Tag: blogger

#Book #Review for Stella Book #2: Beyond The Colored Line by Cynthia Brooks

Title: Stella Book #2: Beyond The Colored Line
Author: Yecheilyah Ysrayl
Published: July 27, 2015
Released: August 24, 2015
ASIN: B013PQCKK8
Pages: 64
Rating: 5/5

Genre: Black Literature, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Short Story

Although “Stella: Beyond The Colored Line” is fiction, the racial tone is very real. The setting is within a time when Blacks (Colored or Negro at that time) were trying to find their identity and struggling for civil rights at the same time. Even within the Black (Colored or Negro) community, there was a color division. If your skin was lighter, you were hated by those of a darker complexion, and vice versa. But nothing has changed in these modern times. Blacks are still identifying each other by color, but still struggling to find their own identity.

Stella makes a decision to use her light skin to blend in with the white community to gain status and to become more accepted by “society”. What would you have done if you were in her shoes? Would you go “beyond the colored line”?

This book will make you cry, it will make you laugh, and it will make you angry at times. The theme is easy to follow and it’s a Must Read for all!”

–Cynthia Brooks

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Thanks Cynthia!

 

Purchase Beyond The Colored Line on Amazon Kindle or any of the major eBook distribution outlets. (Click here for all eBook links or to get it in print)

Interracial Blog Feature Reminder for 10/22/2015

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Oh, hi. I happen to be on my way to the kitchen. I think it’s going to be baked chicken and macaroni tonight with a yummy salad on the side. I shall also chill out with a glass of wine. But that’s not why you called…

Just want to remind you to join me tomorrow for another interview on the topic of Interracial Relationships. As you know, for the rest of this month I will be posting interviews I have conducted with some individuals on their thoughts on the topic of Interracial Marriages and the role race plays in relationships in general. This feature was inspired by the release of book two in my Stella Trilogy, “Beyond The Colored Line” this summer and will post every Thursday of this month. Join me tomorrow at 8:00a CST to meet another good friend of mine. You don’t want to miss her answers!

In Case You Missed It:
Week #1 with Misty Thomas
Week #2 with Lisa W. Tetting

Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Arundhati Roy

Good Afternoon Loves, this Writer’s Quote Wednesday is from Arundhati Roy:

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Arundhatiis is so pretty to me and this quote is one of my favorites. (I do feel like I’ve done this one before but who doesn’t like re-runs? lol) To me, this quote is a way of reminding me of the things that are most important in life: to seek joy, pursue beauty, respect strength and most importantly, in the midst of my goals, always to stay focused. To always notice my own insignificance, to never feel the need to over-complicate the simple things and to above all never forget who I am and what I do this for.

About The Author:

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“Suzanna Arundhati Roy (born 24 November 1959) is an Indian author who is best known for her novel The God of Small Things (1997), which won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997. The novel is a semi-autobiographical and a major part captures her childhood experiences in Aymanam and became the biggest-selling book by a no expatriate Indian author”.

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#Book #Review for Stella Books #1 and #2 by Constance Humphrey

Title: Stella Book #1: Between Slavery and Freedom
Author: Yecheilyah Ysrayl
Print Length: 58 pages
Publication Date: January 20, 2015
ASIN: B00T3G2KLE
Rating: 5/5

Title: Stella Book #2: Beyond The Colored Line
Author: Yecheilyah Ysrayl
Print Length: 64 pages
Publication Date: July 27, 2015
Release Date: August 24, 2015
ASIN: B013PQCKK8
Rating: 5/5

Page Turner!

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In the books Stella: A Short Story and Stella: Beyond the Colored Line, YecheilYah Ysrayl discusses a sometimes uncomfortable conversation and reality. The character Stella carries both the burden and freedoms of racial diversities making her story a reality check for some and a hard truth for others. These intriguing stories will most definitely play out like they are on a big screen in your mind, allowing you to want more to relate to Stella as a friend, sister and or Mother, and for some she already is. Eloquently written these books allow you to experience a time where you could have had to live beyond the colored line. May the story of Stella’s hardships and successes continue. These are truly wonderfully written and captivating stories. Great read for those of all ages. Get your copies now, don’t miss out. – Constance Tehilayah Humphrey

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Thank you Constance!

The Little Things

I’m a person who is either extremely excited, over the top silly or deeply saddened or concerned. I am either very serious or very silly. There is no lukewarm with me. There is no in-between. That said I try to also be very appreciative in my life. Appreciative of being alive another day. Appreciative of having a loving husband. Appreciative of loving family. Appreciative of supportive friends. Appreciative of a healthy mind and a healthy body. Sometimes you’ll see me get excited over certain achievements that may not look to be much but that mean everything to me. That’s because I think it’s important to always notice the little things.

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It’s just that, the little things, that tests whether or not we are ready to move forward. It is the small steps we take every day, the trys that determine if we are worthy to move on. Without appreciating the small things it is not possible to hold on to the greater gifts to come. If I want my marriage to last I have to appreciate what is before my face now. Today. And when tomorrow comes, I can move forward and step into the shoes of what the future brings. And if I cannot for whatever reason appreciate what I have today, it is only hypocritical to think I am worthy of having possession of this relationship for an extended period of time.

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I use my marriage just as an example, but we can apply this to our lives in general. Even when it comes to blogging. Yes, I blog a lot and I publish a lot and I share the work of others. I do this because I’m an all or nothing type of person. I am either going to put my all into it or I am going to abandon it. If I choose to give it my all, I will do so with the intent to nurture what I have been given and to plant the seeds that will grow to produce the kind of fruit I need to help to keep me fueled in whatever capacity that is. I believe blogging has been just as instrumental in my writing development as anything else in my life and though I do not see myself doing this forever, I take nothing for granted; or at least I try not to. The big things are always there and always will be there. They will always be at the forefront and on the top. They will always appear to be more shiny and glamorous and breathtaking. They will always promise to either validate you or break you but when it comes down to goals and ambitions and planning to implement a vision, it’s really not about the big things at all. It’s the little things that will actually help you to grow.

#Book #Review for Stella Book #2: Beyond The Colored Line by Christa Wojciechowski

Title: Stella Book #2: Beyond The Colored Line
Author: Yecheilyah Ysrayl
Published: July 27, 2015
Released: August 24, 2015
ASIN: B013PQCKK8
Pages: 64
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Black Literature, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Short Story

Nothing is Simply Black or White

Stella: Beyond the Colored Line is a fascinating walk through the ages–from slavery, to segregation, to the black power movement, to modern times.

Through the eyes of one mixed race woman, the author touches on major events in African American history, allowing the reader to experience them in real time.

The story deepens when Stella decides to live as a white woman and raise her children as whites. As her family grows and develops within a changing society, Stella and her children reveal complex perspectives and attitudes that make it clear that it doesn’t matter who your ancestors were. Nothing is just simply black or white.

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They are coming in slowly but they are coming! Special thanks go out to Christa for this review; it makes my second five stars! OK so its only two reviews BUT both are five stars, I’ll take it! Every small victory is worth appreciating. In case you’re wondering why these reviews are so short, it’s really a short read, a novella if you will. If you would like to receive a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review please email me. It really will not take up too much of your time. In any event, I appreciate both the positive AND constructive criticism I am getting on the back end. It lets me know the reviews are real deal  and is EXTREMELY helpful in the polishing off of Book #3, whose release date and book cover I will be announcing soon. The Stella Trilogy is almost complete!