September 7, 2010

Bonnie St. John – Live Your Joy Virtual Tour

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live-your-joy-by-bonnie-st-johnLife sometimes throws curve balls, threatening your job, health or retirement account, perhaps unraveling your most valued relationships. It can be tempting to rely solely on hard work or dogged self-determination to turn things around when challenges arise. Yet Bonnie St. John believes one additional life ingredient can dramatically transform life’s tough situations: JOY.

As an amputee, Paralympics silver medalist, Rhodes scholar, Harvard and Oxford graduate and single mom, St. John has faced some of life’s toughest challenges-and she doesn’t speak of joy lightly. Her new book, Live Your Joy (April 2009), is a powerfully inspiring collection of real-life, modern-day stories that reveal the power of joy: living it, pursuing it, sharing it, and making it a top priority.

“When you learn how to create joy in your life, you stop being a slave to what is happening in the world, and you become the master of your own destiny and emotions,” writes St. John. “You can always raise the level of your joy reservoir because it’s coming from inside you. And that is an amazing feeling!” Now, more than ever, Americans want to rise above life’s difficult circumstances, to enjoy life in spite of setbacks and challenges.

Throughout her life, Bonnie St. John has struggled with daily “joy stealers.” In this book, she shares her experiences along the perpetual journey for joy-stories that will teach you how to find joy in each and every day, no matter how unlikely it may seem. Each chapter holds a piece of the puzzle, the building blocks to living a life with joy: hope, confidence, positivity, authenticity, humility, friendship, resilience, and faith. As you read, embrace each notion and apply it to your life. As you do, you will find you are better able to truly become your own source of joy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Bonnie is a 1984 Paralympics silver medal winner in ski racing. Her education includes a degree with honors from Harvard, a Rhodes scholarship, and an M.Litt in Economics from Oxford.

Her career includes positions as an award-winning sales rep for IBM and a Clinton White House member of staff. She now is a much-in-demand speaker, who makes nearly 100 speeches each year to corporations and civic groups.

You can visit her on the Web at www.bonniestjohn.com.

Join LIVE YOUR JOY on Facebook

Follow Bonnie’s Tweets

Download joy tips here

Celebrate the South Blog Tour

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reflections-miss-magnoliaCelebrate the South Blog Tour

Patricia Neely-Dorsey’s fascinating book of poetry, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia, is a true celebration of the south and things southern. Using childhood memories, personal thoughts and dreams, the author offers a positive glimpse into the southern way of life.

The author states, “There are so many negative connotations associated with Mississippi and the south in general. I want to to show a flip side of the coin.There is much to love about this much maligned and misunderstood part of our country.”

Patricia Neely-Dorsey’s Reflections: Southern Lifereflections-porch

The southern region of our United States offers some wonderfully beautiful experiences in it’s people, places and “things.” In my simple poems, I try to capture and convey this simple beauty and effect “a true celebration of the south and things southern”. It is my hope that the reader will see that there is much to love about this place that I hold dear.

SOUTHERN LIFE
If you want a glimpse of Southern life,
Come close and walk with me;
I’ll tell you all the simple things,
That you are sure to see.
You’ll see mockingbirds and bumblebees,
Magnolia blossoms and dogwood trees,
Caterpillars on the step,
Wooden porches cleanly swept;
Watermelons on the vine,
Strong majestic Georgia pines;
Rocking chairs and front yard swings,
Junebugs flying on a string;
Turnip greens and hot cornbread,
Coleslaw and barbecue;
Fried okra, fried corn, fried green tomatoes,
Fried pies and pickles, too.
There’s ice cold tea that’s syrupy sweet,
And cool green grass beneath your feet;
Catfish nipping in the lake,
And fresh young boys on the make.
You’ll see all these things
And much, much more,
In a way of life,that I adore.
Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
Recommended Southern Dish of the Day

FRIED CORN

Ingredients
• 6 ears fresh corn
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 teasppon sugar
• salt and pepper to taste3/4 cup for each cup of corn

Instructions (Makes 6 servings)
• Select corn with milky kernels.
• Remove shucks and silks.
• Cut tips of kernels from each ear of corn; scrape with edge of knife to remove all of milky portion remaining on cob.
• Heat butter in skillet. Add corn, seasonings and water, stirring constantly until corn is thickened (about 15- 20 minutes)
• Can add finely chopped red and green bell peppers for color and taste

patricia-neely-dorseyDo you love the South?

