Author: Yecheilyah

Writing to restore Black historical truth through fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

The Clouds Outshine the Sun Today

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The clouds outshine the sun today. They have somehow managed to rise from their floating thrones and to share their crown with us. There’s a splash of brightness in the air, but I am convinced it is not the sun; it is the clouds. And as the day looms with the kind of gloominess that gives off fatigue, I cannot help but wonder how many of us search ourselves in the  shadows. In places where we are left with the ambiguity of image, and grow like a silhouette of flesh. Sometimes writing is gloomy like these clouds, light enough to swing suspended in the air but with rain drops too heavy to see. Illuminated, and yet barely understood. But the clouds outshine the sun today and inspiring writers  have managed to reach the ground and nourish souls with their words. Writers, who emerge from behind obscurities like clouds, have come down from heaven to purify the air and make footstools of the soil, that their readers may eat.

The Application of Knowing

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Knowing is not enough. We must apply.

 

 

 

For those of you who are among my friends list on my personal Facebook, you’ve seen this before because I’m a big advocate of doing. This means I am really cautious of people whose actions do not match their words. I am also a big advocate of noticing the small progressions that take place in our lives so it’s not just about “doing it big”, but just doing in general and learning to appreciate the small steps as well as the large. How can we continue to move forward if we cannot value the small changes?

I believe like the quote says, “you are not what you say you’ll do, but what you do”. It is for this reason that I can appreciate transparent people and why flattery gets you nowhere with me. The problem with the world is that people claim to have great intentions. We walk around and we measure our knowledge up against others. We walk around and we water the insatiable appetite to know. And while I’m an advocate of education, I also recognize that knowing is just not enough. Learning is not about acquiring information; it is about applying information acquired. The world calls it Authentic Learning, I call it common sense. Authentic Learning is basically a term that describes learning through applying knowledge in real-life contexts and situations. It’s not enough to know about something if you can’t apply it to the real world. Everyone speaks of love, for instance, but only those who actually implement love into their lives can really claim to have possessed it.

Knowing something then, is very different from acting on what you know. And this basic understanding is what can often keep us from moving forward or even starting to begin with. I don’t consider myself a successful blogger, but I do take lots of risks. Sometimes they fail miserably and sometimes they don’t. I do this because of my desire to apply what I know to my life. And I suppose this is the purpose of this post. I thought about using my quote for a number of things, but settled instead on a simple thought, no prompts attached. Whether we are learning to blog or learning to write, as you move about your day, or rather your week, concentrate not on information you know, but the application of knowing because this is what will get us where we want to be in every aspect of our lives. Whether we are growing in relationships, building online communities or cooking a meal, understand that knowing is irrelevant and even stagnant without action, and that faith without works is dead.

Thank You

Good Morning beautiful people…

I want to take this time to thank those of you who volunteered to review Beyond The Colored Line. I am just getting back in town so I ask your patience as I catch up to my emails. I am still allowing room for more reviewers for those who are still interested. Email me at ahouseofpoetry@gmail.com for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As stated this is a short story so it won’t take up too much of your time. Thanks again.

re: Book Reviews For Beyond The Colored Line: A Short Story

 

Last week was Launch Week for my new book, Beyond The Colored Line. This week, I am seeking the assistance of people who are willing to volunteer their time to provide me with some reviews.

 

 

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I will send you a Free paperback copy in exchange for an honest review. Please email me (ahouseofpoetry@gmail.com) if you are interested in helping and I will give you further information. I will say that this is not a novel; it is a short story so it will not take up too much of your time.

(I also Review Books so if there are any authors who are also book reviewers, I’d be willing to swap books. You do a book review for me and I will do one for you. Team work makes the dream work so let’s make it happen. Self-Publishers rock.)

Thanks a lot for the consideration. I am traveling this week so I will respond to all inquiries by next week. Thank you all for your patience.

– Yecheilyah

What is a Book Review (and how to schedule yours)

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What is a Book Review?

