Positively Positive

(Author Bhatupe Mhango)

About the author
Bhatupe has a background in political education, gender mainstreaming and HIV management. She has worked with a number of international organizations, including UNDP and the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

In her home country, Malawi, Bhatupe was involved in the networking and management of various social groups at national level and served as the Chairperson for the Young Women Leaders` Network and as Vice President for Public Relations for the Lilongwe Toastmasters Club.

She also served, by presidential appointment, on the board of the Malawi Institute of Management. In 2004 she produced a personal documentary of her experience of living with HIV titled Open Up that was disseminated both nationally and internationally for the use of youth empowerment programs in the area of HIV.

In 2005 she founded a women`s non-governmental organization called The Crisis Center which offers telephone counseling services to local women. Today, Bhatupe is a competent Toastmaster and is currently working as the 1st International Coordinator of UN Plus, an advocacy initiative within the United Nations, based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Positively Positive, a devotional on overcoming the challenges of living with HIV for young, Christian women (Kachere Series, 2006) is Bhatupe`s first publication. She has knowingly been living with HIV for 7 years now and is now working on her first novel, ``To all my sisters``, due end 2009.




About the book

Positively Positive is Bhatupe`s first book. It is a devotional written for the reader`s use over a period of one month. It delves into complicated issues of self-esteem and personal motivation. It asks difficult questions about purpose and drive and prompts the reader into developing a life-plan and a renewal of mindset on sensitive issues, such as those posed by HIV and AIDS.


The author can be contacted at:
watupe@yahoo.com

Soulful Strut

(Author Lynn Emery)

About the author

Mix knowledge of voodoo, Louisiana politics and forensic social work with the dedication to write fiction while working each day as a clinical social worker, and you get a snapshot of author Lynn Emery.

Lynn has been a contributing consultant to the magazine Today's Black Woman for three articles about contemporary relationships between black men and women. Lynn is a licensed social worker with a special interest in mental health issues as they affect women, and in particular women of color.



About the book

New life, New love
Monette Victor spent 15 years in prison for a crime she didn't commit. Now she's free, and making up for stolen time. She's bared her soul in a best selling tell-all memoir, hosts a hit radio talk show, and has more speaking gigs than she knows what to do with. And she's counseling young black women at risk. Monette's suddenly the hottest sister in the city--and she's got no time for romance.

But here comes Jayson Odum, a self-made businessman and a sweet, black Adonis in overalls. It's all wrong and Monette knows it. His folks are the Huxtables, her's are pure, messed-up 'hood'. She's an ex-con, he's so clean he squeaks. Monette's had to stay tough to gain respect, and she can't afford any more mistakes in her life. But she's about to be blindsided by a big dose of bad trouble--and maybe driving Jayson away would be the worst mistake she ever made.

Learn more about Lynn and her novels at:
www.lynnemery.com

Hungry For It

(Author Fiona Zedde)

About the author


Fiona Zedde moved to the United States from Jamaica as a sweet, yet misunderstood, preteen. After spending a few years in Tampa and getting her undergraduate degree in Gender Studies and British and American Literature at New College of Florida, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she currently lives. At the moment, she is to quote a pithy bumper sticker "the artist currently known as starving" but she someday hopes to eat regular meals at the Ritz.

Her fiction has been published in various anthologies including Wicked: Sexy Tales of Legendary Lovers, Best Lesbian Erotica 2004 & 2007, and Iridescence: Sensuous Shades of Lesbian Erotica. Her erotic lesbian romance novels, Bliss, A Taste of Sin, Every Dark Desire and Hungry For It are available now in bookstores. The novellas, "Pure Pleasure," "Going Wild" and the soon-to-be-published "Sweat" appear in the collections, Satisfy Me, Satisfy Me Again, and Satisfy Me Tonight, respectively.




About the book

With good looks, limitless sex appeal, and the wealth and popularity that comes from owning the city's hottest jazz bar and restaurant, Remi Bouchard can have anyone she wants. Lately though, the allure of wild one-night stands and no-strings flings is starting to wear thin. Remi craves something more.

At her best friend's wedding, she looks across the crowd and finds exactly what she's been searching for an intense, soul-searing connection. But passion this deep has its dangers" especially when it means falling in love with the one person who should be off limits.

