I Ain't Said Nothin' But A Word...

"America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess." Barack Obama's acceptance speech left me with a sense of civil responsibility and empowerment. A candidate who is genuinely interested in the well-being of Americans. How refreshing is that? If by some remote chance you missed his speech last night, then click HERE . It's well worth the effort.

I imagine that the job of being the First Lady of the United States must be a bit daunting at first. It’s not like it comes with a clear cut job description. It does of course come with some exceptionally high expectations. When you consider that the First Lady must not only validate her husband’s character, but also her own, then it certainly makes sense that the journey to acceptance is not always easy. Michelle Obama has become a very public figure and has accepted the role of aspiring First Lady with sheer grace. She has also accepted the uncomfortable scrutiny that comes with that responsibility. Since her husband announced his candidacy, she has taken some serious flack. I bet the conversation between the two to make that decision, as well as the subsequent conversations as the last few months have unfolded have been quite interesting. For some time now she’s been hit by a wave of unflattering and sexist media portrayals. Critics have called Michelle everything from unpatriotic t

A good friend sent me this quote. It came at the right time. I pass it on hoping that it will move someone else the way it moved me. I pass it on as a reminder that there is always hope. I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so that you can appreciate them when they’re right. You believe lies so that eventually you learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things falls apart so better things can fall together. --Marilyn Monroe

It’s good sex. I mean really good sex! I’m not having it but my characters are. My third Stallion brother, the young, virile, 25-year old is rocking the sheets like there is no tomorrow. If y’all thought that brothers John (To Love A Stallion) and Mark (Tame A Wild Stallion) had it going on you haven’t read anything yet! Brother Luke has his girl changing religions and talking in tongue and all the while feeling like she is a queen sitting on top of the world. When I first started writing romance, those sexual encounters were a challenge. Over the years I’ve learned to let myself go and in the process, let my characters go as well. The writing came much easier after that. So, brother Luke is having himself one heck of a good time. And Joanne Lake, the story’s heroine, is much enjoying the fruits of his labor. And I'm so darn excited by it all that I just had to post and tell you!

Deanna’s memories don’t seem to be everyone else’s memories. And Deanna is now questioning if she’s the crazy one in her family. Deanna and her mother had a bitter argument. Her mother said some pretty hateful things. Deanna said some hateful things back. Their memories of Deanna’s childhood are two vastly different memories. Her mother claims it’s her daughter’s evil ways that twisted fact into fiction. Deanna understands the truth will destroy the illusion of the perfect parent that her mother fathoms herself to be. Deanna doesn’t deny that she was loved. But she also accepts that she was not liked. Her mother didn’t like her. Her mother’s disregard began when her child was very young. Her mother’s issues took precedent over her daughter’s well-being. Deanna’s mother would claim to know everything about her daughter but their argument proved she didn’t know anything at all. Deanna has chosen to walk away from the memories, and her mother, in order to keep herself whole. Their argumen

I miss writing poetry. Thought I'd share a few old poems that were inspired by the artwork of a talented man by the name of Antonio Roberts. Antonio is out of Atlanta. He's a law enforcement officer by day and wild with a paintbrush at night. For minimum wage he'll work his fingers to the bone to put a roof over his wife's head and give his child a place to call home. It's what he's willing to do when love prevails for a woman who says he is worthy of her soul and then some, and a little girl wraps him around her finger and he knows he is her first love, and he sets the standards for all her future loves, and a little boy calls him daddy, while dreaming of one day walking in his shoes. Minimum wage may not seem like much, but then something is always better than nothing when love prevails... One day I turned away And walked a path of my own making I must sail sometimes against the wind And anchor my burdens in harbors of hope Heavy may be the footsteps that ski

I haven’t seen my very special friend in five days. I didn’t think it was possible to miss one man as much as I find myself missing that man. Last week we spent every day together except one. It was great quality time. This week I feel like I’ve been banished to purgatory, solitude my extreme punishment. I’ve got a severe case of something I’m not ready to name yet and they tell me there isn’t anything I can take to make it go away. But I've got it bad! Sometimes I can deal with it just fine, actually enjoying the ride it takes me on. Other times, like now, I wish there was pill that I could take that would end it once and for all and return me to a state of single, female normalcy. I was bemoaning my state of mind to a good friend who advised me to keep busy. I keep wondering just how much busier can I be? My day planner is so full there isn’t any white space left for me to write on. I get the stay busy rule. But it doesn’t stop me from longing for the companionship I’ve come to e

When does a discussion become an argument? I just left a discussion that has me reeling like I’d gone ten rounds with the heavyweight champ. I’m feeling much battered and bruised and it’s the second discussion of its kind that actually reduced me to tears. Now, I’m trying to understand why because the other party is convinced that our conversation was just a discussion and nothing more. For me, when two people are disputing the validity of the topic being considered, it’s an argument. When one or the other becomes defensive, it’s an argument. In this matter there was no agreement on how I’d handled a situation. I became defensive although I concede that maybe I was being sensitive. But no one likes being told they made a bad judgment call whether they did or not. I was told that I just did what I wanted to do and not what I should have done. I was offended by that because I did what I thought was best in that moment and I did such with good faith. It wasn’t like I’d randomly decided to

Missing You I'm saddened by the news that comedian, Bernie Mac, and soul legend, Isaac Hayes, both passed away this weekend. May they both rest in peace.

SIGH….Okay….like….umm….I’m having some issues. Issues about my writing. Issues I should not be having. Luke Stallion’s story has unfolded nicely. You might remember that I wasn’t getting any warm and fuzzy feelings from the last two Stallion men. But I finally like the baby brother. I like him a lot. He’s young. He’s industrious. And, he’s energetic, masterful, and virile just like a twenty-five year old should be. Brother Matthew’s story has been sneaking in and out of my writing when I’ve least expected or wanted it. Matthew’s much more conservative. Matthew continues to be a challenge. The brother is uptight, restrained and so damn pragmatic that he is making me work much too hard. Unleashing his inner animal though has made for some very interesting romantic moments. But the Stallions really aren’t the problem. Two of my past books have me scratching my head in wonder. In February 2007, my sixth contemporary romance novel, In The Light of Love was released to fairly good reviews.