Felicia Denise's Blog, page 14
April 19, 2020
Song Lyric Sunday | “Sailing” – Christopher Cross
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Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.
The theme for Song Lyric Sunday this week is “Home Town or City where you were born, or where lived in, or some place that you relate to.”
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A place I relate to isn’t a home town or city.
It’s the water.
The water has always been my safe place. Regardless of whether I was in it, on it, or sitting on a bank or a beach, water not only calmed me and gave me clarity, it rejuvenated me. All my life I’ve lived near a pond, lake, or ocean that gave me peace of mind and energy during my darkest times.
Except now. Now I call Arizona home, and me and the desert… we’re not friends. I’d planned a trip to Cali this summer, but coVID19 has scrubbed those plans.
So for now, it’s just me and playlists of oceantides and seascapes; great songs like CSN’s Southern Cross, which I featured a few weeks ago, and this great hit from 1980.
Sailing was the second single from the self-titled debut album of Christopher Cross. The song was a success in the United States, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on August 30, 1980, where it stayed for one week, and it also won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Arrangement of the Year, and helped Cross win the Best New Artist award. VH1 named Sailing the most “softsational soft rock” song of all time.
FUN FACT:
In his Grammy acceptance speech, Cross acknowledged Sailing as his favorite song on the album and that originally it was not meant to be a single.
Cross had another number one song the very next year with Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) (from the 1981 film Arthur), which also won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1981 (with co-composers Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen).
The video is a live appearance from 1999 and Cross and company deliver a performance almost as smooth as the original recording twenty years earlier.
Enjoy!
See my Song Lyric Sunday selection for Nesie’s Place!
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Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.
Sailing
by Christopher Cross
Songwriters: Carter Burwell
Well, it’s not far down to paradise, at least it’s not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find tranquility
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.
It’s not far to never-never land, no reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy of innocence again
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.
Sailing takes me away to where I’ve always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free
Fantasy, it gets the best of me
When I’m sailing
All caught up in the reverie, every word is a symphony
Won’t you believe me?
Sailing takes me away to where I’ve always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free
Well it’s not far back to sanity, at least it’s not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.
Sailing takes me away to where I’ve always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free
Compiled from Google, Lyric Find, Genius Lyrics, Wikipedia, and Songfacts.com
April 15, 2020
#WordlessWednesday Getaway
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#CoverReveal “Malice and Forethought: Short Stories of Malice and Murder” by Felicia Denise
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Malice and Forethought:
Short Stories of Malice and Murder
by Felicia Denise
Cover Design: perry elisabeth design
Genre: Crime Thriller / Suspense / Short Stories
Release Date: June 1, 2020
Malice – noun; mal·ice | ˈma-ləs
1 : desire to cause pain, injury, or distress to another
//
2 : intent to commit an unlawful act or cause harm without legal justification or excuse
//ruined her reputation and did it with malice
Everyone is capable of malice and no one is immune to its outcome.
A Hint of Malice – When her last living relative commits suicide after having her identity and assets stolen, a grieving niece longs for justice.
Burned – When the masterminds behind a major drug operation get off with a slap on the wrists, a frustrated police detective warns them their wealth cannot shield them from everything.
The Marshall Sisters – After seeing her sister mistreated by far too many men, Leslie Marshall is proud of Paula for standing up for herself and accompanies her on a cold winter’s night to confront her boyfriend, but even Leslie isn’t ready for the new, assertive Paula.
The Watcher – Shamed into exiled by his family because of his sexual fetish and hanging on to the shreds of his sanity, a man plots the ultimate date night with his new neighbor.
What’s done in the dark always comes to the light.
~ PreOrder ~
KINDLE UNLIMITED
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Bloggers needed for preorder and/or release day blitzes!
https://forms.gle/dpv4tbNt1uMr5Q8i6
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About the Author
After writing as a hobby for most of her life, at the urging of a good friend, Felicia took on the challenge of NaNoWriMo in 2015, writing what would become her first published work, In the Best Interest of the Child. It was released in the fall of 2016. Free, a Novella, which began as a three-installment series on her website, was published as a short story in May 2017.
Currently working on projects in several genres, Felicia plans to release book 2 of In the Best Interest of the Child – Family Matters, as well as anthologies of her suspense and women’s fiction short stories in 2020.
A long-time blogger, she also features books by indie authors daily on her blog, Nesie’s Place.