Raise the Red Teddy

Kobina Wright

About the author

Kobina Wright is many things, including the creator of the Hodaoa-Anibo language, but a by-stander, she is not! Whether you see her as a genius or something else, her work is sure to leave an impression on you.

Wright is a second generation Southern California native and attended the University of Georgia for two years before transferring to California State University, Fullerton, where she earned her BA in journalism, minoring in Afro-Ethnic Studies.

Performing on stage since the age of 5, Wright took to the arts of acting, singing and dancing early in her childhood and by the time she reached her mid-teens, she began taking her painting seriously. A portion of her painting titled "Dissonance" can be found on the cover of the first printing of second book titled "Growth Spurt." In her teens Wright also began studying choreography and in her third year of high school, co-founded the dance group "Ten Rows of Beans." Also in this year, with the help of her mother, Ernesta Wright, published her first book, a volume of poetry titled "Oh Yeah!" to help offset the cost of college expenses.

While attending the University of Georgia, Wright joined and performed with the dance group Pamoja. In Georgia, she had the opportunity to study modern dance and four years later, while attending California State University, Fullerton, founded the Likizo Dance Troupe, which performed for two years throughout Southern California, from Hollywood to San Diego. After graduating from CSUF, Wright published her second volume of poetry, " Growth Spurt" and worked as an assistant editor at Entrepreneur Press.

Pursuing her passion for acting, Wright attended the Gloria Gifford Conservatory for the Performing Arts for two years where she discovered that her training in acting made her a better writer. At the GGC, Wright performed scenes from plays such as "Laundry and Bourbon;" "The Dreamer Examines His Pillow;" "Cheaters;" and "Savage in Limbo." She also directed a reading of scenes from her screenplay titled, "Snapped Back." Her experience at the GGC was instrumental in preparing her for her roles in movies such as "Sunday Morning Stripper;" "Messed in the Head;" and her notable performance in the horror film, "Dark Town." Other stage productions include "Soon As I Get Home;" "The Storm is Over;" "Teachers are Human Too;" and "The Little Red Hen."

Wright has written for publications such as LACMA Magazine, The Daily Titan, and CYH Magazine. In 2004 she wrote her third volume of poetry titled, "Say It! Say Gen-o-cide!!" dedicated to the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. In 2003 Wright created the Hodaoa-Anibo language and in 2004 published the first edition Hodaoa-Anibo Dictionary.

"I've been told so many times to just pick one or two things and concentrate on being good at that, but I've started out with one" then two" then three " then four" now how can I go back to one? In my world, I get to do everything, or almost everything I want to do. It may slow my pace of progress a little, but it lays a good foundation for inspiration in all my artistic interests." Kobina says.



About the book

There are so many single mothers around making
the same dating mistakes over and over and over
again. So why are there no warning signs? Your
children may not come with a handbook, but a single
mother sure would benefit from some tried and true
guidelines.

Raise the Red Teddy explores the some
of the pitfalls of dating that non-mothers don't have
to take into account. It's a whole different world to
consider from when you should allow your children to
meet Mommy's new "friend" to dealing with their
rejection of your new beau.


More about Kobina Wright:
www.dramaticpause.net

The Ultimate Plan

(Author Nicole B. Simpson)

About the author

Elder Nicole B. Simpson is the host of "The Power of Gospel Radio Show" that airs each week on Wednesday afternoons and Sunday evenings. As the host of "The Power of Gospel" she is honored and excited when a visionary comes along with a life changing message for the world.

God has given her that same type of message through her new release "The Ultimate Plan" because she has weathered the storms in her life and grasped the opportunity that presented itself during her wilderness season by moving into ministry full time, opening her own financial planning firm (Harvest Wealth Financial) and promoting economic empowerment in the penal system, throughout the body of Christ and at schools/organizations across America.

Society has encountered natural disasters too numerous to count, untimely and unfortunate shootings across America, and major layoffs for any employees working in the corporate and manufacturing sector-clearly we must have a plan of action in place to deal with these issues. The book "The Ultimate Plan" is a faith based financial planning book that helps us to protect ourselves from events in life that will naturally occur. Elder Simpson believes that opportunity presents itself in the midst of every storm. The question becomes, can you recognize it? How do you handle the crisis in your life?



