Chicki Brown's Blog, page 2
July 6, 2019
New Release Showcase
Today I am privileged to present the new Christian non-fiction release from author Muriel Gladney.
Write Now Literaryis pleased to be organizing a two-week book tour for We Are One by Muriel Gladney. The book tour will run June 24-July 5, 2019. Book a tour here.
Book Title: We Are One
Genre: Non-Fiction
ISBN-10: 1644387190
ISBN-13: 978-1644387191
Meet Muriel
An abusive childhood had led me to become a full-blown atheist by the time I was 16. God introduced Himself when I was 52. This journey to true life is recorded in my book: Mine: An Everlasting Promise of Love, Deliverance, and Wholeness.
Now 76, I have spent the last twenty-four years learning to walk free in the shoes of being a child of God, while also honing my God-given skills as an ambassador and writer for Jesus, author, and speaker. After moving to California, I returned to college at the age of 61. There I received an Associate Degree in Arts with honors, functioned as a reporter and Editor-In-Chief of the college newspaper, along with receiving numerous rewards for writing, such as the 0CCWF Beverly Bush Smith award. I am also published in God Encounters, a book by author James Stuart Bell.
Connect Socially
Website Facebook
About The Book
We Are One presents an unchanged, endless, truth—women were not created to live in disappointment, disillusionment, and defeat. We Are One is bursting with inspiration and encouragement as each chapter utilizes the raw, true life, experiences of several women who endured personal pain and yet came through empowered and victorious. How? Through the use of a key that a woman never knew she had. We Are One unveils the key. It will heal a woman’s soul, as item powers her to live a life that is not defined by trials and persecution. Women will know the power of a woman’s purposed influence and thus her eternal value.
Purchase a Copy
Amazon Barnes & Noble Apple Kobo Book Looker
Tour hosted by Write Now Literary
Write Now Literaryis pleased to be organizing a two-week book tour for We Are One by Muriel Gladney. The book tour will run June 24-July 5, 2019. Book a tour here.
Book Title: We Are One
Genre: Non-Fiction
ISBN-10: 1644387190
ISBN-13: 978-1644387191
Meet Muriel
An abusive childhood had led me to become a full-blown atheist by the time I was 16. God introduced Himself when I was 52. This journey to true life is recorded in my book: Mine: An Everlasting Promise of Love, Deliverance, and Wholeness.
Now 76, I have spent the last twenty-four years learning to walk free in the shoes of being a child of God, while also honing my God-given skills as an ambassador and writer for Jesus, author, and speaker. After moving to California, I returned to college at the age of 61. There I received an Associate Degree in Arts with honors, functioned as a reporter and Editor-In-Chief of the college newspaper, along with receiving numerous rewards for writing, such as the 0CCWF Beverly Bush Smith award. I am also published in God Encounters, a book by author James Stuart Bell.
Connect Socially
Website Facebook
About The Book
We Are One presents an unchanged, endless, truth—women were not created to live in disappointment, disillusionment, and defeat. We Are One is bursting with inspiration and encouragement as each chapter utilizes the raw, true life, experiences of several women who endured personal pain and yet came through empowered and victorious. How? Through the use of a key that a woman never knew she had. We Are One unveils the key. It will heal a woman’s soul, as item powers her to live a life that is not defined by trials and persecution. Women will know the power of a woman’s purposed influence and thus her eternal value.
Purchase a Copy
Amazon Barnes & Noble Apple Kobo Book Looker
Tour hosted by Write Now Literary
June 15, 2019
Little Big Man
Back in the 70’s Dustin Hoffman starred in a western called “Little Big Man.” I don’t really know what the movie was about, but as soon as I started to write this essay, the title came to mind, because my father, Thomas Franklin Brown stood only five feet two inches tall, yet he commanded more respect than any man I’ve ever known personally. He was an entrepreneur and a church leader, but it’s not the public man I want to tell you about. I want to tell you about Tommy Brown, my daddy.One of my earliest memories is sitting with my cousins by the side of a dusty dirt road in Millville, New Jersey in front of my grandparent’s house watching him play softball with my aunts and uncles. Family was his top priority. We worshipped together as a family, we vacationed as a family and often worked together in the business he started when I was five years old.
Contrary to the well-meaning advice of friends and relatives, he started his own part-time printing business in our basement while he worked days as a pressman at a large printing company. Two years later he left the job and never looked back. When his business outgrew the house, he moved it to the first of a series of progressively larger rented buildings. Though he never had more than three full-time employees at any given time, he supported a wife, four children and, from time to time, assorted relatives on the income this business produced. I need to give my mother credit right here, because part of the reason he was able to do this was because she made a lot of our clothes and knew how to shop to save money. He never worked another outside job again, which was an amazing accomplishment for a black man in the 1950’s.
By today’s standards he would probably be considered strict in the sense that he expected us to be obedient. And we obeyed, not because we were afraid of him, but because the last thing we ever wanted to do was disappoint him. I’ll never forget the time when I was in seventh grade and got into a fight with the neighborhood bully. Embarrassed and humiliated by having his daughter involved in a street brawl, he made arrangements with the Chief of Police in our small town and the other girl’s mother for us to be given a lecture and personal guided tour of the township jail by a uniformed officer in an effort to scare us straight. I don’t know about her, but the experience sure did the trick for me. As a result of his ‘style', not one of his four children has ever been in jail.
We weren’t rich by any stretch of the imagination, but Tommy Brown was a giver from his heart. He never failed to go overboard at Christmas and on birthdays, but when we wanted something in between those special occasions, his mantra was, "you save half and I’ll give you the other half." Of course, we usually earned the money by working in his print shop folding, stapling, and collating and sweeping. He definitely got his money’s worth out of us.
A jazz fanatic who had an impressive collection of 78’s and 33’s, he always worked with his music playing. I believe his children all grew up to be avid music lovers because, prior to moving the business out of the house, he built speakers into the walls of the basement in order to hear the music over the hum of the presses. When he cranked it up, we could feel the floors upstairs vibrate beneath our feet. Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dinah Washington, Earl Grant, Jimmy Smith and Ray Charles provided the soundtrack for our childhood.
Even though he worked ridiculously long hours, he knew how to have fun. In his younger days, he loved to host big backyard barbecues for which, of course, my mother did all of the work. And those summertime gatherings usually ended with the kids toasting marshmallows over the fire on the grill while the grown-ups played rowdy games of badminton and horseshoes. I’m hard pressed to recall a time when our back yard wasn’t much more than two huge bare spots on either side of the net at the end of the summer.
Never one to put vacations on the back burner in favor of the business. he and my mother always came up with fun outings for us. When money was low, we did local excursions to the early amusement parks -- Olympic Park and Palisades Park -- which have long since disappeared. With air fares being out of their financial reach back then, we traveled everywhere we went by car -- Atlantic City, Freedomland, Bear Mountain, Sebego Lake in New York and Hershey Park, Pennsylvania. Once we grew up, he and my mother were finally able to fly to Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Canada, and took my daughter, Crystal along with them when she was little.
