A YouTube Review of After The Dance (by Lori Johnson)

Wow, a reader was kind enough to send me a YouTube clip of her review of my debut novel, After The Dance. Of course, she just earned herself a free, signed copy of my next novel, LOL!

YouTube Review of author Lori Johnson's debut novel

After The Dance

"Happyness is Nappyness" (Natural Hair Expo 2010 in Raleigh)

Will I see you there? (Saturday, June 19, 12 noon- 8pm) For more info click on the link--

Happyness is Nappyness!

Natural Women: Our Hair, Our Stories (Michele George's Story)

(Michele George's Story)

Michelle George

Background / Michele George, who currently resides in Columbus, Ohio, comes to the field of Cosmetology with over two decades of passion and experience in Pharmaceutical and Biotech Research Industry. Her first work, The Knotty Truth: Managing Tightly Coiled Hair At Home DIY Survival Guide, lays the groundwork for her desire to impact the cosmetology industry with the beauty and artistry of highly textured hair. A Certified Natural Hair Consultant, Mrs. George, in her 40s, now parlays her passion by educating women on the delicate art of transitioning from chemical hair to highly textured hair via workshops, online classes and seminars in Ohio and nationally.

Hairstyle / I wear my hair in locs that I started August 2006 with 400 braids that I installed myself. I maintain with a 4pt reverse rotation with a 2.5-inch bobby pin. For the past 3yrs, I’ve washed my hair with African Black Soap and conditioned with aloe vera juice and my favorite essential oils: rosemary and lemongrass oil and feed my hair with olive oil infused with the same EOs and seal the moisture in with castor oil.

Michele George

Reason for wearing a “natural” hairstyle / After 10 years of trying to go natural, I finally transitioned successfully in 2004. I chopped off the chemically processed hair January 1, 2005 and haven’t looked back since. I went natural because I wore a lot of twist outs with my texturized hair. I began to stretch my touch-ups further and further apart as I embraced the naturally curly texture that emerged from my roots. I loved it and wanted to see what it was like to look like me. I began wondering--why do I have to severely alter myself in order to be accepted by corporate America?

While on maternity leave with my second child in 2003, I became a Certified Personal Trainer and began living a healthier lifestyle. I became determined to go natural at this point. Outside of these reasons, hairstylists helped me go natural because of lack of good customer service, stacking customers, leaving me in the chair all day, getting out at midnight, stylists hopping from salon to salon without follow-up, chasing them down to get my chair done and a general lack of respect for my time. I wanted to free of the chair. I attempted to go natural three separate times; the third time was the charm.

Negative reactions / when I did the BC (big chop), I received a lot of negative comments: “Do you like your hair that way?” Co-worker “You look like you have a jheri curl.” Auntie “Why are you wearing your hair like that?” Best friend “When are you going to loc your hair?” Cousin “I like your hair.” (it was a wig) Customer

Response to negative commentary / I focused on the big picture and the picture albums of those women in fotki land and Nappturality.com who shared their journeys. When I did that, I could see how my hair might look in 6-12-18 months down the road. The bottom line was hair grows, everyday it grows. If I hung in there until the fall/winter/spring/summer, my hair would grow too, and I would be able to have a testimony if I hung in there for the duration. I decided to commit to staying natural.

Support for your natural look / The Bible helped me a lot. In Genesis, the Word says God looked upon all His creation and said, "It is good, it is Very good!" That includes my hair. I became determined to see me the way Jesus sees me because the Word also said He doesn't give us more than we can handle. We must be some strong sisters to be given this awesome grade of hair!

A woman with natural hair whose style you admire / I was inspired by T. Crystal Keymah from (then) In Living Color. We favor one another and I was hooked since I first saw her in 1990.

Michele George

Advice for women considering a "natural" hairstyle / It took me until 2005 to finally transition back to me. As a result, I don't proselytize and try to convert people; I just try to be an example, a good example. If they decide to go natural, it will happen at an appointed time that is unique to each and every one of us. I just focus on being the bridge that reaches out to my sister to pass, once she makes the decision that this is what she wants. I don't have the energy to convince people any more. The calling is unique: many are called, few are chosen. It's an awareness that must be claimed by the journeywomen alone. And, when she does, I'm here, waiting, smiling, and welcoming her to a new space of self-love.

