The Writer's Megaphone shouts out author Roxie H.

"How Far Would You Go For The Ring?"

I remember the scene in "The Color Purple" where the character Ms. Sofia gets married to Harpo.  After they were pronounced husband and wife, rather than kiss her husband, Sofia turns to her family and friends and says, "I's married now!"  Back then, and has it has been for generations afterwards, the goal for some women has been to get married and have some children.  For some, it was simply to get married.

Forward wind to the present and you'll find that the idea of marriage may have fallen by the wayside and what's in it's place is simple co-habitation.  Terms like "wifey" have become commonplace and the idea of traditional marriage is something that may be in the cards for some, but instead of it being in the immediate plans of the couple, it is pushed to the back...so far back that it may not be reached at all.

In "How Far Would You Go For The Ring?" author Roxie H. pushes the envelope and takes you into the sad world of a woman who lacked so much self-esteem that she was willing to endure anything to ensure that she came first in her man's life.  She didn't even seem to be worried about fidelity...just as long as the man came home to her.  I had to ask the author some questions that would help me understand the mindset of a woman that would allow so much to be done to her, while simultaneously inflicting her own set of pain in the wake of the poor choices she has made.

JLW:  You mentioned that there was an non-fictional element to your character Candice.  Would you care to elaborate?

RH:  Yes, I am Candice. I lived the life of a woman who endured the abuse, betrayal and manipulation for the sake of loving a man. My self-esteem and self worth was the lowest it has ever been in my life. I lived and breathed what ever my ex wanted from me. I sacrificed my being to one day aspire to be his wife.

Author Roxie H. (Left Side)

JLW:  Having walked in Candice's shoes (at least to a certain degree), what advice would you give to women that currently face the same situation as Candice?

RH:  Some women invest many years in a relationship with a man feeling a sense of obligation that she should be the one they marry.  He will not get better after you become his wife.  Love yourself as hard as you love him and in doing so, you will see your value.  The continued cheating, verbal and financial abuse is not worth the ring.

Really, what value does the ring have when you are crying every night?  You are humiliated amongst your friends and family because they know he is a cheat, liar, beater and manipulator.  Most women who have read my book come back and tell me they could identify themselves in some part of Candice’s life.  They don’t want to be a Candice and they don’t want to love a Champ.  It is easier to recognize bad decisions and choices in others besides ourselves.

I wrote the book in the hopes that women will see just how much we abuse ourselves in loving these types of men.  Begin to love and respect yourself and others will have to do the same.  It starts with your ladies.  You are worthy to be loved; not used.

 

JLW:  So now that you've written your first book, what is in next for Roxie H?

RH:  I enjoy writing. I am currently writing my sophomore novel, "Sitting on the Pew". Also I am working on the sequel to How Far Will You Go For the Ring?  My readers want to know what happens next for Candice.  I am a motivational and public speaker. I plan to continue to tell my story and give words of encouragement to women. I speak about knowing your worth and empowering women.

JLW:   How hard was it for you to transition yourself into the literary world and what advice would you give new authors?

RH:  It is hard to get into the literary world. You need a mentor to assist you with the process. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to travel the journey through typing the first word to your book to holding the finished book in your hand. Invest in a good editor. It is the most expensive service to get your book to print. It is also the most important one.

JLW:  If there was one thing that you could change in the literary industry, what would it be?

RH: It is my belief writers are under paid professionals. I would change the compensation for the professionals in the literary industry. 

To learn more about author Roxie H., please visit her website listed below:

http://www.iamroxieh.com/

~ J.L. Whitehead

My Best Friend by J.L. Whitehead

The rain falls in gentle pellets, tapping my window pane.

It reminds me of you - echoing in my heart how lonely I am.

The place across the room where you used to sit is painfully empty,

Who knew that losing something so precious could reverberate a quiet so loudly?

I remember running on the beach with you,

riding up the coast with the wind tossing you in glee.

You had a perpetual smile, encased in deep brown eyes;

and I knew that you loved me unconditionally.

I could always count on you, knowing you had my back,

which is why I cared for you as deeply as I did.

Not a day went by when I didn't say, 'I love you.'

And you didn't have to say a word because they were said through eyes so deep...

eyes that truly saw me.

Sometimes I can still hear the patter of your feet.

And my heart breaks all over again because you aren't really here.

And as the rain continues to fall from darkened skies,

I think how someone could hit you, then leave you.

How could someone take away my best friend,

and shatter my world without a backward glance?

