What I plan to accomplish in 2008

My focus for this year is to start my own publishing company and get some good media people to help me get my books out there in front of the public.
Streetlife to Housewife; my life story, does not hold anything back. I don't pull any punches in describing the things that I have survived in my life and how I am using my experiences to help others today.
Had someone told me two decades ago that I would be a writer, and speaking in churches I would have told them they were crazy. Actually a few people did tell me that God was going to use me to help others and I cursed them out.
I did not believe in or want anything to do with God thanks to a preacher that raped me at the age of five. I was in my mid thirties and in rehab for a cocaine addiction when I found out that the preacher had nothing to do with God.
Today I can't say his name enough and everything that I write is going to help people know that they can survive just like I did.
Find your purpose for being here and accomplish it. With God's help nothing can stop you.

Welcome Sydney Molare

TEN THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT AUTHOR, SYDNEY MOLARE'

1. I've been self-published, traditionally published and e-published. While many wish for the traditionally published route, I've found that there is very little difference between trad and self-published. The biggest difference is that with trad you work on their schedule and they have better distribution. But the promotional efforts are the same.

2. In my spare time, I am the pianist/organist for my church. I trained classically for 9 years in my youth, competing at the state level, but now I only play for church.

3. My favorite genre is mystery and suspense. I cut my teeth on those Reader's Digest Condensed books. It was where I first heard of John LeCarre and Robert Ludlum, some of my suspense favorites. I do think James Patterson, Elmore Leonard and JD Robb do good jobs also.

4. When I write, I like to let the reader "create their own world." Meaning, I give some detail, but I don't give minute details. I find that boring, really a filler.

5. When I think of my writing style, I like to think of it as slash writing. I get right to the meat of the matter without traveling around the moon to make the point. Some criticize but most love it. Just in what you like, I guess.

6. I've made more money writing erotica than in any other genre. Amazing.

7. I'm hooked on the Oprah and Friends XM radio network. LOL. Gayle King has found her niche.

8. I was always an overachiever. I finished HS at 15, college at 19 and received my doctorate at 23.

9. My favorite colors are black and red. I don't like pastels at all, especially pink. Though I do use a pink in my book covers. It seems to appeal to women more.

10. I managed to participate in Mardi Gras in New Orleans for the first time this year. I ate, drank and was one of the few who didn't show their tits!