About the book

Opportunity presents itself in the midst of the storm! Even with the best laid out plans, life happens. People die, people lose jobs, people separate, people start over, and sometimes people lose everything.

What separates survivors is the belief that in spite of tragedy, one can survive the pressures of life. Having a life plan is critical. This workshop will teach people how to take the necessary steps to ensure financial stability during the different seasons, giving them greatest opportunity to move forward in life.

Blackberries, Blackberries

Blackberries,Blackberries

(Author Crystal Wilkinson)

About the author

Crystal Wilkinson's short stories have been described as story poems". She is the author of two books, Blackberries, Blackberries (2000) and Water Street (2002), both published by Toby Press. Water Street was a long-list finalist for the prestigious Orange Prize and short-listed for a Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation Legacy Award in fiction. Blackberries, Blackberries was named Best Debut Fiction by Today's Librarian magazine.

She has been published in the anthologies Confronting Appalachian Stereotypes: Back Talk from an American Region (University of Kentucky Press, 1999); Gifts from Our Grandmothers (Crown Publishers, 2000); and Gumbo: Stories by Black Writers (Doubleday, Harlem Moon Press, 2002). Her work has also appeared in various literary journals, including Obsidian II: Black Literature in Review, Southern Exposure, The Briar Cliff Review, LIT, Calyx, African Voices and the Indiana Review.

She is a faculty member in Spalding University's low-residency MFA writing program and is currently serving as visiting professor and writer in residence for Morehead State University. Wilkinson was the 2002 recipient of the Chaffin Award for Appalachian Literature and is a member of a Lexington-based writing collective, The Affrilachian Poets.

About the book

An enchanting, haunting collection of stories by Crystal Wilkinson, a self-described Black, country girl and poet from rural Kentucky. The stories explore the joys and pain of the women of "Affrilachia", and will touch the reader profoundly.

Love Thy Neighbor

Love Thy Neighbor

(Author Quientola Eicher)

About the author

Author, Quientola Eicher is an industrious woman who recently retired from Thoracic Cardiovascular Institute as a specialist. She is an active member of a dynamic church.

She sings in the choir and serves on the audio ministry. She is also a bible scholar in the foundational bible study class. She enjoys writing poems and reading books. She lived in Lansing, Michigan for 15 years and recently moved to Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband.

About the book

Olivia is a woman that has lived alone for fifteen years after escaping from a disturbing past, and she has established a good life serving God faithfully. She has a good job and a nice home. On her way to work one day, she witnesses an accident and stops to help a stranger. This changes her orderly way of life completely.

The young woman she rescues, Shantell, has a young son and she is dying of leukemia. Shantell needs a bone marrow transplant, the only one that can help her is her father, but she is running out of time.

In Shantell's desperation, she disappears for a few weeks, leaving Olivia to care for her son, before she realizes she needs help. When she returns to claim her son, Olivia receives her reluctantly into her home. Together they learn to trust one another and live together like a mother and daughter.

In Shantell's quest to find her father, she unexpectedly lands a job at a Christian radio station working alongside a young man she suspects may be her half-brother. He has the same last name as her father. He informs her through her indirect inquisitiveness that his father is the bishop of Mt. Zion church.

Shantell established a friendship with him, but he finds out by accident that she may be related to him. He thinks she is trying to blackmail his father and doesn't want to have anything to do with her until she is almost sexually assaulted by another co-worker. He comes to her aid and they establish a bond between them.
Olivia is in search of a new church because of her dissatisfaction with her former pastor's decision to get a divorce. Shantell convinces Olivia to try Mt. Zion. They are both overwhelmed but quite pleased with this new church, and Olivia finds herself attracted to Bishop Perry, a widower.

Olivia's past catches up with her, forcing her to face lies and deception concerning a crime she did not commit. She is left wondering if she is worthy to be a bishop's wife.Shantell is confounded on how to let Bishop Perry know that she is his daughter and needs his help. She stalls in telling him, convinced that she would ruin his reputation, until she is on her death bed.

Olivia steps in to help her young friend, by asking the bishop to be a donor for Shantell. He agrees to do it, still unaware that Shantell is his daughter, but first he has to go out of town for an engagement to be a guest speaker on a well known talk show. The airplane that he was presumed to be on, crashes, but Olivia finds out he was not on the plane.