I buried you with saddened eyes and tear-stained cheeks,

with your favorite toy - your favorite blanket - your favorite collar.

~ J.L. Whitehead

The Writer's Megaphone shouts out author Andre Carter

At any given time, you can go into any bookstore in the country and find a book that is designed to help you to be a better you.  These books, commonly known as self-help or advice books are presented with the intention of providing direction to someone who may need directing...helping them to achieve a sense of peace and self-accomplishment that may allude them in everyday living.  I've read some of these books, implemented some of their strategies; and admittedly some of the advice paid off while others fell flat.  Men don't normally read self-help books (at least not in broad daylight) because it goes against the nature of a man.  To admit that he needs help or guidance in any given situation lends credence to him perhaps not being strong enough to handle his business.

Maybe that is part of the problem with men all along.  We don't know when to reach out for help when we need it.  We have to be strong two-four-seven, not show any signs of weakness even when circumstances may put us in the position where we may have to.

Author Andre Carter has written a book that will hopefully address issues that face men on an everyday basis.  His book entitled, "The Man-ual" was written with the intention of opening the eys of men across the country to help us to be better at what we should already be...and that is leaders, husbands, fathers, nurturers and providers.

JLW:  Would you tell the readership about your book and how you hope it will impact our community?

AC:  The Man-ual is a book designed to alleviate the average mistakes made in common relationships.  By alleviating those mistakes in relationships that occur, you can expect a lower divorce rate, a lower rate of childhood pregnancies and a lower high school drop out rate due to broken homes.  The Man-ual will teach men how to bring back the spark that earned their mate's attention and affections.

JLW: Who is your intended target audience and why?

AC:  My target audience is men; married and single.

JLW:   In your opinion, what is the one thing that is hurting our community respectively, and what would you suggest as a means to change it?

AC:  Education and the lack of it is what is hurting our community.  Children having children hurt our community.  A child doesn't know how to be an adult because they haven't been one.  Yet they are stuck with making adult decisions when it comes to raising a child.  If you decided to go back to school, would you want your teacher to be a child?  Children teaching children is the on going vicious cycle in our black communities.  The disease is called Teen Pregnancy.  The cure is The Man-ual...The Relationship Manual Created Just For Men.  The Man-ual provides men with the education needed to make smarter choices when choosing a mate.  Therefore, relationships last longer. The percentage of divorce and broken homes drop.  With both parents in the home raising the children, there should be a drop in teen pregnancy as well as a drop in the high school drop out rate.
   

JLW:  What possessed you to write a book such as this?

AC:  I wrote The Man-ual...The Relationship Manual Created Just For Men because I, myself have made a lot of relationship mistakes and thought that I should pass on what I learned from my experiences.  Knowledge is to be shared, not hidden.

JLW:   What other projects do you have in the works?

AC:  "Say No To Less Than 7 Figures In Real Estate" is my next book.  This book will train real estate agents to be successful from their first year in business.

Author Andre Carter

To find out more about Mr. Carter and his work, check out the contact information below:




www.facebook.com/Thera.P.4.Free

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DYTR0VQ - Book link for Kindle

www.createspace.com/4224877 - Soft Cover Book Link

Mr. Andre Carter (Author)

(516) 457-7946

Click Here To Purchase My Book "The Man-ual"

"Blurred Lines" by J.L. Whitehead

You were all legs and deep brown eyes

Chocolate skin so inviting that if I were a room away, I could taste you.

Your braids cascaded over your shoulders like a midnight waterfall,

and as I looked at my pale hands, I thought, "She could never want me."

"They would never understand," I thought to myself

"I know my family." I looked in the mirror, my eyes slightly upturned.

But when you're near me, I melt like butter on a pavement in July.

I want to kiss your lips, hold your hand, and gaze into eyes the color of the sky,

and forget for a moment what my Asian parents have taught me.

Lying on my back, looking up at the ceiling with a slight smile painted on my lips...

I loved you deeply, bringing you to the brink of tears.

You wrapped yourself around me with raven hair flowing over my pillows.

Supple butter almond skin so soft, pressed tightly against rigid midnight muscle,

until I burst into you for the third time, lost in a flurry of Latin words.

My father fixed my veil, and then folded me into his arms.

Strands of my flaming red hair caressed my cheek, and I can't stop crying.

Lines that had separated us - compartmentalizing us into neighborhoods have been blurred.

Now I only see you, my African King, who will love and cherish me.

