Author Michelle Monkou

Quotes To Usher In 2012

2011-12-30T23:28:00.002-05:00

Welcome 2012, I'm happily awaiting your arrival.
Just to start things off, I've compiled a few quotes that appealed to me.

Quote about life:

“Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quote about change:

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresea, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” –Life’s Little Instruction Book

Quote about talent:

“Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways.”-- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Quote about motivation:

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”-- Winston Churchill

Quote about writing:

Reading usually precedes writing and the impulse to write is almost always fired by reading. Reading, the love of reading, is what makes you dream of becoming a writer.--Susan Sontag

Celebrate Life. Celebrate Love.
Michelle Monkou

Catching Up And Wrapping Up: Good-Bye 2011

2011-12-11T11:54:00.001-05:00

Since my last post in May, I had launched a weight management overhaul between diet and exercise. Happy to report that both were and still are successful with over 55 pounds gone. That final target is closer and I can actually see the finish line in the not so distant future.

My writing mojo, on the other hand, was like a road twisting and winding over steep mountain terrain. At times, my GPS was spot on and I could navigate and enjoy the ride. Other times, it felt as if I was driving at night, through a lunar eclipse, and my car was bumping against the guard rails like a freakish moment in a bump-a-car carnival. And yet, here I am still surviving and revving up for 2012.

Traveling has also been near and dear to my heart. I'm not a happy person unless I get to see a bit of the world outside of my usual stomping grounds. With less financial wiggle room, I curtailed my trekking, but still managed to see New York City (twice), Rochester, NY and Barbados.

I also suffered through an earthquake tremor, not my first, but definitely, the most memorable. My life didn't flash before my eyes. If I recall correctly, a string of curse words popped up like neon flashes in my mind. I thought it was unfair that I should end my days in the IRS office (a.k.a. hell on earth).

Somehow I still managed to complete two writing projects: If I Had You, March 2012 release and another book (untitled), December 2012 release.

Finally, happy to say that I received the rights for my first two releases: Open Your Heart and Finders Keepers. I am working on Open Your Heart at this very moment for an e-book launch with fresh editing (I did write it back in 2000). The book will be re-titled (TBA) with a brand new cover THAT I PICK (that's reason enough for me to celebrate). Projected timeframe is end of December. Stay tuned for the announcement of the e-launch.

So 2011 didn't start and definitely didn't end to my specifications, but what year ever has--LOL! I will continue to count my blessings, enjoy the warm friendships, and appreciate my new fans, along with those who have been at my side from the beginning.

Celebrate life. Celebrate love.
Michelle Monkou

On The Road (Again) To Healthy Living

2011-05-24T14:13:00.004-04:00

While I progress with my current day/night/weekend job as writer, I'm also working on a new career as a fitness instructor. Training is rigorous with culminating written and performance exams. The major reason for pursuing this profession is my long-time interest as a fitness enthusiast before life, family and daily grind of life took over. What better way to get restarted on a road of healthy living by becoming a certified fitness instructor where the training and practice regimen, along with a diet plan, can burn the fat and keep my body operating at premium level.

I work out daily for 60 minutes of intense cardio, conditioning and weight training. On the weekends, I may double the workout. If my muscles are sore, I use ice-packs and heating pad; but more importantly, I rest.

I take certain vitamins and Omega 3 (I make no conclusive statements about the benefits of supplements, nor do I recommend taking them.). I also drink a lot of water. The exericse regimen results in massive water loss, so I spend the remainder of the day rehydrating.

As for a diet plan, I've used many of the popular ones like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig. For a variety of personal reasons, these programs only have short-term success for me. Realizing that my diet is the significant part of the weight-loss equation, I continued researching different programs. I followed up on a recommendation to try the 17 Day Diet.

This program works. There's nothing difficult about it. Nothing complicated to remember. The diet plan was created by a doctor who structures the fast weight loss around four-17 day cycles. I rarely eat out because most of my food I cook or the food is natural and unprocessed (that is, lots of fruits and vegetables).

Happily the weight is coming off, muscles are more defined, and some of those older clothes are being worn again. It took hard work, but I love the results and will keep on shedding those pounds.

My Stargate Moment - The Portal Is Open

2011-05-23T10:30:00.007-04:00

This weekend at Washington Romance Writer's chapter meeting, I must have had that Stargate moment when the portal was open and ready to receive the lesson. A message, a person, an event may come into your life and if you're not in the receptive mood, then there is minimal impact.

Author Sherry Lewis spent an entire day talking about building the foundation of a novel. She highlighted developing conflicts, having the proper motivation, creating strong scenes, etc. Not only did she lecture, but she provided an open, honest introspection on her life and writing career that showed what grit and determination can do.

As an author with advance skills (note, I didn't say expert), finding a workshop that meets my needs can be difficult. It's much easier to deliver the basics on writing a novel. But when their is an audience with 5+ years under their belts, instructing on how to tweak that writing to the next level is challenging. This is where I have to rave about Sherry's abilities. Geat handouts, too.

There have been other workshops that I've attended that have been excellent.

Right now, however, I really needed the motivation to strike the match and ignite the flame. Re-framing my mindset and accepting that I have to roll up my sleeves and get down and dirty with my works-in-progress were the happy result of my day spent with Sherry.

Don't be afraid of the work to get that story told.

As a follow up, today I pulled out my RWA national conference CDs--for the first time, and am listening. I'm not taking notes. I'm simply listening, keeping that portal open and taking in the messages.

I will need to fill the reserves with the fuel to keep that flame going.

BTW, Sherry's link: http://sherrylewisbooks.com/

Ready. Set. Go. -- Writing Marathon Here I Come

2011-05-20T17:09:00.016-04:00

Passion for writing seems to have waned of late. Everything in life has its ups and downs, its ebbs and flows, so I'm not panicked. I just need to get that umph back under me.

November 2002, my first book was published. It's now May 2011 with 15 books and 3 books pending in the pipeline. I'm ready to look forward, look beyond what I can see, stretch over the obstacles and leap to new heights for a different view.

How to limber up and warm up for this marathon?

When I think about what I will be doing or what I have to do, the rules of the game don't change. Read a lot. Write a lot.

Now, I'll add for my sake - write whatever you want.

I'm not thinking about what's selling; who's hot; finding my niche. It's all about whatever I want as I'm writing that particular story in that particular time. Another week, it's whatever I want at that time.

There's a certain freedom with this direction. There's a certain amount of risk. But my entire writing journey has been a roller coaster ride, anyway. Seems as if I've already been in training for wherever I aim.

So, the marathon--however long, however arduous, however stomach-churning--is about to begin.

Ready.

Set.

Celebrating Love - i carry your heart with me

2011-02-08T22:08:00.002-05:00

i carry your heart with me
by e. e. cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

Celebrating Love - Phenomenal Woman

2011-02-04T22:38:00.004-05:00

February is the month dedicated to celebrating love. Whether you believe in Valentine's Day or not, there is always time to reflect on this emotion that I believe is vital to being, acting, living human. Through this month, I will feature a sample of "love" poetry.

Phenomenal Woman (excerpt) - Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies
I say
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips
The stride of my step
The curl of my lips
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Master Class with Maya Angelou

2011-01-30T20:34:00.009-05:00

Oprah Winfrey Network delivered one of the best Master Class sessions when it shared Dr. Maya Angelou's insight and wisdom. This singer, writer, poetess, actress, professor, and so much more, has battled with real physical demons and inner fears to be one of the most respected and revered icons. Here are a few thoughts from her interview mixed with my thoughts as a writer.

Love Liberates

"I am grateful to have been loved and to be loved now and to be able to love, because that liberates. Love liberates. It doesn't just hold—that's ego. Love liberates. It doesn't bind. Love says, 'I love you. I love you if you're in China. I love you if you're across town. I love you if you're in Harlem. I love you. I would like to be near you. I'd like to have your arms around me. I'd like to hear your voice in my ear. But that's not possible now, so I love you. Go.'"

As a writer of romance fiction, I write stories celebrating love. My stories don't answer if the couple will be together in five years. It doesn't answer if the couple will be celebrating their thirty grandchildren way into the future. For me, it's living in the moment with the hero and the heroine. It's celebrating that courtship period where romance blooms and the world and its wonders make them feel alive and liberated. In those stories, there are life lessons on loving because I firmly believe that you can't love others without learning to love who you are. Those romance stories with their happy endings stir our humanity and our empathy to be more sensitive or caring or loving with each other.

Becoming Who You Are Meant to Be

"What I think it really means is: I'm a teacher. I am a teacher. I teach all the time, as you do and as all of you do—whether we know it or not, whether we take responsibility for it or not. I hold nothing back because I want to see that light go off. I like to see the children say, 'I never thought of that before.' And I think, 'I've got them!'"

Many of us may have several roles in our life journey. Some occupations we go after and others fall into our lap with the right timing. Whatever role we take on, cherish and learn from it. No role is static. You continue to learn, develop, and gain the ability to share your insights, the pros and cons, the paths to success and pitfalls to avoid. I can say without a doubt the romance writing community are a nurturing bunch of men and women who have earned a well-deserved reputation for helping each other and mentoring those interested in pursuing their writing dreams.

Who You Really Are

"If a human being dreams a great dream, dares to love somebody; if a human being dares to be Martin King, or Mahatma Gandhi, or Mother Theresa, or Malcolm X; if a human being dares to be bigger than the condition into which she or he was born—it means so can you. And so you can try to stretch, stretch, stretch yourself so you can internalize, 'Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto. I am a human being, nothing human can be alien to me.' That's one thing I'm learning."

Writers face a lot of self-doubt in this wonderful vocation. If we dream bigger than our condition, we tend to keep it to ourselves or share it with a select few. However, at the very least, we want success whether it is measured against a certain author or we want to chart new waters. I find that having a great supportive group of family and friends helps me to stretch even when I think that I'm done stretching. My critique group, Rockville 8, especially has the perfect dynamic to encourage what I already dare to dream.

Romance Readers Flock to E-Readers

2011-01-22T21:46:00.005-05:00

My dear author friend, Celeste Norfleet, texted me on Friday morning with the news that she'd seen me on the local Channel 9 news. Apparently, the CNN piece had finally aired.

http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=132077

Wow, from a 30 minute interview in CNN's office to what felt like a 2-second blip on the screen, they'd managed to make it sound as if I supported the point of view that romance readers were buying the e-readers to hide the racy romance covers.

What utter bullsh*t!

My feeling is that as a consumer, I am buying the book with MY money for MY enjoyment and I shouldn't have to hide what I'm reading nor should I feel ashamed of what I'm reading. And I'm of the mindset of if you have a problem with what I'm reading then, it's YOUR problem.

We, romance bookaholics, have a voracious appetite for our books. That's the main reason for the increase in E-reader sales, not because of a sudden puritanical trend.

My conclusion to the matter - Enjoy your romance books, however, you choose.

Master Class With Diane Sawyer

2011-01-19T16:26:00.005-05:00

Last week, Diane Sawyer joined the line up of celebrities on Oprah's Master Class series on OWN. This award winning journalist has helped history unfold through her various jobs with Nixon, on Good Morning America, and on 60 Minutes, just to name a few.

"I read once, which I love so much, that this great physicist who won a Nobel Prize said that every day when he got home, his dad asked him not what he learned in school but his dad, "Did you ask any great questions today?" And I always thought, what a beautiful way to educate kids that we're excited by their questions, not by our answers and whether they can repeat our answers."

As a writer, we are challenged to be curious and remain curious about life. Whether we write fiction or nonfiction, our words and expressions present questions about life, its purpose, conflicts, resolutions. Invariably, there is not one single answer. As a result, a reader's curiosity is recharged through bookclubs, author's reader groups, and online chat sessions. What a great, robust community we share with our fellow readers. Thank you. Keep being curious.

"My dad, I think, still had the most beautiful, simple checklist for what you should do in life: Do something you really love that you would do it anyway. Do it in the most adventurous place you can do it. And make sure that it helps other people. And if you feel there's a genuine need for it, and that through that need, you can help other people, you're home."

I see that "home" as the goal of my writing career--helping others. The passion for writing can be nurtured into a discipline, if the craft comes late in life. Timing isn't what is important. Loving the craft, however, is an absolute necessity. There are too many obstacles that stand in the path of success and that can hammer away at a writer's stamina for that love not to be a factor.

When I enter my world to write, I make it as comfortable as possible. I'm not talking about the physical logistics of a desk and chair, proper lighting, snacks, etc. That colorful world in my mind, where I enter on my own and settle down for long periods of time is as adventurous as my story needs to be. In that world, there is no place for critics and naysayers, no time for doubts. Voila, a story is born (if it was so easy).

At the end, when our books go out to the readers, we, writers, provide escape, entertainment, even therapy. Success. And then, we do it all over again...with love.

Writers, encourage your readers' curiosity with the passion of your writing.

Guest Blogging -- What A Little Poetry Can Do

2011-01-17T11:47:00.004-05:00

I'm guest blogging today at Rockville 8 - this is my wonderful critique group.

http://rockville8.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-little-poetry-can-do.html

Master Class With Jay-Z

2011-01-13T14:29:00.012-05:00

I've been watching Oprah's new OWN TV channel since January 1 . One featured series of the channel that has fast become my favorite is Master Class where various cultural icons each week have been selected to share, enrich, and inspire with their journeys to success, their life lessons, and their a-ha moments. In that vein, I will reflect on each icon's philosophy from the lens of a writer.

Hip-Hop mogul Jay-Z shared his climb to success with these three quotes.

"Believing in one self and knowing who you are, I mean, that's the foundation for everything great."

I was a writer even before claiming the title of writer. One day I made the commitment to pursue the goal of being published and this required a strong, passionate belief that I was born to write stories. No matter what profession I undertook, I would always be a writer, at heart. No matter how frustrating the journey, I had to write. Getting published wasn't in my control, however, I didn't take a back seat to my goals. I continued to write and submit my work, attend conferences, network with industry professionals. Bottom line, accepting my life's purpose, as a writer and believing in my calling were paramount to achieving any modicum of success.

"Excellence is being able to perform at a high level for a long period of time."

In the world of romance fiction, there is no other author who epitomizes this such as New York Times Bestseller, Nora Roberts. There are other notable authors who are successful with legions of fans, income, personal achievement, but the accolades that Ms. Roberts has earned over her 30 years in the business have set several records. If she ever held a Master Class in Romance Fiction, I would glady sign up and take notes. See her website for a list of why she earns a place among these icons: http://noraroberts.com/aboutnora/funfacts.html

"The work that you put into something is what you get out of it."

In the world of writing and publishing, this quote may seem inaccurate. After all, there are many who work so hard to be published and are still waiting for this fulfillment. Those who are published, and waiting to break out with a bestselling list. Yet, I understand the intent behind the advice of working hard. Working hard may not guarantee that successful outcome, but not working hard will guarantee that you will have little to no result.

My fellow writers, claim your place in this community. Respect and nurture your talent. Be disciplined and focus. Step out there and make your own footprints. Good luck!

Starting The Year Off With An Interview

2011-01-06T14:22:00.007-05:00

Since I'd mentioned my CNN interview on Facebook and so many of you had wished me well and wanted the details, I'm posting the experience here.

First, I don't know when the piece will be aired. I don't know how my taped portion will be used. Could be 20 minutes or a mere sound bite. They will let me know the information and I will be sure to post.

Early this week I got a call from Romance Writers of America asking if I would facilitate an interview with CNN on the subject of romance readers and E-readers. Ideally CNN wanted someone who could come to their studio in D.C. I'm the immediate past-president of RWA and also live in the D.C. area and the powers that be thought I could do this. Since I had a sinus infection, I pushed the scheduled interview as far out as I could which ended up being this morning.

In the meantime, I chose to brush up on my statistical information on the romance genre, the segment of readership, what were RWA's mission and community involvement, etc. I started practicing responses for expected questions or for if I encountered a certain tone to the questions.

As the morning loomed, I stood in the closet wondering what to wear. I look great in bright colors, but also not too bad in autumnal colors. In the end, I opted for black. I slathered on the makeup, made sure my hair framed my face and picked jewelry that made a bold statement. I left my house with little time to spare and drove to Union Station in D.C. (CNN is next to the station)

I did get a little turned around and schleped my way to the right building. CNN offices have heavy security. Even if you make it pass the first security station, you've got to then make it past the guard in front of the elevator bank, and then through the security guard in the lobby. So good luck to any notion of a flash mob in that building.

I was led back to a studio room--can we say: hot, balmy, tropical. I only have to think hot flash to activate the internal roaster oven in me. Ed, the camera guy, was friendly and empathetic as I sprouted lots of moisture. He said that he'd be turning off the lights, so not to worry. I appreciated that, but asked if he could turn out all the lights and just do the interview in the dark. He pointed to the monitor that was in front of me, which is like looking in a mirror while you speak (so I could now see myself sweat and pat myself dry...ugh). However, the interviewer would be sitting to the side of that monitor, so I had to concentrate on looking at her and not at myself (or maybe I was supposed to stare straight ahead and not where she sat - aiieee).

After I felt like a dripping rainforest, I asked them to take off the microphone that was attached to my outerwear and began stripping. Ed was nice enough to leave the room, but really I was so hot that I didn't care. He brought me a cup of ice and water. Finally I was ready in my sleeveless shell. My body temp was back to normal. I was calm and ready to get started.

Karen, the interviewer, was nice. Now I know that you shouldn't get too relaxed because they are journalists. I didn't make any silly remarks, didn't treat anything as "off the record." I did get my responses a bit jumbled when I took myself out of the moment and started thinking about a past response or of something I wanted to say.

My biggest flub was when she asked what I would say to people who thought romance books were silly, even though there are classics like Jane Eyre that are romance stories. I almost answered with my usual sarcasm, but then reeled my feelings into something more positive and constructive. (At least, I think that I did. I may have rolled my eyes...eek)

All in all, I'd give myself a B...maybe by tomorrow, I might push it up to a B+

So thank you for the Facebook support. Thank you Rockville 8 and LiveLoveLaughandBooks for your feedback. Thank you Cathy Maxwell, as always, you're awesome. Thank you RWA for asking me. Thanks Guerin, Karen, Ed at CNN for the experience. Now I wait for the finished product and hopefully not have to duck from rotten tomatoes.

2011's Motto: Fearless!

2011-01-01T01:17:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!

I say this statement with a little more gusto for my own sake. I am truly happy to see a new year, as if it is a new chapter, a new page, an open door to my future.

In the spirit of new year resolutions, I plan to live 2011 in the following way:

With deliberate steps toward my goals. I've spent the last two weeks re-examining what, how, why I want to accomplish these goals.
Listening to my inner voice. Most times I have a good gut reaction toward people and circumstances. And yet, I tend to ignore the person I trust the most - me.
Returning to the basics: read; write; and then read more; write more.
Performing any necessary alterations. This is where I cut out negativity that wants to share my space and funk up my vibe; a process that is necessary every so often.
Taking charge of my destiny. This means thinking outside of the box. Not waiting for someone's permission. Staying the course.

So one foot in front of the other, I'm forging my path.

Let's head off into 2011 together. Here's a free gift to enjoy. Mills and Boons (Harlequin publisher in the U.K.) is providing a free download of my October release - The Millionaire's Ultimate Catch. Enjoy!

http://www.everyonesreading.com/the-millionaires-ultimate-catch/

Michelle Monkou
http://michellemonkou.com
http://facebook.com/michellemonkou

Lowering The Curtain on 2010

2010-12-19T01:52:00.007-05:00

Blogging has been tough for me this year, mainly because it involves more brain power than I'm usually prepared to commit. However, I'm always game to give it another try. However, I have or will have made some other changes like getting rid of my Twitter account and opening an author fan page for Facebook, but closing off the personal FB page. I've realized that all these social media networks allow too many platforms for me to get on my soapbox and either talk about stuff that really no one cares about or rant about something mundane. BORING.

Since I'm not on immediate deadline and plan to hang out with my family over the holidays, all my usual excuses for not blogging has dried up. Once again, here I am in sort of a reflective mood.

Recap of 2010:
February - Trail of Kisses was released. This was book 4 of the Ladies of Distinction series.

March - Upon my discovery of a young German rock band, Tokio Hotel, I now spend way too much of my time with a bunch of fabulous women who are not only fans, but who also dwell in my age range. We booked a trip to Italy to see the guys perform. The writer in me also saw the opportunity to do research and take lots of pictures for future stories. Plotting ideas are coming fast and furious.

July - I presided over the Romance Writers of America's annual conference in Orlando, FL. My term didn't actually end until October 31. I have enjoyed the experience and truly believe that I'm better for serving romance writers.

August - The women I met over the Tokio Hotel fandom and I followed up with another trip. This time we went to Vegas where we saw various shows, ate lots and danced the night away. These ladies are more than a little awesome. Can't wait to see what the future holds for the band and for this wonderful fandom.

October - The Millionaire's Ultimate Catch was released. This book closed out the Ladies of Distinction, and started the Millionaire's series.

As an added bonus, from now until December 31, 2010, I will be giving away a copy of my backlist books; until supplies last. Please email me your name and address at michellemonkou@comcast.net.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! See you in 2011.

All Things Quite Fab In My Life

2010-06-23T17:38:00.005-04:00

Change is coming. I'm combining my current web site with this blog. It will be quite the mish mosh of stuff, very similar to the inner workings of my mind. Stay tuned.

Upper left: October Kimani release- preorder at any online store.

Upper right: Attended Tokio concert in Padova, Italy.

This is Tokio Hotel. A band that can rock with the best of them. Live Act that has you screaming, singing and dancing with the crowd.

