They took the quiz.  They answered 20 questions.  Some right some wrong, but since only 2 people took the quiz, there are only two winners.

Congratulations to Kimberly and Joanne for entering the contest and winning an autographed copy of Just Be! 

Lord. What did I get myself into?
I’ve been home from my third session of boot camp for about 30 minutes now and I am finally not coughing, wheezing and sneezing.

As I type, I sip on a smoothie that I just created. Recipe will be at the end of today’s entry.

I came home Sunday night to see an e-mail from my trainer titled The Watermelon Workout. We were told to bring one watermelon with us to boot camp for today. Mmkay. After work today, I stopped at Wal Mart and grabbed the smallest watermelon I saw. Today was the first time I ever bought a watermelon. I’ve eated watermelon but in my years of grocery shopping for myself, I’ve never purchased one. I don’t even have a knife to cut a watermelon.

I get to boot camp and see the first class working out with theirs and see the types of exercises we’ll do tonight.

False advertising or it looked way easier for them, lol.

So our class starts and we have a discussion on nutrition tips like using a 7 inch plate for breakfast and 9 inch plates for lunch and dinner. Most plate sizes these days are 11 inches.

My right arm hurts.

So our warm up is a run. I grabbed my sauna suit top and put it on for the first time.

I’m not a runner. Wednesday’s class is my running class and we had to do a mile. I did the mile but I mostly walked.

We ran up and down a hill and stairs.

Get back, grab our mats and those watermelons.

I forget what the first watermelon exercise was, but I wish I had my sorority sister’s teeny tiny watermelon or a canteloupe.

Oh wait. I remember now. We did squats with the watermelon. 20 or 25 of them.

We then had to run up and down the park steps 4 times carrying the watermelon. Sorority sister (SS) traded her teeny tiny one for my not so teeny tiny one. Thank GOD!

After this, I flung off that dang on sauna suit top.

Get back and we start doing sit ups with the watermelon. Then we do partner sit ups with the watermelon. I need a name for this thing. Watermelon is too much too type. Let’s call him Wes. With SS’s watermelon (named Willie), we do the partner sit ups where we pass Willie back and forth.

Right arm really hurts.

Then we do one armed push ups with Wes and Willie. 10 each. Those were so much fun. No sarcasm.

What did we do next?

Oh yeah, fling your partner’s legs down sit ups. Minus Wes and Willie.

We did more Wes and Willie squats, lunges, mountain climbers, and other such exercises that the devil himself had to have created.

Lisa (trainer) sure knows how to cram a lot into 45 minutes.

I was so glad when cool down came. So so so glad.

SS and I played Kick Wes until we got to the bench where Wes’ bag sat.

Then I had to pick Wes back up along with mat and other supplies to walk back up the steps to get to my car to get home.

I drove home in a daze.

Like for real.

Right arm. Bless its heart.

I made it home and cursed the 3 flights of stairs I had to climb.

If I didn’t lose a pound, a centimeter, an inch, SOMETHING, then I will never eat watermelon again. Wes or any of his freaking family members.

Wes has to sleep in the car tonight.

Time for the recipe of the smoothie I made tonight.

You Survived Watermelon Workout, Wheezie Smoothie

1 cup of soy milk, maybe more, lol
1 cup or so of frozen fruit (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries)
1/4 cup of Splenda
1/4 cup of orange juice
1 scoop of soy protein
1 tablespoon of honey
Put it in the blender. Press a button. Let it blend. Drink it.

And now time for my post-workout bath in epsom salt.  I must stay awake to catch the season finale of The Bad Girls Club.  I hope I can walk and type tomorrow.  And walk/run at tomorrow’s class.

10 years ago today, I graduated from college.   I was 22 and full of optimism.  I had a teaching job waiting for me in Columbus, Ohio.  I walked across the lawn in Graduation Hollow ready to begin my adult life.  Bill Clinton was president.  Gas prices were low, but I had no car so that didn’t impact my daily life.

After I left Wittenberg, I only imagined that at one point, I would start grad school since The (you have to say The) Ohio State University offered free classes to Columbus Public School teachers one class at a time.  I took a few courses, but could not decide what I wanted to get a masters in.  Some said I should be an administrator, i.e. principal.Y’all saw how much trouble they gave Joe Clark, right.  Yeah, I’m not the one.

I contemplated being a guidance counselor, but I saw that part of that job included following up on truant students.

I feel I did great work in the classroom, but times are a changing.  We’re living in the day of technology where kids carry cell phones before they have a pencil, pen, and books in hand.  Yesterday I read about how 2 middle school students tried to rape a staff member.  The climate in the schools have changed tremendously.  But despite what we see on TV and read in the news, there are still many great schools with wonderful students and teachers working together.

Ten years went by so quickly.  As I sat in college, I saw my life going one way, as so many of us did, and the reality is different.  I never had write a book on my list of things I want to be and do in life.  I planned to be a child psychologist until I encountered Psych Stats.  The devil dwells in math textbooks, lol.

In college, I was introduced to e-mail, but never imagined how the Internet would grow in leaps and bounds.  Gas prices have done the same.

My five years at Witt were great.  Made a lot of great friends and had some wonderful professors who really improved my writing and critical thinking.  The time spent at Wittenberg, most of it in the A/V section of the college library, were some of the best years of my life.  Spending time in the Commons, with a cheeseburger combo, Mountain Dew, and 3 Otis Spunkmeyer cookies as I wasted time before going to the library or class.

I’ve grown up a lot in ten years.  I think I have always been mature, but I see a lot of what I was told as a kid and a teen being so true for myself.

College gave me a very valuable education, but life after college has given me an even greater one.  And without having to take out a student loan or two in the process.

I am preparing for tonight’s episode of Ugly Betty to come and I want to know something.

If Marc no longer works at Mode and Wilhemina’s brain child Slater has yet to come to pass, what is Marc doing to earn money?  How is Wilhemina able to pay him?  And for that matter, pay Christina to be the surrogate mother for her Meade heir to the throne?

Just what I’m thinking of today.

An Ugly Betty junkie with 24 minutes until her fix.

This is the week of exercise and hopping is an exercise.  I know it’s a stretch, but humor me.   

As we’ve seen with shows like The Biggest Loser and partly with the now defunct Extreme Makeover (watch reruns on the Style channel), losing weight means eating right plus regular exercise. 