Loving all past hurts away, successfully blurring lines.

 

J.L. Whitehead

Written July 17 and 18, 2013

Healing the racial divide

I've always been the type of person that could see the best in people.  Sometimes, I couldn't help but see the worse in them...especially when they make it easy to see.  I don't know where or when I adopted the ideology that all people were created equal and that there was no need for racial hatred or bigotry.  A part of me believes that this was taught to me by my mother.  Another part of me believes that this was something that I just adopted into my persona because the idea simply worked for me.
Every few years, like clockwork, you can anticipate that a situation will come to light that will have many people standing beside water coolers across the country talking; perhaps taking a stance on how they feel as either African American or European American people.  And the one thing that I come away with each and every time is that the racial divide is at times so deep and entrenched in American culture, I seriously doubt if it can ever be truly eradicated.

Perhaps one thing that can lead towards healing the divide that runs so deep in our society is to understand what it's like to be a part of the race that you don't understand.  Of course, it may help if you have the desire to truly want to understand what it really feels like to be black or white in America today as well as what it was like to exist in either race years ago.  There's a saying that in order to know where you are going, you have to understand where you came from.  It's knowing your history inside and out that will keep you from making the same mistakes that others before you have made.

Many people understand the history of blacks and whites without comprehending the emotional aspect of how it is for anyone that falls outside of their scope of living.  Being black didn't just mean that you used to live in the ghetto or was regarded as a second class citizen just like being white didn't translate to being regarded as a part of an affluent group of people, although it really depends on who you speak to.

The history of Black America as we see it is steeped in repression, subjugation and discrimination.  This is not distorting reality; it is a fact.  As a result, you have many African Americans that have been directly or indirectly impacted by these realities that still occur within our society although not as overt as it did just 30 years ago.  Some people would want to put the ugliness of that history in the past and leave it there with the reasoning that we can't heal or move forward until that very thing has been done.  But the problem with that thought process is that the history has not been addressed.  Dismissing it doesn't erase the pain that is still present in the hearts of many African Americans.  We feel that pain in everything that we do...from finding a job, to finding suitable housing to having equal opportunities to excel in the workplace.

On the other side of the coin are the liberal Americans who did not go through the darker sections of the history of this country.  They believe that everything is great and don't understand why blacks are holding onto past injustices.  After all, strides have been made.  Attitudes have changed.  There are more African Americans appearing in boardrooms across the country and there is no lack of black images flooding our televisions, magazines and newspapers.  To those liberal people, we may appear ungrateful for the opportunities that are afforded us now that wasn't available to our mothers and fathers.  And those same liberals may be tired of hearing about the injustices that have been inflicted on African Americans in the past.

Read this article in its entirety on CNN iREPORTS:

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1011827?fb_action_ids=10200392983214318&fb_action_types=cnn-social%3Aupload&fb_ref=og_ireport&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

In my opinion...

I am not going to regurgitate the emotions of a considerable portion of this country on what some of us believe should have happened to George Zimmerman.  In my opinion, many of us formed our opinion long before the jury came back with their verdict.

I do believe that Mr. Zimmerman was in fear of his life.  But he was in fear of his life because a young man felt threatened...threatened enough to put his hands up and defend himself.  Unfortunately, it cost him his life.  I believe that Mr. Zimmerman didn't expect for this young man to get the best of him and I also believe that he thought he had the situation in control because he was armed...something that he technically shouldn't have been given the circumstance.

We can say that this is about race, but after letting my emotions calm down just a bit, I realize that this isn't as much about race as it is about someone who took the law into his own hands.  He exercised poor judgement...very poor judgement.  Enough poor judgement that exacerbates the fact that he had no business carrying a gun in the first place.

Right now, I just want to send up prayers for the Martin family.  I also want to send up prayers for George Zimmerman.  You see, only he knows why he acted the way he did.  We don't despite what we want to believe.  And only he will have to live with that...not us.

He will remember that fateful night for the rest of his life.  I also pray that we find peace around this.  I pray that we teach our sons how the world really is and how we have to carry ourselves...and that is with pride and dignity.  Arrogance isn't desired nor required.

Hatred has never spawned anything except more hatred, and at some point, it has to end.

That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.

