REPOST from The Story Reading Ape Blog. Please click the link below for the original post to my latest guest post.
Also, I am actually back from my break so excuse that tidbit. I wrote this a couple months ago.
Tag: indie authors
Introduce Yourself: Introducing Guest Author Emunah Y’srael
Today I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Emunah Y’srael. Welcome to The PBS Blog! Let’s get started.
What is your name and where are you from?
My name is Emunah Y’srael and I was born in Brooklyn, NY. First generation Carib-American with Hebraic roots.
Your name is beautiful. What does it mean?
My name Emunah means Faith in Hebrew.
Beautiful. What would your perfect writing / reading room look like?
Ah, the thought is so relaxing. The room would have a huge bay window overlooking nature (beach, lake, meadow) something breath-taking. Lots of natural light, a comfortable chair for me to recline and write. I am old school and love writing my first drafts with pen and paper. Oh, yes and lots and lots of pens for some reason they tend to wander off from time to time.
Lol. Don’t they? Emunah, what was your childhood dream?
My Childhood dream was raising a family in a quiet, peaceful, natural environment filled with love and laughter. No, really, I always dreamt of the simple life and still do. As we speak I am writing it into existence.
Island Love is Available Now on Amazon
“Writing it into existence”. I like that. In your own words, what is humility?
Humility in my estimation is the ability to accept wrongs, take advice, understand that not everyone knows everything. Humility is being comfortable with giving and receiving. and accepting we are not perfect.
What would be the most amazing adventure to go on?
I am already on it, the wildest most amazing adventure for me has been and continues to be the journey to the center of my soul. Wherever that takes me physically adds to and helps to unpack the things that have been there all along.
Nice. Does blogging help you to write?
Yes, I started blogging more lately and it helps to keep my creative juices flowing. A lot of my work is historical research and blogging helps me share my findings.
Speaking of research, what genres do you write in?
Historical Non-Fiction, Fiction Romance, Coming of Age Fiction, Women’s, Fiction, Self Help
Emunah, we like to jam out here on Throwback Thursdays. What kind of music do you like?
Depends on my mood, reggae, blues, country, jazz, classical it all depends.
When did you publish your first book? What was that like?
Even to this day, that first published book gives me shivers. Back in 2005, I started on a journey of healing. I wrote my autobiography still unpublished but, I did publish a self-help tutorial inspired by the book in 2010. I tried to do it myself, laying it out was like plucking hairs one by one. It was stressful but once I got it done and published it took another five years before I published again.
What takes up too much of your time?
I would say research, I love researching and sometimes I delay writing because I’m concerned about not knowing enough on the subject matter. This is why lately writing fiction has added balance to my research obsession. I can express myself and write interesting stories without having to quote sources. I like both genres and feel they both have value.
What do you think of the world we live in?
The world we live in is beautiful and ugly, it is peaceful and chaotic, it is hopeful and hopeless it all depends on how we choose to look at what we see.
Perspective. I like that. What do you love about yourself?
I love my resilience.
What don’t you like about yourself?
My tendency to be consistently inconsistent.
Why is writing important to you?
Writing is important to me because it captures my thoughts, allows me to see my words, refine my message and share it with the generations to come. It also allows the audience the privacy to receive the message, thought or story in their own time.
Alrighty then Ms. Emunah. You have a way with words. I’d have to check out your books! In your own words, what is love?
Love, oh wow love is giving, helping to restore, support or establish balance. Love allows us to be in alignment with the universal laws that govern creation and when we love it transcends our feeling. Love is an action word.
“Love allows us to be in alignment with the universal laws that govern creation.” Yaasss!
OK, had a moment. I’m back. Lol In your own words, what is truth?
Truth is complete, it has not holes or gaps, it is 360 like a circle from point to point.
What a pleasure to have you, Emunah! We enjoyed you beautiful. Thanks for spending this time with us today.
Bio.
Emunah Y’srael is an expert in DIY Soul Improvement with over 20 years actively dedicated to her own soul journey. She is the creator of the a myriad of self improvement projects. Emunah has authored to date four books, all available on amazon.
Additional Info from the Author.
New Release – Island Love:
What could be more innocent than a good girl’s first crush? Jackie Brown was a sheltered teen who only knew sports and school, but when the new boy piques her interest she makes up her mind to take a chance at the game of love. But when her not so secret admirer decides to up the ante, the deck is shuffled and something goes terribly wrong. As secrets pile up a mistake she made in high school may cost her real love in the future. Will she reveal her hand in time or will her secret destroy her chance for true love forever?
