Chicki Brown's Blog, page 26
March 19, 2014
Status Update
On Thursday, March 27th I am having surgery - a total knee replacement.
Until then I'm hustling to get Till You Come Back to Me finished so I can spend the first couple of weeks of my recovery doing the final tweaks before it goes to my editor.
Tomorrow I have author M.J. Kane talking about her new release, Lonely Heart , so make sure you stop back.
That's it for now...

Until then I'm hustling to get Till You Come Back to Me finished so I can spend the first couple of weeks of my recovery doing the final tweaks before it goes to my editor.

Tomorrow I have author M.J. Kane talking about her new release, Lonely Heart , so make sure you stop back.
That's it for now...

Published on March 19, 2014 05:53
March 14, 2014
Fun Friday - Movies about Writers

Yesterday I ran across a movie on TCM I'd never seen before called Youngblood Hawke. It was made in 1964 (when I was just starting high school) and starred James Franciscus and Suzanne Pleshette. Since I was supposed to be writing, I threw in a DVD and hit record, so I haven't watched the whole movie yet.
This got me thinking (I know, bad idea) about all of the films there are about writers, so I did a Google search and discovered this extensive list. If you're looking for something to watch, you can probably get many of them from NetFlix or Amazon. If you want to read more on what each film is about, you can go to IMDB.com.
1. Barrets of Wimpole St. (1934)
2. It Happened One Night (1934)
3. His Girl Friday (1940)
4. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
5. Foreign Correspondent (1940)
6. Woman of the Year (1942)
7. Old Acquaintance (1943)
8. The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944)
9. It Happened Tomorrow (1944)
10. The Lost Weekend (1945)
11. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
12. The Story of G.I. Joe (1945)
13. I Remember Mama (1948)
14. Call Northside 777 (1948)
15. The Third Man (1949)
16. In a Lonely Place (1950)
17. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
18. Orpheus (1950)
19. Ace in the Hole (1951)
20. Hans Christian Andersen (1952)
21. A Face In The Crowd (1957)
22. Some Came Running (1958)
23. Teacher’s Pet (1958)
24. The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)
25. La Dolce Vita (1960)
26. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
27. Through A Glass Darkly (1961)
28. The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962)
29. Jules and Jim (1962)
30. 8 ½ (1963)
31. Youngblood Hawke (1964)
32. Color of Pomegranates (1968)
33. The Odd Couple (1968)
34. Man of La Mancha (1972)
35. Sleuth (1972)
36. The Way We Were (1973)
37. Front Page (1974, originally 1931)
38. All the Presidents Men (1976)
39. The Front (1976)
40. Julia (1977)
41. Superman (1978)
42. Stevie (1978)
43. My Brilliant Career (1979)
44. Heart Beat (1980)
45. Seems Like Old Times (1980)
46. The Shining (1980)
47. Somewhere in Time (1980)
48. Reds (1981)
49. Rich & Famous (1981)
50. Priest of Love (1981)
51. The World According to Garp (1982)
52. Deathtrap (1982)
53. Author! Author! (1982)
54. My Favorite Year (1982)
55. Missing (1982)
56. Sophie’s Choice (1982)
57. The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
58. Cross Creek (1983)
59. American Dreamer (1984)
60. Romancing The Stone (1984)
61. Irreconcilable Differences (1984)
62. Just One of the Guys (1985)
63. Out of Africa (1985)
64. Mishima: A Life in 4 Chapters (1985)
65. Heartburn (1986)
66. Stand By Me (1986)
67. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
68. 84 Charing Cross Road (1986)
69. The Singing Detective (1986)
70. Throw Mama From the Train (1987)
71. Barfly (1987)
72. Waiting for the Moon (1987)
73. Prick Up Your Ears (1987)
74. Best Seller (1987)
75. Rowing With the Wind (1988)
76. Funny Farm (1988)
77. The Accidental Tourist (1988)
78. Da (1988)
79. Her Alibi (1989)
80. My Left Foot (1989)
81. Beautiful Dreamers (1990)
82. An Angel at My Table (1990)
83. Henry and June (1990)
84. Misery (1990)
85. Closetland (1991)
86. Impromptu (1991)
87. Barton Fink (1991)
88. Naked Lunch (1991)
89. Hedd Wynn (1992)
90. The Player (1992)
91. Basic Instinct (1992)
92. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
93. The Pelican Brief (1993)
94. So I Married An Ax Murderer (1993)
95. The Dark Half (1993)
96. Shadowlands (1993)
97. Poetic Justice (1993)
98. The Paper (1994)
99. Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
100. Paperback Romance (1994)
101. Tom & Viv (1994)
102. Little Women (1994)
103. Il Postino: The Postman (1994)
104. Mrs. Parker & The Vicious Circle (1994)
105. Delta of Venus (1995)
106. Total Eclipse (1995)
107. The Flower of My Secret (1995)
108. Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
109. Carrington (1995)
110. Delores Claiborne (1995)
111. The Pillow Book (1996)
112. The Whole Wide World (1996)
113. Mother (1996)
114. Hamsun (1996)