~ J.L. Whitehead

The Writer's Megaphone shouts out author Lee Wilson

Introducing author Lee Wilson

Recently, I made the cognizant decision to step outside of my comfort zone when it comes to books that I review.  As a result, I've opened myself up to reading books that I wouldn't ordinarily pick up as my personal choice of reading material.  I can read a book objectively and ask some pertinent questions of the author that would help me make a good decision on how I review the work.  Who did the author write the book for?  Who was his/her intended audience and did they capture that audience?  Just because an author writes in a genre that you don't personally subscribe to doesn't mean that you can't be objective.

Allow me to introduce you to author Lee Wilson.  His genre is seems to be the paranormal which is a subject that I've come to know intimately.  His brief bio is as follows:

"Lee Wilson authored the best-selling novel, "The Last Hybrid: Bloodline of Angels" which was based on a dream he had as a teenager about a man who was half angel and half human. Lee is also an actor from films and television shows in addition to having spoken at the Pepperdine University Lectureships in Malibu, California.  Lee has also ghost written for celebrities and authors in magazines and books. If you would've told him in high school that he'd grow up to be an author, he probably would've laughed at you."

Author Lee Wilson

 Rather than do the traditional Q&A, I allowed Mr. Wilson to tell me about himself; and this is what he had to say:

"I wanted to play in the NBA when I was a kid. That was my dream. To this day, it hurts me to watch a basketball game. When it was clear that I wouldn't be NBA material because I wasn't six foot eight, I transitioned into my old standby, which has now become my love in the sports world, golf.

I'm fascinated by space and "alternative history." If you're not familiar with alternative history, what I mean by that is that with the pyramids of Egypt for example, a lot of archaeologists no longer believe the Egyptians built them. To do the things that the pyramids do, such as point directly to the stars in Orion's Belt and pointing true north, an advanced GPS system would have been required. There are many other details that suggest there was an advanced society and that most of those people were wiped out leading the world to begin again with technology. That stuff fascinates me!

"I smell a book before I decide if I want to read it. Each book seems to have its own smell. 

"When I'm writing I listen to music and enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine (the drink needs to be dark and have lots of character). I love dogs...when they're bathed regularly. LOL. 

"I believe that writing for novels should be smooth and natural and shouldn't explain too much. The characters should reveal themselves by their actions and not by the writer sharing too many of their thoughts because that's now how real life works. I'm an obsessive self-editor. Seriously, I need help!"

I've never cared about race, genre or gender.  To me, it's about a writers talent.  I hope one day to read Mr. Lee's work and provide constructive feedback.
 

To learn more about author Lee Wilson, check out  his Amazon page at the web address below:

http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Wilson/e/B003ZMRFTE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1373674785&sr=1-2-ent

~ J.L. Whitehead

The Writer's Megaphone shouts out author Richard Charlton Pharris Jones

One of the reasons why I created The Writer's Megaphone was to shine a light on talent where a light may not readily be made to shine.  One of the things that I've come to know about this industry is that there are so many talented people out there and each one deserves a shot at having their work recognized by their peers.  Everyone wants to have their time in the sun; or more succinctly put, their fifteen minutes of fame.  I try to give it to you in the only way I know how.  This is something that I enjoy doing...almost as much as I like to write reviews.  It especially does my heart good to give a well-deserved good one.  Now admittedly, I'm putting myself out there.  I want my own fifteen minutes of fame.  And I know that it will come.  In fact, it's already coming to me in more ways than I can imagine.

So with all of that being said, I want to shine a light on an author who has allowed me the privilege of showcasing his work on this site.  Richard Charlton Pharris Jones writes about mystery with characters that are not considered mainstream.  Gay or bi-sexuality isn't the norm even though it is in the real world, but his subject matter from what I can see gives credence to characters that can be mainstream if indeed society is ready for that.  I have not read his books...at least not yet, but I look forward to the day when I will.

Author Richard Charlton Pharris Jones

I gave him a brief Q&A and from what I can tell, he was completely honest in his responses.  See for yourself:

JLW:  What have been some of the greatest struggles that you've encountered since you've entered the literary industry?

RCPJ:   One particular struggle that I've encountered since entering the literary industry is that most publishers want street fiction or urban lit. I wouldn't say that it's the greatest struggle because it's not how I want my work viewed. I think my books thus far, Two of Hearts and TRI, have more emotional depth, the stories are certainly one-of-a-kind love triangles (Two of hearts explores polyamory) and TRI involves brother / sister fraternal twins who become romantically / sexually involved with the same man), and my characters are not drug dealers / users, pimps, or vengeful women. I suppose there is a fan base for street lit / urban fiction, but I don't think many realize that the stories are basically the same premise and the publishers are churning them out with little to no editing. Admittedly, I am not a fan of ghetto fiction or street literature. I think with the advent of rap videos, you basically see the same thing ad nauseum, and from the few books of either genre, I read the same the over and over, and basically, some people did it better, where others have failed miserably. I guess if it gets people to reading, fine, but I think it limits them to that one genre instead of introducing them to Chester Himes, August Wilson, Virginia Woolf, Edgar Allen Poe. I think readers ought to expand their libraries. They are missing so much.

