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.  Today’s entry is not the end to the story so keep reading this week and part of next week to read what I experienced and what I have learned.

   The summer of 2005 was approaching and with it came my 30^th birthday.  In May, I was listening to the radio and heard an announcement about a book fair that was happening that weekend but I was going to be out of town.  I heard the name of a local publishing company so I Googled for their information.  Did some reading about them and later contacted them.  I was asked to submit my manuscript.  It was later accepted for publication.

So I was jazzed!   I sent everybody an e-mail.

The company and I agreed to meet that following Saturday.  And I left the meeting hella confused and upset.  They asked me how many copies of my book I wanted to print.  Say what, now?  For 500 copies, it would cost me $4000 and they would own the rights to my book for 7 years.  Say what now?  So essentially they are not a publishing company.  When I returned to let them know that I was not interested and just wanted my book back, they actually tried to convince me of how good their deal was.

Mama ain’t raise no fool. 

Back to the drawing board.  The fiasco with that company was only told to like four people.  At this point, I was like freak a book.  Privately, I threw in the towel.  And the killing part was the Johnny Come Latelys who read the e-mail after I decided not to go with the company so I would read these congratulations and just shake my head. 

Dream deferred like a mug.

A couple of weeks later, I received a message from one of my sorority sisters telling me that she had recently inherited some money and wanted to give me money to publish my book.  Now of the four people I told, she had not been one of them.  How on Earth?  I remember that I woke up early on a Monday morning to find that message in my inbox and I was blown away.  It further affirmed my love for my sorority and the women who are a part of it.

That message revved me back up that I was going to publish my book.  And it confirmed that I was meant to self-publish my book on my terms.

Talk about the circle of life.

Then another dear friend told me she had money for me to self-publish my book as well.  So I was set financially.  No more excuses.

So I went out and purchased a self-publishing book and read it.  Well I read part of it, but when it started talking about page measurements and stuff, I got confused.  And put that book down.

For the next two weeks I will be blogging about my self-publishing journey.  Over the past year or so, different people have asked me about the publishing process overall and self-publishing specifically.  The first part of the journey will be titled “Stony the Road I Trod” as it relates to my life as I tried to make heads or tails of publishing a book.

So now it’s 2005 and I was still thinking about the Chicken Soup piece I wanted to write.  I kept having some words echo in my mind:  In the company of my sisters, I grow.

I thought of those words a lot, but it wasn’t until I was at a birthday party in April 2005 that the entire piece came to me.  It would later be called “The Sister Circle” and it’s my ode to sisterhood, female friendships.  It was published in November 2005 by SisterDivas, an online magazine.

Also in 2005, I started writing what was supposed to be a short story on forgiveness in a relationship.  But if you know me, or read my blogs, you know I don’t know how to write short pieces.  I’m wordy.  Can’t help it.  That story has grown into so much more and it’s still not done much to the disappointment of those who have read it.  Maybe one day.

All this writing was literally flowing out of my fingertips on sheets of paper at work or on to a computer screen.  I later submitted “The Sister Circle” to Chicken Soup for the African American Woman Soul and they said it made the preliminary cut but ultimately was not included in the publication.  But I was cool with that.

For the next two weeks I will be blogging about my self-publishing journey.  Over the past year or so, different people have asked me about the publishing process overall and self-publishing specifically.  The first part of the journey will be titled “Stony the Road I Trod” as it relates to my life as I tried to make heads or tails of publishing a book.

 While Freshman Focus was with the prospective agent in 2004, I began writing the sequel.  I had no idea where to begin or how to begin so I just wrote.  It felt good to be back with the four characters as I do see them as four parts of my personality.  Of course, Destiny is more of my “If I was rich and evil” alter ego though.  I only wrote like two chapters and then put it to the side for over a year.

Later on in 2004, I received a letter that my manuscript was passed on by the agent.  And I admit it was a blow to me because she had it for so long that I became optimistic that I had found an agent.  It didn’t crush me or anything, but it did sting my pride and my dreams.

I later found that an associate of mine was starting his own publishing company.  When I first finished writing Freshman Focus, he was kind enough to pass along my query letter to his agent.  So in August 04, I queried this author turned publisher.  He asked me to send the entire book to him and like two or three days later, I got a no.  I remember it was a Sunday because I was headed to church.  Reading his e-mail kind of pissed me off though and I remember sitting in church thinking the nerve of him.   Then I got to talking to a mutual friend who settled my anger. 

After that I got to thinking about Angela Nissell who wrote The Broke Diaries which initially started out as her posts online about being a broke college student.  The book is hilarious!  From that website, she was able to publish The Broke Diaries because her writing caught the eye of an agent or editor.  I forget.  Now Angela is a writer for the TV show Scrubs.

For the next two weeks I will be blogging about my self-publishing journey.  Over the past year or so, different people have asked me about the publishing process overall and self-publishing specifically.  The first part of the journey will be titled “Stony the Road I Trod” as it relates to my life as I tried to make heads or tails of publishing a book.

Oddly enough, a coworker mentioned self-publishing to me in June 2003 and I told her no right off.  How in the world can I self-publish when it’s enough of a challenge to pay my bills every month?  Plus I was still confident that my book would find the right agent right away and I would get a book contract with an advance and be able to quit my job.

Clearly I was plagued with delusions of grandeur.  I was convinced that I was going to become the next Terry McMillan for young adult readers within weeks of publication.  I was already looking forward to quitting my job, traveling the country promoting the book, sitting on Oprah’s couch, having the book made into a movie or TV show on Disney channel or Nickelodeon.  I even sat around and cast who I wanted to play the fab 4.  I was GONE!  I saw all of the possibilities of what could happen to my book and me as a result.

I still believe that many of the things I want to happen will occur, but it won’t be right away.  And I’m okay with that.

The coworker who initially suggested self-publishing used to bring me articles about self-publishing all the time.  And like Usher, these are my confessions:  I still paid her and the articles no mind.  I would glance at the articles but not follow up on the resources mentioned.  Blocking my own blessing, but I sincerely didn’t know how on Earth I would be able to afford to self-publish.

