I'm Not A Book Blogger, But I Do Write Reviews

I've been thinking a lot lately about starting a book blog, but I'm going to have to think about it a little more. Book blogging looks like a lot of work and if I start one I want to keep up with it but right now I'm not sure I have the energy. I do post reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Shelfari, though, and I'd like to share my latest:

Three Novellas

Showers of Blessings by Angela Benson

Assistant Pastor Andrew Gooden has a gambling problem and his wife, Sandra is so tired of dealing with it. They have creditors calling, the house is about to go into foreclosure, bank accounts are overdrawn… they are about to lose everything. Pastor Gooden is in denial about his lust for gambling and he and his wife have been keeping it a secret. Then they win the lottery and start their own church, Showers of Blessings, and things get better for a while but when trouble comes again, Sandra no longer believes the words her husband has spoken so many times before, “I can fix this.” What is it going to take for Pastor Gooden to stop making excuses and deal with the addiction that could cause him to lose everything, including his wife and children?

I kind of felt for Pastor Gooden but I really felt for his wife, who knew deep in her heart he needed help in order to change but accepted his excuses anyway. Pastor Gooden didn’t know any of his blood relatives; he was brought up in foster care. I’m thinking that must have left a huge empty space in his life and maybe he was trying to fill that void with money and possessions and to have a prominent position in the church must have been something he also needed to feel like he mattered.

Doing God’s will and caring more about helping others means more than having material things is a lesson this story teaches. It was a thought-provoking read.

Second Chance Blessings by Marilynn Griffith

Craig Richards was a pro football player who had everything; a beautiful wife, a mansion and a career on the rise. After a knee injury he was cut from the team and his marriage ended in divorce. With little money, he left Atlanta to return to Tampa, Florida where he reconnected with family and old friends. He surrendered his life to Jesus and then became a public speaker to share his testimony. Would he continue to grow in Christ and live for Him or would he return to football, seeking fame and fortune once again?

This was a good story. Craig realized that people who really mattered wanted him around because they genuinely cared about ‘him’, not because of what he could give them. And Craig’s ex-wife Brianna learns a few lessons herself. Her transformation was nice to read about. And I liked TreShard, a sharp-minded teen who wasn’t afraid to voice his opinions. He could have been a little more respectful when he was talking to Craig, though. I was glad when this young man’s actions reminded Craig of what really mattered.

A Knight in Pink Armor by Tia McCollors

Dara is the daughter of a preacher. She likes to start her mornings spending time with God and she also has a heart for people. She takes part in street evangelism ministering to the spiritually dead while her parents, Hunter and Thelma Knight, tend to the physically dead. They want her to take over the mortuary business one day, but Dara has her own dreams; with a heart to serve others she earned a degree in Restaurant, Hotel and Institution Management. Dara wins the lottery and this young woman with a giving heart is able to reach out in a much bigger way. But when trouble comes, will she give up on caring about the needs of others?

The gang situation in this story wasn’t as violent as something I’d see on television or what is really going on in some people’s neighborhoods, but it was disheartening. It’s a sad thing when people are stuck someplace they don’t want to be because they can’t afford to move. And it’s even sadder when someone comes along to destroy the good someone else is trying to do.
After I read these stories I wondered why someone wanted to publish a book with novellas about Christians winning the lottery. Question: “Does God say gambling is a sin?”

In the fictional world: The first and last stories have Pastors who believe it is a sin to play the lottery and it doesn’t make it any less of a sin if the winner uses the money in good ways (The end does not justify the means). These stories also have the lottery winners keeping the money they won a secret because they were afraid of what others would think (Sounds like these Christians were being convicted by the Holy Spirit). In the second story I don’t remember Craig keeping his winnings a secret and it didn’t bother Pastor Green one bit to accept lottery winnings. He just ‘cleaned that money right on up’ and used it to help his church.

Biblically speaking: I’m not clear if the word ‘gambling’ is anywhere in the Bible but… A greedy person tries to ‘get rich quick’, but it only leads to poverty (Proverbs 28:22, New Living Translation) I take this verse to mean God doesn’t want His own (Christians) to take part in any ‘get rich quick’ schemes. What are people doing when they play the lottery? Trying to ‘get rich quick’.

Back to A Million Blessings: Showers of Blessings and Second Chance Blessings made me smile here and there. A Knight in Pink Armor made me laugh (I loved the relationship Dara had with her cousin and best friend India). I recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for entertaining stories, no matter what your beliefs are about playing the lottery.

