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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? Why?
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? OnTheFlipSidesm.jpg 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: What is the best piece of advice you would give to an aspiring author? Nikkea: Do your research, stay positive and value the message over all else. 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
http://www.amazon.com/Flip-Side-Nikkea-Smithers/dp/0977938751/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top Purchase the book at: Barnes & Noble Online
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/On-The-Flip-Side/Nikkea-Smithers/e/9780977938759/?itm=2&usri=nikkea+smithers Even Sinners Have Souls TooEven 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? What stands out the most?
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
http://www.amazon.com/Even-Sinners-Have-Souls-Too/dp/0970672659/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1 Drunk for 27 Years: A Story of Victory - Her Choice to Live and Not Die Book Intro- Drunk for 27 Years: A Story of Victory - Her Choice to Live and Not Die
by Cynthia Banks The road of Priscilla’s life was paved by the people that made choices for her. Through heartache, pain, trauma and tragedy, Priscilla’s experiences became stepping stones that forced her to make a choice that ultimately changed the outcome of her life. Drunk for 27 years, the compelling true story of Priscilla Gibson, mother of singer, actor and model Tyrese Gibson, suffered 27 years with alcoholicism. The book reveals the unconditional love that her children had for their mother, who despite all they had experienced remained just the strength she needed to make it through.
Suffering abuse at the hands of an alcoholic mother, Priscilla began drinking at a very young age, and continued into her adult years. Many factors manipulated the course of Priscilla’s life, causing her to make one bad choice after another until she finally made the choice to live and not die.
Pick up a copy of Drunk for 27 years Drunk, for 27 Years: A Story of Victory - Her Choice to Live and Not Die
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1438993137/ref=dp_proddesc_1?ie=UTF8&n=283155 ISBN-10: 1438993137 ; ISBN-13: 978-1438993133 Download Your Copy and Read it Today! ISBN#: 9781438993157 (ebook download) http://www.authorhouse.com/Bookstore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=62988 Meet the Author
Cynthia Banks is the owner and director of The Little Teapot Daycare Center, founded in Fort Worth, Texas in 1993; and is President of Banks Entertainment, LLC a Concert, Tour Booking and Management Company. She is also an Accreditation Validator for the National Association of Family Childcare and a board member of Agape, Kids, an organization that supports the needs and concerns of children of battered women. One of the most rewarding organizations that Cynthia has the privilege of being a part of is the Stop Aids Leadership Project. S.S.A.L.P. was conceived out of the concern for the growing number of AIDS/HIV infected African Americans in the community. Cynthia hosts and participates in events and HIV/AIDS testing sites throughout Texas to encourage the public to “Know Your Status”.
Cynthia is also the author of Prayers of the Innocent, a true story of fraud and exploitation. The crimes occurred from the late 1990s through 2003, at historically black colleges in the South. The story follows a young college student who unwittingly is caught-up in bank fraud that leads to racketeering, sexual exploitation and theft. Prayers of the Innocent is a story of fear, compassion and a need to protect. Banks is currently working on her third book, Broken Trust, another true story of corruption in a county governmental office in Florida. The story follows Charles, one of Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department’s most trusted employees for over sixteen years. Unbeknownst to the company, Charles found a way to embezzle over 4 million dollars over a 3 year span. Broken Trust is a story that proves that things and people are not always as they seem. Public speaking is no stranger to Cynthia Banks. She has spoken at the United Negro College Fund conference, has been interviewed by several radio stations, including The Bob Gorley Show in Los Angeles. She has had several book signings in Public Libraries, schools and colleges, churches and expos, including Book Expo America in New York. Banks has also appeared on CCTV Channel 31 in Fort Worth, Texas and WCTV in Tallahassee, Florida. Meet historical fiction author Dwight Fryer  Fryer shares from his twenty-five years of business experience in leadership, technology, finance, accounting, marketing and publishing. He has written two critically acclaimed novels. The Legend of Quito Road and The Knees of Gullah Island. Dwight speaks about life, healthcare, business, leadership, history, literature, community and storytelling. The University of Memphis teaches The Legend of Quito Road in its Masters of Fine Arts Program in the English Department.
Dwight Fryer has inspired audiences at universities, corporations, schools, faith communities and nonprofit organizations. His passion is to help people do all they can to succeed and use his experiences to inspire others.