Emunah Y’srael delivers a tale that is reminiscent of the writing styles of Mary Monroe, Brenda Barret, and Sista Souljah just to name a few. Island Love is her debut novella the first of a four part series, inspired by a Toni Morrison quote Emunah decided to write the book she wanted to read. Island Love is funny, culturally transparent and speaks to the awkwardness of coming of age and falling in love.
Intrigued? Get Island Love HERE
…And Be Sure to Follow this Author Online!
Websites: www.the-soul-center.com , www.emunahysrael.net
Facebook www.facebook.com/emunahysrael
Twitter @emunah_ysrael
Instagram @emunah_ysrael
Author Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/Emunah-Ysrael/e/B01JT0D256
Blog:
Are you a new (or not so new) author looking for more exposure? Introduce Yourself! CLICK HERE to learn more and to sign up.
Shadows and Lights of Harlem – Interview with Author Yecheilyah Ysrayl
I am mobile and will be over the next few days so I’ll be sharing Guest Posts this way because I cannot reblog.
Be sure to stop by Sarah’s blog for my latest interview on Renaissance: The Nora White Story (Book One)
Special thanks to Sarah for having me.
CLICK THROUGH TO THE ORIGINAL LINK BELOW:
https://theoldshelter.com/shadows-and-lights-of-harlem-interview-with-author-yecheilyah-ysrayl/
Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – Coed by James Fant
Title: Coed
Author: James Fant
Print Length: 188 pages
Publisher: James Fant Books, LLC
Publication Date: February 14, 2017
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B01N9SH36I
Coed is a romantic comedy about a man and woman who invests in a barber-beauty shop business called Coed. In a scene reminiscent of the movie Barber Shop, men cut hair on one side, and the women do hair on the other. Owners Travis “Trap” Barber and Sade Styles are best friends whose friendship is tested when Sade’s lease is up, and she moves in with Travis. Being “besties” is one thing but can Trap, and Sade maintains a platonic relationship while living under the same roof? The novel seeks to answer this question hilariously.
When Sade moves in with Trap, they fight to control their feelings for one another, like Sidney and Dre from the movie Brown Sugar. They are attracted to each other on multiple levels, but Sade has a man, and Trap’s a playboy. Eventually, Sade breaks it off with her boyfriend, and Trap insists on attending Myrtle Beach with her to see Lalah Hathaway. He doesn’t know how deeply the trip would impact them both.
I stayed up late just to see what would happen. If you’re a fan of Brown Sugar, Barbershop, and The Best Man, you’ll want to read this book.
I recommend it for lovers of romance, comedy and drama. It has it all.
Plot Movement / Strength: 4/5
Entertainment Factor: 5/5
Characterization: 5/5
Authenticity / Believable: 4/5
Thought Provoking: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
COED is available now on Amazon
Be Sure to Follow this Author Online!
Website: http://www.jamesfantbooks.com/
Renaissance is $0.99 for a Limited Time!
As you all know, I am preparing to go away from the online scene for awhile. Before I do I am running an eBook sale on Renaissance for any of you who’ve been waiting to get your hands on it. From now through Wednesday, August 23rd you can get it for the low price of 99cents.
About.
When seventeen-year-old Nora White successfully graduates High School in 1922 Mississippi and is College bound, everyone is overjoyed and excited. Everyone except Nora. She dreams of Harlem, Cotton Clubs, Fancy Dresses, and Langston Hughes. For years, she’s sat under Mr. Oak, the big oak tree on the plush green grass of her families five acres, and daydreamed of The Black Mecca.
The ambitious, young Nora is fascinated by the prospect of being a famous writer in The Harlem Renaissance and decides she doesn’t want to go to College. Despite her parent’s staunch protest, Nora finds herself in Jacobsville, New York, a small town forty-five minutes outside of Harlem.
Shocked by their daughter’s disappearance, Gideon and Molly White are plagued with visions of the deadly south, like the brutal lynching of Gideon’s sister years ago. As the couple embark on a frightening and gut wrenching search for Nora, they are each stalked by their own traumatic past. Meanwhile, Nora learns that the North is not all it’s cracked up to be.