This week’s blog hopping is all about healthy eating and exercise tips.  We might just learn something together. 

Chocolate is good, great, and definitely delicious.  A Weight Lifted has a very healthy alternative to brownies in the form of chocolate soy brownies.  Since 2006, I only buy soy milk and it is really a great thing to buy.  For one it lasts longer than regular milk and it is healthier.  The recipe that’s provided on A Weight Lifted calls for soy protein which can be found at GNC or other health food stores that sell vitamins and such.  I add a scoop to my water after workouts or a scoop to some milk and frozen fruit to make a great smoothie. 

According to A Weight Lifted, research shows that soy protein is good for your heart, kidneys, and blood vessels.  Soy protein is also beneficial in lowering your cholesterol.  Visit Soy Connection for more information about the benefits of adding soy products to your diet as well as recipes using soy.

Last year in one of my blogs, I talked about my tolerate/hate relationship with the elliptical machine so imagine my surprise when I discovered a kindred spirit in Angela the Beginner Fitness Junkie this week.  I’m still not a fan of the elliptical machine primarily because it does not facilitate easier book reading while on  that thing so I stick to the treadmill too.

BFJ clearly states she is no expert.  She’s a writer and copy editor who wants to tone up.  I like her blog because it is less technical and more personal with a conversational tone, like you’re reading an e-mail from a friend.  She even shares a cool recipe involving chicken thighs, ranch dressing, and rice.  I think I will try this recipe that she found via Recipezaar.  I love Recipezaar as they have gifted me many great smoothie recipes over the last year. 

I followed a link on Angela’s post to a site with Weight Lifting Tips for Women.  Not a blog per se, but filled with many great articles about the benefits of weight lifting for women as well as exercises recommended for women. 

So there you have it, more resources, blogs, and websites for the health conscious.  We might not be the biggest loser, but every little bit we do to improve our health makes us winners.

 Here’s to your health!

Howdy, blog audience.

I am home from day one of boot camp.  Like Olivia said on an episode of The Cosby Show, “I’m still alive.”

Today was more of an assessment and getting to know you day at camp.  My weight and measurements are classified, but I am 5′4 1/2 inches tall.  We did warm up exercises — march, jogging in place, stretches, and whooo boy.  Then we counted how many push ups we could do in a minute.  I did 25 level 2 push ups on my knees.

I did 22 sit ups in a minute.

I did 25 squats in one minute.

I cannot stand on a single leg off to the side.

I for sure cannot stand on a single leg off to the side with my eyes closed.

Tomorrow is gut buster class that also makes us run.  My name is not Flo Jo so I am sure tomorrow I will need to soak in the tub.

Class is full of women.  I believe 20 of us.  One of them is my friend and sorority sister. 

The trainer is really cool and encouraging.  She doesn’t yell or beat or make us say, “Hoo Rah, Lisa!”  Tomorrow is a different class with a different teacher and she seems very nice as well. 

Starting tomorrow I plan to walk in the mornings before work at work since we have a business park.  I want to walk alone so I can just have me, myself and my MP3 player.  I don’t want any companions where I have to make conversation and walk at their pace.  My quiet time.

I can’t promise that I will blog after every session of boot camp, but I’ll try.  Even if it is just a short post.

And I wrote today.  300 words. 

I’m headed to boot camp this evening after work.  No, I didn’t join the military.  This is a fitness boot camp for women.  I have my gym membership with Planet Fitness, but I don’t always go and when I go I work out but don’t always exercise to the best of my ability.  So while watching Toccara transform on Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp, I became inspired to do something for me once and for all. 

It helps that I want to lose weight for a cruise in September, but I want to be physically healthy and get back to a certain size in clothes.  I recently looked at a picture of myself from junior year in college and I was shocked at how small I was in comparison to now.  I never battled weight until after college and it never became an issue for me until I moved to Charlotte.  But it’s time for me to divorce the blubber that clings to me.  So I let my fingers do the walking and clicking, headed to Google and found Bringing Sexy Back Boot Camp.  Starting today, I go three days a week with a group of women for 45 minutes. 

Unlike CFC, Harvey Walden IV won’t be around so that means I won’t have to say “Hoo-Rah.”  I won’t stand on some big scale and be dressed down for not losing 5 pounds in a week.  I don’t even think there are weekly weigh ins, lol.  

The Boot Camp is about more than just the exercise, it’s diet too.  I don’t have to go on a diet, but I will improve my diet.  Part of the Boot Camp contract is no sweets and no alcohol.  I’ve added to the No List.  For me, the No List is No Sweets, No Alcohol, No Pop, No Fried Foods, and No Fast Food.  Subway is not included.  If it worked for Jared and The Biggest Loser contestants, it can and will work for me too.

So that means when I go home this week, no carrot cake from a family member’s restaurant.  It means no chicken wings and fries from Hot Sauce Williams.  I can’t toast a drink with my family on the release of my second book, unless it’s water, orange juice, or pomegranate blueberry juice. 

But even though I have to give up certain things that I like while in boot camp, I will gain as well as lose.  I gain energy as I lose pounds and inches.  I gain new clothes as I get rid of the clothes that no longer fit my body as I go back down the size chart.  I gain health and years added to my life as I lose body fat. 

It’s not going to be pretty. 

I’m going in.

Today is my Wax Poetic about 5 Things that I Love Blog Day.

In other words, random blog.

Life in North Carolina is groovy thanks to Early Voting.  Saturday, I woke up and remembered thanks to watching the news that it was the last day I could do early voting for Tuesday’s primary vote in NC.  So I went grocery shopping, mailed some letters, and went to the library right at 10:00 thinking I could be back home by 10:30 to watch The Mighty B on Nickelodeon.  WRONG!!  The line was out the door.  So I grabbed my MP3 player, headphones and stood in line behind a 27 year old man who registered to vote for the first time that day.  Made it inside by 10:55 and was done voting by 11:10. 

I love that we get to vote early.  In 2004, I early voted for the first time and got in line at noon.  The line, at the same library, was out the door and around 3 of the 4 library walls.  Yikes!  I didn’t have an MP3 player that day or even a book with me to while away the time.

So viva la early voting!  You really rock my socks.  But in November, when I go to early vote, I will be in line by 8 with a book in hand and my MP3 player.

