Shameless Plug - #50Fathers : "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge

Normally, I don't do shameless plugs for people or products other than for myself and the musicians, singers, and song writers I select for this blog in my posts. But..... this time I have to support my family, my peeps, and my cousin!

Independent motion picture studio Triangle Park Entertainment LLC and its Chicago-based production partner, Madwerkz Studios LLC will be conducting select screening of the motion picture, “#50Fathers” in six major markets starting in May. #50Fathers is a dramatic comedy written and directed by Joddy Eric Matthews (Seeing Tomorrow, The Deadly Return Project, The Bubble) and filmed in Northeast Ohio. Triangle Park will premiere the film in Cleveland and follow with releases in Atlanta, Detroit, Washington DC, Memphis and Columbus. Soon #50Fathers will also be made available to viewers around the world through video-on-demand (VOD) on Reelhouse (www.reelhouse.org) and other prominent streaming platforms. {Keep an eye out for news on the official VOD release via the #50Fathers Facebook page and the Reelhouse website.} The official US television trailer for the film debuted on Bounce TV (www.BounceTV.com) in early May. The project is the first urban comedy filmed in 4K or Ultra HD.

The story follows Dominique ‘Nique’ Hathaway, a blue-chip high school athlete (Johnathon L. Jackson) as he prepares to sign a lucrative professional sports contract to play football or baseball. He seemingly has the world at his fingertips except for the one thing he desires most…a father. He and a group of friends launch a social media campaign to attract candidates to serve as a father to his younger brother, Tyree and himself. Fifty prospects will be screened and the one selected will be paid $10,000 per month once Nique signs his pro contract.

“This isn’t a sports film; it’s not about teams, touchdowns or baskets. It’s about what’s really important in life... family,” says Matthews.  “The focus is on the values of fatherhood and the importance of family,” he adds. “We believe the timing is perfect for a film of this nature.”#50Fathers stars Johnathon L. Jackson and Kyle Carthens with Joseph Primes, Mikel Mahoney, Tati Ana, Giovanni Castiglione, Latecia D. Wilson, Sonia Bishop and Denny Castiglione.

How am I connected to this project? Well, my cousin - Chris - is one of the producers! (I'm beaming with cousin pride!) Chris is also the Animation Lead for Madwerkz Studios. I love him and I want to see him and his projects thrive to the moon and back. Plus, with Father's Day fast approaching in the USA, #50Fathers is both timely and relevant. If you can't catch a screening, then check it out on video-on-demand (VOD) on Reelhouse (www.reelhouse.org) when it is available. Well done, Madwerkz Studios, well done!

Here's the official movie trailer:

"We Are Family" by Sister Sledge

One of my favorite songs in honor of one of my favorite people. I love these types of early videos. I especially love seeing how they are just having a good time lip synching and hanging out on the waterfront. Plus, I think I have that same outfit in my closet somewhere. LOL!

"WE ARE FAMILY, get up everybody and sing!"

Spreading the Love: "Where is the Love" by Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway

So...back in June, I had lunch with one of the smartest and sweetest couples I know - Tammie & Andrew - in downtown Portland. I met Tammie through my local writing club. At that time she was the webmaster for the club's website and an aspiring author. Now she is the book review tour-de-force behind Night Owl Reviews (NOR). It was during our yummy lunch, that Tammie asked me if I would like to cover the diversity desk for NOR's free monthly e-magazine.

I'll be honest and admit that prior to her asking, I really hadn't entertained the notion of becoming a book reviewer. However, once I picked myself up off the floor, thought about it, and asked a few questions, I felt the gears in my brain start to churn with ideas.

You see, the world is full of untold stories and firsthand accounts that remain unspoken. As I continue my journey towards publication, I've crossed paths with several like minded authors from all walks of life and cultures. Here was my opportunity to shine a spotlight, even if it's a small one, on some of their amazing stories. In addition, here was my opportunity to connect with readers interested in these stories, too.

Without further ado, here is the debut of my new column: The Melting Pot.

The subtitle is "Stories with Diversity and Multiculturalism." Just so we're clear, the word 'stories' is key to that phrase. The authors of these stories will not always be from a minority population, however the vast majority of books that feature minority leads are written by minority authors. In this column, I will also explore cultures, countries, and locations we don't often see in commercial fiction.

I'm an avid reader of several genres. I'm particularly fond of unusual mashups or fresh takes on standard totems. My first column features a Latin twist on ghost stories. My September post will feature a Russian aesthetic applied to young adult paranormal and the romance thriller genres.  And I will most certainly cover Chinese, Native American and African-American stories before the end of the year.

