Tag Archives: Emory University

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See ‘Destination Wedding’ Novel Launch Party Photos & More!!!

Hello World,

It’s hard to believe that the first seven days of 2020 are now in the past…It’s even harder to believe that it’s been just over a month since my debut novel Destination Wedding was released on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019! After my blog post “Candace Bushnell from ‘Sex and the City’ Has Endorsed ‘Destination Wedding,’ Which is Out TODAY!!!” on Dec. 3, I took a hiatus from blogging but trust I still had more to do regarding the launch of my novel. One of those things was a fun LAUNCH PARTY at Auburn Avenue Research Library African American Culture and History in downtown Atlanta! Since you weren’t there, I’m sharing pics and a video from the big day! I hope you enjoy them 🙂

Isn’t that nice? My book cover on a cake…

A friend and my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated sister helped me to set up before the event…

Just a few snacks for guests…

Dr. Stewart and my father, Dr. Holness, are from Jamaica so they had lots to discuss…

My supportive hubby taking pictures with my father-in-law in the background…

Guests helping themselves…

Me & Carla Morrison, president of the Friends of Auburn Avenue Research Library…

My line sisters greeting each other. I have the BEST line sisters…

My husband is so handsome…

My line sister brought me flowers!!!

Me and my line sister…

My parents and in-laws…I’m blessed…

They were into the conversation…

We were having a very enlightening conversation if I say so myself…

Dr. Stewart is focused…

It’s going well…

Dr. Stewart breaking it down…

And now book signing…

Why do I look so uncomfortable? Latoicha Andino of luxetipsmag.com says I’m not a good hugger…LOL…

Me and my younger soror and her friend…

So glad that so many of my friends came out and supported…

One of my friends bought SEVEN books!!!

I met one of my Twitter friends for the FIRST time. I had no idea she was so statuesque…

Me and my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated line sisters who came out…

Me and my beloved parents…

Wrapping things up…We didn’t even plan to wear the same colors…

Also, check out snippet of our conversation below…

So if you haven’t checked out Destination Wedding, what are you waiting on?

Any thoughts?

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Seven Scriptures to Dispel F.E.A.R. About Ebola…

Hello World,  hazmat

It’s time to get back in the Word again…I live in metro Atlanta…yes, that’s right…Ground Zero for Ebola treatment in the entire United States of America…

I have started carrying hand sanitizer and every time someone sneezes or sniffles near by me, my mind starts spinning all kinds of dramatic scenarios…What if she has Ebola? What if he has been in contact with someone who has Ebola? What if she is a family member of the nurse who has been transported to Atlanta for care?

I have even considered walking around like this…

So when my F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real) of anything starts getting bigger than my faith in Jesus…It’s time to get back in the Word and dispel it…Below are a few verses to help me and you when we are tempted to make our own hazmat suits, avoid the area of town where the CDC and Emory are located or stay home altogether…

  1. I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4…
  2. The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1
  3. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3
  4. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
  5. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
  6. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28
  7. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “”Abba,” Father.” Romans 8:15

These verses help me to realize that my life and times are in God’s hands alone…God had an appointed time to bring me here and even though I don’t like to think about it, God has an appointed time for me to leave here…In the mean time, I will trust God and carry hand sanitizer…In other words, I trust God and I use the common sense that He gave me, but outside of that, that is all any of us can do…at least individually…

But here is something we can do collectively…let’s pray for those in West Africa who are suffering from Ebola, pray for those in the healthcare industry all over the world (my husband is in the healthcare industry), pray for those nurses here in the U.S. who are sick with Ebola and pray for the family of Thomas Eric Duncan (Read a touching article about his funeral in The New York Times )and all families who have lost members of their family due to the deadly virus…and sending some money to worthy and reputable organizations who are combating Ebola wouldn’t hurt either…

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

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Summer Love…

Hello World,

High School Memories...If you look very carefully, you can see me in the back wearing my big Marcie (from "Peanuts") glasses...

Yippee! Hooray! Woohoo! Today is the first day of summer, my absolute favorite time of the year…I think it’s in my DNA to love summer more than any other season because my family hails from the sunny isle of Jamaica  🙂

So since this is the first day of summer, I would like to post something that reminds me of the summer days of my high school years…It’s funny… During high school, I vacillated between believing my life was over when a guy dumped me or never returned my affection in the first place and being excited about being thrust into the “real world” upon graduation…And now when I look back, I wonder two things: why did take my “relationships” so seriously and why was I in such a hurry…life was pretty good even with my parents’ strict rules(being a preacher’s kid was challenging)…Oh the folly of youth…

One of their rules was that I could not go to parties, and I especially couldn’t go clubbing…which was unfortunate because (as I was told) we had some slammin’ clubs that my fellow teenagers used to frequent such as Sharon’s Showcase, Charles Disco, MBK, 559 and Club XS, where “Atlanta Jams” was taped!!! “Atlanta Jams” was the show you wanted to be on if your were a teenager in the A in the ’90s! Basically, it just featured teenagers from high schools all over the A getting their party on and just cheesin’ hopin’ they would see themselves on a future broadcast of the show…

Well, to my utter despair, I never got to visit nearly all of those clubs I mentioned in high school because of my parents’ rules, but ONE TIME, I did visit Club XS and was on “Atlanta Jams!!!” During the summer of 1991 (the summer between my junior and senior year), I was a part of a summer program in which high school students lived on the Emory University campus for a month…Of course, I took advantage of the opportunity to break all of my parents’ rules…lol…We convinced our resident advisers, who were Emory University students, to take us to Club XS…I relished dancing with my friends and hoped the cameras wouldn’t catch me…Wouldn’t want any of the church folk somehow seeing me on the show and telling my parents…

Long story short. I did end up on TV, and as I watched the show the later, I hoped my mother (who was in the living room where our only television was located) didn’t happen to see me…She didn’t…And guess what? I did not die Mom & Dad…Lol…Real talk…I’m glad I didn’t get into clubbin’ as a teenager…I’ve seen some people who got into that very early back in the day…And they look like they have really lived…if you know what I mean…Anywho, here’s a video of “Atlanta Jams.” This show so reminds me of summer – the season that I love…it’s summer love…

Any thoughts? (I think that’s Ryan Cameron from V-103 on the stage wearing the black and white polka dots…)