Visit me at www.sydneymolare.com

The Triumph of My Soul

Homepage Author Bios Excerpts Ordering Info Testimonials Author Events Media Kit Chat Room MySpace Contact Elissa Gabrielle Editor Jessica Tilles Jarold Imes Lorraine Elzia Keshia Dawn Fon James Jaqueline Moore Allyson Deese	Stories of Hope, Triumph and Inspiration. From Author, Poet & Visionary, Elissa Gabrielle, comes a soul-stirring anthology that will touch your heart, feed your spirit, and strengthen your soul. Every so often, an anthology is written that is meant to inspire and uplift; to fortify and nourish, to comfort and reassure, but most of all, to bring you closer to a place of peace and resolve. This Christmas, The Triumph of My Soul releases. This anthology has stories for everyone who has ever experienced the ups and downs of life. Whether you're a parent who has lost a child, a man or woman who have been the victim of abuse, someone who has lost their identity in their love for another human being, survived a life-threatening illness, have been knocked down only to get back up time and time again…whatever your trial or tribulation, at the end there is Triumph. Inspirational, prolific, heartfelt encouraging stories featuring Essence Best-selling author, Bill Holmes, Motivational Speaker & Talk Show Host, Cheryl Donovan, Best-selling author, Elissa Gabrielle, Karibu Best-Selling author Jessica Tilles, and College Professor and Ph.D. candidate, Dike Okoro, the highly-talented, Lorraine Elzia, the eye-opening Agnes B. Levine, the uplifting Fon James, the strong Jarold Imes, the provocative Kim Robinson, the magnificent Keshia Dawn, the sensitive Allyson Deese, the determined Linda R. Herman, the progressive Ebonee Monique, the comforting Jacqueline Moore, the survivor Linda Wattley, and the butterfly Casche Russell. "The Triumph Of My Soul" by Elissa Gabrielle "The Triumph of My Soul" is a story I hold near and dear to my heart. This story is meant to uplift and inspire. Too often, we are condemned, ridiculed and knocked down, time and time again. Many people will smile in our face, but we can't turn our backs to them. The beauty of life is that, no matter how many times we are knocked down, God will lift us up, if you believe Him and trust in His word. It's not about how you fall; its about the grace and dignity in how you rise." “Julian's Grace" by Jessica Tilles "Although my short story, "Julian's Grace" is fiction, it speaks straight to the heart. We must treasure each day we are blessed to be alive and well. Giving thanks to God for every breath we take." "Word On The Street" by Jarold Imes "As Contemporary Gospel & Christian Rap and Hip Hop grows, I felt the need to provide a story that would appeal to this audience. Having been a street/urban/hip-hop author and having written erotica, I know first hand what it's like for Christians who come from the streets that are my age trying to turn their lives around and give them up for Christ. Hopefully, readers saved and unsaved a like will understand that you don't have to come from a traditional church family to serve the Lord." "A Test Of Faith" by Lorraine Elzia “Our lives are inspiration, motivation and lessons for us to learn by. No person is given an experience just for the purpose of it happening, there is always a moral to be shared. It is our duty to share our endurances with others so that they may indulge in the delicacy of food for thought. I submitted to the Triumph for the Soul” anthology in an effort that someone might read my story and have an “Ah Ha! Moment”. It was my desire to try and reach at least one person with my words so that they too could test their faith.” "A Stroke Of Purpose" by Keshia Dawn "I believe in love and not necessarily just from man to woman, woman to man, but love for each other. There is so much hurt and pain in this world and I can figure that most of it comes from within the family. I honestly wanted to show that even though there is hurting yet and still in the family, there can also be healing. It just takes courage to be real. My motto, right is right and wrong is wrong. Loving unconditionally is right." "A Mother, Her Son, And The Father" by Fon James I was inspired to write the short story, A Mother, Her Son and The Father, after a close friend of mine experienced the loss of her only son. Even though her son was murdered, she stood strong and declared the name of Jesus, and even showed strength at his funeral by standing up to personally speak a Godly word to his friends who were angry and wanted to retaliate against the suspected murderer. One young man even turned his life over to Christ at the funeral. I saw God comfort her during that terrible time of uncertainty and bereavement. I saw God give her a peace that surpassed all understanding of why it happened. I see the victorious triumph she continues to experience everyday through her faith in God. It further confirms that when we have God on our sides, we are truly triumphant. "Death At A Church" by Jacqueline Moore "As a