Sadly, in telling this story to people over the years, I’ve often received looks of disbelief. That’s when I realized just how uncommon my story is and how blessed we were. Tommy Brown’s name will never be written in any hall of fame, but he was a man of incredible pride, faith and integrity. He didn’t go to bars or hang out with his buddies. His idea of relaxation was to stretch out in his recliner and watch the Mets at Shea Stadium on television. He went to work, to church, to Chamber of Commerce meetings and spent his free time with his family, which included his nine brothers and sisters and their children.
During times that I only vaguely recall as stressful, his mother moved in to live with us when she became too sick to care for herself. Years later, after her passing, another hospital bed was delivered for one of his brothers who came to live with us when he succumbed to the deterioration of advanced diabetes.
At my father’s seventieth birthday party, my sister, who lived in Atlanta, was unable to attend. She sent a taped message thanking him for being the man he was. As she spoke through tears, she told him how grateful she was that we never had those stories to tell like so many children unfortunately do - the ones about eating mayonnaise sandwiches because there wasn’t any food in the house, or having to do their homework by candlelight because the electricity was turned off, or watching their mother go down to the local bar to drag their father out.
My father went home to be with the Lord in 1995. His funeral was a testament to the greatness of an “everyday” man. My brothers, sister and I were overwhelmed by the turnout of not only friends and neighbors, but also of township officials, former business associates and even the ninety-year-old doctor who had delivered all of us into the world.
Today’s fathers could learn a lot from the lives of men like Tommy Brown. He stood only five feet two inches tall, but to me he was a giant.
Thank you, Daddy!
June 13, 2019
New Release Showcase
Today I am so excited to share the new release by my friend and sisterscribe,
Vonna Ivory Joseph
entitled
The Saint Christmas Social Club
.
About the Author
Vonna Ivory Joseph is the author of seven women’s contemporary novels. Her work is decidedly southern. A fresh voice in storytelling which focuses on what she calls, The New South. Joseph is dedicated to sharing her perspective with razor sharp observations, wit and honesty.
Blurb:
“This fort sucks the life out of everyone who’s had the misfortune of calling it home.”
The Evermoors of Saint Christmas Bay, FL were a storied bunch with a rich legacy dating back to the 1800’s. January Cates was one of them, but not by name. He was born to the legacy and all of its benefits, but not to the right woman. Born an outsider, he never fit into their world and created his own. Traversing the line between the only male heir to the Evermoor fortune by day and maintaining his self-appointed image as a fierce fight promoter by night, Cates’ wherewithal begins to thin.Meghan Thomas was to a strict, outspoken mother and a widely admired father. A typical firstborn, Meghan was dutiful and eager to please, even if doing so she was completely lost to herself. After a courageous move to escape an abusive relationship whilst sparing her family’s sterling reputation, she meets the dark and mysterious January Cates.
A rich cast of characters and a historical fort help both January and Egypt figure out who they really are and how to find the freedom they both so strongly desire.Excerpt
“Teeny, I’m telling you, the girl has a secret.” “So, do you. So, do I. Who doesn’t?” Rooster heaved a signature sigh of exasperation. “I thought you cared so much about you precious baby brother.” “Our precious baby brother. What does he have to do with her secrets?” Rooster scoffed. “Are you blind, Woman? That young man is smitten. Come on out of that outhouse, Christina Evermoor! I feel like a backwoods hillbilly with all this yelling. Come on out of there.” Teeny appeared wearing a fluffy towel tucked around her large bosom and curvy hips. “Jesus, Teeny!” Rooster said raising her hands to cover her eyes. “You said come on out. Which way do you want it? I get naked in the tub and my clothes are in there,” Teeny said breezing past her red-faced sister into her home. “Of course, Jan’s smitten. Jan hasn’t met a woman who hasn’t enchanted him. He’s built that way. It’s not breaking news, Murphy Brown.” Rooster sighed again and put her feet up on the empty chair in front of her. “She’s on the run or something.” “How do you know?” Rooster didn’t answer right away. She couldn’t tell Teeny about the cameras she’d had installed throughout the manor. “Look at her. She wrecks a Mercedes Benz and doesn’t blink an eye. She hasn’t made a single inquiry about a seventy-thousand-dollar vehicle. Her manners are impeccable, her diction spot on and have you seen the quality of those diamonds in her ears?” “I like her. She’s down to earth.” “More evidence!” Rooster interjected, pointing into the air to drive home her point. “Her total lack of pretension speaks to good breeding.” “Breeding!” Teeny huffed with a loud laugh. “Like your dogs? You’re crazy.” “I may be, but I know that young woman is running from something. Remember, Christina, I was an investigative reporter.” “And you’ve always been a busy body,” Teeny added. “Yeah well, it’s served me well.” “Has it?” “Yes, it has! Aren’t you the least bit concerned about a strange woman showing up at our doorstep and beguiling your blessed boy?” Teeny appeared at the threshold of the bus towel drying her shoulder length coils. The mid-morning sunlight shone through the colorful pom-pom lined kaftan she wore exposing her bare breasts and clean shaven mound. Rooster turned up her lips and nose at her younger sister. “She didn’t show up on our doorstep. He brought her, and you took the call, Nut. He’s a grown man, as you know and no, I’m not worried about Jan. He’s sharp and by no means gullible.” “Surely, you’re a little curious about her.” Rooster said leaning on her elbows towards Teeny. “Not really. I’m more interested in how much you pay that groomer to dogsit, than I am in this useless gossip.” Rooster sat up and smacked her palms against the aluminum table. “Useless gossip! You gossip!” “I most certainly do not. I’m often the topic of gossip. I do not participate.” Rooster pulled the empty chair out scraping it against the tiny deck. “Come on, Teeny. We’re sisters. We used to share everything.” Something turned cold in Teeny’s eyes. “No, we didn’t.” The airy quality in her voice evaporated leaving only steel. Rooster shrunk in her chair. “You know what I mean.” she said, shrinking under Teeny’s intense gaze. “I do. And you know what I mean.” The corners of Rooster’s mouth dipped, and she swallowed hard. Teeny wouldn’t let her off the hook. “Teeny, I’m sorry I left the way I did.” “You never even called. You just showed up at Mama’s deathbed looking for remorse…” “That’s not fair,” Rooster nearly whispered. “Fair,” Teeny guffawed. “That’s hardly a mature word for a woman of your station and education Augustine. Fair.” “I was a child.” “Bull. You were old enough to marry. Old enough to pack up and turn on your entire family. And old enough to never look back.” “Never? I’m right here.” “But, why, Rooster? Because, Duke’s gone? Do you think I’m so simple I don’t know that you’re only here because your husband is dead and you have no one else in your life, but Jan and me?” Rooster stood and lowered her head. “Answer me, Rooster. Please. Be straight with me. After mama was in the ground you left again. Then one day you show up with a moving truck, those damn dogs and no explanation. You just moved in and started giving orders. Changing things and sending daddy away.” “Daddy needed more help than we could give!” Rooster shouted shaking her hands at Teeny before tossing them in the air. “I can’t do this. Not now. Not like this.” “Oh,” Teeny crowed. “You were all set to tear into that girls’ secrets, but not your own. We’re sisters, remember?” “Teeny stop it!” “Fine. I’ll stop but know this Sissy. Who we used to be is no more. And until you can be straight with me, we won’t ever be again. January Christmas Cates and Saint Christmas Evermoor is all the family I have, and you made it that way.”
