books. A sincere thank you to all of our tour hosts, wonderful readers and book club members who continue to support us and our authors and business owners. During our travels, we meet so many wonderful people and we look forward to meeting more of you, and getting to know you and providing what you need to satisfy your literary appetite. If you have not done so already, please sign up for our newsletter to stay abreast of new literary events and the latest book news, reviews and author tours. We select 4 newsletter subscribers each week to review newly released books for us. Register here for the  Sunday News from EDC Creations.

Prizes for Bloggers and Reviewers

We offer special gifts for those who support the authors during our Intimate Evening reading series on BAN Radio and to those who respond to the posts! To become eligible to win 1 of 5 copies of Who Is He To You by Monique Mensah, follow author Monique Mensah on her virtual tour and leave comments at the blog stops and interviews. The lucky winners will be announced on EDC Creations’ Black Pearls magazine blog on November 7, 2009!    http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Black-Author-Network

Read Chapter 1 Who Is He To You by Monique Mensah 

How to Join the  Who Is He To You Book Tour

If you would like to follow the Who Is He To You virtual book tour, visit theonline media center frequently at http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/moniquemensah.htm  for the tour schedule. Meet her on the sites listed and add your comments or reviews. If you would like to host author Monique Mensah on your site, blog, radio show or magazine, please visit the online media center and select promotional material that will Give the Gift of Knowledge to your network.
 
Thank you all for Giving the Gift of Knowledge! Make sure to check out our bookshelves for gifts and books that change lives!

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Ella Curry, president of EDC Creations
Website: www.edc-creations.com

Uhm, What Are You Selling?

A child’s favorite pastime during summer months is the infamous ice cream truck. To hear the delightful bell, horn, or looped melody approaching causes a thunderous amount of unexplainable joy. The feeling is one that never leaves your senses. As an adult, even after the onset of lactose intolerance, one still feels a slight urgency to purchase one or two scoops.

Having a small child means you must have money each time the top ten melody goes into rotation. Recently my family changed zip codes, but in all of my sexy years on this earth, I have only known Mr. Softee. A blue and white truck with a cool looking cone dressed up to every child’s fancy.  Mr. Softee definitely isn’t prejudiced, he serves everybody. You don’t need a number, just get in line and watch your toes – eager children could care less about your twenty-five dollar pedicure.

 The truck is equipped for the hearing impaired – the loud top ten hit that can be heard from miles away, and the blind. – the looped music that continuously plays over and over, so don’t worry if you make a few wrong turns – keep tapping that walking stick until you find it.

 My new zip code doesn’t include Mr. Softee but the new and improved text message aged Mr. Ding-a-Ling! WHAT? Yes, Mr. Ding-a-Ling! Is it just me or when you read this did your mind go kiddie playground porn-tastic?

 The first time I saw the truck thankfully I was alone. The laughter that exploded from me! My goodness, a person laughing alone could be categorized as a bad drug mix. “Oh, she must have taken some of the good stuff’” is the statement that I looked like.

 Am I a horny woman looking for a quick orgasm at each corner? Hmmm, I don’t think so. The thought that ran through my mind after my laughter subsided was, “And we wonder why our kids feel that oral sex isn’t sex! We hear the dayum bell and they run to the truck with our money to get their licks on!”

 Yesterday Mr. Ding-a-Ling stopped on the street that we live on. My daughter and I ran down the stairs, but unfortunately he pulled off before we made it. My child cried an anguished, “No!” and continued to cry as we made it back up the stairs. It took me at least ten minutes to console her. My untold thought, “Shit, I didn’t want you licking none of his stuff anyway.”

 Mr. Ding-a-Ling had his way. He returned three hours later. I heard him, grabbed my wallet, yelled out to Doobah, “Come’on!” and dayum near broke my neck getting down the stairs. Doobah yelled, “Don’t leave me!’ but I was already down the stairs on the sidewalk. Mr. Ding-a-Ling would not leave us this time.

 Maybe I am a horny woman. Although Mr. Softee is the keeper of some of my life’s most fond memories, I really don’t want to meet a man that proudly says, “Hi, my name is Mr. Softee.” Mr. Ding-a-Ling is straight to the point. That name on an ice cream truck, though, for me, keeps me asking, Uhm What Are You Selling?

Wanda D. Hudson

www.wandadhudson.com

Okay, WHY is the ice cream truck called Mr. Ding-a-Ling? And we wonder why our kids feel that oral sex isn’t sex! We hear the dayum bell and they run to the truck with our money to get their licks on…LuvPing is SEXY!

LuvTweet, LuvPress, LuvSpace, LuvBlog and now LuvPing! Dayum…It’s all SEXY!

Inspected by God

Long time no see, where have you been? These are a few of the questions that I have been asked lately. I usually answer that I have been here, but there is no set definition of my here. The middle of last year crashed for me. Many of you know that I lost my father on June 4th, 2008. Within weeks shortly thereafter my life began to collapse. There were no battery cables to hook up to for a reviving jump.

There is a paragraph in my first novel, Wait for Love: A Black Girl’s Story that details the characters feelings on grief. I had never experienced grief, and wrote it believing that her reactions were how someone would feel. The words were on point. Your mind wanders; your heart aches, and you continue to break down while hateful blood churns through your veins. Bluntly put, that shit hurts.