In the end it is my goal to showcase a wide variety of books that feature a broad spectrum of characters. It's just my way of trying to spread a little love and highlight all the flavors the world has to offer.

"Where is the Love" By Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway

Boy, this song brings back many childhood memories. I was truly blessed to grow up in a house full of love, laughter, and music. If I made a mix tape of songs from my childhood, Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes, The Hair Soundtrack, Dionne Warwick, Motown, and Roberta Flack would dominate the list of songs. (Throw in a few of Moms Mabley's jokes and my young year's soundtrack would be complete.)

Given the events of this week in Ferguson, MO, I felt this song was somehow very appropriate. My hope is that as more people and authors stand up to tell their stories, we see more empathy, sympathy, and action towards equality.

"Where is the love? Where is the love?..."

Check out my new column in NOR's free e-magazine each month!

Afrofuturism & My Big Chop: "The Rain [Supa Dupa Fly]" by Missy Elliott

I am an Afrofuturist. Though the term has been around since the nineties, I am just now discovering the Afrofuturism community.

What is an Afrofuturist and what is Afrofuturism?

Good question. Ingrid LaFleur, art curator and Afrofuturist, explains it best in her TEDx presentation on the visual aesthetic: "I generally define Afrofuturism as a way of imagining possible futures through a black cultural lens..."

In a nutshell, it's people of African descent creating stories, music, literature, paintings, multi-media works, and all manner of creativity you can imagine that project black people into the future. Organizations like the Black Science Fiction Society; comic book artists like Erik Reeves; musicians like Janelle Monae; authors like Octavia Butler and Ytasha Womack; and sooooooo many other academics, scientists, and visual artists are producing amazing images of a more diverse future.

For me, Aftrofuturism combines all of my interests. As a mechanical engineer (the only black female in my undergraduate class), artist, and author of futuristic and steampunk stories - I'm used to seeing very few representations of black and brown skinned people in science fiction literature, movies, and television. (If they were present, they seemed to get killed at some point during the movie. At least Idris Elba survived most of Prometheus, thank you Jesus! LOL!)

In all honesty, I am one of Lt. Uhura's children. It was Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura who inspired my interest in space flight that ultimately led me to engineering school. I'm sure that Uhura's lack of story lines / screen time is at least part of the reason why I am a writer, today.

So what does all this have to do with my 'Big Chop'?

Ok - for those of you who aren't familiar with the term 'Big Chop,' it is the 'going cold turkey' form of transitioning from chemically straightened hair back to your natural hair texture. You can Google 'Big Chop' to find tons of videos and stories sharing individual experiences with going natural (both good and bad).

As I began my research on slavery, plantation life, the American Civil War, and Reconstruction for my current steampunk manuscript, I felt a need to find ways to honor the sacrifices made by my ancestors that have allowed me to be who I am today.

On an even more personal level, I had a difficult time finding artwork, children's stories, coloring books, and dolls for my three year old niece that utilized images of black and brown skinned females with natural hair. (Etsy was a godsend in this area.)

In the end, what ultimately made me decide to start off 2014 with a fresh head of hair was this:

I believe that WE need to be the change we want to see in the world.

Which means that if I want to see more diversity in literature, I need to contribute my stories. If I want to see more women of color sporting their natural hair, then I need to let my natural hair out to play, too. Talk about a real root revival on soooooo many levels. My goal is to write stories that allow all little girls to think, explore, and see a place for themselves as leaders today and in the future. My hope is that they have ways to freely express and accept who they are and what they value.

A 'one size fits all' approach to beauty no longer applies. I am beautiful, just as I am. And now I feel that I really OWN it.

"The Rain [Supa Dupa Fly]" by Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott is a true creative powerhouse. What I love most about her is all the collaborative work she does. With a variety of 'partners in crime', Missy Elliott defied the traditional standard of 'skinny-video-ho' imagery. Raising rap music videos to a new level of artistic expression, while utilizing a futuristic aesthetic, quickly became her visual calling card.

Please enjoy this latest addition to my mixtape. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

"Me, I'm supa fly, supa dupa fly..."

Day One photo after my Big Chop - feeling Supa Dupa Fly!

