A Memoir Book Launch & Grief During the Holidays

Poet Laureate of The Write Women Book Fest Aressa V. Williams and her team of family and supporters hosted a joyous book launch event this past Saturday upstairs at the South Bowie Branch of the Prince George's County Memorial System. The poet, educator, author charmed and advised us through sharing anecdotes about her life and reading from In Deanwood.

[Advance Reader Copy of In Deanwood, A Memoir by Aressa V. Williams arranged under a Heal Write Away business card, 3 thank you ornaments: a snowman, a card catalog entry shaped like a star, and bookshelves shaped like a heart]

[a framed sketch of the house at 5000 Sheriff Road where the author grew up, a paperback copy of In Deanwood, and a framed black & white photo of the author]

[a full-color banner of Pancakes & Chocolate Milk, Prose and Poetry by Aressa V. Williams arranged on a table with clear vases filled with Christmas ornaments at each top corner of the banner]

Thanksgiving is over and it's officially the Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus winter season of rejoicing. Our family just lost a loved one while we're savoring every moment with another family member who's fading fast. Feelings of tremendous gratitude for decades of love, laughter, and stories and wisdom shared fill me even as grief undercuts some of the joy and appreciation.

[a table with bunches of floral bouquets: roses, lilies, poinsettias]

This is likely my last blog post of 2025.

Always wishing you good health, peaces of mind, safety & joy

Comments

The Best Man: Unfinished Business by Malcolm D. Lee with Jayne Allen Delivers All the Feels

Black love. Black joy. Black drama. Humanity in its vast melanin array. [front cover of a paperback ARC for The Best Man: Unfinished Business; silhouette of three adults] The Best Man: Unfinished Business by Malcolm D. Lee with Jayne Allen adult contemporary fiction with romantic elements Storehouse Voices, July 2025 First, dedicated fans of The Best Man franchise and its beloved characters need not fear how they’re treated in this first of three novels. In fact. One thread of Harper’s storyline seems to reflect the real-life author/screenwriter/director’s battle to protect and maintain the integrity of The Best Man universe. Mission accomplished. Second, once readers - fans or not - start this novel they won’t want to stop. The compulsion to re/watch The Best Man movies and limited series and maybe even to reread this book while anticipating the release of book two in 2026 will prove difficult to resist. Who are you? Who are your people?...

A Million Lives Book Festival - An Unfortunate Exception, Not the Event Rule

[2 decorative stickers on lined writing paper from left to right: a round smiley face arranged upside down to look like a frown and a round smiley face arranged right sight up] By now most bookish folk and others have heard about the inaugural A Million Lives Book Festival held at the Baltimore Convention Center last Friday and Saturday. To recap: according to participating authors and attendees many promises were made and almost all of them were broken. As outreach director and co-organizer for The Write Women Book Fest scheduled to host its 6th event Saturday, July 19 & Sunday, July 20 of this year at the Bowie Comfort Inn & Conference Center in Bowie, Maryland, U.S.A., my reaction to the feedback being shared about A Million Lives is nightmarish. Even though we aren't connected to it in any way or familiar with the event organizer or her company, our completely unrelated event has felt some minor residual effects because people are worried. And that's an understanda...

Our Poet Laureate's Memoir + More TWWBF2025 Prep

Educator, poet, short story author, mindfulness guide and now the moniker of memoirist has been added to the long list of creative accomplishments earned by Poet Laureate of The Write Women Book Fest Aressa V. Williams. She was born and raised in the vibrant community of Washington, D.C.'s Northeast neighborhood of Deanwood. Her Memoir evokes the nostalgia, challenges, victories, heartaches and joys of her life that connect with readers across generations and locations. [photo credit: H.L. Brooks; image: two paperback ARCs of In Deanwood, A Memoir by Aressa Verdell Williams arranged on a tabletop; cover art of a sepia toned two-story colonial house with four columns - two on each side of the front door] The ebook is currently available with print copies coming soon! https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-deanwood-aressa-verdell-williams/1147594007 Just under 3 weeks before day one of The Write Women Book Fest and we've finished decorating t-shirts for our aw...

Search This Blog