My 2008-2009 has been difficult. I lost my drive to write or to do anything productive for my personal gain. The post below mentions my daily routine. That particular routine came to an end in late June. That was it – I had enough. I will always miss my daddy, but grief can kiss my ass. I’m so sick of it handling me like I’m a foolish punk. It told me what to say, when to say it, and when to shut my mouth. It allowed me to tolerate behavior that is absolutely unacceptable in my professional, and personal life.

Why do people do you dirty? Why do people set out to do you dirty? Why do people think that you don’t know they did you dirty?  Some of the things I put up with – please… This post is not written to belittle anyone or bring negativity to light. A few months ago I let it go. My life was tired of waiting on me. The inner turmoil that I caused myself was enough stress for three strokes. I thought my child would find me dead and there would be no one here for her.

We all suffer through something. As long as we have the ability to get THROUGH it, we can continue to prosper. Some of us don’t. Wallowing in misery and blaming everyone else was simply not it for me. My father died. I said it. I knew he was sick, I knew he was going to die, but I didn’t want him to. My father died. I said it again and I’m okay. I can still function on this earth. I can still be here and not feel guilty because he isn’t. I still love him.

Coming to grips with the fact that life will roll on whether you can hang or not was rough. I have struggled financially, mentally and physically. Making the wrong decisions, whew, that gets old. The past ten years have been a serious lesson. I was scored on a curve and barely passed. I’ll never say I may be black, I may be ugly – we love you Celie, but I’m still here. I’m SEXY, I’m talented, and I’m still here.

Sometimes when we make a purchase there is a small piece of paper inside of the item with an inspectors number on it. If there is a problem with the item you can exchange it or get your money back, but you may never meet the inspector. I was Inspected by God; you can’t exchange me and I‘m priceless. My inspector is available whenever I need Him.

I’ve been stretched to the limit and have returned better than before. I’m not refurbished, damaged or rebuilt. Just upgraded. The original version gets the job done; this version – keep breathing and you may understand. When you step out on faith, He takes all of your doubts, fears and mistakes. He will forgive you.

The SEXY One has been Inspected by God; are you ready? 

Wanda D. Hudson
Wait for Love: A Black Girl’s Story
LuvMe – Because Everybody Needs A Little Luv
Coming Soon – A Sheltered Life
http://www.wandadhudson.com 
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandasway
http://www.wandasway.blogspot.com
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http://www.facebook.com/wandadhudson
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Contributing Author -
Succulent – Chocolate Flava 2
Purple Panties – An Eroticanoir.com Anthology

Black Pearls BOM Children of the Waters

 

Black Pearls Magazine Presents the Pearl Book of the Month

Children of the Waters: A Novel by Carleen Brice

The author of the #1 Denver Post bestseller and Essence Book Club Pick Orange Mint and Honey explores the connection between love and race, and what it really means to be a family.

 

 

AUTHOR BIO

 Carleen Brice’s debut novel, Orange Mint and Honey (One World/Ballantine), was an Essence “Recommended Read” and a Target “Bookmarked Breakout Book.” For this book, she won the 2009 First Novelist Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and the 2008 Break Out Author Award at the African American Literary Awards Show. Her second novel, Children of the Waters (One World/Ballantine), a book about race, love and family, is available now where ever books are sold. If you don’t see it at your local retailer, please go to the representive and request it. You can read an excerpt at her website www.carleenbrice.com.

She also edited and contributed to the anthology Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number: Black Women Explore Midlife, which was published in the U.S. (Beacon Press) and the U.K. (Souvenir Press). She is author of Lead Me Home: An African American’s Guide Through the Grief Journey (Avon/HarperCollins). Her book Walk Tall: Affirmations for People of Color, an Essence bestseller, was in print with traditional publishers for 10 years and sold 100,000 copies. It is currently available through iUniverse and Louis Gossett Jr.’s Eracism Foundation. Carleen and her husband live in Colorado.

 

Book Intro
Trish Taylor’s white ancestry never got in the way of her love for her black ex-husband, or their mixed race son, Will. But when Trish’s marriage ends, she returns to her family’s Denver, Colorado home to find a sense of identity and connect to her past. What she finds there shocks her to the very core: her mother and newborn sister were not killed in a car crash as she was told. In fact, her baby sister, Billie Cousins, is now a grown woman; her grandparents had put her up for adoption, unwilling to raise the child of a black man. Billie, who had no idea she was adopted, wants nothing to do with Trish until a tragedy in Billie’s own family forces her to lean on her surprisingly supportive and sympathetic sister. Together they unravel age-old layers of secrets and resentments and navigate a path toward love, healing, and true reconciliation.

 

Children of the Waters: A Novel by Carleen Brice
One World/Ballantine; Price $14.00
Pub date: June 23, 2009 ISBN: 978-0345499073

 

EXCERPT: PROLOGUE

Time was short. Maxine Kuepper was starting to say things she didn’t mean. Yesterday, she told her granddaughter to Move my dish, when she wanted to ask her to bend her leg. Trish stared, stumped and afraid, yet all Maxine could do was yell the word “dish” over and over knowing that she wasn’t making any sense. Cell by cell, bone by bone, Maxine was floating away. She didn’t know if it was the cancer or the medication that made her say such things. She was wearing a patch that released heavy doses of relief into her bloodstream, and still the littlest weight on her, like a sheet or the cotton nightgowns they dressed her in, hurt. The nurse promised that when the time came Maxine wouldn’t have any pain. “We’ll snow you out,” the nurse assured her. “Don’t worry.” Maxine would die the way her daughter did: like a mermaid swimming at the bottom of an ocean of drugs. It was small comfort after all these years to believe that Jocelyn hadn’t been in any pain when she died. Jocelyn. Such a cultivated name for a daughter who would not be tamed.