Join Us Online at the Facebook “Celebrate the South” Group.

Visit Patricia Neely-Dorsey online at http://www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com/.

How to write a book review

I know we all have our own style for writing book reviews, but below is a very informative article that was passed along to me, and what I now reference each time I write a review.

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A book review is not a summary, and it’s not merely a Siskel and Ebert thumbs-up or thumbs-down personal appraisal of the book. The purpose of the book review is to present your readers with a critical evaluation of the book. It’s subjective – yes — but it needs to take into consideration the work’s literary merits in order to arrive at the personal assessment.

The book review is usually composed of the following components:

Overview of the Book

Usually present in the first paragraph of the review and brief, the overview can consider the author’s purpose and the theme of the book and give the reader of the review an idea at how well the book fulfilled its purpose or conveyed its theme.

Was the book intended to entertain? Did it? What is a central theme or important idea of the book and how did the author convey it? Were characters used to convey theme? Are there recurrent images that help to illustrate it? What events take place that serve this purpose? And was it effective?

Assessing the Book’s Strength and Weaknesses

Pay attention to the book’s narrative voice. Who is the narrator? Is (s)he appropriate and effective? Are the characters believable and fully created? Are they sympathetic? Is the use of language and wording appropriate to the book’s genre, and does it support the purpose of the book?

Questions such as these and others (readability, style, scope, etc…) can help you decide how the book compares to other books in the same genre. This will inform your final opinion of the book.

Author Information

Some biographical information about the author may be of interest. Ist the book a novel of place? If so where is the author from or where does (s)he live? What are the author’s previous works? How does his or her life experience feed the writing of this book?

Your Personal Perspective

Perhaps in combination with author information, your personal take on the work is often used to sum up your earlier critical analysis. Avoid overusing “I” statements to mitigate your views. A reader approaches the book review knowing that it is subjective. Also, go easy on the superlatives (Best book ever! Greatest characters!).

Remember, the review is a tool for your readers, not a showcase for the breadth of your literary acumen. Consider your audience and go easy on the jargon. I try to approach each review as a form of personal essay that illuminates my response and relationship to the work being reviewed. This affords me a measure of creativity that makes the book review a lot more fun to write… and to read.

Online reviewer conference wrap up

I want to thank everyone – readers, reviewers and authors – who stopped by and supported the online reviewer conference last week.  This was my first attempt at something like this, and I have to tell you that I was extremely nervous about the success/failure of this venture.

I am pleased to say that it was a great success!  For the week, there were 568 visits of which over 260 were unique visitors, and 3, 594 page views!  I believe those are some impressive numbers for this fairly new site and this first time event.

I hope that everyone found the information and advice given beneficial.  This conference will stay online, so if you know of anyone who may have missed it, please feel free to direct them here.

I invite you to subscribe to this site as more information regarding the review process will be shared on a continual basis.

Again, a BIG thank you to everyone who attended the conference and made it a success!

Renee Williams, All the Buzz

All the Buzz Online Reviewer Conference

Today marks the start of the first ever week long Online Reviewer Conference here at All the Buzz.  The conference will run Monday, February 16 through Friday, February 20, 2009.

Each day, several of today’s top African American literary reviewers will stop by to discuss an aspect of the reviewing process, as well as respond to all questions and comments left.

The reviewers who will be joining this conference are Yasmin Coleman of APOOO, LaShaunda Hoffman of SORMAG, Monique Bruner aka Deltareviewer, Eleanor Shields of Black Butterfly Review, and Lisa Diane of The Rapturous Reader!

We look forward to you stopping by each day this week and joining in the conference.  I’m sure there will be some lively discussions!

