APOOO

Friday Fill-Ins, July 3rd, 2009

APOOO — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:27:46 +0000

And…here we go!

1. When I heard _____ I _____. of his death; was reading Facebook updates.

2. _____ best medicine. Laughter (and a Long Island Iced Tea) is the

3. It’s late, but _____I still have tasks that need to be done.

4. _____ always. Love you…

5. My eyes have seen _____. somethings I didn’t want to see.

6. _____ strongly. I strongly suggest you leave a comment.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

Friday: Hanging out with Hubby

Saturday: Cookout

Sunday: Anything relaxing…continuing vacation!

Posted by Janet at 10:55 PM

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What the Bayou Saw by Patti Lacy

Jennifer Coissiere — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:47:47 +0000

Never before have I read a book on two controversial subjects that made me mad, sad, and depressed, while truly enjoying every page. What the Bayou Saw by Patti Lacy is a poignant story where the same crime happens to two different women. Can the secrets of two little girls, growing up during the times of segregation, really affect their adult lives? Exactly what is the bayou hiding and will anyone ever really know?

Sally Stevens, being a nurturing person, puts everything on the line to help one of her students over a tragedy. Sally has not been completely honest with the people around her, and now more than ever she will have to come clean in order to be there for Shamika Williams. Shamika, like Sally, has to choose how they will handle the bad cards that were dealt to them. For Sally, it has been quite a few years. But Shamika has the choice to either take the same path as Sally did years ago, or learn from her in making better choices. Will Sally be able to connect those things and people from her past? Will she succeed in making things right? And will Shamika learn from Sally?

The emotions of the characters were raw and I could feel them as I read. The characters and the plot were well-developed. The research that had to be done was extensive because certain details were so unrealistically real, and it could not come from Ms. Lacy’s imagination alone. What the Bayou Saw is not a fast-paced book, but it is a page turner. I recommend this book to everyone interested in reading something out of the ordinary.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

CLICK HERE to order a copy of What the Bayou Saw and to vote accordingly for Jennifer’s review.

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August 2009 Book Releases

APOOO — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:05:16 +0000

AUGUST 2009

Alibi by Teri Woods

Cornered by Brandon Massey

Deja Vu by Suzetta Perkins

God Ain’t Blind by Mary Monroe

My Sister’s Ex: A Novel by Cydney Rax

Not Guilty of Love by Pat Simmons

Proceed With Caution by Pat Tucker

Sins of the Father by Angela Benson

Somebody’s Sinning in My Bed by Pat G’Orge Walker

Thug Luvin’ by Wahida Clark

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Another Quarter Down, Time for Summer!

APOOO — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:02:18 +0000

Happy Summer Everyone!

Well the Second Quarter Reading Challenge is OVER. So, how did you do? Anyone read all the books on your list? Anyone read thirteen books but not necessarily the ones from your list? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Now onto the Third Quarter Reading Challenge. Since so many of you are participating in the 30 Books in 90 Days Challenge presented by Written Magazine, I thought it would be a good idea to forgo the APOOO Third Quarter Challenge in lieu of that (that and the fact that I’ve lost my reading mojo but I want to give others the option to continue…hope I find it by the time Fall rolls around.) They’re given away a nice prize if you’re in the Atlanta area…CLICK HERE for details.

Your turn…talk to me…let APOOO know how you did during the Second Quarter Reading Challenge and if you plan to participate in Written’s 30 Books in 90 Days Challenge…feel free to share your reading list as well.

Also…STAY TUNED…I will be giving away a few 2009 releases to participants. Book list coming soon.

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Capitalization by Shonell Bacon

APOOO — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:33:52 +0000

Becoming a Lifelong Learner of the Craft of Writing

By author, editor, educator Shōn Bacon aka ChickLitGurrl™

Capitalization

Yep.

Not only must you have a great story, but you also need to know capitalization rules.

And a whole mess of other things – some already discussed and some to come.

But alas…now, CAPITALIZATION.

What I want to provide you with are a few capitalization rules that are important to remember.

Some of these will sound SO obvious, but having been an editor for the last seven years, I can tell you…writers (including myself) often miss the most obvious of mistakes while rereading and revising their work.

So, without further ado, we should capitalize…

1. The first word of every sentence.

2. The first-person singular pronoun, I.

3. The first, last, and important words in a title. Important words are typically not articles, short prepositions, the “to” of an infinitive, and conjunctions. The title “Death At The Double Inkwell” – correctly capitalized? Nope. “At” is a preposition and “the” is an article; “Death at the Double Inkwell” would be correct.

4. Proper nouns.

Proper nouns represent unique entities (such as Paris, Mars or Calvin); whereas, common nouns describe a class of entities (such as city, planet or person).