Where you can find Vonna:
http://www.vonnajoseph.com/https://amzn.to/2WpoJPy
FB: https://www.facebook.com/VonnaGoodEnough/IG: https://www.instagram.com/author_she_lives_ivoryjoseph/Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Vonna-Ivory-Joseph
About the Author
Vonna Ivory Joseph is the author of seven women’s contemporary novels. Her work is decidedly southern. A fresh voice in storytelling which focuses on what she calls, The New South. Joseph is dedicated to sharing her perspective with razor sharp observations, wit and honesty.
Blurb:
“This fort sucks the life out of everyone who’s had the misfortune of calling it home.”
The Evermoors of Saint Christmas Bay, FL were a storied bunch with a rich legacy dating back to the 1800’s. January Cates was one of them, but not by name. He was born to the legacy and all of its benefits, but not to the right woman. Born an outsider, he never fit into their world and created his own. Traversing the line between the only male heir to the Evermoor fortune by day and maintaining his self-appointed image as a fierce fight promoter by night, Cates’ wherewithal begins to thin.Meghan Thomas was to a strict, outspoken mother and a widely admired father. A typical firstborn, Meghan was dutiful and eager to please, even if doing so she was completely lost to herself. After a courageous move to escape an abusive relationship whilst sparing her family’s sterling reputation, she meets the dark and mysterious January Cates.A rich cast of characters and a historical fort help both January and Egypt figure out who they really are and how to find the freedom they both so strongly desire.Excerpt
“Teeny, I’m telling you, the girl has a secret.” “So, do you. So, do I. Who doesn’t?” Rooster heaved a signature sigh of exasperation. “I thought you cared so much about you precious baby brother.” “Our precious baby brother. What does he have to do with her secrets?” Rooster scoffed. “Are you blind, Woman? That young man is smitten. Come on out of that outhouse, Christina Evermoor! I feel like a backwoods hillbilly with all this yelling. Come on out of there.” Teeny appeared wearing a fluffy towel tucked around her large bosom and curvy hips. “Jesus, Teeny!” Rooster said raising her hands to cover her eyes. “You said come on out. Which way do you want it? I get naked in the tub and my clothes are in there,” Teeny said breezing past her red-faced sister into her home. “Of course, Jan’s smitten. Jan hasn’t met a woman who hasn’t enchanted him. He’s built that way. It’s not breaking news, Murphy Brown.” Rooster sighed again and put her feet up on the empty chair in front of her. “She’s on the run or something.” “How do you know?” Rooster didn’t answer right away. She couldn’t tell Teeny about the cameras she’d had installed throughout the manor. “Look at her. She wrecks a Mercedes Benz and doesn’t blink an eye. She hasn’t made a single inquiry about a seventy-thousand-dollar vehicle. Her manners are impeccable, her diction spot on and have you seen the quality of those diamonds in her ears?” “I like her. She’s down to earth.” “More evidence!” Rooster interjected, pointing into the air to drive home her point. “Her total lack of pretension speaks to good breeding.” “Breeding!” Teeny huffed with a loud laugh. “Like your dogs? You’re crazy.” “I may be, but I know that young woman is running from something. Remember, Christina, I was an investigative reporter.” “And you’ve always been a busy body,” Teeny added. “Yeah well, it’s served me well.” “Has it?” “Yes, it has! Aren’t you the least bit concerned about a strange woman showing up at our doorstep and beguiling your blessed boy?” Teeny appeared at the threshold of the bus towel drying her shoulder length coils. The mid-morning sunlight shone through the colorful pom-pom lined kaftan she wore exposing her bare breasts and clean shaven mound. Rooster turned up her lips and nose at her younger sister. “She didn’t show up on our doorstep. He brought her, and you took the call, Nut. He’s a grown man, as you know and no, I’m not worried about Jan. He’s sharp and by no means gullible.” “Surely, you’re a little curious about her.” Rooster said leaning on her elbows towards Teeny. “Not really. I’m more interested in how much you pay that groomer to dogsit, than I am in this useless gossip.” Rooster sat up and smacked her palms against the aluminum table. “Useless gossip! You gossip!” “I most certainly do not. I’m often the topic of gossip. I do not participate.” Rooster pulled the empty chair out scraping it against the tiny deck. “Come on, Teeny. We’re sisters. We used to share everything.” Something turned cold in Teeny’s eyes. “No, we didn’t.” The airy quality in her voice evaporated leaving only steel. Rooster shrunk in her chair. “You know what I mean.” she said, shrinking under Teeny’s intense gaze. “I do. And you know what I mean.” The corners of Rooster’s mouth dipped, and she swallowed hard. Teeny wouldn’t let her off the hook. “Teeny, I’m sorry I left the way I did.” “You never even called. You just showed up at Mama’s deathbed looking for remorse…” “That’s not fair,” Rooster nearly whispered. “Fair,” Teeny guffawed. “That’s hardly a mature word for a woman of your station and education Augustine. Fair.” “I was a child.” “Bull. You were old enough to marry. Old enough to pack up and turn on your entire family. And old enough to never look back.” “Never? I’m right here.” “But, why, Rooster? Because, Duke’s gone? Do you think I’m so simple I don’t know that you’re only here because your husband is dead and you have no one else in your life, but Jan and me?” Rooster stood and lowered her head. “Answer me, Rooster. Please. Be straight with me. After mama was in the ground you left again. Then one day you show up with a moving truck, those damn dogs and no explanation. You just moved in and started giving orders. Changing things and sending daddy away.” “Daddy needed more help than we could give!” Rooster shouted shaking her hands at Teeny before tossing them in the air. “I can’t do this. Not now. Not like this.” “Oh,” Teeny crowed. “You were all set to tear into that girls’ secrets, but not your own. We’re sisters, remember?” “Teeny stop it!” “Fine. I’ll stop but know this Sissy. Who we used to be is no more. And until you can be straight with me, we won’t ever be again. January Christmas Cates and Saint Christmas Evermoor is all the family I have, and you made it that way.”
