Teganjaz Books Presents... Author, Tracy L. Darity

What if there was no God…no scriptures to quote…no well intended words of encouragement…and no catchy sayings. What if there was no God because He decided we could be the comforter, the healer, the provider, the answer to each other’s needs. What if it was just us, standing face-to-face with people just like us, who have real problems, and need real help…and that help could only come from us?

Whether you or I want to admit it, people with real problems come and go in our lives all day everyday and all we offer is words that can never measure up to the actions that we can produce. We constantly talk about a God who can do all things but never consider our role in getting it done.

Someone could need a hug just to know what it feels like to be touched, because they haven’t felt alive in months, but we’d rather say “God is a comforter.”

School is now out for winter break and the family that relied on free breakfast and lunches as a source for food, must now figure out how to make it through the next two weeks. We hear these stories on the news and say “God please make a way.” Yet, we haven’t donated one can good to a church or other organization.

The car belonging to someone you know has been sitting on the side of the road for days. You learn the car is out of gas. Instead of giving them a few dollars so they can, at the very least get the car home, we chose to shake our head and say a half-hearted prayer like, “God I hope they get some gas before they get towed.”

You haven’t seen the lights on in your neighbors’ house in a week, and come to think of it, that was the same day the guy from the power company was turning off your street as you were returning home. So you start checking to see if a light comes on after the sun goes down, and mumble, “Lord I hope their lights aren’t off,” instead of going over to see if there is anything you can do to help.

Someone you know has been out of work for over a year, their background is in Information Technology; you know your company has an opening in the mailroom stuffing envelopes. Rather than make the suggestion you just say, “Something will come-up soon, just trust God.”

Someone you know hasn’t been feeling well lately. Truth is, money is tight and they can’t afford all of their medications each month. The canned response, “God is a deliverer,” as you wonder why they haven’t looked into getting help from some of the programs out there.

I’ve long believed that when people are going through whatever they are going through, the last thing they want to hear is words. No matter how well-intended, encouraging, of heart-felt they may be. Even if we’ve gone through something similar and survived, our experience is not their experience, and our pain is not their pain. When someone opens up to us and share their problems they want to hear that we care and that we may have a suggestion or answer that can help. Otherwise, they never would have opened up to us. Oftentimes, if we just stopped long enough and set our own priorities to the side, and really listened, we’d know that we could do a little more.

So the next time you want to say, “God answers prayers…will make a way…can do all things,” or the next time you want to tell someone, “It’s not that bad, you still have this or that,” why not go beyond the convenience of words, and ask yourself if you hold the answer to the problem. Yes, God is all the things we say He is, but the world can’t experience His goodness if we aren’t willing to be the vessels He uses to work His miracles in the lives of others.

Merry Christmas and Much Love,

Tracy

www.TracyLDarity.com

Some call it paying it forward. Someone does a good deed for you and in return you do a good deed for someone else. Paying it forward or reciprocity (you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours) is a simple concept but one we don't see in action as often as we should. In the world of writing, it is a simplistic approach to marketing that is free and if used wisely could make a huge difference to many independent authors, yet it's an opportunity that is overlooked all the time.

John Locke, a marketing guru was the first self-published author to sell one million ebooks on Amazon.com, and at the time of his accomplishment was only one of eight to lay claim to such a feat. Locke did not sell one million books because he is a great author, or because he writes phenomenal books. He sold one million books because he devised a plan in which he enlisted people (family, friends, Facebook buddies, Twitter followers, bloggers, etc) to help promote his work. In addition to writing multiple books, and selling them for .99 cents, his most important and beneficial task was to get people to share, like, and forward whatever he posted on his various social media accounts. It's really simple math, get 100 people to each share with 100 people, and then get all of those people to share with everyone they know. Once people started downloading the books he encouraged them to rate his books, and write reviews. It didn't matter if they liked the books or not, just write the review, and he would do the rest.

So what does that have to do with reciprocity? Just imagine if there were other indie authors--and there were--joining in his efforts, and once Locke was successful he in turn rewarded those authors by assisting them in their own marketing campaigns. Now you have numerous authors reaching levels of success that they otherwise would not have reached had they not made a conscious decision to assist Locke in proving a relative unknown author could be equally successful as a best-selling author with a powerhouse publishing company backing him or her with unlimited marketing dollars.

Why do I believe most African American authors lack the understanding of the power of reciprocity when it comes to marketing their work? I see it everyday on various social media sites. Authors rarely give each other praise, recommend each others work, or share information they come across that may help someone else. But what really prompted me to write this blog is one scenario in particular. I have a friend on Facebook by the name of Faydra Deon. She wears many hats but among other things, Faydra is an author and also the African American History columnist for the Examiner.com. Recently she decided to host a feature in her column entitled Fresh Faces in Black Books.  Her goal is to feature 100 new and up-and-coming black authors. I thought it was a great idea and decided to sign on.

Now in my mind, if 100 authors are featured, each story should have 100 likes, 100 shares, 100 tweets, 100 comments, etc, at the bare minimum;even if all the authors have not been featured yet. But with the first 9 or so authors/books posted, and almost 70 authors signed-up to participate, I find it disheartening that Faydra's time and effort to put this together is seemingly going by the wayside. It's as if the authors do not understand that they must make the most of every opportunity presented to them. What is the point of being featured in a blog, or on a website, if you aren't going to let people know the information is out there? And if the author being featured isn't trying to garner interest for their story then what motivates the others to support that person? More important, why should Faydra continue to pour her time, talent, and efforts into assisting authors gain notoriety if they are not going to make use of this free service and awesome platform?

We authors must learn the importance of paying it forward and the give and take of reciprocity. We need to shed the attitude of “I’m not helping him or her because she isn’t helping me,” and “If I tell someone about her book they may not buy mine.” Readers are looking for books and many want to give indie authors a chance, but they need to know we are out here. I know some of you are saying, “Well if I haven’t read a book I’m not going to recommend it.” Sharing a blog, interview, or article about a fellow author doesn’t mean you’re recommending their work; it’s a selfless act that shows you’re willing to share the stage with someone else. It’s like being at a party and introducing the person you just met to your friends...who knows where or how far that introduction could go.