They were coming for her, Jocelyn and John, her husband, both dead. She dreamed of them so much now that sometimes she could swear they were really here in this room, whispering their secrets to her. They were coming for her. If they weren’t already here, she knew they were just over the other side waiting. And even though she was only sixty years old and her granddaughter Trish was only seventeen, she was ready to join them. But she had one last thing she had to do. She had secrets of her own to tell. She looked at the Polaroid picture she’d kept hidden for thirteen years.

Not even John knew she had proof of this moment. There was Jocelyn, blond and movie-star gorgeous even after just giving birth, holding the baby, only hours old with a cap of thick dark hair. And Trish, smiling wide, skin, teeth and hair white as cream, on the hospital bed next to them. Both girls marked with a stain that couldn’t be washed away. Maxine wished she had done things differently. But wishes are for the living. She sighed and pain rippled through her as her lungs pushed up against the battlefield of her ribs and the space where her left breast used to be. She raised the pen with the same amount of exertion that it used to take to lift a gallon of milk and began to write. The nurse said don’t worry. But how could she not?

What would they think of her? Would they hate her or would they be glad to know the truth? Probably both. But she would do this one last thing for them. She would make things right. As soon as Trish came home, Maxine would give her the letter. I should have told you this a long time ago, she wrote to her granddaughter, putting everything that was in her battered heart onto the page so that when the time came cowardice wouldn’t seal her lips. Each word, a lifetime. Just as she finished, she heard the front door open and close. Or she thought she did. Lately it was hard to tell what sounds were real and what sounds were memories sweeping over her like ocean waves.

But if it was Trish coming in, Maxine knew she did not have the strength to see the look on her granddaughter’s face after she read this letter. She didn’t have the strength to answer the question she knew would come no matter how hard she tried to explain: How could you? She opened the box, put the letter and photo inside, and replaced the lid. After she was gone, Trish would find everything she needed to know. When Maxine was buried, her lies would be unearthed. It wouldn’t be long now. She was sipping life from a glass that was neither half empty, nor half full, a glass emptying so rapidly she could see it in the eyes of the hospice nurses and the few friends who came to visit her at home.

The bedroom door opened, and Trish poked her head in. “Nana, you awake?” Maxine nodded, thinking For now, and, Please God let them forgive me.

——————

Carleen Brice, Author of Children of the Waters, June 2009 www.carleenbrice.com

The Ministry of Motherhood

 Meet Cheryl Lacey Donovan

Cheryl Donovan is a native Houstonian who is walking in her destiny as she ministers the word of God all over the country. Her captivating messages are delivered in a no nonsense transparent dialogue with her audiences.

Cheryl believes in the Psalms 11:25 which says, She who refreshes others will herself be refreshed; therefore, she tries to be transparent as she speaks and writes about her valley to mountain experiences.

 Cheryl resides in Houston with her husband of 16 years. She has two grown sons and a step-daughter who has a son of her own.

To learn more about Cheryl or to have her speak at your next event visit http://www.cheryllaceydonovan.com

About the Book

In a time when teen pregnancy is on the rise once more and single mothers are being blamed for all of societies problems, Cheryl Lacey Donovan presents a view of single motherhood that tears down all the excuses for why single mother’s can’t succeed.

Cheryl Donovan shares her valuable insight into the spiritual and biblical principles associated with being a good mother.

A former single mother herself, Cheryl shows readers that through the abundance of God’s grace and love along with determination and perseverance, children don’t have to become statistics.

Cheryl identifies key biblical principles and displays practical life lessons that can help to establish solid foundations upon which to rear happy, well rounded, productive children.

Cheryl provides insight the will assist the reader to look inside themselves for change. It will help them identify the strongholds of poverty, lack of education, and abusive relationships and help them tear them down with the help of the creator.

Cheryl’s powerful testimony about her journey from teen pregnancy, domestic violence, and single parenting, to award winning author, educator, and inspirational speaker is sure to empower, enlighten, and inspire mothers everywhere.

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Create a safe Loving Home Environment

Psalms 133: 1-3 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

 Kids who don’t feel safe will suffer. Children exposed to parents who fight and argue may become depressed and withdrawn. Remember to respect your kids.

 Unity in the home is called precious and a blessing. Too many outside commitments can lead to little time spent with your children. A family cannot experience wholeness until each member is willing to put the other first.

 Though many life situations are beyond our control, parents can still establish homes that are peaceful and secure. Start by rejoicing in the accomplishments of others. Encourage your children to voice honest doubts and real struggles. A consistent walk with God, established routines, clearly communicated boundaries, and traditions when consistently applied create homes that are free of volatility. Such homes become retreats; safe places of comfort and renewal.

 Our families can be a powerful witness to others for good. We can either point to God or away from Him. When our homes are havens for peace and respect for one another, people take notice.

 Make your home a place where disagreements are fair, different opinions are respected, and words are loving.