Cartoons.  I love cartoons.  I grew up loving cartoons.  From Tom and Jerry to Bugs Bunny to Woody Woodpecker to the Smurfs and a gamut of others.  In my adult years, I have loved The Proud Family, Recess, Pepper Ann, As Told By Ginger, Spongebob Squarepants and The Boondocks.  Sometime in the last year, I have added two more to my list – The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron and The Fairly Oddparents.  Every morning at 7:00 before I leave for work, I at least watch the theme song and opening credits of The Fairly Oddparents.   And now Nickelodeon has added a new one called The Mighty B.  Girl Scout with a lisp does incredible things and always comes out on top.

Chocolate Turtle Chex Mix  This stuff rocks!  I never ate Chex Mix until this year and this is so good.  Unsalted pretzels, caramel corn, tiny M&Ms, and the chex mix stuff.  Yummy for my tummy, but I think I must give it up for the summer.

Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream.  Last week was free scoop day at Ben and Jerry’s.  I went on my lunch hour and had a scoop of ONE Cheesecake Brownie.  Awesomely yummy.  I was a bit surprised to see so many kids there during the day getting a scoop only to get back in line for another and another.  Surely not all of these kids are home schooled.

My favorite flavors are Phish Food, Vanilla Heath Toffee, Peach Cobbler and ONE Cheesecake Brownie.

HGTV.  I don’t know who introduced me to the wonder that is HGTV, but God bless them for it.   I love this channel, especially Hidden Potential, House Hunters, Divine Design, Spice up My Kitchen, and Deserving Design.  I love to see the transformations that can occur and the vast difference between the before and the after.  I see different things done on these shows and add them to my “I want that in my house” list.

This is the week of the sequel.  Monday, I treated you to the cover of Just Be.  Yesterday, I discussed my excitement about the release of Midnight:  A Gangster Love Story by Sister Souljah.  Today I discuss movie sequels coming out this year.

A month from today, the long-awaited, much anticipated big screen version of Sex and the City opens in theaters around the country.  Sex and the City  began as a book by Candace Bushnell, author of Lipstick Jungle which became a TV show in November 2007.

I’m not sure if Sex and the City  is actually a sequel, but since it is based on a book and happens four years after the TV series ended, it qualifies for this week’s blog.

I have a confession to make first.  I never saw the TV series.  Not even on TBS.  I didn’t have HBO the whole time it was on that channel, but seeing the movie previews has me excited to check it out.  So I think I will rent all of the seasons and watch them as time allows and then see the movie.  

Women around the country are going to flood this movie much like men will when Incredible Hulk, Indiana Jones, and Iron Man come out this year.  I know groups of women who are going to don their fancy dresses, expensive shoes and head out in packs with their girlfriends to catch up with Samantha, Carrie, and the other two women. 

Visit the Sex and the City Movie blog for posts dedicated to keeping you in the know about the movie. 

On August 8^th, a week after my birthday, head to your local theater to catch The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.  Last year, I read the first three books in the series and was hoping that the sequel would be about book 2, but it’s not.  It will skip to the last book in the series Forever in Blue:  The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood.

When I read the first three books, I discovered the differences between the book and movie.  I won’t spoil them for you to allow you the chance to read the books for yourself.  They’re well worth the read and give you a better sense of Carmen, Bridget, Lena, and Tibby.  I will say though that interesting things happen to all of them so I am looking forward to how the movie sequel captures all that has happened to them in books 2, 3, and 4 to be the final result on the big screen.

Visit Random House for details about the movie, its soundtrack and other fun stuff. 

According to IMDB.com, High School Musical 3 comes out in October 2008.  I still have not seen the first two movies, but I have no doubt that Disney will allow me to see both many times before October 24^th when HSM3 hits the TV screens.  Oh wait, per IMDB, HSM3 will debut on the big screen. 

IMDB.com is such a wealth of information for me today.  For all of the Harry Potter fans, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince comes out November 21, 2008. 

So there you have it, four great sequels to check out this year.  I think it’s totally wonderful that three of the four are based on books.  If you didn’t know, now you know!  Happy movie watching and book reading!

The sequel’s coming!  The sequel’s coming!  In my best Spongebob voice:  I’m ready!  I’m ready! 

And I’m not even talking about Just Be, the sequel to Freshman Focus.  I am talking about the sequel to Sister Souljah’s The Coldest Winter Ever.  I encountered The Coldest Winter Ever in January 2000 and was hooked from page one.  That weekend that I read it, I didn’t entertain too many phone calls.  I just fully immersed myself in Winter’s world.  It’s been eight years since I read this masterpiece, but it’s one book that stayed with me.  I remember feeling emotionally invested in what happened to Winter, her parents, her sisters, and her love for Midnight.  

In Winter’s eyes, Midnight was perfection and I carried that with me.  Why didn’t Midnight want Winter as much as every other man did?  Why did he rebuff her outside of the age thing and that he worked for her extremely powerful father?  Is Midnight as handsome as Winter leads us to believe?  Who is Midnight?

Well, in October 2008, I believe we can find out the answers to some of our questions as we read Midnight:  A Gangster Love Story.  How will Winter and her sisters be a part of his story?   Will she be out of prison? I am drawing a blank on some of the details of The Coldest Winter Ever so my plan is to re-read it at the end of September to refresh my memory in preparation for October 14^th, the date of Midnight’s release.

I’m excited to see what Sister Souljah has written.  I cannot imagine what is contained in the 352 pages, but I do know that her words were chosen with care.  Well, that’s my intuition.

And maybe once Midnight arrives, someone who is the best person for the project will finally tackle the movie version of The Coldest Winter Ever.  And while I am no Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, in my experience of seeing books translated into movies, I lean heavily on the side of making The Coldest Winter Ever into a mini-series similar to what they did to The Starter Wife last year on USA.  I say this because I often look forward to seeing a beloved book on the big screen only to be disappointed at how they crammed hundreds of pages into an arbitrarily chosen length of film.  The Coldest Winter Ever is 400+ pages and should not be a 2 hour movie.  2 hours each night for 5 nights with no commercials would suit me just fine.  If they have commercials, then it needs to be limited commercials like they do on TBS and give me 2 extra days.  I’m just saying.

So again, I remind you and myself that I’m ready, I’m ready!

And this picture is worth more than just one thousand.