Can Gideon and Molly overcome their disturbing past in time to find their daughter before it’s too late?
From the most recent review:
“I’ve never felt more at home when reading a book until I read this. It felt like I was in history class, but I actually learned history. You know what I mean? A teenage girl aspiring to become a writer during the time of the Harlem Renaissance – that’s literally what’s going on. Within that, there’s life. Life of her, life of her parents, life of people around her. I have to say that this is my first time reading something that I had a COMPLETE grasp on. I understood everything from how they spoke to how they thought. Very impressive in my opinion. I don’t only recommend this, I think this is something that can be read in class.” – Amazon Customer Review
GET IT HERE
This book is 99cents for a LIMITED TIME ONLY. Click Here to Buy Now.
PBS Blog Removed from Kindle
Hey Guys,
Just a heads up that due to technical difficulties, I have removed this blog from Amazon’s Kindle for blogs program. If you’ve subscribed you will be unsubscribed in 48-72hrs. I’ll let you all know if I try it again. Being the program is still in Beta, it looks like they still have work to do (and its been in beta a long time). In the meantime, you can always follow my Amazon author page for blog updates as well as Goodreads to stay in touch. (and, this blog of course)
Introduce Yourself: Introducing Guest Author Felicia Denise
Today I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Felicia Denise. Welcome to The PBS Blog! Let’s get started.
What is your name and where are you from?
Felicia Denise is my real name, and I’m a southern girl by birth—Ole Miss—but grew up in Michigan, got married and started a family in California, moved back to Michigan and now I live in Arizona.
Watch out traveler. Always wanted to visit Cali. Now, you know I have to ask. Since Friday came out, how many times have someone said to you “Bye Felicia?”
LOL! Actually, I’ve probably said it to other people more than it’s been said to me! I also have half a dozen t-shirts, a coffee mug, a keychain and a cap that say, “Bye Felicia!” Both my sons have it as my ringtone. LOL!
Lollll.
How many siblings do you have?
I am one of nine—six girls and three boys. We lost our youngest brother twenty-five years ago to AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of twenty-nine. I don’t believe the eight remaining of us have all been in the same place at the same time since his funeral. There’s always one missing.
Awwue. I am so sorry to hear that. How long have you been married Felicia?
We’ll celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary in mid-September!
Whoop! Yass. Do you have children?
Yes, three. Our oldest son lives a couple of hours away and works for a major medical corporation; the younger son is a member of the National Guard and works in security, and our daughter is an Army wife who works on base. Notice there was no mention of grandchildren… but I have four grand-dogs!
In the Best Interest of the Child (September 30, 2016)
Amazon US http://bit.ly/BestInt
Amazon UK http://bit.ly/BestIntUK
Amazon CA http://bit.ly/BestIntCA
Amazon AU http://bit.ly/BestIntAU
Goodreads http://bit.ly/BestIntGR
Not grand-dogs loll. I understand that you write, are you employed outside of writing?
No. I had to leave the workforce almost twenty years ago because of chronic illnesses—osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia.
What was your childhood dream?
To sing with Up with People! LOL! They were a group of young men and women who toured the country regularly…singing in schools, on college campuses, at sporting events, etc. And I loved to sing when I was a kid! My parents’ friends would pay me a quarter to sing at BBQs and picnics LOL! And I sang it all—Aretha Franklin, Freda Payne, Barbra Streisand, Mahalia Jackson—just give me room!
When I was thirteen, a large mass grew over my thyroid and larynx. Fortunately, it was benign. It took a year of surgeries and rehab, but I did go back to singing. Only instead of standing with the girls and singing soprano, I had to stand with the boys and sing bass!
Cool! You gonna have to sing for us one day. So sorry about that mass, glad you everything went well.
You named some artists and I know you be jamming out with us on Throwback Thursdays! So, please tell us more about the kind of music you like.
I love music… end of story! My playlists are so eclectic—60s folk and Motown, 70s funk and disco, 80s Soul, R&B, and boy bands, 90s power females… all mixed in with Classical and Country! The only music that annoys me is gangsta rap and grunge.
Yea, the music today irks my nerves. I don’t even know what to call it but it’s not music. What skill would you like to master?
Playing the piano! Always wanted to learn and even owned a piano at one time. My children were young and involved in every group and club imaginable and there just was never enough time for lessons and practice.