 Who is the power behind your family? What do people see when they look at your family? What traits do you admire about other families? How can you incorporate those traits into your family? What positive aspects are being built into your own family?

 Cheryl Lacey Donovan is the author of The Ministry of Motherhood. Order your copy today. She is also the founder and chief visionary officer of Worth More Than Rubies Ministries. To learn more click here

Seven Tips for Black Women to Live a Happier Life by Tinisha Nicole Johnson

In this day and age when the world is changing, technology is advancing, and years have passed by in a blink of an eye, Black women may wonder about the future and how it will directly impact them. Today’s Black women are beginning to realize that change in the world, and they want a positive piece of it. From the test of time, many women are learning what it takes to be successful and get ahead.

Living in a world where you are constantly reminded that you are the minority of the minority, sooner or later you start to catch on and grab that piece of success. That success can involve anything from earning a living to raising a family. However, along the way you may begin to doubt yourself, you may even wonder about your self-worth, and at the end of the day, you want reassurance just to stay in the game.

Tip #1:
When your mind is stuck in the past, you are in fact a prisoner of your past, resisting the key to free yourself into a new direction for your future.

The past is gone. Sometimes you have to let it go. Black women love very hard. They feel as though they have to. It is their core source of strength. It is also a quality they fully accept from others. Whatever has happened in your life, you have to embrace the good and let go of the negativity, but always look ahead as optimistic as you can.

Tip #2:
Whatever your constant focus is on, is what will move you closer to happiness or deeper into dissatisfaction.

Focus on your strengths and refuse to accept being Black and a woman as a weakness. Train your mind to believe you are self-confident and capable, and soon your actions will follow pursuit.

Tip #3:
When you start to understand and believe the depth of your worth, then NO ONE can fool you into thinking what your worth is as a Black woman.

The media has a funny way of interjecting what is beauty and what is not; what is popular and what is thrown out. Don’t believe the hype! There are some who seem to have it all on the outside, but are hurting badly inside. Realize that your inner happiness means more than any outer material possession or physical trait. Love you, and the world has no choice but to acknowledge it and accept it.

Tip #4:
If something isn’t working then change your approach. Knowledge is everything. Along with knowledge and persistence, you will make better choices.

Believe it or not, you might be surprised that you don’t know yourself as well as you might think. Live life, get a life, experience something new, and be open to change in your life.

Tip #5:
Life just isn’t long enough to settle. The strength to change your situation is already inside you, you just have to realize and find it. Black women settle far more than they have to. They may want a change, but their actions tell a different story.

Realize you don’t have to settle. In some cases, it’s just demeaning to your self-worth. Recognize your strengths, work on improving your weaknesses, and always recognize the love that lives in the core of your soul.

Tip #6:
When you think others are holding you back, it’s your own way of thinking that’s holding many Black women back.

Many people resort to excuses – constant excuses. If you want something, go after it. Don’t allow insecurities or excuses to get in the way for too long, and stop your journey through life. More so, don’t for one second think you can’t accomplish your goals because of another human being.

Tip #7:
The quality of the relationship you have with yourself determines how many fears you have, and more importantly how you handle your fears.

You may have never thought of what type of relationship you have with yourself, but you should. You are going to be with yourself for the rest of your life. You might as well get to know yourself as much as you can. Always look for ways to enhance your growth – whether that growth is spiritual, emotional, relating to your career, family or health.

BIO:
Tinisha Nicole Johnson is an author, writer, and poet. She resides in Denver, Colorado with her family. Besides writing, she also hosts political and sports teleconferences as a profession. Tinisha is a versatile author. To date she’s written a mystery novel, a romance ebook, co-wrote an inspirational anthology, and her poetry can be read in various books and online.

The above article is based off her upcoming book, Lessons Learned: Loving Yourself as a Black Woman published through Xpress Yourself Publishing.

To learn more and to sign up for my monthly newsletter, visit the author at her website: http://www.tinishanicolejohnson.com

A year of great possibilities

This being a new year filled with history manifested through the sweat and tears of those who paved the way before us through an adage and a vision of greatness, evokes in me every waking moment the motivation to achieve the limitless and endless wealth of greatness that exists. I am thankful to have witnessed the journey traveled by our new President, Barack Obama in my era and my children’s era. Change has come, and much is before us in this country as we support and grow with President Obama.

Just as change of this magnitude took years of hard labor to reach, such is the task before our President. We have a commitment as well; to work towards making changes in our communities, schools, our youths as well as ourselves. Our duty is to involve ourselves in making a difference, not complaining or looking at the next person to do what we ourselves have the ability and capability of doing. President Barack Obama has proven the impossible can happen. It is our own consciousness that must believe we can create change in the same defined way.

Dr. Martin Luther King said, ““Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.”

Let us begin our lives anew and no longer walk, ride, or drive by the things we wish were different in silence.

We are destined for greatness!

This Day Never Forgotten

Who won’t remember this day in history, especially if you reside in the United States? Who won’t be moved with emotions regardless of who you are, regardless of what you’re religion is?

When you offer a new kind of hope to people, they begin to believe. When you offer a new kind of change to people who are suffering, they begin to believe. When a better life for you and your family is offered, you begin to believe. When solutions and a sense of sincerity is brought to the forefront, you start to believe. When Obama got elected for President of the United States, that change took place, and when Obama got sworn in on January 20, 2009 at noon, that hope and abundance of change grew alive and grew strong.