Trail of Kisses, Excerpt & Contest, Part 4

2009-09-03T09:54:00.003-04:00

Question: In the upcoming installment of the Ladies of Distinction series, Trail of Kisses, what are some of the gifts that Asia's sorority sisters give her for her getaway trip to the Rockies in Colorado?

Winner will be selected on Thursday, September 10 at 8 p.m. EST. Provide answer as a comment on the blog or to email at michellemonkou@comcast.net.

ONE

“I understand the purpose of Operation Oasis.” Asia Crawford lifted a devilish red lacy thong with the crook of her pinky finger. She eyed the offending object with a raised eyebrow. “What I don’t understand is why I’ll need this--or any of those.” Her gaze shifted from the gifts of books and candy, before she jutted her chin toward the tiny mound of square latex packages.
“I provided the books,” Denise remarked. “I don’t know what your other sorority sisters have in mind.” She wrinkled her nose with distaste.
“Actually I’ve come to expect this of you, Denise. You’ve made my birthday parties quite the talk.” Asia surveyed the pile of sex accessories. “I’m not sure about what’s the connection between getting laid off and getting laid?”
“Sex soothes the soul.” Naomi folded her long, athletic body onto the sofa next to her. “Plus, it’s been a year since you’ve been with a man. I don’t consider Jack to be a real man. So you’ve had what is called a dry spell. Not good for maintaining positive karma.”
“Well, being summoned in the middle of the day at work to Human Resources with an escort, and told that I have to exit the premises immediately, doesn’t make me want to have sex.” Asia remembered spending the first hour in a fog unable to grasp reality as she’d driven home. When the fog lifted, the full impact threw her emotions into a tailspin. She’d cried, railed at the unfairness, and lay in bed staring at TV into the weekend.
Despite all the logic she told herself, the creeping sense of failure ate at her fragile confidence. Her life appeared to be crumbling like dominoes as one thing crashed into the other until she lay flat, almost lifeless. Everyone told her that another door of opportunity would open. The thought was sadly comedic. In this economy, she’d have to open the doors, along with the windows.
“Here’s a Cosmo.”
Asia took the drink from Sara. She prepared herself for a lecture, as Sara was known for delivering.
“I know you can’t completely put this nasty business out of your mind. But today this intervention has one purpose.”
“An intervention?” Asia almost choked on the heavy serving of vodka laced with a hint of cranberry. She had to thump her chest until the hit of alcohol faded. “I don’t have any addictions, other than TGIF’s Brownie Obsession. Not sure what you’ve heard, although, thanks for all this . . . I think.”
“I’ll leave that comment alone. Now, getting back to the matter at hand, Operation Oasis is more than sexy underwear and physical gratification. You’ve always been there for each of our trials and been there for the celebrations. Let me remind you that the undergrad sorors presented you with the mentorship award for reaching back to pull up your sisters and for serving as a role model. You’ve done so much for so many. The least we could do is to provide a retreat of sorts with this spring trip to Colorado.” Sara’s presentation struck a humorous note with Naomi who snorted. Asia bit her cheek to keep from giggling. “You need some spark back in your life,” Sara added, waving off their silly behavior.
“And heck, it can’t hurt to jump on a harmless booty call with a sexy consenting hunk.” Naomi added, banging her fist into her open palm.
Asia shook her head, making a face at Naomi’s skewed philosophy on life and the role of sex. She shoved the lacy undergarments back into the gift bag. Her sorority sisters meant well when they planned and executed rescue missions. After all, she had participated in, and even led, several. Being on the receiving end was beyond embarrassing, though. All playing aside, her sorors’ love threatened to start her tears. And she’d cried enough.
“This is supposed to be a good thing, Asia.” Naomi threw her arm around her. “I thought that you’d cheer up.”
“Sorry. I’m touched. Y’all are too much . . . Thank you.” This time the tears surfaced. “This is a bit like winning the lottery.”
“Yep, an all-expense paid, with a couple of Benjamins expense limit getaway, with the possible bonus of getting picked up by an old rich man.” Naomi nudged her in the ribs. “See if he’s got a friend.”
“Or being picked up by a fashion model on vacation. Good looking, sexy, confident.” Sara sighed with her dreamy expression.
“Hmmm . . . or a gorgeous bad boy running from the law.” Denise did a little dance shuffle.
“Er . . . that’s not going to happen,” Asia answered. “None of those other fantasies, either. I plan on catching up on sleep, reading, and updating my resume. I may even go back to college. I’m using this time to kick my butt in gear and get focused. I have bills to pay. No way, no how am I moving home with my parents.” Asia shook her head for reiteration.
Naomi sighed. “You’re hopelessly boring at twenty-nine. As the saying goes Asia,--never say never. Let me get you to the airport and send you on your merry way.”
“But let us know how things are going. I wanted to come on the trip, but Naomi wouldn’t let me. She thinks that you needed a solitary retreat.” Sara pouted.
“I’ll call, text, tweet.” In reality, Asia welcomed the solitude. Having a twin made that option difficult to attain sometimes.
She used to enjoy the attention, as a child, whenever she and Athena, her identical twin, were together. Dressing alike wasn’t distasteful until, in high school, when she liked the same guy as Athena. When he obviously didn’t bother noting the differences between them and crowed about dating twins, she and Athena dumped him, then decided to find their own styles.
Athena took the more brash approach to life with lots of drama, at least one grounding a month, and trips to their grandmother for stern lectures. Asia stayed on the sideline as a spectator seeing the distress and disappointment from her parents. Although she envied Athena’s zany attitude, she quelled her impulse and worked on pleasing her parents, and in particular, her grandmother.
Now, her sister pursued her dream as a teacher on the small Caribbean island of La Isla del Azur. More importantly, she’d found her soul mate, Collin, and was more than head over heels in love. The wild streak in her nature had taken a turn toward calming, self-assuredness. Asia wondered if her sister could still understand the tumultuous feelings of discontent. Thank goodness she also had the strong relationships with her sorority sisters.
Naomi clapped her hands. “Party over, my Ladies of Distinction. Got to get Asia out of here on time. Take whatever food you’d like. Since Asia will be gone for three weeks, no leftovers allowed.”

Trail of Kisses

February 2010

Kimani Romance

ISBN: 978-0-373-86151-4

Trail of Kisses Contest, Part 3

2009-08-26T22:03:00.004-04:00

Hi Everyone,

It's contest time again. Sorry for the disclaimer language, but it's necessary.

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

Winner will be a random pick.

Question: In Trail of Kisses, the hero, who is a judge, does "the do" in his chambers. Do you think some judges have gone there? Is the office considered open territory -- what happens behind closed doors, stays behind closed doors?

You may send response to this loop, my blog - http://michellemonkou.blogspot.com/ or to my email addy at michellemonkou@comcast.net.

Winner will be selected/posted on Sunday, August 30 at 10 P.M. (EST) or as close to that time as possible.

Prizes: Autographed cover flat

Cards and Envelope set featuring Leeds Castle
Small journal with handmade cover from Nepal
Magnet note pad with pen set
Small painting of kids playing cricket by local Barbadian artist
Starbucks Gourmet Hot Cocoa Packet

Michelle

Trail of Kisses

Publisher: Harlequin Kimani Romance

ISBN: 978-0-373-86151-4

Trail of Kisses Contest, Part 2

2009-08-19T10:00:00.004-04:00

Trail of Kisses Contest

I have no idea how many Parts to my contest. I have so many items from my England and Barbados trips that I'll just keep giving contests until I run out. The winners will not be selected by the same method each time. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

This contest: Winner will be a random pick.

Question: In Trail of Kisses, the upcoming installment of the Ladies of Distinction series, the story begins in a vacation cabin in the Colorado mountains that happens to be double-booked. What is a setting that you won't mind being double-booked with a sexy guy/girl.

Winner will be selected/posted on Sunday, August 23 at 10 P.M. (EST) or as close to that time as possible.

Prizes: Autographed cover flat
Godiva Belgian Chocolate Truffles
Aromatherapy Kit - Orange and Lavendar Incense

Trail of Kisses
by Michelle Monkou
Publisher: Harlequin Kimani Romance
ISBN: 978-0-373-86151-4
Price of Book: $6.25
Release Date: February 2010

Trail of Kisses Contest, Part 1

2009-08-15T16:08:00.003-04:00

Trail of Kisses Contest

I have no idea how many Parts to my contest. I have so many items from my England and Barbados trips that I'll just keep giving contests until I run out.

The winners will not be selected by the same method each time. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

This contest: Winner will be a random pick.

Question: My Ladies of Distinction series is about sorority sisters and their deep friendship. Do you have a circle of friends who share a deep friendship? Where/How did you meet? How long have you been friends?

Winner will be selected/posted on Sunday, August 16 at 10 P.M. (EST) or as close to that time as possible.

Prizes:
Autographed cover flat
100% Cotton Tea Towel featuring Warwick Castle (built in 1068) which is a medieval castle in Warwickshire, England.
2010 Calendar featuring Shakespeare's birthplace Stratford-upon-Avon and his home

Trail of Kisses
by Michelle Monkou
Publisher: Harlequin Kimani Romance
ISBN: 978-0-373-86151-4
Price of Book: $6.25
Release Date: February 2010

My Getaway To Inn Boonsboro

2009-07-08T19:14:00.007-04:00

Life has been the usual whirlwind. And when things get hectic, this blog is the first to feel the impact with my dereliction of duty. But I've had a few wonderful life experiences that could stand being shared with the world (My next blog will be on my England trip in June).

This past July 4 weekend, I spent a wonderful three days with my sister-in-law (SIL) at Nora Roberts' new Inn BoonsBoro (http://innboonsboro.com/) in Washington County, Maryland. I had decided a couple months ago to treat my SIL to a girls retreat. From the Web site, this upscale inn promised to deliver on my expectations.

I flew in my SIL to BWI airport on Friday morning, picked her up by 11 and we headed toward Frederick on Rte 70 and then beyond to Rte 66 Boonsboro. The trip probably took an hour and half. Driving through Boonsboro reminds me of my Laurel hometown about 20 years ago. There is the requisite Main Street with a variety of store fronts. At one of two traffic lights, I turned at the corner of the Inn with a feeling of anticipation.

After all, this was Nora's new business venture. The newspapers and magazines had covered the grand opening. The news had covered the terrible fire before the original opening. Several author friends had shared their enthusiastic opinions about the property. But now, my SIL and I would get to experience the Inn for ourselves.

I parked in the exclusive parking lot behind the building. We pulled out our suitcases and headed for the door, already admiring the courtyard with tables and chairs and large umbrellas for the sun.

Suzanne, the innkeeper, welcomed us into the lobby. Although we conducted the business of checking in, I immediately felt as if I had taken a relaxing step away from the outside world of stress and chaos. Then it was time to take a mini-tour through the expansive kitchen, the entry way with a large, fragrant flower arrangement and a bowl of dove candy bites.

The lounge area on the main floor is furnished to invite guests to relax and enjoy the TV or play a variety of games, including Chess. At 7 p.m. each evening, Suzanne provided wine, cheese, crackers, and assortment of munchies. I ate my fair share while watching a movie after only planning to pop in and out.

Then we went to my room- Titania and Oberon. Each room is decorated along the themes of literary romantic couples. I chose Shakespeare's Midsummers Night Dream with the light, magical color scheme and style for my retreat. This room proved to be even more special because I had visited Stratford-upon-Avon only a week ago in England where Shakespeare was born and lived part of his life. Outside Shakespeare's home, actors performed a scene from the Midsummers Night Dream. I felt some sort of cosmic connection selecting the room.

My SIL was in Jane and Rochester room (From Jane Eyre). A massive king-sized bed with deep, bold colors created this room. My SIL fell in love with the room, especially the fireplace and private entrance.

One of the unique amenities in this Inn is the bathroom. The rooms are a decent size, so that you don't ever have the urge to only use it for sleeping. I could see myself writing in there or sitting on the attached balcony for hours. But the bathroom also had a spacious quality with oversized tubs that practically did the inviting. In my room, my tub required a step bench to climb in and when I sat, the edge of the tub reached my cheeks.

And there I sat every evening, soaking under the suds of specific signature scents created for each room, with the Midsummers Night Dream book (part of the furnishings, along with the DVD) and my Ipod.

The tiled floor is heated, along with the towel rack. And the toilet bears mentioning because the lid opens with the help of a motion sensor, or a push of the button. With another push of a button or two, you can wash and dry your nether regions. Okay, nuff said.

What to do in Boonsboro? We spent Friday getting facials from Green Bamboo (I ended up buying all the wonderful products--ILIKE Organic Skin Care--used on my skin, which felt so soft). http://greenbambooskincare.com/. Then, I popped over to Vesta for dinner, along with getting books from Turn The Page. Finally for that evening, we settled on the balcony looking at fireworks as we drank wine, ate and ate and ate. Saturday, after breakfast, we headed to the movies and then the outlet mall near Hagerstown. I'm not a shopper, but you wouldn't have thought so when I came out of the Coach, Chico, Jockey stores. But my SIL also did some damage - LOL. Then we ate dinner in the area before heading back to the Inn. But, as it always goes when you're having a good time, Sunday arrived too soon. I took my SIL back to BWI for her 1:20 flight.

But not before we booked our winter getaway at Inn BoonsBoro. Let the count down begin.

Michelle

Stay tuned for Trail of Kisses - Feb. '10

Goal: 80 pounds to be kicked to the curb; 25 pounds lost

Getting Back In The Saddle

2009-04-21T19:53:00.005-04:00

Wow, it's been quite a few weeks since I blogged.

Life is always busy, but book deadlines took over my life...and I'm still not finished. Currently working on my February '10 release - Trail of Kisses. At first, I got stuck trying to tell the story, then writing madly, but not really going anywhere with the story. Lots of teeth gnashing, wringing of hands, hair pulling (bad habit of mine). I had to go back to the basics. Who are these characters? What makes them tick? Slowly I was able to flesh them out, packing on more backstory and gaining an understanding. Doesn't mean that the story telling is any easier, but at least, I'm understanding what and why things are happening.

On the Jenny Craig front, I was losing pounds, slow and steady, until I went off to Chicago for spring break with the kids. In that four day span, I ate at various restaurants for all meals, in addition to shoving nacho and cheese in my mouth at the movies, etc. The two temptations I said no to were desserts and alcohol--and after feeling umcomfortably full, I didn't want anything else. But I'd already done some damage, even without those calories.

At weigh in, my low .4 weight gain was counted a success because I worked out like a demon. I knew that I had veered off track for two of those days and I worked out with a brutal intensity for three days.

Once I got back home, I returned to the basics. I even had a writing conference last weekend and didn't have any cravings at meal times, and didn't want to try anything too calorie laden. The difference between the two experiences was the environment. At the conference, I had friends who were very supportive of my efforts and even suggested food items and didn't push when I said no.

So at weigh in today, I had lost 4 pounds and I'm .8 pounds away from one of my personal milestone.

Here's to a good week.

Michelle

Goal: 80 pounds to be kicked to the curb 19 pounds lost

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

2009-03-24T17:18:00.006-04:00

The word Temptation is defined as allure, bait, enticement.

Every day we face temptation in different forms. We readily rationalize why we need to cut corners to reach that goal. Often, our frustration, sense of entitlement, or let's call it as it is, greed get us in trouble with our vices.

All around us, we see the effects from the person who extends the temptation and by the person who acts upon the bait. At the end of the day, you have to ask-- Was it worth it?

In the writing life, you get tempted to take the short cut to publishing by hooking up with shoddy people. They recognize the hunger in your eye and will mix up a batch of their potion to lure you in where you sign away your rights, write for next to nothing, or bind you into a terrible contract. My suggestion is to do your homework, check references, sleep on it. Because that mud will feel awfully deep once you've taken that first step.

My writing career started as a hobby. I enjoyed creating stories, but had no real desire or dream to be a career author. By the time, the bug hit me, I was among many friends who were being published for the first time. I witnessed the realization of their hard work and dreams to get to that point. I buckled down and learned. There were false starts, wrong turns, and near misses. But I'm not the type to quit. Instead, I worked harder. When I finally sold in 2002, I was ready for the hard work necessary to keep on writing and being published.

As I eye the next level, there are temptations out there to sway you from your journey. New sub-genres are popping up. The temptation is to run toward the new thing. Publishers, good and bad, are keeping their eyes on up and coming authors. But that's where a good agent can step in and do the vetting that an eager author may choose to ignore. Hardwork got me here and hardwork will keep me here. No short cuts.

On Jenny Craig, each week, I face a myriad of temptations. Someone may innocently suggest that I partake of food because they don't want it to go to waste. Or I head to a party where booze and rich treats are definite attendees. Then there are the moments of stress, which you can't seem to avoid in a day, much less a week. Stress = Food.

Again, hard work comes through for me. I have to exercise every day, with a goal of 5-7 days a week. 30 mins as a minimum goal. No two days are alike. Back in the day, I wanted to be a bodybuilder, so I know how to exercise and I know my body.

I stick with the menu. If I'm going off the menu, I already have a back-up plan. I don't wait until I'm in the situation (if I'm aware in advance) to figure out what to eat. Fruits, vegetables, and water have bailed me out when I think that I need more food.

Staying focused. Staying positive. Your mind can be the worst saboteur. I don't waste time beating myself over past mistakes. Every day is a good day. I look in the mirror and fight against being critical about the obvious, instead, I celebrate the roominess of my pants, the lightness of my body, the smile that erupts at the end of weigh-in.

Temptation won't disappear. But I'm slowly building up my defenses.

Michelle

Goal: 80 pounds to be kicked to the curb
12 pounds lost

My Twilight Weekend

2009-03-20T08:27:00.005-04:00

TGIF!!!

I'm excited because it's the end of the week. Just got back from San Diego and I can catch up on some much needed rest this weekend. I've got a fab pool party to attend at the Queen of Romance's house. I can't freaking wait to hang out and chit chat with everyone.

But there's another reason that I'm happy for this weekend.

I'm a Twilight fanatic!!!

I saw the movie - loved it. Then read the book - loved it. Then saw the movie, one more time...then saw the movie, one more time.

Tonight on Comcast, they are going to show it at 12:01 a.m. Guess where I will be.

And let me not hog the moment, my daughter is a fanatic too. So we are quite a pair. My son and hubby don't quite get it, but no one asked them to get it. So...

My daughter has a framed Twilight poster. We pre-ordered the 2-disc movie. I bought the picture book of the making of Twilight. And I just got the director's pictorial journal of making Twilight. And we have the book series.

I was thinking of having lit candles, for effect, when we watch tonight, but candles and accidental fire give me the heebie jeebies. So we'll just have to have the lights dimmed.

Have a Happy Weekend, Folks!

Michelle

Goal: 80 pounds to be kicked to the curb

8 pounds lost

Rushing Through Life...I Confess

2009-03-11T20:37:00.004-04:00

Today as I was on the commuter train heading home from the day job, I had a moment to reflect. Well, what really inspired the reflection was the moment the train pulled into the station, how the commuters lined up as if there was a race to the parking lot.

I wondered why did we rush? I understand having to get to the babysitter's. But sometimes, I think we rush...well, just to rush. The feeling to go fast, be in the top three, be at the front of the line have become habits.

On an average day, here's my journal of the rush through life.

I wake up at 5:45, but stay in the bed until 6:10. Then I jump out of the bed and hurriedly put on my workout clothes. I'm in a rush because I want to get at least 30 mins of exercise in. And I have to leave the house by 7. So I'm up running to the bathroom to put in my contacts. One day I'll get that darn Lasik surgery. Perform the necessary bathroom duties and then head down to work out.

At 6:45 I stop whatever I'm doing for my workout. I stand in front of the open freezer, pulling out my Jenny Craig food. Then it's time to dive into the laundry basket for clothes that were washed, but never made it upstairs. Now I'm running because I've got to fix my salad for my lunch, pack the fruits for my snacks. It's now about 6:50.

Time to race to the shower. By 7, I'm dressed. Hair is on the wild side, but I'll get that a bit later, like before I jump out of the car to head for the train. Now I grab my duffle bag, shove in the food and pocketbook, before running to the car. At this point, I'm so hot that the cold temperature doesn't penetrate. I throw everything in the backseat and race my daughter to the bus stop. Now the bus used to come for 7, then it was 7:05, now it's more like 7:10. But I sit at the bus stop with her and we chat. I like chatting with her in the morning for those few minutes. But as soon as the bus turns the corner and becomes visible, time to kick her to the curb and head to the train station. Adrenaline has to pump again.

Now the train station and commuters are a funny experience. The train is not the Metro, but the commuter train. So the riders are basically the same people I see on a daily basis. Many of them bond. And this bonding mentality also translates to territorial behavior. They stand in the same spot, sit in the same basic area, etc. I love to get there early and then go and stand in the spot that I know they treasure. You can see the looks of consternation because now they have to stand a few paces away from that treasured spot.

The train comes and those who have stood there the longest feel that they should get on the train first even if the train doors didn't happen to stop in front of them. So a bottleneck at the doorway occurs as we clamber up two different steps and then head in the same direction. And in 90% of time, there are enough seats for everyone. But a mad rush down the aisle seems to be the name of the game.

Then when we get to the final stop, the race is on again because it's a power-walk off the train, out the station, and into world. And you know it doesn't end there because our work lives, especially in these stressful times, tend to be tense and hurried.

Now that I've joined Jenny Craig, I pull myself away from all the hustle and bustle to enjoy my meal. It's my oasis in the busy day. Because guess what - the world will continue to rotate, people will still be swarming around me, so why not take the hour to eat and savor the food. I take the time to let my mind calm down. And when I'm at home, I allow my dinner to last as long as possible.

Maybe I'll be able to reverse the habit of rushing. Maybe. No promises.