Celebrations: "Celebration" by Kool & The Gang

I am officially a published author. Yup - you can buy my first nonfiction work here and here and here.My partner in crime & business, Therese Patrick, and I are on cloud nine. <sigh>

Trust me when I say that our work has only begun. You see, most people think that authors write books and then they are done. Not true. In fact, once your book is available for sale, every author needs to do two things:

1. Tell your audience that your new book is available for sale.
2. Write another book.

More often than not, authors tend to focus on #1 and ignore #2.I am going against the grain and working hard on both. I am hammering away on my YA Steampunk novel, while working on presentations for AM101 training classes....we have four training classes booked between now and March 2014. There is so much to do! Oh, and did I mention I have an international growth strategy to formulate, design, and present for my day job!

Despite the flurry of activities, it is important to take a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate the accomplishment of a life long dream. Therese and I will celebrate some this weekend, I promise. Stay tuned for pictures from our first book signing!

"Celebration" by Kool & The Gang

Growing up in Cleveland, OH in the 70's, 80's, and 90's was a magical time. Our river (the mighty Cuyahoga) and our mayor caught on fire in the same year. {Yup, the river was so polluted, we were able to set water on fire and our mayor got a little too close to a blow torch while cutting a metal ribbon at the opening of a new plant.}

WZAK 93.1 FM was (and still is) Cleveland's R&B radio station. Back in the day, if you heard Celebration by Kool & The Gang, you ran to your phone in the hopes of being the lucky caller to win some money. I never won the money, of course, but to this day every time I hear Celebration my hand itches to reach for the phone. And for this reason, the Celebration song will always have a special place in my heart.

"Celebrate good times, come on!..."

Living Life: "Golden" by Jill Scott

You're never too old to dream. And most importantly, you are never too old to pursue your dreams. Unlike a wish or a hope, a dream is meant to be pursued.  Sometimes you run it down with dogged determination. Other times, you chip away gradually with each strike of your chisel bringing you one inch closer to your prize.  As you know, I am plugging away making a few of my dreams materialize.  Soon I will be a published author.....

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Therese and I have signed a contract with a publisher for our Author Marketing 101 Guide & Journal. We've been blogging for a year and presenting on marketing for almost three years and talking about marketing for almost four years.  So to say that our publishing contract was a quick turn of events is a little misleading.  The AWESOME thing is that because of all this talking, presenting, and blogging, we were more than prepared with material when the contract came our way.  In fact, we were able to produce our first draft in less than two weeks.

Why so fast?  Well, we wanted to clear our minds and our plates for the Summer In Words Writing Conference produced by our dear friend Jessica Morrell. It was held at the Hallmark Inn Cannon Beach on the Oregon coast.  During this FABULOUS writer's retreat I:

• Learned new ways to see simple objects and pack more punch into my sentences from Monica Drake. 
• Gained new insights on titles, high concept writing, and how to flesh out my secondary characters from Jessica Morrell.
• Laughed at the adventures, antics, and stories of Jonathan Evison. <BTW, it is VERY appropriate for him to depict his book covers as beer bottle labels on his website! LOL!>
• Was inspired to learn new things about others and about myself by Kelly Williams Brown, who just returned to Oregon from New York after a Today Show interview.

With regards to making dreams come true....We met the ever wonderful Kari Luna who is busy telling everyone about her debut novel: The Theory of Everything.  Ms. Luna is such a plucky duck, she convinced MTV (yes that MTV) to plug her book trailer!!  (I mean really, how cool is that??)  It was a long, hard battle for Ms. Luna to get this book published and out the door.  It was particularly tough, because her YA story features a hallucinating heroine with a panda shaman named Walt.  I was able to buy an advanced copy and had the honor of being the recipient of Ms. Luna's first autograph!

The past few weeks have been completely and utterly AMAZING, but somehow I know that the best is yet to come....  :D

"Golden" by Jill Scott

I love Jill Scott and there has been many a time when this song has helped me through a rough patch or celebrate an accomplishment.  "Golden" speaks to the joy of celebrating your freedom to be and do whatever fulfills you as a person.  Smiling faces, warm sunshine, calming ocean waves, and the simple joy of waving to friends and family of all ages are all images Ms. Scott uses.  The soulful backup vocals herald the refrain, literally 'taking us to church' on how beautiful life can be if we believe in the possibilities and pursue our dreams.  Jill Scott is beautiful and "Golden" has become one of a handful of theme songs for me.

"I'm living my life like it's golden, Living my life like it's golden..."

Me with Kari Luna.  Strips are clearly the new hotness!  Buy her book , The Theory of Everything here or here or here,  available July 11th!