Books you'd like to recommend / If you are ready to be informed, enlightened and maybe just a little more educated about highly textured hair, my book, The Knotty Truth is for you. With an emphasis on affordable do-it-yourself hair ingredients at home, The Knotty Truth will introduce you to everyday kitchen products that will nourish not only your belly, but also your hair. Natural hair care need not be expensive. If you are not ready to venture into the world of natural hair, The Knotty Truth may just change your mind with its refreshing perceptive and witty candor. The Knotty Truth is for the strong willed inner child who wants to be free to embrace the nap of her hair or begin the journey to a head of naturally cared for hair full of strength and vitality!

Definition of a "natural woman" / A natural woman is a woman who can see herself as God sees her: as His perfect and beautiful creation. On the day I meet my Maker, I want Him to know that I think He did a pretty good job! So nappy I was born and nappy I'll die."

If you'd like to learn more about

Michele George

please visit her website

http://www.theknottytruth.net/

"Michele George's Story" is part of an on-going series I created that focuses on African American women who wear their hair au naturel. Check the archives (see sidebar on the right) for past segments, features and profiles. If you'd like to participate in the series, please email me for details (go to my blog's profile page or visit my website for contact information). Your feedback is always appreciated. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments you might have about "Michele George's Story," the "Natural Women: Our Hair, Our Stories" series or Black hair in general, in the section below marked for comments. THANK YOU!

Thursday Thirteen # 48 . . . 13 Facebook Fumbles, Failures & Fouls

If you're on Facebook, perhaps you'll agree with me about some of the these:

1) The Non-Stop Feature Changes Just when I think I have it all figured out, the FB administrators change the features and/or layout again. Jeez-Louise, just leave it alone already or at least keep your improvements to once a year.

2) Negative People aka Trolls If you don't like my status reports, ignore them or do us both a favor and delete me from your list of FB friends. 'Cause if the only time you ever comment on my FB status is when you want to disagree, complain or pick a fight, believe me, I will be deleting you . . .

3) Privacy Settings & Re-settings Again, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. All of the constant tinkering makes me feel even less secure.

4) The FB Folks who play deaf, dumb & blind If I ignored the invitation to join your group or be your friend/fan the first 10 weeks in a row that you asked, why are you still asking me? I’m obviously not interested, so why not show a little dignity and just stop asking already.

5) The Games I'm not interested in farming, being a zookeeper, being initiated into the Mafia or living in a sorority house (Hey, I think I just noticed a theme . . .) For those who enjoy the games, great. But fix it so the rest of us don't have to hear about all of the lost chickens, stray cows, pet monkeys, catfights, turf wars and shoot-outs.

6) People Who Write In All Caps WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS SHOUTING?! Come on people, learn how to communicate on the world wide web.

7) TMDI (too much dang information) Just because we're FB friends doesn't mean I really want or need to know/see all of your business. If you're constantly talking about (or posting pics of) your dirty drawers, shady business deals, mistresses, illegal drug habits, visits to the shake 'em up clubs, bunions, hemorrhoids, etc., we won't be FB friends for very long.

8) The Bible Thumpers Okay, I love the Lord and I don't mind a bit of Scripture every now and then. But posting Bible verses and mini-sermons every hour on the hour, can get a little old after awhile.

9) The Graffiti Artists Okay, I don't mind people writing/posting on my FB wall. All I ask is that you keep it clean, PG13, sane and half-way legible.

10) Invitations Since I live in NC, it’s highly unlikely that I’ll be able to make your midnight bake sale at the roller rink in Utah. So way are you even inviting me?

11) The Poke Feature Sorry, I don't get it. I don't want or like people poking me in real life . . .

12) The E-mailers If you are emailing me more than once a day or once a week, STOP. Seriously, I’m probably deleting your emails without reading them anyway.

13) People Who Only Post About What They’re Eating I’m not sure if this irritates me or just makes me hungry . . .

Well, you've heard all of my complaints, but if you still want to befriend me on Facebook, be my guest!

Lori Johnson On Facebook

If you'd like to visit other Thursday Thirteen Participants,

Start Here!

Author Lori Johnson on blog talk radio with Vanessa Richardson

Recently, my blogging buddy and "goodreads" friend, author Vanessa Richardson invited me to join her on the blog talk radio show she hosts, "The Certain Ones."

Our discussion is scheduled for tonight (Saturday, May 29) at 6pm EST. According to Vanessa, we will be talking about my latest novel, A Natural Woman, the "natural hair stories" I sometimes feature on my blog and the natural and spiritual journey of Black women's hair.

If you'd like to join us, the call in number is: (917) 932-1607. For additional details about the show, click on the link below:

THE CERTAIN ONES.

