Fiona Zedde's Blog, page 4

April 2012 Newsletter

It's been an insane last few weeks-the injustice in the Trayvon Martin case, the unarmed young woman--Rekia Boyd--killed in Chicago by an off-duty cop, movie "fans" revealing their racist colors in the wake of The Hunger Games casting black characters in major roles. These and so many other things make it clear how far from equal and un-biased things are in this country. Still, we carry on. We attend rallies, we show support, we counter hate with love.

May your April be beautiful and your hearts be strong in the face of injustice.

- Fiona

**To read the rest of the newsletter, click here

New Novella - Nightshade!

Available online now, Nightshade: a Novella...
Assassin, Bronwynne St. Just has a knack for finding trouble, usually in the form of a beautiful woman. After fulfilling a haunting contract on her sister's childhood friend and former employee, she takes off for the Caribbean and business as usual; but danger waits for her in the most unexpected places. 

With an endless appetite for luscious variety, Wynne courts danger and pleasure from all corners of the globe. But she must wrestle with her own demons as she trades kisses and blows with some of the deadliest women in the business. She's been lucky in all her years in the game but will a young woman bent on revenge become her Achilles heel?

March 2012 Newsletter

I love cherries! I also love carbs. For part of January and most of February, I followed through on a 30-day no carb challenge. It was particularly rough at the Super Bowl party - chips, chocolate cake, rice and peas. The agony! But I lived through it, hopefully wiser about my carb intake. I don't HAVE to eat an entire bowl of white rice with melted butter and a side of hot coco bread. Delicious, but not necessary.

Even with my no-carb suffering, I had hoped to finish up the novella, Nightshade, and have it ready by today. But I've been having some cover issues and hope they will be resolved soon so the book can go up on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. in the next couple of weeks. Look out for it!

Enjoy your March and the melting away of winter. May the spirit of Spring come to you early and often until we connect again.

- Fiona
To read the rest of the March 2012 Newsletter, including the hot short, click here.

February 2012 Newsletter

Welcome to February, the month of Black History and Love. There are many good things to look forward to -- chocolates, super bowl parties, sunsets on the beach -- even as we step away from a January filled with the unimaginable -- Atlanta's Outwrite Books closing, Susan G. Komen pulling funding from Planned Parenthood.

In writing news, my new book will hit the (digital) shelves at the end of the month. That book, Nightshade, is a novella and features my favorite assassin, Wynne.Nightshade will be available as an ebook first and then in hard copy editions from your favorite bookstores in persona and online. Keep an eye on my website (www.fionazedde.com) and future newsletters for more information.

Blessings and love!
- Fiona


(art by James Loveless)

January 2012 Newsletter

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Welcome to 2012! A new year and a chance to be an even better you or, at very least, to pursue your happiness more fiercely and taste all the honey this life has to offer.

I spent Christmas with a set of star-shaped lights I bought in Jamaica over seven years ago, happy to see them still working after all this time. I love Christmas lights! Watching the lights wink on and off in their own particular rhythm reminded me of spending evenings in my old Atlanta apartment sipping merlot while the yellow, blue, green, and red lights bathed my otherwise dark living room in color. It's the little things.

Have a beautiful 2012. May it be as wonderful as last year but filled with even more positive changes, more love, and more happiness.

- Fiona

To see the rest of the newsletter, click here.

December 2011 Newsletter

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December Greetings!

First, I'd like to send out special holiday love to the soldiers serving abroad this holiday and away from their beloveds and friends. Stay safe, be strong, and come back to us soon.

Also, a big welcome to my new newsletter subscribers. Thank you for clicking that "subscribe" button or for reaching out to me with a personal email or message. I very much appreciate the time you take to read my notes and to respond.

During this season of giving and receiving, I find myself thankful for the things I already have. In the words of a tiny prayer I said as a child in Jamaica, I remain thankful for "health and strength and the food we are about to eat. Amen!" Also for the friends and family and other ships passing by in the night who have made this life more than bearable.

My body does most things I ask of it, I am thankful.
The sun is shining outside my window, I am thankful.
Strangers reach out to me in friendship and goodwill, I am thankful.

Have a beautiful December!

To read the rest of the newsletter, click here.

November 2011 Newsletter

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The Fall has settled firmly around my shoulders here in London. Leaves are on the ground, coats and gloves are on, caps pulled firmly down over the ears. And with that, it's time for me to head back home to the States.

It's been a fabulous two months. The readings in Birmingham and London were amazing, attended by an interested, questioning, and lively audience that I was absolutely thrilled to have. Between the readings and writing, I was able to fly off to Paris, Brighton, and Oxford as well as see most of the touristy parts of London. All in all, a good visit.

Now, with November's arrival, it's time to get cozy with my well-missed beloveds and reconnect with all things home and hearth. Enjoy your own family reconnections this month as Thanksgiving arrives. Keep warm. Give thanks and always be open to receive them.

- Fiona

To see the rest of the newsletter, click here.

October 2011 Newsletter

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I'm off and traveling! It's been a whirlwind of a time here in England. Seeing the sights. Writing. Meeting new people. Dancing until 4 a.m. Eating fish and chips. It continues with two official readings - one in Birmingham and another in London - within the next few weeks as well as a few unofficial visits to open mics around the city.

To continue the theme of travel, this month's "Hot Shorts" features my favorite assassin, Wynne (somewhat aged from her last appearance in my fiction) on holiday. Hope you enjoy that tiny peek into her life.

Hugs to you from across the seas!

- Fiona

For the complete newsletter, click here.

September 2011 Newsletter

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As summer draws to a close, I find myself increasingly grateful for the deep Florida warmth that lingers with beach days and moonlit, picnic nights long after Autumn wraps us all in its particular colors.

I'd wanted to go to the beach and sip rum runners while my toes curl in the warm sand. But time is not on my side. Instead, I'll be heading to Atlanta for Labor Day Weekend Events then off to Europe for two months to do writing and book signing and research. Warm Florida beach days and nights will be here for me when I get back. I hope.

Happy reading and loving until next time!

See the complete newsletter here.

Summer Greetings XOX!

Summer greetings!
(AzMarie)
Where has the time gone? I feel like every time I sit down to write a letter or email or note, I'm always saying how much time has flown. Maybe that means I need to slow my own life down in order to appreciate the things that are otherwise passing by. Sunrises. Sunsets. Crepe myrtle blossoms swirling past in the rain. The smile of a pretty girl.
Winged time aside, July was a beautiful month. Filled with the fury of moving to a new place, a trip to New York for the Harlem Book Fair, and the debut of my new Young Adult book, Dreaming in Color. New York was hot and wonderful. I ate too much and too richly but plan on jumping in the pool to get rid of all the weight I'm sure I gained in those few days.
August won't be as busy as July. Only a few trips away from home - St. Louis for its annual Black Gay Pride just before I head to Atlanta for Black Pride and the Decatur Book Festival in September. Gotta love the frequent flier miles!
Those of you on the road this summer, please share your stories. I love tales of the road and travel - hot air balloon, trains, bicycles, and otherwise. Travel safe, keep cool in this heat and talk with you next time.
- Fiona
To see the rest of my August newsletter, go to the link HERE.