Fryer was diagnosed with cancer two days after a 1998 layoff. In 2001, the disease meningococcal meningitis took his youngest daughter’s life. He works as an advocate for immunization against bacterial meningitis with the National Meningitis Association. He survived a wreck caused by a driver under the influence.
Contact him today for details on how he can share at your next event via email at author@dwightfryer.com. Website: http://www.dwightfryer.com Q: Tell us a little about your main characters. Who are your favorites? Why?
In The Legend of Quito Road, Papa Gill Erby is a good man with thick thumb and jet black skin. He and his second wife, Miss Sarah, have twelve children between them. Miss Sarah has yellow skin, green eyes and hair well below her shoulders. Only one of their offspring is a boy, Raymond Simon Erby. However, that male child is not called by his given name. He is what he is, Son Erby, the only surviving male heir. In December 1932, thirteen-years-old Son receives the family legacy from soft spoken and kind Papa Gill. This gift had been handed down by his father, Gillam Hale. Papa Gill taught his only boy to make illegal moonshine whiskey and Son Erby was never the same. He grows toward manhood with a wicked spark added to his light brown eyes during the three years course of the novel. Is there any spiritual difference in making moonshine and crack cocaine or crystal meth? Was this knowledge a gift or a curse and what is does that information produce today for modern drug industry participants?
Red-headed Rafe Coleman and mocha skinned Thelma Louise Smith enter a relationship of mutual exploitation. Who is really in charge of this love-match between the large town constable that readers love to hate and a woman with a sordid family given nickname because of her physical traits. They call her Bustie and all know why!
In The Knees of Gullah Island, Queen Esther Hale has been enslaved twice. She is still not free when the book begins in July 1883, even though she is an intelligent and successful business woman with a flourishing restaurant in downtown Charleston. Her husband Gillam Hale, has not seen her in twenty-five years since their illegal sale into slavery. He must make a huge decision when he discovers she is in Charleston: does he leave all he has known in the second half of his life to search for what he loved in his first half of his existence? How does this type history impact the modern man’s exit from the home and children they have parented? How did slavery impact the slaveholder? For that story, we look at the lives of Claude and Marjorie Crenshaw, rich Southerners with a storied past and many secrets.
Miss Grozalia is a Gullah-Geechee matriarch and root doctor. You better treat her with respect or she will put a root on you! Miss Grozalia told a young gal, “Daa’tuh, mos’ time two lay down three get up!” How many young folks today need to receive that message.
Dora and March Crenshaw are young, barely black and have big decisions to make in their young adult lives. Which side of the color line of their mixed heritage will they be drawn too and why does society make them choose one when they originate from both?
Mule Jenkins is an African American vendor who sells fish to the exclusive homes South of Broad on the Charleston peninsula. Homeless Mule sings as he walks to market his wares and forget his troubles. Cuppie Geechee is a voluptuous Gullah woman who has waited for thirteen years for the love of a man from her past. On a cool afternoon near Christmas 1883, she decided not to wait any more.
Gullah John is as mean as he is lanky. His Gullah speech and wicked sense of humor makes the hair stand up on the back of the neck of most folks he meets. Why does he have such a hold on June, daughter of Queen Esther and Gillam Hale? June is thick with muddy red skin and has a weakness that only the love of a father can heal. How many children today suffer similar challenges?
Bent knees do straighten crooked deeds. All the characters eventually learn this and someday so will each of us. Q: What sets your books apart from other books in your genre?
I am producing quality stories suitable for young and old to read. These books have great wisdom lessons and are filled with startling story lines and unforgettable characters. A major university has taught my work in their Masters of Fine Arts program in the English Department. That is rare air for any writer in any genre. Contact author Dwight Fryer today for details on how he can share at your next event via email at author@dwightfryer.com. Website: http://www.dwightfryer.com The Legend of Quito Road by Dwight Fryer
ISBN-13: 9781583147061 | ISBN: 1583147063 Pick up a copy at Barnes and Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Legend-of-Quito-Road/Dwight-Fryer/e/9781583147061/?itm=1 The Knees of Gullah Island by Dwight Fryer ISBN: 0373831196 | ISBN-13: 9780373831197 Pick up a copy at Barnes and Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Knees-of-Gullah-Island/Dwight-Fryer/e/9780373831197 Both books are filled with rich historical details and spiritual truths that are applicable to the modern reader.