Plus I admit that I looked negatively at self-publishing.  Over the years, I’ve read several books by self-published authors that were poorly written and/or edited.  I read a book once that was so bad, I just could not read anymore.  And I was afraid that if I self-published, my book would be looked at negatively and so would I as an author.  I didn’t want my book, my story, and my dreams to be painted as inferior.  I believed in the story I told.  Oh, I know it’s not perfect, but I felt that with guidance, it could be polished.

So I would just smile and nod when self-publishing was mentioned and/or suggested.

For the next two weeks I will be blogging about my self-publishing journey.  Over the past year or so, different people have asked me about the publishing process overall and self-publishing specifically.  The first part of the journey will be titled “Stony the Road I Trod” as it relates to my life as I tried to make heads or tails of publishing a book.

After the letter was as good as it was going to get to my way of thinking, I sent it off to several agents.  Now in 2003, most agents still wanted a letter mailed to them and some wanted a letter only.  Some wanted a synopsis along with the query letter.  Others wanted a chapter by chapter summary.  A couple of agents wanted a query letter plus either the first 10 pages or first chapter.  Different requirements for different agents.  It is important to follow the requirements that are given.

Also some agents will say that they do not want simultaneous submissions.  And I confess that I had no idea what that meant.  Now I do.  Say that you submit a query letter to Max Agent who loves the query letter and wants to read the full manuscript.  You send Max the full manuscript.  Again back then, this was mainly a snail mail operation for many agents so there is a delay to get it there to the agent’s office.  While Max is reading the manuscript, if Jane Agent at another agency is also interested in reading the full manuscript, you’re supposed to let her know that it is being reviewed by another agent.  Blah cubed.  That never happened to me, lol.  But that’s what you’re supposed to do should two or more agents salivate over your query letter.

Just like when you send out resumes and cover letters for prospective jobs, look over your query letter for spelling and grammar errors.  Make sure you address them properly as Ms. or Mr.  If you’re in doubt about the gender, call the agency and ask.  Leslie isn’t always a woman.

Okay, you can read instructions in the books that you buy.  This is all about me.

So I sent off query letters with my self addressed stamped envelope so I could get a response.  And then I waited.  Some responses came back pretty quickly.  One of them was a handwritten note on the top of the actual query letter saying this wasn’t the right project for them and wished me well.  Those first few rejections didn’t even faze me.  I kept rolling with it.  I just knew that one day I would get a YES and from there I would get to be on best seller lists and stuff like that.  I knew some agent was going to love my four kids - Kendra, Lamar, Destiny, and Steven - just as much as I did.  Surely. 

Finally in the early part of 2004, an agent requested the full manuscript.  

And my excitement revved back up.  In between the initial query letter submissions in the summer of 2003 and the request in January 2004, I admit that I let the manuscript, writing, etc. take a backseat to a relationship and a full time job.

  When I was growing up, I never had writing a book as one of my life ambitions so I never studied the writing industry.  I am a reader so I know who my favorite authors are and love to stand in a bookstore or a library and discover new titles and authors.  And it never dawned on me that out of all of those books I saw on the shelves, there were thousands more books that were sitting on someone’s computer waiting for an agent to say those magic words, “Yes, I want to represent you and find a home for your book!”  I never looked beyond the surface until I was on the publication journey for myself.But I was confident that if I took the steps, I would be successful in having my book get published quickly.  Surely this couldn’t be hard.  I mean I applied to college and was accepted by all of the ones I applied to attend.  I was extremely confident about my chances.

On the advice of an author friend, I picked up the 2003 Writer’s Market which is one of the must haves of any writer.  It is updated annually so it is best to always buy the current year to insure having the most up to date information.

I read the book and highlighted portions, tabbed others, and from there I purchased  which offered several examples of query letters to send to prospective agents as well as how to properly format a manuscript based on the genre.  This was heady stuff.   The last time I had researched and studied this much, I was writing a senior thesis in college.  And I had to write two of those - one for English and one for psychology.  Overachiever, don’t you know?

So I read and researched how to write a query letter.  I made a list of agents who according to the 2003 Writer’s Market represented authors who wrote young adult fiction.  I then sent the query letter to my mom and two friends for their feedback.  From their feedback, I tightened it up a bit more.  Keep in mind that a query letter is only supposed to be one page.

There are so many books and websites that purport that they are the query letter gurus.  Then there is a different query letter for fiction versus non-fiction.  Query letters if you write books for children.  Query letters to submit a piece for a magazine.  Writing A Query Letter That Sells.  The Complete Nobody’s Guide To Query Letters.  So You Wanna write a query letter to a literary agent? (all except children’s books). How To Write Irresistable Query Letters.  The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters That Rock : The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Selling More Work Faster.  Give ‘Em What They Want: The Right Way to Pitch Your Novel to Editors and Agents, A Novelist’s Complete Guide to : Query Letters, Synopses, Outlines. Query Letters that Rock.  Aii yii yii.

I never wanted to self-publish.  Quite honestly, until I wrote my own book, self-publishing wasn’t even a part of my vocabulary.  But after I heard about it, I realized I had encountered quite a few self-published authors, especially at sorority conventions and other local festivals.  I just never realized that they were self-published.  I just considered them all to be authors.

There are so many authors that began their writing career as a self-published author. Authors like Kimberla Lawson Roby (Behind Closed Doors), Tajuana T.J. Butler (Sorority Sisters) and E. Lynn Harris (Invisible Life) got their start selling their books at fraternity and sorority conventions, beauty salons and barber shops, churches, family reunions, and out of the trunk of their car. 

The 70s.  1970 - 1979.  The decade of my birth. The rise of disco.  The birth of hip hop.  Some of my favorite television shows debuted during  this decade.  The Jeffersons.  Three’s Company.  Diff’rent Strokes.  Good Times.  What’s Happening.

The 70s.  The decade of bell bottoms, dashikis, mini skirts, mules, jumpsuits, and platforms.  We were styling and profiling.

The 70s saw the birth of Mildred Taylor’s Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Judy Blume’s Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, and Beverly Cleary’s Ramona the Brave.

Good times, indeed.

Saturday morning cartoons were what we looked forward to all week long.  To lie on the floor in front of the TV that didn’t have a remote control with our bowl of cereal as we watched Fat Albert, The Jackson 5 and Schoolhouse Rock.  Conjunction junction what’s your function!