More than ever people believe that anything is possible. People believe just maybe their hopes and dreams can come true; that just maybe they can have a better life despite what struggles lay on the surface of their life.

God is good and He will always come to our rescue, not when we want Him to, but when He think it is necessary. The change has only just begun.

May God bless Obama, Biden and their families. May God bless us all and show us the way to the change we need. And may we never forget where we came from and where we are going. Obama has taught and showed us there is nothing wrong with dreaming big, because it just may come true if you believe and follow through.

Be grateful, stay humble, and become involved in the change!

Tinisha Nicole Johnson
Author of Somebody Prayed For Me, AVAILABLE NOW!!
www.TinishaNicoleJohnson.com

A New Conversation with Men by Michael Taylor

A New Conversation with Men by Michael Taylor

Paperback: 189 pages
Publisher: PublishAmerica
September 29, 2008
ISBN-10: 1605635804
ISBN-13: 978-1605635804

Listen to a Intimate Conversaton Interview with Michael Taylor
Ella Curry and Michael Taylor discuss the new book.

“Men hate each other because they fear each other, and they fear each because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they are often separated from each other.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

 Is it possible to: Teach men to become great fathers? Encourage men to become better husbands? Teach men to live with passion and purpose? Get men involved in improving their communities? Join entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker, and radio-show host Michael Taylor as he shares how creating a new paradigm of masculinity can help heal America. This book is written to inspire men of all ethnicities, ages, socio-economic levels, and religions to come together to redefine manhood and to eradicate the multiplicity of challenges facing America today. Its intention is to remove the separation among men and remove the hatred, fear, and distrust that too many men feel about each other. It is a powerful, inspirational document written to educate, motivate, and inspire all men to reach their full potential. Join the conversation, and become a part of the revolution!

View the spirit filled message from author Michael Taylor

Finally, a 21st century guide has been created to help men eradicate fatherless-ness, domestic abuse, high divorce rates and senseless acts of violence. Michael shares with his readers his own experiences in achieving a new found confidence in being a strong male leader. Michael Taylor is an entrepreneur, radio show host and a recognized motivational speaker. He can discuss life changing topics, targeting men who seek change in their lives, including subjects such as:

* How men can have a better self outlook- increasing their passion, joy and creativity
* How men can eliminate the Five Illusions of Manhood
* How men can recognize the Five Masks of Masculinity
* Learning what Spirituality really means for men
* How men can transform their relationship with their families and associates

Michael is available for literary events, virtual seminars and as a keynote speaker. For more information about A New Conversation with Men or the companion social site, please contact Michael Taylor via email at: info@ancwm.com. Visit the website to purchase the book and to view the many resources for men at: http://www.ancwm.com.

My Blessings to You in 2009

Hello my dear friends, my sons, my grandsons, godchildren and loved ones! First, let me give thanks and praise to God for each of you, for your help, your support, your love, your concern, your prayers, thoughts and dedication to me. Many things I have taken on in 2008 would not and could not have been done without your help and commitment toward me, and your belief in the dreams and talents God has placed in my heart.

It is my prayer that as God leads us into a new beginning, with the first of many blessings, starting with President Barack Obama and the First family, that we will make many more strides, and the first steps that we take into the new year will lead to marvelous and great things. It is my earnest prayer that God’s blessings and His unmerited favor will overflow in our lives,in our careers, in the desires of our hearts, in the lives of our families and loved ones. I pray that those blessings will run us down and overtake us like a mighty rushing wind!

All that we have been through in 2008 has made us who we are today. I’m sure many of us didn’t think we’d even be here. I’m certain we each faced our own personal strugles, obstacles, trials, and storms of life. Some which seemed torn beyond repair – yet God is faithful. He promises never to leave us or forsake us. God’s word says in Isaiah 65:24 “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Just think about that and meditate on how powerful God’s words are.
In 2009, let us seek God first and set our sights on things above. Let us obey his commandments. If we fully obey what God directs us to do, He promises that we will be the head and not the tail, that we will be blessed going in and going out; that our offspring will be blessed. He says, that enemies which come at us one way, will depart from our presence in seven ways! God promises we will be above and not beneath; that we will be lenders and not borrowers…”

Let us move forward in 2009 with great expectancy. Let us declare life and not death; and most of all let us do all that will honour, glorify, magnify and praise God!

I love you all so much (But God really does love you more!)

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How to Make Money With a Blog?

How to Make Money With a Blog?
Author: Duinu Vlad

In light of the fast rising popularity of the World Wide Web, internet blogging has become quite common. What was once a relatively unknown online service known as blogging has now become a very staple of what makes the internet exactly what is. Because of this, some savvy entrepreneurs see this as a great investment opportunity which has left a lot of people wondering How to Make Money With a Blog.

And surprisingly, it’s not very hard at all to start getting paid for your own personal blog – there are thousands, and probably even millions of different sites on the web that are all aimed at showing you How to Make Money With a Blog; and of course some of these sites work better than others, and some may not even work at all. The most difficult part of the task lies in sorting through the various different websites that cover the topic of How to Make Money With a Blog, and for many it is simply not even worth their time.

