Tag: writing

#Book #Review Stella Book 1: Between Slavery and Freedom by Lisa Tetting

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Stella is a story that resonates with me and challenged the sensibilities of people who judge others based on the color of their skin. It starts with Cynthia and her boyfriend Alex discussing the fact that Alex is not as invested in the relationship as she would like for him to be. Cynthia wants him to meet her beloved grandmother Stella, but he is not amendable. They instead go to an after-hours spot to get something to eat and meet up with a friend in the parking lot. It becomes apparent that both Alex and Cynthia strongly dislike black people.

Eventually, after some months Alex agrees to meet the grandma. We are introduced to a charming elderly lady in her 80s who loves her granddaughter, but dislikes the boyfriend. Stella overhears them talking negatively about blacks and decides they need a history lesson, more so for her granddaughter than the boyfriend. We find that Stella was named for her great grandmother who was a former slave. We hear the trials and tribulations that she endured during her life on the plantation, the heritage of her family and how it came to be they eventually became known as a Caucasian family.

Cynthia’s world is turned upside down with the knowledge that she is black and Alex abandons her as a result. The lesson in this is we are all tied together in some way and God did not intend for humans to be separated simply based on skin tone.

After the story is over, the author provides a history lesson for us about the existence of slavery in the North and the misinformation we are prone to believe. She also explains how slaves chose to change their names after being set free with some great examples to back it up. – Lisa W. Tetting, Author, Blogger

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Wanderlust
Books 1 and 2 of The Stella Trilogy are available now:
literarykornerpublishing.com

*Buy 1 Get 1 Free!*

*Buy Stella Book #2: Beyond The Colored Line in paperback and receive a FREE download of Between Slavery and Freedom*

Writer’s Quote Wednesday – David McCullough

Welcome back to another Segment of Writer’s Quote Wednesday, hosted by Colleen of Silver Threading. This week, I draw inspiration from David McCullough. I wish I could like this in a post over and over again!

 

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So true! Which is why I research as I’m writing :).

About The Author:

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“David McCullough has twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for Truman and John Adams, and twice received the National Book Award, for The Path Between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback. His other acclaimed books include 1776, Brave Companions, The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, and The Wright Brothers. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.”
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That’s it for my segment of Writer’s Quote Wednesday. I think the quote pretty much speaks for itself.
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That Moment

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That moment when the inspiration is so thick but the words are so weak. When time won’t give room to whisper a glint of poetry or finger your way through lines made of braille.  I want to write, but not anything. So I wait for the calming of thought processes to slow the string of melodies into a post of beauty. Nothing rushed and spilled like left over knowledge and conscientious stupidity. Not the same ole same ole thirst for the vanity of wisdom. No, not anything. Not the mouthing off of regurgitated ignorance. Surely every thought is not worthy of the blank page. The new post is after all too pure for any thought to brush upon it. Though the pull to build on the creativity that found its way inside your space must fulfill itself. I am indeed in the midst of that moment. I desire to write something, but not anything. I want to beautify the whiteness of this page into something stronger than the color of poetry. Something that seeps into your mind and rushes to the center of your soul like the longing of fire to touch wood; a stream of living water waiting to fall for the first cup it sees standing; the longing of lips desperate and trembling for the first kiss it sees wanting. Indeed, maybe I’ll just kiss my way into this post. Give you something of value to take home. Take with you my beloved. And let me give you more than just a penny for my thoughts.

Dear Indie Authors: Build Your Dream Team

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Before we all tuck in this weekend (don’t you just love Fridays?), I have to share what came into my inbox today.

Timothy Pike of “Dream, Play, Write” has presented what looks to be a great opportunity for Indie Authors. I couldn’t find a re-blog button so here’s an excerpt of the post below. For the entirety, please follow the link at the end of this post. Otherwise, have a great weekend people. Rest well.

“Traditional publishers have top-notch teams of editors, graphic designers, and marketers, all ready to descend upon your manuscript, turn it into a book, and sell it.

But for the self-publisher, where does one begin?

That’s where MyDreamBookTeam comes in. Need a great editor? She’s here. A fantastic book cover designer? He’s waiting. How about writing coaches? You’ll find them here too.

It’s all about hand-picking your own “Dream Team,” so that you stay in control of your own book, yet don’t feel intimidated or overwhelmed by having to do everything yourself.

I’ll be introducing some of these professionals in this mailing in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

And if you know someone who may be in need of these services, forward this e-mail along. There will be some great deals coming your way, and many opportunities to connect with publishing professionals who will exceed your expectations as you turn that Microsoft Word document into a shiny new book on the shelf.”

>>>Check It Out Here <<

 

Must Reads: Lonnice Brittenum Bonner

Today’s “Must Read” comes from Lonnice Brittenum Bonner.

IMG_20150917_113615“Good hair: For Colored Girls Who’ve Considered Weaves When The Chemicals Became Too Ruff” is a book about the dynamic and care of natural hair for black women. Lonnice shares her experience transitioning from a lifetime of chronically short and damaged hair to an education about how to better maintain and style her own hair. This book is a guide for black women seeking the natural hair care journey. It is also funny and filled with many of Lonnice’s own personal experiences with pictures to go along, which is refreshing.

The only con is that I would not consider this book for any extended research into Natural Hair. I read it back in 2011, two years into my Natural Hair journey, and it’s really just a sneak peek for beginners, but still very insightful.  My favorite thing about this book is that it is Self-Published, which I didn’t know until after I read and then researched the book.

“Outside of being filled with really useful information, Bonner’s book cracked me up. It’s as laugh-out-loud funny as anything in Terry McMillan’s Waiting to Exhale. A combination of ‘how-to’ beauty book and hilarious autobiography…this book is a quick read, a great reference book, and even (and I know this is a cliché) makes a great gift.” – San Francisco Bay Guardian

Also look for:

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Writer’s Quote Wednesday – William Wordsworth

For this weeks segment of Writer’s Quote Wednesday, I draw inspiration from William Wordsworth:

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This quote is brief and to the point and I think it is most important. When you sit down to write, the focus should not initially be on proper grammar, sentence structure, whether the words rhyme, symbolism, or any other technique outside that thing that beats through your chest. Initially, the purpose should be to fill the paper with what’s truly in your heart. You can always go back to edit, but a page soaked in truth is more than likely to speak to people more so than proper grammar. At least for me, I try to make sure that my passion is first in my writing life, and that what I give you is coming from my innermost being. My goal is not to sound like I graduated from Harvard; my goal is to tell the truth.

About the Author:
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William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication Lyrical Ballads. – Wikipedia

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That’s it for me today. Yall be great :).

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