Pat G’Orge-Walker-The First Lady of Gospel ComedyThe First Lady of Gospel Comedy Writing and Performing Award winning author/Christian comedienne/Speaker Pat G'Orge-Walker aka Sister Betty “Promoting books and performing comedy are very arduous tasks particularly when you are trying to expose the church to a new method of bringing people to Christ. No matter how funny my routines or stories may be there will always be a message of God’s love and redemption.”  Pat G’Orge (pronounced Gee-or-jay) - Walker is in a league of her own. This accomplished Christian author and comedienne has an amazing mind and talent for turning her observations of church and black church life, in particular, into gems of sidesplitting humor. It is her own special gift from God that enables G’Orge-Walker to depict the often ridiculous antics of church folk. She does it without subverting the Good News or watering down the potency of its message. Pat G’Orge-Walker has led a colorful life professionally, to say the least. She is a former music industry veteran who has worked for several major labels including Epic, Def Jam and Columbia. She cut her chops as a singer by performing with the legendary 60s girl group, Arlene Smith and the Chantels (“Maybe”) as well as with the gospel groups The Spiritualettes and The Heavenly Two. And she has written as well as acted in stage presentations.
In the 1970s G’Orge-Walker began penning short stories featuring a main character that has an intimate and impacting encounter with God Almighty on the telephone, the now infamous Sister Betty. But it wasn’t until 1997 that she actually self-published the first in a series of books and that book – Sister Betty God is Calling! – is now being sold on Amazon.com as a collector’s item.
“The fact that there has never been anything like my gospel comedy stories never crossed my mind until I was presented with the BWA 2000 Golden Pen Award for creating a new genre in fiction—gospel comedy.”
God called Sister Betty once more in 2003 and G’Orge-Walker released Sister Betty God’s Calling You, Again! (Kensington Books) thus marking another first for both the author and the publishing house that launched an inspirational department, a result of signing G’Orge-Walker. And G’Orge-Walker was thrust onto the scene in a rocket as a much sought after and highly acclaimed speaker and stand up comedian with her one-woman shows.
Kensington followed its endorsement of G’Orge-Walker with the commission of another novel featuring Sister Betty, “Mother Eternal Ann Everlastin’ is Dead,” which was released in 2004. If the author pushed the envelope with Sister Betty God’s Calling Again! then she mailed the letter with Mother Eternal Ann Everlastin’ is Dead.
“Some people thought I went too far in exposing some of the spiritual flaws of the church by giving the characters names such as a Sister Ima Hellraiser or Bishop Was Nevercalled. Unfortunately, these characters exist and any resemblance to these characters, whether dead or alive, is a doggone shame.”
The characters still exist and G’Orge-Walker continues to pull from a seemingly inexhaustible pool of material to create more novels and build her comedy routine. In between the laughs, Pat G’Orge-Walker the wife, mother and church deaconess is deadly serious about serving God. Some consider comedy to be entertainment first but not G’Orge-Walker who views it as ministry first.
“Promoting books and performing comedy are very arduous tasks particularly when you are trying to expose the church to a new method of bringing people to Christ. No matter how funny my routines or stories may be there will always be a message of God’s love and redemption.”