Michelle

Goal: 80 pounds to be kicked to the curb
7 pounds lost

My Guest Blogs This Week

2009-03-08T11:43:00.003-04:00

Hey folks,

I've blogged at Pink Heart Society on the Magical Ingredients of A Romance Novel and at Author Sound Relations on The Romance Novel--What The Doctor Ordered.

Stop by and post a comment.

Have a great week.

Michelle

What's There To Be Happy About...?

2009-03-04T09:03:00.017-05:00

In the past week, my senses have tuned in to the various stimuli around me. I call these moments, my navel-gazing phases. As I continue on the journey with my BFF Jenny Craig, I am keeping track of foods, emotions before and after I eat, cravings, etc. I'm also looking at the triggers that bring them on.

What I've noticed is that we are a society with lots of neuroses. We're a fountain overrun with addictions, legal and illegal. Food addiction is up there on the list. And how did we get to that point? Well, as I ate my large salad to ease the hunger pangs before eating the main course, I watched TV (yep, another addiction). On one commercial break appeard three incentives to overeat. Pizza Hut advertised buying a pizza for a penny with a large pizza. Even if you only wanted one pizza, the incentive to get the second for a penny is hard to ignore. Then it was Red Lobster. Can't remember what the offer was, but it involved lobster tails, a boat-load of shrimp, and those cheddar bay biscuits. Then it was KFC advertising what you can get for only a small price. How about clogged arteries. You can see how we can easily become victims with the proper stimuli to rev our cravings in maximum overdrive.

As part of my JC routine, I go onto the online community where support with others walking in my shoes also share their experiences. But in that same community, there is a lot of negative thoughts swirling. As with any addiction, it's not only the physical body that needs re-programming, the mind and soul can do with some attitude adjustment. JC can only do but so much, short of hiring psychotherapists to sit with the consultant on the weekly visit. Again paying attention to my stimuli, I know that I need to run far from such negativity. I don't classify a rant or the occasional doldrums as major issues. This sticky, gooey bad vibes comes through every thought or sentence, or even action. And when I leave the company of such people, I feel down. My mood has altered. I've labeled those people --energy vampires. Avoid for your own mental saftey.

As I re-program my brain with healthy food choices, I have to protect my space against those who aren't in their happy place. But this isn't new. I do the same with my writing. I can be around writers who are in a dark place because of a variety of occurrences that they have deemed failures. The pep talks, being a sounding board, or a willing ear just doesn't seem to bring them from that dark place. My suggestion is to get professional help. The stigma against seeking therapy is fading. I don't think it's any different than going to the dentist or doctor. It's another part of the body that may need fine tuning.

But I'm a proponent about protecting your space. I fill my life with great friends and supportive family. I count my Blessings, learn from my mistakes, take risks, and enjoy all that comes my way.

And you should too.

Michelle

Goal: 80 pounds to be kicked to the curb
6 pounds lost

Me and My BFF Jenny...Craig, That Is

2009-02-25T22:26:00.004-05:00

Jenny Craig came knocking and I finally answered. They have parading a variety of celebrities in upbeat commercials. I guess, in a way, they must have worked because each one -- Kirstie, Valerie, Latifah, Phylicia -- shared their accomplishments with sincerity and a winning personality.

Meanwhile I was trying to workout on a regular basis, trying to follow other programs, trying to do my own portion control. But maintaining a regimen proved to be difficult. And the weight continued to plaster to each body part like annoying static cling with amazing frequency.

Now that I've entered the 40's, good health is paramount. Otherwise I could descend into illnesses that could make the next phase of life difficult. I want to feel energize, fit comfortably into those narrow airplane seats, and wear fashionable summer outfits.

I signed up for the Lifetime/Maintenance program. I knew walking in that this was for the long haul. I will have my one-on-one consultations, which I much prefer over group settings. I'm not shy with sharing my info -- look at this blog -- I just don't want to spend the time listening to folks talking about their issues. It's the Leo part of me.

I've set my goals. I have my food. And I'm all ready. In addition to the food, I'm working out at a minimum of 30 mins on the treadmill or other type of cardio. For Lent, I'm making it a goal to do 5-7 days a week, with 3 days of weight training. And successful completion in April will be a wonderful hot stone massage and a bouquet of flowers to myself.

I'll post my various milestones. Hopefully someone will be inspired to take charge of her life.

Goal: 80 pounds to be kicked to the curb

Michelle

ONLY IN PARADISE Excerpt

2009-02-15T17:38:00.005-05:00

Available for pre-order from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders or Books-A-Million online or http://eharlequin.com.

Only In Paradise (March '09, Kimani Romance) is one of the twin's story (Ladies of Distinction series) - Athena. She heads off to teach in a small school on a tropical island. Immediately she's attracted to the reclusive school principal - Collin. All he wants to do is hire a teacher, run his school, and make a difference with his people, but in addition to those goals, he now has to keep his attraction to Athena undercover, fend off the gangsters on the island who don't care for his noble plans for the youth, and keep his staff focused and on point.

Excerpt: Athena followed the winding trail that paralleled the coastline. On one side, the ocean rolled onto the sandy beach. On the other side of the road, the rocky landscape rose sharply. Finally she saw signs to the destination and took the turn as directed.

No one else appeared to be visiting the area. No cars had passed her for the last mile. The trees grew long and straight, towering over her with lush, verdant foliage. She looked up through the windshield, feeling comfortable that at least she could view the sky.

She approached the edge of a large opening, a parting of the thick forest very much like a biblical parting. The waterfall, the centerpiece of natural wonder, crashed over layers of rocks until it emptied into a lake. Athena stopped the car, not waiting one more minute to enjoy the beauty. The beauty had to be admired close and without the obstruction of a window pane.

The terrain roughened with large boulders jutting up from the ground and tree roots that curled from their base. Athena walked ahead, turning in a complete circle to take in the panoramic view. Ahead was the fresh water lake.

“This is so damned beautiful!” She threw up her hands to the sky too overcome with what a small part she played in nature’s garden.

The water glistened under the sunlight as if diamonds floated on its surface. She pulled out her brochure to read about this body of water. The locals considered the water to have healing powers, a place for rejuvenation, a place to renew the spirit. Scientists had carried out various tests on the waters not sure how the quality remained pure.

Athena was game to find out if the findings were true. She surveyed the area, already deciding that she’d take a dip in the water. Not that she had anything physically wrong to be healed. Well, if she counted that her thoughts couldn’t stop circling around one man. But she needed more than sparkling water to assist with that problem. She needed the chutzpah to go after what she wanted. Nothing could convince her that Collin wasn’t interested. She was sure that’s why he went out of his way to stay away from her.

She wound her way along the edge of the lake. Following the creek to a quieter spot away from the strong current near the waterfall, she discovered a cove where the water gently rolled toward a small sandy beach.

A deafening clap of thunder ripped through the air. A rain shower in the middle of the day wasn’t unusual. The downpour came without warning. The shower felt as if someone took a bucket and emptied its contents until everything was drenched. She was used to the unpredictable nature of the rain showers and didn’t mind the soaking. In a few minutes, she planned to be shoulder deep in the water.

Without debating the action, she peeled off her clothes, spreading them on a nearby rock. After the rain, she expected that the strong sun would emerge and dry her clothing in no time. If not, she’d have to squish her way back to the house, happy nonetheless.

Another crack of thunder announced another deluge of warm rain. After the stickiness of the heat, she welcomed the water’s cleansing power. Her hair pasted against her scalp and along her back where it hung below her shoulders. The rain drops coming in fast succession massaged her skin, raising her level of sensitivity. She cupped her hands gathering as much of the water as she could, before bathing her face. Repeating this ritual was her small token of appreciation for entering this surreal existence.

Blocking out the world beyond this jungle and the rat race that she escaped from, Athena centered her spirit to be in tuned with her surroundings. Rain drops ran over her body. Like long tantalizing fingers, they tickled her nipples through the swimsuit top.

The pool of water beckoned her. She willingly answered its bidding while the rain continued to lavish her with attention. She waded in, sucking in her breath from the water’s cool temperature. In one move, she dived into the water to keep from retreating into the warm air. After a few seconds, her body acclimated and she emerged from the depths for fresh air.
The rain had ceased and the sun did indeed breakthrough the clouds. The rays beamed down through the large opening and turned the surface of the lake into a shimmering cover.
Athena floated on her back, enjoying the heat on the full length of her body. She fluttered her legs, pushing her body toward the middle of the lake. Water had always relaxed her. And now she could understand why others thought the water had special powers.

In this state, close to nature, she had no choice but to reflect inwardly. And the person who came to mind was a tall, dark man who had a smile that brightened her day, a body that made hers perk up, and a sexy charm that stirred a craving in her that wanted satiation.

As she drifting on her back in this tropical Eden, her thoughts also drifted to where she was a year ago and how far she’d come. Her thankless job as a loan officer carried long hours. From the banking industry to teaching, she had large classes, poorly funded programs, and demanding administrators who had to be concerned with politicians’ agendas.

A blur of movement interrupted her thoughts. She stayed quiet, waiting. Then a blur of color that didn’t blend showed through surrounding bush. Her heart pumped. She was scared.
Athena shifted position, treading the water. She turned to examine what caught her eye. Not getting any resolution, she swam toward the edge. The solitude of her oasis provided a false sense of security. Now that a possible intruder threatened her space, her solitary trek didn’t seem like a good idea.

Finally regained footing in the shallow water. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Yet, she sensed that someone remained hidden. Regardless, she didn’t feel comfortable and made her way to the shore. Her body tensed for an emergency flight, if necessary. A deeper feeling of unease ran through her upon noticing that the birds had quieted.

Gingerly, she headed toward her towel.

“What are you thinking? Coming here by yourself. And then swimming in next to nothing.”

Athena screamed and ran. Her heart pounded, as sheer terror rushed through her veins. She got to the car, but then fumbled with the handle. Looking up to see where the intruder was, she suddenly stopped.

Collin stood where she was only moments ago. His hands were shoved casually in the shorts he wore. His mouth drew tight in its familiar irritable line. Once again, he was about to lecture her.
She wrapped the towel around her body, took a deep breath and walked toward him. “Why are you sneaking up on me? Do you have a habit of stalking?”

“Don’t be presumptuous. I have a habit of looking for you when you go traipsing off without letting anyone know.”

“Then how did you find me, Sherlock?” Her heart still hadn’t gone to a normal pace. She lashed out to keep the jitters away. If she let him see her frazzled, she suspected he would use it to drive home some silly point.

“You’re not exactly looking native, especially in the school van. What if someone had followed you up here? And why are you here? There are better beaches and lakes than this place.”
Athena had no intention of telling him about Luisa’s advice. No way. She’d never seen him so angry. Even his nostrils flared as he blew out his frustration.

“If you’re going to keep yelling at me, I’m heading back.”

“Do you accept that what you did was stupid and careless?”

This man was a pain. She couldn’t stand the cocky way he tilted his head, looking down at her. Always ready with his superior attitude, he looked the part even in his ridiculous khaki shorts.

“The only thing I’m planning to accept is the fact that you can’t go one day without thinking about me.” When he recoiled, she took a step closer. “Not only do you think about me, but you have to see me.” She continued walking toward him. “But it’s okay because I want to see you too.” She dropped the towel. “I want you to touch me.”

“You are a brazen woman.”

“And I’m waiting for a man who doesn’t hide behind a lot of useless insights.”

“Don’t start something—”

“Oh, I can finish. The real question is whether you’ve got what it takes to stay the course until I’m done . . . with you?”

Well-written characters, a perfectly paced story and an exotic locale blend together in this entertaining book.~RT Bookclub: 4 stars

Booksigning Tomorrow; Or Order Autographed Copy

2008-10-31T18:04:00.003-04:00

Books For The Holidays!

Visit Turn The Page Bookstore - Saturday, November 1, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
http://ttpbooks.com/; Boonsboro, MD

Alongside NYT Bestselling Author Nora Roberts, I'll be signing books in the new sorority sisters "Ladies of Distinction" series: No One But You and Gamble On Love.

If you're unable to attend, simply go online and order the book; I'll autograph it, and the store will mail it to you. Easy as 1-2-3.

National Bestselling Author Shelia Goss

2008-10-27T12:49:00.003-04:00

Meet Parris Mitchell - The R & B Diva

By Guest Blogger Shelia M Goss

R & B Diva Parris Mitchell says, "Don't call it a comeback. I haven't gone anywhere, I just needed to take some time off. "

The R & B Diva multi-award winning singer Parris Mitchell is back on the music scene after taking a little time away from the limelight to regroup. Her previous albums have hit every chart and she's had several number one singles. Her personal life has been filled with turmoil lately with the news of her ex-boyfriend and ex-manager Archie Walker running out with not only her money but her assistant.

How does one make a comeback?

As the author of Double Platinum, I dug deeper into the psyche of Parris. Discover what I found out during the interview with Parris.

Shelia Goss: Parris, it's good to see you making a comeback. We've missed not hearing any music from you.

Parris Mitchell: Don't call it a comeback. I haven't gone anywhere. I just needed to take some time off.

Shelia: So what happened with Archie Walker? There was a time where I couldn't open up a magazine or newspaper without seeing you two together. I was shocked to read the news about your breakup.

Parris: Imagine how I felt. I think we all learned about the breakup at the same time--in the newspaper.

Shelia: Now that was low down.

Parris: Well that's Archie for you. I found out he was leaving me while reading an article in the paper. To top it off, he ran away with my assistant Sylvia.

Shelia: I know that must have been hard.

Parris: It was. He left me emotionally depleted. And as most know, he was also my manager. The business side of my career went a little haywire too. But all is well now.

Shelia: I want to thank you for granting me this exclusive interview. I know you were shying away from reporters so I'm honored.

Parris: I felt it was time to squash the rumors. Yes, Archie did take some of my money--lots of it. But he didn't leave me broke like some of the tabloids and online gossip sites have been saying.

Shelia: Were you able to recoup any of your money?

Parris: Ha. Ha. If I ever catch up with the joker, I might be able to.

Shelia: You have a great attitude.

Parris: I can't wallow around in self-pity for too long. Things happen. You deal with it and then you dust yourself off and get back in the game of life.

Shelia: Did your record company give you an ultimatum or was that a rumor too?

Parris: There's a little truth in it. I love to sing and will sing for free; however this is my career and a record company is in it to make money. I'm a little disappointed that my last few albums didn't take off like I thought they would.

Shelia: When can fans expect to hear some new music from you?

Parris: Right now, I'm trying to find the right producers. I've been doing a little writing. I'm getting back to the core of who Parris is. My goal is to give fans what they've been looking for.

Shelia: I heard it through the grapevine that you would be working with CJ the Hitmaker.

Parris: Right now, I'm not at liberty to say who I will be working with. I've been looking at him and Lance and a few others.

Shelia: You've been around for about ten years now. Do you think you can compete with the new class of R & B singers?

Parris: I hope no one takes my response the wrong way, but there's no competition. We each do what we do. When some of the new ladies break out on the scene and try to imitate me, I look at it as a compliment. I don't feel intimidated by it. I am Parris.

Parris Mitchell is a fictional character in DOUBLE PLATINUM by Shelia M. Goss. Double Platinum is available in stores or can be ordered from any online retailer such as Amazon.com, BN.com, etc.

Shelia M. Goss' is also the author of My Invisible Husband, Roses Are Thorns, Violets Are True, Paige's Web, and Double Platinum. Her next book - His Invisible Wife will be out July 2009. For more information, visit http://www.sheliagoss.com/.

She’s received many accolades since embarking on a writing career:

§ 2008 BlackWebAwards.com - Best Female Author Site
§ Disilgoldsoul 2007 YOUnity Guild Award - Most Outstanding Book Debut Promotions- “Paige’s Web”
§ Infini’s Outstanding Author 2006
§ Literary Divas: The Top 100+ Most Admired African-American Women in Literature
§ ESSENCE MAGAZINE Bestsellers List
§ #1 Black Expressions.com Bestseller
§ Honorable mention in a New York Times article & Writer’s Digest article
§ 2004 OneSwan Productions Female Author of the Year
§ Three Shades of Romance Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards
§ Dallas Morning News Bestseller

My Update

2008-10-23T12:17:00.001-04:00

It's been a crazy month of edits to my March '09 book and edits to a proposal that will follow the March book.

In the meantime, I've guest blogged at a couple sites. Stop in, say howdy.
http://freshfiction.com/blog/
http://www.plotmonkeys.com/993/diamond-dreams-and-guest-blogger-michelle-monkou/

I'll be back to this site on Sunday, October 26 featuring National Bestselling Author Shelia Goss.

Tip For The Aspiring Writer: No Idea Too Small

2008-09-16T20:44:00.012-04:00

If your goal is to start a book (finishing it would require another blog), you have to start somewhere. Anywhere.

Lots of rules exist on how to plot, pace, and finish the novel. But to start the story doesn't require any skill or list of rules. All you need is an idea. An idea that sticks with you, no matter where you are, what you're doing, or what day of the week it is.

Once you have that idea, put it down on paper. This is the seed that has so much potential for healthy fruition.

No one says that your particular idea must be the central part of your story. It could be an event or experience that will cover a secondary character. For example, the idea could be a teenager standing at the bottom of a driveway on a dark night with a bloody lip. And you know that this story is going to be a romance.

Although the teenager wouldn't be the heroine, her seeming predicament can kickstart your creative juice to flow. Scenarios surrounding this small idea can create layers, adding to the story's richness. For example, she runs up the driveway, looking over her shoulder, before knocking at the door. She prays that the strangers who live there would help her.

Now at some point, you've got to stir up your hero and heroine into the story's reality. The time comes to bring them into the story. Don't worry about the character sketch. That will come eventually. Right now, you're working on an idea. Now you're fleshing it out with key players.

Maybe the owner of the house opens the door. She is surprised to see a young girl at her door, bleeding slightly from her mouth. Her first instinct is to invite her in, but from past experience, she has to force herself not to trust. She hesitates until the girl whimpers and asks for her help.

Just by the heroine's actions, you can develop her character sketch. There are revealing points to her personality and way of thinking. There is even a hint of her backstory.

The hero, on the other hand, shows up at the door, pounding on it to find his sister. When the door opens, he's shocked to see a petite, hauntingly beautiful, woman glaring openly at him. When he asks for his sister, the woman threatens to call the police. He doesn't want to scare her, but he has to talk to his sister.

He feels guilty about encouraging her to live with his father and new stepmother, instead of living with him, as she'd asked. His sister had told him that their new stepmother was abusive, but he didn't believe that his father would tolerate such a thing. And his sister was known to be petulant. But all of that flew out the window, when he got a frantic call from his sister that she'd run out of the house.

As I create this example, it's easy to keep adding texture to the basic skeleton of the story. And if you allow yourself to relax and set your critical internal editor on mute, you can freely create your story and add really good meaty points.

And where to get those ideas -- life.

That teenager with a bloody lip showing up at night at a stranger's door happened to my husband and me several years ago. Everything else that I mentioned in this blog was created for storytelling effect.

Get your idea and run with it. Take it from the seedling stage and turn it into a vibrant, compelling story.

Michelle

Gamble On Love

Kimani Romance; Oct. 2008

My Inspiration: Madame Lavinia Williams

2008-09-15T20:10:00.008-04:00

Certain things stick in my mind, and nowadays that accomplishment gets to be less and less. But I remember when my mother asked me if I wanted to take dance classes. I was living in Guyana, in a house on Campbellville Avenue, our first house when we moved from England. And I was sitting on my parent's bed, six or seven years old, when I replied, YES.

In 1972, Guyana's National School of Dance was recently formed and classes were being taught by Madame Lavinia Williams. At the time, I only knew her as my teacher. I learned ballet, West African dance, and in my final year, I learned Indian dancing. In her classes, I worked hard. She had a stick that she pounded on the floor as she called out the ballet movements or the West African dance movements.

One of the highlights was that we performed at the National Cultural Center, a new auditorium to feature Guyana's talent. I couldn't believe that I would dance on stage, with make-up no less. And from there, my dream to be a dancer took hold. I danced all the way through high school performing in school productions and then in college. More than dancing, I loved choregraphing. I still have a VHS tape of my final high school dance production where I had choreographed and danced in several numbers.

But this part of me that I cherished is a large part due to Madame Lavinia Williams. As I got older, my mother told me about her. During my research of her as I write this blog, I learned more.

Madame Lavinia Williams (1916-1989) was an African American born in Philadelphia, grew up in Virginia and went to New York after high school. She joined the American Negro Ballet where she began her career with classical ballet, folk and modern dance. Then under Katherine Dunham, she mastered Caribbean dance.

She danced leading roles with the Katherine Dunham Dance Company from 1940 to 1945. She also appeared with the company in the Broadway musical ''Cabin in the Sky'' and in the films ''Stormy Weather'' and ''Carnival of Rhythm.'' After leaving the Dunham company, Miss Williams toured Europe with the Noble Sissle revival of ''Shuffle Along,'' dancing the role originated by Josephine Baker. She was considered a leader in teaching Haitian dance. Miss Williams arrived in Haiti in 1953 to work with members of the National Folkloric Troupe. From 1953 -late 1980s, she created several national dance schools in the Caribbean, including Guyana in 1972.

She married Leon Theremin in the middle 1930s, but he was abducted in 1938 and returned to the Soviet Union to be imprisoned at a labor camp never to be seen again. She later remarried and has two daughters, one who is also a dancer.

In my short life experience with Madame Lavinia Williams, I am so grateful to her for opening another window to the world.