And the radio overflowed with songs that we love to now hear on the radio and yell out, “That’s my song!”  The Jackson 5’s “ABC.”  Sly and the Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).”  Ike and Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary.”  This was the era of great music by Roberta Flack, Al Green, The Isley Brothers, Marvin Gaye, The O’Jays, The Temptations, Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles, The Supremes, Chaka Khan and Rufus.  “Sweet Thing.”

Sweet Thang is the title of the debut novel written by Allison Whittenberg.  Set in 1975, Charmaine Upshaw is a teenager battling the unfairness of life.  She’s being overlooked by a cutie at school because she’s not light skinned and it’s hard to feel pretty when Lena Horne is the model of beauty.  At home, her family is still dealing with the death of her father’s sister, her favorite aunt Karyn.  Not to mention, Aunt Karyn’s son Tracey John now lives with them which means more adjustment including Charmaine sharing a bedroom with her brother Leo.  Plus Tracey John and Charmaine continually butt heads because Charmaine is fed up with the royal treatment that Tracey John gets from everyone.  Charmaine is tired of life not being fair so she faces her options - either deal with it or work to change how she responds to what happens in her life.

Sweet Thang hums with the sights and sounds of life in Philly in 1975.  When I read the line where Mrs. Upshaw tells her daughter, “Get your hands off of your imagination,” I cracked up because I hadn’t heard that in years since it was last said to me by my mother.  This is a good read that is a stroll down memory lane with some of the references - Lena Horne, Vietnam War — but it has a timeless quality to it that young adult readers will enjoy it as well. 

I came across Sweet Thang in December when I was browsing the shelves for a book to read on my flight home for Christmas.  At the time, I was familiar with Allison’s name thanks to the Brown Bookshelf.  Once Allison was chosen to be a part of the 28 Days Later spotlight, I was eager to research more about her in preparation for her interview.  It was cool to see that she also admires poet Gwendolyn Brooks who I met my freshman year of college. That was a heady experience for me to sit across a table from Ms. Brooks and actually eat a meal while discussing her poetry.  Like me, Gwendolyn capitalizes the B in Black when referring to Black people.

The Pool Players.
Seven at the Golden Shovel.

We real cool. We 
Left school. We 

Lurk late. We 
Strike straight. We 

Sing sin. We 
Thin gin. We 

Jazz June. We 
Die soon.

Like Ms. Brooks, Allison is also a poet and a playwright.  Her next book Life is Fine comes out March 11, 2008.  And then next year, she will treat us to a return to the 70s with the companion piece to Sweet Thang called Hollywood and Maine.

The Brown Bookshelf has had a great start to 28 Days Later!  In the first five days of our launch, we have featured interviews with Christopher Paul Curtis, Michelle Meadows, Dana Davidson, Rita Williams-Garcia, G. Neri, and Sean Qualls.

In January, I researched and read everything I could get my hands on about Rita Williams-Garcia.  I learned a lot about her and her writing career as I prepare questions to ask her.  Last week, I received her responses and I loved them.  Her personality shines through and you don’t just learn about her journey, but she lets us know about one of her peers, Jacqueline Woodson. 

She shares with us what music helped her write her books as well as how a box of Jiffy cornbread inspired a short story called “Clay.”

As I researched, I realized that her first novel Blue Tights was published 20 years ago when I was in the 7th or 8th grade depending on date of publication.  But to show just how much perseverance matters, she first started writing Blue Tights in 1980 when I was a kindergartener.

A number of authors and lit groups have aligned themselves with our mission and are championing our cause including author Cynthia Leitich Smith who featured all 5 of us in an interview last week.  Check it out!

I respect all of my African American children’s literature peers and trailblazers, but that respect has deepened thanks to The Brown Bookshelf.

Happy Black History Month! 

Thanks to the efforts of Carter G. Woodson, what started as Black History Week became Black History Month in 1976.  

If you’ve read Freshman Focus or know someone who has, then you know that each chapter begins with a Black history fact.  Today’s blog contains a sample of key events that happened throughout history on February 1. Visit this site for a more detailed listing of February 1^st Black History Moments.

February 1

1810 - The first insurance company managed by African Americans, the American Insurance Company of Philadelphia, is established.

1902 - Langston Hughes is born in Joplin, Missouri.  He will be known as one of the most prolific American poets of the 20th century and a leading voice of the Harlem Renaissance.   In addition to his poetry, Hughes will achieve success as an anthologist and juvenile author, write plays and librettos, found theater groups, and be a widely read columnist and humorist.  Among his honors will be the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal in 1960.

Happy Black History Month! 

Thanks to the efforts of Carter G. Woodson, what started as Black History Week became Black History Month in 1976.  

If you’ve read Freshman Focus or know someone who has, then you know that each chapter begins with a Black history fact.  Today’s blog contains a sample of key events that happened throughout history on February 1. Visit this site for a more detailed listing of February 1^st Black History Moments.

February 1

1810 - The first insurance company managed by African Americans, the American Insurance Company of Philadelphia, is established.

1902 - Langston Hughes is born in Joplin, Missouri.  He will be known as one of the most prolific American poets of the 20th century and a leading voice of the Harlem Renaissance.   In addition to his poetry, Hughes will achieve success as an anthologist and juvenile author, write plays and librettos, found theater groups, and be a widely read columnist and humorist.  Among his honors will be the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal in 1960.

We write frankly and fearlessly but then we “modify” before we print. ~ Mark Twain

A successful book is not made of what is in it, but what is left out of it. ~ Mark Twain

Nothing you write, if you hope to be good, will ever come out as you first hoped. ~ Lillian Hellman

Writing is fun, but editing and revising not so much.  Recently I received the edited version of Just Be back filled with changes that needed to be made and scenes/chapters to be revised, deleted, etc.  And a thought kept coming back to me - I write too much, lol.  No really. I can only imagine how much I aggravated my editor with my wordiness.

It’s funny, but I started writing Just Be in 2004 when it was just a file called book2 and later became CGWBook2.  Oooooh, lol.  Before I sent it to be edited, there were some scenes I wanted to either revise or eliminate altogether.  It was good for Shon to affirm my feelings in her professional opinion.

