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

I am sitting in the midst of greatness. Twenty-six female authors came together in Destin, Florida this weekend to celebrate their love of literature and their joy for writing. They came from all corners of the country, at varying levels in their writing careers. There are the seasoned professionals, the mid-list authors, and the newbies. They are all spirited, driven, and determined to transcend the perception of who they are as black women and as black women who write. They have gathered to share information and perfect their craft. What they each do is an art and not one takes the responsibility of being better at it lightly. The abundance of support and encouragement is monumental, each wanting the others to do their very best in an industry that often takes them and their talents for granted. Laughter has been abundant, resonating through every room of their rented beach house. There have even been a few tears of frustration as they shared the trials and tribulations th...

I’m angry. I’m a mother of black sons and I’m angry. 2015 was eye-opening for too many. Last year young black men were dropping like flies at the hands of those who lied about serving and protecting. Suddenly, the N-word that Jay-Z claimed he and his generation were taking and using to empower the black male has been taken back and reclaimed, its original connotation like a banner for racists who don’t bother to wear hoods anymore. Now, little white girls print the letters on tee shirts and use the word for photo ops. I sat and listened as a group of young men bemoaned the arrest of a fellow friend and college classmate. He’d been pulled over in his girlfriend’s car for a broken taillight. When asked if the officer could search the car, he gave consent, knowing that he had no reason to be concerned. Minutes later he was surrounded by two other patrol cars, the officer claiming dried, crushed leaves on the floor board had to be remnants of marijuana. After being handcuffed and ...

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Santa Baby, hello! I’ll make this short and sweet since you have your hands full right now. As I write this, Santa Tracker puts you somewhere in the vicinity of Frankfurt, Germany. You really have to love technology! With all eyes on you, there’s no hiding, so don’t think you can sneak off for a quick coffee break and we not know about it! Personally, I haven’t been feeling the magic this season, Santa. But I know it’s coming. At least I hope it kicks in when I get in that kitchen to knock out the pies I have to make for Christmas dinner tomorrow! If that fails, then I’ll just have to wait until I can see all my little munchkins tomorrow. Watching them open their presents will surely have me singing and swinging and getting merry! I actually don’t want anything for myself this year, Santa. It’s been a very good year and I have been abundantly blessed. I even got that “pony” you didn’t get me those many years ago. Named him Titus and he’s the prettiest, slickest ride you...

You are cordially invited to join award-winning, national best-selling author, Deborah Fletcher Mello and Deborah's Diamonds for a Literary Tea Party to celebrate a season of romance, literature, writing, and books! Deborah is excited to announce and welcome the following participating authors: Morgan Billingsley ReShonda Tate Billingsley Iris Bolling Cassandra Durham Renee Daniel Flagler Cheris Hodges Denise Jeffries Jackie Lee Lutishia Lovely Dana Sanders Railyn Stone Jacquelin Thomas Lisa Watson And our event MC is the indomitable, Lasheera Lee ! Impress in your Sunday best, show off that magnificent Kentucky Derby hat and join us for an afternoon of great story-telling, delightful conversation, and tons of laughter! Books will be available for sale and participating authors will be available for signing. Tickets: $25 includes lunch, participant gift bag and one-on-one interaction with participating authors.  Ticke...

I was recently reminded that every experience is, or can be, a life lesson. In a recent conversation with another author it quickly became apparent that our ideologies were at different ends of the spectrum. So much so that I found myself retreating away from the talk, knowing that if I said what was on my heart to say, it would surely have been a spectacle. I can just imagine the Twitter feeds about how I showed up and showed out! After ranting to Big Daddy I had to sit down and think about what I took away from the conversation. This person and I are at different levels in our careers. I don’t think she sees me as a peer because I don’t have the big movie deal and my books are only printed in paperback. And she clearly has issues with authors who are still finding their way in this business. Goodness knows you better not ask her for advice if you aren’t interested in being fodder for what she hates about aspiring writers! I found her jaded, her position regarding supportin...

Halloween use to be one of my favorite holidays. I loved creating costumes for my children. We use to take the art of dress up to new heights. But those days are long gone! I'm tempted to get dressed myself but it's only a very mild maybe, not an intense got to do it kind of thing. I am however enjoying the neighbors and their children and may take a trip to the mall later to see the kiddies do their trick or treat thing. So to everyone who sees the craft, and art, and simple joy in the holiday, have fun with it. There is so much negative in the world these days that to take a moment for the frivolous and nonsensical just makes all kinds of sense!

PLAYING FOR KEEPS Wanna play for KEEPS?  Click the link and order your copy of PLAYING FOR KEEPS today. Then tell TWO (2) friends to order their copies. Tell those friends to te ll TWO (2) more friends! How far and wide does your friend list go? How many friends can you get to come play? I say the sky's the limit! So, let's PLAY !