Growth Is A Good Thing

I think back to the past every now and then. Well, actually sometimes more than I should because there were a lot of things in my past that don't make me feel good to remember. But today I thought about a conversation I had with my youngest sister. I was visiting her and she was listening to music and I remember asking, "You listen to that?" It was a white artist. Her response, "I listen to all kinds of music." I got to thinking about my narrow-minded self after that and today I also listen to all kinds of music no matter the race of the artist just like I'll read a book, giving no thought to the race of the author. With music and books there are some genres I'm not into but I no longer feel I should just listen to music by black artists. I don't know why I felt that way back then; maybe because that was all I knew. Anyway, I changed my thinking before I got into reading, so I never had a problem with reading books that weren't written by black authors. Feel free to check out my Amazon profile to read my reviews of books written by authors of different races and I also reviewed some movies. I have plenty of books saved in my Amazon cart that I'll get around to buying. Lots of good books out there I would have missed out on if I didn't care enough to check myself. Growth is a good thing!

So now I'd like to share a video I have on my iPod. I love this song and I really love how Brandon Heath sings the word Yeah. Enjoy :)

This Book Thing Is Not Easy

I never believed this whole book thing was going to be easy but it is even more difficult than I thought it was going to be. Even though sales have picked up a bit, it is taking a long time to build a readership. I've done what I can afford to do to let people know my book is available. I have a website. I paid for flyers and promotional pens and business cards and cute little promotional flashlight keychains (Shauntice has one, so that's why I bought these) and handed them out. I've advertised online (wish I could get the money back from the one's that weren't really worth it) and I've attended two events. I haven't done any book signings, but from what I heard about those I'm not sure how much that really matters; for an unknown author, anyway. I did try to schedule one (yep, I was proud of myself for speaking up), but it didn't happen even after I pointed out to the manager that the local authors section, which had quite a few self-published works, could use a teen novel. It seemed I really had to prove myself to this man. Now, I don't know if that was a "black author" thing or a "self-published author" thing, but I do know that weeks later a white male author was having a signing and I didn't see one person approach his table. When I walked into the bookstore he wasn't faced forward to greet people; his body was turned slightly in the chair with one arm hanging across the back of it and he had a look on his face that asked the question, "Why did I even bother?" I guess he wasn't expected to contact all kinds of people or have lots of people call into the bookstore to say they'd show up like I was asked to do. I would have done what I could if a signing had been scheduled; advertised some kind of way - on my website, facebook, whatever. But, anyway, moving on.... The things I have done to get my book attention has helped, but not nearly as much as I expected.

Let me tell you, book events aren't easy for me. I mean, I have to actually put myself out there in front of people. I've never been good at that; I've always been a behind-the-scenes kinda person. It seems some people expect writers to also be good public speakers. If I believe in my story, and I do, I guess I should be eager to get out there and talk about it. Well, I'm workin' on it but I really believe it's going to take a while. I write. That's it. That's what I do. I have always been able to express myself better with the written word and that's why I wrote a novel instead of deciding on speaking engagements to talk to young people. I'm starting to believe, though, that I need to be more 'hands on', but, like I said before, I'm working on it.

In the meantime, thank God for blogs! And because you're taking the time to read this, I thank God so very much for you. What I really wanted to say today is that even though the decision to publish my novel has left me feeling discouraged at times - and I mean discouraged to the point of not wanting to finish the second book or write the third - there have been good days; especially when I receive emails like these:

April 13, 2010

Hello this is Eriyana,
A couple of weeks ago you blessed me with your book at the hair salon. I am keeping my word and emailing you about my thoughts. Your book was excellent. I enjoyed every minute of it. The different characters were perfect examples of real life things that occur. My friends saw me reading the book, and there is now a little list of people who want to read it. Thank you for being a blessing, and i am positive your book will have a positive effect on teenagers everywhere. I look forward to your future books.

April 18, 2010

I have read your book and I must say that I enjoyed it. My friend Eriyana, shared her copy of the book with me and I am glad she did because that was the best book I have ever read. I Love the way you write about real life situations and I can relate to the characters in your book. Do you know when you will make another book? I can’t wait if you do. Once again I enjoyed your book.