Christian Author, I am always looking new avenues to explore. When I saw the call for submission, I was intrigued so much that I actually issued a challenge in one of my online writing groups. One other member answered my challenge, Lorraine Eliza. I was thrilled when I learned that her story was accepted. I wouldn't learn until weeks later that my story had also been accepted. My story originated from a writing prompt." "Discovering The Joy Within" by Allyson Deese "My inspiration behind "Discovering the Joy Within," is that I wanted to help another woman to not go through the pain and the hurt that I went through at such a young age. I wanted to impower someone else to be strong and overcome their hurt and pain. I also felt that the story of my innocent babies needed to be told." "Doors" by Ebonee Monique "I wrote "Doors" in about ten minutes and it is, still, one of my favorite stories. I closed my eyes and visualized this woman and her struggle for love. I know this fictional character in every day life. She's my neighbor, she's the cashier where I shop, she's my professor, she's the single mother, she's the married woman...she's me. So many times, we get so caught up in trying to please the "man" in our lives that we neglect The Man in our hearts. Doors represents the change and the light at the end of the tunnel, that so many women desire to see." "I'm Still Here" by Kim Robinson "I submitted my story to The Triumph of My Soul because I know that my testimony can help others." "He Loves Us, Always" by Linda Wattley "I was inspired to share my story because of the foundation "The Triumph of My Soul" represented. It gave me an opportunity to testify about the power of God. Today I face a struggle challenging my faith in God but He reminded me, I have faced greater challenges in my life than this and He did not forsake me and will not forsake me now. When you get the victory in life, you qualilfy to impart it to others that they too can rise above adversity. It is an honor to SHARE the spirit of VICTORY!" "Marathon" by Bill Holmes "I was inspired by the combination of the Biblical verse 1 Corinthians 9:24; my desire to run long distance; and Don Henley’s New York Minute, a song about appreciating the blessings in our life. I listened repeatedly to the song while writing the short story to create an emotional, mental and physical connection with my characters Alex and Cynthia so I could feel and capture their frustrations into my words. Without giving too much away, it was a challenge to write Marathon because it addresses the aftermath and possible effect the Iraq war has had on the U.S. soldiers and their families. I’m proud of my contribution to The Triumph of My Soul, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit there’s more I want to tell about my characters and their story." "One Woman's Journey" by Linda R. Herman "Answering the submissions call for TRIUMPH gave me the opportunity to work with an amazing author and poet, Elissa Gabrielle. I felt that writing an inspirational piece was a challenge that I was ready to confront head on. Though my story, "One Woman's Journey" is fictional, I know that there are many 'Ambers' (my main character) in the world losing their identities in the shadows of a man. Through the words of my story I wanted to remind readers of Exodus 20:3 and just how important it is to ALWAYS put God first. To quote a beautiful song, 'Can't nobody do me like Jesus.' " "The Ministry Of Motherhood" by Cheryl Donovan "The Triumph of My Soul" was an opportunity for me to share with other women, the struggles that I had endured as a teen mom. I wanted them to see that their current circumstance doesn't necessarily dictate their future circumstances. My message is that faith, determination, and perserverance can bring you through the storms of life and allow you to experience a triumph of the soul." "The Vanilla Room" by Agnes B. Levine "Inside that vanilla room in the psychiatric ward, the supernatural experience and deliverance from God inspired me to write it as my truest testimony to give God the glory and inspire others to overcome their trials knowing God is real. The submission call for The Triumph of My Soul was my epiphany that my story was timeless and transcending." "When You Least Expect" by Dike Okoro "There is no doubt in my mind that my Christian background was chiefly responsible for my decision to write When You Least Expect. I was deeply moved and touched by the title of the proposed anthology and the idea behind the call for submission. On the creative front, I think historical memory and my personal and local concerns for national, universal, and human issues inspired the penning of the story." "Breaking The Chains Of Abuse" by Casche Russell "I wanted everyone to know that with the help of God, you can break the chains of abuse. God never gives us more than we can bear."
Ebonee Monique Kim Robinson Linda Wattley Bill Holmes Linda R. Herman Cheryl Donovan Agnes B. Levine Dike Okoro Casche Russell

