Tag: writing

A Way To End The Year

I did not intend on writing another post this year. I am preparing for travel this week and getting into major promotion mode for the third installment of The Stella Trilogy. That is until I checked my email and thought, what better way to end the year than to be nominated for your 10th Blog Award?

The funny thing is that I was contemplating whether or not to go on and participate in Blog Awards in 2016. Rarely if ever do I obey the rules and they do take up a bit of time. However, when Kenyc (Ken-niece) McCoy of Soprano Musings nominated me for The Sunshine Blog Award, I remembered how timely these things always are and that maybe I can keep them going for a little while longer but we will have to see. Blog Awards do tend to keep me aware of where I stand with my followers which I think is very important. If nothing else, it is always such great timing when fellow bloggers nominate us (Us as in “The PBS Blog” so yes, that includes you). Just when I wonder what to write about next, if the posts are worth it, or if anyone is really paying attention, it is at these moments when someone comes through with a Blog Award. I take it as a personal reminder that it is not all in vain.

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So I just want to give a big thank you to Kenyc for nominating this blog for The Sunshine Blog Award!

7 Facts About Myself:

I feel like I’ve been through this sooo many times that this time around I decided to go a little more in depth about some facts about me:

  • I don’t celebrate holidays and ask to respectfully be excluded from any happy holiday wishes
  • Though my career of choice require I do a lot of public speaking, I am actually very introverted at heart.
  • I am very passionate about the state of Black America, its history, and culture
  • I have been known to behave beyond my age so its no surprise that my husband is nine years older than I am
  • I won my first poetry award when I was a freshman in High School and wrote plays performed by my High School for three years
  • People who don’t know me tend to think that I am mean. That’s because I can be forthcoming in my verbal delivery. Though it is never my intent to be offensive, I will never sugar coat the truth and try my best to keep it real with everyone, giving to each the same measure of respect
  • I would really like to visit Germany one day!

A Year in Reflection: 2015

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The winds are picking up steam, the clouds are filled to the brim, and another year is gone. North Louisiana is bracing itself for what is to be a major storm. Why does the moment feel symbolic right now? I tried to write earlier on this topic but it wasn’t until the skies growled that I felt compelled to try it now. The air is cooling as we speak while my nose attempts one final sniff of what is left of 2015. I love the rain, and how thoughtful of it to show up now; in the midst of my thoughts concerning change.

When I look over this blog, I suppose the biggest evolution for me has been the evolution of my writing and the changes taking place in my career in general. When The PBS Blog was born August of 2014, I did not set out to enhance my writing in such significant ways. Thinking back I’m sure I was subconsciously aware of the connection between blogging and writing but I did not specifically set out to do many of the things I’ve done. Surely, I did not anticipate giving Indie Author Tips, Author Interviews, or Book Reviews. I think that’s what makes anything new so exciting, the surprise factor of it all. Not knowing what’s going to happen next. This is what Blogging has been for me in 2015, the evolution of my writing in general.

I thought about how to present this post. Should I give links to the best of the best like last years poetry wrap up? Should I bore you with random pats on the back concerning things I’ve done the years past? Nay, I decided to just keep this simple. What do I look forward to in 2016?

Well, that just depends on what there is in store. What I’ve learned about life in general is never to overexcite anything because you do not know what the next day will be like. We can want things and we can be given those wants but it doesn’t mean they will come in the fashion in which we desire them. For that I have learned never to rush time; just let it roll in nice and gently, like rain drops sliding down the vibrant green petal of a rose. Like tiny crystals all fragile and delicate, and yet brave enough to trust the fragility of a tree leaf to hold them. A collection of bodies all too weak to do anything but uplift each other. So, for Blogging Year 2016 I’m just going to continue riding the tide of the unknown and see where it takes me. I hope that you will come along with me and that we can continue to grow together. At some point I’ll sit down to outline some  specific goals but for now I’ll take it one blog post at a time. Before you know it I’ll be drafting the post to close out 2016 and hopefully I’ll have you here to share those memories with me.

Author Spotlight: Yecheilyah Ysrayl

My Author Interview with Dottie Daniels.

dottiedaniels's avatarThe Write Perspective

Hey.

Here’s another author (she’s a poet as well) who also has a page here on WordPress. I consider myself and anyone else aware of her to be pretty lucky already as this author has a pretty powerful perspective and is more than capable of articulating her experiences and thought processes as it relates to the cultural upbringing of the African American experience. Her name is Yecheilyah Ysrayl and I had the pleasure of doing a Q&A session with her a few weeks ago. Below is the interview along with her social media contact info.

  1. I’ve read you were born in the South side of Chicago (so was I!), what were some of your earliest memories?

Hi Dottie. First, I want to thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. Yes, I am from Chi-Town indeed. Since I’ve been in Chicago for the better part of my…

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Book Trailer – Stella Book #3: The Road to Freedom: Joseph’s Story

Coming to Print, Amazon Kindle, B&N NOOK, iBooks, Google Play, Goodreads, and Kobo Friday, February 26, 2016.

Wealthy and clueless are just some of the words Joseph uses to describe his family. Deeply concerned about the state of Black America, a fight with his brother compels a young Joseph to leave his mother’s house and join his friends for a trip to Atlanta for SNCC’s (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) second conference. Excited to live life on their own, Jo and his friends have left school and the lives they were living for a chance to become part of the movement. With no money and essentially no plan the seven friends, three black and four white, set out for the road when they are stopped by a racist cop who makes them exit the car. The teens are unaware that a mob of Klansmen also awaits them at the New Orleans bus terminal.

Discover what life was like for Joseph when he left his mother’s house in the 3rd installment of the Stella Trilogy, years before a mixed race Jo knew that he was mixed race. Determined to be apart of the movement Joseph McNair, son of “Sidney McNair”, and his friends abandon their lives in search for answers in the Jim Crow south on The Road to Freedom.

Read Out loud to Detect Writing Mistakes

I totally agree with Ezine Articles (who tend to have great writing tips overall). I have noticed this, the benefits of reading out loud to detect errors, in my own experiences. I wrote an article about it some time ago and just re-spinned the post recently. You can read about my thoughts on reading out loud verses reading silently here.

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