Quiet the chatter today. Take a moment, find a still place and just breath. If sitting does not help, stand in a comfortable position; Feet hip width apart, arms by your side, ground down and feel the four corners of your feet, press your toes into the earth, close your eyes. Think of a song, that is soothing for your ears and has soothing words or again, simply listen to your breath.
Allow yourself at least 3-5 minutes each day to quiet the chatter. We face chatter and chaos every day as we leave our home and enter into the land of the living. Sometimes the chatter and chaos happens in before leaving our home, like an early morning phone call or a text. Challenge yourself to avoid the call or text, for at least 3 minutes. I'm sure if it is urgent, 3 minutes, won't make or break the situation. If you don't have a private room in your home, try escaping to your bathroom. The bathroom is naturally a quiet place for all.
The last few days have been a whirlwind of emotions. Exciting, mixed and low. I am here and I am breathing.
You must reward yourself with every little step, every little accomplishment - Well Done - Greatly Done! Approach each small accomplishment as if it is a major success...like a Heisman Award, an Oscar, a CNN Hero of the Year, McArthur Fellow, Pulitzer Prize, Guggenheim Fellow, Fullbright Fellow. You get the point. Don't diminish any of your accomplishments because the small ones are just as important as the huge ones. Embracing and praising the small accomplishments will allow you to appreciate and fully own the larger achievements even more.
Friday: Speak to the co-worker or person, you may not speak to. Even if it is simply saying hello, or acknowledging something pleasing about the person.
For the Weekend: Notice the small shifts you made. Be open for newness to enter your life by releasing some of the old. And finally reward yourself by taking yourself on a private weekend lunch date, movie, walk, shopping, or live event (no matter how big or small be good to you).
Listen out for the increase and blessings in your life AND be open to let it flow. Let yourself be stretched and grow. The Universe has you, The Universe Loves YOU.
(blackmediaSCOOP) That tv cat fight between Iyanla Vanzant and Oprah Winfrey is paying off! Iyanla’s latest book“Peace From Broken Pieces: How to Get Through What You’re Going Through”is now aNewYorkTimesbestseller! You may remember, Iyanla enjoyed regular segments as a self-help guru on “Oprah” until a falling out ended her appearances 10 years ago. In February she returned to the show for a no-holds-barred interview that aired in two parts.
The two finally got to the bottom of the miscommunication that forced them to go their separate ways, which left Iyanla broke and on the verge of committing suicide. FYI,“Peace From Broken Pieces,”is published talk show host/author Tavis Smiley’s SmileyBooks. It currently sits at #1 on the Times’ Hardcover Advice & Misc. list.
In January, Bascom Hill Publishing Group is thrilled to publish Cheryl Wills’ first book, DIE FREE: A Heroic Family History (Bascom Hill Publishing Group, January 3, 2011), a true-story of the television journalist’s remarkable family journey from slavery to freedom in America.
As the nation marks the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War in 2011, Cheryl is hopeful that her great-great-great grandfather Sandy Wills’ courageous stint in that Great will be remembered along with the other 200,000 members of the United States Colored Troops.In Civil War anniversaries past, black soldiers have been largely ignored.
DIE FREE is packed with powerful personal stories, many of which are obtained from the National Archives in Washington, D.C.Cheryl’s exhaustive research, with the help a genealogist and the popular website ancestry.com, unearths a history that defies common stereotypes about the antebellum and reconstruction periods in the United States. For example, Cheryl’s great-great-great grandparents, Sandy and Emma Wills, remained friendly with their former slave owners and even married in their house. In DIE FREE Cheryl also uncovers how the federal government routinely discriminated against black Civil War veterans and their widows when they applied for pensions.Documents reveal a disturbing pattern of injustice as veterans were required to answer humiliating questions about their skin color and forced to hire legal representation.
This fascinating thread of American history is set against a backdrop of Cheryl’s father, a courageous army paratrooper who served during the Vietnam era and later joined the ranks of the New York City Fire Department.As the first African-American who integrated the oldest firehouse in the city, Engine 1, the author digs deep and shares how her father died at the age of 38 – without ever knowing his family’s distinguished Civil War legacy.
DIE FREE is a call to action for all Americans to ‘uncover your past to empower your future.’Cheryl Wills demonstrates that you can be emboldened by the courage of your ancestors and walk confidently in the direction of your dreams. After reading the pages of this uplifting book, you’ll learn that the debt for your freedom and prosperity has already been paid.
“Die Free is a compelling American story. As Cheryl Wills traces the life of her forefathers and foremothers, she traces a critical part of American history that puts in perspective where we have come from to get to where we are.”