Where you can find Vonna:
http://www.vonnajoseph.com/https://amzn.to/2WpoJPy
FB: https://www.facebook.com/VonnaGoodEnough/IG: https://www.instagram.com/author_she_lives_ivoryjoseph/Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Vonna-Ivory-Joseph
May 28, 2019
Change of direction
I'm stepping away from the paranormal romance for now. My decision to write a paranormal romance series came from the disenchantment I felt after the release of YOU KNOW HOW TO LOVE ME, which readers weren't interested in reading. That experience had me so discouraged I thought changing genres might be the answer. Last week, as I began writing Chapter Seven of ALL IN YOUR MIND, I ran out of gas. The characters weren't exciting me. The character role models I'd found looked the part but I had not desire to find out more about them. Bad sign. If the author isn't excited over her characters, those characters will bore the reader to death. 
I really admire PRN authors like J.R. Ward who can come up with fascinating stories book after book. Their imaginations are so vivid that they create worlds, languages, and amazing powers. I don't believe I have what it takes to write an exciting paranormal romance. Let me take this opportunity to thank my sisterscribes who were generous enough to beta read the first six chapters. Perhaps someday I'll go back to it, but for now I'm saying goodbye to Bliss and Sebastian and his partners. In view of this, I'm going to do something new, which is actually an old manuscript I wrote several years ago. Originally, I'd titled it, BETWEEN SISTERS, but I'm going to give it a new title. The story is loosely based on my family. Back when I'd completed the manuscript, I didn't feel comfortable releasing it for obvious reasons. That discomfort is gone, maybe because my parents and my youngest brother have passed on and my sister doesn't read my books. It needs to be updated and revised, which might take as long as it originally did to write, but I believe readers will like the story. The background comes from real life, and my heart was really in it when I wrote the first draft. Also, my Stafford Brothers series was my best seller since HAVE YOU SEEN HER? Readers loved the family dynamics in those books. I hope they'll feel the same way about BETWEEN SISTERS.
May 20, 2019
I'm starting a newsletter!
I'd love for you to join and learn what's new with me and the stories that I tell. You'll also be among the first to learn about my giveaways!Go to this link to sign up - https://mailchi.mp/748192f3ddc1/chickiscorner?fbclid=IwAR3mQxzAOQuSrzpqjMlFpnaaWzT72McdiH90JY4KIjZZcsO3pqUsnrAIvs0
April 25, 2019
New Release Showcase
Stand-Alone: yes
Series: Afterwards
Publisher: Stiletto Press, LLC
Publication Date: April 19, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Contemporary Fiction, New Adult
Heat Level: Sensual Book Blitz: April 25, 2019Contact: kelvin@honmagpr.com
RHYME AND REASON BY NIA FORRESTER
“Maybe friendship is all that’s realistic for us right now.”
With those words, Zora ended their long-distance relationship, shattering Deuce’s vision of a life with the only woman he’s ever loved. But after months of silence, he thought he was over it. He’d moved on, hadn’t he? And as far as he knew, she might have done the same. Now Zora is back from California, and he’s thrown into an immediate tailspin. Nothing’s changed.
She’s the one, the only, his rhyme, and his reason …
But this ain’t no college romance. There are serious, grown-folks’ obstacles standing in the way, and the other woman in his life isn’t even the half of it.
And sometimes growing up might mean moving on …
Over a few short summer weeks, Deuce and Zora will have to decide whether the great love they shared in the past, is enough of a foundation to build a future.
EXCERPT He found her sitting in the dark, in the small living room that was flanked on one side by changing areas, and about fifteen feet of windows, and on the other by a small apartment-like living space, complete with kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom. When Deuce entered, she barely looked up.
“Hi,” he said, collapsing on the two-seater sofa next to her.
“Hey.” Her feet were propped up on the coffee table. Deuce lifted them and turned her, so they rested on his lap instead, and she was facing him. “Are you really donating fifty-thousand dollars to my cousin?” she asked.“Yeah. I really am.”“Can you afford that?”He looked at her expressionless of a moment and then they were both laughing. “You know what I mean. I mean, is it worth …”“It absolutely is.”“You think he’s that good?”“I think he’s good, yeah. I don’t know anything about filmmaking, or documentaries. But I do know he’s your cousin, and I know he gave me something tonight. Something I’m not sure you ever would’ve given me. And it was worth a hell of a lot more than fifty-grand.”“What’s that?” Her voice was quiet.“A reason,” Deuce said.Zora said nothing, but instead looked away from him, and out at the infinity pool.“I love that pool,” she said dreamily. “It’s the nicest pool I’ve ever been in. I’ve never been in or seen a nicer pool since.”“Am I right, Zee?” he asked, using his forefinger to turn her head so she was facing him again. “Was all that the reason you …”“Regan’s very pretty,” she said unexpectedly.“She is,” he acknowledged, eyes fixed on her.“Beautiful, even.”“Yeah, maybe. Probably.” Deuce shrugged.“She looks exactly like your type. Actually, she looks like she would be basically every man’s type.”“Zee…”“I sort of wanted to kick her ass when I met her,” Zora said, her tone matter-of-fact.Then they were laughing again, but there was an edge of sadness to hers. Deuce tugged at her boots, until he got them off. She let him remove them without protest. Dropping them at his feet, he began massaging her insoles. Zora didn’t object to that either.“Since when have you been flouncing around in high heels all the time?”“I wasn’t … flouncing,” she said, spluttering into laughter. “I don’t flounce. I wouldn’t even know how.”“That dude Nicolas sure was staring like you were,” he said. “Is he the one who you were …?”“Yes.”“Well, he’s got an ass-kicking coming to him too.”“No need. He’s … It was just two dates, and anyway you …”“Don’t say ‘and anyway you’re with someone’.”“But you are.”“You know what’s up. Just say the word.”“And you know me,” she said, shaking her head. “Those aren’t words I’d say.”
Available On:AMAZON | FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED Click to Add on Goodreads
Book Chat
Authors Jacinta Howard and Lily Java are hosting a book chat for Nia Forrester’s new release Rhyme and Reason on May 5th at 7PM EDT.
To attend, you have to be a member of Because My Heart Said So, their online book and discussion group where they talk books, culture, music and of course... more books. Click to Join
Enter to win a FREE ebook from Nia Forrester’s ‘Afterwards’ Series
Nia Forrester is giving away 2 ebooks for each of her ‘Afterwards’ new generation series.
All you have to do is follow her on Amazon, and click these links:
Young Rich & Black Snowflake Rhyme & Reason
About Nia Forrester
Nia Forrester lives and writes in Philadelphia, PA where, by day, she is an attorney working on public policy and by night, she crafts woman-centered fiction that examines the complexities of life, love and the human condition.She welcomes feedback and email from her readers at authorniaforrester@gmail.com or tweets @NiaForrester.
Subscribe to her newsletter for exclusive shorts, giveaways and news of upcoming releases at: https://bit.ly/2X3yLGW CONNECT WITH NIA FORRESTERAUTHOR SITE | NEWSLETTER | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
March 11, 2019
Deep Work
For a while now I've suspected that I have a problem when it comes to work. I have shared about this before, but this post looks at the issue from a different perspective.