Then of course you have websites that claim to be able to teach you How to Make Money With a Blog, but when you get to their site you find that you are required to pay hundreds of dollars in membership fees. Most of these websites are outright scams – sending your money to these companies is a large risk indeed. There is plenty of information available on the World Wide Web about paid blogging, and the majority of information is free. You should always be wary of any sites that are asking for you to pay upfront, especially when it comes to paid blogging.

But there really are people out there who are getting paid for their blogging services, and if you really want to find out How to Make Money With a Blog, however, you are going to have to do a bit of your own research. Because a lot of websites out there are only trying to make money for their own company, they obviously value their own interests ahead of yours. The only way to a get a true, unbiased opinion about How to Make Money With a Blog is to take the time and sort through those thousands or millions of potential websites until you find those that work. While this may take you hours, and possibly even days, it is a necessary step for anybody who is serious about trying to make it in the professional blogosphere.

But there are some signs to look for in order to make the search easier when you are trying to find out How to Make Money With a Blog. First of all, avoid clicking on “Sponsored Links” that usually appear on the top of the search results you will receive at any online search engine. These are nothing more than that – sponsored links; meaning that the company has paid the search engine to put their link ahead of the rest. Often times unsuspecting internet surfers will click on these links simply because they are the first ones they see, but the majority of the time these are going to be nothing but the paid membership sites you are trying to avoid.

Without a doubt, One of the best places where you can find out How to Make Money With a Blog is through internet message boards and online discussion forums. Here you will be able to talk with hundreds, and probably even thousands of different internet users from all around the world, many of which are blogger themselves. While some get paid for it and some do not, most individuals who maintain a regular internet blog do know How to Make Money With a Blog, some choose not to however due to other personal obligations.

Newsletters and newsgroups are another great source of some valuable information, too – many of the users that frequent these types of sources are people just like you, and they all want to make money off from their own personal blogs as well. Because of this, everybody stays on the look-out for brand new paid blogging sites, and when they find them, they race to the message boards or newsgroups to share their findings and discuss the new site with everybody else. Be careful however, for paid advertisements that are disguised as plain message board posts – these positive reviews have just been paid for by the company, and therefore are not valid in the least bit.

Another good way to find out more information on how you can profit from your blog is by visiting some of the most popular blogs yourself and contacting the blogger via email. You would be surprised at how many professional bloggers actually do check their email every day and respond to their user’s questions. Just like with any business, good customer service keeps people coming back again and again. Getting paid to blog is absolutely no different.

There are plenty of great ways to make money with your blog – it just may take a little bit of patience at first. But believe it or not, there are professional bloggers who are getting paid hundreds, and even thousands of dollars a week; and you can too. As long as you have a little bit of patience, perseverance, and of course, a little bit of writing talent, it’s not very hard to find out How to Make Money with a Blog.
About the Author:
Robert Jensen is CEO at PayingPost blog advertising network where bloggers get paid to post and advertisers can promote their products.

Book Swapping and Exchange Sites

The idea of exchanging your old used books for new ones you haven’t read is an idea which is gaining momentum across the internet. Used book swapping sites now boast hundreds of thousands of registered members and millions of used books ready for to be exchanged with other book lovers.

So what is the appeal? Why should you join an online book exchange web site when there are so many other ways of acquiring books? Well, here are some arguments for and against joining.

The Advantages Of Online Book Swapping Sites

Why should you join a book trading site?

Well, for a start, if you are someone who regularly buys books, it is more than likely going to save you a lot of money. Book swapping sites are free to join, and for the price of postage and one used book from your collection, you can get new books to read. Effectively, this means you can pick up a new book for under $2 – this includes hardback books, cookbooks and textbooks too. That offers the possibility of making big savings when compared to any other way of buying books.

Secondly, you can give yourself a pat on the back for recycling books and saving the environment in the process. Swapping rather than buying books means less trees are felled to produce reading material. Again, this can only be a good thing so far as environmental issues are concerned.

Thirdly, it’s a great way to declutter your book shelves and help out someone else at the same time by giving them a book they are looking for.

Book trading sites are also a great place to find out of print and hard to find books. These can often be expensive to find otherwise, and you can waste a lot of time looking for them. At book swapping sites, you simply add the books you want to a wish list and when it comes in to the site, you are sent an email alert saying its there. Much easier.

One more thing – the selection is huge. Sure, you can go hit all the used book stores in town and you might find what you are looking for but probably not. A used book club on the other hand has millions of books in their system. One swap site claims to have over 2.5 million books and that’s just on one site.

The Disadvantages Of Online Book Exchange Sites

Firstly, why not just use a library? Then the books are free right? Personally, I look at libraries as something aside from all other forms of acquiring new reading material because you do not get to own the book. You get a specified period in which to read the book, in many cases will get fined for returning it late if you’ve not done with it, and have a limited selection to choose from. Libraries are great, but they’re not ideal.

Used books are not for everyone. If you like your books shiny and new regardless of the price, then an online book swapping club is not for you. Most swap sites have rules about the quality of book allowed to be offered up for exchange but they are predominantly used books.

New books make money for the publisher and the author, used books do not. Whilst its easy to argue they have already factored in trading on the used book market into the price of a new book, the fact remains, buying or swapping used books costs them money and may affect new authors in particular.

The Verdict?