When I finished writing Just Be, it was 400 pages double spaced and now I’m down to about 340 pages.  It’s a trip to realize that some parts of the book that I spent days working out the logistics in my mind before actually writing the scene are now gone.  I’m not sad though.  Ultimately, it’s for the good of the book.

But looking at all of the missing pieces makes me think of a movie.  You know with the advent of DVDs, we are afforded the opportunity to see the deleted scenes.  Am I the only one who sees some of the deleted scenes and think they would go quite nicely in the movie especially when it builds on to the plot and it’s only like a 45 second deletion anyway?  Probably so.

So I got to thinking this week now that I am done chopping the book down and deleting scenes, that maybe I will feature some of the deleted scenes here on the good old blog.  So stay tuned to see what was cut out of Just Be.

And maybe, just maybe, when I write book 3, I will be less wordy.

Martin Luther, that is!

January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968

“Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.”

As a kid, not a year went by in school where we didn’t learn about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  We had MLK workbooks that we got every January in 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th grades where each year we learned more about this drum major for justice, peace, and righteousness.

“Negroes have straightened their backs in Albany and once a man straightens his back you can’t ride him anymore.”

When I think of Dr. King, I always think of my dad.  My dad, born January 22, 1952, who used to perform the “I Have a Dream” speech every year at church, libraries, and other programs around Cleveland.  Last night as I finished up some revisions, I landed on CNN and watched a program hosted by Soledad O’Brien called MLK:  Words That Changed a Nation that showed many of Dr. King’s speeches and sermons in his handwriting.  It took me beyond the most popular speech that everyone knows Dr. King for and explored segments of his lesser known speeches.

“Strangely enough, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be.”

Thanks to the civil rights movement, Dr. King, and so many others who marched for equality, integration, and justice for everyone, I was able to live a better life than my parents and grandparents.  I was able to learn more about their fight thanks to PBS with their Eyes on the Prize series as a 5^th and 6^th grader. 

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

I was able to grow up reading books about Black people’s contributions, ride in the front of the bus, and have friendships with people of other ethnicities without being punished.  I was able to attend the college of my choosing and teach Black, White, Asian, and African students.  Because of so many strides made before I was even born, I am able to be all that I want to be in life without fear.

“We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always right to do right.”

Every year, PBS has great Black History Month programming and this year is no different.  They return Eyes on the Prize to the line up.  There are quite a few shows that I want to check out including Prince Among Slaves (February 4) and Banished (February 19).

I should be sleep, but I woke up about thirty minutes ago — I do that a lot — and looked out the window to see SNOW!  Now being an Ohio native, what I see outside is not enough to do anything in Ohio like keep kids home from school.  But this is Tarheel Territory where 0.0124 inches of snow is enough to keep kids home from school and me home from work so say it with me now:  SNOW DAY! (say it like they say “Road Trip!” on Legally Blonde)

There’s probably an inch out there, or less than that.  I have no idea to tell the truth because I am not a ruler or a meterologist.  But, again, it’s enough!

I’ve been busy lately with The Brown Bookshelf gearing up for 28 Days Later which starts on February 1 and lasts all month long.  Last week, we added a MySpace page to increase our networking with libraries and others within children’s literature.  On Tuesday, we announced the 28 authors and 4 illustrators that we will be profiling for the month in our Shining the Spotlight blog written by Paula Chase.  We’re excited and have worked hard for the last two months to choose great authors to spotlight from nominations.  We talk all of the time about how much we have learned as a result of being a part of The Brown Bookshelf.  I’ve learned more about picture book and middle grade authors and illustrators as well as young adult fiction.

And I am geeked to know that I get to profile the following authors:  Rita Williams-Garcia, Coe Booth, M. Sindy Felin, Valerie Wilson Wesley, Allison Whittenberg, and Karen English.  All 6 women have some really great books that I look forward to curling up with and reading over the next couple of weeks.  It’s humbling for me as well to get to learn more about fellow authors and share that knowledge with you.

And Don Tate created an amazing 28 Days Later poster that is available to print off as either a PDF or JPG file.  So head over to The Brown Bookshelf, add it to your internet favorites and stop by often but especially in February.

Coming soon, I’ll be doing a self-publishing series of blogs here on my own blog as the warm up to the Just Be excerpt to be shared here on the blog as well.

I admit that I watch a lot of TV and heaven help me if I ever get TiVo or a DVR!  Current must see TV shows include Ugly Betty, The Game, The Biggest Loser, Desperate Housewives, and Extreme Makeover.  I won’t even mention my HGTV favorite shows or my addiction to Snapped!

I watched Desperate Housewives Sunday and was happy to see Tom and the kids emerge alive, but a little sad at Carlos being blind.  I guarantee Gabrielle will leave him by May Sweeps, or whenever the writer’s strike ends and we have the intense eps return to end the season.  I did laugh at Gabrielle in the garage faking grief and Bree pimping Andrew out to the gay contractor to get her roof built.  Leave it to Susan to ruin that.

I watch Bad Girls Club and it makes me so tired to watch Tanisha yell and scream and “pop off” on her roommates, son!  But lest she show up here and POP OFF on me, I will keep my thoughts to myself, Son!

Reality Check

Last week, I was treated to Michael Urie as I watched the premiere of Miss America: Reality Check on TLC.  52 Miss America contestants, Michael Urie, challenges, judges.  It’s like America’s Next Top Model minus the eliminations and Miss Jay.  There are only 3 episodes left but the show aims to show us the contestants beyond just the one night pageant.  The goal is to get us to see and become familiar with the Miss America contestants.  I like it so far.  It’s mindless TV on a Friday night plus last week, we were treated to Stacy and Clinton from What Not to Wear critique some of the delightful clothes the contestants like to wear.  It was interesting to hear their thoughts on premarital sex because they all thought it was bad and everyone should wait until they are married.

Jesse and Angie return to All My Children

Yesterday I got so amped when a friend told me that Jesse and Angie (Darnell Williams and Debbie Morgan) were returning to All My Children.  When they first premiered on All My Children, I was in the first grade.  But I remember being able to see them sometimes.  I went on Wikipedia where a devoted fan has chronicled their existence and I was amazed at how much I remembered about the show.  Angie returns on 1.18.08 and Jesse returns ALIVE on 1.25.08.  I should be ashamed to admit that I am leaving work at 12:30 on both Fridays to see them on TV, but I’m not.  Ashamed, that is.