Please welcome Shawna Moore

Writing Through Life

Many thanks to my author friend, Kim, for this guest blog invitation. One of the topics I’ve mulled recently is how to balance the pursuit of creativity with the difficult issues and dilemmas life tosses at me. When I embarked on a full-time career in writing, I had some idea of what lay ahead. Lots of hard work. A dedication to improving my craft. Constant attention to the market and what was selling and what was not. Budgeting time for the business side of writing once publication happened. Staying in touch with readers and keeping them current on my fiction releases and works in progress. Etc.

But no matter how many times I assessed the time I’d allocated to my writing against the time I dealt with other life issues, I found each day forced me to reassess how I approached my juggling of these balls and balancing of the demands. Needless to say, on certain days one or more of the balls dropped, but I had to make sure I gathered up any fallen and paid closer attention to keeping the same in the air the next day and the days following.

Aside from focusing on my writing, researching, promotion, editing and cyber communication for 8-10 hours at least five days a week, I had other responsibilities and events that threatened to cripple my creativity—some threatening to cripple it permanently. But as with anything in life we love and love doing, I decided to step back from the creative process over my vacation and give myself a break from the balancing act.

Funny thing happened. Although some would have surrendered, I’ve stuck it out. After only two days on vacation, I started missing my writing time at the computer. On several pages of a magazine I’d brought along for reading during our flights, I jotted notes for a new story. A couple days later, I attended a writer’s conference and quickly became caught up in the swell of activity and camaraderie of fellow authors. As I returned to the hotel room after dining with some friends the first night of the conference, I sat down and chatted with my husband about how it was impossible for me to stay away from writing for very long. Writing is a passion. It’s something I can’t purge from my life no matter how many demands, frustrations, setbacks and emergencies are otherwise flung my way.

Life is great, but life is also tough. It puts many obstacles in our paths, but we mustn’t allow them to deter us from fulfilling our goals and doing our best to make our dreams become reality. Realize there will be times you will have to forego certain pursuits temporarily in favor of others. But never, ever let your dreams slip away. Go after what you love. Pursue it with passion. Dare to make your dreams become reality.

Shawna Moore

ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave

HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave

http://www.grant-moore.com

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Texas Author Explosion

Texas Author Explosion

September 15 2007

5p.m. to 9 p.m.

Dallas Convention Center

Above TBAAL’s Naomi Bruton Theatre

On the corner of Lamar

Come join us Saturday September 15th at 5.00 p.m. for the Texas Author Explosion at the Dallas convention center Downtown Dallas, Texas. If you would like to be a participating author the price is only 30 dollars.

You can send a pay pal payment to

kim@kim-robinson.com or send check or money order to

Texas Author Explosion

1110 Timbercreek Drive

Allen Texas 75002

Secure your table and time on the mike. All participating author's books will be sold by Ms. Emma Rodgers from Black Images Book Store @ 40%. You can contact Ms. Rodgers at ESrodgers@aol.com.

This event is to help a woman who helped so many over the 33 years that she ran a book store in Dallas. She was forced to close her doors. Now she needs our help.

All authors will be allowed to speak about their works and will have their own table where they can sign autographs and converse with their fans. We do ask that you bring your own props to decorate your table (s). If you're an author not able to attend and would like to send promotional items and books etc for the gift bags and giveaways please send them to....

Lesley Hal

2605 John West rd #3101

Dallas, TX 75228

If you need any more information about this event please contact me off the loop at lesley_hal2000@yahoo.com or Kim@kim-robinson.com 972 747-7313

I am a Woman on the Rise

www.noaw.org

Help me out and vote for me in the historical entries

TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS, GO TO WWW.LITERARYAWARDSHOW.COM AND CLICK ON VOTING.

Barbara Joe Williams

I am in Barbara Joe Williams anthology How I met My Sweetheart

Barbara, you’ve been described as the “hardest working woman in self-publishing” and a “marketing guru.” What made you decide to become a self-published author?

Honestly, I tried the traditional publishing route, and it just wasn’t working out for me. So I decided to do some research on the publishing industry. After learning that several of my favorite authors started out by publishing themselves, I decided to give self-publishing a try. Now five books later, I’m still happy with the decision that I made because it has allowed me a tremendous amount of opportunities. I’ve been able to meet a host of published authors, aspiring writers, and travel around promoting my books by speaking at conferences and conducting workshops.

Tell us, what is your inspiration for writing?

My inspiration for writing comes from the love of the written word and romance novels. I’ve always loved to read, and I read everything, but romance has a special place in my heart. After searching the bookstores for romance novels focusing on married people and being disappointed, I decided it was time to write one of my own. So my first two books titled, Forgive Us This Day and Dancing with Temptation, are about married couples that have been together for years and the problems are beginning to surface.

Tell us about your latest release and how you came up with the idea to write about a female minister.

Well, I’ve met a lot of single female ministers, and they seem to be having the same problems as other single women regarding relationships. So I wanted to write a story showing that their trials and tribulations are the same as other women. Sometimes the pastor is looked upon as being all-knowing, very spiritual, and untouchable, but they’re human too, and that’s the side that I wanted to show. Pastor Karema Wright, the main character in Falling for Lies, is a wise woman who happens to fall in love with the wrong man for the wrong reasons. And she loses almost everything before she even realizes what’s going on because she’s falling for lies.

What are your goals with your writing career?