DISCLAIMER: I did not write this blog for, or on behalf of Faydra Deon. I only used her project as an example, but I do encourage you to check-out the interviews and support the authors if you are so inclined.

Much Love,

Tracy

www.TracyLDarity.com

When I first read that Tyler Perry was casting Kim Kardashian in his upcoming movie, The Marriage Counselor, I mumbled "wow" as I clicked on the link for the next story. Okay, I'll be honest; I didn't read the story just the headline, because in all actuality it didn't interest me. I have only filled a seat in a theatre showing a Tyler Perry film, two, possibly three times. I find that I am less critical of his work when I catch it on television, even if it is a year or two later. I don't even know if Kim K. will be playing a major role or just a cameo appearance.

What caught my attention is various responses to a letter I am assuming Perry sent to his fan base or published on a website, perhaps. Each letter to Mr. Perry pretty much is a vent fest, to which I give the thought...the biggest statement you can make, is by not showing up at the theatres.

Today, while checking my emails I came across the following open letter to Perry. I believe it is very well written and articulates what a lot of Perry fans and critics may be thinking when it comes to his decision to cast Kardashian.

From Huffington Post Black Voices. 11/17/11

Dear Tyler Perry,

I have never been concerned with gaining favor with celebrities or undeservedly denigrating one's work. I have always prided myself on putting my community first, even when doing so has been unpopular and frankly unappreciated by members of that same community.

So understand that my letter to you is on principle... not personal animus. This comes not from someone who is a fan of "this" or "that" person, but a fan of the community of African Americans. It comes first in all I do.

The problem I personally have with your letter , Mr. Perry, which offered insight into your decision-making process in casting Kim Kardashian, is that it seeks to weave a disingenuous narrative. You seem to suggest that the sum total story of redemption to be told in Tyler Perry's The Marriage Counselor holds more weight than the nature of its components.

Untrue.

The issue isn't whether K.K. is appropriate or whether you, Mr. Perry, have the right to create as you see fit. Nobody is deluded here. Nothing is going to change from my letter, neither your mind nor your movie. Nevertheless, some things need to be said and placed on the record because the truth doesn't change either and isn't subject to interpretation. Meaning, the issue I have is that your letter to your fans was an attempt to spin the casting of Kim Kardashian into some higher calling.

That can not pass without a truth check. Again, this isn't personal, just a matter of principle.

Some people are angry with you because Kim Kardashian receives too much attention as a Black man's pin up. Some are angry with you because she is not an actress by any stretch of the imagination. Others are displeased that given your high profile movies, an African-American actress in the role means more to your core fan base who made "Tyler Perry" a household name, than fans you may gain by crossing over and dipping into the reality TV punch bowl. And let's be honest, many are disturbed that given your kinda-sorta-Christian-themed-message-movies, you are further rewarding an individual whose original claim to fame was a sex tape.

For all who criticize you on this issue, it has to do with some of that. For some, it is all of that. Inevitably, the distaste for Kim Kardashian amongst many African-American women (your core fan base) is real, not imagined. Take considerable care in the underestimation of their angst and the strength of their collective memory.

A common theme in all of your movies is the story of redemption. Even the worst of the worst are worthy of second chances.

Agreed.

But Mr. Perry, you can't really argue telling the STORY of redemption through use of a promotion vehicle (Kardashian) who presently lives and thrives on irredeemable Real Life behavior. I'd rather see a sermon in real life, than one acted out on the silver screen. People who live their creed affect more lives than ones who act it out for a paycheck. If you want to truly reach the followers of K.K., seek to change K.K., don't give her a movie role and then claim you are doing your fans (and her fans) a quasi-Christian favor by doing so. I think we all understand the economics and business strategy here. There is no need to further convolute the issue.

Truth check: Spiritual discernment still trumps spin and specious argumentation.

K.K. wasn't an actress who "made a mistake" and who now is being granted a second chance. It's a "mistake" to even characterize her as an actress. Her claim to fame is the mistake.

And here you are further rewarding it. Truth check.

If your fans are angry with you (and they are); let's be truthful and honest about the realities of their anger. Let's not minimize, trivialize or bastardize the nature of their grievances. It's not that they didn't "hear you out" or "jumped to conclusions." You've insulted their intelligence by suggesting their anger was misdirected or misinformed in the first place.

Your company is yours to run as you see fit, your brand to build as you choose. Your success thus far is inarguable. None of the aforementioned ensure though that your judgment is infallible. Don't glue chicken feathers on a chinchilla Saturday night and then try to sell it at KFC as part of a two-piece and biscuit Sunday morning. Don't insult the collective intelligence of the African-American film community.

You've now tied your brand to Kim Kardashian and must now carry all of the baggage that comes with her. The question is not and was not ever whether your loyal fans understood "why" you chose Kim Kardashian. The question is and continues to be whether you understood what it means to align yourself with Kim Kardashian.

Respectfully,

Morris W. O'Kelly

Morris W. O'Kelly (Mo'Kelly) is a political correspondent for the BBC Radio and Television networks and author of the syndicated column The Mo'Kelly Report. For more Mo'Kelly, go to his site. Mo'Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com and welcomes all commentary.

Follow Morris W. O'Kelly on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mrmokelly

Perry's Letter: http://www.tylerperry.com/messages/kim-kardashian-marriage-counselor/

Dear Mr. President,

The other day someone was talking on one of the many shows where people do nothing but, well, talk—and the discussion centered around what you needed to do to regain the support and confidence of your black voters, because without them you would not be re-elected in 2012.  Okay, they may be on to something because last poll I saw your popularity is hovering around 39%.