At the last minute, when all hope seems lost, Bishop Perry is able to make it in time to donate the bone marrow tissue to his daughter and it is a match.
Olivia is able to put her past behind her and look to the future as a new bride.

You, Me and He

You, Me and He

(Author Brooke Green)

About the author

Although she has always toyed with the idea of writing a novel, Brooke Green's first novel You, Me and He began after a discussion with a few co-workers. She posed the question, "What if a woman found her man in a compromising position with another man but, stays with him anyway?". After hearing so many relationship stories of women deciding to run for the hills' after discovering the man in their lives were on the down-low', Brooke wondered about the women who've decided to stay.

I know there are just as many women who stay in these relationships but, they don't' speak out about it, she says. Whether it be for love, just the comfort in knowing they have a man, financial reasons or maybe they just don't care. A lot of women do stay and, I want to explore the trials and tribulations in these relationships.

You, Me and He delves into the lives of two couples as they deal with the consequences of living a lie.

Brooke Green is a Manager at a large telecommunications company and the founder of Full Circle Publishing. She currently resides in Philadelphia with her two daughters, Nadira and Gabrielle, and is hard at work on her next two novels, one of which is the sequel to You, Me and He.

About the book

You've heard the stories of women throwing in the towel after learning their men are on the down low . You, Me, and He takes a look at what happens when the women choose to stay while dealing with issues of trust, honesty, disease and the betrayal of those closest to them.

Donna believes she has found her ideal man in Keith Reed. He's smart, handsome and, most importantly, financially stable. But, there is one catch, he's bisexual. Donna decides to stand by her man after making him promise to be faithful to her and only her. Fearful of starting a new relationship in the age of the down low man, Donna feels it is the smart thing to do. In her eyes, there is no guessing about Keith's sexuality, she knows exactly who and what he is.

Keith Reed is the kind of man most women dream of marrying. And, he has found the perfect woman in Donna who is willing to stay with him despite his sexuality. Keith's world is shaken when his past is set to be exposed to the world. To top it off, he must contend with Jarrod, his former college roommate, who is relentless in attaining his goal of having Keith to himself.

Brooke would love to get your feedback at

www.myspace.com/malikasomone
Fullcirclebooks1@aol.com
BrookeGreen76@aol.com.

House of Falling Women

(Author Rosemary E. Ekosso, The Netherlands)

About the author

Rosemary E. Ekosso is a Cameroonian translator and court interpreter. She lives and works in the Netherlands.




About the book

House of Falling Women is the story of a young woman with quixotic ideas about improving the lot of women who finds out that that the crusader's cloak is an uncomfortable one.

Martha Elive, armed with a university education and a substantial legacy from a Dutchwoman she meets while studying abroad on a scholarship, decides to create an institute for the empowerment of women, only to find that the contradictions to be resolved are more firmly anchored in her psyche than elsewhere. In addition to her unexorcised ghosts and the legacies of a chequered love life, she has to contend with recalcitrant public opinion and moral inertia, the opposition of old-guard reactionaries, and the incomprehension of her small-town parents.

House of Falling Women is a poignant, often hilarious story of the search by a group of women for a new place in society in a world where women are dissatisfied with the old values and bewildered by the new.

Sojourner's Dream

(Author Angeline Bandon-Bibum)

About the author

Angeline Bandon-Bibum is the author of Sojourner's Dream, a novel (ISBN: 0977758605). Angeline is a wife and mother of three children who lives in Montgomery County, Maryland.

She is also a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C. Sojourner's Dream is her first novel.


About the book

Sojourner's Dream is a romantic story of Sojourner Brown, a shy grad student, and Joseph Kalisa, a debonair DC lawyer. Sojourner's Dream was published by Bandon Press in 2006. Cover design was created by Deborah Hopping and cover illustration by Lashaun Beal and Interior design by Lisa Jeter.

More about Angeline Bandon-Bibum:

www.authorsden.com/msangelinebandonbibum

www.angelinebandonbibum.blogspot.com/

www.sojournersdreamanovel.blogspot.com/

www.sojournersdreamlamentationsofawarrior.blogspot.com/