For years I've been writing and using online sites like Pandora for musical companionship, and Thesaurus.com, Google, and Wikipedia for research, which I leave open on my desktop so I can go back and forth quickly. Facebook also stays open so I can get notifications from readers and my author friends. I looove social networks, but it didn't take me long to realize that leaving FB open made me susceptible to the temptation of scrolling through my very busy timeline (3,500+ friends), responding to comments and addressing questions that often aren't even directed to me personally.
And it was getting worse. It had gotten so bad that I realized some days I would spend 50% of my precious writing time on my social networks responding to notifications. As I've said before, I have the attention span of a gnat, so it doesn't take much to yank me out of creative mode. Also, I am a slow writer who needs every precious second in which to get my work done. As it is, I have only been able to complete to full-length novels per year, and I'd love to write more.
One day last week, I read a blog post by an author who found herself in a similar situation. As a result, she ran across a book that turned her writing life around. The book is entitled, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
The Amazon description says "In DEEP WORK, author and professor Cal Newport flips the narrative on impact in a connected age. Instead of arguing distraction is bad, he instead celebrates the power of its opposite. Dividing this book into two parts, he first makes the case that in almost any profession, cultivating a deep work ethic will produce massive benefits. He then presents a rigorous training regimen, presented as a series of four 'rules,' for transforming your mind and habits to support this skill... DEEP WORK is an indispensable guide to anyone seeking focused success in a distracted world."
I got the audiobook and a PDF so that I can keep reading no matter what I'm doing. The book is fascinating so far, and it sheds light on what's happening to our ability to concentrate on our work since the advent of e-mail, instant messaging, and social networks. What I like about it so far is that the author lays out his premise at the beginning and spends the rest of the book instructing on how we can reclaim our focus and concentration in spite of all of the distractions. The book isn't just for creatives, In fact, the deep work idea actually became popular with computer programmers, and it's beneficial for everyone who works on a computer most of the day.
Newport gives detailed accounts of well-known individuals who learned how to shut out the distractions and maintain a specific period of time in which they perform "deep work." It might be only four hours a day, but it is directed, concentrated effort on that task alone. That means no Internet, no phone, nothing that will take you out of your zone.
If I can master this technique, maybe this will no longer be me...
I'll let you know how it goes.
For years I've been writing and using online sites like Pandora for musical companionship, and Thesaurus.com, Google, and Wikipedia for research, which I leave open on my desktop so I can go back and forth quickly. Facebook also stays open so I can get notifications from readers and my author friends. I looove social networks, but it didn't take me long to realize that leaving FB open made me susceptible to the temptation of scrolling through my very busy timeline (3,500+ friends), responding to comments and addressing questions that often aren't even directed to me personally.
And it was getting worse. It had gotten so bad that I realized some days I would spend 50% of my precious writing time on my social networks responding to notifications. As I've said before, I have the attention span of a gnat, so it doesn't take much to yank me out of creative mode. Also, I am a slow writer who needs every precious second in which to get my work done. As it is, I have only been able to complete to full-length novels per year, and I'd love to write more.
One day last week, I read a blog post by an author who found herself in a similar situation. As a result, she ran across a book that turned her writing life around. The book is entitled, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
The Amazon description says "In DEEP WORK, author and professor Cal Newport flips the narrative on impact in a connected age. Instead of arguing distraction is bad, he instead celebrates the power of its opposite. Dividing this book into two parts, he first makes the case that in almost any profession, cultivating a deep work ethic will produce massive benefits. He then presents a rigorous training regimen, presented as a series of four 'rules,' for transforming your mind and habits to support this skill... DEEP WORK is an indispensable guide to anyone seeking focused success in a distracted world."
I got the audiobook and a PDF so that I can keep reading no matter what I'm doing. The book is fascinating so far, and it sheds light on what's happening to our ability to concentrate on our work since the advent of e-mail, instant messaging, and social networks. What I like about it so far is that the author lays out his premise at the beginning and spends the rest of the book instructing on how we can reclaim our focus and concentration in spite of all of the distractions. The book isn't just for creatives, In fact, the deep work idea actually became popular with computer programmers, and it's beneficial for everyone who works on a computer most of the day.
Newport gives detailed accounts of well-known individuals who learned how to shut out the distractions and maintain a specific period of time in which they perform "deep work." It might be only four hours a day, but it is directed, concentrated effort on that task alone. That means no Internet, no phone, nothing that will take you out of your zone.
If I can master this technique, maybe this will no longer be me...
I'll let you know how it goes.
March 7, 2019
Cover Reveal - Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan!
Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan“In ‘Hook Shot’ Kennedy Ryan does something I wish more romance writers would do. She allows the reader to experience the slow burn of growing attraction, and the often disorienting new-relationship-energy between a couple getting to know, like and eventually love each other… Kennedy Ryan gave me the perfect balance of ‘the real’ with ‘the romance.’ I highly recommend it.
- Nia Forrester, author of Commitment and Afterwards
A deeply emotional standalone romance set in the worlds of professional basketball and high fashion.
Divorced. Single dad. Traded to a losing squad.
Cheated on, betrayed, exposed. My perfect life blew up in my face and I'm still picking up the pieces.The last thing I need is her.A wildflower. A storm. A woman I can't resist. Lotus DuPree is a kick to my gut and a wrench in my plans from the moment our eyes meet.I promised myself I wouldn't trust a woman again, but I've never wanted anyone the way I want Lo. She's not the plan I made, but she's the risk I have to take.
A warrior. A baller. The one they call Gladiator.
Kenan Ross charged into my life smelling all good, looking even better and snatching my breath from the moment we met. The last thing I need is him.I’m working on me. Facing my pain and conquering my demons.I've seen what trusting a man gets you.I. Don't. Have. Time. For. This.But he just keeps coming for me. Keeps knocking down my defenses and stealing my excuses one by one. He never gives up, and now...I'm not sure I want him to.
Hook Shot - On Sale March 28Live Alert: http://bit.ly/2XbzXc2
Audiobook Alert: http://bit.ly/2tsr7sH
Add to TBR: bit.ly/KeLoGoodreads
Text KennedyRyan to 797979 for release alert!
ABOUT KENNEDY RYANA Top 30 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Her heroes respect, cherish and lose their minds for the women who capture their hearts.She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine, Kennedy's writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Atlanta families living with Autism, she has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as an advocate for families living with autism.WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | READER GROUP | AMAZON | BOOKBUB | BOOK + MAIN | NEWSLETTER
February 27, 2019
Lesson learned
Since the release of
You Know How To Love Me
, I've learned a lot about my readers. This is long, but I need to get it off my chest.