Thursday Thirteen #47 . . . 13 Noteworthy Author Rejections

What aspiring author and writer wanna-be hasn't suffered through the pain of rejection a time or two? Okay, more like 15-20 times and sometimes twice in a single day. Well, no need to despair. In fact, it's happened to some of the best . . .

1) The author of the Dr. Seuss series had his work rejected more than 15 times before he found an editor interested in working with him.

2) Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach was rejected 140 times before it was eventually published.

3) C.S. Lewis received over 800 rejections before he made his first sale.

4) 20 publishers rejected William Golding’s Lord of the Flies before it was published in 1954. On of the publishers who rejected the Lord of the Flies described it as, "…an absurd and uninteresting fantasy which was rubbish and dull."

5) Agatha Christie has been called by the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling writer of books of all time and the best-selling writer of any kind, along with William Shakespeare. However, her first mystery novel received over 20 rejections.

6) James Patterson’s first novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, was rejected 26 times before finally being accepted.

7) Stephen King received the following rejection for his bestselling novel, Carrie: “We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell."

8) J.K. Rowling spent six years writing the first installment of her Harry Potter" novels, and was rejected by 9 publishers before landing a deal with London’s Bloomsbury Publishing.

9) Alex Haley, author of Roots, wrote every day, seven days a week for eight years before selling to a small magazine.

10) Ray Bradbury has had about a thousand rejections over his 30 year career and claims his work still gets rejected

11) Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind was rejected 38 times.

12) Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time was rejected by 26 publishers. After being published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux, it went onto to win the Newberry Award and it is now in its 69th printing.

13) Louis L’Amour who has 300 million copies of his 123 books in print, had 200 of his stories rejected before he finally made his first sale.

So, if you're thinking about giving up, don't! Keep writing, working on your craft and submitting your work. All you need are equal portions of luck and talent and a whole lot of persistence . . .

Start

HERE

if you'd like to visit other Thursday 13 participants.

Have A Look & A Listen

A Natural Woman really comes to life in the recently released audio version (by Griot Audio/Recorded Books Library) and the audiobook cover is GORGEOUS. If you'd like to listen to a free sample and/or view the audiobook's cover, click on the link below . . .

Have A Look & A Listen!

Sista Girl Book Club of Philly (Fans of A Natural Woman)

Sista Girl Book Club (of Philly)

March 27, 2010

This past Saturday, I had a GREAT time discussing A NATURAL WOMAN with the members of the Philly-based Sista Girl Book Club. I absolutely adore the picture they sent me of them holding up copies of my novel. Check those smiles!

If you own any similar pictures of yourself or the members of your book club, holding up (waving, reading, etc.) copies of either of my two novels (A Natural Woman or After The Dance), I'd love to see them and it would be my pleasure to post them.

Listen Up! The audio version of A Natural Woman . . . is now available!

I'm happy to announce that the audio version of my 2nd novel, A Natural Woman, is now available via Griot Audio. I'm looking forward to hearing seasoned actress, Patricia R. Floyd, narrate Professor Aliesha Eaton and Dante's story. Ms. Floyd's acting credits include a part in Drumline and a reoccuring role in Law & Order, among others . . .

Want additional information?

SEE HERE!

(A Natural Woman is entry #12)

Sexiest Songs Of All Time???

It's been a while since I felt the urge to write a music post. Well, earlier in this week, I ran across something that stirred, if not outright riled my inner DJ! (LOL) It all started when Malcolm, my blogging buddy over at Pop Culture Dish, shared the first 5 songs on Billboard Magazine's List of the "50 Sexiest Songs of All Time."

Upon my review of the entire list, which ranks Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" at number 1 and the Captain & Tennille's "Do Me One More Time" at number 10. My reaction was they've gotta be kidding! Okay, actually my reaction was more along the lines of, "ain't no way in hell" but anyway, you get the point.

So I've been thinking, if I were to compile a list of "The Sexiest Songs," which songs might be on it? Well, you'd best believe NOTHING by the Captain & Tennille. Even though I do like their music, as well as Olivia's, it's hardly sexy. I mean, really . . .

No, I'm thinking at the top of my list would be some Maxwell and some Marvin! Yeah, right up there at Number 1 would probably be Max's "Til The Cops Come Knocking." Coming in at a close second would be Marvin Gaye's "Come Get To This." At 3 and 4 would be Aretha's version of "Something He Can Feel" and Labelle's "Lady Marmalade." At number 5 would probably be Smokey Robinson and the Miracle's "Oo Baby, Baby."