Sincerely,
Caila

I wrote Choices because I was hoping to make a difference in the lives of young people; especially teenage girls. I forget the 'purpose' for this book and the ones to follow when I get caught up in the whole 'doing my best to sell books' thing, but these emails reminded me at a time when I really needed to be reminded. Thanks so much, Eriyana and Caila, for taking the time to write.

Mattresses and Self-Published Novels

Family visited for Christmas and they stayed a few days. Before my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew came I had to make sure everyone would have a place to sleep. I had been putting off buying another bed for my oldest son’s old room, but now I had to do something. I had been thinking about a daybed for a while, because I thought that would really look good, but the room is small and I didn’t want to spend much, so I decided on a twin mattress set and bed frame (it all looks nice without a headboard or footboard).
While the salesman – a very courteous man, by the way – was getting together the information needed for the sale, we had a discussion about mattresses. I bought the store brand mattress and he was saying how some people only want brand names. His comment got me to thinking about books and how some people won’t spend their money on a self-published novel while others are more than happy to give these books a chance.
I am here to say, “Self-published does not mean less than.” Now, granted, some self-published novels aren’t that great. I have one among the many books I purchased last year that I am not at all happy with. I read the description and the story sounded interesting and I liked the cover, but when the book arrived I opened it and saw what looks like miniature manuscript pages that were single spaced and no thought was given to alignment (justify equally aligns text on both left and right sides; the best look for any book). I was so very disappointed I spent my money on this book, but then I thought, “Oh well, the presentation is lacking but the story may be good.” So, I will read this book one day and I’m hoping it’s a story I’d give at least 4 stars on Amazon, because when I write my review I will mention the interior (people need to know what they’re thinking about spending their money on) which has already brought down the rating by one star at least. If writers who put their own books out there really care about their stories, then they should do their best to provide prospective readers with a quality product. Have the story edited by someone who isn’t just going to correct spellings or add a comma where it’s needed but will correct errors in sentence structure, make changes in wording or phrasing, point out contradictions, etc. Hire a skilled book designer (unless you’re familiar with QuarkXPress – I mean, you really know what you’re doing- or other software book designers use) and use acid-free natural or cream paper, not white. I guess some use white paper because it’s more cost- efficient, but, in my opinion, white paper looks like the copy and print paper I use for my printer and, for me, this type of paper takes away from the book. Also, the paper I prefer is easier on the eye than pure white. I say this as someone who has published a novel, but mostly as someone who loves to buy books. (I really need to get around to reading those bad boys). Doing the things I suggested will show respect for your work and your prospective customers. And, oh yeah, to be recognized as a publishing company buy a block of ISBN numbers (identifies the title) directly from R.R. Bowker. The person who purchases the ISBN holds the publishing rights. And don't forget the barcode.
Yes, there are a couple of typos in Choices (nothing that takes away from the story and I'm not sure if readers have noticed them). I felt really bad when I noticed the mistakes after the books were printed, and all I can say now is that I'll do much better next time. But this doesn't only happen with self-published novels. I have read quite a few books by mainstream publishers that didn't have just a few, but “numerous” typos and even one or two that looked like there was no time to put the manuscript into the hands of an editor. So, you see, no book publisher is perfect.
My son slept on the mattress I bought and he had no complaints. Just like a store brand mattress can be just as good as a well-known brand name mattress, a novel published by the author can be just as good as a novel produced by an established, well-known book publisher. So, if you don’t want to buy Choices because you don't care for YA fiction or you’re not into reading books with domestic violence or date rape (felt really bad about writing that, but I wanted to make a point) or the Christian element or whatever content it contains that doesn’t interest you, that’s cool; I understand. We all have our tastes in books. But if you don’t want to purchase a copy just because it was published by Kapri Books instead of Simon & Schuster or Hyperion or Knopf or Scholastic (I’m thinking of their PUSH imprint); just to name a few big book publishers out there (I own many of these publishers books, so please don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying anything against any of them), please reconsider and give my story a chance. I’d truly appreciate your support.

What Do You Believe?