Prior to publishing the book, I posted questions in a few of the interracial romance groups on Facebook. I explained that this book was the third in the series, and the character of Chelsea had become known to readers in Books 1 and 2, so her story came about organically. I wanted to know what they liked and what they didn't like in the books they read. This is what I posted, and these were some of the comments I received. Names have been removed to protect the privacy of the commenters. "I have a question for the readers in the group. I noticed that most of the IR romances I see are WM/BW. At the moment I'm working on Book 3 in my series which features a character from Book 2, a white woman involved with a black man. Of course, this isn't anything new in our community, but I'd like to know what you'd love or hate to see in a BM/WW romance. Are there any things I should avoid? Please be honest. I REALLY need to know before I get too far into this story. Thank you!”
* * * * * * *
"As long as he is not abusive I don't see any problem. I know this is not a problem in your work."
"In my own understanding, IR means the main characters are from different races. The sub-genre of IR are many; BW/WM, BM/WW etc.
From my own personal experience as an authors, readers prefer to see a BM on the cover rather than a white woman.
What do I hate as a reader? The excess focus on race as if that's the only thing the book is. We should grasp the whole racial thing as the story unfolds, not the main focus as if it is forced down our throats.
"However, be prepared that you may get flack from some readers who think IR is only BWWM."
"You are absolutely right. However, many readers have a very narrow definition of what constitutes IR romance. I've read comments from readers who claim that only BWWM is IR--the rest, according to them, is multicultural. I don't agree with them, but that is how many readers think. I've also read comments from readers on Goodreads who say they are not interested in reading about black men falling in love with white women because they already see this "in real life" whereas, for them, BWWM is the fantasy. Again, I don't agree with them, but this is what I've read in groups on Goodreads.
"As long as he is not derogatory towards black women. That's more common than a white man with a black woman.
"I think the same rules apply, too many times BM/WW books are treated as a fetish instead of Romance. The woman is black curious and then at the end might be surprised they care about this creature or oddity. My men are educated, not thugs because I hate that stereotype for black men. Treat it as you would a WMBW romance. That’s what I do for all of mine. The skin color only affects the outside world looking in but the relationship is the safe bubble where all that matters is how the people involved treat each other."
"Personally, I don't mind a long as the characters are real and well-developed. It would be refreshing to read. I prefer bwwm, only because that's how I began my journey. I'd like to believe that I am somewhat open-minded (not fully), as long as the supporting characters are not cast in a negative light. You know, the stereotypical "black bitch". I hope this helps. This comes from years of reading."
"Just make it realistic."
"I would like to see her willing to get know his family without being overly afraid. Apprehensive perhaps, but not terrified. I would also like to see her stand up for herself and be a partner to him. The two of them ride or die without going over the top."
"Just have fun with it. In one of mine the brother brought home a ww. Mom's reaction was 'Please tell me your son did NOT just bring me home a white girl.' This she said to her own white husband. LOL! Ppl will always have something negative to say, so don't let that worry you. Just write what you'd like to read."
"I'm invested in your character so as long as you stay true to Chelsea and her bohemian ways, it will be fine."
"In real life I have no issues with it. But I wouldn't read it."
"I'm all for IR romances, but I hate reading scenes where there's a racist family or friend. I went through that, and when I read a book, I want to escape the reality...."
"I never buy the WW/BM books!"
"Honestly, I wouldn't read it either and no offense but its because I can't dream or envisions myself vicariously in the story as the heroine. It's why I stay with BWWM."
* * * * * *
I guess I should've paid more attention to the negative comments than the positive ones, because this book bombed! It had probably one-quarter of the amount of sales I normally have in the first forty-five days after release.
I was so outdone, I went to my online writer's group to get their take on it.
* * * * * *"To be added to my "Never Do That Again" list - writing a book with a black hero and white heroine. Sales of YOU KNOW HOW TO LOVE ME aren't even half of what I normally sell of a new release in the first 45 days. :( Even though the story came about organically from the previous book in the series, apparently black women refuse to read about the BM/WW pairing. They're okay with a white hero and black heroine, though. #Weird #History #LessonLearned"These were some of the author comments:
"I don’t think it’s a matter of can’t. They just don’t want to. If they are avid romance readers they are probably done reading about white women getting their HEA."
"Yeah, successful black men dating and marrying white women is a sensitive subject for a lot black women.
"I know there are black women who will and have read white women written by white women but turn their noses at black women who write white women, it doesn't bother me. Especially if the black author also writes a healthy balance of black women. I hope their ethnicity is clear but even when I've clearly described a character, some one manages to feel it is ambiguous, which it never is. My cover will usually show the woman."
"I think I'm a bit sadistic. I loved watching that pale heroine grovel and adjust. Lmao. It was epic. But, she got her HEA and worked hard for it. Lmao"
"That might be what it is. They sad and desperate. OMGosh, that sounds like me. Desperate. I don't read contemporary romance with white women. They have options."
"I know all white women don't live charmed lives. I'm an admin for a special needs mom group that's 95% white. They struggle, but to answer your question, no. It's been more than 25 or so years since I've cared about a white woman being happy."
"I was thinking that would fail. Sorry. I have zero interest in reading that. Sorry it didn't work, Chicki."
"This is so interesting to me. For me, I just love a good story that keeps me engaged. I've had a YA novel idea tugging at me for a minute, where the BW is torn between a BM & WM. Now it makes me wonder...."
"It might work for YA though. That market is still hopeful about race relations."
"The younger generation isn't as bitter, and they might have no problem with it."
"There was an interracial romance as one of the story lines in my book that developed organically. But I was careful to draw my readers in and not set up expectations or reasons why they should reject the book before reading it, bc it was really about a woman’s internal journey & the romance with her white Co-worker who was her only work ally was just a side development that added complexity to the story and actually made the characters deal with the subject of racism. The cover and intro to the story didn’t set people up to unfairly make assumptions about my story or the characters. Unfortunately your cover likely did you in, not the story itself. Folks likely made assumptions based on the cover rather than the cover opening up questions they wanted to find answers to. With more controversial subject matter, sometimes we have to go subtle in our marketing so people won’t close themselves to the essence of a story they would likely enjoy if they gave it a chance."
"I wonder if your sales would have been higher if the cover was different and/or you had marketed this book to white women. Black women don't necessarily want to read about a white woman and a black man, but white women who fantasize about such things would. In marketing to white women, I think you would have had to change the cover though."
"You actually don’t have to do that. Just market it in a way that your targeted audience won’t reject it before reading it. Trust me - I’ve done well writing a diverse array of characters, though my protagonists are always Black women. Think about Silence of the Lambs - as much as people were repulsed by Hannibal Lechter, they were riveted by him and actually liked him. If they weren’t subtle and enticing in their marketing, folks wouldn’t have been as willing to engage with the story. But once they engaged, they were all in. Folks will accept and savor what you write if you give it to them honestly and in a way that connects with their humanity - and if your marketing doesn’t lead them to negative assumptions. Last analogy - I didn’t expect to enjoy Hidden Figures bc the ads were so hokey - saw it only bc I would feel guilty not to support it. And it was excellent, not just bc I related to it, but also from a storytelling, acting, production perspective as well. It fully deserved to be in the best picture race - and from a writing perspective was better than La La Land and Moonlight, the two front runners. But I easily could have missed seeing it bc the marketing didn’t compel me and led me to make false assumptions about the worthiness of the story."