I’m Afraid of the Impending Ugliness on Ugly Betty

Amanda, Mark, and Betty look just as frightened at what could happen.

Let’s see, the season premiere confirmed Santos died. *sigh* I am still not over that.  And then Bradford Meade died but not before Wilhemina could grab a crucial part of him. *blech* I can only imagine what will happen on tonight’s last new episode until the writer’s strike ends.  One day.  What will happen with Betty and Henry?  Will Wilhemina have twins or triplets?  Will we ever see Claire Meade again?  Who will be next to die on the show?  Now that Alexis in charge, until Wilhemina’s baby is born and she contests the will, what does that mean for Daniel?

So many questions, so many possibilities.

An hour of basketball feels like 15 minutes.  An hour on a treadmill feels like a weekend in traffic school.  ~David Walters 

It’s no secret that I am on a quest to lose weight, work out on a more regular basis, and be healthier overall as a person.  So let’s hear it for Workout Wednesdays!  This is where I’ll post a quote, share a gym tale or two, exercise tips, and just the ups and downs of working out.

I’m getting better with staying on the elliptical for longer than 5 or 6 minutes.  What I do is print out pages of TWOP posters dishing about The Biggest Loser to read while on there.  Not only does it distract me from thinking about the time, but I am also motivated to keep working towards my own fitness goals.  The other night I did close to 20 minutes, and followed it with 40 minutes on the treadmill.  My new goal is to do 500 calories of cardio plus my strength training.  A guy friend mentioned a “300 Workout” which I Googled to discover this is a workout that actors do to get really muscular.  So this past Sunday, I did 100 reps of 3 different weights on the machines that work my quads.  That was as close to the 300 Workout as I was going to get. It was pretty cool thanks to my music.  As long as I have music, I am good to go.  Most days.

Share what you’re doing when you’re in the gym exercising.

Random blog title for a random blog entry.  It’s the way of the world.   Happy 2008 to ya!

Chapter 1:  The Gym 

Today I went to the gym ready to complete a 5K on the treadmill.  I walked in armed with my MP3 player, 2 bottles of water, and my book to read.  I greeted the front desk clerk, told her my gym number and kept walking towards the locker room.  She halted me on my journey and told me that I could not wear my scarf while on the floor.  Say what?  I wore the exact same scarf yesterday to the gym.  Normally I wear my hair in a ponytail to the gym, but the past two days I just kept it tied up while I worked out.  I looked at this woman thinking, “Surely you jest.”  Nope, no jest.  So I went back home, combed down my wrap, and put it in a ponytail and headed back to the gym.

I get back inside the gym and head to the locker room.  On my way I see two other women with scarves on.  **needle on the record scratching** I put my jacket up and walked back to the desk where I told the same lady who sent me home about the other two.  Tattletale?  Maybe, but it’s the principle of the situation.  You can wear a hat in the gym but not a scarf?  I don’t go home and wash my hair everyday and I don’t like wearing my hair down when I work out as it gets in the way.  So whether I decide to come to the gym with a scarf on my head or in a ponytail should be up to me.  As long as I don’t come to the gym improperly attired or making fun of people, I should be able to keep my scarf.  They don’t say anything to the clowns who wear denim to the gym.  Zippers are much more destructive than my satin hair scarf.

But since I only pay $10/month, there will not be a new gym in my future.  I’ll just suck it up, but I better not see any other scarves in that place.

Chapter 2:  The Movies

Yesterday I watched Mrs. Doubtfire on ABC Family.  I really like the movie and think it is quite hilarious that Sally Field’s character Miranda could not see that Mrs. Doubtfire was really her soon to be ex-husband that she was married to for 14 years.  But I guess we see what we want to see.  Not to mention, it would have ruined the movie’s premise. Now I know that a sequel is not necessary for this movie, but I’ve always wanted to know did Miranda and Daniel get back together.  There was an undertone that Miranda started seeing Daniel in a different light once he got the TV show and we know he’s more responsible now.  With all of his changes, could she have considered a reconciliation?  In my mind, I think she did.

What can I say?  I’m a sucker for a happy ending.

Today I finally got to go see The Great Debaters starring Denzel Washington, Jurnee Smollett, Nate Parker, Denzel Whitaker and Forest Whitaker.  I’ve used amazing, awesome, and inspiring to describe this movie that is based on real events and real people at Wiley College in 1935.  The Great Debaters is a must see and needs to be in your movie library when it comes to DVD.

I heard trickles of information starting in November about this movie coming out and I knew it had to be special to have Oprah attached to it.  And Denzel too?  Yeah.  Then when I read about Professor Mel Tolson, my quest for more information deepened.

I sat down in my last row seat this morning and prepped my snacks around me.  A Black couple came and sat a few rows in front of me, but they spoke first.  That’s never happened to me before.  We had a brief conversation but it stuck with me.   It was just smiles and hellos that were spoken along with a comment about the emptiness of the theater, but there was so much more than that.

When the movie started, I was captivated by the opening scenes that showed us the five major characters preparing for the unknown.  If you know Black History, the name James Farmer played by Denzel Whitaker, was familiar to you.  Founder of CORE, we were able to see his beginnings as a college student under the tutelage of his father, a rigid preacher with high expectations for his son.

But who were Samantha Booke with an e and Henry Lowe with an e?  I don’t know about you but Jurnee Smollett transformed for me on the screen.  I’ve seen her as Denise on Full House, in Eve’s Bayou and Roll Bounce, on a TV show with her siblings, but this time I really believe that she immersed herself into her roll as Samantha Booke.  When she gave her debate against Oklahoma City University and ended with these powerful words — No, the time for justice, the time for freedom, and the time for equality is always, is always right now!” — tears flowed.

I am not a child of this era, but my grandmother was 6 years old when this debate team was born and I’ve heard stories from her and my other family members.  I will never know first hand what life was like for my grandmother, her siblings, Tolson, the students at Wiley College or anyone else who lived in this time period.  Oh sure I can read books like Mildred Taylor’s Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, Gordon Parks The Learning Tree, and Dorothy Height’s Open Wide the Freedom Gates, but there are still degrees of separation that I face.

