Colorism Healing 2020 Contest – I’m Humbled . . .

. . . to be one of the judges! 🙂 In 2018, I won 2nd place with my short-story-in-verse, "Souls Within" which centers on Jewel, a little black girl with albinism who desires for her classmates to truly see her. In between working from home, I've been relieving stress by squeezing in some writing and …

Diversity Illusionist Part 2: What Not to Write

Growing up, I watched Golden Girls with my family. We enjoyed Sophia Petrillo's sensibilities, her spunkiness, and her flashbacks that were framed with one of television's best quotes: With that said, let's picture a golden age of technology where people—young, old, rich, poor, (please insert whatever and whoever you are)—with a clickety-clack-click-clackety of their finicky fingertips …

Diversity Illusionist Part 1: Mirrors, Windows, and Other Worlds

First things first. I tried to be succinct! Epic Fail. Apologies! So, what started as a quick response, ended up being almost 2200 words. And then that rolled over into more. Part 2 will be available in a couple of days. ********* Earlier this month another blogger, Raimey Gallant, discussed a not so Happily-Ever-After episode …

A Poem a Day Series 2019 – Day 27

Song John Rollin Ridge, 1827 - 1867 I saw her once—her eye’s deep light Fell on my spirit’s deeper night, The only beam that e’er illumed Its shadows drear. The glance was slight, But oh, what softness it assumed! I saw her twice—her glance again Lit up its fire within my brain; My thoughts leaped up, like lightning …

The War of the Genres and Why Fantasy Writing isn’t for Everyone! (I Feel Your Pain, George R.R. Martin)!

I love reading all kinds of genres. Whether it be poems, song lyrics, autobiographies, recipes, etc. I'm not a picky reader. In this post, I'll discuss something few talk about. The War of the Genres! Publish America and the Hasty Generalization That Pissed Off the Science Fiction and Fantasy Community Almost twenty years ago, a …

Racism? You Don’t Say?

A discussion came up on Facebook regarding the apparent lack of diversity in publishing when Martha Boss, book blogger, educator, and model shared her opinion regarding the lack of diversity at book events. She explained that she had no desire to attend any literary events that didn't have authors from all walks of life. And …

Quotes to Write By – Day 24

Octavia Butler has been called the Queen of Sci-Fi and with the worlds, themes, and characters she has created and written about, the title is well-deserved. She unfortunately died on February 24, 2006. Due to the white male dominated world of science-fiction I had recently learned of her existence a few years ago. A few …

Quotes to Write By – Day 13 . . . with a BONUS!

I have two quotes today from two different authors: Daniel José Older and Ray Bradbury. From a superficial perspective, it appears that these men don't have much in common. However, both Older and Bradbury are exceptionally talented writers. Yes, are. Even though Ray Bradbury has died, his stories are still read and discussed today. For …

Quotes to Write By – Day 9

Today's quote comes from poet and author, Maya Angelou. When I was a little girl and won my first writing competition at the age of seven, I didn't think I could become a famous author or even published until I grew older and read books written by other people of color. In fact, I never …

Quotes to Write By – Day 8

Today's quote comes from my most recent accomplishment. I wrote my second picture book. My first picture book was called "Abigail and the Butterfly Masquerade." I've never submitted it and may self-publish it someday or submit it to a publishing house. This most recent attempt at writing a picture book was a lot of fun …