Michelle

Gamble On Love

Kimani Romance, Oct. 2008

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

2008-09-14T15:58:00.003-04:00

One of the more known verses from the Bible that underscores Homilies and even made into bumper stickers:

John 3: 13-17

13 No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up,

15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

Niambi Brown Davis - A Renaissance Woman

2008-08-20T19:34:00.018-04:00

Talk about six degrees of separation.

Niambi Brown Davis has debuted in the literary scene at the top of her A game. She was born in Philadelphia and currently lives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

I went to college at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, MD for two years before transferring to the College Park campus (you'll see more about our connection on this topic).

Niambi not only lived in Washington, D.C, but also lived in Trinidad and Tobago for three and half years. I also had the pleasure of Caribbean living while making Guyana home for eight years.

While balancing her writing passion, she indulged in her other passion for sailing and travel. I can certainly understand that travel bug. The world is such an interesting quilt of culture and people. She served as publicist of for the Black Boaters Summit and as a member of the National Association of Black Travel Writers. Presently she writes for Travel Lady Magazine. This dynamic lady has a lot more to share, so relax and enjoy.

Q: What female role models played an important part of your life and why?

Niambi: My mother was born in an era when racial lines were more of a deep trench than a line in the sand. Because they wanted an education for their only daughter, when she was 12 years old my mother’s parents sent her halfway across the state, or rather down the state of Maryland, from Harford County to the Princess Anne Academy, a boarding school for black girls. That school is now University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. In spite of the times in which she lived, my mother went on to earn a Masters from Temple University. For 40 years, she taught in segregated schools through the civil rights era and finally into the age of integration. In her own words “who would have thought” that she would one day travel extensively through North America, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean? That when in Zimbabwe, she would shake the hand of the man who, for a few months, served as Prime Minister of that country? That she would be a part of a private audience with the Pope?

In “You Know Better” Tina McElroy Ansa refers to a certain group of women as “big women” - women who made their own way and were well-respected by members of their communities. My mother and her peers, the women who served as my surrogate aunts, were truly big women. Some were educators; others were household staff to wealthy families. Later in life, when they all retired, it was hard to find them at home. They’d call their families with an itinerary of where they were headed next. One of those trips was to sail on the Queen Elizabeth II. We called them “Golden Girls.” In spite of the times in which they were born and lived, those “merry widows” took control and lived their best lives. They had their own money, owned their own homes and bought new cars when they felt like it. More important than that, they didn’t know a person they wouldn’t help. At my mother’s wake, one of her former students spoke for so many of them – “she was my teacher and I loved her.” I wish she could be alive to witness the history that is being made – I know she would say “who would have thought that I’d live to see a black man become President of the United States.”

After my mother, there is my home-girl Harriet Tubman, the original ride-or-die sister. Nineteen trips, 300 slaves and her pistol to make sure that no slave lost heart, ran back and derailed her freedom train. In her own words “I never run my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.”

Q: What other organizations are you a part of?

Niambi: I just can’t seem to stay away from the water (lol). Since returning from the Black Boaters Summit I joined the Universal Sailing Club, a club made up of sailors and sailing enthusiasts from the Washington Metropolitan area. I’m also a member of the National Association of Black Travel Writers. Now you can see why I titled my website “Romance and Rhythms Around the World.”

The Black Boaters Summit was founded by Paul Mixon, or Cap’n Paul as he’s known in the sailing world. Paul is a sailor himself and a member of the National Brotherhood of Skiers. In 1996 a major yacht company approached Paul with the idea of marketing yacht charter vacations to African-Americans. In 1997 the first Black Boaters Summit set sail in the British Virgin Islands and the rest is history.

Q: Tell us about the Summit

Niambi: It was fabulous, it was splendid; it was exhilarating, it was therapeutic. It must be experienced to achieve the full effect, but I’ll give it my best.

I traveled to Tortola a few days before the event to spend some time on my beloved Cane Garden Bay. I love that place – no McDonalds, no high-rise hotels, no obsessively manicured grounds, just the real beauty of the Caribbean – poinciana, palms and tropical foliage of every kind. Instead of an alarm, my early morning wakeup call was a rooster crowing. I spent one whole day on the sand with a book until sundown and the tide pushed me off the beach.

When it was time for us to sail, it wasn’t the Minnow and we didn’t end up on Gilligan’s Island. We boarded Pleiades, a 50 foot catamaran equipped with showers, a fully equipped galley, barbeque grill, DVD player, air-conditioning, and plenty of lounging space.

That first morning when Cap’n Paul started the engine, and Pleiades rumbled to life, it was a real thrill. Out in the water, I turned to my friend. “Here we go,” I told her. “Now the adventure begins.” (She took it to heart – we have a picture of her, arms flung out into the sun and wind, seated in the “Queen of the World” chair at the bow of the boat). Imagine seeing the sails raised; feeling the power of that big boat surging through open water. Or looking back and seeing the BBS flotilla, all of us sailing together in a line, one behind the other.

I loved greeting the Caribbean sunrise on the deck, and waving over at another early riser on another boat. Add good music, good food and drink and good company. A word about good company – many of us were strangers when we boarded our boat. Soon after the introductions we clicked and became a crew in every sense of the word. We lived, worked and played together, developing real friendships over the days of the Summit. That bond is so strong that we’ve planned to keep our crew intact and sail together next year.

BBS sailed, but BBS also partied. At lovely Leverick Bay, the resort provided us with a lavish beach buffet. Under the stars, the party started with the Cupid Shuffle, followed by a live band that kept it going until last call. Near Norman island we took over the infamous Willie T., a bar boat accessible only by water. “From the window to the wall…”

Our trip ended with two days of shore leave at the Westin St. John. We shopped, swam and took full advantage of the Westin’s trademark Heavenly Beds and Showers. On the last night of the trip, Cap’n Paul held his traditional White Linen Party. To me, it was pure magic. The luxurious Westin Villa was full of beautiful black people, all dressed in white, all toasting to a another voyage well done.

Cap’n Paul commended our captains – the men and women who sailed us safely from Road Town and Soper’s Hole, to Cane Garden Bay, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, Norman Island and back again. Some new captains were made on that trip. While we were sunning and swimming, BBS’s “Learn to Sail” students were living, learning and studying aboard their floating classroom. For you black history buffs, one of our captains was Bill Pinkney, the first African American to sail solo around the world, and Master of the Freedom Ship Amistad.

Now that I’ve thoroughly whetted your appetite, here a link for more information on BBS: http://www.blackboaterssummit.com/. Once you’re on the site, check out the bulletin board and sign up for the BBS newsletter. You’ll receive first-hand information on next year’s Summit.

For a sneak peek, and even more testimonials, join us from October 10-12 in Annapolis where the BBS reunion is held in conjunction with the Annapolis Sailboat Show. Come on down; we make our own fun. Another reason to sign up for the BBS newsletter - you’ll also receive complete information on the reunion.

Q: What does the future hold for you?

Niambi: I’m so grateful for the support from readers and for the great reviews I’ve received for From Dusk to Dawn. I’ve had people knock on my back door, with money in hand, to purchase a book. My neighbor across the street told me that she couldn’t go to sleep until she finished reading. She’s cornered anyone who will listen to tell them all about From Dusk to Dawn. She’s a one-woman promotion machine. Hometown support is a wonderful thing.

So now I’m taking a cue from my mother – the sky is the limit for me. I have two books in the works. One is a historical, with which I am totally obsessed. For From Dusk to Dawn, my virtual tour was titled “Against All Odds.” I may have to call the historical’s tour “Against All Odds in Overdrive.” (lol) I’m also working on a contemporary suspense, sparked by my reaction to an event in my own life. Now I understand how people can lose their minds for a minute. FYI, it had nothing to do with love or romance (lol)

As part of my promotion for From Dusk to Dawn, I’ve developed Maracas Bay – a line of body products created by my heroine Ayodele Montgomery, and named for one of the best-known beaches in Trinidad and Tobago. They’ll be up on the website soon. For now, check out Sand and Silk, my other line of products at http://www.sandandsilk.com/

Now, if I can only find someone who will pay me to travel and write about it – but I’m working to make that happen!

In closing, thank you so much for the opportunity to ramble on about my writing and about Black Boaters Summit. And thanks for giving me free reign – talking is a family trait that is alive and well in me!

http://www.niambibrowndavis.com/
http://www.niambibrowndavis.blogspot.com/

From Dusk To Dawn (Parker Publishing; ISBN: 978-1-60043-036-7; $10.95)

Successful body products CEO, Ayo Montgomery, has her life on track. Her son is away at Annapolis, her business is flourishing and she is comfortable in her own skin despite the untimely death of her husband. She doesn't know she's missing something in her life until on a hot, August day she meets a younger man, Bilal Abdul-Salaam. Bilal Abdul-Salaam has been waiting for the right woman all his life, a woman he can love, cherish, have children with and grow old with. On a hot, August day he finds her, but she's everything he didn't expect. Ayo and Bilal are worlds apart. She's Christian and he's Muslim. She is ten years older than him and already had her family, and he is just wanting to start his. But both are overwhelmed by a smoldering attraction that refuses to acknowledge their differences. As they work their way through the obstacles of family and friends, they discover their love is strong enough, passionate enough and deep enough to make every sacrifice worth-while.

Niambi, it has been a pleasure to chitchatting with you!!

All the best.

A Lesson in Perseverance

2008-08-20T15:15:00.008-04:00

Tomorrow, stop by for my guest blog on Niambi Brown Davis, author of From Dusk To Dawn.

Occasionally I hear from an aspiring author, and with growing frequency published authors, after receiving a rejection from an agent or publishing house. In this business, the rejections can come fast and furious, sometimes with detailed criticisms or a curt rebuke, maybe even a form letter.

I know it hurts. I've been there. There isn't an author out there that can boast of not ever having a rejection or being critiqued.

Is it worth it to go on? After all, you may have invested years, thousands of dollars attending conferences, and let's not dismiss the emotional toll of the journey to becoming and staying published.

Gather round, grasshoppers. Here's my story about perseverance.

Several years ago, I had registered in the Marine Corp Marathon. I started off on this goal with the attitude that if Oprah could run a marathon (add the eye roll), I could do so. I was smaller than she was, at the time, and the instructions on the website under the charity I picked made the training regimen sound doable. I started off with gusto. I did the recommended training at home and met the group on the weekends. Then the weather got cold, rainy, or sunny -- any excuse worked for me. Slowly I skipped the training at home, but still managed to meet with the group on the weekends.

Steadily over the weeks, the ones who were dedicated and trained outran the ones...well, like me. My run-walk portion was more walking, than running. I began to feel defeated, but I kept up. There were other miserable souls on this ride, too. Then I began to miss a weekend here and there. Then it was several weeks. I'd show up and do my run-walk in agony, wondering why I had started this in the first place.

Finally the day of the marathon arrived. I headed to the designated spot and my running buddy and I decided for some odd reason to start with the (passionate, no tomfoolery) joggers. This is not a good idea, just like not sticking your wet finger in a socket. We were the run-walkers, and mostly walking. We had no business being in the front. And when that gun was fired, we quickly found out why. Joggers were passing us as if we stood still. And we were steadily trying to get over to the side because being trampled was a definite possibility. Finally we got over to the side after several joggers cursed our stupidity. I was too breathless to yell, kiss my you know what.

By now, I thought my heart would burst. My lungs couldn't fill up fast enough with air. I wanted to go home. But Oprah did this, dammit.

So we walked until we could catch our breaths. Then it was time to jog. By now I had lost my running buddy. I was happily jogging and walking, drinking water from great plastic bins and fire hydrants, places that you couldn't drag me to at any other time. I even took a bag of fruit from a little girl, wondering if I would fall over from poisoning. The Marines cheered me on, and when I got tired, I also got tired of their cheers and glared at them. This caused them to laugh at me instead.

By mile 11, I got a cramp in my calf. You could see the lump in my leg and it hurt like hell. I was trying to pound it out. People were telling me to go to the first aid tent. But I knew that meant defeat, and dammit, Oprah did this. So I limped my way from mile 11 to the end of the marathon. I cried. I prayed - well, since I change religions about every 5- 10 yr intervals, I was chanting at that point. Then I cried some more.

My husband who was waiting at some other place for me decided after several hours to come look for me. He rode next me as I limped my way. One of the volunteers wanted to know if I wanted the bus. No, dammit. I wasn't getting on the bus. I jogged as much as I could, but that annoying cramping would occur. Finally I got to the end, but not before an 81 year old lady beat me. Tons of people beat me.

But I was never running against them. Although, I used Oprah to spur me on, the only driving force was the inner resolve that I was going to finish that darn race. I may not have trained at optimum level. I may not have taken the nutrients to help my stamina. I may have taken longer than the average. But I had perseverance. I had the inner grit to tough it out. And I have my certificate and medal to say that I finished it.

Dig deep, fellow authors. Tap into what inspires you to be who you are. As cliched as this sounds - The Sun Does Come Out Tomorrow.

You can do this!

Double Reviews - Charlene Teglia & Nora Roberts

2008-08-15T10:11:00.005-04:00

I've been behind on my reading since I headed off to Romance Writers of America's annual conference in San Francisco at the end of July. Leading up to this week-long major event in a writer's life doesn't allow for much reading time, especially if a book is due. And nowadays, when I return from a conference, I need a few days to unwind. In this case, the days turned in a couple weeks.

In the meantime, I discovered Charlene Teglia's Satisfaction Guaranteed.

"Welcome to The Capture Agency, a fantasy dating service for dominant men who know what they like and how they like it, and women who can handle limitless pleasure. After being matched with a partner, the male will capture his date and make her a slave to passion. This service is for couples who aren’t afraid to push the limits, let go of their inhibitions and lose themselves in the fantasy.

Clients include Chase Hunter, the agency’s owner, who decides to break his cardinal rule against dating clients and capture a woman for the first time. Kane Woods, a man of superior size and strength who’s always had to reign in his desires--until now. And Gage Michael, who learns that his ex is using the service…and decides to capture her. Will these couples enjoy a hot romp between the sheets, or will they capture each other’s hearts?"

This book is classified under erotic romance. Once again, I'm happy to say that I've discovered an author who can mesh the two worlds. This book is hot and would be a great read and discussion piece for a girlfriends' retreat. I enjoyed each story as the heroes and heroines had a wild, sexy time falling in love.

Then, I re-read Nora Robert's Dance Upon Air.

This is the first in the Three Sisters Island trilogy where paranormal tendancies are quite normal. Dance Upon The Air takes place on Three Sisters Island with a backstory about witches fleeing from Salem. The heroine - Nell Channing - has been abused by her husband and seeks refuge on this island. She works for Mia, witch #2 and becomes friends with ornery Ripley, witch #3. And it wouldn't be a romance without sexy Sheriff Zack Todd, Ripley's brother. With a splash of suspense, blend of sizzling romance, and plain good story telling, Dance Upon The Air boldly leads the way for the trilogy.

I don't tend to re-read books, even though I have lots of keeper books on my shelves. However, I was exhausted from a writing deadline, had a couple trips to take or were just taken, and I wanted a comfort read. I didn't want to take risks and opt for a new book or new author. I wanted something or someone who I know wouldn't disappoint me. And Nora fits the bill. The book was like warm apple pie, a daybed in a partially sunny room, and no one calling my name.

South Africa's Miriam Makeba

2008-08-11T15:30:00.005-04:00

I'm getting back to my regular line up of blogging topics. Monday is the day to express to everyone who has inspired me.

Miriam Makeba, who is as old as my mother, has earned the honor in my heart as one of my biggest inspirations. How could anyone look at this woman's life and not be inspired and humbled. Born in 1932 she is known around the world as Mama Afrika. In 1959 her passport was revoked after she went to Italy for a documentary premier she had participated in about anti-apartheid. Her journey to being a great singer connected her with Harry Belafonte and eventually to Stokley Carmichael, Black Panther Leader. Their marriage brought a halt to her career in the U.S. and she moved to Guinea.

Later in her life, her only daughter died. She then wrote her autobiography - Makeba: My Story - It's a great read and she is such a humble spirit. In 1990 Nelson Mandela invited her home. And it was a great welcome. She is still touring, paying tribute and saying goodbye in all the countries and venues that marked her ascension to being an ambassador of music and peace.

She is a symbol of what we women can do despite incredible odds.

Romance Writers of America Conference - San Francisco, Part III

2008-08-07T08:57:00.002-04:00

Here's the final installment to the fabulous RWA conference.

Saturday

I was supposed to have dinner with a writer who won breakfast with me. Unfortunately a time wasn't set and I couldn't reach her in time after rousing myself much later than I planned (after the hellified Harlequin party).

Anyway, I still went down for breakfast, but instead, ate with Marcia King-Gamble, a fellow Kimani author. We caught up on our lives and careers. She's a great person and I'm hoping to entice her to volunteer on the national level in the published author network.

Then it was off to attend the Theft of Creative Property, a workshop panel with Nora Roberts. Plaigerism and copyright theft were the topics. It was very informative and Nora issued a challenge to our writing community and organization, as a whole, to make the environment uncomfortable for those who plaigerize and, in effect, create a deterrent for those who may think to do so.

At this point, I'd given up on ever seeing San Francisco beyond the few blocks of the hotel. I was incredibly busy every day and didn't plan to stay over to do sightseeing.

Instead I attended the Integrated Marketing, which talked about the ways to brand your name and style. This was informative, but I still think that it has to suit the style of the author. Otherwise, you could go broke or get overwhelmed by all the things you need to do to keep your name out there. And Shannon Aviles, a publicist, who was conducting the workshop is not for the beer-budget.

Now, I was in a panic because I didn't have anything to wear for the RITA awards (RWA's peer judged annual contest). I knew this before I arrived, but I figured that I'd have time to go shopping. HAH! So off I went to Macy's. I found two pieces that were my style. I originally wanted something glittery for the evening. But instead, I got this caftan-looking top that looked Asian Indian/Middle Eastern-ish and regular slacks. But I wore silver shoes and with the big jewelry that I borrowed from a friend, it sparked up the outfit for the evening. More importantly I was comfortable for the lengthy seated time.

After Macy's I raced back for the President's Tea, which is a small reception the RWA President hosts for special guests. I met several past presidents, including Shirley Hailstock - who was the one encouraging me to get on the board, initially. I also met Rita Gallagher who is the daughter of one of the co-founders of RWA. Rita Gallagher is also the inspiration for the name of the RITA award.

With no time to spare, I raced off to my room to change for the award show, but first, I had to attend Nora Robert's reception in her suite. This is an annual reception that she hosts for her friends and local chapter members. I get an invite because I'm on the outer circle of her friends - LOL and I was a local chapter member, and I'm currently on the board, so I get an automatic invite. Nice to shore up all avenues to make sure I'm on THE list - LOL.

Finally the last event for the night occurred where we celebrate the finalists and winners of the published and unpublished authors. Suzanne Brockmann did a a great job as mistress of ceremonies. We also celebrated the lifetime achievement award, which went to Vicki Lewis Thompson. Desserts followed the ceremony. I quite happily helped myself to mini-eclairs, tiny lemon meringue tarts, and fruit.

And with not much energy to spare, I finished saying my good-byes to the board and staff in the president's suite that night. Plus I still had to pack - Acck!

Sunday

After getting to bed around 1 a.m., I was up at 3:00 a.m. to catch the shuttle to Oakland airport. My flight was at 6 a.m. I was so happy to be home (arrived at 6 p.m. after a delay in Dallas). I had no more energy left for San Francisco. After a week, I wanted to be in my own bed. Luckily I sent the kids to Atlanta for two weeks, so I could recuperate more gently.

Next year - Washington, D.C.

Romance Writers of America Conference - San Francisco, Part II

2008-08-06T11:42:00.002-04:00

Thursday

Bright and early I had breakfast with Joan Johnston. I met Joan at a conference hosted by Firstcoast Romance Writers in Jacksonville, FL. She was the keynote. Joan has an impressive career, and is frequently on the NY Times Bestselling list. I love her humor and she's a wealth of information and isn't scared to share. We've made it our annual thing to have a quick sit-down and catch up over the year with our accomplishments. She's also a bundle of energy and has lots of wonderful life experiences/adventures.

Then it was off to attend the opening session for the conference. For the first time, we had a non-industry, motivational speaker/entertainer. Theresa Behenna plays the piano, sharing her life experiences, and providing motivational tidbits. She was flashy and quite the entertainer for the early morning. I wondered if I would strangle her since I'm not a morning person. But once she started playing the piano - boy, was she incredibly talented - she had the same effect as if I'd had a cup of coffee. She played one particular song - Georgia On My Mind - a song that she frequently played for Roger Moore (one of the many James Bonds) when she performed in Switzerland. The song brought goosebumps to my arms. It was so beautiful and hit some sentimental part of me. I bought her CD and have enjoyed listening to it in my car or just before I fall to sleep.

Then it was off to the Annual General Meeting, an official business meeting conducted for our members. Members can share their concerns or bring questions to the board and/or Allison Kelley, RWA's executive director.

Then it was lunch time. We had Victoria Alexander as our keynote lunch speaker. I'm not familiar with her work, but as a speaker, she is dynamite. She's funny, which is extremely important, considering that many attendees may be dealing with jet lag, overwhelming feelings with the large amount of workshops, and just having consumed a good meal.

Later that day, we had the keynote speaker for the published author network -- Gail Blanke. This woman was fantastic. She was not an entertainer, but very much a motivational speaker who had the good fortune to be on Oprah's show. She lives in New York and has the high fashioned, sleek, impressive stature that you associate with New York success. Unfortunately I had to leave thirty minutes into her talk, but I was truly impressed with her quiet confidence.