I went to see my Doctor today.

Did you join the Military?

I used to date him in High School.

I need to talk to my Mother.

She was a Nurse at the Hospital where I gave birth.

See anything wrong with the above bold words? They are capitalized when they don’t have to be.

I see these types of errors a lot in manuscripts I edit. Why should these words be lowercased? Because they are not specific, because they are not unique entities; they are not proper nouns.

Doctor is generic, common; however, Doctor Bacon is not.

The Military is generic, common; however, the U.S. Army is not.

High School is generic, common; however, Catonsville High School is not.

Mother is generic, common, when you are merely referring to her (or an aunt, uncle, grandfather, grandmother, etc.) especially in a possessive way – like my mother or his grandfather; however, if you are calling your mother, naming your mother…Mother, then it’s not generic; it’s a name. For example: When Mother calls me, I pick up, never fail.

Nurse and Hospital are generic, common; however, seeing Nurse Jane at Memorial Hospital is not.

5. Brand names: Pepsi, Coca Cola, Ford.

6. The names of God, specific deities, religious figures, and holy books

God the Father

the Virgin Mary

the Bible

Moses

Shiva

Buddha

Zeus

Exception: Do not capitalize the non-specific use of the word “god.”

7. Titles preceding names, but not titles that follow names

Example: Mayor Darius Connor came to visit our college today.

Example: Darius Connor, mayor of Sunnytown, came to visit our college today.

8. Direction words (north, south, east, and west) should only be capitalized when they refer to a region or section of a country.

Examples:

The West offers great opportunities for careers in entertainment.

To get to Hammonds Diner, go east four blocks and make a left; it’s on the corner.

Do you have capitalization rules that will benefit other writers? Share them in the comments!

Thanks for checking me out @ The Write Life for You; come back next month – I’ll be talking about Punctuation.

ChickLitGurrl ~ signing out

Shōn

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Discussion Guide for View Park by Angela Winters

APOOO — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:08:22 +0000

View Park by Angela Winters

Discussion Questions

1. The tension between Steven and Carter exist throughout the book and has been there for a long time. Why? Is Carter’s choice not to work at Chase Beauty really the source of the conflict? Is Steven jealous of Carter? Is Carter purposefully trying to defy him? If yes, why and if not, why doesn’t he want to work at Chase Beauty?

2. Haley is more than just a spoiled debutante. Why is she so angry and whom is her anger really directed at? Why does she seem to go out of her way to not care about people? What impact does Janet’s enabling of her behavior have on her choices? Is she insecure or does she honestly not want to fall in love?

3. Carter and Michael are as close as brothers can be, yet they have an intense fight scene. Were they fighting over Carter’s contract with Avery or something else? How can they be best friends and competitors at the same time? Why does Michael feel threatened by Steven’s desire to include Carter in Chase Beauty?

4. Throughout the novel, Avery is conflicted with her growing attraction to Carter and her feelings for Alex. Before he cheated, she wanted to make things work with Alex. Was that out of strength and loyalty or was it out of fear and insecurity? If it hadn’t been for Alex’s cheating, would Avery have found another excuse to sleep with Carter?

5. The dynamics between Steven and Michael are exhibited in Michael’s desire to stay home to prove himself as well as the men’s encounter after Michael and Carter get into a fight in the living room. Why does Michael need to prove himself to a father who seems to have clearly chosen him as favorite son? After Michael says he plans to win a fight between him and Carter one day, why does Steven smile in approval one second and then put him down the next?

6. Race is rarely mentioned in View Park, with class being the major separation issue. What role does race place in the novel? What role has race played in the life of the Chase family and the Jackson family? What aspects of race did you think were missing from the book?

7. Is Janet Chase a good mother? Is her desire to keep Sean away from Haley or Leigh away from the clinic for selfish, hypocritical reasons or does she really think she is doing what is best for her children? Does she make Leigh feel compelled to please her? Why does she focus so much of her energy on her daughters and not her sons? What is at the core of her Valium use and what do you think this is leading to?

8. In View Park, the issue of class is prominent. The world that defines the Chase family is about wealth and social standing. How does their wealth and privilege play in their internal conflicts and dysfunctional relationships with each other? How does their status as larger than life characters to the black community affect their interactions with other people?

9. In the beginning of the story, we read that the Chases live like a family from Bel Air, Beverly Hills or Hollywood Hills, but do it in View Park, an affluent mostly black community. What was unique about View Park and other communities like Baldwin Hills being the setting and how did it enhance or take away from the story?