My primary goal is to continue writing and publishing books for myself until I can secure an agent and a writing contract. And I enjoy publishing books for other writers under my company, Amani Publishing, LLC. So my other goal would be to continue helping other aspiring authors reach their dreams while continuing to pursue mine. And since I have several books coming out within the next year, you can check out my website at: www.amanipublishing.net for more details and contact information.

Barbara Joe-Williams resides in Tallahassee, Florida, with her husband, daughter, and dog. She’s published three novels and two non-fiction books including an anthology titled How I Met My Sweetheart and a handbook titled A Writer’s Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing.

Tee C. Royal is one of the biggest promoters in the literary world

I met Tee C. Royal at the RawSistaz literary event in South Carolina a couple of years ago. It was a very rewarding experience. I met so many wonderful authors who have become family to me. We are blessed to have her here.

Tee C. Royal is the founder of RAWSISTAZ Literary Group and its subsidiaries, a literary agent, wife and mother. She resides in the suburbs of Atlanta with her family.

How did RAWSISTAZ come about? RAWSISTAZ (Reading and Writing SISTAZ) came about in September 2000 when I was asked to start a book club for the online group SISTAZ. Since I enjoyed both reading and writing, I wanted to incorporate both, so RAWSISTAZ was born. With a handful of members from the original SISTAZ group, we opened the doors to others and branched off into a separate entity.

How long have you been reading? I’ve been reading for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories as a child are hiding on top of the house and under my bed reading.

What made you want to support authors? One of my biggest annoyances is people who talk a good game, but don’t really do anything. Another is seeing a great piece of work not getting the exposure it deserves. Both were what pushed me to have the main focus of RAWSISTAZ on supporting and promoting African-American authors and their work.

Is this a rewarding or a thankless job? It’s sometimes a bit of both, but the rewarding part always overshadows everything else. No matter how many people I run across who don’t bother with a THANK YOU, I still enjoy what I do, and plan to always do it. It’s also rewarding because I can see the impact and importance of RAWSISTAZ and I’ve met some wonderful people through the various groups.

What has RAWSISTAZ diversified into? RAWSISTAZ does various things in the literary industry, but our main objective will never change. We are most known for our free Black Book Reviews (www.blackbookreviews.net), our team of reviewers, and our online book clubs and offline chapters. We have other projects in the works, but they all revolve around the literary industry. There’s also our annual literary event, The RAWSISTAZ Affair.

For an author to take full advantage of your services and your group what should they do? First and foremost, visit the main website at www.rawsistaz.com. The website alone is a major source for exposure, at no cost to the author. There are sections to list your website, book information, bio, and items of this nature. I would also suggest joining RAW4ALL, our online literary hangout with members who are readers, writers, agents, editors, and other literary professionals. The wealth of information shared in the group is at times overwhelming, but almost always helpful. I’d also recommend visiting the various resources & links listed on our site, subscribing to our newsletters, and reading our blogs. Collectively, we offer the perfect one-stop location for “keeping you in the know regarding the African-American literary community.”

What in the literary world excites you? A better question would be what doesn’t. LOL. I simply love reading or hearing about a great book. I also love when unknown authors are in the spotlight and able to share their craft with avid readers. Most recently, I’ve been fascinated with the whole publishing process. So, there isn’t much in the industry that doesn’t excite me.

Is this why you became an agent? Pretty much, yes. It was an extension of what I’ve already been doing for six years with RAWSISTAZ, just another route for doing it and on a different scale. Granted, it’s much more complex than what I’ve done with RAWSISTAZ, but I enjoy it just as much.

Tell us about a typical day for you. Now that I’m an agent too, my day is a bit different work-wise, but for the most part, I get up before everyone and immediately start working. I then take a break and wake up the family, get coffee on and try to slip in some exercise. Then I drop off my daughter at summer camp. From there, the day varies as I normally run personal family errands once a week.

But, on most days I return back to work and go through submissions, check through email, do call-backs, and work on client projects. I also may do some editing or manuscript evaluations. I also blend in the RAWSISTAZ stuff and work on admin to the site, email, reviews, following up with publishers and authors, and depending on the day, I’ll pick up mail and log in books received. I’ll also peek in at the various groups and lend a hand as needed. I do a LOT of email correspondence, so that takes up quite a bit of my time.