I loved seeing the homecoming dance scene where Farmer signed Samantha’s dance card.  I had always heard about that but never seen it in action in a movie.  And I loved the Wiley sweaters that some of the students wore in the movie.

This evening, I came home and began to Google Samantha Booke.  I wanted to know more about her, her legal career and life after Wiley College.  Imagine my surprise to learn that Samantha Booke is really Henrietta Bell Wells who is a native of Houston, Texas and the lone survivor of the 1935 debate team.  95 year old Wells remains a Houston resident who met both Denzel and Jurnee Smollett.   If you were impressed by what we saw of Samantha in the movie, you haven’t  seen nothing yet.  Mrs. Wells attended classes in the day, debate practice at night, and worked three jobs!

If I was still teaching, I would be eager to tell my students about Mrs. Wells and her perseverance and determination.  I would want them to understand the meaning of that pig scene as well as the scene in the car on the way to the debate with Howard University.  I would want to impress upon them the meaning of teamwork and the strength of the Black community as we saw in the scenes with Wilson at Harvard University.  Most of all, I would want them to recognize the richness that is The Great Debaters and the power of words and ideas.  As Professor Tolson said to his debate team, “Debate is combat, but your weapons are words.”

Monday evening I had to go back to a store to return something for a different size.  I won’t mention the store where this took place, but suffice it to say I grew up going to this store.  So I walk in, grab the correct size and go to the customer service desk.  I stand waiting for the young man to help me as he talked to his co-worker.

He finally heads to his register and just looks at me.  Doesn’t say one word.  I approach the counter and let him know what I need and hand him the items and receipt.  He handles the exchange and hands me the item and receipt back.  I left the register like I always do, “Thank you and have a good evening.”

And he never said a mumbling word.

Not “Hi.”

Not “Thank you.”

Not “Bye.”

And it blew my mind.  I mean I know it is the holiday season and he handles a lot of crazy returns and exchanges, but come on I used to work in retail too.  If a person comes correct with you, do unto them the way they did you too.  Thank you doesn’t cost a thing to anybody.

And people wonder why I like to shop online, lol.  Amazon always says thank you.

Well, the drawing was extremely easy since only two people posted a comment once the promotion was announced.

Congratulations to BSanders & Jessica! 

Thank you ladies for your comments in the Not Exactly Thrilla in Manila post about my ongoing battle with the elliptical machine.

Someone asked me how to make a post, so let me explain to everyone.  At the end of each entry is the category the blog entry falls in and a comments hyperlink that tells how many comments have been made on that entry.  Click on that and get to typing!  And yes, I do respond to your comments.

Get ready in 2008 for more contests and giveaway opportunities!

And as a special treat, two of my favorite holiday cartoons . . .

Just in time for the holidays, you can win an autographed copy of Freshman Focus!  So for those of you who have been wanting to curl up with a copy, here’s your chance to do so without spending a dime. Guess what? I’m giving away two copies of Freshman Focus to two lucky winners.
 
Giveaway Rules

Go to the Keeping up with Carla blog and post comments on the site. For those who usually post comments on the MySpace blog, you must go to the official blog linked from my website to be eligible to win.
 
To make it more interesting and to increase your chances of winning, you are allowed to post up to 5 different comments on any of the blogs posted there. You can post more comments, but only five will be counted for the giveaway.
 
You must include your e-mail address to be eligible. I am the only person who can see the e-mail address when you post a comment.
 
The comments must be on topic, so don’t cheat by simply writing: “Hi Carla. Merry Christmas!” or “I commented so give me a book.” The comments don’t have to be long either.
 
All comments must be posted on the blog by 11:59PM EST on Tuesday, December 18, 2007.
 
The drawing will be held on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 and the winners will be contacted that same day for shipping information. Once I receive your information, I will mail them via Priority Mail in hopes that you receive them in time for Christmas.
 
The first names of the winners will be posted in a blog entry on December 19, 2007 so check back to congratulate the winner. It could be you!
 
The contest is open to anyone who posts a comment with their e-mail address so spread the word to your family, friends, co-workers, and students.

Have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year!
May your 2008 be very great!

Essence magazine, known as the lifestyle magazine for African American women, is adding something new to its roster of initiatives.  For those who have attended the Essence Music Festival or the Women Who Are Shaping the World Leadership Summit, get ready to celebrate literature and libraries too.

From a Publisher’s Weekly article, Essence will honor the Storyteller of the Year on February 7, 2008 in a ceremony held in New York City.  You can go to Essence’s website to vote for your favorite author from a list of twenty-two authors, including Eric Jerome Dickey, Tina McElroy Ansa, Walter Mosley, and Lalita Tademy.  If your favorite author is not listed, you can e-mail your nomination.

In addition to the Literary Awards next year, Essence will have a Save Our Libraries Campaign where books will be donated and author events will be held.  The first recipient is the Countee Cullen Regional Library in Harlem, New York which is the site where many authors of the Harlem Renaissance convened.  Save Our Libraries Campaign wants to reconnect readers with libraries and to better illustrate just how resourceful libraries are in our communities.

As an author and a reader, both initiatives excite me.  If you’ve read my blogs on The Brown Bookshelf, you know that I love libraries because I love books.  I think the awards ceremony that focuses solely on authors is a fabulous idea.  Authors like awards and certificates too.  We want to get dressed up and walk the red carpet and give “Thank God and my Mama” speeches too. 

There is a new antagonist in my life.  Most people call it an elliptical machine.  No offense to the inventor of the elliptical machine as it really is a lovely device, but the thing is a beast.  Every time I go to the gym, I say I am going to do at least 20 minutes on the elliptical instead of 30 or 40 minutes on the treadmill because the elliptical really does give better results.