115. The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca (1996)
116. Welcome to Sarajevo (1997)
117. Deconstructing Harry (1997)
118. Henry Fool (1997)
119. Wilde (1997)
120. Chasing Amy (1997)
121. One True Thing (1998)
122. Shakespeare In Love (1998)
123. A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries (1998)
124. Eternity and a Day (1998)
125. Permanent Midnight (1998)
126. A Murder of Crows (1998)
127. Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
128. Croupier (1998)
129. Slam (1998)
130. Les Enfants Du Siècle / The Children of the Century (1999)
131. Topsy Turvey (1999)
132. The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999)
133. Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)
134. Never Been Kissed (1999)
135. The Best Man (1999)
136. The End of the Affair (1999, originally 1955)
137. The Muse (1999)
138. True Crime (1999)
139. Bamboozled (2000)
140. Almost Famous (2000)
141. Before Night Falls (2000)
142. Joe Gould’s Secret (2000)
143. Nora (2000)
144. Pandaemonium (2000)
145. Wonder Boys (2000)
146. Finding Forrester (2000)
147. Quills (2000)
148. Isn’t She Great (2000)
149. Pinero (2001)
150. Iris (2001)
151. Moulin Rouge (2001)
152. The Shipping News (2001)
153. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
154. Bridget Jones Diary (2001)
155. Storytelling (2001)
156. Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)
157. How to Kill your Neighbor’s Dog (2001)
158. Orange County (2002)
159. Possession (2002)
160. The Hours (2002)
161. Adaptation. (2002)
162. Blue Car (2002)
163. I Capture the Castle (2003)
164. Alex & Emma (2003)
165. Shattered Glass (2003)
166. American Splendor (2003)
167. As Good As It Gets (2003)
168. Sylvia (2003)
169. Cheaper By The Dozen (2003)
170. Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
171. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
172. The Swimming Pool (2003)
173. Veronica Guerin (2003)
174. The United States of Leland (2003)
175. Notre Musique (2004)
176. Before Sunset (2004)
177. Sideways (2004)
178. The Libertine (2004)
179. Finding Neverland (2004)
180. Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
181. Secret Window (2004)
182. The Door in the Floor (2004)
183. La Tigre E La Neve / Tiger and the Snow (2005)
184. The Dying Gaul (2005)
185. The Squid and the Whale (2005)
186. Capote (2005)
187. The Prize-winner of Defiance Ohio (2005)
188. Factotum (2005)
189. Winter Passing (2005)
190. The Night Listener (2006)
191. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
192. Scoop (2006)
193. The TV Set (2006)
194. The Hoax (2006)
195. Infamous (2006)
196. Half Light (2006)
197. Miss Potter (2006)
198. Ask the Dust (2006)
199. Running with Scissors (2006)
200. Love and other Disasters (2006)
201. A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints
202. Starting Out in the Evening (2007)
203. Martian Child (2007)
204. Slipstream (2007)
205. Freedom Writers (2007)
206. Becoming Jane (2007)
207. A Mighty Heart (2007)
208. Dan in Real Life (2007)
209. Purple Violets (2007)
210. Moliere (2007)
211. In the Land of Women (2007)
212. Zodiac (2007)
213. Music and Lyrics (2007)
214. 1408 (2007)
215. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
216. Atonement (2007)
217. 27 Dresses (2007)
218. Roman De Gare (2007)
219. Angel (2007)
220. Resurrecting The Champ (2007)
221. Sleuth (2007)
222. The Kite Runner (2007)
223. Nim’s Island (2008)
224. Marley & Me (2008)
225. The Edge of Love (2008)
226. The Stoning of Soroya M. (2008)
227. Me and Orson Welles (2008)
228. Burn After Reading (2008)
229. Sex & The City: The Movie (2008)
230. Good (2008)
231. Funny People (2009)
232. 500 Days of Summer (2009)
233. Julie & Julia (2009)
234. Gentleman Broncos (2009)
235. Bright Star (2009)
236. The Answer Man (2009)
237. 2012 (2009)
238. Motherhood (2009)
239. Broken Embraces (2009)
240. The Soloist (2009)
241. World’s Greatest Dad (2009)
242. The Last Station (2009)
243. Cole (2009)
244. The Boys are Back (2009)
245. Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
246. Spoken Word (2009)
247. Tetro (2009)
248. State of Play (2009)
249. Nine (2009)
250. The City of Your Final Destination (2009)
251. The Rum Diary (2010)
252. The Ghost Writer (2010)
253. Howl (2010)
254. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)
255. Sex & The City 2 (2010)
256. Eat, Pray, Love (2010)
257. A Closed Book (2010)
258. Peep World (2010)
259. Midnight in Paris (2011)
260. One Day (2011)
261. Limitless (2011)
262. Young Adult (2011)
263. The Help (2011)
264. Twixt (2011)
265. Anonymous (2011)
266. Ruby Sparks (2012)
267. The Words (2012)
268. Writers (2012)
269. Being Flynn (2012)
270. Stuck In Love (2012)
271. Sinister (2012)
272. On The Road (2012)
273. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)
274. The Raven (2012)
275. The Master (2012)
276. The Best Bar In America (2013)
277. Before Midnight (2013)
- list from http://christinakatz.com/free/277-mov...