I watch the news and read the paper, keeping up with all the wars, famine, economic troubles, unemployment, possibility of a double recession, and it’s just maddening. Seriously, what can ONE man do to fix all of this mess? Then I visit various blogs, websites, Facebook, and Twitter, and people just don’t seem to care. So I got to thinking, what motivates people, really gets them upset, outraged, and ready to answer the call to action. I mean there has to be something that gets their blood boiling and their fists pumping…RIGHT?

Just today there is talk about civil unrest in Israel, Syria, and Libya, and my community is lackadaisical and awfully silent, so maybe this is just too far removed for them to feel a need to care. So I turned my focus to Africa where millions are starving due to widespread famine. The worst hit is war-torn Somalia where mothers are facing the unthinkable decision of which child will live. And Haiti, still trying to rebuild from a devastating earthquake 18 months ago…still I hear Crickets.

Slowly I move from international news to national news to see if I can hear a buzz of some sort. No not about Jay-Z popping champagne bottles to the tune of $250,000, or the rumors that Kim K’s wedding this weekend costs an estimated $10 million. I’m talking, the Dow opening today, and quickly dropping over 500 points. New weekly unemployment claims rising above 400,000, just a week after falling to below 395,000. The postal service considering 120,000 job cuts, while employees for Verizon are striking in a fight against the telecommunications giant attempts to pass unreasonable benefit costs on to them as they struggle to make ends meet in this economic downturn….CRICKETS, still.

With some 14 million Americans out of work, corporations reeling in multi-billion dollar profits—but not hiring, a move to end unions spreading across the nation, the drastic cuts to social services for the poor and in-need starting to surface; surely those who would be affected the most are ready to revolt…yet, CRICKETS.

Oh my, did I leave out education, I apologize, my kids are done but I still must care for future generations to come…schools are reopening around the country and the graduation rate for black students remains appalling. Cuts to education, penalties against teachers for ill-prepared children who perform poorly, and no repercussions for parents who are not doing their part to ensure their kids succeed…and CRICKETS!

So what is it that I think it will take to re-energize the black voter and get them fighting mad? Truly, it isn’t rocket science, just a quaint little observation I’ve made following trending topics. So here it is, ARE YOU READY?

President Obama, I think if you want to see the black community get upset, outraged, and ready to do battle; you're going to need a Republican, but preferably a member of the Tea-Party to make some sort of negative comment about Tyler Perry, maybe him portraying Alex Cross in the upcoming James Patterson flick I, ALEX—or better yet, Lion’s Gate decision to give Perry his own network; and then follow it up with criticism about the movie “The Help.” Then and only then will we see some movement on the political front. But you’re going to have to act fast and seize the moment because if those chicks from VH-1 realize that you’re getting more attention than them, there may be a SITUATION of epic proportions that may include referring to the first lady as a b@it%h, huge anti-Obama flag earrings, water splashing, glass tossing, and the biggest WMD of all time…T-SHIRT'S declaring you, our beloved president, a non-MF’ing FACTOR!   IJS

Much Love, 

Tracy

Tracy L. Darity is the author of He Loves Me He Loves Me Not! and Love…Like Snow In Florida on a Hot Summer Day. Her third novel, The Red Bear Society, is scheduled for a fall 2011 release. For additional information on the author and her work, visit www.TracyLDarity.com

 Print on Demand (POD) companies have done what traditional Vanity Presses could not; they have capitalized on the hopes and dreams of aspiring writer’s and cut deep into the profits of the big publishing houses. One would think what they have devised is a great business model, but what if I tell you that model is flawed and the demand for POD companies has exceeded their ability to keep up?

 First, I’d like to ask users of POD providers if they have a clue as to where their manuscript file is at this very moment. Do you know if your POD is out-sourcing your print orders to other printers? Who is handing distribution of your books? And to my eBook authors, do you know if someone else is selling your eBooks and making all the profit?

I recently had a conversation with a representative at the company I use to print my books. The conversation came about after I became engaged in a discussion in one for their community forums. My journey to the forum started simple enough. I offer my debut novel in hardcover format. One day I was on Amazon.com and noticed that someone was selling my hardcover book for $29.95. This was interesting to me for several reasons. One, due to the high cost of generating hardcover books the POD company does not offer distribution services for it, nor does Amazon sell them. As a matter of fact, the POD no longer offer hardcover books as an option for new titles. Two, it was my understanding that only I could order copies of my hardcover version, which is priced at $29.95 for set-up purposes only. So the question arose, how was someone able to sell my hardcover as new, when they should not have access to it.

In light of this discovery, I decided to create a sellers account on Amazon and sell the books myself, at the price of $19.95, which is the cost if you order it from my website. Within minutes of being notified that my account was approved and my hardcover was available for sale, I logged into Amazon only to find that the other seller had reduced their price to $15.95. This interested me even more because one, how did they know to out-price me so quickly, and at this price, the seller would not make much profit, if any, on the book based on the POD assumed cost to print it. Prior to this incident with my hardcover I had already become concerned, even suspicious about my book sales; so much so that I had contacted the POD prior, about missing royalties. The packaged response was to provide the date, price, and location of the sales and they would research.

On the day I visited the community forum, I wanted to see if there were any topics about royalties, but what I discovered was someone asking about resellers on Amazon.com. I joined the discussion and added my two cents about my hardcover. The following day I logged into my email account and was shocked by the number of replies coming from the discussion. In a nutshell, this is what people were discussing:

• Resellers were selling copies of books, and because they are listing them as used, the author would never see a royalty.

• If the reseller actually had new copies, where were they getting them from and was the author being compensated.

• There was huge concern as to who these resellers are and how they are getting so many “used” copies of books written by little to unknown authors.

• Alleged buyers communicating to authors they had purchased their books but the author never seeing royalties for the sales.

• Concern that buyers were complaining about the quality and format of books, to the point that the author felt obligated to replace the book.