Illusions Book Blog Tour with Wanda B. Campbell

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wandabcampbell-highresMEET WANDA B. CAMPBELL (Part 2)

Who are your favorite authors?
Aside from Sharon Ewell Foster and Kendra Norman Bellamy, I really don’t have favorites. I’ll read any author that catches my attention. My book collection crosses genres and ethnicities. Recently I have added books from Sherri Lewis, Shelia Lipsey, Lacricia Angelle, and Kiesha Dawn.

What are your favorite books?
Some of my favorite books include, Riding Through Shadows and Passing Into Light by Sharon Ewell Foster, Gal, by Ruthie Bolton, and Tryin to Sleep in the Bed You Made by Deberry and Grant.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind?
Yes, music helps my creative juices flow. The type of music depends on the scene. For ministry scenes, I keep Israel & New Breed on repeat. For romance scenes its Boyz II Men and old school Anita Baker.

How would you describe your writing style?

I describe my writing style as edgy Christian Fiction. I love digging up taboo topics and bringing them to the forefront. In Illusions and also in my July 2010 release, Right Package, Wrong Baggage, readers will come face to face with real “don’t ask, don’t tell” Christian issues.

Tell us anything about you as a writer that you think might be interesting or unusual.

Probably the most unusual thing about me as a writer, is that I hear voices in my head. Hopefully I am not alone in this, but my characters talk inside my head. I don’t mean one-liners either. On occasion my characters will act out an entire scene inside my head and then won’t allow me to rest until I write what they want to say.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Anyone who desires to write must first make sure writing is a passion. Everyone has a story to tell, but not every story is meant to be written. Don’t stop with just being passionate about writing, take the time to learn the craft and the business. Connect with groups and organizations and don’t be afraid of critique.

Writers are often encouraged to write what they know. Have you found that to be the case with your writing?

Most definitely; however in the beginning I found that difficult. For instance, I write about Christians in and out of the sanctuary. I have been a church girl all of my life, but I found it hard to put what was in my head on paper. The challenge was making the familiar sound interesting. What I learned is, what’s familiar or routine to me, maybe fascinating to others, so I show as much detail as possible.

Writing what you know gives the reader personal insight that could be missed with research alone.

illusions-by-wanda-campbellABOUT THE BOOK

Illusions
by Wanda B. Campbell

After three years of marriage, Denise Hightower discovers that her husband, Pastor Bryce Hightower, has a secret addiction that not only jeopardizes his marriage, but impairs his ability to effectively preach the gospel.
Yielding to pressure from her mother and her husband, Denise agrees to keep his addiction a secret, although her self-esteem plummets. Her life as the perfect First Lady is falling apart at the seams.
Self-centered and determined to uphold his pastoral image, Bryce is oblivious to his wife’s emotional state. He’s convinced that he can overcome his “little problem” on his own, so he rejects the spiritual help God sends him. But when his secret is discovered, will he be able to come clean with himself, God, and his congregation?

For more information about Wanda, visit her at wandabcampbell.net.

The Illusions Blog Tour Giveaway

We have some great prizes for visitors. Let us know you were here by leaving your response in the comment section below. Prizes will be drawn weekly.

* Week 1 – An autographed copy of The Midnight Clear
* Week 2 – Valentine’s Day (Celebrate Wanda’s birthday!) – A Box of Sees Candies.
* Week 3 – An autographed copy of First Sunday in October
* Week 4/GRAND PRIZE – An autographed copy of First Sunday in October, The Midnight Clear and Illusions.
The winner from each week will also receive a coupon for a FREE print design (choose a bookmark, postcard or business card) courtesy of Tywebbin Creations. Winner are responsible for printing. Check Wanda B. Campbell’s blog for the winners.

Illusions Book Blog Tour with Wanda B. Campbell

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Illusions Book Blog Tour with Wanda B. Campbell
Starting February 2, 2009, Wanda B. Campbell will be visiting some of her favorite bloggers and fellow writers to share the themes in her latest book release, Illusions. Visitors can expect to delve into the story of Pastor Bryce Hightower and First Lady Denise Hightower. Their story, though fictional, is sure to create a much needed discussion.
Wanda’s readers will have an opportunity to listen to her on several online radio shows too. Check out the dates below and plan to call-in with your questions.
We want to invite you to visit All the Buzz on February 3, 2009 for Wanda’s virtual visit. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts about the book.