Either way, online book swapping sites are becoming increasingly popular, with millions of books waiting to be traded with swappers all over the world. Whether a book swapping club is right for you is a matter of personal choice, but either way, it is something to consider the next time you look at that shelf full of books you’ll never read again or choke on the price of a new hardback.
About the Author:
Mark Falco is an avid reader and is always on the look out for ways to save money on his literary addiction.

The Five C’s Of Co-Creation

How To Share Power In A Relationship – The Five C’s Of Co-Creation
By: Paul & Layne Cutright

The evolutionary edge for humanity is sharing power. As a species we are gradually moving from using our power in self-centered adversarial ways to sharing our collective power for the mutual benefit of everyone concerned. We are shifting from a paradigm characterized by me or them to me and them. We are just beginning to tap into the power of co-creation.

It’s going to take more than good intentions for us to pull this one off. We are all going to have to learn to think differently, make new distinctions and include new practices in our business-as-usual routines.

We offer you the 5 C’s of co-creation to help you create a map for your exploration of this new and uncharted territory.

The 5 C’s are commitment, communication, cooperation, collaboration and coordination. If you are intending to create a future with one or more people it’s a good idea to deep the 5C’s in mind and to check in with one another periodically to see if you are taking them into consideration as you progress.

COMMITMENT - Setting your intention. What are we all committed to? Can we all state it succinctly? Does the commitment generate enthusiasm? Does it live in our everyday conversations with one another in some way? Are there any obstacles to honoring the commitment to our fullest ability? How are we dealing with those obstacles? Are we all committed to doing what is in our power to do, to have the co-creative endeavor succeed for everyone concerned?

COMMUNICATION - Creating the environment. As human beings our relationships live in language. What we talk about and how we talk about it determines the emotional climate of our relationships. Is our communication style fostering safety and creativity? Are we communicating readily, honestly, and openly? Are there things we are afraid to discuss that need to be discussed? Are there unspoken emotional undercurrents distracting our attention? Are there any recurrent communication breakdowns and is there a strategy in place so they can be avoided in the future? Does our communication include acknowledgment and gratitude? Are people making requests in order to take care of their own needs and wants? Are we giving effective feedback so we can improve as we go? Are we communicating our unified purpose to others in inspiring and enthusiastic ways?

COOPERATION - The necessary attitude. Are we cooperating? Is our cooperation motivated by an inner passion or is it being forced by fear and the need to go with the flow of others intentions? Are we able to find a common path through adversity or is it every man for him self when the going gets tough? Are there any competing egos vying for the spotlight at the expense of others? Are we clear on the benefits of cooperation in this creative endeavor? What is at risk if we don’t cooperate?

COLLABORATION - Synergizing ideas. Is there an attitude that everyone’s ideas are vital to the whole? Are we able to express our ideas freely without fear of judgment or ridicule? As a group are we asking BIG questions that bring forth the talent of everyone involved and excite our creative impulses? Are we able to engage in possibility thinking, not limited by the past or what has been? Are we skillful in bringing out the best in each other? Is the system in which we are working set up to receive the avalanche of creativity we can generate?

COORDINATION - Synchronizing action. What’s the plan? How are we coordinating our actions in effective and harmonious ways? Do we all have an overview of how all the different parts are working together? Are we clear on individual areas of responsibility and accountability? What are the consequences, if any, for failure to perform? How does time play into to it? Do we have established lines of communication? How often do we need to reevaluate the plan? How often and in what form (phone, meetings, e-mail) do we need to communicate in order to coordinate effectively?

We all play a vital part in the emerging paradigm of co-creation.  Discovering our unique contribution is part of the adventure. We hope that using the 5 C’s will help you better play your part in fulfilling the promise of humanity’s evolutionary potential.

We have found it very helpful to use written agreements that clarify the foundation of the co-creative relationship. These are the ones we like to use and we offer them for your consideration.

Co-Creator Agreements

1. I agree to bring my passion and talent to our collective endeavor.

2. I agree to speak the truth with compassion.

3. I agree to listen deeply and respectfully to others.

4. I agree to be responsible for my own needs, wants and sense of being valued.

5. I agree to acknowledge others generously.

6. I will readily use our predetermined protocol for resolving upsets in a way that fosters personal responsibility and collective harmony.

7. I agree to use mistakes constructively and practice forgiveness when called for.

8. I will strive to maintain trust and affinity and restore them if they are damaged.

9. I agree to turn my complaints into requests and communicate constructively to the person who can do something about it.

10. I will refrain from negative gossip.

11. I agree to manage my agreements with others in responsible and courteous ways.

12. I agree to encourage and be encouraged in bringing out our individual genius.

13. I agree to nurture a soulful connection with my fellow co-creators.

 

About the author:
Paul and Layne Cutright are authors of multiple books. They offer a variety of free relationship resources at their web site http://PaulandLayne.com. Subscribe to their Weekly Relationship Inspiration Program at http://PaulandLayne.com/Inspire and receive their How to Create Successful Relationships e-Course.

Marriage Is A Bond Of Many Dimensions

Marriage Is A Strong Bond Of Many Dimensions
By: James Wallis

There is one association, one relationship where this mask is thrown asunder by most people. There may be some who continue with it, but they are in a minority. This is the relationship of marriage. Not only is it the oldest relation that man has built it is also the foundation of human society.