I dropped Gail Blanke's session to attend the Leadership Development Committee meeting. This session was to provide members, expressing interest in volunteering, with pertinent information. It was also the last time that candidates could submit their intent to run for one of the many board positions at the national level. I had already declared my intent to run for RWA's president-elect. At 3 p.m. PST, the deadline closed and I am now officially running unopposed. Elections begin Sept. 1 and the votes are tallied on Oct. 1.

I'd hoped to get to Cherry Adair's workshop on Layering and Texturing, but I was hopping around like crazy. I think that I also ran out to Ross store next to the hotel to find something to wear to the Harlequin party on Friday.

At 5 p.m. I headed to Passionate Ink's reception. This is the erotic romance chapter of RWA. I recently joined since I'm writing some steamy stuff, plus I wanted to see how they support and motivate their members. I've had a warm welcome from several and look forward to sticking around for a bit. At the reception, they were giving away goodie bags. The bags contained a bullet vibrator with instructions on how to find the 13 ways to use this bullet on the website. Of course, this was the subject of late night discussion at the bar.

Just when I thought I had the evening to myself, I got a phone call reminding me of an appointment that I almost missed. I headed off to relax and hang out with past president, Jill Limber, current president, Sherry Lewis, and incoming president, Diane Pershing. Good conversation and Chinese food was a great way to end the day.

Friday

I had my workshop - 21st Century Heroine - How Far She's Come and Where She's Headed. We had a great panel with authors: Francis Ray, Candice Poarch, Caridad Ferrer, Tracy Montoya, and editors: Rose Hilliard, St. Martin's Press and Kate Duffy, Kensington Publishing. I was thrilled to see so many faces in the audience. The session was interactive and discussion was great. I think we hit on a great topic for analysis.

Mid-morning I had the pleasure of meeing my editor, Kelli Martin, face-to-face for the first time. I also met with Glenda Howard, the executive editor for Kimani, my publisher. These ladies were wonderful and were fantastically professional. They announced that an After Dark series for highly sensual/erotic novels will start in 2009 under the Kimani imprint.

Time to eat again, this time the keynote speaker was Connie Brockway. She had a power point presentation showing the journey of ourselves as authors. I'm very impressed with all these people who have broken down barriers to pave the way.

For the first time, I participated in a publisher signing. Harlequin had an autograph session where they provide free books to the folks in line and all we have to do is smile and sign our names. This is a wonderful way for a reader to try new authors or as writers, a way to get books to read so you can determine whether you want to write for that particular publisher.

Friday evening is the slew of publishers' parties. As a board member, I get an invitation to most of the events. This year I chose two to attend: St. Martin's and Harlequin. St. Martin's was at the E&O Trading Company, which was a delight since I'd recently eaten there. They served "St. Martinis" and lots of good appetizers. Here, I mingled with authors and editors, conducting a little business, also. I stayed about an hour and then headed over to the party of the night.

Harlequin throws the best parties. This year was no exception at the Four Seasons. The DJ had all the usual songs ranging from the 60's, settling heavily into the 70s and 80s, and a spattering from the current hits. I danced until I thought my legs would give out. Note to self: exercise three weeks before Harlequin to get my legs limber.

Stop by tomorrow for the final installment highlighting Saturday and Sunday. I will select a random winner from those who comment to receive the first 30 pages of my galleys for Gamble For Love - October 2008.

Michelle

Romance Writers of America Conference - San Francisco, Part I

2008-08-05T11:56:00.002-04:00

I'll be blogging in three daily installments of my experience at the Romance Writers of America (RWA) conference held at the San Francisco Downtown Marriott, 55 4th Street, on July 30-August 2, 2008.

I'm on the board of this illustrious organization and, therefore, had to come in on July 26 to participate at the board meeting on Sunday, July 27 and Monday, 28.

Yes, I was celebrating my birthday while sitting at a board table for the entire day.

Board meetings began at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast and then we went into work mode from 8 a.m. We conducted substantive business through the day and would break for dinner around 4:30-5:00 p.m. On the second day, we went into the evening, eating dinner at the board table so that we wouldn't have to meet on Tuesday.

As a board member, you are there to be of service to the members throughout the conference. Your only off-time is in your room. Otherwise, you have mandatory appearances and need to be helpful and engaging with members. After all, this is the finale of a productive year, organizationally, and a time to educate fellow writers and celebrate the members' accomplishments.

TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY

On Tuesday, I managed to set aside an hour to meet with my publicist - Leena Hyatt, Sound Author Relations. She is located in Washington, so having the chance for an in-person meeting was great. I'm ramping up my publicity and being a bit more strategic. I'm looking forward to continuing my business relationship with Leena.

Later I had to meet, for the last time, with the RWR advisory group. RWR is the magazine that RWA produces on a monthly basis. I was the board liaison for this group. It has been a great pleasure working on improving this magazine and bringing it more into line as a professional
trade journal.

Considering the long, tiring trip to San Francisco and the rigor of the conference, I scheduled a hot stone massage for Tuesday evening. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't one of my best experiences. The masseuse did everything right, but there are some people who just have the right touch. And unfortunately you don't know that until you're on the table having the massage. Also most spas have you separate from other activity. I had to wait in the dressing room area that also served women using the gym. So you didn't relax and get into the mood. And then when you're finished, it was back into that harsh environment. They had a steam room, but I had no desire to stay any longer than necessary.

I finished up the evening having dinner with Beverly Jenkins. She's a dynamite woman with so much experience. I unofficially call her the tribal elder of our writing community.

Wednesday, the day was packed. From 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., I attended the published authors network strategic brainstorming. In the middle of this, I popped over to the Chapter Leadership seminar that was a meeting for chapter presidents and other chapter leaders. Most of the board have served in their local chapters in various leadership positions. So meeting these future leaders at the national level is important.

The evening ended with the large author (520 - wow!!!) booksigning that RWA hosts to raise money for literacy (donations go to Proliteracy Worldwide). The organization has given almost $600 million to date and this year, we hit a record with over $58K dollars raised at this function. The books are donated by the publishers, authors sign, and the public buys. Every penny goes to literacy. I was happy to have several readers stop by to purchase my book and many said that they have read my other books, naming characters that they like. It's nice to know that a fan base is growing.

The long day didn't end there. My friends and I went to E&O Trading Co. 314 Sutter Street. The food was Asian fusion. We ordered several meals and shared. Our grand feast consisted of:

Peanut chicken satay (skewered chicken) with peanut sauce
Spicy sweet potato naan (sweet potato stuffed between flatbread) with mango chutney
Indonesian Corn fritters (corn kernels in an egg batter fried crispy and light) with chili soy dipping sauce
Crispy shrimp in a lime and ginger crust with sweet chili dipping sauce
Pad Thai (rice noodles) with shrimp (the lime flavor was too strong in this dish; it was our least favorite)
Steamed Jasmine Rice

We were pleasantly full. I was, by now, exhausted. The evening ended with me skipping the bar scene in the lobby and heading to bed.

Stop by tomorrow, for the next installment of my conference experience on Thursday and Friday. I hope to have a few photos posted at the end of the week.

Michelle

A Day At Indulgence Spa -- Barbados

2008-07-11T08:36:00.006-04:00

Several years ago Nora Roberts converted me into a massage addict. I used to attend a local chapter retreat that featured seated massages. Since my utter distaste of having a stranger touch me so intimately, she suggested the seated massage as a warm up. Well that took two years of convincing. I was mildly horrified when the man slid his hand down my back and over my hips. Then I took the plunge when I went to a fabulous spa at Sawgrass, Florida (that weekend was awesome because I got to see Tiger play live). Anyway not only did I take the plunge, but I had a male masseuse. Talk about the horror of it all -LOL. But within five minutes, he had me relaxed and he was so darn good. I'll never forget him.

Fast forward to my trip in Barbados: On the second day, my sis-in-law raved about this wonderful spa near Suga Suga beach, so we took the long drive up the western side of the island to make the appointment. Well management had changed, but the new manager Brigette was so cool. She looked like she could be a poster model for Barbados and she allowed my 13 year old daughter to have her first back massage- that's was really cool and under the category of how many ways to spoil a girl.

I ordered a deep tissue massage (although the hot stone massage is my absolute favorite, but they didn't feature that), pedicure with paraffin (another part of my body that I don't like strangers messing with) and a facial (sorry, hate people touching my face too). But my sis-in-law was excited, so I decided to take the plunge knowing that my personal space was going to being violated.

On the day of the appointment, after stuffing our faces at Hilton for breakfast, we had about 15 mins to make it to the spa. Then the rain fell and fell and fell. Remember the narrow street, the buses, the people walking in the street if there wasn't a sidewalk, the bikes...well those 15 mins turned into 30 mins. I was sure that I'd lose my breakfast as my husband tried to keep up with my brother who drove at the speed of light. Finally we get to the spa and my sis-in-law and I are running into the place.

Now, like any spa, the place is quiet and calm, soft music wafting through the air. Oh not, when my entire posse is there. We'd start out whispering and then it was as if there was a big party in the lobby. Then one of us would try to be mindful and shush everyone. That would last a quick second. My brother, the extrovert, soon had the receptionist chatting and laughing with us.

My masseuse at Indulgence Spa was phenomenal. I've never had a deep tissue massage and you must speak up when it gets too hard. She started at the feet and pounded, kneaded, stretched my muscles into submission. I had to squeak a couple times for her to stop as my eyes moistened from the intensity. I had paid to be tortured. After an hour, I took a quick shower because I was an oil slick. My body was tingling and quite awake!

The facial was next. I got a taster facial because I of our late arrival instead of the full blown facial. I was thinking "wonderful" because I didn't want a facial at all; meanwhile the masseuse was all apologetic. But I confessed to her that I didn't like people touching my face. And she was so kind and gentle that by the end of the facial, I thought - this wasn't so bad. She predicted that I would have changed my mind :-)

Then it was time for the pedicure. I got a compliment on how well managed my feet were. I glowed. Just flatter me and I'm like putty. My feet were dipped into water with some milky stuff, then nails cleaned up, then oiled up, massaged, buffed. Then the paraffin came and I put in my feet. I sat there reading magazines where nothing in it I could afford. I picked out a shimmery wine color for the toes. And I was grinning like a silly thing because I'd been pampered for 2 1/2 hours.

Throughout the day, my daughter would touch my face because it looked soft and I looked younger.

Flatter, flatter...don't stop.

http://www.royalwestmorelandholidays.com/spa.aspx

Fashion, Food, and Stuff Barbados Style

2008-07-10T08:55:00.002-04:00

I'm in the sweating phase of my life and the tropical temperature in Barbados had me going every so often. The good thing is that the temperature was about 81 degrees, but felt like 87 with the humidity, unlike D.C. in the summer where you could choke as you pass out from the humidy.

My clothing of choice was sleeveless shirts and shorts or Capris. I didn't use hats, but used lots of sunscreen. There is always a breeze to cut that stifling effect. But when I saw an air-conditioned shop or restaurant, I ran for reprieve.

Now if I ruled the land, everyone would be dressed like me. Instead in the business and government segment in Bridgetown, I saw women in suits (not always short sleeved), hose, heels going to work. I can't tell you the last time I've worn hose. I'm on strike with the hose. I'll wear knee-hi's and only under duress. Looking at these smartly dressed women made me sweat on their behalf. The men weren't far behind in their shirts and ties.

Cashiers in the supermarket wore uniform and had chairs at their cash registers, and had the person who bagged the groceries to help. That's how it used to be in the States. But those chairs are long gone and the baggers are only there if the line is long. Like New Jersey, you didn't pump your own gas.

Hairstyles were a mixture of braids, chemically relaxed, and dreads. I noticed that some women wore their hair very short and dyed. Not that this is unusual. But, for instance, the styles and dyes used or not used in the DC area is so different from Atlanta (where my brother lives).

Now onto the food - OMG! Caribbean food is the best. I can't wait for one of these cooking contest shows to highlight Caribbean food. There is such a rich history of ethnic influences that everything begins with the seasoning. And I had a blast that would disqualify me from any advertisement for the many weight management programs.

Hilton - breakfast buffet was great. Omelettes freshly made. Wide array of hot dishes. Muffins and the custard danish were to die for. They had the fresh fruit salad area, but that only got a quick glance from me.

Brown Sugar Restaurant - Expensive, good food, slow service. But we were cranky because we sat next to a pond/waterfall thing that was great for ambience. However at night, the mosquitos were stinging us like crazy. My sis-in-law went to the car with the kids and sprayed the repellent. You could smell them as they walked through the restaurant back to the table. And then the mosquitos left them and zeroed on the rest of us who didn't spray. I'd give it another shot though because many people recommended it.

Quang Dong Restaurant - Chinese food resturant that also served great curry.

Chefette - We went on strike with Chefette because we got tired of eating fast food. But I did enjoy their curry chicken and potato & roti. Kids went for the greasy pizza.

The Cliffside Restaurant - Another OMG experience. The key here is not to order the appetizer and then the special. Fantastic appetizers included vegatarian and chicken samosas and the fish cakes with a pepper sauce. The special was enough to feed three people: macaroni pie (baked macaroni and cheese), peas and rice, lamb stew, 2 pieces of bbq chicken, fried flying fish, potato salad, salad. We tried to get the food wrapped to go but because of the food standards, they didn't allow that. So we then tried to shove all that food into our bellies.

Sunbury House Plantation - If you like scones, then you've got to stop here. The scones were like my mom's. And they serve this whipped cream and marmalade. Fantastic. They also have lunch buffet - another yummy moment.

I got back home and the treadmill is calling my name.

The Barbadian People

2008-07-09T00:21:00.008-04:00

Maybe the fact that I'm a writer makes me attuned to people and all of their quirks. I'm basically a people watcher because I find us so fascinating in our contradictions, convictions, sometimes hypocrisy.

And when I'm visiting a new place, whether a mall or a country, I'm fascinated by the culture and norms of its people. Barbados wasn't immune to this.

I found the citizens of Barbados to be friendly, for the most part. There are some countries where tourists are treated as irritants by the citizens. You feel unwelcomed. And the advice is that you'd better stick to the resort area. Not the case on this island. I'm not naive to think that I shouldn't be careful and aware at all times. However, the locals were friendly and cooperative.

While there, twinges of my Guyanese accent crept back. And once the locals discovered that commonality, the conversation and openess went deeper. BTW, my accent always comes back when I'm around my mother or brother or Guyanese friends. It's not something that is affected, but slips on like a well-used houseslipper, basically comfortable. So being in the Caribbean around things that reminded me of my childhood provided a place of comfort.

Barbadian men are very nice. I wasn't bothered with flirtatious pain in the asses. Heck, it could be that I'm not the ideal type: young, giggling, and showing skin. But I found them willing to chat. And when we needed directions, they would go out of their way to make sure we got all the information and we were comfortable getting to our destination. One group of Rastas led us to one such location.

The women were cool. I had a run in with a couple unsmiling ones. And please don't think that I expect any islanders to be smiling and catering to me as a tourist. However, when I say hello to a cashier, thank you, etc., movement of the lips would be appreciated. One young thing had so much attitude that I complained to the owner. Nothing short of what I would have done here.

The ethnic make-up of countries also interest me. It speaks to the populations and immigrant groups that co-exist. Unlike Guyana, Trinidad and a few more islands, where the dominant groups are Indian and Black with a spatterings of shades in between, Barbados has a broad range of browns with Europeans at one end of the range to dark blacks at the other spectrum.

I didn't see any overt bias to a color system, but I'm sure that something exist. After all, it's in our nature to divide whether it's by color, economics or class. I do know that the previous government administration that was in power for 12 years would be classifed as light skinned - definitely mixed heritage somewhere. And now the new administration is led by a dark skinned black. I'm not up on my politics to know what prompted the dramatic change and how long it will last. They are on a 4 year term like the U.S.

What I absolutely loved about these people and their graciousness is that they remembered their visitors. My brother is the extrovert in the family. And from the time that we landed, the rental car sales rep and him were chatting because he's used his service twice. Then we went to a fast food restaurant called Chefette, and the employee remembered him. A man who sells rum punch across from the restaurant said hi to him. We go to the Hilton and it felt like the entire staff knew him. It's not that they remember his name, but they remember details about him and can ask about family members. Once he introduced me as his sister, and I saw them a second or third time, I was also included in the greeting and conversation.

The people of Barbados would definitely make me visit the island again.

Here are a few photos of a friend's house. The covered patio was huge. We sat there drinking Cranberry and vodka talking about politics, celebrities, and whatever else popped into mind. On the estate, and it was big enough to be called such, there was an inground pool. You could see the ocean. And there was a bird sanctuary so nothing could be built next to it. I absolutely loved this house.

Yesterday I declared Beverly - Beachlover - winner of my Barbados treat. I promised to post the photo of the prize. She gets a small watercolor of a local artist and a sample of Barbadian Rum.

Welcome To Barbados!

2008-07-08T14:46:00.004-04:00

My trip to Barbados was decided about a year ago. As a destination point, this was a no-brainer. Having lived in Guyana from age 3 to 11 1/2 years old, I had visited Barbados and it was one of my destination points on my honeymoon cruise. And we had the added bonus of having friends who live there.

Once the tickets were booked at a time when the prices were fluctuating and not in the right direction, I landed a reasonable price and hit the BUY button. Then it was time to think about a place to stay. Because one of our friends was having a family reunion, I couldn't use their beach house. However, I did manage to get a beach house two houses away on the same street. Now air and board were taken care of.

Next on the list was the car. I wasn't thrilled about driving in Barbardos. I wanted to arrive, survey the situation, and then make my determination. However at my brother's urging, he advised that we couldn't fit in one car. The cost for taking a taxi everywhere would be prohibitive. Finally I agreed to get a rental car.

Getting to the island was not a direct shot. I went to Atlanta and then to Barbados making it a long trip. And let me not go into the food that was served. :-P We landed on the island around 2:30 p.m. Unlike the U.S. terminals where the gate is manipulated to the plane's door, in Barbados, we had to walk down the stairs that are rolled to the gate onto the tarmac. Then you boarded a bus for a quick ride to the entry door.

We made it through customs with no issues and then officially started the holiday. I signed so many forms, handed over credit cards, signed more forms for the rental car. My hope was that I would get out of the airport parking lot without incident, especially since the sales rep was standing there.

Now driving on the left side of the road wasn't a problem. The narrow road wasn't a problem. However, driving on that narrow road, with a high curb, and a bus barrelling toward me was enough to make me slam on my brake. And so I was the driver who accelerated and braked all the way down the road as the blue buses, yellow buses, and heavy duty trucks came at me.

I got to the beach house and was pleasantly surprised. It looked fairly decent on the website, but those photos were old. The place had been updated, beds had been replaced, rooms painted. I really liked my two bedroom beach house. And Beach being the operative word, I literally went out on the patio, then walked a few feet to a small gate that opened onto the beach.

And so my first day in Barbados began.

As promised, I have to declare the winner of my Barbados treats. Photos of the prize were to be posted, but I'll have to do that on tomorrow's blog. The winner is Beverly - "Beachlover." You win a small watercolor and a sample set of Barbadian rum. Enjoy!!

I'll Be Back On Monday, July 7

2008-07-05T08:12:00.002-04:00

Back from vacation. Will resume blogging on Monday, July 7. I'll give a five-day journal of my experience and thoughts of Barbados, as a tourist and from the perspective of my close affinity to the Caribbean.

See you in a few days.

Guest Blogger: Donna Grant

2008-06-25T08:32:00.008-04:00

Donna Grant and I have shared many board tables at Romance Writers of America's board meetings. Most of the times we do pay attention and vote when we needed. But we are known to have a good chuckle about random things. Over the years, I have warmed to Donna's charming personality, friendship and spirit to volunteer. Now we look forward to our three in-face meetings a year to catch up and chit chat.

Welcome Donna!

First, let me introduce to you this dynamite author. Donna Grant is the award winning author of more than eighteen novels spanning multiple genres of romance – Scottish Medieval, historical, dark fantasy, time travel, paranormal and erotic. She was born and raised in Texas. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna's Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin' and bareback riding.

Donna sold her first book in November 2005 while displaced from Hurricane Rita, a storm that destroyed portions of the Texas Gulf Coast. Since then, Donna has sold novels and novellas to both electronic and print publishers. Her books include several complete series such as The Druid’s Glen, The Shields, The Royal Chronicles and the Sisters of Magic.

Despite the deadlines and her voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two young children, three cats and one long haired Chihuahua. She's blessed with a proud, supportive husband who's learned to cook far more than frozen chicken nuggets.

Donna's Childhood:

Q. What fond childhood memory stays close to your heart?

DG. That would be going into my father's wood shop and smelling the sawdust. Woodworking was his hobby, and everytime I smell sawdust I think of those hot, lazy days watching him work.
Q. What was your favorite subject in school?

DG. Oh easy, history. I soaked up every ounce of history I could get, especially British history.

Q. Did you attend your high school prom? Did you keep the dress or hide it?

DG. lol. I did attend prom. And had a horrible time. I had a steady boyfriend, and like most all couples I knew, we fought that night. He didn't like to dance, so I think I got him out on the floor once. It didn't help that he was a year older than me. As for the dress, with me being so short, my parents always spent a fortune getting dresses altered, so my mother had an idea of getting a dress made. That was my favorite dress. It was the first evening gown I ever owned that actually "fit"! It was so exciting.

Q. As a child, what were some careers that you wanted to do?

DG. I wanted to be a ballerina. Its all I thought about, dreamed about and did. Nothing else ever entered my brain. Well, except for maybe being an archeologist, but Indiana Jones made it look so much better than real life. :)
Donna's Other Talent:

Q. What/Who started your love for ballet dancing?

DG. My mom. She saw a dance recital once and swore if she ever had a daughter she would put me in dance. I started at age 5 and never stopped.