JLW:   What motivates you and why?

RCPJ:  I'm motivated every day to learn and write and read. That's what sets me apart from other writers or authors. I'm constantly reading everything from the LA Times to Soap Opera Digest to the local weekly magazines to biographies and true crime fiction. I had an English teacher once tell me to read everything that interests you and then read everything that doesn't. It will make you a better writer. I've never been motivated by money, so I'm strictly an artist in the sense who is motivated by what my readers' enjoy. I'm motivated to bring up those behind me as a mentor because I've had some people in my life who've taught me what I know and I'll always be appreciative for what they've taught me. I'm motivated every day to be the person God created me to be...loving, creative, and as uncensored as I can be without hurting anyone's feelings!




JLW:  Name three things that no one knows about you that you don't mind revealing in this forum.

RCPJ:  Three things that no one knows about me that I don't mind revealing: I'm pretty much an open book with those whom I allow close to me. I love collecting black male super hero action figures, that I love to read and travel and that I'm opinionated. I suppose one thing I could reveal is that I'm a voyeur. Standing in the background and not intruding, you can learn so much by examining the dynamics between people. I like to look at how they physically, as well as verbally, communicate with one another. The second thing I will reveal is that I am really a hopeful romantic, despite my dismal relationship track record. Before I become too set in my ways, I think it would be great to enter into a long-term relationship that's encouraging, supportive, creative, and passionate. My last significant relationship was in 1997, and that lasted all of six months, I just turned 46 so I'm way over due for some good lovin'! Thirdly, anyone will tell you I'm attracted to intelligence first and foremost, as well as a sense of humor. It doesn't take much to impress, not that anyone should go out their way, but put some effort into being who God created you to be. 

JLW:  Why did you select the genre that you write in?

RCPJ:  Without preaching to the choir, I just may add some depth to a character who may be bi-sexual, or may be infected with HIV or Aids. It's not the sum total of who they are, but it certainly helps the reader to understand why these characters do what they do. I give them shades of gray so as not to surprise the reader at the end with a plot twist. I try to lay the groundwork either emotionally or physically. I also look at sibling and parental relationships and how they inform a character's present state of mind. There may be some unresolved issues that can drive plenty of story. The type of stories and characters I write are organically created. I see a situation and think to myself, romantic triangles have been done to death in film, television, and books, always two guys and a girl, two women and a dude, but never have seen a brother and sister act involved with the same guy as I wrote about in my 2nd novel TRI! I thought it was an interesting twist on an old formula. With Inanna, I reached back to the Greek tragedies. She was essentially a victim of her own hubris, and consequently, that leads to an unspeakable tragedy. Unfortunately, it causes turmoil with her fraternal twin brother and the man they both share! Also, I don't think I went out of my way to choose this particular genre, as I incorporate some heightened drama (soap opera-ish), true crime elements, as well as erotica into my novels. Most of the books I've reviewed over the years has this 'woe is me' feel to it and I'm quite sure most people cannot relate. They can relate to an all-consuming passion, they can relate to loving someone they know is totally wrong for them, they can relate to feeling unworthy to someone who is deemed too beautiful to approach, and they can relate to those demons (drugs / alcohol / low self-esteem) that drives even the most sane individuals into doing the most insane things in the name of love.

JLW:  What is next for Richard Charlton Pharris Jones?

RCPJ:  Grad is certainly next on Richard Charlton Pharris Jones' agenda, as well as editing his third novel, King of Hearts, a sequel to his first novel, Two of Hearts, which is told from the obsessive stalker's point-of-view, and writing his fourth novel, Pretty Boyz, which involves a clique of male erotic dancers who garners the unwanted attention of a possible serial killer in Los Angeles, and expanding his travel roster to Spain and Switzerland. 




So there you have it.  Here is an author that isn't afraid to push the envelope and give you something different.  I hope to have the opportunity to review his work.

Best of luck to you Mr. Pharris Jones.  Although I believe that luck will have nothing to do with your success!

~ J.L. Whitehead