Even though I might tinker a bit with the order, those would definitely be some of my top sexy song choices, but what about you? What songs would rank at the top of your own list of Top Sexiest Songs of All Time?

Natural Women: Our Hair, Our Stories (Brijetta S.'s Story)

(Brijetta S.'s Story)

Brijetta S.

Background / My name is Brijetta Smith. I currently reside in Flint, MI. I am 22 years old.

Hairstyle / At the present time, I am wearing my hair braided with human hair (zillions) to help my natural hair grow. When my hair is not braided, I wear it natural, accessorized with hair bands. My hair is naturally curly so maintenance is very easy!

Reason for wearing a “natural” hairstyle / I've been wearing my hair natural for about 3 months now. I decided to go natural because I got tired of putting relaxers in my hair every 8-10 weeks. The upkeep (relaxing, flat ironing, blow-drying, styling) was time consuming and I thought it was time for a change. I wanted a new look and I wanted to start my hair-growing process over.

Support of your natural look / I've found a lot of my family members very supportive of my hair cut and wearing my hair natural. I also have a couple of friends from work that encouraged me to try it.

Negative reactions / I haven't received any real negative responses about my haircut. A couple of my friends have joked around and said I looked like Florida Evans from the "Good Times" TV show. Lol

A woman with natural hair whose style you admire / One woman that wears her hair natural that I admire is my Aunt Audrey. I remember she use to wear her hair relaxed and it was so pretty when she wore it curled. When I heard she got tired of relaxers and she cut her ponytail off, I was curious of what her hair would look like. Today, she still wears her hair natural n short n it is very pretty; it gives her a "Queen" ambience.

Useful natural hair care tips, styling techniques or products you’d like to share / The only products I use on my hair are: tea-tree oil infused or olive oil shampoos, and olive oil conditioning hair cream, mousse, JAM conditioning gel, and a curl-boost gel spray by Garnier Fructis. I usually let my hair air-dry and wash it every week depending on much product I use within the week.

Your definition of “a natural woman” / My definition of "a natural woman" is a woman that's not afraid to express their emotions, physical appearance, beliefs, etc.

"Brijetta S.'s Story" is part of an on-going series I created that focuses on African American women who wear their hair au naturel. Check the archives (see sidebar on the right) for past segments, features and profiles. If you'd like to participate in the series, please email me for details (go to my blog's profile page or visit my website for contact information). Your feedback is always appreciated. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments you might have about "Brijetta S.'s Story," the "Natural Women: Our Hair, Our Stories" series or Black hair in general, in the section below marked for comments.

THANK YOU!

Black Women with Natural Hair - A Conversation with Denise Bolds on Blog Talk Radio

At 1pm (ET) on Wednesday, 2/10/10, I'm scheduled to speak with Denise Bolds about natural hair, Black women and my latest novel, A NATURAL WOMAN.

The conversation will occur on BlogTalkRadio. If you'd like to listen, please visit the following link . . .

A Natural Queen Black Women with Natural Hair Black Women Empowered 2/10/2010 - Denise Bolds on Blog Talk Radio

If you'd like to join the conversation or ask questions, the call in number is (347) 857-2381.

Staying Busy . . . Behind The Scenes

No, as of late, I haven't been blogging much. However, I am staying busy. I've started a new writing project and I spend the bulk of my free "online" time on Facebook (facebook.com/lori.johnson1).

Recently, I learned A Natural Woman was profiled in the December 2009 issue of BLACDetroit Magazine (see page 15 / BLACdetroit.com). It was both an honor and a thrill to see my novel featured on the same "Hot On The Shelf" page as the 35th Anniversary Edition of The Black Book and Amiri Baraka's latest--Razor.

I'm in the process of scheduling another blog radio interview and hope to share a few more of the details in the coming days. Also, I'm still taking submissions for the "Natural Woman: Our Hair, Our Stories" series. So, contact me if you're interested and please spread the word.

Natural Women: Our Hair, Our Stories (Treasure's Story)

Natural Women: Our Hair, Our Stories (S. "Treasure" W.)

(S."Treasure" W.'s Story) S. Treasure w.

Background / I am a 28 year old mother of four beautiful children. I am a native of Savannah, GA, who now resides in Warner Robins, GA. I am an author with three published works under my belt.