# # # AWARDS Essence Best Selling Author Pat G'Orge-Walker "Somewhat Saved" --# 6 Essence August 2008 Best Sellers List Nominated AALBS 2008 Best Comedy
"2007 AALBS Best Comedy of the Year" "2007 Disilgold Best Gospel Comedy of the Year" "2007 September and October Essence Best Seller" BWA 2000 Innovative Writer --New York State Assembly's 2003 Woman of Distinction --AGMA (American Gospel Music Awards) 2004/2005 Christian Comedienne of the Year --2004/2005 Disilgold Inspirationalist Novelist of the Year One Night with You by Francis Ray
One Night with You by Francis Ray Pick up a copy at Amazon
Meet Multi-Award Winning Author… Kimberley WhiteI Need More by Kimberley White-New Release http://edcmagazine.blogspot.com/2009/10/all-way-by-kimberley-white.html  Introducing Award Winning Author… Kimberley White Award-winning author Kimberley White resides in metropolitan Detroit. She’s a nurse practitioner currently pursuing her Doctorate of Nursing Practice. She uses her twenty years of nursing experience to address topics such as domestic violence, hypertension and sexual harassment in an entertaining and informative manner. Ms. White speaks at writing conferences and has taught writing courses at several Michigan colleges. 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 http://www.kwhitewrite.com/ Email: kwhite_writer@hotmail.com
Ms. White’s novels and awards include: :: Sweet Tomorrows (Genesis Press, April 2001) :: Dream Jobs To Go: Romance Writing (Intellectua ebooks, June 2001) :: Lujon 1 (Best Black Women’s Erotica, Volume II. Cleis, February 2003) :: Acquisitions (Genesis Press, May 2003) :: Only In My Dreams (BET/Arabesque, May 2003)—Nominee, Best Romance of the Year :: Tango (BET/Arabesque, November 2003) :: Hard to Love (June 2004) :: Forever After (BET/Arabesque, July 2004)—Winner, Steamiest Romance Book :: Conquering Dr. Wexler’s Heart (Genesis Press, NOV 2004) :: To Love A Ballantyne (BET/Arabesque, 2005) :: Sweet Repercussions (BET/Arabesque, 2005) :: You Never Know (BET/Kimani Press, 2006) :: Ballantyne’s Destiny (BET/Kimani Press, 2006) :: All the Way (Dafina, 2008) :: I Need More (Dafina, 2009)
Community Discussion Questions Please read Kimberley White's book excerpts and answer the following questions in this forum. Two commentors will be randomly selected to obtain a review copy of Kimberley White latest book. Leave your email addresses with comments here to enter drawing. All winners will be announced on the Black Pearls Magazine at Facebook on November 27, 2009, during Black Books Weekends with Ella. 1. Why are we willing to sacrifice what’s truly important in life—love, family, health & safety—for fame and money? 2. Role reversal: are men now marrying for money? 3. Are African-American men really portrayed badly in the literature? 4. Are female characters relatable? (Physically? Use of foul language and slang?) 5. Why would an author lose their voice in their own books?
Introduction to I Need More by Kimberley White Preview Chapters from the book here. 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. . . ISBN-13: 9780758222107; ISBN 10: 0758222106 Buy the book, I Need More by Kimberley White, today!
Introduction to All The Way by Kimberley White Romantic Suspense--- As manager of the hot nightclub Skye, Payton Vaughn thinks she’s seen it all…until the night she witnesses a cold blooded murder. The police can’t protect her from a psychopathetic killer with sexually sadistic fantasies of how to keep her quiet, so she runs…All the Way…Into the arms of Adriano Norwood, a man who’s happy to see the story of his career wrapped in the perfectly angelic body of a woman he’ll soon want to protect with his own life. He’d sacrifice his happiness and let her go before he’ll put her in danger again…Unless they find a way to have it all. ISBN-10: 0758222106; ISBN-13: 978-0758222107 Buy the book, All The Way by Kimberley White, today!
ALL THE WAY Book Reviews
In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. TaylorThe Making of In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor
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.
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?