-Rev. Al Sharpton
“Ancestry.com is proud the Cheryl Wills used our comprehensive website to make such a fascinating discovery. Die Free is a perfect example of why we do what we do!”
-Loretto “Lou” Dennis Szucs, V.P., Ancestry.com
“The stories are so deeply engaging that readers will quickly realize that in telling her personal story, Cheryl Wills is also telling ours”
-Warrington Hudlin, Pres., Black Filmmaker Foundation
“Die Free is a significant contribution to the body of literature that traces the experiences and family heritage of Africans in the diaspora, a journey that is all too familiar.”
-Sidique Abou-Bakarr Wai, President and National
Spokesperson, United African Congress
“The discovery of Cheryl’s great-great-great grandfather has been a fortuitous and unexpected find---tracking down slavery ancestry is never easy as slaves were treated as property, brought and sold, and rarely referred to by name.”
-Craig Rice, Association of Professional Genealogists
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cheryl Wills, longtime news anchor for Time Warner Cable’s New York 1 News featured regularly on the Huffington Post, holds a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the renowned S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.She was awarded in 2005 with an honorary doctorate from New York College of Health Professions and honored in 2010 as a broadcast legend in a regional campaign for McDonalds.Wills has moderated events broadcast on C-SPAN, is a nationally known public speaker, and has played herself in several big-screen movies.
When you think of a first love most people name someone they fell for in high school or college; well Delvon Johnson is attempting to change that and teaching readers that you must first LOVE you in order to LOVE anyone else. I had the opportunity to get the talented authoress to answer a few questions about love of course, his new book, and upcoming projects right before his star studded galebrity birthday celebration “Famous and Fabulous!”
1. Who/What inspired you to right your own novel?
I was deeply in love with someone, who ultimately left me with nothing. I was stuck with a fabulous home, bills and no income to pay for it. I was so angry and upset, that I needed a way to channel my anger. That is how Love Yourself was born. I also remember reading E. Lynn’s books, and thinking to myself, I can write a book! My plan was to publish a book so fabulous that it would bring my ex running back to me begging to take me back because of its success. If you look in the acknowledgements, I thank him for taking me through what he did, because if he hadn’t, my book wouldn’t exist. By the way, he’s the character Corey in my book "Love Your Self First!"
2. Where would you like to see your work get you to?
Well, I would like the book to be a New York Best Seller, of course. I would also like to make a movie or a TV series out of it. Currently, the screenplay is being worked on to make that dream a reality!
3. What other projects are you developing?
Currently, I am working on a play, which, God willing, will be an Off Broadway success, and will take me into the big leagues. It’s called Cybersex. I have also completed the sequel to Love Yourself First, which is called Follow Your Dreams To The Stars. It will be out by November 2010 It’s third part, Undercover Lover, has also been completed, and should hit shelves some time in spring 2011. I am also trying to get a casted for a Showtime TV series, called Flesh to Flesh, scheduled to air Fall 2010!
4. How was your first love experience?
My first love experience was strange. He was from Delaware. I was 18 and he was 34. He had a foot fetish! It was full of drama, and I thought I was going to die when we broke up, but I quickly learned that love is a horse and when we fall off, we have to jump back on and try again.
5. What is your biggest pet peeve with a love interest?
My largest pet peeve with a love interest is a man being cheap. I am a giving person, so I expect my love interest to have the same gestures at heart. It’s not so much about their income, but it’s more about how much of what little they have that they are willing to sacrifice to show me how much they love me.
6. How does it feel to be a cupid baby?
It’s a cute feeling. It’s funny because if I am seeing someone around Valentine’s day, usually they have to get me gifts for both occasions. It’s almost like having two holidays in the same week!
7. How do you learn to love yourself first?
Treat yourself. Go out to dinner alone and have a 5 course meal. Learn to enjoy spending time to yourself and eventually you will find yourself very comfortable in your own space. If you find something that you love to do unconditionally, it will replace that empty feeling that you need a man in your life and fulfill it. For me, that’s writing. For others, you have to find your niche and stick with it.
8. Describe the love that the LGBTQ community is missing?
The LGBTQ community is missing the unconditional love that we should all have for one another. I am just coming out on the scene as an author, and this life can be crazy. We, as a community need to stop being shady to one another and embrace our talents and share them. There is so much money to be made with the talents that we posess. Sometimes, we as individuals can’t see that because our heads are too far in the clouds. If we learn to stop judging each other, and know that we are all in the same boat, trying to make it, we can go a long way. We need to enjoy life and the blessing that God gives us and stop taking ourselves so seriously. The sooner we can get beyond that, the quicker all of our problems as a gay community will be solved.