"I just hate for any writer to censor their own work - what I meant by that earlier comment had nothing to do with your content. The negative assumption I was referring to is that black women may think they don’t want to read about the romance portrayed but once they start reading it really like the book. Though if that wasn’t your experience - if they panned it after reading it rather than just rejecting it outright bc they assumed they didn’t like it, I suppose it’s up to you as to whether you want to bend to popular whims or just write what you feel like writing. Sometimes writers bring people along in their thinking and expand people’s minds. But if it’s a purely numbers calculation on how you want to spend your time and resources, I suppose you have to weigh that as a factor."
"Remember Harper Lee didn’t win friends in her hometown writing To Kill A Mockingbird. She ended up bringing a whole lot of southern readers along in their thinking."
CB: "I was hoping to do that, but if people don't buy the book they won't get to read the story. LOL!
"I spent yesterday looking up WW/BM novels yesterday and guess what I found: mess! The one that stands out the most was this book about a white woman who worked in loss prevention and intentionally framed black men for theft they didn’t commit so she could trick them into sleeping with her to get off. It’s the way they ogle our men and think up SICK mess like that that I can’t stand. And it’s the way I see black men constantly leave and DEBASE black women and then go choose white women. And I see these same white women go on to further debase black women and make them feel even more worthless because they were chosen and we were not. Real life. I’ve read these exchanges and it makes me sick....
So it’s not a bitterness. It’s not that we don’t want to see white women happy. We don’t care because while they’re out there being happy, a lot of black women are still finding their own. And that’s why I personally feel triggered by stories about that."
"For whatever it's worth, I think you were very brave to write/promote this, Chicki and I admired you for it. There's was no question in my mind that it would be a well written and engaging story but the fact that you went out on a limb was courageous. I one clicked because of that as much as the writing."
Wow! I just wish my dear author friends had given me a heads up during the six month that I was writing and promoting the book before it was released.
There have been a few reviews that made me smile, though. This is one of them.
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written
January 8, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionI love how the author gives us inside in the mind of a white girl . I must admit that I sometimes despise a brother with a good job choosing a white girl instead of a sister. But once I read this book it gave me another mindset at the end of the day you're choosing who you love no matter the skin color. Thanks for opening my eyes." - IAB74
Prior to publishing the book, I posted questions in a few of the interracial romance groups on Facebook. I explained that this book was the third in the series, and the character of Chelsea had become known to readers in Books 1 and 2, so her story came about organically. I wanted to know what they liked and what they didn't like in the books they read. This is what I posted, and these were some of the comments I received. Names have been removed to protect the privacy of the commenters. "I have a question for the readers in the group. I noticed that most of the IR romances I see are WM/BW. At the moment I'm working on Book 3 in my series which features a character from Book 2, a white woman involved with a black man. Of course, this isn't anything new in our community, but I'd like to know what you'd love or hate to see in a BM/WW romance. Are there any things I should avoid? Please be honest. I REALLY need to know before I get too far into this story. Thank you!”* * * * * * *
"As long as he is not abusive I don't see any problem. I know this is not a problem in your work."
"In my own understanding, IR means the main characters are from different races. The sub-genre of IR are many; BW/WM, BM/WW etc.
From my own personal experience as an authors, readers prefer to see a BM on the cover rather than a white woman.
What do I hate as a reader? The excess focus on race as if that's the only thing the book is. We should grasp the whole racial thing as the story unfolds, not the main focus as if it is forced down our throats.
"However, be prepared that you may get flack from some readers who think IR is only BWWM."
"You are absolutely right. However, many readers have a very narrow definition of what constitutes IR romance. I've read comments from readers who claim that only BWWM is IR--the rest, according to them, is multicultural. I don't agree with them, but that is how many readers think. I've also read comments from readers on Goodreads who say they are not interested in reading about black men falling in love with white women because they already see this "in real life" whereas, for them, BWWM is the fantasy. Again, I don't agree with them, but this is what I've read in groups on Goodreads.
"As long as he is not derogatory towards black women. That's more common than a white man with a black woman.
"I think the same rules apply, too many times BM/WW books are treated as a fetish instead of Romance. The woman is black curious and then at the end might be surprised they care about this creature or oddity. My men are educated, not thugs because I hate that stereotype for black men. Treat it as you would a WMBW romance. That’s what I do for all of mine. The skin color only affects the outside world looking in but the relationship is the safe bubble where all that matters is how the people involved treat each other."
"Personally, I don't mind a long as the characters are real and well-developed. It would be refreshing to read. I prefer bwwm, only because that's how I began my journey. I'd like to believe that I am somewhat open-minded (not fully), as long as the supporting characters are not cast in a negative light. You know, the stereotypical "black bitch". I hope this helps. This comes from years of reading."
"Just make it realistic."
"I would like to see her willing to get know his family without being overly afraid. Apprehensive perhaps, but not terrified. I would also like to see her stand up for herself and be a partner to him. The two of them ride or die without going over the top."
"Just have fun with it. In one of mine the brother brought home a ww. Mom's reaction was 'Please tell me your son did NOT just bring me home a white girl.' This she said to her own white husband. LOL! Ppl will always have something negative to say, so don't let that worry you. Just write what you'd like to read."
"I'm invested in your character so as long as you stay true to Chelsea and her bohemian ways, it will be fine."
"In real life I have no issues with it. But I wouldn't read it."
"I'm all for IR romances, but I hate reading scenes where there's a racist family or friend. I went through that, and when I read a book, I want to escape the reality...."
"I never buy the WW/BM books!"
"Honestly, I wouldn't read it either and no offense but its because I can't dream or envisions myself vicariously in the story as the heroine. It's why I stay with BWWM."
* * * * * *
I guess I should've paid more attention to the negative comments than the positive ones, because this book bombed! It had probably one-quarter of the amount of sales I normally have in the first forty-five days after release.
I was so outdone, I went to my online writer's group to get their take on it.
* * * * * *"To be added to my "Never Do That Again" list - writing a book with a black hero and white heroine. Sales of YOU KNOW HOW TO LOVE ME aren't even half of what I normally sell of a new release in the first 45 days. :( Even though the story came about organically from the previous book in the series, apparently black women refuse to read about the BM/WW pairing. They're okay with a white hero and black heroine, though. #Weird #History #LessonLearned"These were some of the author comments:
"I don’t think it’s a matter of can’t. They just don’t want to. If they are avid romance readers they are probably done reading about white women getting their HEA."