This picture shows the culmination of many days and nights crafting another story of Lamar, Destiny, Steven, and Kendra.  This picture is the reflection of a partnership between Janeane and I both using our respective talents to tell a great story and illustrate that story.  Look at this picture and you’ll see my hopes and dreams.  This picture is the second layer of the Carter G. Woodson High School series.  It is the second story of many more stories to come.   It is my hope that you will read this book, share it with others, and Just Be.

I’m back for another round of blog hopping!  In the year plus that I’ve been published, I’ve learned about a great number of blogs out there for authors by authors.  Blogs that interview authors and inform readers of new releases.  Blogs that talk about the journey to publication and life as a published author.  Group blogs where authors blog as a group about events, issues, and concerns in the publishing community.

Last week, I shared with you about the change in Sweet Valley High where the twins Jessica and Elizabeth will go from a size 6 to a size 4.  Very alarming, right?

Hold on to your hats, boys and girls.  In real life, thanks to Liz B over at Tea Cozy, I learned of real life moms who take their 9 year olds to get a bikini wax.  I’m fully grown but have never had a wax of any sort.  The closest I come to wax is what roams in my ears and the wax that melts from candles.

As a 9 year old, I don’t recall any hair down there.  I think I started taking a razor to my underarms around the age of 11 or 12.  Maybe 13. 

Up next is Chicken Spaghetti.  No, we’re not eating, lol.  It’s a blog.  A great blog.  I read several great entries while there, but there was one entry that stood out to me.

It actually hit me in the head when I read it.  I am a couch and computer chair potato.  I watch a lot of TV.  And this week Ugly Betty returns! Whooo hooooooo  Last week was the season finale for Biggest Loser V where Ali won which made me happy although I was really rooting for Kelly to take the prize. 

I know of people who have done a TV fast where they abstain from TV for a period of time as well as people who give up TV for Lent.  Lent is 40 days and 40 nights.  I know of people who trim down their cable package to get rid of all of the movie channels and hopefully watch less TV.

I’ve reduced my cable package more for economics than my TV watching consumption, but Chicken Spaghetti’s family will have TV Turnoff Week starting April 21.  I can’t imagine.  As you read her blog, Chicken Spaghetti outlines reasons for unplugging their TVs this week as well as provides resources for doing it.

Maybe I will do this one week this year once the new episodes of Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty are gone.  I wonder when the new episodes of Women’s Murder Club return?

If I do TV Turnoff Week, I know it will benefit my reading, writing, and working out and decrease my electric bill.

So stay tuned.

Final hop today is to Mother Reader’s blog where she has a very cool plan for readers in June.  I am definitely going to participate in the 48 Hour Book Challenge where readers read and blog about what they read for 48 hours as long as the books are 5^th grade reading level and up!  Go to Mother Reader’s blog to get all of the details and if you are going to participate like me, let Mother Reader know. 

Don’t have a blog?  This would be a cool time to start one and post reviews OR how about being a guest blogger on my site?  I welcome guest bloggers who love reading and want to share their thoughts on books they read for 48 hours.  So if you’re down to read for 48 hours on June 6 - 8, or whatever number of hours that you are able to do, let Mother Reader know in her comments section.

I know I have a ton of books I can spend that weekend reading as evidenced by the number of books listed in the YA library.  Plus there is a book I learned about on YA Authors Café that I really want to read by Shana Norris and I want to revisit some childhood favorites during the course of the weekend too.

She’s also accepting donations for prizes so I will happily contribute signed copies of Freshman Focus and Just Be for the cause.  If you read the most books, the most pages, or spend the most hours doing the challenge, you could win a great prize!

Tune in next Wednesday for more blog hopping in the vast blogosphere.

I Googled.  I went.  I dropped. 

I Googled places to drop books off.   As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, I was inspired by Oprah’s Big Give to give to organizations or at least one organization.  So I went in cyber search mode for one.  I came across a lot of great places that work with kids, including foster homes, but one stuck out to me.

Yesterday I woke up and wanted to give books to the local YMCA branches so I found ones with teen programs that might like a book to add to their library.

I bequeathed copies of Freshman Focus to the Elon Home for Children, the McCrorey Branch of the YMCA, the Simmons Branch of the YMCA and Albermarle Rd. Middle School. 

It felt good to spread literature around Charlotte and know that my book will be introduced to more readers around the city.  I plan to rock the drop every year and find more places next year to spread the love of literature!

In my younger days, every now and again, my friends and I would get dressed and go clubbing (out to a club) and dance the night away.  I seldom do that anymore, but I recall fondly some of the clubs we visited.  The clubs were filled with people being merry as they celebrated the weekend.  Different clubs had different furnishings, decorations, people, and cover charges.

Today I invite you to go blog hopping with me.  Maybe you’ll find a new cyber hangout to call your own.  And unlike a club, there is no cover charge.

First stop on our blog hopping adventure is to my friend Paula’s blog.  Now I’ve been busy at work lately and am unable to sit for 6 hours and read blogs like I used to do.  Woe is me.  But one day I saw Paula post a blog Sweet Mother of Anorexia that caught my eye.  After I read it and made sure she wasn’t pulling a Gayle from Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made/Gotta Keep on Tryin’ I became angry at what I read.  Paula did nothing wrong as you will see once you click that link two lines up, but the good people of Random House are kind of on my list. 

Sweet Valley High is being re-released!  You know, my favorite series as an adolescent.  I remember all about them, Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, 16 year old juniors, drove a Fiat, wore matching lavalieres that were a gift on their 16th birthday, turquoise eyes, size 6, Jessica the cheerleader and flirt who is best friends and enemies with Lila Fowler, older brother named Steven, Elizabeth the brain and editor of the school newspaper who dated Todd.  Yes, I still remember.  Daggonit. 

But thanks to Random House, they are going from a size 6 to a size 4.  Now you can look at any TV show or celebrity magazines and blogs and you know we as a society are fascinated with physical perfection.  Watch an hour of TV and count how many diet commercials you see.  Weight Watchers, Slim Quik, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem.  Notice how they are sandwiched between food ads though.  I just saw a WeightWatchers commercial followed by a Mrs. Butterworth’s commercial.  Way to go on the double message!  Heavens to Betsy if you watch certain channels around 6 AM on the weekend and you get extended commercials of any number of exercise equiment guaranteed to shed weight, flatten abs, blah cubed.