Published on March 14, 2014 05:36
March 11, 2014
Another request...

Can you help me boost my Amazon Author Central ranking? All you need to do is click Like on my page, amzn.to/l2kjXQ .
Smooches!
Published on March 11, 2014 15:28
March 10, 2014
Fellowship of Like Minds
Yesterday, I spent a few hours at my monthly writer's group meeting. I always look forward to the second Sunday of month, because this is the one time I get to spend some time with fellow scribes face to face.
There were only five of us present at the meeting, and one of the participants was a man who joined us for the first time. Our members are all at different stages in their writing/publishing journey. Three of us, M.J. Kane, C. Michelle (Mimi) Ramsey and myself are multi-published. Others are tweaking manuscripts for submission/self-publishing. Some are just starting their first book.
Our topic for discussion was character development. M.J., our fearless leader, had e-mailed us the character profile she uses to flesh out her characters before she starts a new story. We were to complete the form and bring it to the meeting.
I use a similar form in my pre-writing process, but with a different set of questions. Each of us took a turn reading the details about our current main character. Hearing about the protagonists other writers have created is so interesting, but more importantly, I enjoyed just being in the company of people who understand my weirdness.
More often than not, I find myself talking to members of my family about my writing, which always puts me in the position of being the "odd man out." They tolerate my ramblings and usually give me that blank stare as though thinking, "That's nice. Can we talk about something else?"
It's hard not to share the thing you love to do most with those closest to you, but I realize they only listen to me to be nice. :) It's a joy to share those things and have the people ro whom you're talking ask questions and give input.
Thank you Wordsmiths of Clayton County!