Pretty soon, it’s time to pick my daughter up. Then, I work with her for a while on school stuff and depending on the day I may do housework (or I go back to work) and stop in time to get dinner ready. We then eat and have family time. After that, depending on the night, I’m back at the above things, since I admit I’m a workaholic. Sometimes we play games, do yard work or hide out in our respective areas of the house. Once they’re off to bed, I normally do more work, research or read until about midnight. I normally sleep 4-5 hrs and then the process starts over again.

Thank you so much for joining us Tee C.

TEE C.ROYAL THE LADY WHO RUNS ONE OF THE BEST FORUMS FOR AUTHORS ON ALL LEVELS FROM NEW YORK TO ESSENCE BEST SELLER LIST TO FIRST TIME AUTHORS

I had the pleasure of meeting Tee C. Royal in 2006 at the Raw conference in South Carolina she puts on a wonderful well organized and very informative conference. I met some many wonderful people who I had been talking to for years on line and now that we have met we are family.

Tee C. Royal is the founder of RAWSISTAZ Literary Group and its subsidiaries, a literary agent, wife and mother. She resides in the suburbs of Atlanta with her family.

How did RAWSISTAZ come about? RAWSISTAZ (Reading and Writing SISTAZ) came about in September 2000 when I was asked to start a book club for the online group SISTAZ. Since I enjoyed both reading and writing, I wanted to incorporate both, so RAWSISTAZ was born. With a handful of members from the original SISTAZ group, we opened the doors to others and branched off into a separate entity.

How long have you been reading? I’ve been reading for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories as a child are hiding on top of the house and under my bed reading.

What made you want to support authors? One of my biggest annoyances is people who talk a good game, but don’t really do anything. Another is seeing a great piece of work not getting the exposure it deserves. Both were what pushed me to have the main focus of RAWSISTAZ on supporting and promoting African-American authors and their work.

Is this a rewarding or a thankless job? It’s sometimes a bit of both, but the rewarding part always overshadows everything else. No matter how many people I run across who don’t bother with a THANK YOU, I still enjoy what I do, and plan to always do it. It’s also rewarding because I can see the impact and importance of RAWSISTAZ and I’ve met some wonderful people through the various groups.

What has RAWSISTAZ diversified into? RAWSISTAZ does various things in the literary industry, but our main objective will never change. We are most known for our free Black Book Reviews (www.blackbookreviews.net), our team of reviewers, and our online book clubs and offline chapters. We have other projects in the works, but they all revolve around the literary industry. There’s also our annual literary event, The RAWSISTAZ Affair.

For an author to take full advantage of your services and your group what should they do? First and foremost, visit the main website at www.rawsistaz.com. The website alone is a major source for exposure, at no cost to the author. There are sections to list your website, book information, bio, and items of this nature. I would also suggest joining RAW4ALL, our online literary hangout with members who are readers, writers, agents, editors, and other literary professionals. The wealth of information shared in the group is at times overwhelming, but almost always helpful. I’d also recommend visiting the various resources & links listed on our site, subscribing to our newsletters, and reading our blogs. Collectively, we offer the perfect one-stop location for “keeping you in the know regarding the African-American literary community.”

What in the literary world excites you? A better question would be what doesn’t. LOL. I simply love reading or hearing about a great book. I also love when unknown authors are in the spotlight and able to share their craft with avid readers. Most recently, I’ve been fascinated with the whole publishing process. So, there isn’t much in the industry that doesn’t excite me.

Is this why you became an agent? Pretty much, yes. It was an extension of what I’ve already been doing for six years with RAWSISTAZ, just another route for doing it and on a different scale. Granted, it’s much more complex than what I’ve done with RAWSISTAZ, but I enjoy it just as much.

Tell us about a typical day for you. Now that I’m an agent too, my day is a bit different work-wise, but for the most part, I get up before everyone and immediately start working. I then take a break and wake up the family, get coffee on and try to slip in some exercise. Then I drop off my daughter at summer camp. From there, the day varies as I normally run personal family errands once a week.