I decided to re-enter the discussion and share some specific instances I had experienced, i.e. meeting a book club president at an out-of-town signing and having her say that her club had featured my book a few months earlier; noting that the local library had stocked my books at several locations; and other random discussions from people who had contacted me via Facebook, email, and my website to say they had purchased my book(s) and shared their thoughts. Even a sale that showed up the first week on Amazon’s new BookScan reports was never materialized (my royalty through Amazon is different than sales from a distributor). I expressed that these instances bothered me because 95% of my book sales to-date are hand-to-hand sales, or from my website where I encourage people to buy from.

Once I did this, a slew of responses came from a couple of moderators of the forums bashing me for being gullible, ignorant to the royalty payment guidelines, and expressing that people lie to make authors feel better about their books. It was at this point that a company representative stepped in. The following day I received the call from a company representative. And this is where my own bubble burst.

Print on Demand companies is in way over their heads. Although the on-line agreement has a clause indicating they can allow any third party to assist with fulfillment, the truth is only books I order are fulfilled by them. It appears all other orders i.e. a physical bookstore or on-line seller; the book is most likely printed by a third party source. It is then up to that TPS to notify the POD that they have generated a book. There are two huge problems with this arrangement: 1) if the company printing the book never notifies the original POD, the author will never get paid because there are no checks and balances currently in place to track the activity. 2) The printer, at their discretion, can alter the format of the book. By alter, they can change the physical size, reduce the font size, use a poorer quality paper, or choose not to coat the cover.

As our discussion went on, nearly every issue raised in the forum made more sense. When asked what could be done to stop this, I was advised that I could turn-off the option to have my book offered through their Expanded Distribution Service. This would mean my book could not be ordered anywhere but Amazon and my personal website. Essentially, with the EDS the book can be made available to anyone claiming to be a book seller, but if the distributor has a deal with another printer to print the book for less, then there is a chance I will never get compensated for the sale. Remember the resellers from Amazon, who claim to have multiple copies of “used” books, well the truth is they don’t. If a buyer orders one of their books they figure out a way to get it printed, which may or may not be through the POD I am contracted with. Even more frightening is that Amazon could very well be that reseller since it is a fact that they contact buyers to get books back for this purpose. As it turns out, two weeks earlier someone had ordered a book through Barnes & Noble on-line, and I had not seen the royalty show-up in reports. The rep was able to track the book down, and I was compensated for it. But only because I knew the date, location, etc of the sale.

On several occasions I have been contacted via email by overseas printers offering to manufacture my books for less than my POD. In the past I simply sent the emails to Spam. Now I am wondering if these people really have my file and can generate my books, which is a whole other ballgame. This could also explain why some authors are willing to take this route.

Back to my hardcover, I explained to the exec that the seller indicated the book was new. I explained to her that I carry a small inventory of my hardcover copies solely for people who prefer that option. In addition, every hardcover I have sold or given away has been autographed. Plus, complimentary books are stamped as such. She offered to order the book from the seller, inspect it, and then mail it to me. She received the book about a week later, brand new, with no autograph. She contacted the seller who informed her that he/she received the book in a box of miscellaneous books that were donated to him/her. Since that was the only copy, they will no longer be offering my books for sale. The fallacy in this, months earlier, the POD announced they were changing how hardcover books would be generated, truth is they are now printed by an outside source. How convenient.

It would be easy to say that I should simply find another POD, but based on the conversation they are all working under the same model because no one expected the number of self-publishers, or for the numbers to grow so quickly. Furthermore, the short list of names provided as possible printers, believe it or not, is their top competitors. Really, if I wanted these people printing my books I would have contracted with them. This seemed like the biggest violation of all considering I chose this company after shopping around and deciding they produce the best quality books with better per book pricing. Knowing that someone else is presenting my work in a lesser quality is even more disheartening than knowing my books may be selling at various outlets and I’m not being compensated. If you have a copy of one of my books, turn to the last page and see if there is a barcode. If not, your book was not printed by the company I contracted with, and has not been registered on Bookscan, the service that tracks a large amount of book sales.

Now to my eBook authors, don’t think for one second that your book is safe and secure on Kindle, Nook, or other devices. Just do your research and you will find that eBook files are easily being converted to .txt files and then reformatted and resold for profit. In some cases, people are reloading the files to Kindle and selling them under their name. (Click here) It is also floating around cyberspace that some authors who only published eBooks are having their work mysteriously popping up on sites for sale as physical print books. If piracy happened in the music industry, and then the movie industry, it is surely taking place in the publishing industry. Bottom line, once that file leaves your hands, it basically becomes a free-for-all for anyone looking to make a quick buck.

Tracy L. Darity is the author of He Loves me He Loves Me Not! and Love…Like Snow In Florida on a Hot Summer Day. For more information visit: www.TracyLDarity.com.

Something is seriously wrong in the city where I live and it has nothing to do with the beautiful sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico; the near perfect weather where the sun is said to shine at least 360 days a year; or the fact that for every person you meet you are probably connected to them by at least 3 other people. No, when I speak about something being wrong, I am talking about the lack of black culture being celebrated in a city that celebrates everything.

There use to be a time when St. Petersburg, Florida, was considered the retirement capitol, but things have changed and we are experiencing a lot of growth and a lot of energy, particularly in the cultural arts. Yet, on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, at a tree-lined park, just blocks from downtown—and a block from Tropicana Field where the Tampa Bay Rays, our major league baseball team was scheduled to play later in the day--the 19th annual Juneteenth Festival took place. Juneteenth of St. Petersburg, Inc., the organization that took over the festival five years ago did a great job in providing entertainment, recreation, and a wide variety of vendors offering something for everyone. The only thing missing were citizens of St. Petersburg, and many of the tourists in the area for summer vacation.

Does that last sentence sound familiar, if so, it’s probably because you read it in my blog about the 1st annual James Weldon Johnson Festival? What is really going on in our city? If it were a matter of certain people not supporting the event because it celebrates a part of our history that makes them uncomfortable, or because it was held in “South St. Pete,” which is code word for the “black” part of town; I could easily scream racism. But what perplexes me is what I see not only at Juneteenth but many events organized by, and used to celebrate, our culture—we, the people being celebrated don’t even bother to show up. I go to festivals and various events within the city and most are well attended, some to the tune of ten’s of thousand’s of people over the course of a 3-day weekend. But the only event in our city that matches those numbers for an event that celebrates who we are; are those held over the Martin Luther King, Jr Day, weekend.

