Vinyl, Soil, Books, Movies...

This weekend in the U.S. celebrates Vinyl Record Store Day and Earth Day.

Also:

Language Day, Jelly Bean Day, Girl Scout Leader's Day, Take a Chance Day, Picnic Day, Lost Dog Awareness Day, Talk Like Shakespeare Day, and Cherry Cheesecake Day

It's World Book Day, World Table Tennis Day and the start of National Library Week, too!

Each day offers reasons to appreciate (too often with amazement that we've survived) being alive. Many of us have managed to endure, overcome, thrive, excel, and achieve.

Keep moving forward even if it's with teeny tiny steps. That's still progress.

Happy creating!

Finally watched "Wakanda Forever" and enjoyed it so much! Everything about it from the homage to Chadwick Boseman, narrative threads, variations on themes of grief and rebirth, nods to the first movie, costumes, spectacular surface and underwater worlds, unexpected cameos, and and and...

Currently reading Black Rodeo, A History of the African American Western by Mia Mask, another exceptional informative read from the University of Illinois Press.

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Hot Love in the Kitchen & Travelling Through Time

Redemption of the Heart by Moni Boyce contemporary romance Love Snacks Publishing 8 January 2019 Despite addressing heavy themes of domestic violence, incarceration, and grief, Redemption of the Heart is a charming and sweet spicy read in the tradition of a 21st-century interracial homage to Janet Dailey’s monthly romance era. Gemma’s open-hearted ingénue contrasts starkly with Alex’s jaded workaholic. They struggle with a variety of challenges, but ethnicity isn’t one of them—a spin that feels particularly modern. Once readers commit to their suspension of disbelief regarding the cascading impact of lacks in due diligence by several characters, it’s easy to settle in to enjoy this love story. The recent public debate about the pros and cons of Gillette’s “We believe the best man can be” campaign ties in with the contradictory messages in the story threads about toxic masculinity. There’s a scene in which Alex apologizes to someone who was openly bragging among cowork...

123123! Goodbye 2023! Hello 2024!

A Marquis to Protect the Governess by Parker J. Cole historical romance fiction Harlequin Historical, December 26, 2023 Sometimes scrolling through new releases available on Libby (even though there's a stack of physical books within arm's reach), leads to unexpected reading pleasure. That's what happened with me upon starting this gem of a tale. Like opening my first books by Ms. Bev(erly Jenkins), Gay G. Gunn, Vanessa Riley, Alyssa Cole, and Lisa Rayne, Isadora and Andre's rocky love story hooked me from the first page. Using a seamless integration of historical context, character evolution, and high stakes combined with emotional nuances, this author has crafted an engaging tale that organically includes people and places too often erased from historical romance fiction. Hot Flashes and Hockey Slashes by Marika Ray & Sylvie Stewart, authors & publisher contemporary romance fiction October 2023 Who knew that normalizing op...

21st Authorversary & 20th IPPY Awardiversary + Thanks!

[front cover of Seducing the Burks: Five Erotic Tales by Cardyn Brooks with the image of an open hand making a beckoning gesture, a "2004 Independent Publisher IP Award Finalist" medallion sticker; back cover with blurb, "authorHOUSE" logo - formerly 1st Books, barcodes] Self-publishing 21 years ago was still often considered "vanity publishing" as in ego-driven by writers not talented enough to merit a contract with a traditional publisher. My decision to self-publish came after years of feedback praising the compelling nature and professional quality of my submission as prefaces to rejections that included phrases like, "Will your target audience of readers relate to the level of privilege your main characters have?" WT... It took me awhile to understand that since my Black characters are educated and middle class, agents and editors assumed that most readers wouldn't identify with them since (they also assumed) most Black people wer...

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