ISBN:978-1432734718
Purchase is In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor from Amazon
Capital BookFest October 3, 20095th Anniversary Capital BookFest 
5th Anniversary Capital BookFest Saturday, October 3, 2009 Time: 10am-7pm EST Location: Boulevard at the Capital Centre 900 Capital Centre Boulevard, Largo 20774
Visit www.capitalbookfest.org for a schedule of events. Celebrating 5 Years of Strengthening Families through Reading 
Event Description: Presented in partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Bookfest features author readings, publishing workshops, poetry performances, children's storytelling, teen programs, and over 75 vendors. Free books to the first 1,000 people. The authors talks include discussions with Nelson George, Tim Reid, Liza Mundy (Michelle Obama: Biography), Sonya Sones, Marita Golden, Lori Nelson, Ronald Cotton (Picking Cotton), Chef Gillian Clark, Sahar Simmons, Le Hinton, Victoria Christopher Murray, W. Ralph Eubanks, Lucille Clifton, Omar Tyree, Kimberly Seals Allers (The Mocha Moms Manual), Charisse Nunes (I am Barack Obama children’s book), and several teen authors. This year, in response to President Barack Obama’s call to service, the Capital BookFest and the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services will team up to promote healthy homes for children in foster care. Meet Ella Curry of EDC Creations for live reader interviews! Visit http://www.capitalbookfest.org/ for a schedule of events. All ages welcome. Cost: FREE admission
 Capital BookFest Founder Kwame Alexander, a poet, publisher, playwright, producer, dynamic speaker, and performer, is the author of eight books -including the best-selling Do The Write Thing: 7 Steps to Publishing Success, Kupenda: Love Poems, Dancing Naked on the Floor: poems and essays, and The Way I Walk, a collection of young adult short stories. He has conducted standing-room only publishing workshops, delivered awe-inspiring keynote speeches, and performed his cutting-edge brand of poetry to audiences at numerous conferences, colleges and venues throughout the world, including: Stratford-on-Avon, Brixton Town Hall, Oberlin College, UC Berkeley, Hampton University, Duke University, University of Maryland, America's Choice National Conference, Baltimore Writers Alliance, and the Gwendolyn Brooks Writers Conference. Alexander has produced over two-hundred literary related special events, the most recent being the First Annual Capital BookFest, a major literary arts festival sponsored by The Washington Post, Chick-fil-A, and The Literacy Council of Prince George's County. Dubbed a "phenom" in the poetry world by The Charleston (SC) City Paper, Alexander has wowed audiences with his electric readings and performances at coffeehouses, theatres, and universities across the country and abroad. In 2002, 2004, and 2005 Alexander was selected as a special guest author for the Library of Congress Poets at Noon Series, and The Washington Post-Maryland Center for the Book Evening in The Stacks Gala. The founder of two book publishing companies, BlackWords Press and Do The Write Thing , this publishing veteran of over fifteen years is responsible for some of the most progressive, original and exciting fiction and non-fiction on the shelves today. He has published over forty authors in different genres, including: M. Dion Thompson, former Baltimore Sun reporter and author of the critically-acclaimed historical novel Walk Like A Natural Man; Lalita Noronha, author of the short story collection, Where Monsoons Cry; and Michael Datcher, Today Show Book Club Awardee and editor of Tough Love: The Life and Death of Tupac Shakur . Kwame Alexander has served as a judge for several local and national literary awards, including the Georgia Writer's Awards, and the Washington, DC Parkmont Poetry Awards. Among his many board appointments are The CityLit Project, Baltimore's Artscape Festival, and the Hippodrome Arts & Education Committee. Alexander is a graduate of Virginia Tech, where he studied under renowned poet Nikki Giovanni. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and daughter, where he hosts a weekly radio program, Word of Mouth, and serves as poet-in-the-schools for Crossland High School/Prince George's County Schools. When not working on several new and exciting book and TV/film projects, he enjoys reading, writing, and a good game of chess. Book Spotlight: The Reunion by John R. Williams
Book Title: The Reunion ISBN 13: 978-0-9818094- 4-1 ISBN 10: 0-9818094-4- 8 John R. Williams' Website: www.theauthor.us The Talking Points for Interviews Point #1 – The Reunion was written for anyone that has ever been in love or ever been nostalgic about the good old days. We all have stories from back in the day when we wore crazy hair styles, funny looking clothes and had high school sweethearts. My book will whisk you away and take you back in time to when life was simpler. Point #2 - The Reunion also addresses the topic of change. It is all around us. Sometimes people change for the better other times that they change for the worst. Life’s circumstance, children, careers and hardship force us to dig deep into our core and find the very best in ourselves. Not everyone is up for the challenge. Some fail horribly at adulthood while others master the art or growing up. They get jobs, start families and tackle life. This dynamic has never ceased to surprise me. I am intrigued by the opportunity to illustrate this through my written work. Point #3 - I am