Writing: "Tighten Up" by Archie Bell and The Drells

I can tell that I'm in a major transitional phase of my life.  As with all things in life, in general, there is a natural ebb and flow.  But lately I feel that my usual gentle ripple is merely the start of a roaring tide.  How do I know this fact?  Well - I've been receiving more and more interest in my WIP (work-in-progress) manuscript.  And this interest is not just from any 'ole body, it's from some pretty heavy hitters in publishing.  To say that I feel GREAT about all of this attention would be the understatement of the year.

Note: I do have a finished manuscript that is slowly (SLOWLY) making the rounds.  But what folks seem to REALLY want is the book that isn't written.  I have large account sales in my day job CV, so I can say with authority that customers always want the product you don't have.  To paraphrase my old boss, "there is infinite demand for the nonexistent or unattainable." So true....

I am making progress on my WIP, though.  And I received some AMAZING feedback on the first five pages from a well known agent.  This person is uber-busy, so the fact that they gave me line edits was a shockingly pleasant surprise.  In short, their advice was "Tighten Up."  Which led me to this week's entry for my mix tape.

"Tighten Up" by Archie Bell and The Drells

Ok, so I know that The Black Keys recently released a song named "Tighten Up", but I had to go back to this 1960's track!  First, it is more fitting for my post message.  And second, when given a choice, I prefer the lesser known (more obscure) song.  I will be honest and say that I haven't done my research on Mr. Bell and The Drells to know if they were more than a one hit wonder, but I can say that I dig on their overall vibe.  They were an integrated band, in Texas, in the 1960's - how interesting and FANTASTIC is that??

Overall the song is meant to be danced to....mostly, because it is in the tradition of songs intended to launch a new dance craze.  (Think Chubby Checker's "The Twist" or Digital Underground's "Humpty Dance" or any other number of examples.)  For this reason, the song is catchy.  Specifically, I love the bass and drums, but it is the lead guitar and horns that really make the tune stick with you.  In fact, I will randomly find myself humming this song or repeating Mr. Bell's humble words at the start of the song:

"We don't hardly sing, but we dance just as good as we walk...."

Looking good, girl...but I gotta get to writing!!  :D

Balance: "Tightrope" by Janelle Monae

As August comes to a close, I am still in awe of the fact that I didn't have any day job, business travel.  No worries, dear reader, I'm back on the road twice in September.  <sigh>  As my friends would say, "I'm not complaining, I'm just explaining...."  Being home for an entire month really gave me time to re-establish some routines and think hard about what the future holds.

I'm not convinced that I want to be a corporate drone for the rest of my life.  And for the first time, in many years, I am starting to see a clear picture of what my next move should be.....nothing drastic, I promise.  Trust me, there are no major relocations on the horizon, but there is most definitely a refocus of my energy and efforts.

As my dear friend Doug, entrepreneur and mentor, said, "It's not a matter of talent and ability for us.  It really is a matter of time.  Where are we going to focus our efforts <in the short and long term>?"  His comments really hit me hard, because this VERY thought is what I dwelled on all weekend.  How do I want to focus my time?  And for me, it is truly about TIME and BALANCE.

So, what am I going to do?  The first target is to do a detox and mental reset.  Then redouble my efforts to finish my first novel - especially, since I have three agents and three editors that have asked me to submit.  Finding that balance between my day job and my writing is truly the golden ticket to even more adventures.

"Tightrope" by Janelle Monae

If you haven't heard of the ever lovely and FABULOUS Janelle Monae, then let me take a moment to give you a quick education.  Ms. Monae is a singer, songwriter, story teller, and performer tour de force.  Her two albums, Metropolis: The Chase Suite and The ArchAndroid, are R&B / Soul operas that tell the story of Cindi Mayweather - android #57821, who makes the mistake of falling in love with a human.  This act is illegal in the futuristic universe Ms. Monae creates via song.  There are chase scenes, near misses, and reflections on life intertwined in solid beats and subtle mixes.

One of the things that I love about the Tightrope video is that you can tell that all the dancers and musicians had a ton of fun during the filming.  You can just feel the positive energy flowing all around. Big Boi (one half of Outkast) is the featured lyricist on this track....but I think I spied Andre 3000 disguised in a wig and sunglasses, playing electric guitar, in The Palace of the Dogs Asylum band.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

Plus check out the smooth dance moves - don't try that at home, trust me - especially after drinking a few glasses of wine - oh, wait, I'm detoxing... LOL!

"Now SHUT-UP, put some Voodoo on it...."