The electorate has chosen the next U.S. president. Not-Hillary sentiment overcame Never-Trump sentiment and too many people love (or at least tolerate) his hate-mongering. Will the 45th president-elect speak and behave differently as president than he did as presidential candidate? My sincere hope is yes. Although it feels as if more than clocks have been set back this November 2016. Wisdom and godspeed to the next administration.

Sometimes performing one's civic duty feels like time spent in purgatory. May we all work toward an effective political truce as a result of this election. (Yes, my Pollyanna streak is showing.)

The Great Pumpkin granted this blerdy book glutton's wish for tasty reading treats with a new MJD title available for loan from the library and the latest RG title on sale for fifty cents at their book donations sale bin. Yay! (instead of Boo!) Now maybe the powerful spirits of the authorsphere will conjure new fiction titles from Frankie Y. Bailey and Crystal Hubbard (Meljean Brook, Marjorie M. Liu, Sugar Jamison, Jo Goodman...).

Receiving this box of books felt like Christmas in October. Many thanks to my publisher and my editor at 5 Prince Media Group for their unwavering support and impressive efforts to make this gorgeous print edition of Dodging Eros, Through Past, Present and Pleasure a reality. [giddy happy dancing] https://www.amazon.com/Dodging-Eros-Through-Present-Pleasure/dp/1631121855/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476316088&sr=1-1&keywords=cardyn+brooks

So Colin Kaepernick's silent, non-violent protest generates more outrage from some people than the loud, violent attacks against marginalized people. Gun ownership is patriotic and supports Second Amendment rights, but kneeling during the national anthem in protest of injustice and to demand equal protection under the law for all U.S. citizens doesn't support First Amendment free speech? The disturbing video of Terence Crutcher's death in Tulsa, Oklahoma is so sad and frustrating and infuriating. And yet it's only the most recent in a long list of such incidents. We must have practical ways to keep law enforcement officers safe without making this pattern of preemptive executions the permanent norm.

Murphy’s Law continues to wreak havoc with the print edition of Dodging Eros, Through Past, Present and Pleasure . It’s probably going to be available for the end of the summer reading season, which is why the 2nd Grown-Ups Getaway Giveaway has been extended to Saturday, December 10, 2016 with the second winner’s name posted by Saturday, December 17.   Extending the 2nd GGG entry period until the end of the year opens up eligibility to readers who buy or review any of my titles per the updated details listed below. No purchase necessary, Void where prohibited. Every previous eligible entrant remains entered except for Paula S., who won in February.  Good luck! Adjusted details here:  2nd Grown-Ups Getaway Giveaway Extended until 12/10/2016 Hello, Reading has been a brain escape for me since my dad used silly voices at bedtime to enact each character from my collection of Dr. Seuss books. The launch of Dodging Eros, Thro...

Monday celebrated U.S. independence while so many of its citizens live bound by the fear that the laws and the people who are sworn to enforce those laws will not protect them from the dangers of negative assumptions made about them based on their skin color, gender, sexual orientation, social class, religious affiliation, age or physical stature. Thank you to the people and organizations working toward eliminating the deadly consequences of implicit bias in policing. https://trustandjustice.org/resources/intervention/implicit-bias