Do you ever get tired of reading gay novels about the same old scenarios? Gay guy meets other gay guy, they fall in love somehow a women falls into the picture and she ends up sleeping with the top/vers and the other guy who is usually the bottom/vers is dealing with sharing his man with her, very gay soap opera and I for one love these types of books; however lets spice things up a bit. Now with the art of reading I recommend that we read all kinds of literature, and here recently True Blood and Twilight have been all the rage for mainstream America and there is a new author in town that is delivering gay vampire suspense that will leave readers out of breath. Kenan Gilmore from Memphis, TN, recently wrote an amazing novel that puts “Vampire in Brooklyn” to shame, here is what he had to say about his passion for writing, what inspired him to tackle gay blood sucking, and how it is to be gay in Tennessee.
Who is Kenan Gilmore? -Well, I’m just an ordinary guy with a massive imagination. I’m a Realtor and have been a long time Real Estate fanatic. Instead of going outside on the weekends when I was younger, I would stay in and watch the showcase of luxury homes for sale on TV. I’m new to the Board of Directors for the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center and I’m working hard to influence the young, black-gay community. I’m a writer at heart and “Is This Him?” is the first to be published.
So tell me about your first book? -Hmm… Well, I hadn’t read any good breath taking suspense novels by us (meaning young black gay community) for us. I wanted something that would not be predictable and that would also keep you at the edge of your seat. I did something else that I hadn’t seen a lot of by adding a sci-fi twist that the reader totally doesn’t see coming. It does have some fierce sex scenes so caution is advised… Camron is the lead character and his life was either centered on friends that lie to him or his parents lying to him. He didn’t really know what his parents had hidden from him until he went to Atlanta for his friend’s birthday celebration and met the love of his life.
What made you decide that you wanted to write a book? -I wanted something that was different, hip and relatable with a fantasy that we all can relate to. I’ve been writing all my life and let my Mom and Grandma tell it… I was bound to get published sooner or later. I just thank God it was sooner!
How was the publishing process? -Well, lets just say that it was one that I won’t forget. I was initially told that the review before acceptance could take up to 2 months but I got a call 3 days after I submitted the manuscript.
What was your largest inspiration for creating your novel? -My largest inspiration was James Earl Hardy. I appreciated his work because he gave us the more urban side of things which was mostly relatable to me and those of my generation. Another inspiration was the fact that so many people say that the young guys don’t read and that we can’t and won’t make anything of ourselves. I had to let them know by example that there are ones who are rocketing off in many different ways.
What is your fascination with vampires? -Ha… I wouldn’t say that it’s a fascination but more so a fantasy of many. I actually started work on this book before the Twilight saga started and I was uncertain on how it would be received but after Twilight… I knew it would be a success! Come on, how many black and gay vampire novels have you read? I love stories like those and I would like them even better if it were more relatable to me. Black, Gay, Hip and Steamy! I packed it with all of those things for the readers out there like myself!
How has the LGBT community embraced you as an author? -The love is greater than I would have imagined! I’ve gotten a lot of good reviews and I’ve had people to thank me for giving them that fix through reading the book. Now, I did get some negative reviews claiming the black-gay community wasn’t ready for fantasy like this…and my response was “Why the hell not?”
How has living in Memphis affected your writing career?
-I will say that it’s hard to find those opportunities here in Memphis, but it’s not at all impossible. I plan to aid in changing that by being on the Board and MGLCC. I want to tap into the talents of our locals GLBT community and find ways to showcase our writers, actors, singers…everything. I think that something can only affect your career if you let it. If you have a missile to launch with clear sky above…why let what’s going on around you stop you, when your goal is to reach the sky? I love Memphis and all things are possible if you try.
How has your life changed since your book was released? -My faith grew stronger! I’ve always been the type of person to push and pull people to have faith in themselves and in God… so when the book was published, it showed me that my words and faith weren’t in vain. I’ve also become more outgoing versus the quiet and shy person that I was before. I figure, I can’t sell myself or my work if I’m afraid to talk and be seen.
Who has been your largest supporter so far? -I would have to say my family. They have really been there for me.
What can we expect next from you in your career? -God willing, I will have “His Love/My Pain” out within the next few months. It’s a suspense/thriller surrounding 2 lovers. An agreement to allow “playtime” outside the relationship leads to a lot of pain and drama… Keep in mind, I like to keep my readers guessing, so if you think you know what kind of drama…you have no idea. I would also like to make my acting debut soon! I’ve always had a passion for acting, so I guess I’m also an aspiring actor. After my next book, I really want to pursue the acting realm of my heart.
