Posted on Sunday, September 21, 2014

Making Your Divine Appointment…

Hello World,

Delta Authors on Tour…

Yesterday was a whirlwind of a day…I had gotten up around 5:30 a.m. to pray and write and then I mapped out the rest of day…I had planned to go the Delta Authors on Tour event for a couple of hours and then get on with my Saturday washing clothes, grocery shopping, etc. – basically the mundane stuff…

In my mind, I was grumbling about the various things I needed to get done – the fun stuff and not-so-fun stuff…I LOVE to write, but writing this first novel has been a challenging feat for me for several reasons…For the sake of brevity, I will only name two…Reason #1…Up until the last year or so, I haven’t read a novel in some years…I’m a non-fiction afficionado…In fact, even though I’ve been a part of a book club that has read novels for roughly 16 years, I have read very few of them (I’m grateful they allow me to come back to meetings 🙂 ) Reason #2…Since I’m trained as a journalist, I can whip up a competent article or two or three if threatened in a few hours…But writing chapters and for hundreds of pages is a marathon I’ve never run before…

The not-so-fun stuff was obviously my household chores…Sometimes my week is so hectic, I have to relegate mundane chores to the weekend…and the last thing I want to do on a weekend is wash clothes, plan meals, clean, etc. When I was single, I could ignore all of the not-so-fun stuff and let things pile up including dishes, clothes, dust bunnies, etc. But now that someone is living with me, I no longer have that luxury…(although my husband would probably argue that I still allow myself that luxury…)

Sorors Dr. Fran Breakfield & L.D. Wells...

Sorors Dr. Francene Breakfield & L.D. Wells…

So yesterday, I had all of that planned as I charged into Greenbriar Mall where the Delta Authors on Tour event was held. My plan was to stay there for two hours tops…I was there to support two of my collegiate chapter sorors L.D. Wells and Dr. Francene Breakfield and then meet newly minted Soror Suzan Johnson Cook, who is not only a former pastor and current author, she also served as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom…But when I was told Soror Johnson Cook wouldn’t be there until 3 p.m., I realized that my day would unfold as planned…

Me & Soror, Dr., Ambassador & More Suzan Johnson Cook…

How many of you know that “in their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps?” (Proverbs 16:9)

What I understand now is that I had a divine appointment to be there and not just for two hours but for the WHOLE day…I got there early about 11 ish in the morning and didn’t make it home until roughly the same time last night…

Me & Soror Victoria Christopher Murray…

While I was there I met Soror Suzan Johnson Cook whose book “A New Dating Attitude” made me know that I know that I know that I truly know my husband was and is God’s best for me…But that wasn’t the only reason I was there…I reconnected with authors I’ve met before such as Victoria Christopher Murray and met authors I’ve never met before such as Angela Ray, Dr.

From left to right, Dr. Martha Ward Plowden, L.D. Wells, Brenda Jackson, Dr. Fran Breakfield

Majorie L. Kimbrough, Dr. Martha Ward Plowden, Ruth P. Watson, Stephanie Perry Moore and Brenda Jackson…In fact, I hobnobbed with the Delta Authors on Tour so much I was invited to go to dinner with them that evening at The Pecan restaurant in downtown College Park…New York Times Best-Selling Author Brenda Jackson, who I’m ashamed I’ve never heard of before yesterday, has written over 100 books!!! (Y’all know she has been blessed by God, all gifts do come from Him…)

Stephanie Perry Moore and one of her adorable young fans…

The conversation at dinner encouraged me to continue in my divine appointment of being a wife (maybe mother someday…I know I’m 41 and the countdown has started…Mind yo business 🙂 ) and an author with dreams so big only God can accomplish them through me…

As I and some of the author Delta Authors on Tour made our way back to our cars, little did we know that we had another divine appointment…We met a dynamic downtown College Park business owner that regaled us with story after story after story of her “mustard seed” faith and how she encourages people to not only dream but to WAKE UP!

Don’t we look hungry? LOL…Me & Angela Ray…

And I’m only giving you the “public personal” version of the divine appointments that I experienced yesterday because I’m still pondering everything and this is the Internet…lol…

So this morning, I’m awake and ready to continue to writing this novel that I hope to have “spit shined” and ready for perusal next month…Y’all keep me in prayer…

Won’t He Do It! Guess What? He Already Did!

Any thoughts?

Posted on Wednesday, February 29, 2012

I’m Bout It Bout It aka Marketing & Promotion Month 7 (And It.Don’t.Stop.)

Hello World,

Me and my lovely assistant at my first book signing at Lifeway Christian Store...

Wow. I got to thank God.

My book is out (as of Feb. 14), and it ranked as an Amazon Best Seller and was listed as an Amazon Hot New Release!!! My Facebook Fam (friends) are blowing up my page telling me they are buying my book! My folk at church who came to my release party are telling me how much they are enjoying the book! And I’m having book signings and what not!