Felicia lost her husband of nearly 36 years of May of 2019, and is a strong advocate and supporter of the National Kidney Foundation. She has three adult children, four grand-pups, and as one of nine children, she has too much extended family to even go into!
In her free time-when not reading-Felicia sews and enjoys experimenting with new dishes in the kitchen. She always has a cup of robust coffee and far too many pun jokes nearby.
~ Stalk Felicia on Social Media ~
Author Website
| Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page
Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Newsletter
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April 12, 2020
Song Lyric Sunday | “Black Pearl” – Sonny Charles and The Checkmates
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Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.
The theme for Song Lyric Sunday this week is “Diamond/Emerald/Jade/Pearl/Ruby/Sapphire.”
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Performed by Sonny Charles and The Checkmates, Black Pearl was a 1969 hit; #8 on the R&B chart and #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Written by Phil Spector, Toni Wine, and Irwin Levine, the song is described as “one of the great Phil Spector productions, a phenomenal song with his extraordinary sound.” Black Pearl was arranged by composer Perry Botkin, Jr. who would win a Grammy Award nearly a decade later for Nadia’s Theme, the theme song from daytime soap opera, The Young and the Restless.
The single ranked #66 on Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1969.
FUN FACT:
From Fort Wayne, Indiana, The Checkmates began as Checkmates, Ltd. They were discovered by Nancy Wilson and included both black and white members.
The group broke up in 1970, but reunited in 1974 for a few more years. They performed on the same billing as Frank Sinatra and Herb Alpert, and sang the National anthem for the Thrilla in Manila–the final boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier–in 1975.
Sonny Charles joined and toured with the Steve Miller Band from 2008 until 2012.
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Checkmates, Ltd. among hundreds of artists who lost material in the 2008 Universal fire.
Enjoy!
See my Song Lyric Sunday selection for Nesie’s Place!
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Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.
Black Pearl
by Sonny Charles and The Checkmates
Songwriters: Irwin Levine / Toni Wine / Phillip Spector
Ooh-ooh
Hey, hey, my-my-my-my
Black pearl, precious little girl
Let me put you up where you belong
Black pearl, pretty little girl
You’ve been in the background much too long
You’ve been workin’ so hard your whole life through
Tending other peoples houses, raising up their children too
Hey, how bout something for me and you?
Here in my arms you’re gonna reign supreme
No more serving, baby, they’re gonna serve my queen
It’s our turn for happiness and our day has come
Living for each other and answering to no one
Black pearl, precious little girl
Let me put you up where you belong because I love you
Black pearl, pretty little girl
You’ve been in the background much too long
Together we’ll stand so straight and so tall
Created by love to love one and all, hey
Heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul
No other one could ever take your place
My world is built around the very smile that’s on your face
You’ll never win a beauty show, no, they won’t pick you
But you’re my Miss America and I love you
Black pearl, precious little girl
Let me put you up where you belong, I will lead you
Black pearl, pretty little girl
You’ve been in the background much too long
Ooh-ooh, yeah-yeah-yeah, my-my-my-my-my baby
You know I need you, you know I want you, want you for myself
I don’t want nobody else, oh babe I love you, you know I need you
You know I got to-got to-got to have you
Come on baby, come on, come on and be my baby
You know I love you, ooh-ooh
Be mine, nobody else have you, come on baby love
Ah, I love you, and I need you and I want you, want you for myself
Come on baby, I love you, hey-hey-hey
I really need you baby love and I want you
Compiled from Google, Lyric Find, Genius Lyrics, Wikipedia, and Songfacts.com
April 8, 2020
April 5, 2020
Song Lyric Sunday | “Party Train” – Gap Band
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Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.
The theme for Song Lyric Sunday this week is “Birthday/Cake/Gift/Party/Surprise.”
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Yes, I did use this song in September of last year for the “train” prompt, but it’s also a great party song, so here we are! 
April 4, 2020
National School Librarian Day!
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Because of the coVID19 pandemic, most schools around the country (and the world) have ended their school year. But, I’d still like to acknowledge school librarians for National School Librarian Day.
On April 4th each year, National School Librarian Day recognizes the professionals who keep the school library in working order. School librarians spend long hours keeping the library organized. They’re also dedicated to helping children find the resources they need to keep learning. School librarians are the people who create an environment where students can learn every day of the year. Their work is an impressive accomplishment.
The school librarians provide guidance and expose our youth not only to texts, print media, and literature but to digital resources and the technology, too. These resources connect them to libraries around the world. A school librarian’s ability to manage scores of media and a library full of students with numerous projects and schedules astounds us.