Marriage

Marriage is the foundation stone or the first building block of what we refer to as society. All other human relationships revolve around it. Thus it is marriage which leads to parenthood, brings uncles and aunts into the picture besides the other obvious relationships of grandparents, cousins, nephews and nieces etc.

Marriage is what gives us the family which is the next building block of every society. It is considered to be the most sacred of all human institutions and every religion in the world has sanctified it through the ages. In spite of all differences of race, language, religion and region, marriage is one common factor amongst all the facets of mankind.

Durability of Marriage

Marriage has survived all upheavals in the history of mankind. Kingdoms and nation states were established and destroyed. New religions were established. Even the ever-changing trends of fashion have come and gone. Human ideologies have been established and destroyed but the institution of marriage has remained intact.

Marriage continues to be a milestone in the lives of millions of men and women across the globe. It is the dream of every little girl to end up in the arms of her prince charming and the longing or fantasy of every boy to marry the most beautiful girl in the world. The urge to marry is something that begins even when a person is in nascent stages of growth.

Reasons for the Durability of Marriage

Several reasons can be attributed to the fact of marriage having survived as an institution through the ages.

Intimacy: No other relationship can provide the levels of intimacy as are available in the institution of marriage. This intimacy can transcend the physical and emotional planes and be so great that in given cases it may even seem to be spiritual in nature.

Emotional Intimacy: The intimacy enjoyed in marriage can easily spread to varied aspects of one’s emotional well being. The spouse is a shoulder that is always there for the partner to lean upon. No other relationship can give the kind and amount of emotional succour that one can find in marriage.

Physical Intimacy: The level of physical intimacy that can be enjoyed in marriage is not easily available outside this relationship. In fact for a large number of people marriage is the first relationship in which they can develop intimate physical bonding. Celibacy before marriage is considered to be of great importance in several cultures and is cherished by those who espouse it.

Social Status: Marriage conjoins the social standing of the two partners. Their social circles become one and they develop common friends. An invite to one partner is automatically extended to the other spouse also. All social functions are common for them and they are deemed to be one in every societal aspect. This is but an obvious result of the above stated fact that marriage is the first building block of human society.

Legal Aspects: In legal parlance a husband and wife are taken to be one for all social purposes. The law gives such importance to marriage that in most countries and cultures the dissolution of marriage involves lengthy and cumbersome process. This process is referred to as divorce. In case of divorce proceedings, varied aspects such as the custody of children, division of marital assets, maintenance, are taken into consideration.

Parenthood In today’s day and age, single parent families are seemingly becoming the norm. This may be because of divorce or children being born out of the wedlock. However even today, marriage signifies the beginning of a family. Since ages marriages have led to parenthood. This opens up a new window altogether for the couple and can bring them closer than ever before.

Growth: A marriage provides social stability to a person. It can stabilise an individual in numerous ways and be the beginning of a new chapter in his or her life. The avenues for social and personal growth in marriage can be manifold.

 

About the author:
James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you would like more information on how to get a quickie Divorce see http://www.quickie-divorce.com

How Do I Get My Ex Boyfriend Back

How Do I Get My Ex Boyfriend Back – 3 Important Tips You Must Know!
By: John Purden

Men are usually deep in emotions. They do not express well there feelings that is why they are often misunderstood. It is always painful in the part of girls when there boyfriend leave them with no particular reason, or if they had it is not sometime reasonable. How do I get my ex boyfriend back – the answer is by understanding men in nature. Through understanding how they feel and think about relationship could give you a good strategic plan.

How do I get my ex boyfriend back? It is easy. Just learn the three important tips on it.

First, how do I get my ex boyfriend back? Enjoy yourself first. Breaking up will give you mixed emotions. So it is helpful if you enjoy first and take time to relax instead of thinking always about the guy and how it ended up. Enjoying your life can give a good aura, wherein you will grow to another person, a glow in your face that will renew yourself. It is important that you will take good care of yourself first because sometimes worrying this much will lower your self-esteem and there is tendency that you will be ignored by your ex-boyfriend. So let him see that you are coping up or recovering well from your break up.

When you finally unwind and are ready to face what you really want, then it is important to keep in touch with him. Even the break up caused you a miserable feeling, the burning desire of yours to be together with him is what really matters. But of course, take it step-be-step until your ex-boyfriend realize that she needs you again.

Second, how do I get my ex boyfriend back? Be tough and flexible. By being tough you can decide properly. If you want your ex boyfriend to be back to you then be strong. Be strong in giving him the space that he wants for the meantime. Be flexible in dealing with your ex-boyfriend. Sometimes because of the desperation of winning him back, there is a tendency to be submissive. You can be over ruled by your emotions. Instead be tough and flexible. Know what is necessary and what is not.

Third, how do I get my ex boyfriend back? By being friend a friend him. The break up may be painful but there are still reasons for that to patch up. Being friend with him does not mean taking advantage of him to respond immediately to your feelings. But instead being friend with him means that you had accepted the whole scenario that you are not together in the picture. You are no longer a couple but instead two good friends. This may take a lot of time to accept but in this way being friend with him is one way showing to him that you are there for him.

The unstable emotions of men make them distant from their true feelings. Sometimes men need to open up their emotion to someone to be able also to understand how painful they are going through. Stopping themselves from crying or by hiding their true feelings, it becomes more difficult for them. so by being there with him, listening, it can be an advantage of winning him back.

 

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