Two women stopped at my booth during the Juneteenth event and asked me where the “black” part of town was. They were visiting from out of state and staying at a hotel downtown. After breakfast they started walking, which was how they stumbled upon the festival. (No, there was no literature or marketing material at the hotel, and the concierge service didn’t suggest it as something they should do while in town.) I really didn’t know how to take the question. I am all about diversity, so the fact that tourist couldn’t identify a part of town as being designated for a group of people, is good—right. But on the other hand, it begs the question; do ethnic groups lose their identity when their city becomes a melting pot? Or, is it that we need designated areas as a reminder that we in fact, have a culture that should be celebrated. After I gave them the coordinates of the plot of land known as Midtown, they looked saddened to learn that the park we were in and the festival taking place was actually in the black community. I can only wonder if they were thinking the same as me, what is wrong with this picture.

This thing that I speak of seems to be engrained deeper into our community than we may like to believe. Earlier this year Goliath Davis, a top city official, and black man, was fired from his position. He called a midday press conference and two hundred people showed up to hear what he had to say. Yet, a few weeks later the James Weldon Johnson Festival was held at the same location, to celebrate the legacy of the man who composed “Lift Every Voice.” Aside from the vendors and staff only a small fraction of that number attended. We encourage our children to develop their talents and strive to be successful, but when it comes time to present them to the world the community support is not there and we ask why. Events like Juneteenth is the place to showcase their talent. It is a collaborative effort and we must all show up and support what is important as much and as often as possible. 

Perhaps the focus of our community is simply misplaced and as a result our culture is being ignored and slowly fading from existence. Maybe other people see our lack or interest and participation in things that should be important to us, and think; why should they care if we don’t care. Or maybe there is something buried deep in our City’s history that is manifesting itself and making us think we have nothing to celebrate. Whatever the reason, we need to figure it out and move beyond it. We have a rich history and a bright future. St. Petersburg is birthing so much talent in various spectrums but our contribution is failing to thrive because it’s not being supported by our community. If we aren’t willing to collectively shout from the rooftop that we’re here and have something to contribute to this city, then we can’t complain as we are systematically washed from the landscape.

Much Love,

Tracy

Tracy L. Darity is the author of He Loves Me He Loves Me Not! and Love…Like Snow In Florida on a Hot Summer Day. For more information, visit www.TracyLDarity.com.

When words fail me in my writing, I look for a song that I can relate to what I am trying to convey in the story.  The following excerpt from Love...Like Snow In Florida on a Hot Summer Day was inspired by the song You Are, by R & B artist, Kem.

Tuesday, after LaDamien returns from New York, we take off to spend the day together. Surprisingly, he is not trying to get me into bed but suggests we do something adventurous like ride the Pinellas Trail.

The trail extends thirty plus miles from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs and is expected to be almost fifty miles in length once completed. It began as the vision of a father who lost his son when he was killed while riding his bicycle. Coupled with the county’s concern over unused railroad tracks from the CSX railway system that stretch from city to city throughout the area, the Pinellas Trail was formed.

We decide to travel to Walsingham Park, some twenty miles, have lunch, and return. After our plans are made, I reluctantly remind LaDamien that he did not buy me a new bike as promised. We have made short bike trips to Fort Desoto Beach, and through downtown, but my bicycle is not for long trips. His deep sigh resonates through the phone line and I regret saying anything. Lately, whenever it comes to spending money on me, LaDamien seems reserved and almost agitated at the notion. I do not know if he thinks I am trying to use him or if things are not going well with the business. If I could handle the trip on my outdated Huffy, I would but it would be torture. LaDamien asks me how much money I have to put towards a new bike. “A hundred at the most,” I replied and he says he will call me back.

An hour later he arrives at my house with a rented bicycle and tells me if I like it and don’t complain too much during the ride, he will buy me one in a few weeks when he has some money. “The funeral and travel expenses have drained me and I really need to cutback on my spending,” he adds. The rented bike will be fine and I will save for my own if we decide to do this more often.

It takes us nearly two hours to make the trek to Walsingham Park. We make stops along the way so I can rest and catch my breath but nothing more than five minutes. Before reaching the park we stop at a Subway sandwich shop and purchase a sandwich and chips. We make another stop at 7-eleven to buy water and sodas. Finally, we reach the park and it is beautiful. LaDamien lets me know he wants to ride the parks trail before settling down, so I follow him as we take in the beauty of our peaceful surroundings. I can’t think of any park in our area that can compare but LaDamien quickly points out Fort Desoto. “But that is the beach.” He chuckles before clarifying that it is still considered a park. So I let him have that one.

We finally park the bikes and settle near the lake. Pulling out a bed sheet from my backpack and spreading it on the ground, we take a seat, unwrap our sub and each take half. Although LaDamien stated he wanted Doritos and not potato chips he has his hand in my bag. We chat as we eat our meal and once done we discard of the trash and head back to the sheet. It is so serene I can feel myself drifting off. LaDamien pats my leg. “Don’t fall asleep on me, we have to get back home remember.” I do remember and I am questioning myself as to why I agreed to this. I say to him, “Why don’t you go back and get the car and come get me,” he laughs.

LaDamien scoots closer to me. He is sitting up and I am stretched out on my stomach. “Do you love me Mya?” he asks.

“Of course.” Then he asks me why I don’t say it often. I tell him I thought I said it all the time and if I say it too much it may begin to lose its meaning. He disagrees letting me know he wants to hear it everyday. When I think about it, LaDamien tells me all the time that he loves me. So much so, that at times I wonder if he’s trying to convince himself.