I enter the gym armed with my walkman and a book to read plus a bottle of water and I stare my enemy in the face as I mount her and place my feet in the feet things.  I enter my weight (G-15 classified information) and the time of the workout.  I always feel optimistic that that day will be the day I do every single one of those twenty minutes.  I really do.  I even tell people, “I’m going to do 20 minutes on the elliptical today.”  And I get on it and I begin to move my arms and feet and nod my head to the beat of the music or sing along.  In my head.  And I watch TV ready to see those twenty minutes just whizz by and the calories too.  And by the third minute, I pause to drink a few sips of water.  Renewed by the liquid refreshment, I begin again and by the fifth minute, I could care less about the house that is being HGTVed, I want off!  Between the 5th and 7th minutes, I am no longer even caring about the song on my walkman.  I stare longingly at the treadmills in front of me with their nice display unit that fits any book I bring to the gym with me.And then I sell out on my elliptical machine pipe dream as I walk to the treadmill after wiping down the machine of torture.

I do my time on the treadmill with ease.  Oh sure, I am bored with it but the book, music, and TV help with that.

The elliptical offers the better workout.  20 minutes on the elliptical raises my heart rate and I burn at least 200 calories.   Typically each minute on the elliptical is 10 calories.  So the 80 calorie muffin I ate this morning is gone from my thighs after 8 minutes.  Wonderful, right?  To burn off the muffin on the treadmill varies depending on how fast I walk or if I bother to kick it up to the 4.5 range to do a run for about 45 seconds. 

I am helpless.

I’ve tried everything to make the time on the elliptical go by faster. 

I picture The Biggest Loser’s Jillian in my face telling me I can do it like she did Isabeau the other night.

That doesn’t last.

I’ve thrown a towel over the display so I don’t see how slowly the seconds tick by. 
I end up moving the towel.

I curse myself out and remind myself that I want to look slimmer for the next book cover and an island vacation in the latter part of 2008. 

I tell myself that I need to lose weight and just be healthy.

In a tribute to the witty Judy Blume, I chant to myself, “We must we must we must decrease our guts.”

And yet I still allow the antagonistic diabolical elliptical machine win.

I’ve devised another possible strategy to last on the elliptical machine.  It’s a challenge to read a book on the elliptical because the pages move so I found a series of articles on my hometown’s newspaper’s website that I want to read.  I printed it off, stapled it, and am taking it with me to the gym tonight where I plan not to leave the elliptical until I finish the packet of articles and burn some serious calories.

Victory shall be mine.

First there was Whitley Gilbert on A Different World.  Then, we met the fabulous wig wearing Regine Hunter on Living Single.  But both of those divas need to move over and make way for Destiny C. Jameson of Freshman Focus.  If you’ve read Freshman Focus, you recall the emotional rollercoaster that Destiny took you on.  At first you roll your eyes when she speaks, then you find yourself gritting your teeth, and just as your teeth are about to fade to dust, Destiny has you ready to step into a boxing ring with her to go a few rounds.  Destiny’s not always likeable, but she is painfully honest with everyone.  And that’s what I like and respect about her even if I disagree with some of her views.

 Favorite Nickname:  Nicknames are for common folks.  My name is too fabulous to be substituted for a nickname.

Birthplace:  This isn’t the 1800s.  I was born in a hospital.

Number of candles that appeared on your last birthday cake: 14

Date that you regularly blow them out:  Why not just ask me what is my birthday?  My birthday is November 12th.  But I don’t put candles on my cake because it is tres unsanitary to blow them out and serve your guests a delicious cake topped with icing and your saliva.  No thank you!

Height: 5’3

Piercings: 4, both ears have 2 piercings.  And no I don’t plan to pierce anywhere else.

If you could have chosen your name, what would it have been?  I love my name! Destiny Colette Jameson is the perfect name for me so I think my mother’s choice is the best one for me.  It’s not like she named me D’estiny, for heaven’s sake.

What time do you wake up in the morning? I set my alarm for 6:00 AM during the school year but during the summer and on weekends, I wake up around 8:00 or 9:00.

Croutons or Bacon Bits:  Croutons are my preference as that is much more cultured to have on a salad than a jar of bacon parts.

Chocolate or Vanilla:  Chocolate

Salad Dressing:  I prefer the raspberry vinaigrette as it gives my salad just enough flavoring without overwhelming the salad.

Favorite fast food place:  I don’t consume products from those ungodly places . . . Okay, fine I admit that I have an intense infatuation with Showmars.

Favorite drink: Green tea

Favorite kitchen appliance? I love the waffle maker that our housekeeper uses to make her delicious waffles.

Sushi or hamburger:  Sushi, of course

Favorite pizza toppings:  I just love mushrooms on my pizza.

Favorite condiment on a hot dog:  Hot dogs are far too gross to eat.

White or wheat bread?  Wheat bread

Bagels or donuts?  Bagels from Panera

Favorite color:  Teal is my favorite color.

Favorite day of the week:  Saturdays because I can sleep in, go get my hair and nails done and go shopping.

Favorite subject in school: English

Favorite holiday:  My birthday is the only holiday that really matters.

Favorite number: 1 because as Jill Scott said, “1 is the magic number.”

Favorite movies:  The Wiz, Lady Sings the Blues, The Josephine Baker Story, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and Mahogany

Favorite place to be:  I love going to the spa to be pampered.

Least favorite place to be: Sitting near Lamar

Favorite article of clothing:  Shoes

Favorite TV show: America’s Next Top Model

Favorite season: Summer, the clothes and shoes are better then plus I can travel more since we’re on vacation from school.

Do you have any pets?  No, we’re not a pet family.

Are you the dumper or dumpee?  Must you really waste your time asking me that?  I will never be dumped.  Ever.  Why would anyone want to break up with me?

Do you prefer a 2 door or 4 door car?  4 doors unless it is a 2 seater car like my father’s Maserati

What color socks are you wearing right now?  Green socks

What is the title of the last book you read?  It Chicks by Tia Williams.  I could show them a thing or two about what it really is to be an it chick!

What is under your bed?  Two rollers that fell out of my head one night and I am just too lazy to pick them up.  There, now you see I am not totally perfect.

What is your favorite song of the moment?  “Hate on Me” by Jill Scott.  That might become my new anthem plus she uses my name in the song.

If you could play any instrument, what would it be? I would love to be able to play the drums.  I think it would be good to let out some of my pent up aggression after a long day of listening to Lamar and Kendra.