There were only five of us present at the meeting, and one of the participants was a man who joined us for the first time. Our members are all at different stages in their writing/publishing journey. Three of us, M.J. Kane, C. Michelle (Mimi) Ramsey and myself are multi-published. Others are tweaking manuscripts for submission/self-publishing. Some are just starting their first book.
Our topic for discussion was character development. M.J., our fearless leader, had e-mailed us the character profile she uses to flesh out her characters before she starts a new story. We were to complete the form and bring it to the meeting.
I use a similar form in my pre-writing process, but with a different set of questions. Each of us took a turn reading the details about our current main character. Hearing about the protagonists other writers have created is so interesting, but more importantly, I enjoyed just being in the company of people who understand my weirdness.
More often than not, I find myself talking to members of my family about my writing, which always puts me in the position of being the "odd man out." They tolerate my ramblings and usually give me that blank stare as though thinking, "That's nice. Can we talk about something else?"
It's hard not to share the thing you love to do most with those closest to you, but I realize they only listen to me to be nice. :) It's a joy to share those things and have the people ro whom you're talking ask questions and give input.
Thank you Wordsmiths of Clayton County!
Published on March 10, 2014 04:51
March 6, 2014
Please Vote for My Cover!
Hello friends, family, and supporters! I need your help! I have just entered my book into UBAWA’S Best Book Cover Contest. Please help me take home the prize by “liking” my photo after clicking on the following link:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=603491576403213&set=a.603489279736776.1073741849.100002271297049&type=3&permPage=1
I appreciate your support!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=603491576403213&set=a.603489279736776.1073741849.100002271297049&type=3&permPage=1

I appreciate your support!
Published on March 06, 2014 17:05
March 5, 2014
Author Spotlight - Phoenix Rayne


Synopsis
It appears that Cricket and Jyme have it all together now. They have a house, serenity, safety…a normal life. But something always seems to take Cricket back to her past…sometimes, her future requires it. Excerpt:
The floor was crazy that night; there was a convention in town and it seemed like everybody was in the casino. All of the workers apparently knew what happened between Trey and me; everyone was hugging, squeezing, or smiling a sad smile in my direction. Even Misty, in the cash cage, looked like she had been crying for me. She had held me up at the cash cage talking about how she had a little house down in Florida. She told me that no one knew about it, not even her husband. She hugged me, and I looked away through the cage out at the floor. I was fighting back my tears.
As I did, I saw a man with a black blazer, denim jeans, and a hat. He reminded me so much of Jyme; his copper skin and his height. I squeezed my eyes shut, patted Misty on her back, and told her thanks. I felt like a charity case, and I hated that. I was on my second break for the night and I went back to the suite to freshen up my makeup.
After I finished with my makeup, I shut the front door to the suite and headed for the elevators. I saw two men at the end of the hall dressed in suits. They saw me and froze; I stopped and then I took one step back. They stared at me, and I was staring right back at them. I slid my key out of my purse slowly; one of them saw me and sprinted toward me. He took long quick strides. I unlocked the door and shut it quickly behind me; putting the latch on the door. I ran to my room and slid a chair under the knob so that it would not turn. I yanked the phone off the table and I called security.


Here are the links to contact the Author
https://www.facebook.com/phoenixraynebooks
https://www.facebook.com/phoenix.rayne.186?fref=ts
https://twitter.com/hellophoenixx
Here is the link to buy the book:
http://amzn.to/MkuBFT
Published on March 05, 2014 04:07
February 28, 2014
Fun Friday

I've been busy, busy, busy trying to get TILL YOU COME BACK TO ME done before I go into the hospital next month for my knee surgery! That's why I haven't posted anything here other than features for other authors.
No matter how busy I am, I always make time to save things I run across online or get in my e-mail that make me smile. And when you're struggling to get a book finished, you definitely need something to smile about...

Here are a few to start off you weekend:





Published on February 28, 2014 04:55
February 24, 2014
Author Spotlight - Jamie Dossie
My guest today is author Jamie Dossie.
Jamie was born and raised in Chicago Illinois. She fell in love with urban novels, after her mom gave her a book by Terry McMillian called Mama. After reading that book, she began to read another and at that very moment she knew these were the kind of books she wanted to write someday.
After the passing of her mom, she began to write notebooks full of poems and short stories. She knew it was a way to cope with the pain of losing her mom, but at the same time she was building her writing skills. Growing up where people didn’t express their dreams, she shied away from telling people that she wanted to be a well-known published author.
Jamie is always looking to improve her writing craft. She is also a licensed esthetician and licensed Food Server. She is well known in her community for these crafts as well. She has written two books with one being published called Double Back. She is currently working hard on part two of Double Back. She would like to tell everyone to always follow their dreams, always step out on faith it’s the best thing anyone could do. She is currently living in Chicago with her children and is brain storming on her future projects.
You can find out more about Jamie here:https://www.facebook.com/jamie.dossie?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Jamie-Dossie/1388983851360582
Synopsis:
Growing up on the west side of Chicago to a dope fiend, Rashad Miller aka- Goldie never knew his father. Tired of the neighborhood kids laughing and staring at him, he missed many days of school, and saw drugs as the only way to make money and have things he wanted in life. Goldie was made to believe that this would be the only life he would ever know. Jasmine moved after high school graduation to start a promising writing career in New York City. The thought of Goldie never left her mind. The love they shared as kids was sweet and innocent; now both grown-up, a loving relationship with Goldie is what Jasmine dreams of. Jasmine comes back to Chicago to live, where she and Goldie try to rekindle a lost love. Goldie s inability to stop his menacing ways was tearing him and her apart. Hustling helped him live, and the love he craved from Jasmine helped feed his soul.
Excerpt:
Jasmine was the one he really wanted but couldn’t seem to get it. He thought if he had money and nice clothes that he would surely win her over, knowing that none of that impressed her had him floored. That’s why he fell in love with Jasmine, knowing he needed more to get her was something he had never experienced with the other girls. Jasmine made him work. He took her to parties on the weekends, bought her jewelry pretty much whatever else he thought she wanted. Jasmine never asked for anything, he always offered, sometimes she would accept and others she wouldn’t.
Occasionally Jas and her best friends would walk the blocks looking to be seen but she never fell prey to any of the trouble her friends got into. At twelve and thirteen most of them were already having sex with boys older than they were. Goldie had even slept with a few of them. Some of the girls were into drinking and smoking weed and the ones who thought that they were good girls opted for other acts instead of having sex.
Jasmine and Goldie had a few stolen moments of passion, a kiss here or a kiss there, she almost went all the way with him a few times but Goldie always stopped her. In his eyes, she would always be a good girl, and as he loved her, he knew he wasn’t the kind of young man she needed in her life. He couldn’t hurt or treat her he way he treated other females. Jasmine was his one true love, when he got his life together, he knew he was going to be hers.
E-book - Amazon:http://amzn.to/1f7pSUp
Paperback: http://amzn.to/NeMFl8
Nook E-book: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/double-back-jamie-dossie/1118635501?ean=2940148137849

Jamie was born and raised in Chicago Illinois. She fell in love with urban novels, after her mom gave her a book by Terry McMillian called Mama. After reading that book, she began to read another and at that very moment she knew these were the kind of books she wanted to write someday.
After the passing of her mom, she began to write notebooks full of poems and short stories. She knew it was a way to cope with the pain of losing her mom, but at the same time she was building her writing skills. Growing up where people didn’t express their dreams, she shied away from telling people that she wanted to be a well-known published author.
Jamie is always looking to improve her writing craft. She is also a licensed esthetician and licensed Food Server. She is well known in her community for these crafts as well. She has written two books with one being published called Double Back. She is currently working hard on part two of Double Back. She would like to tell everyone to always follow their dreams, always step out on faith it’s the best thing anyone could do. She is currently living in Chicago with her children and is brain storming on her future projects.
You can find out more about Jamie here:https://www.facebook.com/jamie.dossie?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Jamie-Dossie/1388983851360582