“I did a lot of thinking in New York,” he begins. “Death can come at any time. We’re living this life right now that isn’t good for me and has to be hell for you. I just don’t know what I would do if I lost you before I had the chance to truly know you in the way I want to get to know you.” He is running his hand down my back.

I turn on my side and look up into his eyes that have started to water. He is in a serious zone. “My life has been so different since I met you Mya. I knew I would love you but never thought it would be so intense. I think of you all the time, when I wake-up I want you next to me; and when I come home in the evenings I want it to be you waiting for me.” He grimaces as if in pain so I reach for him. He takes my hand into his and continues.

“I don’t know how much longer I can stay with Kim knowing how I feel about you. I just wish I knew without a doubt that you felt the same way. All I need to know is that you love me as much as I love you.” He places my open hand to his lips and kisses my palms. I come up and meet his lips. We kiss passionately for minutes, as if we will cease to exist if we let go. I do love LaDamien and how he can question that love is beyond me since I thought I showed him in everything I do.

We finally separate and he looks to me for my reassurance so I pull out my MP3 player and search for a song. He is growing impatient. The song I am looking for comes up and I hand him the earphones. “I listened to this song a hundred times last night. This has to be the most beautiful love song I have ever heard. If a man ever felt this way about me I would feel so special, so loved, and I would know without a doubt that our love would be forever.” I say this as he adjusts the earphones and I press play. He listens intently as Kem crone’s the words to You Are. When the song ends he hands me the earphones. “Kem, huh, so you’re hooked now? I never paid much attention to this track. What does it mean to you?” he asks.

“It means that I love you. That you are so much a part of me that I no longer know how to exist without you.”

The intensity of his stare continues and he responds, “If I died today my body wouldn’t be cold before you found someone else.” He chuckles half-heartedly his eyes begging for me to counter this thought.

“That’s not true,” I say in a defensive tone. “If you were to die I would want to lie down and die too. Why do you question my love for you this way?” I hear the words I have just said but I don’t know where they came from. Nor have I ever said anything like this to anyone before. But then again, I have never loved anyone as much as I love LaDamien and hope I never will again.

He looks pleased with my admission but still his eyes hold a hint of unbelief. We stare into each others eyes for what feels like minutes. LaDamien blinks first, and smiles that brilliant smile I love so much. I reach for the MP3 player at the same time he reaches for the earplugs. “Put it on repeat,” he says. “I want to hear this song over and over again, and Mya, you are everything in this song and more. If something happened to you, I would die too.” He kisses my forehead and pulls me closer as he lays back and props his head on his bag. We lay in each others arms, LaDamien listening to Kem’s definition of a love so intense, yet innocent and pure; and I am enjoying the sounds of the park and flow of the lake. We drift off into a melancholy sleep but are awaken by the presence of someone standing over us.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to startle you,” the white woman, in hippie gear begins. “My name is Agnes, and my hobby is taking pictures of people in their natural state.” She hands us her card along with a small form. I look at the form and it is quite simple, it has a place for the date, location, and time, which have been completed already, and a place to write-in an email address where she can send us the photo’s she has taken. LaDamien looks scared, maybe even terrified. He is not buying her story but I believe she is sincere. I jot down my email address and give it back to her. Agnes sees the concern on LaDamien’s face and ensures him she is not a private eye or some other sinister character. She just loves seeing people in love and does her best to capture the moment. “You two are a beautiful couple. I hope the pictures turn out great and you can one day share them with your grandchildren.” She checks the paper I have handed to her and places it in a small pouch. Agnes says goodbye and moves on to a mother and child further down who are poking a stick in the water as if examining some creature for signs of life.

When Agnes is out of hearing distance, LaDamien asks if I believe her. I ask why not. He reminds me that he is married and it would not be beneath Kim to hire a private investigator to catch us together. “She has been so suspicious lately, always questioning my every move.” Nothing I say will reassure him. I believe Agnes was doing just what she said she was. We look down at the mother and child and just as she had done with us, she hands her a card and a small form. The mother fills in the email address and hands the paper back to Agnes. She then moves on to an elderly couple sitting on a bench.

LaDamien relaxes a bit then tells me it is time to head back. While he goes to relieve himself, I gather our things placing them in their respective backpacks. As I reach the bikes LaDamien returns and lures me into a fervent kiss. “You are the air that I breathe, the half that makes me whole. I love you Mya. I know you probably get tired of me saying it but it is the truth. I love you and I don’t know what to do about it.”

When he is so passionate about his love for me I am honored but hesitant at the same time. Like any woman I want to be loved by my man and adored, but on the other side of things I do not want to be idolized. LaDamien surprises me when he hands me a bunch of flowers that resemble Marigolds. They could have come from the Botanical Garden on-site, or he may have pulled them up from somewhere in the park. I laugh as I rub his arm and tell him that he can never tell me he loves me enough. I reach up and kiss him again. “Marigolds in bloom, huh, you are so amazing.” I say, thinking of the lyrics from You Are. We eventually mount the bikes and begin our long trek back.

For more information and to purchase your copy of Love...Like Snow In Florida on a Hot Summer Day visit www.TracyLDarity.com/Books.htm. Also available on Kindle and Nook.

Also, don't forget to check-out the Love Series, a collection of blogs, relating to the book.

This morning while walking the trail at a local park, I cam upon three Caucasian women who looked to be in their late 50’s to early 60’s. As I approached them they were discussing plans for the upcoming Mother’s Day. As I passed them there was that awkward silence when you know the person speaking doesn’t want you to hear what he or she is talking about. I completed my pass and continued on my way. Thinking I was out of hearing distance their conversation continued. A friend was hosting a Mother’s Day luncheon being called a “Birther’s Party.” To attend the event, you must present your official birth certificate. See, this “Birther’s Party” is actually a fundraiser for the Republican Party, being held at a private residence. I can’t say I was shocked, or angered, or anything else. However, I couldn't resist turning in their direction and smiling before releasing a sarcastic chuckle. There was no need to say anything else, because the looks on their faces expressed the embarrassment that they should have been feeling for even entertaining such nonsense.