What is the hottest Memphis nightlife spot? -If you are looking for hip-hop with a club setting, 901 Complex! If you like the techno scene, I would say Backsteet. For a nice lounge type of setting, I would suggest Side Street Grill, Dish, or Quetzel.
What does Memphis offer for the LGBT community? -We have the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Center which has a vast array of services for us in the city. We have different sports leagues and we have more social places than ever for the LGBT community outside of the night clubs.
Does Memphis embrace the LGBT culture? -Well, I have to say that Memphis has come a long way. I’ll just say that I’m supporting the current battle for Workplace Equality. The Non Discrimination Ordinance is one that we are hoping will help with discrimination to the GLBT community. Currently there isn’t a law that would protect a person who was turned away from an employment opportunity for being gay, bi, lesbian or transgendered.
If you could change one thing about the gay scene what would it be? -Honestly… I would love to change our community’s outlook of it’s self! There is a mad separation and judgment going on amongst ourselves and I want us to start embracing each other. We should open our eyes to the main thing that keeps us down, which so often, can be us!
Where can we see your work, contact you, and stay up to date on all your work? You guys can keep up with me on my site, http://www.writingsbykenan.com/. Contact me through the site, send me feedback and any support is appreciated!
E. Lynn Harris was a success for the world of literature, the state of Arkansas, and the black LGBT community. Raised, along with three sisters, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He attended Hall High School and attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville where he was the school's first black yearbook editor, the first black male Razorbacks cheerleader, and the president of his fraternity. He graduated with honors with a degree in journalism.
Harris sold computers for IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and AT&T for 13 years while living in Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. He later wrote his first novel, Invisible Life, and, failing to find a publisher, he published it himself in 1991 and sold it mostly at black-owned bookstores, beauty salons, and book clubs before he was "discovered" by Anchor Books. Anchor published Invisible Life as a trade paperback in 1994, and thus his career as an author was "officially" launched. Invisible Life was followed by Just As I Am (1994), And This Too Shall Pass (1996), If This World Were Mine (1997), and Abide With Me (1999), all published by Doubleday. All of Harris's books have been bestsellers; And This Too Shall Pass, If This World Were Mine, Abide With Me, Not A Day Goes By and A Love of My Own were New York Times bestsellers. They also appeared on the bestseller lists of the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and Los Angeles Times. Harris's sixth novel, Not A Day Goes By (2000) debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and was a #1 Publishers Weekly bestseller for two consecutive weeks. His seventh novel, Any Way the Wind Blows (2001), also debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. His most recent novel, which is novel eleven, Basketball Jones (2009), his love letter to the black gay community. Currently, there are over three million copies of Harris's novels in print.
Harris also had and astonishing career working in theater, as professor in education, and even optioned three of his books for film. In 1996, Just As I Am was awarded Blackboard's Novel of the Year prize. In 1997, If This World Were Mine was nominated for a NAACP Image Award and won the James Baldwin Award for Literary Excellence. Abide With Me, Any Way the Wind Blows, and A Love of My Own were also nominated for NAACP Image Awards. In 2002 Any Way the Wind Blows won Harris his second Blackboard Novel of the Year prize, and A Love of My Own was recently named Blackboard Novel of the Year, making Harris the first author to receive back-to-back honors and to receive the prize a record three times. Undeniably, Harris was one of the most gracious and giving individuals in the industry. He easily made himself available mentoring and providing assistance to aspiring writers all over America. The 54 year old Pioneer will greatly be missed and his work shall forever live on. The FUTURE sends our love and prayers to his partner, family, and friends.
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Invisible Life was followed by Just As I Am (1994), And This Too Shall Pass (1996), If This World Were Mine (1997), and Abide With Me (1999), all published by Doubleday. All of Harris's books have been bestsellers; And This Too Shall Pass, If This World Were Mine, Abide With Me, Not A Day Goes By and A Love of My Own were New York Times bestsellers. They also appeared on the bestseller lists of the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and Los Angeles Times. Harris's sixth novel, Not A Day Goes By (2000) debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and was a #1 Publishers Weekly bestseller for two consecutive weeks. His seventh novel, Any Way the Wind Blows (2001), also debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. His most recent novel, which is novel eleven, Basketball Jones (2009), his love letter to the black gay community. Currently, there are over three million copies of Harris's novels in print.