Synopsis:
Growing up on the west side of Chicago to a dope fiend, Rashad Miller aka- Goldie never knew his father. Tired of the neighborhood kids laughing and staring at him, he missed many days of school, and saw drugs as the only way to make money and have things he wanted in life. Goldie was made to believe that this would be the only life he would ever know. Jasmine moved after high school graduation to start a promising writing career in New York City. The thought of Goldie never left her mind. The love they shared as kids was sweet and innocent; now both grown-up, a loving relationship with Goldie is what Jasmine dreams of. Jasmine comes back to Chicago to live, where she and Goldie try to rekindle a lost love. Goldie s inability to stop his menacing ways was tearing him and her apart. Hustling helped him live, and the love he craved from Jasmine helped feed his soul.
Excerpt:
Jasmine was the one he really wanted but couldn’t seem to get it. He thought if he had money and nice clothes that he would surely win her over, knowing that none of that impressed her had him floored. That’s why he fell in love with Jasmine, knowing he needed more to get her was something he had never experienced with the other girls. Jasmine made him work. He took her to parties on the weekends, bought her jewelry pretty much whatever else he thought she wanted. Jasmine never asked for anything, he always offered, sometimes she would accept and others she wouldn’t.
Occasionally Jas and her best friends would walk the blocks looking to be seen but she never fell prey to any of the trouble her friends got into. At twelve and thirteen most of them were already having sex with boys older than they were. Goldie had even slept with a few of them. Some of the girls were into drinking and smoking weed and the ones who thought that they were good girls opted for other acts instead of having sex.
Jasmine and Goldie had a few stolen moments of passion, a kiss here or a kiss there, she almost went all the way with him a few times but Goldie always stopped her. In his eyes, she would always be a good girl, and as he loved her, he knew he wasn’t the kind of young man she needed in her life. He couldn’t hurt or treat her he way he treated other females. Jasmine was his one true love, when he got his life together, he knew he was going to be hers.
E-book - Amazon:http://amzn.to/1f7pSUp
Paperback: http://amzn.to/NeMFl8
Nook E-book: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/double-back-jamie-dossie/1118635501?ean=2940148137849
Published on February 24, 2014 04:40
February 21, 2014
Fun Friday
I haven't posted a Fun Friday entry in a quite a while, so I thought this one should be something profound...
Have a fabulous weekend!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Published on February 21, 2014 04:37
February 19, 2014
Writer Wednesday - Obsession
My special guest today is Obsession.

She grew up on the west side of Chicago, Obsession began writing at the age of 7. Winning countless awards in her youth, it was plain to see that she was indeed gifted. Upon graduating from Young Chicago Author's, she published two poetry books by the age of 17. Obsession is currently working on her fifth novel and fifth poetry book! She now resides on the north side of Chicago, where she teaches preschool. Her new release is entitled, Before I Lay Me Down to Sleep .