I've been wondering a lot lately how some people can talk about God, faith and spirituality as if they're okay with it all but then have a problem with Scripture. How can a person truly believe in God, but not believe His Word?
Today I had to thank God so much after I read the daily devotion in Dr. Charles Stanley's In Touch magazine:

(Read - 2 Timothy 1:12-14)

All people have a belief system, whether they realize it or not. Even those who claim there is no God have faith that He does not exist. What we believe affects every area of our lives and shapes every decision we make, yet few of us take the time to really think about what we accept as true. All belief systems have a foundation. Some people base their convictions on what fits their lifestyle, reasoning and desires. However, Jesus calls His followers to adapt life to their faith in Him and the authority of His Word.
Anytime we add other philosophies or ideas to Scripture or pick and choose which parts of the Bible to believe, we create our own version of faith based on personal reasoning. God's Word is the only true and reliable foundation for belief, because it contains the recorded thoughts of an eternal, all-knowing God. All other concepts must be measured against it to determine their validity.
Knowing what the Bible says is essential for developing a sound system of beliefs founded on the truth and wisdom of God. This world will offer you a variety of philosophies which sound good but are laced with lies. A faith anchored in the Scriptures is your protection against deception.

Each time you face a problem or decision, search for the answer in Scripture. Begin your day by reading the Word and asking God to help you understand what He is saying. He loves communicating with you, and as you spend time with Him, He'll open your mind to know His thoughts.

Okay, so if you made it to this point I thank you so much for reading the entire devotion. Satan is roaming around like a roaring lion, seeing who he can devour so we really need to be careful what we believe. Please don't allow yourselves to be deceived!

Romans 10:9 (New Living Translation) For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

If you haven't received Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and you'd like to become one of His followers, you can invite Him into your heart in your own words or use these:

Father, I confess that I have sinned. I repent of my sins and ask Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus is Your Son and that He died on the cross for my sins and that He was resurrected. By faith I accept Him as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiving me and for making me Your child. Amen.

Black Expo '09

On Saturday, October 10, 2009, I put myself out there for the first time. I was nervous at first because I didn't know what to expect but everything went well. A lot of people who were genuinely interested in Choices stopped by my table. Twenty copies were sold. I was hoping for more, of course, but I do thank God for each and every sale. Some who didn't buy a copy on Saturday did say they might go oline to buy a copy later. I hope they do because I really believe they'll enjoy the story. And there were people who stopped by my table to see what they could get for free, but that was okay. Who doesn't like free stuff? I know I do. I came prepared. I had plenty promotional pens, promotional mini flashlights, business cards and flyers and there were only a few of each left by the end of the Expo, so now many more people know about Choices.

The teenage girls who attended, well, I waved most of them over to the table. I wrote Choices for them so I just couldn't watch them walk right by. Some stopped without me having to wave them over, though. I remember one woman who brought her teenage daughter to the table. This young lady didn't seem to care a whole lot about reading and I really don't think she wanted her mother to get a book, but her mother wanted her to read more so she did buy a copy. I really believe this girl will enjoy the story and, hopefully, Choices will be the book to ignite a love of reading.

Then there was an author who said, "We have to support each other." He didn't just say the words, he backed them up and bought a copy of Choices. (I really appreciated that) He also gave me a nicely done promotional postcard. Vincent Taylor is a kind man who has a heart for young people, so I'd like to ask you to please take a moment to visit his site. You can even vote for the new book cover. I love the artwork on all of his books. And, oh yeah, Mr. Taylor was voted 2006 Teacher of the Year!

I'd like to thank everyone who stopped by booth #192, particularly the ones who showed an interest in my book (please don't forget to buy your copy :) and especially the ones who bought Choices that day. Your support is so greatly appreciated!

Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Teenagers

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so I'd like to share this article I came across today... I was the extremely introverted child and I was also very shy. I always thought introvert and shy were the same until I read another article. Anyway, the shyness is still there but I'm not as painfully shy as I used to be and I am still an introvert.
I'm not real good in social settings, never have been. Back in the day when I hung out with other girls, going to parties or whatever, I did my best to fit in but I was never comfortable on the inside. I am trying to work on my social skills. I have to admit that Choices (my way of reaching out to young people) has helped me with this because I'm being forced to talk to people so someone else will know about my book. Each time I leave the house I put promotional pens and business cards in my pocketbook and then whenever I see a woman or teenage girl who looks approachable (friendly face) I ask if I can give her a pen and/or a card. Oh, if the teenage girl is with her parent(s) I ask their permission.
So, I'm learning to open my mouth more even if I'm nervous about speaking up. My hairdresser told me once that God's trying to get me out of my comfort zone. Well, I can't say the zone I've had myself in for so many years is all that comfortable, but change would be good.