So to hear that the already skinny twins are going to become skinnier BOTHERS ME!  In my avid Sweet Valley High reading days, I was a size 10.  I’m not a 10 anymore.  But as a teen reading about the perfect twins who were a size 6 didn’t bother me.  Back then size wasn’t as much an issue in all forms of media as they are now.  Or maybe I am more aware of those forms of advertisement in my advanced years and because my size has gone up?

But it still bothers me.  We have girls who are unhappy with their size and will do anything to attain the perject size.  And they go about it wrong.  Instead of adjusting their diet and working out or becoming more physically active, they do drastic things to attain body perfection.  

I don’t mention sizes of my characters because I didn’t give them sizes.  I also realize that none of my major characters are overweight.  I probably should address that in a future book.  Maybe have Kendra feel she is gaining weight because of another insensitive comment that Destiny makes about her and she and her mother have a nice little chat.  I’ll find a way to not make it After School Specialish though.

So anyway, our literature is even subconsciously teaching our girls, and boys too, what sizes are socially acceptable.  Maybe one day the size 12s, 14s, 16s, 18s, and up can be considered just as beautiful and socially acceptable as the 2s, 4s, 6s, and 8s.  They won’t be the special case.  They’ll just be the norm.  We won’t have the plus size contestant on America’s Next Top Model eliminated by the 6th week or we’ll have more than just one plus size girl in the house.

Leaving Paula’s blog, we are about to head over to Renee’s Tweenalicious blog.  That’s right.  Tweenalicious.  Authors love to make up words and phrases.  It’s what we do.

Ms. Renee has a blog posted about Tiana the Disney Princess.  Oh, you didn’t know?  Disney is FINALLY giving us a Black, African American princess.  The Princess and The Frog will be released Christmas Day 2009.  I’m excited for several reasons.  I love animated movies, cartoons, whatever you call them.  I’ve seen Cars, Shrek 1, 2, and 3, Meet the Robinsons, Horton Hears a Who, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story 1 and 2, The Lion King, Mulan, and a gang of other animated movies so I am geeked to add another one to my list.

Renee has provided us the link to another blog that showcases drawings from the movie’s characters.  It is great to see that the characters’ hair reflects the diverse hairstyles that African Americans wear — straight, kinky texture, locks, and a myriad of others.

The Princess and the Frog will feature Princess Tiana voiced by Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls, The Starter Wife) and will be set in New Orleans during the Jazz Age.  Other voices will be provided by Jenifer Lewis (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Cars),  John Goodman (Roseanne, Evan Almighty), and Keith David (Barbershop, Platoon).  Purportedly, according to Wikipedia, Angela Bassett (Akeelah and the Bee) is also part of the cast, but Wiki’s been wrong before so I’ll wait until I see it on IMDB.

Regardless of who’s in the movie, I am excited to see Disney telling the story of a Black princess.  I hope that the level of merchandising that I typically see for movies like Cars and Kung Fu Panda come to pass for The Princess and the Frog.  I want to see Princess Tiana dolls, bedding, bookbags, books, lunch boxes, clothing, etc. in all the stores.  I want to see little girls dressed as Princess Tiana Halloween 2010. Please let Princess Tiana be embraced by the marketing gatekeepers next year in preparation for the movie’s release.

I can only imagine how exited little girls named Tiana will feel hearing that they are indeed a princess.

Presenting the first promotional still from The Princess and the Frog

And on that note, we’ll end blog hopping for today.  I had planned to spotlight 4 or 5 blogs, but Paula and Renee’s blogs really connected with me and I blogged as a piggy back of sorts on top of their entries.  They’re my blog muses, lol.  Plus I don’t know how to be brief when I feel so passionately about something as is the case with today’s blogs.

But come back next week, I want to make Blog Hopping a regular feature so every Wednesday check in to see whose blogs I am spotlighting for the week.

Readergirlz rock and so does their Operation Teen Book Drop!  On April 17^th, I will join the readergirlz and their supporters, including The Brown Bookshelf, as they drop books across America.  The readergirlz will be dropping 10,000 books at pediatric hospitals across the country and they are encouraging anyone who participates to drop books where teens can find them.

I was excited to read about Operation TBD, not because I can drop off a copy or two of Freshman Focus, but because of what it means on a larger scale.  I realized the other night I have a $16 credit at a local used bookstore so I plan to shop ‘til I drop there and take my purchases around the city of Charlotte near the local middle and high schools in addition to near other places teens congregate in Charlotte, like the malls.  Inspired by what I see on Oprah’s Big Give, I want to do my part in paying it forward by dropping books at a homeless shelter and a foster home.  I hope to think of other places that need books here in my community.  If you have suggestions, leave a comment in the blog.

So if you’re in Charlotte, be on the lookout for the Book Drop Fairy on 4.17.08.  If you want to be a part of Operation Book Drop, do so!  It’s open to everyone.  I hope you are inspired to participate and pass this along to others in your e-mail address book as we all support the readergirlz and teens reading great books!

Go forth and rock the drop!

As promised, here is a second excerpt of Just Be which involves Ms. Destiny in the center of the action.  In case you are just tuning in, you can read the excerpt posted last week first and then come back for the newest one.

           Destiny entered the front hallway Tuesday morning feeling frustrated.  She hated riding the school bus!  Her parents refused to allow Margaret to drive her to school every morning.  They had also vetoed limousine rides to school.  Riding the bus was so common!  Every morning after getting off of the bus, Destiny went to the bathroom and washed her face free from the bus fumes and air.   She was adamant in her belief that the air on the bus was filled with filthy germs that were bad for her skin.

            Destiny headed to the bathroom on the first floor.  She kept her beauty supplies in her book bag so she could cleanse herself as soon as she arrived at school each morning.  She also kept a comb and brush with her to make sure that she was absolutely perfect in her appearance.

            Destiny stood at the sink rubbing her face with her facial cleanser.  She heard someone else approach but continued to rub her face.

            “Look at you, Miss Priss,” a voice taunted from behind.

            Destiny turned toward the voice.  Seeing Veronica, Destiny smiled a greeting.

            “Why are you smiling at me?” Veronica asked.

            “Hi, Veronica,” Destiny replied in an attempt to defuse Veronica’s hostile attitude.

            “Miss Priss, I would advise you to watch your back,” Veronica warned with a menacing smile.  Destiny stared back at Veronica in utter fear.  Destiny could hear the soap bubbles pop on her face.  There had been two other people in the bathroom when she arrived.  Where were they now?  “Do you understand?”

