2 posts tagged “relationships”

"My Book is Out" Series--Erotica, Family Secrets, Classism....Lies & Alibis

Authors Nanette M. Buchanan, Petula Caesar, Kim Shaw, Geletha and Dale Black, Victoria Wells, Debra Owsley, Ella Curry owner of EDC Creations, and guest caller NFL Pro-baller WR Jesse Holley  discuss new book releases relating to healthy AA relationships, erotica, classism, the male romantic perspective, and the business side of literature.

Topics of discussion during our Black Authors Network Interview
What would a pro football players like to read? Fiction titles or non-fiction?
Do women really listen to men when they cry out?
Who trains young men on the role they play in relationships?

 

The authors and special guests answer these questions and many more! Listen in...

Do African Americans still dwell over the light-skinned, dark-skinned issue?
Why do African Americans shy away from mental illness discussions?
How does a writer get their articles in magazines and newspapers?
What is the difference in erotica and romance titles?

These questions and oh so many more are answered on our BAN interview, to find out what each of these authors had to say to the questions, click here.

Novel Writing: Five Secrets Of Success
by Steve Dempster

Have you ever wondered, as you sit at your keyboard, if there are any secrets to successful novel writing? Well there are - and here are five of them. Remember these secrets and your novel writing will improve overnight!

To call the points below ’secrets’ is perhaps to invest them with too great an air of mystery, yet it seems that so many words of advice are looked on as ’secrets’ nowadays that I thought ’what the heck? Go with the flow - call them secrets. Why not?’


I’ll tell you why not. Because it isn’t fair. The ’secrets’ I’m about to tell you aren’t secrets at all - just good, solid advice that’s been proven on the writing mill time after time. So, when next you read some sales blurb offering to tell you ’secrets’ that will absolutely guarantee your success and turn you into an A-list writer - remember me. Remember these five points. Remember that the writer’s road is a hard and rocky one. And especially remember that that road is the best road ever made!

Point One: Adopt a professional attitude towards your work.
Does this seem obvious? Of course it does - and yet you would be amazed at how many people write ’when they can’ or ’when the mood takes them’. If you are one of these people, you need to change this mental attitude right now - and I do mean right now. Unless you are another Hemingway or Joyce you will not succeed with such an approach. Set aside a regular time to work - then stick to it. Period.

Point Two: Identify your target market.
Who will you write for? By this I mean what section of the reading public. A good thing to keep in mind is that you are more likely to be successful writing books on the subject your read yourself - romance or sci-fi for example - than forcing yourself to write in a genre unknown to you just because it seems to sell well.

Point Three: Self-belief.
This is one thing that - unfortunately - no-one can teach you, yet it is one of the most important things that any writer can possess. Indeed, without self-belief it is highly unlikely that you will ever really ’make it’ as a writer. Why? Simply because writing is a tough game and only the strong survive. A writer’s strength lies in mental, rather than physical, toughness but it’s toughness just the same. Cultivate this strength at every opportunity.

Point Four: Support.
I’ve said this before in other articles and make no apology for saying it here - having the support of your family is of huge importance. If they understand that you are treating this writing business seriously and that you need to have set times in which to work then this will be of immense help to you. If they then go the extra mile and root for you at all times, well, you’re halfway there!

Point Five: Rejection.
This is perhaps the most dreaded aspect of writing for many would-be authors - the awful ’pink slip’ of the rejection letter. What you must realise is that rejection is not a personal slight. Publishing is a business and all that rejection means is that your story or book doesn’t fit with what that editor wants at that moment. Many writers in fact have a ’rejection selection’ that they keep to one side and resubmit at regular intervals. After all, times change - and so do editors!

So - five short ’secrets’ that, if you keep them in mind and more importantly act upon them, will always help you along the way to being a published writer. No guarantees, though - anyone who offers you those is someone you really shouldn’t listen to!

© Coypright Steve Dempster
Steve Dempster writes articles for the web and works of fiction. If you would like to get the know-how a novelist needs to write professionally, take a look at this: http://www.howtobeawriter.co.uk/page11.html

 

Currently reading : The Foreigner's Caress (Kimani Romance) By Kim Shaw Release date: By 01 March, 2008

 

 

 

For Every Love There Is A Reason by Kenda Bell

By the time barely-married, busy body Norelle figured out that she was beginning to look and act like the woman she blamed for her father's death, she hoped that her own indiscretions with her son's father, Tariq, does not cost her the perfect husband when she receives unexpected news. While walking a tight rope of half truths and lies for the sake of love, Norelle turned some of her energy toward helping her best friend Keilah look at the possibility of a second chance at love after receiving news that turned her world topsy-turvy.

When flashbacks of the past and present collide, both Norelle and Keilah ask themselves what won't they do for love. Norelle must deal with her own demons while Keilah must get emotionally naked once and for all with Andre to put together the pieces of their past so they can go on. . .with or without each other.