If you could have one super power, what power would it be? I would have fashion powers.  I would be able to make the badly dressed look better just with a wiggle of my nose.  For those who like to wear boots in the summer, I would zap the boots off their feet and put them in summer appropriate footwear.

Where do you see yourself in five years?  Out of high school and in college, of course.  I will either attend Spelman like my mother or go to college in another country.  I’ll major in something related to fashion.

What is your best accomplishment to date?  My life is an accomplishment.  Everything I do is an accomplishment.  Just waking up in the morning is an accomplishment for me.  I don’t need certificates to recognize my accomplishments.

Where would you most like to live in the future?  I don’t want to live in just one place.  I plan to have enough money like my parents to allow me to have a brownstone in New York City as that will be my primary residence, a home in Los Angeles, and homes in Paris and Milan.

How many states have you visited?  People keep track of stuff like this?  I’ve visited many states but some are not worthy of visiting but I was on the road with my mother who has fans everywhere, plus I have traveled internationally and I don’t just mean Canada.  Only states I refuse to visit are Montana, Idaho, Alaska, North and South Dakota, and Wyoming.

What is your bedtime?  Who do I look like I am?  I haven’t had a bedtime since the fourth grade.  I go to bed when I feel like it.  Most evenings, that’s between 10:00 and 11:00.

Are you left handed or right handed?  Right handed

What are four words that describe you? The best there is

What brand of toothpaste do you use? Colgate

Would you rather go bowling or roller skating?  I would rather go roller skating but I own my own skates because there is no way on earth I will ever put my feet into some rental skates.  Most of those rental skates look like they are 20 years old and worn by way too many people that a little bit of spray will remedy their presence.

What four musical acts would you most want to see in concert together? Ciara, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, and Ne-Yo

Who is most likely to respond to this?  Lamar because he actually thinks people will care enough about him to read all of his answers.

If you had to purchase a gift for Steven, what would it be? A photo album for him and his brothers to take a bunch of pictures of their new family.

If you had to purchase a gift for Lamar, what would it be? I would give Lamar the chance to practice with the Barons for a week so he can learn a few things about basketball and how good he really is.

If you had to purchase a gift for Kendra, what would it be?  I would buy her tickets to see The Lion King musical when it comes to Charlotte.

Easily my most favorite character in Freshman Focus, Lamar Washington makes high school fun.  As an author, it’s fun and easy to write Lamar’s scenes and his words.  I can see him so clearly in my mind primarily because I have a little Lamar in me.  With Kendra by his side, Destiny to pick with, and classes to act up in, Lamar is someone we all know.  He is the class clown who is smart but wants to coast through school just enough to be able to play basketball.

Favorite Nickname:  Markie

Birthplace: The hospital

Number of candles that appeared on your last birthday cake: 14

Date that you regularly blow them out: March 14

Height:  5’9

Piercings:  My mom ain’t having that so none.

If you could have chosen your name, what would it have been?  Michael Jeffrey Jordan, Jr.

What time do you wake up in the morning?  When my mom yells my name and tells me to get my butt into the bathroom before I miss the bus.

Croutons or Bacon Bits:  Neither.  I’m not into salads.

Chocolate or Vanilla:  Depends.  I love chocolate candy and brownies.  Are brownies considered chocolate?  I prefer vanilla ice cream and white cake with vanilla frosting.

Salad Dressing:  Again, I’m not into salads.

Favorite fast food place:  McDonald’s with super duper size fries that are fresh out of the grease.

Favorite drink:  Tahitian Treat and Gatorade

Favorite kitchen appliance? All of them

Sushi or hamburger:  I like my meat cooked so give me a burger with some cheese on it too.

Favorite pizza toppings:  Meat Lover’s from Pizza Hut

Favorite condiment on a hot dog:  ketchup and mustard

White or wheat bread? White

Bagels or donuts?  Krispy Kreme all day every day!  I wish they would move next door to me.

Favorite color:  Black

Favorite day of the week:  Saturdays

Favorite subject in school:  Lunch where I get to talk to my friends without getting in trouble with my teachers.

Favorite holiday:  Christmas, because you get presents as you celebrate Jesus’ birthday. 

Favorite number: 23

Favorite movies: Sunset Park, Love and Basketball, Rush Hour, Bad Boys, Shrek

Favorite place to be:  On the basketball court, whether it’s practice or a game

Least favorite place to be: on the bus after losing a basketball game

Favorite article of clothing: basketball uniform

Favorite TV show:  Everybody Hates Chris and Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Favorite season:  Summer

Do you have any pets? No

Are you the dumper or dumpee? Come on now.  I don’t get dumped.  Girls hate to leave me. 

Do you prefer a 2 door or 4 door car? 4 doors

What color socks are you wearing right now?  Some white socks but not with dress shoes like some old men do.  I just finished playing basketball outside with Kendra.  I beat her like I do 99.85% of the time.

What is the title of the last book you read?  This Little Bill book called Is It My Turn Now.  Before you try to clown me, I read the book to my sister who loves Little Bill.  It was a pretty good story though.

What is under your bed?  My box of basketball cards

What is your favorite song of the moment? “Stronger” by Kanye West

If you could play any instrument, what would it be? Drums

If you could have one super power, what power would it be?  I want to be able to fly

Where do you see yourself in five years? I will be at college playing basketball unless the Bulls draft me as their number one draft pick my senior year of high school.

What is your best accomplishment to date?  It hasn’t happened yet, but I know I will be asked to start for varsity games this season as a freshman once the coach sees me practice.

Where would you most like to live in the future?  I want to live with my wife Beyonce in our homes in Houston, Chicago, and California.

How many states have you visited?  8 that I can remember

What is your bedtime?  When I fall asleep

Are you left handed or right handed? Right handed

What are four words that describe you? I’m the world’s greatest

What brand of toothpaste do you use? Crest

Would you rather go bowling or roller skating? Bowling

What four musical acts would you most want to see in concert together? Beyonce, Usher, Jay-Z, and Outkast

Who is most likely to respond to this? Destiny since Kendra already replied with some boring answers.

If you had to purchase a gift for Steven, what would it be? Tickets to the Super Bowl

If you had to purchase a gift for Destiny, what would it be? Diapers for her crappy attitude

If you had to purchase a gift for Kendra, what would it be? Cooking lessons