The reason I mentioned the race and age of these women is because while watching CNN the other day, Reporter, John King met with several diners at a restaurant in (I believe New Hampshire). He interviewed two men and a woman, all white. The first guy who looked to be in his 40’s, stated he always believed President Obama was born in the U.S. The second guy, who looked to be about 60, said, by him (the President) producing the birth certificate he was now convinced of his citizenship and was ready to move-on---he is a registered Republican. The lone woman in the group, another Republican, about 60, stated she refused to believe it because he (the President) has had enough time to manufacture a fake birth certificate.

As President Obama prepares for the 2012 elections he has an uphill battle to fight, even if many of his supporters don’t want to believe it. In 2008 he received 56 percent of the female vote. With apathy growing amongst younger voters who have expressed their dismay with the political process since the historic 2008 election, it is imperative that the President not only hold on to his female constituency but increase it, as well. Perhaps that is why, after holding a press conference where he released his original birth certificate, he headed over to Harpo Studio’s for a taping of The Oprah Show scheduled to air on Monday, May 2nd.

Much Love,

Tracy

Tracy L. Darity is the author of He Loves Me He Loves Me Not! and Love…Like Snow In Florida on a Hot Summer Day. For more information visit www.TracyLDarity.com.

In Proverbs 31: 10 -31 the perfect wife is defined as a virtuous woman with characteristics that are wholesome and pure.  We are also told that when a man finds a wife he has found a great thing...well I guess the cast of VH1's Basketball Wives aren't familiar with these popular passages.

  10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

It’s been a week since part two of the reality show Basketball Wives reunion aired, and I am still reeling after that profanity laced sparring match between Royce Reed—former Heat/Magic dancer, ex-girlfriend and baby mama of Magic Center, Dwight Howard (did I just write baby mama…;); and Evelyn Lazado, the ex-fiancé of former NBA Forward, Antoine Walker, and current fiancé of NFL Wide Receiver, Chad (Johnson) Ochocinco. This season’s reunion was hosted by former NBA star, John Salley, who actually out-instigated Bravo’s notorious Andy Cohen. But I had to give him kudos when he called the women out, stating, “You keep saying you’re grown (expletive) women, although you’re acting like teenagers.” Hhmmm, they say children live what they learn.

The remaining cast of Basketball Wives, which also include show creator, Shaunie O’Neal the ex-wife of Center Shaquille O’Neal, and a few other ex this, and ex that…Ahhh, there seems to be a recurring theme here, nobody is actually a wife. Well one is, Jennifer Williams, soon-to-be ex-wife of former player Eric Williams; but she would rather divorce her husband than actually put in the work to see if her marriage is salvageable. So I began to wonder, if these women are so fabulous, and desirable, and the cream of the crop, as they seem to think they are, then why oh why didn’t they make it down the aisle, and if they did made it, why haven’t their marriages lasted? Furthermore, why are they on this reality show making complete fools of themselves showing how uncouth and undignified they really are? Being more obsessed with designer names than the names they are being called. I guess comedian, J. Anthony Brown was right, “For every beautiful woman there is a man somewhere who is sick and tired of her mess.”

15 She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

During season 2, we saw Lazado meet Chad Ochocinco, via Twitter; receive some flowers and a pair of boots, and then jet off to Cincinnati and happily give-up the punanny, without him even having to work for it. Now I know some people will say, yeah but now she’s rocking a huge diamond, reported to be between 7 and 10 carats. Well for the money he makes, why not. Will a wedding actually take place, who knows? I guess it would be fair to say after all the “f” bombs she dropped while professing her love of “f”ing, all the while defending her short-lived affair with the then husband of cast-mate Tami Roman; if Chad still finds her desirable, then they obviously deserve each other. My main concern; however, is exactly what are our young girls learning by watching this type of behavior. Lazado herself has a teenage daughter entering college. What must she think of her mother? Excuse me while I have another “Hhmmm moment.” Jennifer’s expressions were priceless as Evelyn replayed her weekend with Chad. I wonder if at any time, then or since, has Jennifer asked herself why she’s running behind Evelyn in Miami, when she should leave this show and these women behind, to give her marriage a real try. Now that’s what’s up!

28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

Shaunie O’Neal may believe that she hit the goldmine with this reality show but I have to wonder if she truly understands the harm she is doing. This season we saw a couple of real wives chime-in, but their appearances seemed awkward and misplaced, which is a sad commentary because if the show were about their lives no one would watch. Now the word on the street is that, as Shaunie O’Neal looks for new cast members to bring the drama, the men are taking a stand and forbidding their girlfriends, fiancés, and wives to be apart of the show. I say, “Good for them!” because a real man understands that his woman is a reflection him; just ask President Barack Obama.

In the end, the reality of this calamitous situation is; in order to remove these negative stereotypes from television, we must stop being an audience for their buffoonery. It is easy to say that these shows are for entertainment purposes, but the truth is, with the success of this show and others like it, these women really are setting the standard for womanhood, and virtue is becoming a thing of the past.

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Much Love,

Tracy

Tracy L. Darity is the author of He Loves Me He Loves Me Not! and Love...Like Snow in Florida on a Hot Summer Day, available in print and Kindle formats. For more information, visit www.TracyLDarity.com.

Renown author Bernice McFadden (Glorious, Sugar, The Warmest December, Loving Donovan, and This Bitter Earth...to name a few of her titles from my personal collection) posted on her Facebook page, "I think Af-Am authors need to start their own grass-roots revolution..... "  I am sure at the time it was just a random musing, but as the weekend progressed 84 people "liked" the comment and it garnered nearly as many comments.

I thought the idea in and of itself was interesting since over the past few weeks there seems to have been an insurgence of blogs, posts, tweets, and discussions on what mainstream authors (mainly African-American) can do to increase awareness, since it is apparent that a message is being sent that (our) readers are only interested in "Urban/Street Lit."  Even author's who once held coveted contracts are finding it hard to land deals in today's market. The consensus  is that many gifted writers are falling by the wayside because they can't get the notoriety they deserve.  Note:  I am not sure if this was Ms. McFadden's line of thinking when she posted the comment. 