Hairstyle / At the present time I wear my hair in a natural, baby 'fro. My hair has been natural for about five years now. The decision was made final--after much contemplation--when I was pregnant with my third child. I put a perm in my hair and it felt as if my head was being squeezed by the biggest, strongest hands in the world. It hurt like mad, and so I said, "A'ight! Decision made! Now, let me get this mess out of my hair! LOL!

Reason for wearing a "natural" hairstyle / I'd been thinking of going natural months before I actually did. The reason I did was because I wanted my daughter, who was four at the time, to grow up proud of her hair. I didn't want her to feel as if God had made a bad choice during her creation. I didn't want her to feel pressured by the socieital definition of what looked good.

Support of your "natural" look / Pretty much everyone has been supportive of my natural look. Even those who thought it wouldnt' look good changed their tune once they saw me!

Negative reactions / Once, an ex of mine said I looked like a fuzzy peach. LOL! I was in desperate need of a trim. My own negative reaction, however, only happens when I'm trying to start my locks. Because of all the different textures I have going on--kinky on the sides, curly in the back and straight up top--I tend to get frustrated. That would be the reason I haven't suceeded in having them.

A woman with natural hair whose style you admire / I admire India Arie because she knows who she is and even sings about being proud of it.

Advice for women considering a natural hairstyle / My advice to any woman going natural is to make sure that you are comfortable in your own skin, or should I say hair! Don't be afraid and hold your head up with much confidence knowing tha nobody else has to agree with you. You are beautiful! Natural and all!

Additional commentary / I have come to feel empowered by my natural hair. Once that step was taken to go against the grain of society, I found that it allowed me to dig deeper into my being. I began to act like an individual and not just say that I am one. My visions became more important because I was trusting myself and the Spirit in me, instead of needing to be validated or accepted. I am naturally Me and that's okay.

Your definition of "a natural woman"? / A natural woman is one who is not afraid to just be! Who she is carries much weight with others because she's real. She's authentic. She's one who can be who she was created to be without doubting herself or thinking that anything about her is a mistake.

"Treasure"

If you'd like to learn more about

S. "Treasure" W.

please visit her website

shalondatreasurewilliams

"S. Treasure W.'s Story" is part of an on-going series I created that focuses on African American women who wear their hair au naturel. Check the archives (see sidebar on the right) for past segments, features and profiles. If you'd like to participate in the series, please email me for details (go to my blog's profile page or visit my website for contact information). Your feedback is always appreciated. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments you might have about "S. Treasure W.'s Story," the "Natural Women: Our Hair, Our Stories" series or Black hair in general, in the section below marked for comments.

THANK YOU!

Give It Up For The Fellas!

If you listen to people they will attempt to convince you that men (African American men, in particular) don't read, buy books or attend book signings. I know better, if only because I've seen and experienced otherwise. The pictures below don't even capture all of the men who attended or stopped by my Memphis booksignings in December.

Johnnie Blue

Memphis, TN / December 2009

From Lori's Picture Collection

The gentleman dressed in red (Johnnie Blue) is someone I met last year at one of my signings for After The Dance. Even though he already had a copy of A Natural Woman, he made it his business to show up at my Waldenbooks signing just to chat. He's also a member of an all African American male book club, which is based in Memphis and meets regularly at the public library.

A young man buying a book for his girl.

Waldenbooks (Wolf-Chase Galleria)

Memphis, TN /December 2009

The gentleman dressed in yellow in the second picture was among the first that evening to stop and purchase a copy of A Natural Woman. He told me he was buying it for "his girl." I laughed and told him he must really be into this girl if he's still buying her gifts after Christmas. He smiled and told me he routinely bought her books as gifts and he got a lot of pleasure from doing so.

The earnestness I heard in his voice truly warmed my heart.

Lori & Mike

Waldenbooks (Wolf-Chase Galleria) / December 2009/ Memphis, TN

From Lori's Picture Collection

Lori & Eric's Crew

Waldenbooks (Wolf-Chase Galleria)

Memphis, TN / December 2009

From Lori's Picture Collection

Now, I will say, I do seem to be able to get more men to buy books in Memphis, TN than anywhere else. At this particular signing, I even had a gentleman of Asian descent stop and look at the cover of my book for a couple of seconds before disappearing. When he reappeared, he had his wife and their two adorable little girls with him. The gentleman not only wanted to buy a book, he also wanted me to take pictures with his girls. I think I know why. Interestingly enough, the Asian gentleman and his African American wife had produced two beautiful daughters who bore an uncanny resemble to the woman depicted on A Natural Woman's cover, thick, black head of hair and all.

Being Prepared For The Unexpected . . .