10. Chase family characters are purposefully larger than life and the situations they and the Jackson family members find themselves in are extraordinary. Despite your daily life, not including exploding salons or witnessing drug deals at sea, can you relate to any of these characters? Were their internal struggles similar to any you have had?

11. Did certain parts of the novel make you feel uncomfortable? Which parts and why did they make you feel that way? Do you see anything differently after examining what was behind your discomfort? How does their wealth and privilege play in their internal conflicts and dysfunctional relationships with each other? How does their status as larger than life characters to the black community affect their interactions with other people?

CLICK HERE to order a copy of View Park.

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Practicing What You Preach by Vanessa Griggs

APOOO — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:50:41 +0000

Practicing What You Preach by Vanessa Griggs

Discussion Questions

1. Melissa Anderson admitted to having problems saying no. What are your thoughts when it comes to things like that?

2. Do you believe Nae-nae was a true friend? Why or why not?

3. What were your views when it came to Marcus Peeples? Did those views change?

4. Discuss Melissa and Marcus’s first date as well as the Bible study lesson they attended.

5. What were your thoughts regarding Melissa’s reason for not dating Marcus?

6. Gayle Cane’s visit with her cousin Angela Gabriel brought with it quite a few revelations of secrets. Talk about those and what happened subsequently.

7. What were your thoughts about Sasha Peeples?

8. Discuss Marcus and Sasha’s relationship, both their younger and later years.

9. What did you think of Marcus’s interaction with his daughter Aaliyah?

10. What are your views when it comes to the social issues touched upon in this novel?

11. Discuss Angela’s meeting with Arletha Brown and the things that transpired later.

12. Do you believe Sasha was right to treat Marcus the way she did? Why or why not?

13. Discuss the teachings that address divorce. What were your views before? Did your views change? If so, why?

14. Marcus spoke about the spirit of Jezebel. Discuss your thoughts regarding Jezebel.

15. Marcus gave money to Sasha to purchase a piano. How did you feel about what happened, and her subsequent actions?

16. What are your feelings when it comes to child support payments? Do you believe if one doesn’t pay that he or she shouldn’t be able to see their child until that debt is paid?

17. What were your thoughts when it came to Tiffany and Darius Connors? Do you believe Melissa overstepped boundaries? Why or why not? What would you have done?

18. Discuss Arletha and her final revelation.

19. At the end, do you believe Marcus made the right decision? Why or why not?

CLICK HERE to order a copy of Practicing What You Preach.

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Let’s Get It On by Jill Nelson

Angelia Menchan — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:19 +0000

Let’s Get it On by Jill Nelson is the long-awaited sequel to Sexual Healing. LaShawanda Pierce, one of the owners of A Sister’s Spa, has just won a lawsuit and a considerable amount of money. Immediately she decides it is time to open another spa, but this time in a boat off Martha’s Vineyard. It is pretty easy to convince her partners, Acey Allen and Lydia Beaucoup. However, there is a problem. A Sister’s Spa is located in Las Vegas and provides sex for pay for women. On the other hand, sex for sale is illegal outside of Las Vegas. Of course, that will not stop the women from going forth. It will simply force them to become more savvy.

Let’s Get it On is filled with sex, sex and more sex. However, what I found most interesting were the back stories. One, in particular, is a political effort by the president to enact a program called, No Child, No Behind. The premise is that sex should be for procreation and not recreation, thus no child, no behind. Of course, that creates a problem for the proprietors of A Sister’s Spa. And while I found myself laughing out loud at the concept, I also found myself thinking about it. Ms. Nelson does a wonderful job of providing us with a fun, summer book that will make us think at the same time it entertains. I recommend Let’s Get It On to all who enjoy sexy, funny, well-written books with empowered women.

Angelia Vernon Menchan
APOOO BookClub

CLICK HERE to order a copy of Let’s Get It On and to vote accordingly for Angelia’s review.

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Hold Love Strong by Mathew Aaron Goodman

APOOO — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:50:44 +0000

Imagine sitting down listening to a friend describe their life growing up before you knew them. A life you did not know he lived. This is how you will feel when reading Hold Love Strong by Mathew Aaron Goodman. Abraham Singleton, the narrator, tells of his coming-of-age in the Ever Park Housing Project in Queens, New York. The author’s matter-of-fact, yet intimate, tone will grab you through poetic language as he unfolds the Singleton family story of love, hope, and just living day-to-day.