a big fan of eroticism, comedic and dramatic writing. To date there have only been a handful of authors that have been able to successfully mesh the three. My books will make you laugh, cry and quiver with an uncommon echelon of sexual uneasiness that can only be quenched by finishing the pages of my book. I want to create a total experience for my readers. In this age, sub par imagination and mediocre inventiveness is not rewarded. I intend to make an impact using this formula. Point #4 - I was the product of a single parent home. I was born and raised in the city of Chicago . Growing up I faced hardship and learned how to survive the mean streets at an early age. On the converse side, I also discovered the beautiful elements of life. My edgy writing style stems from my life and experiences growing up in Chicago . I draw back to these experiences every time I write and use the good, the bad and the ugly to create a literary kaleidoscope that is as varied as my readers. Storyline for The Reunion: Sean Jiles was very popular at Kensor High School on Chicago's Southside. His gifted writing ability, common sense and unwavering loyalty gained him lifelong friendships and a suitable following during his years there. After graduating, Sean moves to Dallas, Texas to attend college and pursue his dream of writing and directing stage plays. While in college, Sean meets Eva Sparks, a sexy graduate student with attitude. They hit it off right away. Things start out fantastic but Sean soon realizes that Eva is more than he can handle. She is insecure, controlling, possessive and insanely jealous. She is a hot mess! In comparison, a far cry from Jade Brown, his high school sweetheart and true love from more than a decade ago. Now a graduate, Sean has received $100,000 to produce his first major stage play. Between his career demands and problems with Eva, things are absolutely crazy! At the height of his dilemma, Sean receives an invitation to go back home and attend his 10-Year High School Class Reunion. This is great news! Although Sean's life is chaotic, he will attend. The reunion is sure to be the highlight of his summer. A vacation from Eva couldn't have come at a better time. As exciting as it seems, Sean understands that the reunion will rehash tons of mixed emotions as well as force him to confront Eva and re-examine his failed love with Jade. Will Sean's departure lead him to lost love or send his girlfriend Eva into one of the most frenzied fits of jealousy ever captured on paper? This book will not disappoint! ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY! Meet Author John R. Williams
This is John R. Williams and my new novel entitled THE REUNION is finally complete. I am so excited about this book. It brings me great joy to have my publishing company XPRESS YOURSELF PUBLISHING. Although I have written books in the past, THE REUNION is the 1st one to be released under a major publishing house. XPRESS YOURSELF PUBLISHING is the winner of the 2008 African American Literary award for Independent Publishing House of the Year!
I have written (4) books in the last 2 years. I absolutely love writing and storytelling in general. It is my wish to create books that are a pleasurable escape for my readers. I write to entertain, inspire and assist with the progression of the human spirit. We must ALL be reminded of the phenomenal elements of life. Please find out more about me and my books by visiting www.xpressyourselfpublishing.org or via my personal website which is www.theauthor.us . At www.theauthor.us you can find book and event info, photos, audio, and news about my endeavors. This website is the best way to keep up with THE Author! I sincerely appreciate all of the support from my readers. Thank you dearly for believing in me! New Book Release: Izrael
Izrael
What really broke up Tim & Tom?Box 917358 Longwood, FL 32791 www.vincesanders.com
THAT’S NOT FUNNY! vincnet@cfl.rr.com By Vince Sanders 321-277-7214
What really broke up Tim & Tom? Let’s make a movie of this one! America knows one as Tom Dreesen, the former comedy star of the Frank Sinatra Show. And before Frank, he was a head-liner with the Sammy Davis, Jr. show; Tony Orlando & Dawn, Natalie Cole, et al. The other one is known as Tim Reid, TV star of such prime-time sitcoms as “WKRP in Cincinnati,” “Simon & Simon,” “Frank’s Place” and “Sister Sister.” Now he’s Producer, Director and Writer at his own production company with several notable movies to his credit.
There is a strong possibility few will recall that these two young men were courageous enough to become the nation’s first Black & White standup comedy team—known as Tim & Tom. Yes—long before “WKRP in Cincinnati” and directly on the heels of the nation’s biggest social transition, known as the “Civil Rights Movement”, these two young men stepped up to truly test some of its changes. The story begins in the late 60’s when they both were salesmen in the Chicago, Illinois area. It’s a powerful storyline full of laughter, love and hope. But it is also the bearer of an equal amount of tension, tears and near tragedy. Little imagination is required to realize the amount of courage needed here! This was an attempt at making Americans forget the self-inflicted agony of racism and laugh at themselves. Sticky stuff! You bet--particularly during the period just after the Civil Rights Movement. This was a time when even sharing equal billing on a professional stage was stretching it a bit, let alone poking fun at each other’s ethnicity.
