I promised you pics from my release party and here they are…Enjoy…And let me know what you think…

We held the party at Space Atlanta in the West End area of the A...

Greeting guests as they arrive...

Enjoying the evening...

Hopefully enjoying my book...

 

More guests enjoying the evening...

 

"Into Your Heart" Creative Dance Blessing by Ms. Gwendolyn Fields...

 

Sis. Uter, one of the women in my book, along with my emcee for the evening...

 

My mom in the center and guests...

 

Dr. Pam Thompson, one of the women featured in the book...

Thanking guests for coming...

 

A young guest obviously enjoying his evening...

 

My three assistants serving food to guests...

 

My nephew congratulating me on my book...

 

Emmy Award-winning poet Hank Stewart reciting a poem for us...

Hank Stewart again...

Dwan Abrams, event planner, and me...

Aunt Nev (right) and guests...

"Beauty," who is featured in my book, performing for guests...

A cool shot...

Me along with 2 of 3 door prizes donated by my sponsor for the evening - Sofn’free GroHealthy! The company also donated 100 sample packs for each of my guests!!! Support this company!!!

My book and door prizes..

Winning door prizes!!!

Examining the goods...

Members of my family...

The pretty cake...with my book!!!

Rap artist Mr. Ray...

Winning a Kindle!!!

Winning a Kindle part two...

Signing books! (What's up Elle?)

Signing books! (What's up cousin Kisha?)

Me & Aunt Sue...

My Delta line sisters showing their love...

Me & Sherry, my girl and soror from way back...

Doug showing support...

Soror Mickey showing love...

The lone writer...(get it? LOVE.THIS.PHOTO...) All wrapped in love...

Beauty & her hubby C-Los of Zonum Media Group showing support...

My souvenir bags containing several goodies including sample packs from my sponsor of the evening - Sofn’free GroHealthy

Thank you Dwan Abrams for planning my book release party! Thank you Alex Johnson III for the excellent photography! Thank you Space Atlanta for the venue! Thank you  Sofn’free GroHealthy for sponsoring my book release party! Thank you Nevaeh Publishing for publishing my book After the Altar Call: The Sisters’ Guide to Developing a Personal Relationship With God! Thank you R. for your unwavering support!!! Thank you God!!!!!!!

Any thoughts? 

Terri J. Vaughn, Danielle Deadwyler & Tandria Potts, director of the film

On Wednesday night, I was blessed to attend a screening of the new GMC TV film “A Cross to Bear” at Midtown Arts Cinema. Based on an original screenplay written by Cas Sigers Beedles and Terri J. Vaughn (Remember Lovita Alizé Jenkins-Robinson from “The Steve Harvey Show” back in the day?), director-actor Kim Fields returns to the front of the camera in a heartwarming story of redemption.

I must admit I was expecting a kind of cheesy, melodramatic,  fluffy film, but I was truly taken in by the film. And judging by the audience that I sat with, I was not the only one inspired. A woman behind me cried throughout the screening, and a young woman in front of me swayed and cooed at the tender love story that was a subplot in the film.  The movie will air on GMC TV tomorrow (Feb. 18) at 7 p.m. EST with encore telecasts at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Tandria Potts and Kim Fields

“A Cross to Bear” tells the unflinching and inspiring story of Erica Moses, a would-be dancer with no family connections who finds herself fighting alcoholism and living on the streets with her newborn child after being left by her boyfriend. One ill-fated night, she takes refuge from the cold in an empty building with a handful of other homeless people and her life is shattered. Traumatized and now living at the home of Joan (who is portrayed by Fields), a former nurse who has dedicated her life to helping woman like Erica and other women in transition get back on their feet. As the cause of Erica’s personal hell is revealed, slowly, with the help of Joan’s unique brand of tough love and the friendship of Tina, a former crack baby who also lives in Joan’s house, and the guidance of other women who have found new beginnings at Joan’s House, Erica finds the will to live and learns the redemptive power of forgiveness.

I was able to speak to some of the actors in the film, many of whom will be making their television debut such as Danielle Deadwyler, whose stage credits include a performance in Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre productions of “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enough” and “The Colored Museum” under the direction of Jasmine Guy, portrayed Erica Moses. Deadwyler, who grew up in Capitol View Homes, attended Grady High School and graduated from Spelman College, identifed with Erica’s struggle to escape her circumstances and achieve her dreams. (And the film was shot in the A!)

“If you are steadfast, do the work, continuously, your dreams will manifest,” said Deadwyler.

A critical scene at the beginning of the film shows Erica as a child watching her mother, who seems to be an alcoholic, use her feminine wiles to secure the money and affection of a man despite the cost to her self-esteem and her child. Years later, Erica has not learned from her mother’s mistakes and finds herself in a similar precarious position.

When the film was originally conceived about six years ago, Vaughn was slated to portray Erica. However, once the film was backed by GMC TV after years of false starts and setbacks, Vaughn felt it would be best to be a producer on the film instead. “This film means a lot to me. I’m a huge advocate for creating projects for television that my nieces can see,” said Vaughn, whose husband Karon Riley is in the film. Vaughn’s producing partner Sigers Beedles was inspired to write this film based on her experiences volunteering in a homeless shelter. “I’m fascinated with people who are at the lowest of their low points and how they are able to come out of that because some don’t.”

“A Cross to Bear” also features performances by Malinda Williams (“The Wood,” “Soul Food”), Jackie Long (“ATL,” “Idlewild”) vocalists Angie Stone and Kenny Lattimore, and and Christian hip hop artist Lecrae Moore.

Lecrae Moore

Look out for the bomb performance by newcomer Tamika Tanner who portrays Tina…Y’all will know her name some day….Remember you read it here first…

Tamika Tanner, who also is the owner of Gimme Some Suga Bakery Bar

Any thoughts?

It’s been a minute since I’ve posted mainly because I was furiously working to execute my book release party which happened Friday night and my book release which will be on Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, and everything else in my life…but I’m back:)

I had planned on posting about my party, but in light of the tragic news of Whitney Houston’s passing today, I feel it is more appropriate to post about that at a later date so stay tuned to see all of the pictures from my party…

Whitney Houston, like she was for countless others, was on the soundtrack of my life…I remember seeing her first album cover when I was in the fifth grade and had just started to obsess over my appearance. I had started to develop, but I was chubby and wore huge glasses. Confidence in my looks I did not possess….When I heard all of the boys admiring Whitney’s beauty on that first album cover as we rode home from school on the bus one day, I hoped one day to possess the beauty she exuded…

I remember her song “How Will I Know” that was released when I was in middle school. It perfectly captured the bewilderment I experienced as I first started to feel romantic stirrings for some of the boys I met in middle school. Did he love me? Or was I just fooling myself? How will I know? I smile now recalling how serious I thought all of that was at the time. Those boys were probably still wearing Underoos at the time, and I was obsessing if they loved me…Foolish youth!

I could go on and on recalling the moments of my life that her voice and her presence touched, but more than anything, I just pray for her family and friends that actually knew the woman behind that heavenly talent…And I pray Heaven is just where she is this morning…

We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  2 Corinthians 5:8

And I hope she is singing this song face to face with the Father this morning…”I Love the Lord” featuring the Georgia Mass Choir…(I loved “The Preacher’s Wife!”)

 

Peace be unto you Whitney…

Any thoughts?