The story begins at Abraham’s birth on the bathroom floor to his 13 year-old mother and his grandmother naming him not for the president but “Like for the old man in the Bible that God said was gonna be the father of a great people as numerous as the stars.” The reader is guided by Abraham as time passes and the Singleton family confronts love, loss, drugs and incarceration and their individual turmoil. There is Angela, his mother, who once Abraham is beyond a young child needs to find a replacement for a child’s devotion; Aunt Rhonda, who believes that love will set her free but yet cannot commit to a relationship until she faces her inner fear; Uncle Roosevelt, as the oldest male understands the path for his family’s survival, but will the necessities of today defer that goal?; cousin Donnell whose behavior is both destructive and life saving, which behavior will lead to the family’s survival?; and grandmother, Gloria who keeps hope moving for her family yet refuses to give into hope for herself. Through these characters we watch Abraham mature and learn that life lessons are not always easy nor are they the ones we want to learn.

While most of the story progresses in a linear manner, there are times when Abraham speaks as an adult in the present time as if responding to a question from the listener/reader. These chapters are brief but rich in framing the story. When Abraham explains to his listener/reader what it was like living in Ever Park he says, “We breathed in dying and lived in dying as if dying and the baggage that came with dying were normal, like everywhere in the world…” How matter-of-a-fact some of us take our lives and what we will expect from life if we follow the rules. Reading Hold Love Strong will add to your understanding that rules can be followed but sometimes it is not necessarily the rules that will lead you to success.

I recommend this book to readers of literary fiction and street lit. Readers of literary fiction will enjoy the well-written story with well-developed characters and readers of street lit will enjoy the familiar story told slightly different but with the urban and drama elements.

Reviewed by Beverly
APOOO BookClub
June 14, 2009

CLICK HERE to order a copy of Hold Love Strong and to vote accordingly for Beverly’s review.

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Life is Too Short by Rambling Raven

Raven — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:35:36 +0000

Life Is Too Short by Rambling Raven

On June 25, 2009 the world of music was shaken to its core. Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, passed away from cardiac arrest at the age of 50. Michael was the top-selling recording artists of all time. Who on this earth has never heard a song from the album Thriller, or witness the dancing phenomenon known as the “moonwalk”? Aside from his sometimes troubled life, Michael Jackson will always be remembered as the greatest pop star of all time. May he rest in peace.

When I learned of Jackson’s death I was stunned. I was left breathless. I knew immediately that I wanted to in some way write about Michael in my blog this week. I could easily write a musical tribute. Since the world learned of Jackson’s death there have been many blogs dedicated to his life’s work. Instead, I want to focus a little on the very harsh lesson that Michael’s death is teaching the world, the very lesson that left such a pit in my stomach. The lesson that no matter who you are or what you do in life tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us.

We put off doing so much for ourselves. We put off going back to school, taking that dream vacation, getting into shape, resolving conflicts within our relationships, or simply writing that great American novel. We assume we have all the time in the world. Truth of the matter is that we don’t.

Life is too short to continue to procrastinate. I know for me there is a list of a million things that I want to do. So many things I keep pushing to the backburners of my life. The shameful fact is that I don’t have any real reasons as to why I keep pushing those things back. For example, I have always wanted to write a novel. And why haven’t I? The only excuse I keep telling myself and to others is that I never seem to have the time to dedicate to it. I keep promising myself that sometime in the near future I’ll do it. The truth of the matter is that time is ticking away and I let fears and doubts and the hum-drum of everyday living predict to me when I will finally put pen to paper.

Life is too short so we must seize the day. Live life as if everyday can be the last. Life is too precious to be taken for granted. Everyday I want to laugh, sing and dance. There certainly will be harsh and difficult things to deal with, everyone encounters them. The trick is to not let those things take away your pursuit of happiness or of a life well lived. In the end, no on wants a load of regrets. In the end, we want to leave behind a legacy of love, peace and happiness. Michael Jackson in so many ways was a tortured soul. Yet, he left the world with a catalogue of great music that will live on forever. Music that when heard will bring joy to many. I still remember where I was when I saw the video Billie Jean for the first time. I remember the smiles on the faces of those around me as we witnessed a legend in the making. Few people will ever leave an imprint on the world the way Michael Jackson did. However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t make our own world as pleasant as possible. So go ahead and take that cooking class, learn the tango, visit the Great Wall of China. Do whatever makes your heart content because when it is all said and done it isn’t so much about the quantity of life as it is about the quality. “Live it off the wall.”

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APOOO

Friday Fill-Ins, July 3rd, 2009

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What the Bayou Saw by Patti Lacy

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Another Quarter Down, Time for Summer!

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Capitalization by Shonell Bacon

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Discussion Guide for View Park by Angela Winters

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Practicing What You Preach by Vanessa Griggs

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Let’s Get It On by Jill Nelson

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Hold Love Strong by Mathew Aaron Goodman

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Life is Too Short by Rambling Raven

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