Could a revolution work, what would it consist of, who would lead the way, where would it begin; were just a few of the questions being asked.  Although I don't know the answers to those questions, I do know that such a movement would require authors to stop viewing each other as competition, and acknowledge that although we may not care for a particular style or genre, we are all in this together and need to lift each other up if we are going to make our mark on the literary world.

Second, no revolution has ever been successful without followers who are willing to dig into the trenches, and go to work.  In this case, authors would need the support of the readers they are trying to reach...and not just black readers but people, in general, who love to read good books.  This feat takes us back to the initial problem; if authors are being shut-out of publishing houses, bookstores, and literary events (as invitees); how do we reach the masses who would be needed to make this revolution successful, since it is no secret that many do not have access to the financial resources required to compete with the promotional/marketing plans of many publishers. 

Ironically, at the time Ms. McFadden was posting her status update, I was working on my February Newsletter, which featured an article on how family, friends, book clubs, and avid readers could support independent authors.   These suggestions do not require a lot and like most successful grass-root movements, it shows that word-of-mouth is the best marketing tool known to mankind.  If each person tells ten or more people, and each of those people tell ten or more, the results can be phenomenal, and before you know it, the revolution has been begun. 

Social Media

Facebook has over 500 million subscribers. That's more than the number of people who completed the 2010 U.S. Census. They are the leader in social networking, but there are 100's of social media sites out there and the numbers are growing daily. With today's technology we can post something on one site and have it automatically feed to numerous other sites. So not only do we have word of mouth but with the push of a button we can share information with hundreds if not thousands of people.

• Post what you are reading on social media
• "Like," "Share," "Repost," "Retweet," etc. If you see a post about a book, event, blog or anything an author has written, click the like button, comment, or retweet. It's been proven that people are more inclined to read something if someone else has acknowledged it.
• Take a photo holding a book you have read and in the caption write a brief review or recommendation, then share on your social pages. You can also make this your profile picture for an hour, a day, or longer.
• If the author's website has a social media toolbar use the features to share the website information.
• Newsletters and eblasts you receive can be shared. With services like Constant Contact, email addresses cannot be captured. The host will only know it was forwarded but never who the recipient(s) are.
• Write Reviews for books you have read. Authors want to know what you think. Amazon, Goodreads, and Shefari, to name a few, are good sites to post reviews; but also check the authors website to see if there is a page designated for this purpose.
• Follow the author on your favorite social media sites by joining their actual pages/groups dedicated to their writing. This way you are not bogged down with their personal information but still get information pertinent to their writing career.

Stay Abreast of What's Hot

Oftentimes readers do not know where to go to get the latest information on new writers, literary events, etc. Below are a few sites I have found to be beneficial in this area.

Black Pearls Magazine

Rawsistaz Literary Group

UrbanReviews

A Place Of Our Own

Avid Readers ^ Book clubs ^ Family ^ Friends

• Always, when possible, attend local book signings, book release parties, and other literary events.
• Request books at your local library and bookstores that are not readily available in your area. If they receive enough requests they may stock the book.
• Does your place of employment host events that allow exhibitors to come in? i.e. craft shows, cultural events, vendor day, etc. Why not extend an invitation to your local authors?
• Is your club or civic organization hosting a banquet or other event? Are they selling ads for a program, or looking for vendors? Reach out to your local author. It is give and take, and the author should be happy to support the community.
• Are you an entrepreneur? Swap business cards and advertisement pieces with an author. When sales are made place each others information in customer packaging. Try getting 4 - 5 business people offering different products to participate.
• Do you own a business, work for a business, or patronize a business that has room for a "community table"? This is a table set-up in the lobby or corner of a office where people from the community can come in and display promotional items (no larger than a postcard). You can get some material from the author and place them on the table, or let the author know where you have seen such displays.
• I thought this was a great marketing tool. No matter where I go in my hometown, I am guaranteed to see at least 3 vehicles with a 8" x 8" decal located in the bottom corner of the rear window; advertising a local barbershop. He gives customers 1 free cut a month, in exchange for them displaying the decal. I haven't figured out how to present this, but once I do, I hope family and friends will be receptive to the idea.
• Be a walking billboard. Do you like wearing t-shirts and hats, or carrying book-totes? Some authors have these items available for festivals and other events. If you see a author rocking their custom gear, see if they are willing to give you an item or two.

• For book clubs, encourage your local bookstores (especially independent stores) to host authors, then attend the events. If you know a store is hosting an event, make sure your author friends are aware.
• When your club selects a book of the month, buy the books from the same bookstore. This could prompt the store to stock the book. If so, see if they will place a placard by the book with a blurb from your club about the book.
• In addition to your monthly book selection, showcase a new author. Request promotional material from authors who contact you but aren't selected as your book of the month; then pass out the materials at your meetings.
• Create a spotlight page on your website, or invite a local author to your meetings and allow them to do a 10 minute pitch.
• A few times a year, host a local author's meet~n~greet and invite family, friends, and co-workers. It can be at a restaurant where each attendee pays for their own meal. Authors can introduce themselves, do a quick pitch and afterwards sell their books.
• Books make great gifts. Give books by independent authors instead of those on the bestsellers list. Chances are, your reader friends already have those anyway.
• Video's ar
  e all the rage...create video's of book club meetings, do author interviews with visiting authors, create video reviews, and then post on your own youtube channel, or website. Examples, check-out the Sisterfriend Book Club Channel and Who Is Tasha.

So what say you?  Are you ready for the revolution!

Much Love,

Tracy

Tracy L. Darity is the author of He Loves Me He Loves Me Not! and Love...Like Snow In Florida on a Hot Summer Day.  Both available in Kindle.  For more information please visit www.TracyLDarity.com.