I planted a lot of seeds (WORKED HARD), and God took care of the increase as only HE can do!!! Since I started writing these posts back in July when I started my marketing and promotion campaign (Check out the first one “I’m Bout It Bout It aka Marketing & Promotion Month 1…”), I had the goal of sharing what I have done to help authors behind me as they prepared to launch their babies aka books into the world, and I hope that some author who Googles marketing & promotion will read these posts and be encouraged…

Let me share some of God’s blessings as I’ve worked to get the word out about my book via my marketing & promotion campaign…(in no particular order as all were important accomplishments for me 🙂

I’ve been featured on six radio programs! If you would like to hear me on “The Business of Wisdom” with Dr. Alvin Jones, please listen here! And I thank Shandra Hill Smith of Pullen Press for being an excellent publicist, and helping me with my radio exposure!!! At my first book signing at Lifeway Christian store, one of the ladies who came said she first heard about me on “Business in the Black” with Twanda Black on WALR KISS 104.1 FM. That was my second radio interview, and I think I sounded a bit rough – but thankfully, someone got the message I was trying to convey!
I had over a 100 people at my book release celebration!!! To see the pics from that awesome night of support and love, please go here! Thanks Dwan Abrams for planning the party and spreading the word about it! And I am sooo very grateful for Sofn’free GroHealthy for sponsoring my book release celebration!!!
Various author friends/bloggers featured my book on their blog!!! Thank you to Kathi Macias (kathimacias.com) who featured me on her blog on the day of my book release. To read the post, please go here. And Tayari Jones (yes, the one and only at tayarijones.com) featured me on her blog as well! To read the post, please go here. And other authors including Victoria Christopher Murray (my soror), Tiffany L. Warren (who is featured in my book), & Tia McCollors shouted me out on their Facebook pages! Tia & author Kendra Norman-Bellamy provided endorsement quotes for my book! Author love is a must!!! And I’m soo grateful 🙂 (I hope I’m not forgetting anyone…if so, charge it to my head and not my heart…)
During October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Blayne Alexander of 11 Alive for The Grio.com interviewed Lola Brown, who is featured in my book, about her two-time victory over breast cancer at 36 years old. To read the story or watch the interview, please go to thegrio.com.
I was really encouraged when just as I started my marketing and promotion campaign, I was featured on SORMAG’s blog – sormag.blogspot.com, which is an important website for authors! To see that post, please go here. Thanks again LaShaunda Hoffman!!!
I’ve also been featured in various print media outlets including UPSCALE magazine as well as local newspapers the Clayton News Daily and the Clayton Neighbor!!!
And last but certainly not least, I want to thank Lifeway Christian Store for hosting my very first official book signing last Saturday! I hope, wish & PRAY it’s the beginning of more to come!

NOTE: This roundup mainly includes the media coverage piece of my marketing & promotion campaign….there were other things that I’ve done which are too numerous to name right now…but I will say this…I revamped my website (thanks Tess), passed out postcards just about everywhere I went, networked at various events in the city and throughout the nation, posted like a fiend on my Facebook page and on Twitter and more…trust me…been hustling…stay hustling…

Again, I gotta thank God…And I gotta thank R., who has listened to me talk about this EREday since July…He is the mostest!!!

Ain’ gon lie…I’m tired…but…it.don’t.stop…

Any thoughts?

This song is apropos today….dreams.come.true…

Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2012

I’m Bout It Bout It aka Marketing & Promotion Month 6 (Book Release Party Details!)

Hello World,

You know what. I kinda fell off….What do I mean? This post should have been written in December as it is about my marketing and promotion activities for December, but y’all…I’ve been sooo immersed in doing it all that it was difficult to write it down….Forgive me? At any rate, I want to invite y’all to my BOOK RELEASE PARTY!!! I had originally planned it to coincide with the release of my book on February 14, but it will now be on Feb. 10!!! If you can make it, please come out…see all of the details above…

Also, if you’re a book lover as I am, you also don’t want to miss best-selling authors Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley as they will be in the A this week to promote their latest release “Sinners & Saints.” They will be signing their book at the Clark Atlanta University Bookstore, 223 James P. Brawley Drive SW, tomorrow at noon and at the Hammonds House Museum on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Below are more details about their discussion & signing at the Hammonds House Museum….

Best-selling and award-winning novelists Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley bring their favorite heroines together in a novel that will delight their legions of fans. Jasmine Larson Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams are not your typical first ladies. But they’ve overcome their scandalous and drama-filled pasts to stand firmly by their husbands’ sides. When a coveted position opens up–president of the American Baptist Coalition– both women think their husbands are perfect for the job. And winning the position may require both women to get down and dirty and revert to their old tricks.

Just when Jasmine and Rachel think they’re going to have to fight to the finish, the current first lady of the coalition steps in . . . a woman bigger, badder, and more devious than either of them. Double the fun with a message of faith. “Sinners & Saints” will delight readers with two of their favorite characters from two of their favorite authors.

Your R.S.V.P is requested – Admission Choices

$15 – Admission FREE with Pre-purchase of book ($15 savings).
$10 – Admission RSVP / general.
$5 – Admission RSVP / members of Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha and
Hammonds House Museum.
FREE Admission for Persons Who Join or Renew a Membership to HHM

For more information, please go the Hammonds House Museum website.

Also, check out a video about their book…