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Here is the full list of blog stops. Bold and italicized stops are online radio shows.
WEEK 1 – Meet Wanda B. Campbell
• Feb 2 – Rhonda McKnight
• Feb 3 – All the Buzz Reviews
• Feb 3 – Written Voices Blog // Black Authors Network (9:00 pm EST)
• Feb 4 – APOOO Books
• Feb 5 – TheGRITS.com
WEEK 2 – Inside Illusions (Denise Hightower)
• Feb 9 – Carla Nix
• Feb 10 – Cecelia Dowdy
• Feb 11 – SORMag
• Feb 12 – Dee Stewart
• Feb 13 – Robin Caldwell
WEEK 3 – Inside Illusions (Pastor Bryce Hightower)
• Feb 16 – Pat Simmons
• Feb 17 – Stephanie McKenny / Passion For Life Show (8:00 pm EST)
• Feb 18 – Cheryl Donavan
• Feb 19 – Michelle Larks
• Feb 20 – Maurice M. Gray, Jr.
WEEK 4 – What Readers Are Saying
• Feb 23 – Linda Beed / WrittenVoicesPodcast.com
• Feb 24 – Paulette Harper
• Feb 25 – Deena Peterson
• Feb 26 – Shana J. Burton / Something to Talk … Shawneda Marks (9:00 pm EST)
• Feb 27 – Jenny Blake

Illusions Book Blog Tour Giveaway

Prizes will be drawn weekly.
• Week 1 – An autographed copy of The Midnight Clear
• Week 2 – Valentine’s Day (Celebrate Wanda’s birthday) – A Box of Sees Candies.
• Week 3 – An autographed copy of First Sunday in October
• Week 4/GRAND PRIZE – An autographed copy of First Sunday in October, The Midnight Clear and Illusions.

The winner from each week will also receive a coupon for a FREE customized print design (choose a bookmark, postcard or business card) courtesy of Tywebbin Creations. Winner are responsible for printing. Check Wanda B. Campbell’s blog for the winners.

Review – The Someday List by Stacy Hawkins Adams

thesomedaylist-highresThe Someday List
Stacy Hawkins Adams
Revell, January 2009
$12.99 US, ISBN 0800732669

Rating: 5

Self-examination…
Rachelle Covington is living a life most of us can only dream about. But not even the dream home, fancy car and wealthy husband can stave off the feelings of emptiness. These feelings really begin to overwhelm her after she receives a call from a childhood friend with news that makes her push pause on her own life and do some deep self-examination.

Determined not to let her life be more than a shallow, superficial existence that is based mainly on appearance and material possessions, Rachelle returns to her hometown with hopes to gain a clear perspective on every aspect of her life. What she doesn’t expect is to come face to face with an unresolved issue from her past that, if allowed, could jeopardize everything.

The Someday List is a magnificent literary offering that even the staunchest critic of Christian fiction would enjoy. It is well written, with characters one can easily identify with, a plot that is real and has affected people of every race, creed, color and nationality. And while this novel is Christian fiction, it is in no way “preachy.” Instead, it speaks to you softly and subtly, just like the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Simply put, The Someday List is a book that greatly benefits everyone who reads it.

Renee Williams, All the Buzz

Inauguration day!

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Today, history is being made yet again as Barack Obama, the nation’s first African American president, is sworn into office!  I am so proud of him,  will pray that he let God guide him in every decision that he makes.

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As President Obama goes through these next four years (and hopefully the next eight), let us all remember that even though he brought about change, he is still only a man.  This song by The Dells sums it up quite nicely.

The Someday List Blog Tour with Stacy Hawkins Adams

Stop by fellow Christian fiction writer Tia McCollor’s blog today to read a devotion from Stacy Hawkins Adams!

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