But, on most days I return back to work and go through submissions, check through email, do call-backs, and work on client projects. I also may do some editing or manuscript evaluations. I also blend in the RAWSISTAZ stuff and work on admin to the site, email, reviews, following up with publishers and authors, and depending on the day, I’ll pick up mail and log in books received. I’ll also peek in at the various groups and lend a hand as needed. I do a LOT of email correspondence, so that takes up quite a bit of my time.

Pretty soon, it’s time to pick my daughter up. Then, I work with her for a while on school stuff and depending on the day I may do housework (or I go back to work) and stop in time to get dinner ready. We then eat and have family time. After that, depending on the night, I’m back at the above things, since I admit I’m a workaholic. Sometimes we play games, do yard work or hide out in our respective areas of the house. Once they’re off to bed, I normally do more work, research or read until about midnight. I normally sleep 4-5 hrs and then the process starts over again.

L.Y. Marlow shares her families history of abuse

My Voice, My Words, My Journey

by L. Y. Marlow, Author of Color Me Butterfly

“I was sixteen years old the first time my left eye was blackened, my lip split. The culprit: my seventeen-year old boyfriend in a jealous rage because he thought that I was seeing another boy. Not true, but by the time he folded me in his arms and begged for forgiveness, the swelling was already rising.”

This is my story, one that is too often told. Stories that fester from women who come from all walks of life – young, old, the haves and the have-nots; domestic violence has no barriers, offers no dividing lines. It rears its ugly head in every culture, in every community.

I wish I could say that my story ended that fateful day when the swelling started to rise. I wish I could say that I had never heard of or been exposed to domestic violence before I was sixteen. I wish I could say that this phenomenon did not exist in my family before I was a stitch in my family’s fabric line, a seed in my mother’s womb. I wish I could say that sixty years of domestic violence has not prevailed my family; but those wishes are just that – wishes. I come from a legacy of women – four generations to be exact – where every kind of domestic abuse – be it physical, verbal, emotional, psychological, or sexual – has been at the hem of the fabric of my family.

In Color Me Butterfly, I tell the unnerving, real and brutal accounts of how my grandmother, my mother, myself and even my daughter, have suffered at the hands of domestic violence, literally. It seems to be a vicious cycle that won’t turn loose my family. It is a truth that has gone untold for many, many years; and it has become the match that has lit a fire beneath my torch; a torch that I have vowed to carry – a crusade in its own right – to tell my story, spread the word, and raise awareness.

About Color Me Butterfly

Spanning over sixty years, this poignant, well-written book tells the story of four generations of mothers and daughters who embrace a legacy of unconditional love, old-fashioned family values, and faith to triumph over a life plagued with unspeakable abuse and pain. Written with the flow of a novel, with frank wisdom and wit, Color Me Butterfly encourages readers to immerse themselves in this family’s life and become an advocate for change. It will incite discussion, debate and heightened awareness about intergenerational abuse and its impact on our society.

Linda R. Herman

Hello, ALL! I'm Linda R. Herman, a new, up and coming author. I am proud and truly blessed to be able to share this news with all of you. My first ever published short story will debut on July 21, 2007! I'm going to give you a synopsis that will convince you to check this one out at www.lavenderisis.com!!! And here we go!

After committing the ultimate act of adultery, Tyanna Washington does not feel she is worthy of true love.

Jay Bryant has sex appeal that a young Tyanna could not deny. She fell head over heels in love with him despite his commitment to his wife and their kids. Their affair produced a beautiful daughter, Jayla. When Mrs. Bryant discovered the hidden truth she packed up and left. Tyanna took advantage of the situation. She and Jayla moved in with Jay.

But love built on lies doesn't always last long. As soon as Monica, Jay's wife, announced that she and their boys would be returning to their home, Jay gave Tyanna the boot! She and Jayla were sent packing.

With no job and no place to go, Tyanna returns home to her mother's. She is reintroduced to her brother's childhood friend, Derek. The last thing Tyanna's heart is searching for is love but it's the one thing that Derek offers.