Q. What was your goal as a dancer?

DG. I had a couple. One, I wanted to study at the New York City Ballet. Two, I wanted to study at the Royal Academy of Dance in London. In Britain they do things much different. At the dance school were I took, the owner brought in a British teacher. Every year after we would take from her we had to pass a test. Its more difficult than the SATs. If you pass, you go to the next level. If you're really lucky, you get invited to perform at the Royal Academy. I got asked, but my parents weren't keen on their teenage daughter going off to England. :( But, boy, did I want to go. It took me awhile to forgive them for that.

Q. What was the most exciting experience you had?

DG. I got to perform in Cinderella and Rudoulf the Red Nosed Reindeer with some principles from New York City Ballet that came down to Texas. It was exhilerating!

Q. Do you still dance?

DG. I did up until a year ago. That's when I stopped teaching dance.

Donna's Family Life:

Q. Where is your darling hubby from?

DG. lol. He's from the next town over from where I grew up, and its were we now live in Texas.

Q. Where did you meet? How did he propose?

DG. We met at a summer semester in college. He'd just gotten out of the Marines and was finishing up his last year of college.

He proposed to me on Valentine's Day. We had a big day planned which included going to the beach, which is where he proposed.

Q. What's the perfect date with hubby?

DG. Hmm...all of them really. However, there is one night that will always stay with me. We were in Jamaica for our ten year anniversary, and our resort had a wonderful Italian restaurant. We got all dressed up and had the most fabulously decadent night!

Q. Where did you go for the last family trip?

DG. We just got back from San Antonio, Texas and SeaWorld. It was marvelous. I didn't think we'd ever get the kids out of there. My daughter decided that she's going to train Orca's now.

Donna, The Writer:

Q. When did you know you wanted to become a writer, more specifically a romance writer?

DG. I've only read romance. If it doesn't have a happy ending with some romance involved, I don't want to read it. I've always had stories in my head, but never thought much about it until one day I told hubby about this "plot" I had. He told me to write a book. I laughed at him, but the next day locked away in my accounting office, I opened a file and started the book. I finished it a couple of months before I had my first child. After that, there was no looking back for me. I knew being a writer is what I wanted.

Q. Who are some of the authors that inspired you in your genre?

DG. Johanna Lindsey, Stephanie Laurens, Christina Dodd, Catherine Coulter and Julie Garwood to name just a few. I've read romance since I was 12, so I was fully emersed when I started writing.

Q. What are a few milestones in your writing career?

DG. Finishing that first book was a huge milestone. Next came getting up the gumption to submit it to editors and agents. There's nothing like that first rejection to make you realize the dream of a writer isn't for the faint of heart.

After that it was getting my first acceptance from a publisher. New Concepts Publishing, an e-publisher, gave me my first shot and helped me build a reader base. Eleven books later, I made my first sale to a New York publisher, Kensington Books.

I've gotten two more publishers since then, and sold another book to Kensington.

Q. Share some info about current and upcoming books?

DG. I've got several books coming out between now and May of 2009. I was so excited to find a home for the first in my historical paranormal witch trilogy. Shadow Magic will release with Cobblestone Press in the next few months. The cover is outstanding!

September sees my first Kensington Aphrodisia release. Ties that Bind is in The Pleasure of His Bed anthology with two other amazing writers.

Then, in October, I have another first. My first "themed" book. Primal Heat is a Halloween werewolf story set in Cardiff, Wales and will release from Total-E-Bound as part of their Bite Me! themed novellas. It'll release first in ebook, then later in print.

In November I have Tempted releasing from Total-E-Bound. (Tempted is connected to Ties that Bind.)

March 2009 Bound (also connected to Ties that Bind and Tempted) will release from Total-E-Bound.

May brings my second release from Kensington Aphrodisia, Mutual Desire. It's a collection of three historical erotic romances. The first is the conclusion of my fantasy series (Ties that Bind, Tempted, Bound) Enthralled. The collection also features a Medieval Scotland laird in need of a wife, and a Victorian era princess wanting an adventure in the Amazon.

Another exciting project I have coming in the next few months from Cobblestone Press is The Destiny Stone anthology. Two of my best writing friends and I wrote novellas about a magical stone that travels from Medieval Scotland (my novella) to Victorian England to present day California. The novellas will be released seperately before being combined into print. My novella is Destiny of Love and begins the anthology.

For news, contests, and excerpts visit http://www.donnagrant.com/

Thanks, Michelle, for inviting me to your blog!

For Writers: Read, Read, Read

2008-06-23T23:59:00.005-04:00

Today's rule is simple. To be a writer, you must read. To be a good writer, you must read. To be an excellent writer, you must read.

It's a travesty to hear aspiring writers confess that they don't like reading or don't read much because they don't have time. Keep that to yourself.

Not only should a writer read the reference books on the business and the craft, but she should also read and continue to read EVERYTHING. The idea is not about copying a particular author's style. Reading works from various genres teaches the author how a story unfolds, the pacing techniques, the way the characters' development occur.

Read new authors to see their style emerge. Read bestsellers to understand what makes them a hit with fans. Read the average author with a sizeable backlist because longetivity counts for something.

Open your mind--read a book.

Suggestions:
(See below and the books I have reviewed on this blog)

Celeste Norfleet: Young Adult - She Said, She Said; Romance - When Love Calls

Candice Poarch: Romantic Suspense - Long Hot Nights; Romance - His Tempest

Kimberly Kaye Terry: Erotic Romance - Just Like Candy; Erotic Short story - Come Back To Me

And I'd be remiss if I didn't recommend me - Michelle Monkou: Romance - No One But You; Straight To The Heart

The Inner Circle

2008-06-23T08:50:00.006-04:00

Writing is a solitary vocation. The rewards can be completing your first manuscript to earning a multi-book contract for major dollars. The trials can be learning all the facets of the craft to receiving your fifteenth rejection on the manuscript.

Your inner strength can take you a long way. But having the inner circle of friends can fortify you beyond just your writing world. These three ladies have entered my life at different times, but the impact of their friendship, wisdom, and humility has an inspirational value to my success.

Celeste O. Norfleet

Candice Poarch

Kimberly Kaye Terry

Sing His Praises!

2008-06-22T13:43:00.002-04:00

Jeremiah 20: 10-13

10 For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! "Denounce him! Let us denounce him!" say all my familiar friends, watching for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived, then we can overcome him, and take our revenge on him."
11 But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten.
12 O LORD of hosts, who triest the righteous, who seest the heart and the mind, let me see thy vengeance upon them, for to thee have I committed my cause.
13 Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.

Christ is Love.

My Writing Journey: Staying Off The Internet

2008-06-21T10:30:00.002-04:00

With deadlines looming - I'm offline today.

Positive Goals

What you passionately and purposefully seek to have, you will have. What you passionately and purposefully seek to avoid, you will also have.

When you intensely focus your energy upon anything, that thing grows more real and influential in your life. That holds true whether it is something you strongly desire or something you strongly detest.

If you put your effort into fighting against something, you end up giving more strength and consequence to whatever you're fighting against. Instead, find a desirable alternative and put your energy into working toward that alternative.

What you hold most firmly and consistently in your mind, you create and become. So keep your thoughts focused on moving toward the desirable, enjoyable and fulfilling things.

The most effective way to move away from what you don't want is to actively move toward what you do want. Rather than defining your life by what you oppose, challenge yourself to develop positive goals that you can enthusiastically embrace and follow.

Your life naturally and persistently flows in the direction where your attention is focused. So choose to focus on the best you can imagine.

-- Ralph Marston

A Gathering Of Old Men -- Ernest Gaines

2008-06-20T00:12:00.006-04:00

I recently discovered Ernest Gaines and now I could be easily categorized as a groupie. I didn't know what to expect from a male author and from the southern setting. Yet from beginning to the end, he draws the reader in with subtleties. Long before the bad guys show up, he creates the tension that is held through the end.

What I found remarkable was his ability to pull the reader in and have them experience the share cropping lifestyle. It wasn't until Gaines mentioned contact lens in the story that I realized the book was set in the 70s.

I don't re-read my books. But there is always an exception to the rule. And Ernest Gaines deserves his lofty position in the literary world.

Blurb: Set on a Louisiana sugarcane plantation in the 1970s, A Gathering of Old Men is a powerful depiction of racial tensions arising over the death of a Cajun farmer at the hands of a black man.

One Week And Counting To Barbados

2008-06-19T12:13:00.012-04:00

I'm already in vacation mode with one week left before I hit the shores of Barbados.

Yes, I'll do a few touristy things, but for the most part, I will just sit and watch the wide, blue ocean with my family.

I think I'll be on the south western coast. But does it really matter. I'll be in Barbados.

Since I try to remember a country's flag, I'll put Poseidon's trident into memory.

I'm looking forward to driving under this arch welcoming me to the island.

May or may not get to a pool, but I'll definitely be splashing around in the ocean.

My brother and his family are staying in a condo up the mountain. Don't plan to drive that narrow, windy road.

I hope the beach house I've rented has this view.

A nice alcohol laden drink and this sunset (sigh)

Guest Blogger Farrah Rochon - You Don't Know Everything

2008-06-18T08:51:00.007-04:00

Introducing Farrah Rochon, an author, who landed on the scene with a splash and has consistently rose to the high standards of fellow romance authors like Brenda Jackson, Donna Hill, Francis Ray, Rochelle Alers with romantic, sexy fiction. Farrah is a native of south Louisiana and can chart her beginnings as a writer in the student lounge at Xavier University. After earning a Bachelor's and Master's from Southeastern Louisiana University, Farrah pursued her dream to be an author. Her debut novel, DELIVER ME earned several nominations and awards.

When the lovely Michelle invited me to guest blog about advice for aspiring writers, I went back and forth over what my topic should be.

Let’s face it, this writing gig isn’t easy and there is so much that aspiring writers don’t know. Yet, some don’t realize it. Sorry to tell you folks, but you don’t know everything. I was one of those bright-eyed, know-it-all writers who thought my words were golden. I wrote my first novel without any consideration for pacing, point of view, or any of the other topics that encompass the craft of writing.

Having a great story is only part of it. You have to be able to deliver that story. And proper execution involves understanding the craft of writing. It wasn’t until I decided to browse the writing reference section of my local library and picked up Sol Stein’s Stein on Writing that I realized I didn’t know everything there was to know about writing. I needed to learn my craft.

Here is just a short list of some of the writing craft books that have been a huge help. After several full manuscripts, I still find myself pulling a couple of these off the shelf, because even more seasoned writers (and no, I don’t consider myself seasoned yet) need to brush up on the craft of writing.

http://www.amazon.com/Stein-Writing-Successful-Techniques-Strategies/dp/0312254210/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213795292&sr=8-1 - Stein On Writing by Sol Stein

http://www.amazon.com/Self-Editing-Fiction-Writers-Second-Yourself/dp/0060545690/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213795418&sr=1-1 Self Editing For Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

http://www.amazon.com/Goal-Motivation-Conflict-Building-Fiction/dp/0965437108/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212699284&sr=1-1

Goals, Motivation, and Conflict by Deb Dixon

Happy Writing!

Farrah Rochon

http://www.farrahrochon.com/

Release Me - Available May 08

A Change of Heart in The Holiday Inn anthology - Available October '08

Deliver Me - Now Available

SORMAG Romance of the Year

SORMAG Romance Author and New Author of the Year

For Writers: The Critique Group...Or Not

2008-06-17T10:22:00.005-04:00

As a writer, you will be innundated with cautionary tales about a variety of topics in the writing world. But you will have to wade through the advice, to pick what will work for you. One such advice comes in the[emphatic] form of

You should or should not join a critique group!

A critique group serves a purpose. Despite the word "group," the mission of critiquing can be done by one person or several. For a writer who may grapple with the discipline of finishing a book, staying accountable, or needing a fresh pair (and objective) eyes for the work, a critique group can be the answer. And sometimes we need that supportive time out because of our solitary career.

To make the group successful, a mission statement and set of rules need to be in place. The level of detail depends on the dynamics of the group. However, there is an unwritten rule that says the people in the group do not need to be your friends. Yes, you need to be able to respect and tolerate each other, but you aren't required to become drinking buddies in your personal life. For some groups, the friendship deepens over time, as a natural progression. For others, the experience is reminiscent of college days when you had to work on a group project with acquaintances/colleagues sharing similar experience.

Once the rules have been set, plan on sticking to them. If you're going to meet twice a month, then do so. If after a few meetings, the schedule isn't working, then tweak it until it does work. The worst thing to do is miss meetings with no explanation because resentment will build over something that could have been remedied.

The level of feedback is important to establish, but also give allowance for each person's style. Some people focus on the details: punctuation, sentence structure, use of passive verbs. Others may give you their general take on the selection, whether it worked for them or not in one or two sentences. That's fine. Each style has a place in your journey.

For example, when I'm writing my first draft. I get everyone's information. I read everything, but unless it pertains to the plot or characters, I put it aside. I don't want to be hemmed down by the small stuff, like punctuation or word choice, at this stage. Once I've completed the project, then the information on the little things can be utilized.

And if you keep that perspective then you resist the feeling of being bombarded by the nitpicking stuff. Many times members of a group can come away feeling abused. Go back to your rules, and put in place, how feedback will be delivered. Even have a "time out" feature. If I got your point and two others are jumping on the bandwagon, then I get to say - time out. I got it. No one wants to here all members of the group reiterate or add on to the same points.

There will be times when a member can't or won't write. Be honest with your fellow group members. Group dynamics are always at work. The tendency will be for little factions to develop within the group. If there is a problem, one or two persons may take a side before any differences have been aired.

Don't always have your work read and not live up to your end of the bargain. And if you are going through a blue period, unfortunately, the critique group should not double as a therapy session. If you have to, schedule a separate social day or at least, save it for after the critique session. Everyone's time is valuable and should be treated as such.

But despite all the effort, sometimes your personality just doesn't jive in the critique environment. Nothing is promised. But give the opportunity a chance before you dismiss it.

Stella Maris Elementary School - My Childhood Inspiration

2008-06-15T15:03:00.004-04:00

One of my inspirations is not a person, but an institution - Stella Maris Elementary School in Georgetown, Guyana.

Stella Maris was my initial experience to Catholic school. And I loved every minute of my school experience. Not too long ago I found certificates that I'd earned as a student. Several were in reading. And when I read aloud, I changed my voice for each point of view in the story. Frankly I had no use for math and science, heck not even physical education. All I wanted to do was read and write.

As I got older, I turned to dance. I wanted to be a ballet dancer. And one of the nuns was our ballet teacher. She'd be in habit and veil with bared feet, dancing around the room.

What power a childhood teacher has in the molding of a young spirit?

Thankfully, I can say that I have loved every minute of that experience with the nuns.

I found a little history on the nuns who started Stella Maris:

By Sister Mary Noel Menezes, Guyana Chronicle

ON APRIL 23, 2000, the Sisters of Mercy in Guyana celebrated 106 years of service to the poor, sick and ignorant. It is indeed a special occasion, but many will be asking: "Who are the Sisters of Mercy?"

Quite a few people tend to think of all the Sisters - Ursulines, Carmelites, Missionaries of Charity - as belonging to one group, but each community of Sisters has a specific role and a specific goal.
The Sisters of Mercy in Guyana, who, in previous years, were particularly connected with education in the Primary schools and at St. Joseph High, form part of an international body - the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas - one of the eight Mercy organisations throughout the world.

The Mercy order was founded in 1831 in Ireland by a Dublin heiress, Catherine McAuley, and in its 169-year history has spread throughout the world. Besides working in 202 cities and 46 States in the U.S.A., the Sisters of Mercy serve in 25 other countries of the world, including Guyana.

The foundress, Catherine McAuley, inheriting a fortune at the age of 50, used her fortune to build the first House of Mercy for abandoned women and children from Dublin's slums. The work burgeoned into a network of other services, above all, education and visitation of the sick. Many young women joined Catherine in her work, becoming the first Sisters of Mercy or "walking nuns" as they were called.

To their three vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience they added the fourth Vow - "service of the poor, sick and ignorant". Together with their foundress they were dedicated to fighting the two prevalent evils of the day, Ignorance and Poverty.

The works of Mercy spread to England and later to the U.S.A. in the 1840s. It was from the Convent of Mercy in Midhurst, Sussex, England, that two Sisters of Mercy, Sister Ursula Green and Antonia Chambers, journeyed to Barbados in 1892 and opened a school there. They were joined by a young Guianese woman, Gloria De Freitas, who later became Sister Pauline.
In 1894, Bishop Anthony Butler of British Guiana invited these three Sisters to come to Guiana where the need for a sound education was becoming increasingly vital. They settled in the poor area of Charlestown, and in true Mercy fashion, they immediately carried out one of the chief functions of the Order of Mercy, that of teaching.

They began teaching in the government school, later named Carmel RC School, and shortly after, in 1895, Sister Pauline opened a private school for girls on Main Street. This school blossomed and became a grant-on-aid school. The inspector's report for 1897 read: "Discipline and tone excellent, and the results of the examination reflect great credit on the Sisters in charge".
In 1897, in the community room at Dettering Hall, their Charlestown convent, they offered four classes in secondary subjects. This was the beginning of St. Joseph High School which was to become one of the leading Secondary schools in the country.

With the arrival of more Sisters from the British Isles, the Sisters branched out into other government-aided schools, St. Mary's, Brickdam; Victoria and Kitty on the East Coast, Henrietta, Essequibo, and in the interior at Santa Rosa and Morawhanna. In the 1920s, a number of local women joined the order in Charlestown.

In 1910, at the request of the Bishop, three Sisters left Charlestown to establish a mission among the Amerindians at Takutu in the Rupununi, later there emerged foundations at Santa Rosa, Morawhanna, Hosororo and Mabaruma. Unfortunately, in the 1970s, because of a lack of personnel, the missions at Santa Rosa and Hosororo had to be closed.

In the 1930s, as the educational work increased and the number of Sisters decreased, the Charlestown community requested permission to join the Union of the Sisters of Mercy of the U.S.A. The Scranton Province accepted the Charlestown mission as part of their province and in October, 1935, 10 Sisters from the U.S.A. arrived in Guiana to work in the schools and at the Mahaica Hospital. The arrival of these Sisters from Dallas and Baltimore was followed by 19 more between 1936 - 1946.

They injected new life into the Mercy community in British Guiana. Consequently, there was a spate of vocations between 1935 - 1970 when young Guyanese women entered the Mercy Novitiate in Dallas and returned after First or Final Vows to work in their country's schools.
With Guyana's independence in 1966 the country experienced a period of intense Guyanisation with its by-product of anti-foreignism. Coupled with the decrease of vocations both in the U.S.A. and in Guyana the number of Sisters dwindled while the works mushroomed.

In 1976, when the schools were nationalised, the Sisters were still allowed to teach in them and even remain in charge. But these Sisters were few and, according to government regulations, due for retirement. The future was, however, not all bleak. There were some real vocations and even new vistas - a convent each in Ruimveldt and Charlestown, a Preparatory School, Stella Maris and a Night Shelter for homeless women currently being run by the Missionaries of Charity.

By the end of the 1980s, the Sisters of Mercy were no longer in schools.

The sisters are still involved in medical care and caring for the homeless. It is a sad state of affairs that the politics of a country has turned back the clock where Guyana is now the second poorest country in South America.

But I count Stella Maris in my many blessings for the strong educational and spiritual foundation it continues to have on my career as a writer.

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T14:24:00.003-04:00

Ephesians 6

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

My father passed away about three years ago. And by the end of his life, he had to deal with illness and pain as cancer spread through his body. But the condition of his final days didn't mar the memories of him.

He stood at about 6 ft. 3 in, soft spoken, very British in his style and mannerisms. He was born in Guyana, but his father and that side of the family were from Suriname and Holland. As a civil engineer, he traveled extensively and worked on construction projects around the world. To me, he was larger than life.

My father loved books. He was always reading. I'm sure his love for various topics influenced what I read. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find a subject that he hadn't read or studied. I would read vast amounts of non-fiction, discover books on obscure religions, read about a nation's birth and then sit with him to discuss at length everything on the subject.

Along with books, came his love for education. After I got my Bachelor in Arts for English, he suggested that I get my law degree. At the time, I ended up going for my Masters in International Business, but he still wanted me to go for the law degree. But then I came to the fork in the road where I could spend lots of money to get a law degree or become a writer. Seems to me at this point in my life, both avenues suck money out of you-LOL.

My father did live to see me published. And he was proud, the extent of which I discovered after he died. He had been working for a construction management firm in New York. When I published the first book - Open Your Heart - he bought copies for all his clients. I can only imagine what these engineer-types thought when they saw an African American romance on their desks.

My childhood memories in Guyana are framed around me going into my father's office. There was a large draftsboard with scaled plans of some building or the other. He always had sharpened pencils at hand and had the neatest handwriting. I would sit on his lap and he'd give me his undivided attention as I babbled on about my day.

We lived in a compound called Guyana Timbers (where he worked). There were a small number of homes for the management staff and their families. And the large property was on the river banks for the ships to deliver the logs. On the other side of the compound were the saw mills and other craft-related buildings. I could name the various types of wood from just looking at the beams. We would walk through the buildings full of saw dust and shavings.

My father had worked on many buildings and bridges in Guyana and throughout the Caribbean. He worked on many buildings here in Maryland, including Doctors' Hospital. As we all do, he may have had regrets in his life. But to me, he shouldn't regret a single thing. He lived, he laughed, and he loved in the way he knew how.

Happy Father's Day to Charles Ivelaw Monkou.