We’re not able to stop by our local school libraries and say thank you to the research specialists who taught us to use resources materials… and maybe even the Dewey Decimal System and nurtured our love of reading, but consider stopping by the website or Facebook page of the school you or your children attended and leave a post of thanks for the school librarian with the hashtag #NationalSchoolLibrarianDay. These unsung heroes deserve our thanks, our support, and so much more!
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Librarians on the job!
Photos from Google
Read more about it at NationalDayCalendar.com.
April 1, 2020
#WordlessWednesday Hope
March 29, 2020
Song Lyric Sunday | “Made to Love You” – Gerald Levert
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Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.
The theme for Song Lyric Sunday this week is “Touch/Feel.”
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Eddie Levert is known for more than his sixty-plus year career with the legendary R&B group, The O’Jays. He’s also known for his talented sons, Gerald and Sean, two of the three-member R&B/New Jack Swing group, Levert, popular in the 80s.
After seven studio albums and songs like the top five pop hit, Casanova, Gerald embarked on a solo career in 1991. He enjoyed much success with hits like I’d Give Anything (To Fall in Love) and the R&B chart-topping duet with his father, Baby Hold On To Me.
But it was on his 2001 album, Gerald’s World, that the single Made To Love You appeared. It didn’t receive a wide release, but still stands the test of time as an anthem for holding steadfast to your relationship, especially through the bad times.
FUN FACTS
Gerald wrote and produced songs for other artists such as Patti LaBelle, Barry White, Stephanie Mills, Anita Baker, Teddy Pendergrass, James Ingram, Freddie Jackson, The Rude Boys, and New Edition.
In 1997, Levert teamed up again with fellow singers Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill, to form the supergroup, LSG. The trio released the album Levert-Sweat-Gill the same year, selling over two million copies.
On November 10, 2006, Gerald Levert was found dead in his bed at his Cleveland, Ohio home when his cousin tried to wake him. Initial reports stated that Levert had died of an apparent heart attack. In February 2007, an autopsy report conducted by the Cuyahoga County coroner’s office concluded that Levert’s death was caused by a fatal combination of prescription narcotics and over-the-counter drugs. He was 40 years old.
Enjoy!
See my Song Lyric Sunday selection for Nesie’s Place!
~~~
Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.
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Made to Love You
by Gerald Levert
Songwriters: Edward Berkeley / Harold Lilly Jr / Harold Spencer Jr Lilly
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I recall when we first met, a long time ago
How could I forget they way I felt
When I first laid eyes on you
I remember saying to my friends
There is my future wife and then
I took the step to need
Someone who would change my life
It had to be my destiny
‘Cause I was made to love you
My hands, to touch you
My arms, to hold ya, my legs to stand
My time, to spend with ya forever
I was made, made to love ya
My lips to kiss ya
My eyes to see you, my legs to stand
My time, to spend with you forever
My life, together I was made
Made to love you
Made to love you
I remember out first date
Our first arguments
Our very first breakup
And makeup that got us to this moment
And every girlfriend and every one night stand
Every heartbreak and every heartache led me to you
It brought me to and made me better
Better, sooner for you
It had to be my destiny
I was made to love ya
My hands, to touch ya
My arms, to hold ya
My legs, to stand
My time, to spend with you forever
I was made, made to love you
My lips, to kiss you
My eyes, to see you, my legs to stand
My time, to spend with you forever
My life, together
I was made, made to love you
Made to love you
Made to love you
My hands, to touch ya
My arms, to hold ya
My legs, to stand
My time, to spend with ya forever
I was made, made to love you
My lips to kiss ya
My eyes to see you my legs to stand
My time, to spend with you forever
My life, together
I was made, made to love you
It had to be my destiny
I was made to love you
My hands to touch ya
My arms to hold ya
My legs to stand
My time to spend with you forever
I was made, made to love you
My lips to kiss ya
My eyes to see you
My legs to stand
My time to spend
With you forever
My life together
I was made, made to love you
Made to love you
My hands to touch ya
My arms to hold ya
My legs to stand
My time to spend with you forever
I was made, made to love you
My lips to kiss ya
My eyes to see you
My legs to stand
My time to spend
With you forever
My life together
I was made, made to love you
Made to love you
My hands to touch ya
My arms to hold ya
My legs to stand
And my time to spend with you forever
I was made, made to love you
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Compiled from Google, Lyric Find, Genius Lyrics, Wikipedia, and Songfacts.com