            Destiny nodded. 

            Satisfied, Veronica turned and left the bathroom.

            Destiny turned back toward the sink.  She looked at her reflection in the mirror.  All she saw was soap on her face and fear in her eyes.  Destiny bent to rinse the soap off of her face.  All of a sudden, Destiny felt a hand grab the back of her head and hold it down under the water.  Destiny felt her hair getting wet.  She tried to resist the hand holding her head under the water, but whoever it was had a strong hold on her. 

            After what seemed like minutes, the hand released her.  Destiny pulled her head out from the sink and looked in the mirror.  Her hair and her shirt were soaked.  She couldn’t tell the difference between her tears and water from the sink.

            Destiny went inside a bathroom stall and put the toilet seat down.  She took a seat and began to cry. She cried until she heard the 7:20 bell ring.  She exited the bathroom stall and grabbed some paper towels.  She rubbed her hair with the paper towels at a rapid pace.  She had about ten minutes to fix her hair and get to first period.

So there you have it, two scenes from Just Be for you to read again and again until the book comes out later this spring.  Check back in a few weeks to view the book cover and a few more surprises planned.

After many weeks of edits and revisions, I can finally share with you the excerpt of Just Be, the sequel to Freshman Focus.  Just Be picks up right where Freshman Focus ended and we get to see what happens to Kendra, Destiny, and Cidney when they along with Nia, Lesia, and Arika decided not to pursue membership into Omega Tau.

Homecoming has hit Woodson High and the hallways are buzzing with activity!  What else is going on at Woodson?  Kendra has joined student council and her evenings are filled with committee meetings and phone calls from Justin, the boy who caught her eye in Freshman Focus.

Lamar has his hands full with a group project in Civics class and finding a date for the homecoming dance.   It is a lot of work, but the project would be fun if Ms. Jackson had not placed Lamar and Destiny in a group together. 

Destiny’s being tormented by Omega Tau members until Kendra knocks some sense and confidence back into Destiny.  Now she can get back to tormenting Lamar in Civics class and getting ready to wow the entire school.

Still adjusting to life in Charlotte, Steven is surprised to hear what his friends have in store for his birthday.  On the strength of Destiny’s present to him, Steven asks her to go to the homecoming dance with him.  Will she say yes?

And now with no further ado, a scene from the first chapter of Just Be . . .

           “Hey Alexis,” Kendra greeted as she saw her friend approach the bus stop Monday morning.  “Are you ready for the student council meeting today?”

            Alexis looked at Kendra and rolled her eyes in response.  Making it obvious to everyone at the bus stop how she felt, Alexis walked a wide circle away from where Kendra stood with Lamar and Malcolm as they waited for the bus.

            “Dang, you just got dissed by Alexis!” Lamar yelled.

            Kendra felt her body growing warm with embarrassment at how Alexis snubbed her in front of their entire bus stop.  Everyone else might have overlooked what Alexis did if Lamar had not made such a big deal about it, but since Lamar was around this incident was not going to be ignored.

            “What did you do to her?” Lamar asked Kendra.  “Y’all don’t have on the same outfit or nothing like that.  Did you tell her that her breath stinks?  Come on, girl.  Tell me what happened.”

            “Nothing happened,” Kendra replied with some heat in her voice.  Truthfully, her anger was meant for Alexis and Kendra knew it but Lamar didn’t make it any better.

            “Something happened.  You should send her an e-card to make it all better,” Lamar suggested.

            “Shut up, Lamar,” Kendra seethed as the bus pulled up to the corner where the kids stood waiting.

Come back Monday, March 17th for one more preview from Just Be!

I’m not sure why I write YA.  Well, I guess it was bound to happen since I was surrounded by teenagers all day, five days a week for five years and their spirits, thoughts, conversation, laughter, and anxieties were intertwined with my own, but writing YA was not intentional.  Neither was becoming a writer.

But as they say, “everything happens for a reason.”  I just know that when I picked up my ink pen on Friday, November 1, 2002, my characters were high school students.  I didn’t question it, rethink it, or attempt to change them; I just went with their flow.  I wrote what I knew.  Having been a teenager and worked with them, I know teenagers quite well.

And by now, if you’ve read my bio on my website or read some of my blog entries, you know that I grew up reading Sweet Valley High, Babysitters Club, and Judy Blume as well as several other authors who write for young adults.  Blah cubed.  That’s blah blah blah for the math challenged.

This morning I woke up and came across an interesting blog by Liz B. over at Tea Cozy where she is referencing a blog by a children’s book reviewer at Horn Books by Roger Sutton.  In his blog Roger states, “As annoying as adults who dismiss children’s books as unworthy of attention can be, I also feel my jaw clench when a fellow adult tells me that he or she prefers children’s books to adult books because they have better writing or values or stories. This is just sentimental ignorance. . . Whatever whoever chooses to read is their business, of course, but adults whose taste in recreational reading ends with the YA novel need to grow up.”

I read Tea Cozy first before I left the house for work and read Roger’s words once I made it to work so my views have adjusted slightly.  Mr. Sutton, while my recreational reading spans a wide spectrum, I still take offense at you calling people sentimentally ignorant because of their reading preference.

Anyone who knows me knows that my reading tastes are pretty diverse.  I love to read a good book period.  Whatever appeals to me, I am going to read it.  If you look at my shelf of 742 books on Shelfari, you can see that.  Some of the reads are from college, i.e. James Joyce’s The Dead and Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, but my shelf includes chick lit, African American fiction and non-fiction, biographies, young adult, middle grade, Dr. Seuss, and books on self-publishing.

In the past two weeks, I’ve read The Kayla Chronicles by Sherri Winston (YA and a great read, very self-empowering for young adults), Klepto by Jenny Pollack (YA title set in the 80s which was also enjoyable), and Faith Under Fire by LaJoyce Brookshire (a memoir about a woman who discovers her husband has AIDS, the most emotional and powerful book I’ve read this year).

When I was teaching, I was recommended books by Sharon Draper and Rita Williams-Garcia to share with my students outside of the books typically found in the curriculum like Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.  I enjoyed their books and I began to read on the rare occasion more books in the YA subgenre.