So, I’m watching one of my favorite ratchet reality TV shows. One of the story lines this season involves a young gay male who has just told his high school sweetheart that there is no future for the two of them because...well...he likes men more than he likes her. Of course, she is devastated, throwing herself to the ground and crying for her mommy. Now the mental health expert who was supposed to be facilitating this conversation lost complete control as cutie-patootie stormed into the bathroom to avoid the conflict and baby girl hurled herself out the front door. Later, Ms. Psych 101 told him that his best female friend was hurt but that his disclosure HAD NOT RUINED her. This has led to an interesting conversation in my home. I didn’t agree. I think Ms. Psych 101 might be wrong. How a woman handles heartbreak depends on the woman. And this woman may very well be ruined . Who’s to say she won’t be embittered for years to come? And clearly, she may have a multitude of tru...

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It's my pleasure to welcome Deatri King-Bey to the house with her newest addition to her Precious Jewels series. Enjoy a little tease from  Soulmate! The heart of the Precious Jewels Security Agency, Pearl Nicolas’s life has become one undercover assignment after the next. Happy, yet jealous, that her sisters are finding their soulmates, Pearl reluctantly accepts there is no soulmate out there for her… Or is there? Tariq Suárez Anzar’s life changed when he became a single father of a teen. When a possible drug ring is suspected on his daughter’s prep school campus, the Precious Jewels are called in to find out exactly what is going on. But Tariq discovers so much more—Pearl. From the first moment they met, everything within him screamed, “She is your soulmate!” Timing would be perfect for Tariq to go after his soulmate except one tiny thing—his daughter is Pearl’s only lead in the case. Patient as much as he is determined, he will not let this once in a lifetime chance...

Sometimes I need to weed out crazy. Friend requests on social media tend to come fast and furious and truth be told because I’m opening myself and my life up to perfect strangers I tend to be overly cautious. There’s a lot of crazy out in this world. I read every request. I read the About Me page, scan posts, and gaze at pictures before clicking the accept button. I like to see where perspective new friends are from and what they like or dislike. A recent request seemed normal enough. There were photos of family members, posts and comments from other friends (although the list was short) but overall nothing that raised any red flags. Okay, so maybe that’s not all together true. My radar went off but when I found myself questioning if I was being overly concerned I ignored it. First, he was male, and white, and allegedly in the military. I should have followed my first instinct but I have a number of really great white, male friends and in that moment he seemed to be on the up and...

Although I fancy myself to be a procurer of fine art, I am, in actuality, only a woman who is fond of very pretty things. I was gifted the very first piece of artwork that adorned the walls of my first apartment.  It was a print by Norman Rockwell, his classic The Problem We All Live With , an image of 6-year old Ruby Bridges being escorted into a New Orleans elementary school by US Marshalls in the 1960’s.  It was a wonderful accent piece in the corner where it hung and provoked much thought and conversation in my home.  But it was an image that I saw so many times, in so many places, that many years later it influenced my decision to only buy original pieces of artwork. Because the purchase of original artwork proved to be a very expensive venture I began to seek out up and coming artists whose talents had yet to be discovered and whose price points were more budget friendly.  Fast forward and I am still buying, sometimes blessed with a bigger budget...

Beverly’s relationship has come to an end, finally having run its course. She doesn’t see it, nor is she trying to. The bad times outweigh the good times. She spends more time being unhappy, than she does being happy. And still, she insists that she can change things around, because she can change him, if only he would truly listen when she complains. Arguments are now full-fledged battles. There’s a push and a shove, a slap, even punches thrown that no one is supposed to know about. And the screaming is epic, voices raised more times than anyone would care to count. What everyone has tried to make her understand is that he is still a boy, despite his age. They were both babies when they fell in love and there has been little maturity since. He has no responsibilities, still sucking on his mama’s titties as family and friends take care of all his needs. Right now he’s rolling that program because he can, yet to have a reason to do things differently. What she fails to real...

Another book has been put to rest. I dotted the last i and although I’m not quite sure whether or not I crossed all the t’s, I was glad to push the send button and put it in my editor’s hands. It was only two months late. I have not had a book work me quite so hard. But this one was a challenge. And then just like that it wasn’t and I have a dead Asian woman to thank. For weeks I found myself unable to connect with the characters. I knew who they were, knew their story, could tell you what they liked and didn’t but no matter how I tried to twist and bend the fantasy that was their romance I could not find anything loving about the words. Then the Asian woman began to haunt me. I knew her many years ago. She was kind and good natured with a gentle disposition. She and her son owned a restaurant that I frequented at least once weekly. The woman was a phenomenal cook! I had a favorite meal that wasn’t on her menu but that she gladly made special whenever I wanted. I was crav...

Author Rooms is excited to welcome renowned author Alice Wootson!  Alice Greenhowe Wootson grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She attended Cheyney University and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. She later earned a Masters Degree in Education, and Reading Specialist Certification. Alice is the award-winning author of eleven romance novels. She is also an award-winning poet and a member of the Philadelphia Writers Conference and The Mad Poets Society. Alice has taught writing workshops for several chapters of RWA and other groups. Active in several ministries in her church, she also spends any spare time she can find reading, writing, traveling and enjoying her grandchildren.  Coming soon from Alice is her next release BORDER DANGER , to be published by Prism Book Group. It is an inspirational romantic suspense and deals with the dangers of border patrol agents assigned to the Texas-Mexican border i...