For Every Love There Is A Reason takes the reader into a multi-layered tale of choices and consequences of thirty-something best friends, Keilah and Norelle, who slip and slide with laughter and tears through their own mistakes, as they try to make sense of love on their own terms.

 

Book Details
Paperback: 280 pages
Publisher: Xpress Yourself Publishing, LLC (January 3, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0972299092
ISBN-13: 978-0972299091
 

Book Reviews:

4/5 stars Can you ever go back?
By  The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

FOR EVERY LOVE THERE IS A REASON by Kenda Bell is the wrenching love story of Keilah and Andre who were once lovers and now barely speak. Keilah has never gotten over Andre even though he has moved on. Her best friend, Norelle, is married and full of good advice for Keilah, when she really needs to be assessing her own love life.

She is married to Raymond but she has some deep dark secrets. Norelle keeps pushing Keilah toward Andre even though she is also trying to move on. Then Andre calls Keilah for one last date and drops a bomb on her. Keilah is devastated and knows she has no choice but to give up her dreams of a happily ever after with Andre.

Through the Internet, she meets Justus, a bi-racial African American, and gives him her attention, if not her entire heart. Things begin to look up for her as Andre's world begins to fall apart. Will either of these two find happiness?

There are many twists and turns in FOR EVERY LOVE THERE IS A REASON. The main plot is swirling in the midst of several sub plots that are equally fascinating. All the characters are developed sufficiently so that the side stories are as interesting as the main story. All these people are intertwined even though they don't always know each other. It is a heart-wrenching, breath-holding kind of novel as you find yourself attempting to direct the actions of the characters. Even if you aren't a fan of romance, this tale has enough suspense and tragedy to pull you into the vortex. It is well worth reading.
Reviewed by Alice Holman of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Provocative and Intriguing, August 12, 2007
By  Alexia Clifton (Columbia, MD)
This is one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year. Fast paced and keeps you guessing until the end. Ms. Bell really knows how to create real and interesting characters that hold our attention throughout the roller coaster ride! I'm an avid reader and was thrilled with this story. Looking forward to a sequel. 

 

A must read!
By  Lynel Washington "freelance editor"
Cheers to Kenda Bell for her freshman novel, For Every Love There Is A Reason. Emotionally, I was on edge after reading this true-to-life, powerfully written story. I am anxiously awaiting a sequel. There are some chains that need to be connected. Some circumstances yet to be sealed. Readers will be amazed at how fulfilling this novel is, even though fans will be begging for answers at the end. This was so eloquently written that Ms. Bell will be recognized as a Literary Diva.

Best friends, Keilah and Norelle, are the main focal point of the tale. As these two lifelong friends endure tumultuous drama, be prepared to be gripped by hearts breaking as well as uneasy feelings of humiliation, shame, guilt, fear, grief and panic. Each character's heartstrings are pulled on levels beyond comprehension. As these levels are climbed, the bond between Keilah and Norelle is what keeps them sane. Indeed, Keilah and Norelle are not the only individuals presented. There are numerous subplots and plot twists that will keep the reader's mind guessing and wondering what could happen next.

The life lessons included are helpful to all who are open and ready to listen. This book provides an awakening to the spirit of true love. A greater appreciation of the essence of love will be gained. Indeed, for every love there is definitely a reason. But on the flip side, for every choice there is a consequence. This is also a pivotal theme modeled throughout this book. The consequences suffered are due to generations of wrong choices made for the sake of love.

Ms. Bell is to be commended for her brilliant use of metaphors in this timely message that illustrates the importance of being mindful of one's actions.

This is certainly a must read! It is always a pleasure to read a novel that not only entertains, but also touches the soul with its depth of characters, philosophical viewpoints and theraupuetic undertones.
 

Author's Bio
KENDA BELL is a self-described cultural sociologist who loves to dictate the unspoken words of the heart for the masses, with creativity along with a large helping of sass. She is a member of the Baltimore Urban League and is active in various community-based activities for women and children. She is currently researching and interviewing for a non-fiction version of For Every Love There Is a Reason, tentatively titled For Every Love There Is a Reason: Issues of The Hearts. She has been published in Baltimore Magazine and Honey Magazine. Currently an online columnist at  www.mahoganybutterfly.com, she resides in Baltimore, Maryland with her king in training, Keegan.

When Kenda is not writing, or driving her publisher crazy (love yah), she enjoys exploring the world with all five senses to learn and grow. She also is a closet TV junkie who O.D.s on anything from reality television to the History Channel. She can be reached at kb621@aol.com or www.myspace.com/foreverylove.

 

 

Kenda's debut novel, For Every Love There Is A Reason will be released February 14, 2007.

Currently reading : For Every Love There Is A Reason By Kenda Bell