Now that my book is on the shelves with other YA authors, I am frequently seen in the YA section reading YA books.  There are some really good books there, y’all!  Using my mother as an example, when she was agr teen there wasn’t any YA written for Black teens so she missed out completely.  I had a few here and there to read thanks to Sharon Bell Mathis, Mildred Taylor and Walter Dean Myers.  As I mentioned in my Brown Bookshelf interview with Rita Williams-Garcia, I was 13 when her debut title Blue Tights came out that I am finally about to read as a 32.5 year old, lol.

And let’s face it, YA is a hot trend right now.  Harry Potter came on the scene and so many adults I know read it like it is the new Jackie Collins or Stephen King.  YA books are becoming movies.  I typically read the book first and then see the movie when it comes out.  FYI:  The book is always better.  Always.  Over the past decade, we’ve seen books like Louis Sachar’s Holes, Ann Brashares’ Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries hit the big screen to very welcoming audiences, adults and kids. And of course, Gossip Girl has metamorphosed from book into a TV show on the CW.  I’m hoping one day that list will include more books written by Af Am authors becoming movies, but that’s another blog for another day.

There is nothing wrong with adults reading young adult fiction, middle grade books, or picture books.  Read something is all I ask of you.  Read what makes you happy.  Sure, as authors we have a target audience, but if our words connect with you, goal accomplished.  It’s a win-win for reader and writer alike.

This is just my 2 cents.

This is the final entry in my journey to publication and my reflections on life as a published author.  I’ve shared the steps I took to accomplish my goal, the things I’ve learned and some of the mistakes I made.  My journey as an author is not complete so from time to time look for an entry or two that shares my thoughts on being an author.

Next week, come back to read the excerpt from Just Be.

My life changed on January 6, 2007 - the day Freshman Focus arrived on my doorstep.  As I mentioned in a previous entry, I sent out an e-mail letting everybody know it was ready.  I’ve become busier as well as talk and think more about my books, writing, the website, and everything else that comes with being an author.

I’ve learned a lot about being an author in the past fourteen months.  Being an author goes beyond the ability to have written a book.  As an author, you have to network with other authors and trade war stories and glory moments.  I count my friendships with fellow authors as very vital because I am able to learn from them and their experiences.  I learn from my author friends and it helps me avoid recreating the wheel.

Since becoming an author, I’ve come across a lot of networking or promotional opportunities and many sound good.  A lot of them sound great and you get all excited thinking that you’re going to get to share your book with tons of people who will buy your book and tell others to buy your book.  You imagine all of these opportunities will lead to your book becoming a movie or a Disney movie or something major.  But then, the event comes and you’re one of X number of authors in a room with customers.

So I’ve learned to be smart and choose the events that I attend wisely.  I don’t want to go broke traveling the country to promote my books.  Just because an event has 500 people attending doesn’t mean that all 500 people will leave your table or booth with a copy of your book.

If you haven’t noticed, we’ve become a blog-oriented society. Even a lot of the newspapers have added a blog to their sites and it makes the daily news timelier with a chance for you to air your views on various articles.  I had to add a folder under my bookmarks of my favorite blogs that includes celebrity news blogs as well as author and book related blogs that keep me in the know about things that are going on in the industry and author community.

I’ve expanded my blogging efforts as a result of my affiliation with The Brown Bookshelf.  MySpace just wasn’t enough to rely on as my only blog so I hooked up with Word Press to be a more visible blogger.

Blogging is a great promotional tool and it allows me to attract new readers to my website and possibly my books.  It is also another outlet that helps me to write on a more regular basis and get my thoughts down on paper.

Ultimately I’ve learned that as an author, you are primarily responsible for your success and visibility whether you are self-published or not.  Just because traditionally published authors have agents and publicists does not mean that they don’t have to work to get their name out there to the masses - libraries, bookstores, teachers, readers - or network with other authors.  I’ve done the work, now I must share it with others.

Now that the book is published and available for purchase, as an author, you have to promote it.  I e-mailed my mailing list and everyone in my address book on the day Freshman Focus arrived.  I normally don’t do that, but I made an exception like new mothers do when they send us the link to the newborn baby’s photos on the hospital website.

I posted a blog on MySpace and did the MySpace bulletin.  I joined the Divine Literary Tour, a group of authors who belong to NPHC fraternities and sororities.  Through the Divine Literary Tour, I met fellow YA author Paula Chase whose debut title So Not the Drama came out in March 2007.  I also joined the AACBWI listserve and Black YA/MG Authors listserve. 

I also did some book talks and signings at my alma mater as well as Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio, libraries in my hometown, and events that chapters of my sorority held in their city.  I spent a lot of time on the Internet looking at library websites to ask them to consider adding Freshman Focus to their collection.

All of that while working full time and trying to write the second book.

What’s funny and a lot of people don’t get this is, it takes energy to write a book.  I’m already a procrastinator and easily distracted so I have a couple of more crosses to bear in order to write a book.  And I know people mean well when they ask about the book, but sometimes I don’t want to talk about it.  I don’t even know how people who are married and have kids manage to tend to their families and write a book, but somehow we get it done.  Our stories become a part of us and they call to us sometimes in the middle of the night when we should be sleeping.  Sometimes one of my characters comes to mind while I’m driving or working out.  Basically whenever I am not at a computer or have pen and paper nearby.

It takes mental and creative energy to get inside the head(s) of your character(s).  And some days I would rather just curl up with somebody else’s book and forget all about my own characters.  Like Jill Scott says, “I’m human” and I love to read.

Once everything’s set, you have to pay to start the self-publishing process.  The major steps are choosing the layout format, choosing the cover format, writing up the back cover summary along with brief author bio, determining the cost of the book and the wholesale discount for Borders, libraries, Amazon, etc. to purchase your book.  Outskirts has a gallery of photos that can be used for the book cover, but I use an illustrator for my book covers so that’s one less step for me.

With Outskirts, there are publishing packages and with my package, I get a Library of Congress number as well as the ISBN number along with the barcode.  In addition, my book is immediately listed on Amazon and Barnes&Noble.com for purchase.  Outskirts Press also has distribution through Ingram and Baker & Taylor. The company also offers press release distribution upon publication as a feature with the package I use.

While I don’t have a literary agent, I have a rep from Outskirts who is my go-to person as I get the book ready for publication.  The rep is very helpful with answering my questions about next steps.

I first contacted Outskirts on October 9, 2006 after spending the weekend reading everything on their website at least twice. I wanted to make sure I understood everything that I read.  The first step was e-mailing Freshman Focus to them as it has to be read and accepted for publication.  Primarily they check that it is appropriate to be published.