About The Book
If you were given only six months to a year to live, what would be your final good deed?
Filled with love, humor and heart stopping suspense, you will find Gail Washington; a therapist turned matchmaker diagnosed with a monstrous disease. She arranges a sensual mixer in hopes that four individuals, who are also her clients, make a love connection. Nathaniel, a head strong seductive pediatric surgeon, has never met a woman that could handle him mentally or physically; that's why Gail’s feisty secretary Zaya is perfect for him. Raven is the top male tennis player in the world. He quickly learns that with championships comes a lot of money and a lot of women; both of which he’s always had control over until he meets Morgan, a free spirited hairstylist that is drop dead gorgeous and emotionally elusive.
Will Gail live to see her last wish granted? Will they surrender their hearts and fall passionately in love with one another? Or will Gail’s final act of kindness accompany her to the grave?
5 Facts about the Book
1. What can we learn from the protagonist? >Acceptance, love, humbleness, Kindness & forgiveness
2. How was Gail inspirational?>Even though her life will be cut short, Gail remains unselfish while showing us a softer and stronger side of humanity.
3. Gail played a major role in her clients love connection.>She devised a plan to not only heal her clients but to gift them the one thing the all yearned for, which to love and be loved.
4. The importance of loving yourself before you can love anyone else.>Nathaniel, Zaya, Raven & Morgan had to face and conquer their own demons in order to see the good within themselves and others. They went to war with their past and their emotions; coming out scraped and bruised but free.
5. My own story inspired Gail's and the rest of the cast.
Healing, learning to love myself, facing my abusive childhood, learning how to forgive, being selfless, helping others heal with my story.
Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE:
“The thing that is worse than death is betrayal.”~ Malcolm X
~Gail~
“What in the world is taking Dr. Erickson so long?” Gail wondered aloud.
Anxiously bouncing her right leg, she glances down at her wrist watch for the tenth time.
She’s been nervous ever since receiving a phone call from her gynecologist nurse Veronica.
Veronica stated that her test results were in and for Gail and her husband to come into the office immediately. The request from Dr. Erickson to have Chaz come along is what’s concerning her the most.
“Lord please, if this man has given me another STD I will become one of the newest movies playing on the lifetime channel… burning bed… the sequel.”
“Gail who are you talking to?” a familiar voice asked
Gail spun around to see Dr. Erickson leaning against his office door with her chart in hand.
“Oh hey Dr. Erickson, I wasn’t talking to anyone, I was just thinking aloud. You know me, always thinking about something.” A nervous laugh escaped her mouth
“Now Gail we’ve talked about this; call me Ollie. You helped me through a rough period in my life. You’re not only my patient, but you are my friend. I couldn’t have gotten through my divorce without you.” said Dr. Erickson.
“Oh Ollie, I was just doing my job. I’m a psychologist, that’s what we do; we’re healers, as my grandmother would say.”
“And a healer you are. You helped me to forgive my ex-wife and to let go. All of the talks we had, exercises and books that you recommended really aided in healing my broken heart. Now look at me; my private practice is doing amazing, my self-esteem is through the roof, and the ladies love me! And I have you to thank.”
“Not at all Ollie, you can thank God; I just helped out a bit.”
They laughed simultaneously.
Gail leans back in her chair and speaks softly.
“You’ve found something wrong with me haven’t you? There’s a reason you wanted Chaz to come with me to receive the results.”
“Where is he?” Dr. Erickson asked.
“Obviously not here so what is it already?” Gail impatiently replied.
“Your pap smear came back abnormal. We explained that most the time abnormal cell changes on the cervix are caused by human papillomavirus, which is a sexually transmitted disease. This prompted us to do a colposcopy or cervical biopsy to run test on the abnormal cells.”
“Right and you told me that usually the abnormal cells will go away on their own,” said Gail
“Yes but I also said that it depended on what type of HPV we were dealing with. You haven’t had a pap smear 10 years prior to this one.” Explained Dr. Erickson
“It slipped my mind.” she shamefully replied.
“Yes, you informed me of that. With the symptoms you’ve been having; the abnormal vaginal bleeding after intercourse, the fatigue, the longer heavier periods, and the pelvic and back pain; Gail I don’t know any other way to say this but to say it.”
Dr. Erickson looks at his friend with the saddest eyes and continues. “The biopsy results report that you have cervical cancer. You will undergo further test to determine whether the cancer has spread and to what extent; this process is called staging. The stage of the cancer is a key factor in deciding on treatment. It seems like we need to run test as soon as possible.” He walks over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “Gail, are you listening to me? We need to start testing immediately so we can see which treatment we need to begin.”
She sat there staring at the behind him with tears lining her face.
“Gail I’m sorr…”
She reaches out to hug him.
“It’s okay Ollie. I’m free after four pm all next week. Have Veronica give me a call with available days and times.”
“Are you going to be alright Gail?”
Breaking their embrace, she walks to his office door.
“I will be” she said over her shoulder.
The walk to her car seemed like it took forever. Shaking and crying uncontrollably, she was in no shape to drive, so she grabbed her cell phone and dialed her husband’s number. Ringing only once, she was sent straight to the voicemail.
"Um, hey Honey, I waited for you at Dr. Erickson’s office, but you never showed up; guess you were busy. Any who, the news wasn’t so great, I’m a complete wreck, I’ve been sitting in the car crying and wondering why is this happening to me.” She let out a long sigh before continuing. “Well Honey, I’m going to head on home and get some rest. After a good nap I’ll start on dinner, I love you, bye.”
She loves music, but she can’t handle any extra activity at the moment, so she decides to drive home in silence.
How could this be happening to me? I mean, I eat right, exercise, pray, tithe, volunteer at women shelters and children hospitals. I’ve never killed, beat up, scammed, or flat out harmed anybody in my entire life and yet I’m stricken with cancer. This is not fair; why Jesus?
As she pulls up to her home, she notice her husband’s car parked in their drive way.
Hmm, I didn’t expect him to be home so early, she thought.
Upon entering their home, she hears a familiar song playing softly in their bedroom.
“Aw, he must have heard my voicemail and decided to play our favorite song. He knows Janet Jackson always cheers me up.”
She sings along with the lyrics as she climbs the stairs to their bedroom.
“Anytime, and any place, I don’t care who’s around…”
She stops singing when she hears moaning on the other side of the door.
Turning the door knob slowly, she stands outside of the room in complete and utter shock…”
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Published on February 19, 2014 05:27