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Summer Reading Underway

Jul29

Summer Reading 2017

It’s summer! A belated, yet no less warm (no pun intended) welcome to a more relaxed time, a time when reading figures more prominently in the schedule. At least for me it does and I attribute that to a lighter work load, but mostly to that glorious week called summer vacation. During that wonderful week of disconnecting from the daily grind of life, I have been known to finish up to three books (mostly fiction, 300 pages or less). So in anticipation of my summer vacation (and the reading I’ll do before and after that), I compiled my reading list, ordered my books, and have them neatly stacked, waiting on me. Take a look below at my “goodies” and let me know how your list compares. I’m always on the lookout for great reads (thanks Shamira for last year’s referral!).

Ann’s Summer Reading List – 2017

The Island of Lost Children by Kim Batchelor – A tale that reimagines (who introduced this word into our current language?) the friendship between Peter Pan, the lovable boy who flies and Wendy, the lovable girl who cherishes books. A favorite for adults and children!

The Roux in the Gumbo by Kim Robinson – A multi-generational family saga that traces the lineage of a Louisiana family from slavery to present day. Reminiscent of “Roots” and “Cane River,” it is a long read but quite entertaining.

The Writer and the Rake by Shehanne Moore – A love story that is no doubt all the title promises it to be. A time-traveling, wanna-be bestselling author changes a gentleman of dubious character into a hero. Or does she? Hmmmm, I already feel heat rising from this one.

Shadow of the Final Storm by Carol Craver – This is a story of family intrigue narrated by a ghost. Yes, a ghost! Think “The Lovely Bones” and you’re almost there. There’s no time like summer to prepare for Halloween!

Letters to Yeyito by Paquito d’Rivera – As a nod to my upcoming vacation locale, I am anxious to read about one of Cuba’s most legendary musician, Paquito d’Rivera. In this abbreviated memoir, he writes about music, career, expulsion from Cuba and life in America. I have a feeling this one is going to be a keepsake.

American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar – To get a jump on my fall reading, I’ll finish my summer reading with our book group’s selection for September. This book tells the story of a Pakistani boy growing up in America with struggles that center around identity and religion.

So again, how does your summer reading list compare? What other titles would you recommend?

Happy summer! Happy reading!

PS: During the time it took to create and post this entry, I finished the first two books on my reading list. Please check Amazon and Goodreads for the reviews I wrote about the books.

20 Questions with Ann Fields

Oct25

Thank you Don for the author interview and for your support of writers. The interview was fun and your hospitality unmatched. Write on!

Author Don Massenzio

Today we sit down with author, Ann Fields. She is going to tell us a bit about her writing journey, her work and her inspiration.

Please enjoy this edition of 20 Questions:

ann-black-white-01Q1) When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Even though I wrote my first story when I was in middle school, I didn’t give much thought to being a writer until college. The Romance Writers of America (RWA) held a conference a few miles from the college I was attending and one of my sorority sisters went. She returned to campus very excited, telling us all about the conference. I remember muttering something like, “I want to do that.” But I secretly believed that being a writer was not a viable career option for black people even though I knew of Langston Hughes and Phyllis Wheatley. So years passed and in 1990 I bought…

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Let There Be Peace

Dec22

A time-honored song begins with the lyrics, “Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me.” We sometimes get off track with ushering in peace because it seems like such a lofty goal, an unattainable one. But recently, I was reminded by Doreen Virtue that peace on Earth begins with me and once I have mastered inner peace, peace naturally radiates outward to others—friends, families, communities, countries, and eventually the world. Even during this time of worldwide conflict, inner peace is possible. It can be achieved through meditation, yoga, prayer, a focus on the heavenly things (kindness, love, cooperation, unity, etc.) and a willingness to take our hands off the controls.

I challenge you during this time of unrest, wars and senseless killings to try this:  before you hop out of bed in the morning, close your eyes, take ten deep breaths (try to keep your thoughts at bay by focusing on the black and white kaleidoscope playing out behind your closed eyelids), listen to the sound of your breath as it enters and exits your body, then make a quick statement such as, “This will be an amazing day” or “Thank you God for this pleasant day” or “In all situations, with all people, help me to act and think like you God” or “Help me to relax and go with the flow.”

As an experiment I tried this short practice for a full week and it made such a difference in my attitude and in my day. The days went smoother. I felt calmer and happier. I was productive and in the evening when my day finally wrapped up, I felt peace, and I felt as light as air. I will confess…once the experiment ended, I fell into bad habits again, rushing out of bed, reviewing the day’s agenda in my head before sleep had fully dissipated, letting plans and deadlines wake me and spur me into action. But I am striving to get back fully on track, to take that much needed five minute break before the demands of life snatch that precious time away. And if I’m not successful at day’s start, then for sure on my mid-day break.

Join me now in listening to this beautiful song, “Let There be Peace on Earth” as sung by the Harlem Boys Choir.

Harlem Boys Choir Let There Be Peace on Earth

Marvelously Mature – Evelyn Palfrey

Jul12

Back in the ‘90s, author Evelyn Palfrey started a new thing. She wrote romance stories with lead characters who were “marvelously mature;” a term she crafted to describe her sheros and heros–adults in their fifties and sixties; some retired, some not; some with children who were “grown and gone,” some who were raising grandchildren, but all confronting love in their latter years, which made for plots that were unfathomable in the more traditional romance stories.