A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is analyzed based on content, style, and merit. A book review can be a primary source opinion piece, summary review or scholarly review. Part of the purpose of a good book review is to help the reader ascertain whether the author accomplishes his/her goal or not so they can determine if they should read the book. Books are written to entertain, inform, persuade and overall to advance ideas and book reviews are written to further the discussion the author has started. A good book review doesn’t just answer questions related to why the book was written but expands the conversation of the book in order to advance the discussion. This in turn, expands the author’s message, helping readers get a feel for who he or she is and whether or not their style of writing is worth investing both their time and money in.

About Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews

My Book Reviews are honest and thorough. I approach each project with the same level of professionalism and care as I would a big company. I show no partiality and I do not publish constructive criticism. This means that any review under a 4 will not be published unless otherwise requested by the author. I believe there is some good in everything if we are willing to see it. So before I provide critical feedback I do so while first highlighting the positive points of where I think the author does well. The writer believed enough in his/her topic to write on it, so I believe the reviewer should acknowledge where the writer has been successful. This helps the author to feel that I understood his arguments, and it also helps the reader to understand that not everything in the book is bad.

The Process

Book Reviews are scheduled in the order in which they are received. After receiving your book in the mail (or email), I will begin reading and analyzing your book in the order in which I have received it (I will let you know if someone is in front of you and the estimated wait time). Please give me time to read your book. I will then write the review and then publish it to this blog as well as my social media sites. Again, I do not publish reviews under a 4 star rating, though I will send you a copy of the review via email. The purpose is not to badger you as author nor is it to overwhelm you, but to provide thoughtful feedback. I believe in this way the criticism is not more negative than it is helpful, but engages the author’s thoughts from the book.

Ratings

After studying the material, my final rating is based on the following system ( I rate on a scale of 1-5):

 
Plot Movement / Strength
Entertainment Factor
Characterization
Authenticity / Believable
Thought Provoking
Recommendation

Ratings of 4 and 5 stars are published to my blog and social networking sites. Links to author website, blog, and social networks are also promoted. Authors are also sent a free PDF copy of the review for their personal records. Reviews are free. If you like the review, I only ask for permission to use your feedback in the furthering of this service, such as the quote used in the AD above.

If you are interested, please complete the form below.

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

Interracial Blog Feature – Interviews This Fall

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In 1968, a year after the release of the film Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, about a black man who wanted to marry a white woman, a Poll revealed that just 20 percent of Americans thought it was OK for a white person to marry a black person. According to a recent 2011 Gallup Poll, 96 percent of African-Americans and 84 percent of whites accept the idea. Today, as of 2015, the subject of Interracial Relationships is still Taboo.

Are you in an Interracial Relationship? Would you mind being interviewed for a chance to share your story? You never know who you may touch with your experience. Join me in my Interracial Blog Feature Coming this Fall.

Email me @: ahouseofpoetry@gmail.com if you’re interested. I would love to have you.

Book Launch Day Trivia! *New Winners!*

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Yall thought it was over didn’t ya? Nope, Launch Week is still on and popping.

Now, we have a new winner to the following question. I have let it stay up all week to give more people a chance to answer. The question was:

Stella’s life takes place during many historical events, one of which being the depression. Although the United States had experienced several depressions before the stock market crash of October 1929, none had been as severe. How long did this Great Depression last?

a. 5 years
b. 20 years
c. 10 years
d. None of the Above

We had some great answers! According to Google, the depression was from 1929-1939. BUT historically, The Great Depression actually lasted from 1929 to the early 1940s. The answer is D, none of the above.

Congratulations to: 1010buterflie at https://1010buterflie.wordpress.com/ for answering our question correctly! Please give me your name and mailing address by sending an email to: ahouseofpoetry@gmail.com for your FREE Copy of Beyond The Colored Line! Whoop!

Here’s a good website with a timeline of the depression. Knowledge is power.

Reminder: Get a Free Stella Bookmark when you order Beyond The Colored Line in Print! Visit my Author Website at:  http://literarykornerpublishing.com/