My Writing Journey: On The Verge of Meltdown

2008-06-14T08:29:00.003-04:00

I've been having my writing mini-marathon sessions. I'm hitting my stride and then I get an email from my editor.

"How are the edits going?"

"What edits? Please do not tell me you sent me edits?"

It's not that the idea of receiving the galley proofs scares me. The major part of the revision is complete and this means, the book is moving onto the final phase before it's printed. What scared the bejesus out of me was that I didn't recall receiving the edits.

After playing detective, I discovered that the edits had been mailed a week ago to me. And have been sitting in a pile of mail, along with other special delivery items for my husband- so someone must have thought that was another package for him. Anyway, now I have a tight turnaround to have it back to the publishers by Monday.

Technically, I've had the galley proof in my possession for a week and they were due Wednesday. This explains why the editor emails me on Thursday.

Proofing the galleys is okay. Basically it's the final check for that missing comma, the extra 's' on a word, or other minor tweaks. The labor intensive part is filling out a form that serves as a back up in case the editor can't read the correction on the hard page. So I have to fill out the verbal instruction for each error. Of course, the less errors, the less work I have to do with the form.

To further complicate matters, Thursday, I dealt with kids' finals and middle school graduation. And now Saturday, I have a booksigning.

This is a snapshot of my life. I can have it all planned, think that I am in control. And wham! Someone sprinkles a little mischevious fairy dust over my life, and all hell is breaking loose.

But I've traveled this harried road before. I will go through my tasks for the weekend, but otherwise, I'll be in lockdown mode. I'll block out anything that is not an emergency, is annoying, and trivial. Answering the phone will not occur unless I hear someone gasping his/her last dying breath over the answering machine. Food will have to brought in by hubby. Occasionally, I will get on the treadmill to lower my stress levels and give myself a break from the intensity.

But I can guarantee that on Monday, crack of dawn, I will be faxing my edits back to the editor.

John's Quest by Cecelia Dowdy - Part 2

2008-06-12T06:53:00.004-04:00

(See Wednesday's blog for an indepth interview with Cecelia Dowdy)

John's Quest is a Christian romance with very deep, inspirational elements in a complex story. The "hearth and home" values embodied by the characters can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of their personal salvation.

Cecelia Dowdy displays a mastery in telling a romance story with warmth and coziness, while at the same time, providing a complex cast of characters who can stimulate wonderful bookclub discussions.

Blurb:
It's Amazing How Quickly Life Can Change

Overnight, Monica Crawford finds her neatly organized world turned upside down. Her sister abandons her blind son, Scotty, leaving him on Monica's doorstep. Caring for a handicapped child brings unexpected conflict--but unexpected joy as well.

When John French volunteers to tutor Scotty, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Monica. But John and Monica are very different. She is a strong believer, determined to live her life for Christ. John is an agnostic who wants nothing to do with God.

Q: What inspired you to write John's Quest?

CD: I work for a non-profit scientific publishing company. One day, my mind was wandering, and since there are a lot of scientists who work in my building, I wondered if any of them were non-believers. My musings gave me the story idea for John's Quest.

Q: Explain the "Sisters In Christ." Do you have a similar relationship in your life with girlfriends?

CD: Yes! I have two close friends that I've worshipped with often in the past. However, although we're still close, I don't get a chance to worship with them as much as I used to. One of them I've known since I was eleven years old! I met the other close friend shortly after college. We've developed a close bond through the church, and when I talk to them, the conversation will often spill over into spiritual matters.

Q: What makes Monica Crawford special?

CD: She's a woman that a lot of people can relate to. I think a lot of women know what it's like to pine after a lost love, and have difficulties moving forward. I think her deep affection for her nephew makes her special. She often places his needs before her own.

Q: What makes John French special?

CD: He's an agnostic Black man who desperately wants to find Jesus. His struggles overwhelm him, but he's determined to search out the truth for himself.

Q: What is the lesson to be learned about faith journey, looking at Monica's, Gina's, and John's lives?

CD: We need to learn that we should never give up and always lean on God. Seek His Word for answers to the questions we continuously ponder in our lives. We should not try to find comfort and solace on earthly things, we need to focus on Jesus in order to live a happy and fulfilling life.

Q: How can someone order/purchase this book?

CD: You can order directly from the Heartsong Presents website via this link:
http://www.heartsongpresents.com/book/detail/9781602600065/

You can also place your order by calling: (740) 922-7280

There are also some copies listed on amazon.com via this link:
http://www.amazon.com/Johns-Quest-Cecelia-Dowdy/dp/1602600066/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212674255&sr=1-3

Cecelia, thank you for this opportunity to share your work and inspiration.

Cecelia Dowdy - Part 1 - An Inspirational Romance Author

2008-06-11T11:20:00.009-04:00

Introduction from Cecelia:

I spent the first ten years of my life on a military base in Aberdeen Maryland since my dad was in the Army. We moved to North East Maryland when I was about ten. I always remember the joy of opening a book, and reading mesmerizing stories that entertained me for hours! I went to the University of Maryland in College Park, earning my degree in Finance! My freshman English teacher claimed I was a great writer, and recommended that I change my major from Finance to English, but I didn’t heed his wise advice!

Instead of pursuing a literary career, I worked as an accountant for a travel agency for ten years. During that time, I traveled all over the world, including the following places: Germany, France, England, Tahiti, New Zealand, Mexico, Jamaica, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, and Santo Domingo.

In 1994, I began writing for fun, and I kept doing it until I sold my first inspirational romance novel. Before I sold my novel, I wrote sweet romantic short stories regularly for national women’s magazines. I’ve published thirty-seven of these stories. I'm now working on other novels, and you can check the books section of this website to see a list of past and future releases!

I love both secular and Christian fiction. I also love young adult fiction, and I hope to have my own young adult inspirational series someday!

I've been happily married to my husband for three years. We currently reside in Maryland with our son.

(Part 2 continues tomorrow, Thursday, June 12)

Q: Back in the day, we were part of a book club. What about books inspires you? Is that love attributed to a particular person?

CD: I remember that book club! Those were the days!

I just love being carried away and entertained with a wonderful story. Since I learned to read as a child, I've always enjoyed reading a good novel. I don't think my love for reading is attributed to a certain person, per se, but I think I enjoy reading so much because one book can bring several hours of pleasure, pleasure that I find hard to mimic in movies and other types of entertainment.

Q: How did you transition (or straddle the line) from reader to writer? What organizations or workshops helped in that transition?

CD: While always an avid reader, becoming a writer crossed my mind periodically over the years. However, writing a novel seemed like a hard, daunting task at the time, and I wasn't sure if I had the talent to do it. One day during my lunch break, I didn't have a book to read, so I started writing. It took me a few years to get serious about it, but once I did, I pursued it until I was accepted for publication. Before my novel was accepted for publication, I was able to get over thirty five short confession-type stories published in national magazines such as True Confessions.

The first organization that really helped me with my writing was Romance Writers of America (RWA). I used to attend their annual conference each year and the fellowship and the industry knowledge I was able to glean was priceless. They also have local chapters, and attending the local meetings of Washington Romance Writers (WRW) helped me a great deal, also.

After I started writing Christian romance, I found another helpful organization to join. American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) is a great group to join if you are targeting the CBA. They also have a wonderful conference, and I've met many great writing friends through this organization.

Q: Describe your journey to being published. From your experience, what would pearls of wisdom would you share to an aspiring author?

CD: Adding to what I described in the previous question, after I started writing, I just set a schedule for myself and stuck to it. I would finish novels, seek out publishers, and submit my manuscripts for consideration. Joining the writers groups helped, and also, joining a critique group, or getting a critique partner can help if you can find a good match. Joining RWA and ACFW helped me a great deal, and once you are in touch with other writers regularly, you'll find they're willing to help give you advice about how to get your stories into print. Never give up and don't be discouraged from those rejections!

If I had to give some pearls of wisdom, I'd encourage new writers to study the craft! I was very anxious and impatient during those beginning years (I'm still anxious and impatient, but not as much as I used to be), and I wish I'd just taken time to read some books about writing and to study how a story should be written in a way to entice the reader. It took me some years to figure this out, and I think if I'd joined a critique partner or group earlier, it might have helped me to get published sooner.

Q: Are you agented? If yes, how has been the experience? If not, why did you go the route without an agent?

CD: No, I've never had an agent. Currently, I'm searching for an agent. I recently received correspondence from an agent for a women's fiction project that I'm working on. She requested the full, so I'm going to submit it to her. I went without an agent because of my over-eagerness and impatience! In the beginning, when I first started submitting, a great deal of the publishers out there accepted un-agented proposals. I was too impatient to try to find an agent first, and then have to wait for the agent to accept the manuscript to submit, when I could just submit it to the publisher myself without going through the middle man(the agent). I now know that this was flawed thinking, but it's the way I thought at the time.

Since I'm now targeting CBA houses, most of them (I believe) require you have an agent to submit to them. To my knowledge, the two which do not require an agent are Barbour and Steeple Hill (Harlequin). I have a women's fiction project that's a longer book, and in order to submit to publishers, I'll need to get an agent first. When I started this project, it prompted me as to the urgency of my finding an agent before submitting my WF manuscript to publishers.

Q: How many books have you written? How long does it take for you to write one?

CD: I've written too many books to count. I've forgotten about a lot of my earlier works that were just learning experiences for me. Depending on the length of the book, I can write one in about a few weeks to a month or so (often sometimes longer than that) --BUT when I do this, the story has been brewing in my mind for a LONG TIME. So, even though I'm not actually writing the story, I'm still working on it in my head. Also, if I get stuck (writers block), and I can't figure out what's wrong, it may take me longer to finish writing the novel.

Q: Describe each book that is published, provide publisher info. (I'll ask more indepth questions about Johns' Quest later on).

Promises To Keep (Someone For Toni)

Cross America Books (An imprint of Doubleday's Crossings Book Club)
January 2002
ISBN: 978-0739422366

Someone For Toni - one story in this three-in-one collection. Toni, a young unsaved woman, owns and runs her own bakery. When she hires Jason, a Christian, to work for her, she learns the value of placing God first in her life. Her bakery is burned to the ground and she receives numerous threats from her disheartened ex-fiance and her bitter cousin Eva throughout the story. Since she no longer has her bakery, she finds herself with a lot of time to kill. She reads her Bible, finding comfort in the scriptures. After a long and tortured road full of hardships, she does eventually learn to lean on Jesus.

First Mates
Steeple Hill Love Inspired
February 2005
ISBN: 978-0373872985

Tossed on troubled waters...

A cruise around the Caribbean offered just what Rainy Jackson needed to get over her faithless ex-fiance--sun, swimming and solitude. As the heat sank into her bones, she began to feel interest in the world again...and in handsome fellow passenger Winston Michaels.

Winston had also hoped for time alone to reflect. But finding a friend in faith in the lovely Rainy Jackson helped him to deal with his twin sister's death without relying on unhealthy means such as alcohol to deaden the pain. And Winston's outlook brightened further when dates back home in Miami brought him and Rainy even closer. Would Rainy be the one to share Winston's life voyage?

John's Quest
A Heartsong Presents title from Barbour Publishing!
ISBN: 978-1-60260-006-5

John French, a science professor, is an agnostic--he's unsure if God exists. When he's hired to tutor a blind seven-year-old child, Scotty, he finds himself falling for the child's beautiful aunt/guardian, Monica Crawford. Monica's life changes drastically when her irresponsible younger sister abandons her handicapped son on her doorstep. As John helps Monica to educate her nephew, he falls in love with her. However, problems arise when Monica, a devout Christian, finds herself drawn to Scotty's handsome and intelligent tutor. Monica finds herself in a bind because she knows it's a sin to be unequally yoked with a non-believer. How in the world can these two lovebirds overcome the huge problems that stand in the way of their relationship?

Q: Which book or characters are your favorite?

CD: First Mates is my favorite, so far.

Q: You have a strong faith journey. Please share?

CD: I grew up in a Christian household, but accepted Christ as my savior as an adult. I'm finding as I grow in my faith, I need to let things go and just let Him take care of things. Also, since I've gotten married and had a child, my husband and I want to ensure that our son understands how important it is to have a deep faith in Jesus. Growing up, Christian fiction was practically non-existent. When I did find out about the genre, and read some of the stories, I felt that I wanted to write stories to glorify God and reflect the faith I have for my Savior. My faith has grown more as I've focused on penning stories for the CBA market.

Q: What is one of your favorite scriptures/quotes in the Bible?

CD: John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Also, I love reading the gospels as well as Revelations.

Q: What are some of your writing goals? And what milestones have you accomplished to getting there?

CD: Since I've been getting contracts, my goal is to finish the next contracted story! Also, I'd like to finish revising my women's fiction piece for the literary agent who requested it. My long-term goal would be to find a way to write full-time. So far, that's just not economically feasible, so, in the meantime, I write late at night and early in the morning to get the next contracted book out the door. My landing the contracts from Barbour is ONE milestone to seeking my dream of becoming a fulltime writer.

For Writers: The Classic Proposal

2008-06-10T12:28:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow's guest blogger is Cecelia Dowdy, inspirational romance author. http://ceceliadowdy.com. Stop in for a great interview.

For most writers and especially new writers, you will eventually have to submit a proposal to the editor.

A proposal includes a synopsis and three chapters. There are exceptions where instead of three chapters, a specified number of pages is requested. In any case, this package is what the editor will judge your ability to tell a story.

The synopsis is a summation of the highlights in your book. This 3-5 page document should answer the Who, What, Why, Where, and How of your story. If you can't tell your story succinctly, chances are that the plot needs to be tightened. My first draft of a synopsis is written as if I was telling someone about a good movie I just saw. You include enough details, but don't overwhelm with information that doesn't push the story to its conclusion.

The longer the story, the longer the synopsis. Yet, the synopsis shouldn't take on the length of a novella. Again, if you can't be concise, there are other elments that need to be tweaked.

Now onto the three chapters. These pages are crucial since they have to invite the reader into the world of the characters and keep them there, hopefully voluntarily. The opening lines or paragraph of each chapter should have a punch. Discussing the setting or the beautiful house that has nothing to do with the pace should be avoided.

The book, Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier, opened with a long paragraph about Manderley--the house. However, the house was as much a character in the story, as the people.

Decide how many scenes will be in your chapter. Each scene must push the theme and the pace forward. Flashbacks shouldn't make up the majority of Chapter 1, and should be used sparingly throughout the books. There are other methods to bring out the history of a character, such as dialogue exchange.

The ending of the chapter is not for a wrap-up. Instead, it should be like peeling back another layer of an onion. This entices the reader to go to the next chapter to uncover more details. Leave the last chapter to wrap up your story.

Have a fresh pair of eyes look over your work. Otherwise, you're likely to fill in missing words and make mental corrections to the text because you've worked on it so much.

Check the spelling of the editor's name, and confirm the title, and address. Be clear and provide postage if you want your proposal returned to you. Hopefully, the editor will call you with a contract or request a full manuscript from a new author.

Tina Turner, Shake A Tailfeather

2008-06-09T18:45:00.004-04:00

I had never heard of the phrase "shake a tailfeather." But when I discovered Tina Turner, as an adult, I not only came across the famous line in one of her songs, but the impact of that phrase.

I read the book - I, Tina. Then and now, I have no concept of how she lived her life in such hell only to emerge more powerful and beautiful. I know there is much attributed to her faith in Buddhism, a philosophy I practiced for five years. But Tina holds a special place in my heart because of the influence she had on my mother.

After the book was released, the movie had been seen all over the world, Tina embarked on a world tour. My brother bought tickets at Nissan Pavillion, an amphitheatre that had covered seats and then the open lawn area. A week or so before the concert, my mother had to get a stint inserted into an artery to open the passageway. She had quadruple bypass and now had to get this operation done. We didn't know how she would handle Tina's concert, especially since we had tickets to the open lawn area.

On the night of the concert, we made our way to a good spot and waited for dusk when the concert would begin. From the first song to the last, everyone was on their feet dancing, singing and celebrating with Tina. This wasn't a concert, it was a massive celebration of life.

My mother danced and danced. There were no signs that she just had a heart-related procedure. I had seen everything there was on Tina and knew the dance routines. While my mother pumped her fists in the air, I was off to the side copying the dance routines as if I was one of Tina's back up singers. No one had time for shame or embarrassment. Tina had infected the air with fun and positive vibes.

Later that night, as we made our way back to our homes, my mother said she hadn't felt so invigorated in a long time. Tina had infused our lives with more than her lyrics. Every measure of abuse, every moment of dispair, every sacrifice she'd experienced happened for a purpose. There is strength, power, and integrity embodied in this woman. When I put things into perspective, maybe my complaints aren't a burden, just an irritant.

I'm glad that I can say I've shared in the life experience of her world tour. For she is a role model of charity to the world through her talents and heartfelt love to contribute to humanity.

Sermon On the Mount

2008-06-08T15:00:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite childhood sermons: The Eight Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12)

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.

My Writing Journey: The Slug Fest

2008-06-07T13:12:00.005-04:00

I'm at the point with my work-in-progress (WIP) that it now requires marathon writing sessions. I have the synopsis -- approved by my editor. I have a chapter outline where I've jotted down major scenes from beginning to end. I've done my character sketch, which expands as I write. Now at the some point, the actual writing begins.

I've written the first three chapters where I'm basically setting up the story and characters. I'm inviting the reader into their lives. I'm setting up for one of the major plot turning points to heighten the conflict and keep readers turning the page.

And here's where the work begins. I'm jogging up the mountain, but the steepest part is just ahead and I have to gather the energy to gain momentum and not lose focus of where I'm heading. I'll want to take a break. I'll want to make a detour, maybe go to the side of the mountain, instead of straight to the peak. But an approaching deadline stops my tomfoolery.

Sit down and write!

This part of the process is what I call the Slug Fest. You have to roll up your sleeves and write like a maniac. Kick out the editor--corrections will come later. Kick out the sensor -- as long as you stay in your genre parameters, stretch your writing skills. Kick out the automatic excuse maker -- successful people don't make or tolerate excuses.

I will stop for bathroom breaks, food which might be in the form of liquid caffeine, and the occasional stretch. But otherwise, my hands are part of the keyboard slugging it out -- one word at a time.

Dirty Little Lies by Julie Leto

2008-06-06T13:23:00.008-04:00

I like a good romantic suspense. This means that I shouldn't be able to figure out what is happening. And if that A-ha moment does happen, then it happens in the last few chapters of the book. And by that standard, Julie Leto's book - Dirty Little Lies gets an A+.

Blurb:

Sultry Latina bounty hunter Marisela Morales is back, taking on the Boston elite -- and her gorgeous ex -- in a red-hot, roller-coaster adventure from USA Today bestselling author Julie Leto.

Three months into her training for Titan International Investigations, Marisela Morales needs some R & R, and the tuxedoed hombre de misterio sending her scorching glances across a crowded ballroom looks like he'd be happy to fulfill her needs. Closer inspection reveals that the masked man is danger with a capital F -- as in Frankie Vega, her ex-lover and Titan colleague. But before their reunion reaches the boiling point, a senator is shot and Marisela must confront a female assassin with a wicked reputation -- and a link to Marisela's old life.
Working under Frankie provides Marisela with plenty of aggravation, along with some sinfully sexy after-hours benefits, but she'll need to keep her mind on the job if she wants to beat the demons from her past...including an irresistible man who betrayed her...and a killer chica who's her biggest challenge yet.

Julie Leto's style is fun and easy to read. I really liked Marisela and her kick-butt style to life. There is a hot, steamy edge to this suspense. The Latino characters are rich, complex, and fun to read about with their quirky views on life. Julie has shared a piece of Spanish and Hispanic history and life -- and I'm the better for it. Some readers (not of an ethnic group) reading about multicultural romance have claimed that they don't want "issues" mixed with their romance. And I say, that is a flimsy excuse for just being an ignorant so-and-so. There is a reason that blinders are placed on a horse and the human version also serves its purpose to keep a conservative mindset. But I digress.

Julie's sensual style goes with this page-turner and I thank her for the experience.

GUEST BLOGGER: Marianne LaCroix

2008-06-04T08:20:00.005-04:00

Thank you Michelle for having me here today to share with your readers. I write highly sensual romance with lots of adventure and action, or as I say, "Romantic Adventure With Sizzle!" I currently have two new releases out, one from Ellora's Cave, PIRATE'S MISTRESS, and ROYAL BONDAGE from Pocket Books. I also have a few ebooks out with IR characters, BEAST IN MY BED and BRIDESMAID AND THE BEAST from Ellora's Cave [site]. I would describe those as IR werewolf comedies. Yeah, I know, but since when does all werewolf stories have to be serious?

Anyway, about my latest books...

PIRATE'S MISTRESS is a combination of my books Sea Hawk's Mistress and Crossed Swords. Both have sexy pirate Captains...adventure...action...hot sex...sexy pirate Captain (Oh, I said that twice? *shrug*)...and more hot sex. If you enjoyed Pirate's of the Caribbean but wanted a bit more hot sex, I highly suggest PIRATE'S MISTRESS. LOL!

I came up with the idea of Sea Hawk's Mistress from a combination of pirate movies. The main hero, Captain Jason Flint, is a combination of Errol Flynn's Captain Peter Blood from the 1930s classic, Captain Blood, and Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean. I have always loved pirate stories, so it seemed to make sense to write one (or more!). I actually started the book with the intent to see it as part of the EC "Fun in the Sun" Quickie series, but it ran longer than a Quickie. I am happy it did. It is one of my favorite books to date.