I read every one of Evelyn’s books and enjoyed them thoroughly. This spring when I learned she had a new release, I jumped online and downloaded my copy of Going Home. Like her other books, I devoured each page and when I reached the end, I was not happy about saying good-bye to the characters. I don’t write and post book reviews on every book I read but this one – yes. Because I want readers to learn about and read Evelyn’s works (if they haven’t already). And as we all know, in this cyber literary world, book reviews are important.

My brief comments about Going Home follow and if you want more information about Evelyn or her other works, click here.

2011BookCover[1]Going Home is a contemporary romance story set in Austin, Texas. The heroine, retired office worker, Thalia Allen specializes in taking in orphans—her granddaughter Mishay and a father/son combo, Joe Lambert and Kyobe, who ended up in Austin after Hurricane Katrina ran them out of New Orleans.

The story opens with a snapshot of Thalia and Mishay in their routine home/school/church/life activities; a routine that quickly alters when Thalia allows Joe and Kyobe to move into her home. Thus starts a slow, respectful buildup to romance and love between the adults while the two teenagers struggle with their own teenage issues:  school work, peer pressure, cliques, dating, violence, college, etc. Encapsulating all four story lines is the natural evolution into a family unit; an outcome that makes them all emotionally stronger, secure and happy. Just as the family is strengthening and everyone is settling into their natural place, Joe blows the family apart with an announcement:  he is returning to New Orleans to resume his life there. It’s a heartbreaker for Kyobe and Mishay, but especially for Thalia who has given Joe her heart and has come to rely on him. Joe moves back home and is in New Orleans for several months before he comes to the realization that his life, his happiness, his heart is not in New Orleans, but in Austin. Acknowledging this, he returns to Austin to immediate acceptance by everyone except Thalia. She maintains a hard line with him until he proves he’s there for good by asking her to be his wife. They reunite, the family reunites, and they all live forever in love.

Like most romance stories, this is not action-driven but character-driven. We see a satisfying arch of the major characters, including the teenagers. By the end of the story they are more expansive, changed and for the better. The storyline follows a logical line of progression with plot twists in appropriate places, valid emotional ups and downs, and realistic behavior. The settings and descriptions enhance the story and the pacing is appropriate for a romance story. Of course the ending worked. It is after all a romance and the boy always gets the girl.

A plus I think readers will enjoy is the cast of characters. There was enough diversity—from thievin’ thug to sassy, low self-esteem teen to independent contractor to retiree—to make me wonder how Thalia was going to make a family of this rag-tag bunch. I should have known love conquers all.

The one hole in the story was the missing conversation between grandmother and granddaughter regarding her sexual status after being on the road with a hormone-driven young male. I also did not care for so many church scenes but that’s just me and my personal reading preference.

I believe readers will enjoy this story. It is an intelligent read that can easily jump off fiction pages to represent real life.

The Ebola Crisis

Oct14

Pam Y. Fields

The Ebola Crisis is a good case that shows 1) how we are all interconnected and 2) why we should care for our brothers and sisters.

1. We can pretend that we don’t know what’s going on or what’s happening to our brothers and sisters but it will eventually present itself at our doors. Our media had mentioned only a little about the Ebola crisis in Africa before it made it to the US. However, even with that little bit, we could have still rallied forth to do something to help. I’m sure there were probably some groups and organizations that tried to do something to help but by and large, the US did little to help. Some probably felt like, ‘Oh, it’s over there. What does that have to do with me?” You can keep telling yourself that only up until the moment you are faced with it directly…

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Working Your Mission

Jun15

Some people call it purpose, others term it a calling. Lovenia and Evelyn call it a mission. These two ladies are the founders of Working Your Mission, an inspirational/motivational company that encourages people to identify their passion, purpose, calling, mission or whatever term you use to label it, and then work it until it becomes their livelihood.

This is a topic that is cradled in my heart. I feel very strongly about people stepping out of their comfort zone to embrace that for which they live and breathe. I talk about this in depth with Lovenia and Evelyn, and you can listen to our conversation by clicking on the Working Your Mission link.

If you have a mission that you’ve been thinking of shaping into a business, or if you need to be sustained as you work your mission, or if you just want to pick up some really wise words of instruction, then you’ll want to subscribe to Working Your Mission. Regardless, Lovenia, Evelyn and I are rooting for you. You can do it!

A big THANK YOU to Lovenia and Evelyn for the great conversation and for working their own mission. God bless you ladies!

The Literary Origins of Valentine’s Day

Feb13

Something new I learned.

Interesting Literature

Did Geoffrey Chaucer invent Valentine’s Day? Yes and no.

St Valentine’s Day has been marked in liturgical calendars for centuries. As a Christian feast day, Valentine’s Day actually commemorates two Saint Valentines: Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni. (The Catholic Encyclopedia even speaks of a third Saint Valentine, who was martyred in Africa, but little else is known about him.)

Chaucer1But Valentine’s Day only became associated with romantic love during the late fourteenth century, when Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343-1400), author of The Canterbury Tales, made the association in his poem ‘The Parlement of Foules’, written some time in the 1380s, possibly in 1382. The poem features a parliament, or assembly, of birds, which have gathered together in order to choose their mates. As Chaucer’s narrator remarks, ‘For this was on seynt Volantynys day / Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.’ However, several of Chaucer’s contemporaries also wrote poems…

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