Even though Tyanna doesn't believe she is worthy of true love with Derek, she learns that all things come in their own time...even love.

My link is www.myspace.com/linherman. If the link fails please search for me by first and last name or email, writerlin2003@yahoo.com. Thank you all so much! Be blessed!

Linda R. Herman aka Sunshine

www.lavenderisis.com July 21st! "A Time For Love"

www.xpressyourselfpublishing.org August 2007 pre-order Erogenous Zone: A Sexual Voyage

Sandra Rafaela Afro European Network

Interview AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE Reading my column on net(working) for women by coincidence, Sandra Rafaela wrote to me via Email to tell me about her initiative for an Afro-European Network for women. As it sounded very interesting to me and, I assume, to our readers too, I would like to present her Sisters-Network to you. Additionally I asked her about how large her net of wonderful women already is, what feedback she is given by the visitors on her website and if she has a story to tell about connecting Afro-European women via www.aesn.eu successfully. Here is what Sandra Rafaela had to say! Question: Ms. Rafaela, when did the idea to create the internet platform Afro-European-Sisters-Network appear to you and why? Ms. Rafaela: It appeared to me during my vacation in November 2005. There isn't really a why but more becoming aware of the fact that there are not many black women organizations or websites in Europe and therefore not many role models. The idea just came to me and I worked it out, did some research and came to the conclusion that I could wait for someone else to start or I could do it myself. Question: How long did it take after the idea appeared to realize your platform? Ms. Rafaela: It took me about 5 months to get everything started. I already new that it would be called the Afro European Sisters Network but I had to get the domains www.aesn.nl and www.aesn.eu The EU domain took until April 2006. Didn't know anything about web design so I had to get into that too. But I did some IT study in the past so it was just a matter of reading about it and than understand how it all worked. After the technical part I had to think about what I wanted to achieve and how I was going to do it. So during the months that I had to wait for the EU domain I thought about the lay out of the web site. The different pages that I would create and how the network will develop. Question: What kind of women join(ed) the AESN, where do they come from and what are their aims and contributions to the network? Ms. Rafaela: When I started my virtual network AESN I was concentrating on Europe. Of course first with the Netherlands but I didn't get the respond that I wanted so I decided to cross the borders. Without realizing it the network went global. I started getting emails from everywhere. Women from the United States, South America, Caribbean, Africa and of course Europe. The aims of the women are that they really want to connect to an European network and their contribution is that they spread the word and send in articles and want me to start activities. Question: Where do you see the AESN and yourself in five years? On what projects are you currently working on or planning for the future concerning the network? Ms. Rafaela: In five years, that is exactly the time that I gave myself to make this network work. In five years I want the network to work as I have it visualized. Currently I'am working on bringing structure in the large database that I have gathered in the past few months and am working some plans out. Question: What do you think about networks for women in general? Do women need networks and for what purpose? Ms. Rafaela: Well networks are great! And yes women need networks because why would you invent a wheel that already has been invented. Why not make use of the knowledge that is already there. In my network you will find house wife's, business women, authors, celebrities etc. All these different women can help other women to achieve their goals and they really want too! Question: Do you yourself feel well connected to other networks and if so to what kind of networks? Ms. Rafaela: Yes, I have joined a lot of different networks but not especially on black women but black women in a line of business. By joining all these networks I have increased my reach and information source. Most of the networks are not European Question: The success and the soul of a network depend on the people who join and contribute to it. Can you tell us a story about how your network has connected or supported women up to this point in time? Ms. Rafaela: Because of my network you see that a lot of women become aware of the fact that we black women are not that different. We might speak another language but that's about it. Further you see that black women (outside of Europe) are eager to learn more about black European women. So the bridge has been build!A good example is the mix that I made on www.myspace.com/aesn you see that all the women are connecting to each other and that is great.

Afro European Sisters Network

Sandra Rafaëla

Odastraat 13

3073 ZM Rotterdam

The Netherlands Europe

www.aesn.nl

www.aesn.eu

www.myspace.com/aesn