I’d love to learn to play the piano too. Let’s talk about writing, what’s the most difficult thing about being a writer?
Finding your audience.
The most exciting thing?
The emails from readers when they make a real connection with characters and plot. There’s truth even in fiction.
Indeed it is. What is the most thought-provoking book you’ve ever read?
The Bible. Some believe it’s just a book of rules on things you can’t do, but think about it. Nearly every existing trope or genre can be found in the Bible. There’s a lot going on the pages of the Good Book, which is why it takes at least a year to read and comprehend it properly.
Probably the best answer to that question I’ve had here yet. You KNOW I agree. I think people will be surprised at how much information is in the bible. Giants? Bible. Demons? Bible. Righteous and fallen angels?Bible. Black History? Bible. It’s all there.
Felicia, religious?
Religious, no. Spiritual, yes. My maternal grandfather was a Methodist pastor and I was raised in church, but I am not a fan of church doctrine. To me, it’s the underlying problem of ANY religion. Man interjecting his rules and wills where they don’t belong and for non-religious reasons.
I knew we connected for a reason. I gotta share some information with you! Who is your favorite writer?
Two-way tie between Toni Morrison and Jonathon Kellerman. They couldn’t be more different in genre and style, but before I finish the first chapter of any of their books, I’ve crossed into another world.
Family Matters (In the Best Interest of the Child #2) (August 2017)
Goodreads http://bit.ly/FamilyMattersGR
Nice. What do you hate most about writing advice?
The subjectivity! Everyone wants you to buy their book or enroll in their class because they have the sure-fire method for becoming a bestselling author and selling truckloads of books. But that just isn’t true. What works for you may not work for me. And it isn’t because I did anything ‘wrong’. An author must put in the time—hit a few and miss a few—to find what works for them… and it doesn’t happen overnight.
Say THAT. What do you love about writing advice?
I love the common-sense advice. It removes all the mystery and double-talk and explains in two or three paragraphs the information you need to know.
Indeed. Now, I met you through the blog so let me ask you, does blogging help you to write?
Actually, for me, it’s the opposite. Writing helps me blog.
I like it. What TV channel doesn’t exist but really should?
JRR Tolkien Network! “All Hobbits, All the time!” I’d never change the station!
What? Lol. Felicia girl you got me rolling.
What TV channel exists but really shouldn’t?
TRUtv…ugh! It was nice when it was CourtTV, now it’s just desperate reality shows and people saying, “Hold my beer and watch this!”
Free, a Novella (May 30, 2017)
Amazon US http://bit.ly/LindenLane
Amazon UK http://bit.ly/LindenLaneUK
Amazon CA http://bit.ly/LindenLaneCA
Amazon AU http://bit.ly/LindenLaneAU
Goodreads http://bit.ly/FreeANovella
What do you think of the world we live in?
I grew up in the 60s and came of age in the 70s and would give anything to have those days back. They were not perfect times, by any means, but the movement for change was a positive one and shared among the masses. Today, pick any ten people and you could get ten different agendas. Diversity was once our strength, now it’s the focus for oppression. It saddens me to look into the eyes of children and the elderly when they realize how little their lives matter with the changes taking place.
Hmm. Right. In your own words, what is love?
To understand and accept someone into your heart, regardless of their shortcomings or differences, without expecting anything in return.
We enjoyed you lady! Thanks for spending this time with us today. Now, bye Felicia :-).
Bio
Writing has been a hobby of Felicia’s since grade school, but other than serving as editor and writing for her high school newspaper, she never publicly shared anything until the early 2000s when she began writing fan fiction. At the urging of a good friend, Felicia took on the challenge of NaNoWriMo in 2015, writing what would become her first published book, In the Best Interest of the Child. It was released in the fall of 2016.
Currently working on several projects, Felicia plans to release book 2 of In the Best Interest of the Child – Family Matters, in summer 2017.
Be Sure to Follow Felicia online!
Links
Author Website – https://feliciadenise.com
Blog (Nesie’s Place) – https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com
Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.com/Felicia-Denise/e/B01M03R54B/
Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/authorfeliciadenise
Bookbub Author Page – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/felicia-denise
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/FeliciaDenise
Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/MsFelicia
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/fle_d/
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/fdreevers/
Google+ – https://plus.google.com/u/0/110467680823101573705
Monthly Newsletter – http://eepurl.com/cklOKL
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