"Yeah, successful black men dating and marrying white women is a sensitive subject for a lot black women.
"I know there are black women who will and have read white women written by white women but turn their noses at black women who write white women, it doesn't bother me. Especially if the black author also writes a healthy balance of black women. I hope their ethnicity is clear but even when I've clearly described a character, some one manages to feel it is ambiguous, which it never is. My cover will usually show the woman."
"I think I'm a bit sadistic. I loved watching that pale heroine grovel and adjust. Lmao. It was epic. But, she got her HEA and worked hard for it. Lmao"
"That might be what it is. They sad and desperate. OMGosh, that sounds like me. Desperate. I don't read contemporary romance with white women. They have options."
"I know all white women don't live charmed lives. I'm an admin for a special needs mom group that's 95% white. They struggle, but to answer your question, no. It's been more than 25 or so years since I've cared about a white woman being happy."
"I was thinking that would fail. Sorry. I have zero interest in reading that. Sorry it didn't work, Chicki."
"This is so interesting to me. For me, I just love a good story that keeps me engaged. I've had a YA novel idea tugging at me for a minute, where the BW is torn between a BM & WM. Now it makes me wonder...."
"It might work for YA though. That market is still hopeful about race relations."
"The younger generation isn't as bitter, and they might have no problem with it."
"There was an interracial romance as one of the story lines in my book that developed organically. But I was careful to draw my readers in and not set up expectations or reasons why they should reject the book before reading it, bc it was really about a woman’s internal journey & the romance with her white Co-worker who was her only work ally was just a side development that added complexity to the story and actually made the characters deal with the subject of racism. The cover and intro to the story didn’t set people up to unfairly make assumptions about my story or the characters. Unfortunately your cover likely did you in, not the story itself. Folks likely made assumptions based on the cover rather than the cover opening up questions they wanted to find answers to. With more controversial subject matter, sometimes we have to go subtle in our marketing so people won’t close themselves to the essence of a story they would likely enjoy if they gave it a chance."
"I wonder if your sales would have been higher if the cover was different and/or you had marketed this book to white women. Black women don't necessarily want to read about a white woman and a black man, but white women who fantasize about such things would. In marketing to white women, I think you would have had to change the cover though."
"You actually don’t have to do that. Just market it in a way that your targeted audience won’t reject it before reading it. Trust me - I’ve done well writing a diverse array of characters, though my protagonists are always Black women. Think about Silence of the Lambs - as much as people were repulsed by Hannibal Lechter, they were riveted by him and actually liked him. If they weren’t subtle and enticing in their marketing, folks wouldn’t have been as willing to engage with the story. But once they engaged, they were all in. Folks will accept and savor what you write if you give it to them honestly and in a way that connects with their humanity - and if your marketing doesn’t lead them to negative assumptions. Last analogy - I didn’t expect to enjoy Hidden Figures bc the ads were so hokey - saw it only bc I would feel guilty not to support it. And it was excellent, not just bc I related to it, but also from a storytelling, acting, production perspective as well. It fully deserved to be in the best picture race - and from a writing perspective was better than La La Land and Moonlight, the two front runners. But I easily could have missed seeing it bc the marketing didn’t compel me and led me to make false assumptions about the worthiness of the story."
"I just hate for any writer to censor their own work - what I meant by that earlier comment had nothing to do with your content. The negative assumption I was referring to is that black women may think they don’t want to read about the romance portrayed but once they start reading it really like the book. Though if that wasn’t your experience - if they panned it after reading it rather than just rejecting it outright bc they assumed they didn’t like it, I suppose it’s up to you as to whether you want to bend to popular whims or just write what you feel like writing. Sometimes writers bring people along in their thinking and expand people’s minds. But if it’s a purely numbers calculation on how you want to spend your time and resources, I suppose you have to weigh that as a factor."
"Remember Harper Lee didn’t win friends in her hometown writing To Kill A Mockingbird. She ended up bringing a whole lot of southern readers along in their thinking."
CB: "I was hoping to do that, but if people don't buy the book they won't get to read the story. LOL!
"I spent yesterday looking up WW/BM novels yesterday and guess what I found: mess! The one that stands out the most was this book about a white woman who worked in loss prevention and intentionally framed black men for theft they didn’t commit so she could trick them into sleeping with her to get off. It’s the way they ogle our men and think up SICK mess like that that I can’t stand. And it’s the way I see black men constantly leave and DEBASE black women and then go choose white women. And I see these same white women go on to further debase black women and make them feel even more worthless because they were chosen and we were not. Real life. I’ve read these exchanges and it makes me sick....
So it’s not a bitterness. It’s not that we don’t want to see white women happy. We don’t care because while they’re out there being happy, a lot of black women are still finding their own. And that’s why I personally feel triggered by stories about that."
"For whatever it's worth, I think you were very brave to write/promote this, Chicki and I admired you for it. There's was no question in my mind that it would be a well written and engaging story but the fact that you went out on a limb was courageous. I one clicked because of that as much as the writing."
Wow! I just wish my dear author friends had given me a heads up during the six month that I was writing and promoting the book before it was released.
There have been a few reviews that made me smile, though. This is one of them.
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written
January 8, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionI love how the author gives us inside in the mind of a white girl . I must admit that I sometimes despise a brother with a good job choosing a white girl instead of a sister. But once I read this book it gave me another mindset at the end of the day you're choosing who you love no matter the skin color. Thanks for opening my eyes." - IAB74
February 1, 2019
Full circle
Back in 2007 or maybe 2008, I attended a seminar that was held at the Fayetteville, Georgia library. I'd been writing for years, had signed with two agents and still hadn't sold anything. To say that I was discouraged is putting it mildly, so I went to hear this panel of romance authors talk about writing romance hoping they might be able to tell me what I was doing wrong.
The event consisted of a panel discussion, Q & A, lunch and time to visit with each author at their own table at the end. During the Q & A, I condensed my long, sad story and expressed my disillusionment with the journey.
The author panel gave me good advice. What stayed with me the most was how one author, Karen White, who is now a multi-New York Times bestselling author, came and talked with me personally at the end of the event. She encouraged me to join Georgia Romance Writers, the local chapter of RWA, the Romance Writers of America.
This week I received an invitation from the Fayetteville Library to participate in a panel discussion in March. I haven't seen the head librarian there in years, since I live in a different county and rarely visit the Fayette County branch, but she remembered me and looked me up online.
I am so tickled when I look back and see how things have come full circle since I visited their event some 8-9 years ago as a discouraged, aspiring author who couldn't get anyone to take me seriously. If I hadn't gone ahead and struck out on my own as an independent author, I never would have discovered that there were thousands of readers who love my work. I'm still striving to be where Karen is at this point in her writing career, but whether I make it there or not, I'm going to keep on writing because I love it.
This invitation showed me how important it is for published authors to support and encourage fledgling authors. It doesn't take any money or major time investment to speak words that might propel someone to the next level.