Crossed Swords was inspired by the Tarot card, the Five of Swords. It was the LAST DAY to turn in proposals for the Tarot Card series at EC, and this was the last card available. The idea was on a whim...off the top of my head. And it was accepted. I wrote the book as quickly as I could, being the first book over 45K for me. I loved it. I still love it. Captain Fredrick Thorne is the sexies heroes I ever wrote. I fell a little in love with him. The book went on to do pretty well and got a 4.5 Star review in Romantic Times along with a Top Pick honor. This is my second RT Top Pick, the first being in 2004 with my vampire anthology, DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS.

4 1/2 Stars, RT Top Pick! - “LaCroix has outdone herself. This swashbuckling tale will have you offering to swab the decks, if it will put you in good graces with the wickedly handsome pirate captain! There’s plenty of action in and out of the captain’s quarters to keep you flying through the pages of this sizzling story.” ~ Romantic Times BOOKClub

Scorpion King came about very similar to Crossed Swords--an EC series,but this time it was astrology signs. I chose Scorpio. I am not a Scorpio, but I liked the idea of a scorpion, namely a scorpion tattoo. I looked up the sign and found it was a water sign. The concept of a futuristic with a man marked by a scorpion tattoo was born. The book is a BEACON Honorable Mention and was chosen by Pocket to be in their latest anthologies featuring Ellora's Cave authors. I couldn't be more happy. Yes, there was some discussion to the title of the novella, but I figured if the concept was far from the movie of the same name, there would be no problem. It is as far from the movie as you can get...although I do have a soft spot for The Rock. Grrr. Yeah, I did model Captain Drake Scopillo after him and his massive body of solid muscle. Anyway, Scorpion King is in the latest Pocket antho, ROYAL BONDAGE.

Currently I am working on a submission I hope to have accepted by Harlequin. The book is hopefully the first in a continuing series of books featuring US Marshals. The next book will be IR with an AA heroine and a white US Marshal hero. She is introduced in the first book and is very important to the plot. (Her name is Kayla after author Kayla Perrin, who I met at RT this year. I was in awe of her beauty, wit, and infectious laughter.)

For more of my books, check out my website/blog at http://www.mariannelacroix.com/ or at MySpace at www.myspace.com/marilacroix

Also come and join me along with pal, Annmarie Ortega, at our social network on Ning, http://onthesamepage.ning.com/ Authors are welcome to join and post about their books. It is all good...

Thank you again to Michelle!

Writers Must Have Discipline

2008-06-03T10:09:00.006-04:00

Attention: Stop by tomorrow, Wednesday, when my special guest is Marianne LaCroix [site]. This award-winning author writes romantic adventure with a sizzle. Mari writes with Ellora's Cave and more recently, Pocket Books. She resides in southwest Georgia and is member of RWA. See you - Wednesday, June 4.

Today's Tip for Aspiring Writers

Writers must have discipline. You must be able to harness the energy to focus on a beginning. You must have the stamina to stay the course. And you must be goal minded to finish the project, whether a novella or a 100K book.

Somewhere along this writing process, casualties fall to the wayside overcome by procrastination, self-doubt, loss of focus, shift in priorities. I'm sure there are fantastic excuses for each obstacle and a sincere declaration to do better the next time.

When you make the decision to be a writer, earning money, contracts, attaining agents, etc., you are making the conscious step toward self-employment. While your natural rhythm will eventually take over and you'll determine what works best for you, in the beginning you should be more structured.

Before you take up the task of writing, determine what will be your schedule. What are your distractions? What are your obligations? What tasks can you share with someone else? What times are completely off limits to writing? These are the type of things you need to think about and have answers to before forming your schedule. Life happens. But if you can navigate through the time-wasters and obligations, you will be able to relieve some of the stress.

Create your own space. Do you have an office for your writing? If not, do you have a desk or space in a section of the house. Make that space uniquely yours. Put whatever pictures you need to motivate you in your view. Have reference books in easy reach. If a clock helps you, have it close at hand so you can see how long you've been writing, or set the alarm so that you aim to write for a half hour or an hour.

Writers write. You may have to pause to re-work a scene, complete research, etc. But it is not time to play Solitare, get on the phone, or tune in to the latest hospital nighttime drama - that's what TVO or taping is for. Focus on the goal -- to finish the project.

Have an accountability system in place. Maybe you could have a friend to whom you can share your output on a daily or weekly basis. Maybe you could have an Excel worksheet to log in your production. Being able to see what you are accomplishing every day gives you a boost for the days when all your doubts and insecurities dog you.

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment - Jim Rohn

Nora Roberts - A Person Who Inspires

2008-06-02T14:58:00.007-04:00

Mondays have been designated (by me) as the day to highlight someone who inspired me.

Nora Roberts inspired me to write a good story.

I was reading romances long before I discovered Nora Roberts. I was writing before I'd heard of her. And even though I had joined our mutual writing group, I still didn't know her impact or influence on the industry. Looking back on those years, I'm glad that I didn't know this. The stargazer attitude didn't have a chance to settle in and dim my wits.

As an aspiring writer, I struggled with the craft. I could tell someone what the story was about, but on paper, the flow wasn't there. I attended classes, participated in critique groups, entered contests, yet, the task was an arduous one.

Then I got pregnant and things came to a crawl pace. Then baby #2 popped up on the radar 4 months after giving birth and things came to a dead stop. While I dealt with a preemie and being pregnant, I turned to my to-be-read pile and sitting at the top of the pile was Private Scandals by Nora Roberts.

I devoured the book. The story clicked for me on many levels, as a reader, but more importantly as a writer. When I got to the last word, on that last page, I snapped the book shut. I knew that I wanted to be as good a writer as Nora. I wanted to transport people out of their lives, which at that point was a pretty stressful place, and enter the land of romantic make-believe. Think about the characters in Narnia.

Once my life calmed down, I resumed writing, reading lots of books, attending workshops. I was serious about my craft. I was able to identify my shortcomings and worked to improve them. In 2002 I published my first book and there were many people to thank. But as far as inspiring me to be a good writer, Nora Roberts takes that platform. Now as an icon in the industry, her other attributes continue to inspire me on my journey.

Michelle

Visit my guest blog about Barbados.

A Little Respect Can Go A Long Way

2008-06-01T20:15:00.004-04:00

Today's sermon was on respect for other religions. Basically if you can imagine the Himalayas, as the central point. And all the religions are in the foothills. In this position surrounding the expansive mountain range, there are seemingly vast differences among us because of our religious beliefs. Through the span of our lives, we seek the truth in the mystery of the universe--learning about God. We steadily climb to the top of that moutain. As we gain that knowledge, closer to the summit, we physically and spiritually stand closer in our mutual goal. And our differences lessen.

I will extrapolate on that image to talk about the various sub-genres of romance fiction. And we've segmented ourselves in the large playing field. Along the spectrum, we have inspirational romance on one end, erotic romance on the other, and a various array of sub-genres in the middle, such as: romantic suspense, paranormal romance, etc.

While we celebrate many milestones in the industry, there is much disgruntled feelings. The passion that authors exhibit to defend their sub-genres, sometimes bringing down another, can confound the average soul.

For the most part, we write because we can't stop even when we want to. We must keep crafting stories that swirl around in our minds. But there is the other need which is to earn money. We are business men and women who happen to be writers. And in the money pot of romance, there are major dollars at play.

Suddenly our worth is defined by advances, which agent we managed to nab, what publisher has contracted us, whether we're in print or e-pub, what awards we've received, how much media we can stir into a frenzy. There's a lot at stake. And each sub-genre wants equal footing (as they perceive) the other sub-genre has received.

I do understand fighting for equality and fair treatment.

But I also think we should focus on improving our work product. Aim to strengthen our skills. So that if you're an inspirational writer, your work represents the best that you bring to the world. If you're a historical romance writer, you have the same goal. In our strive to be better writers, hoping to inspire thousands with our stories, we can have a common vision. In that plan of action, our differences don't matter.

I have friends who write in all of these sub-genres. They are all dear to my heart. I enjoy their work. Here they will get their equal platform to share who they are and what they bring.

Michelle Monkou

Just Like Candy by Kimberly Kaye Terry

2008-05-31T14:10:00.004-04:00

How many ways can I say - I loved this book!!

Just Like Candy is as an erotic romance from Kensington Aphrodisia by Kimberly Kaye Terry. The romance is interracial, but that element is simply a side bar to a wonderfully delicious story between a sexy man and a sensual woman.

Blurb:

THE SWEETEST TEMPTATION! Davis Strong has no business lusting after the new director of the Youth Center his aunt has hired. But who can resist a woman named Candy? He wants to make love to her luscious lips, caress her smooth and creamy skin, and savor her mocha-colored body. Only then will he get the dessert he's been waiting for--a taste of her sweet, hot center!

SINFULLY DELICIOUS! It isn't fair that one man should consume her thoughts the way Davis Strong does. But no man does it for her like this one. At night, alone in her bed, Candy dreams about her lover, lying beneath his rock hard body, naked and exposed, begging him to touch her, to taste her, to fill her. It's the ultimate sexual fantasy and Candy's ready for the real thing!

Kimberly Kaye Terry is a romance writer through and through. There was a definite romance between the hero and heroine that was believable. I cared about them and their struggles. And the level of the eroticism was perfect. I couldn't wait to get back to the story as I commuted to work. This was my first book by her, but I have to add her to my list.

She did a good job.

Mother's Day Tribute

2008-05-09T01:08:00.002-04:00

Check out my guest blog submission at APOOO (A Place Of Our Own). Then leave a comment here. As you can see, it's a competition, as well as a tribute to motherhood. The more comments, the better my chance to winning. Plus there are gifts for a lucky blogger.

I decided to also post the Mother's Day Tribute blog here for convenience:

Turning 40 was supposed to be special. I saw the birthday as a time to cross over into some higher level of womanhood. Little did I know that not only did I cross over, but I pulled back the curtain to uncover that I am adopted. A fact that I always suspected based on slyly worded answers to my probing questions or family friends' attitudes and conversations around me.

Voila, I have met my biological mother, Navlette - Jamaican born living in England. I resemble her more than any of her children. Yes, I have siblings in the U.S. and England. Suddenly my two-child family has grown with four brothers and one sister. The reunion, despite my hesitation coupled with butterflies in the stomach, was touching, full of curiosity, and a mutual gentleness between mother and daughter. And before the night was over, I knew that I wanted her in my life, and she wanted me in hers. There was no drama. Life's too short for that. There's no need for explanations. Everyone did what s/he thought best at the time. There is only the future to enjoy, explore, and experience together.

Since celebrating two mothers for Mother Day (England celebrates on a different day), I have the unique enjoyment of also celebrating my adopted mother - Doreen. I only refer to her as adopted for clarification. She is the mother that I knew as an infant only several days old. My mother is from Guyana who settled in England for 14 years, then moved back to England and finally, settled here in the U.S. She represents to me all those historical figures that I had to learn in school who have been celebrated for their achievements. My mother is a fearless explorer for moving into foreign lands to raise her family where she dealt with prejudice and racism. She is a warrier when it came to protecting her children against anything or anyone she saw as the enemy. My mother is the counselor for so many times when I came with my problems, dispensing her wisdom with so much generosity.

I do believe my cup runneth over with all my blessings. Happy Mother's Day!

Thanks

Michelle Monkou

Brenda Jackson - Lands on NYT List

2008-05-08T14:52:00.005-04:00

It's come to my attention that author Brenda Jackson has landed on the NYT extended bestselling list with her Harlequin Kimani Romance - Irresistable Forces.

First, congratulations to Mrs. Jackson. She has worked hard from the beginning. She faced obstacles. And she persevered. Now another milestone has been made: An African American author has made it onto the list, even if it's extended, with an African American romance. Unheard of...until this month.

If you've never heard of Brenda Jackson, let me share:

Her professional writing career began in 1994 when she signed on with Kensington Arabesque. Her first book, Tonight and Forever, became a huge success, introducing the Madaris Family. Since then she has introduced the Bennetts, the Westmorelands, the Savoys, and the Steeles. A listing of her books can be found on her website. http://www.brendajackson.net/.

Over the years she has received numerous awards and made many trail-blazing accomplishments by being the first African-American author to have a book published under the Harlequin/Silhouette Desire line of books and the first African-American romance author to make USA Today's Bestseller's List.

She has written for the following publishers: St. Martins Press, BET, Kensington, NAL, Harlequin/Silhouette and Harlequin Kimani Romance.

And about this book...

An offer he couldn’t refuse…One week of mind-blowing sex on a beautiful Caribbean island. Of all the business proposals financial tycoon Dominic Saxon has heard, Taylor Steele’s is definitely the most tempting. All Taylor wants in return is for Dominic to father her baby. No strings, no commitments…just a mutually satisfying arrangement. Make that very satisfying. For a man with no intention of marrying again, it sounds ideal.

Taylor wants a baby, not a relationship. And sexy, intelligent Dominic seems like a man with perfect genes. Turns out, Dominic has perfect everything. Their “procreation vacation” is a whirlwind of sensual ecstasy. But when it’s over, will either of them be able to say goodbye?

Again, her accomplishment makes my day. Hooray!!!

Michelle

The Beauty of Contemplative Silence

2008-04-28T14:34:00.002-04:00

St. John of the Cross said:"The Father spoke one Word, which was His Son, and this Word He always speaks in eternal silence, and in silence must it be heard by the soul.”

Ever since the Pope's visit and his mention of contemplative silence, I have thought about this term a lot. I like silence, absolute quiet, and even solitude on a frequent basis. In the mornings, I'm not one who needs the TV or radio on to blast me awake. I'd rather be alone with my thoughts and prayers as I welcome in the morning. Having your senses overloaded with noise detracts from the essence of meditation.

Sometimes my mornings are busy and I am rushing around and don't have time to reflect. But at some point during that day, I know there will be that quiet space that I protect from interrupting phone calls, people pulling my attention, or tasks that can consume me.

Pope Benedict XVI said in his address to the youth in the U.S.: "There is another aspect of prayer which we need to remember: silent contemplation. Saint John, for example, tells us that to embrace God's revelation we must first listen, then respond by proclaiming what we have heard and seen (cf. 1 Jn 1:2-3; Dei Verbum, 1). Have we perhaps lost something of the art of listening? Do you leave space to hear God's whisper, calling you forth into goodness? Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness, listen to God, adore him in the Eucharist. Let his word shape your journey as an unfolding of holiness. "

I look at a show called Desperate Housewives of New York with morbid fascination. They would actually make a good case study for a social studies class about culture and class in modern urban life. But these women are a wonderful example of how the art of listening has fallen away. Not only don't they listen with their ears, they may no attention to body language, especially when their kids are trying to get their attention. They are like the Tower of Babel where everyone is talking, but there is so much miscommunication and confusion, that they do more damage to their relationship with each other than good.

One of my key reasons for not enjoying parties is that loss of space that cushions the constant jabber. Crowds drain me. I describe myself as an introvert who has to pretend to be an extrovert because of the publicity side to my writing. However, I'd much rather be left alone. However, I have to say that meeting readers does hone my listening skills since they tend to know more about me than me of them.

I meet with several mothers and we have Bible study and explore contemplative silence. Reading the Bible, after many years of not reading, has laid the groundwork for listening to God's whisper.

Sidney Poitier, My Hero

2008-03-05T21:03:00.004-05:00

My latest work in progress features a hero fashioned after the wonderful actor, Sidney Poitier. I chose the young Sidney as he played Mr. Tibbs in the In Heat of The Night movie. He was dark-skinned man that took Hollywood by storm. His quiet demeanor fooled those who underestimated the coiled power he could unleash. I enjoy coming up with models for my characters, especially when real life has so many great ones.

Check out my April book, No One But You, the hero - Jaden Bond needs that grace and strength to overcome the personal trials that his brother has to cope with, sometimes with disastrous result. But he also has to be strong to be an equal partner for Denise Dixon, the woman who caught his attention and never let it go.

Feel free to pre-order from http://eharlequin.com/ or http://amazon.com/ or http://barnesandnoble.com/

Michelle Monkou

Dragging Out The Soapbox: Being Black in Romance Fiction

2008-02-28T18:25:00.003-05:00

Various blogs are discussing the issue about racism in the black romance industry and acceptance of black romance in the mainstream romance fiction world. Since I'm still waiting for my registration password to appear in my mailbox, I decided to post my response on my blog (forgot I had just created this time-eater).

BLACK SEGREGATION OF ROMANCES IN BOOKSTORES

I don't think the problem of segrating is a simple cut and dry issue of racism or maybe I should couch that term as classic racism. I say classic because if you were to accuse anyone, regardless of their race, he/she would violently deny being racist. But if you start examining their thought process and where their thinking originated, it is sure to be traced back to prejudices that they didn't even know existed.

I think there are several vantage points that we need to consider for the topic of book segregation. There is the bookseller POV which is purely dollar motivated. Can I get maximum return on my investment when I put black books in the black section? There is no social pressure to force them to do otherwise. And authors screaming about it won't be enough for the nudge. It's all about money, so you need 3rd party involvement. The publishers have too much of an incestuous relationship with the big chains to risk anything for a small percentage of their authors. 3rd party involvement would mean celebrity, library associations, universities etc. to make the difference because it would take a spokesperson with economic value to warrant face time with our fickle media.

There is also the black reader POV, which is divided. But there is a vocal percentage who like being able to see the big white-owned bookstores acknowledging black literature/fiction despite that recognition means two to three bookcases. These readers don't have a political agenda. They simply want to be able to come into a store, get their books and go on about their business. Nothing personal to anyone.

Likewise you have the black reader who wants the books to be placed with the others in as part of the respective genre. But these (and please forgive my non-survey, non-scientific estimates) readers have been educated, probably by the authors they read, about what the downside is to such segration.

Then you have the authors who, again, can be split into the same two camps. For me, I'm greedy. I want my book in both sections. I'm here to make money. I have dreams and lifestyle that require a certain income. And I see the segregation of my books as a rubberband on my income potential. So my strategy around it is to write in both markets, whether it's under another name or my name. Everybody seems to be in it for the money, but I'm suppose to be in it for what, pray tell?

On the other topic: Acceptance of black romance in the general realms of romance fiction.

This is another tough subject. In our own community, we face criticism for even writing about romance. Then we face those (sad to say, even from black snobs) who think our black romances can't hold a candle to white romances. And no amout of blogging, chats, workshops, conferences, are going to change their minds until their personal friend gets published and they dare to open a book and have an A-ha moment.

And really, are they worth the dollars necessary to change their minds in the form of advertising and other publicity - NO!

Then we have again in our community, black romance readers who feel that you haven't paid your dues until you've reached a certain number of books or received a certain number of accolades. I've run into quite a few of those at some conferences. But that's easy, I don't go and thus, cut off spending my hard earned money to be ignored. For the new writers, this is tough. For the midlist writers, this is tough. But they are worth spending the dollars to convince, otherwise, because it's a case of eventually they will buy the book.

For the white romance community, as the topic is addressing - it's their house. They built, furnished, renovated this hellafied mansion. Then we, black authors, came along and tried to work outside of the big house, but those small presses folded within five years. It wasn't until the white publishers decided to build that extension onto that house and invite the black and latinos in did the landscape change. But it wasn't an inclusive plan from the beginning. It was always the noticeable, not so pretty, extension to side of the house for those books, and so the multicultural tag came into existence.

Change and acceptance in this country (a capitalist attribute) is based on monetary value. And many see the genre as thriving before we, black authors, got there and thriving whether we are still here or not. I thought that when Arabesque started its rollout in the early 90s that it would have created a wave of competitors with the likes of Harlequin, Avon, St. Martin's etc., producing the same number or more titles.

But instead what we have is a slow drip from many houses. So if the publishers are showing restraint toward our economic value- I'm sure our advances are lower than our white counterparts and our print runs are lower than our white counterparts, the bookseller, reviewer, fellow white author, reader of any persuasion will also show restraint.

And, BTW, I'm only joking that I'm greedy because what I expect as a monetary exchange for my talent isn't greedy. Suzy Q (white author) writes her book and doesn't deliberately decide that she is going to market to the whites only. But nevertheless she manages to capture both white and willing black readers with her advertising dollar. When I write, I don't market to the blacks only, but the effort required to gain both readers is costing me a fortune in time and money.

Damn - I was suppose to be in a cup is half-full mood.

Michelle

A Day In The Life of Me....

2008-02-23T20:30:00.003-05:00

Life has never been so busy. My roles in life keep me hopping. People wonder why I don't have time to hang out, but really I do make time to have a good time. But I just have to manage my time a little more carefully than others.

I'm a wife and mother, which is a call to action 24-hours, 7 days a week.

I'm a legislative analyst in the day job. At least there is a pattern to how busy I'll be and for what parts of the year.

I'm a board member of Romance Writers of America. There are no set hours of the day that I work, which translates to any time, any day. With three scheduled in-person board meetings annually, travel time and overnight stay in hotels are all part of the package. But I love the experience and bonding with like-minded writers.

Finally, I'm an author. Six years later, ten books under my belt, and I'm still scrambling up that ladder. This job, and it is a job, demands hours that compete with any full-time profession. This career can be demanding of my attention and time, and even the pocket book. No longer is it enough to write the book and wait for readers to come. The publicity for my book is largely upon me, and probably will be that way, until I make bestselling lists.

With my book - No One But You - due out in April 2008, I'm already looking at promotional items to announce this book. I'll be lining up signings with fellow authors for three-month stint and will be attending conferences to push sales.

While I'm busy promoting, I'll be editing the October 2008 - Gamble For Love - release. Promoting and editing can't overshadow my primary job - writing. And I'll be writing the February 2009 book due May 5, 2008.

Stay tuned as I embark on my journey balancing family, work, and well...more work.

Michelle Monkou