A Few Members of the Jackson, TN Branch

of the Page Turners Book Club

Memphis, Dec. 2009

From Lori's Picture Collection

As a new author, you soon learn that book signings and author events seldom go as planned or expected. My best advice to the uninitiated is to shore up on your flexibility, patience and resilience because you will no doubt be needing all of those things and then some.

The pictures in this post are from a reading and discussion of my debut novel, After The Dance, which took place while I was in Memphis over the 2009 Christmas holiday. The event was arranged by my friend Damika and held in conjunction with a meeting of the Jackson, TN branch of the Page Turners Book Club (led by Lakia Newsom).

THE original plan had been for us to meet-up at a local downtown eatery, but for some unknown reason, the owner of the eatery decided not to open his doors at the pre-arranged, appointed time. From what I understand, dude wouldn't even answer his phone . . . However, a few folks swore they spotted ole boy cruising by and gawking at the crowd gathered outside the closed doors of his establishment . . . LOL.

Hey, sometimes, it's like that and the best you can do is say, "Lord have mercy! My people! My people!"

Anyway, my good friend, Stanford Lewis, who'd so graciously agreed to assist me with the reading that day (even though he was entertaining an out-of-town guest of his own) went over and beyond the call of duty, and out of the blue, offered up his HOUSE as an alternative spot for the event.

Interestingly enough, MY original plan hadn't even been for Stan to assist me with that particular event. But my dear old friend not only showed up, he came through for me in a BIG WAY and for that, I will be forever grateful.

In the end, I had a wonderful time meeting with the ladies and the gentleman of the Page Turners Book Club (Jackson, TN Branch) and discussing my work with them. In spite of the unexpected turn of events, each and everyone of them keep their cool and sense of humor about the situation. Now, that's what I call "CLASS" . . . somthing ole boy from the eatery could probably stand to learn a thing or two about.

A Few Members of the Jackson, TN Branch of the Page Turners Book Club Memphis, TN /Dec. 2009 From Lori's Picture Collection The Page Turners (Jackson, TN branch) Holding copies of After The Dance & A Natural Woman Memphis, TN / Dec. 2009 From Lori's Picture Collection

Just An Overview . . . From My 2009 Mid-South December Book Signings

Yes, I'm back in Charlotte. Brought a cold back with me. But I wanted to post a few pics from my Memphis & Southaven events. I'll have to fill you in on the details later . . .

Damika is one of my favorite fans from the Mid-South Area.

From Lori's Picture Collection

Memphis / Dec. 2009

Me & my homegirl, Charlotte. We attended LeMoyne-Owen College together back in the day and we've been the best of friends ever since! From Lori's Picture Collection Books-A-Million / Southaven, MS / Dec. 2009 Stan is another one of my LeMoyne-Owen buds. He helped me read an excerpt from my debut novel, AFTER THE DANCE. He read Carl & I read Faye. Um, I'm not sure why I'm holding my mouth that way . . . Perhaps I'm still in "Faye" mode . . . From Lori's Picture Collection Books-A-Million /Southaven, MS / Dec. 2009

One of the readings Stan and I did together took place at his house.

We had a great time with the Page Turner's Book Club! From Lori's Picture Collection

Memphis, TN / Dec. 2009

Just in case you're wondering, my hair in these pic is unstraightened and chemical free. Thanks to Angela at Jazz It Up hair salon in Memphis, my hair is pulled back into flat-twists. So you see, I am still very much A Natural Woman . . .

Still On Holiday . . .

Yeah, I'm still off enjoying old friends and family members. Just so you know, the A Natural Woman signings in the Memphis area went EXCEPTIONALLY WELL! I sold out at the Books-A-Million (in Southaven, MS) and at the Waldenbooks (Wolf-Chase Galleria) in Memphis. Also, I had a ball with the Page Turner Book Club members who turned out to discuss my debut novel, After The Dance. Upon my return, look for me to post a few pictures . . .

HAPPY HOLIDAYS . . . I'M OFF HAVING A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Online Chat About A NATURAL WOMAN

One of my online buddies, Pamella Robinson, has generously offered to host an online discussion of my lastest novel, A NATURAL WOMAN.

The chat is scheduled for Saturday, December 12 at 5 pm eastern time ( 4 pm central). If you'd like to participate in the discussion, ask questions or make comments, all you need is an AOL account with a screen name (or an AIM account). To sign up for an account or to join the discussion, click on the following link:

A Natural Woman / Sat., Dec. 12, 5 pm est/ Online Discussion.