After getting everything together with the absolute final edited draft that included the logo drawn by Janeane and the cover photo, I sent the huge file to Outskirts for them to block the book out into book form.  Back and forth the book goes for me to look over the PDF file for errors.  With Freshman Focus, that took one weekend in November.

And then the waiting continued with more preparation for the book’s arrival like parents do in expectation of the arrival of a newborn baby.  They paint the room.  I created bookmarks.  Expectant parents buy diapers, clothes, bottles, and furniture for the baby’s arrival.  I went shopping for sturdy shipping envelopes.  Newborn parents get a birth announcement ready as well as write thank you cards to those who came to the baby shower.  I drafted my press release.

I still remember coming home from a comedy show on December 30, 2006 and reading an e-mail from my author rep to let me know that my book was finally ready.  What was even better was Saturday, January 6, 2007 when I got to hold copies of my book in my hands.  It was such a surreal moment to see what used to live inside my computer saved as book1.doc to be a full blown, 6 X 9 book with my name on it.  I felt like a new mother after her first baby is born minus the epidural, contractions, and all that other stuff that motherhood brings.

Although I did labor to get Freshman Focus published.  And it lasted longer than 9 months.

Thanks to modern technology, the editing process is also much easier.  When I sent Just Be to my editor, it was as an e-mail attachment and she used the tracking changes feature so I could see the changes and either accept or reject the changes as appropriate.  When I accept the changes, it magically appears.  But back in the olden days, editing meant retyping everything all over.  At least, in my mind that’s what it meant.

So I really mean it when I say writing is the easiest part especially in this day and age.  The hard part comes after you’ve finished.  Now you have to edit and revise the book.  Cut down on extended scenes that take away from the plot.  Beef up certain scenes.  When I finished Just Be it was 401 double spaced pages.  After edits and revisions, it was chopped down to 336 pages.  Some scenes and passages were easier to get rid of than others.

I add an additional step since I use an illustrator for the book cover, but she’s drawing as I write.  With Freshman Focus, the book was already written when she started drawing, but with Just Be as I wrote, I would send her chapters to read so she could be working in tandem with me.  Part of that is because Just Be will have interior illustrations.

When I finished writing Freshman Focus, I wanted interior illustrations with it as well but time and my budget wouldn’t allow it to happen, but that’s not the case with Just Be.  As a kid, part of the thrill of reading a book was the pictures inside.  And as we got older, pictures fell by the wayside in our books for whatever reason.  I think the illustrations enhance the author’s words and it allows my illustrator to showcase more of her talent.

So in February 2007, I had a contest at my alma mater where students could draw or write essays or poems based on several topics.  The winners would be the face of the main characters of Carter G. Woodson High School and their friends.  Not many entered the contest so going forward I’ll recruit cousins to be additional characters in the series.

Writing a book is an exercise in creativity and exploring your imagination, pondering what if moments from some of the simplest things - be it the sound of laughter, an article you read in the newspaper or magazine, overhearing a conversation, or the words from a bumper sticker.  Authors are inspired by a song on the radio, part of a sermon, conversations with friends and family, standing in line at the grocery store, or a dream.The easiest part of being an author is writing the book.  I know that sounds crazy to say that to write something that is over 10, 50, or 100 pages is easy, but it’s true.  It’s easy to create a story and explore those parts of your mind that think such crazy thoughts that if you spoke aloud, people might think you’re crazy.  So instead, write a book, create a character and have him or her say it.

Writing is a solitary effort.  It’s just you and your brain with either a pen and paper or the computer.  And here is where I give so much respect to pioneer authors who were writing before Bill Gates came along with MS Word.  I remember how hard it was to write a report in junior high and senior high school on a typewriter.  Pecking at the keys and cursing everything in creation every time you typed the wrong letter.  And heavens to Betsy on that whole rolling a sheet of paper in and making sure you had one inch margins and that the paper went in correctly. Not to mention doing the calculations to center words on a page.  If you were in my era, you had white out or maybe even correcting ribbon.  But can you imagine what Mildred Taylor went through writing Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry or Beverly Cleary writing her first book?

Last year, an English teacher told me that she read somewhere that it took Richard Wright over ten years to write either Black Boy or Native Son.  And I believe it.  Both of his books are literary icons with pages and pages of exquisite narration, but imagine typing an entire book on a typewriter. 

Since last week, I have shared my rocky journey to become a published author.  My journey has been filled with doubts, setbacks, and uncertainties, but now that I have accomplished my goal of publication, the rocky road filled with twists and turns was definitely worth it. 

Now in between my birthday 2005 and October 2006, I had the book professionally edited and the cover art drawn.  In preparation for Freshman Focus’ arrival, I had the website professionally designed by my sorority sister and friend, found a mailing list provider, joined MySpace, and purchased promotional items.

As a self-published author, I am more than just the author.  I am also my publicist and agent.  I wrote and distributed my own press release.  With my mother’s help, I had some author appearances/book signings in my hometown.  I’ve had to write letters to libraries across the country to promote the book and ask them to consider adding it to their collection.  I’ve done the same thing with bookstores.

I’ve had some successful moments and a couple of unsuccessful moments.  But every moment has taught me something.  I’ve met some great people who are in my corner reading the book and telling others to read the book.

Summer 2007, I sent query letters to a few agents that I found on QueryTracker and Agent Query.  Now more agents accept e-queries so the rejection comes faster.  A lot of my agented author friends are pushing me to query again and I will keep trying to find an agent.  I think Just Be is a better written and edited book than Freshman Focus but I believe every writer improves their craft over time as long as they are willing to grow.  And I am.

Since last week, I have shared my rocky journey to become a published author.  My journey has been filled with doubts, setbacks, and uncertainties, but now that I have accomplished my goal of publication, the rocky road filled with twists and turns was definitely worth it. 

After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, a woman in my former writing group was inspired to create an anthology where all of the proceeds would go to survivors of Hurricane Katrina and later Hurricane Rita as well. 

The three themes of the anthology are passion, politics, and purpose so I took each theme and wrote around it.  Passion was the subject of my poem called “Soul Kiss.” I was really proud of one of the stories that I wrote for the anthology called “Welcome to Negrotopia” which focuses on the political theme.  It was the easiest to write for me since the aftermath of Katrina made me so angry.