Nonetheless, hell bent to do it, their wives and children inadvertently suffered in the process. At the outset, one of the wives thought a black and white comedy team was a great idea. Rita Reid underscored her support with a prayer meeting each time Tim and Tom departed for a gig. Lord knows the prayers were needed! During one of those gigs, the black comedian had a burning cigarette smashed out in his face by a white patron as he stepped down off the stage. The subsequent fight was later described as a barroom brawl in which the white comedian was knocked out cold by an errant punch thrown by a peacemaking bartender. On another occasion in Atlanta, Ga., a former marine determined to demonstrate his liberal views on racism, snatched up Tim’s drink, took a big “mouth-all-over-the-glass” gulp from it and urged “forcefully” the black comedian to drink from it again. As Tim shrieked: “I don’t want to drink that!” And motioned for the bartender to take it away, the episode was resolved when the playful instigator, Tim’s partner Tom, intervened while falling backwards against the wall, overwhelmed with laughter.
Believe it or not--There was even more intrigue when Tim & Tom became the opening act for the powerful recording star, Della Reese. Some described it as the beginning of the end of Tim & Tom. Perhaps, but for two young men who set out to convince their younger neighbors in Harvey, Illinois that drugs take you nowhere fast, and soon found themselves traversing the hallowed avenues of Hollywood, California…not bad!
The author, Vince Sanders, served as Tim & Tom’s initial manager and held a ringside seat as the duo moved from Harvey to Hollywood. Vince is a retired broadcaster with more than 40 years on the job. His radio career began in Chicago in 1958 at WBEE as an on-air personality and lasted through 1995 when he stepped down as Vice President and General Manger of WWRL in New York City. In 1971 he won the Gabriel Award as an NBC newsman. He is a founding member of NABJ. As an actor, he traveled with the Richard B. Harrison Players and the American Negro Opera Guild in the 1960s. www.vincesanders.com
Amani Publishing New ReleaseAmani Publishing, LLC, announces new release from debut author:
The purpose of this collection of poetry is to inspire and encourage you during difficult times to continue moving forward and to never give up hope regardless of how impossible the situation might seem. Like Whispers from Heaven is also designed to help you appreciate the sunshine after experiencing rain in your life. Carol R. Griffin is an elementary teacher in the public school system in Madison, Florida, where she resides.
 Available at www.Amazon.com or www.Amanipublishing.net
Retail price, $12.00
ISBN, 978-981584706 Intimate Conversation with Dr. Maya Angelou
Ella Curry of EDC Creations Interviews Dr. Maya Angelou EDC Creations presents its "Give the Gift of Knowledge" campaign. Share this interview with your love ones and personal network. Listen to the exclusive interview discussing Dr. Angelou's new book, Letters to My Daughter.
Letter to My Daughter by Dr. Maya Angelou For a world of devoted readers, a much-awaited new volume of absorbing stories and inspirational wisdom from one of our best-loved writers. Dedicated to the daughter she never had but sees all around her, Letter to My Daughter reveals Maya Angelou’s path to living well and living a life with meaning. Told in her own inimitable style, this book transcends genres and categories: guidebook, memoir, poetry, and pure delight. Here in short spellbinding essays are glimpses of the tumultuous life that led Angelou to an exalted place in American letters and taught her lessons in compassion and fortitude: how she was brought up by her indomitable grandmother in segregated Arkansas, taken in at thirteen by her more worldly and less religious mother, and grew to be an awkward, six-foot-tall teenager whose first experience of loveless sex paradoxically left her with her greatest gift, a son. Whether she is recalling such lost friends as Coretta Scott King and Ossie Davis, extolling honesty, decrying vulgarity, explaining why becoming a Christian is a “lifelong endeavor,” or simply singing the praises of a meal of red rice–Maya Angelou writes from the heart to millions of women she considers her extended family. Like the rest of her remarkable work, Letter to My Daughter entertains and teaches; it is a book to cherish, savor, re-read, and share. “I gave birth to one child, a son, but I have thousands of daughters. You are Black and White, Jewish and Muslim, Asian, Spanish speaking, Native Americans and Aleut. You are fat and thin and pretty and plain, gay and straight, educated and unlettered, and I amspeaking to you all. Here is my offering to you.”
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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.
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