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Intimate Conversation with Ivette Attaud

Intimate Conversation with Ivette Attaud



Ivette Attaud
, a Harlem, New York native and former Fort Bragg Army wife, has been a survivor of domestic violence and abuse for over twenty years. Ivette served on the Battered Women’s Justice Committee of Voices of Women Organizing Project in New York as well as contributed research regarding law guardians to their report Justice Denied: How Family Courts in NYC Endanger Battered Women and Children. She received a Certificate of Completion in Victim Assistance Training from the New York State Office For Victims of Crime; has received numerous awards for speaking at high schools and colleges; created and facilitated a domestic violence and abuse training for Chaplains called Healing The Body Before The Spirit and talks to teens in various high schools about dating violence and their internet footprint. 

Ivette Attaud, publisher, a gifted author, highly sought-after motivational speaker and domestic violence expert, developed Healing The Body Before The Spirit, a domestic abuse educational workshop for the faith-based community. She has written numerous articles, including a recently-published article entitled Surviving the Loss of a Child for Spotlight On Recovery Magazine. More information can be found online at: http://www.mylifemysoul.com/

Domestic violence affects two to four million people alone in the United States including teenagers and 54% of parents admit they haven’t spoken to their teen about dating violence or healthy relationships.
My Life My Soul, Surviving, Healing And Thriving After An Abusive Relationship  is an honest and graphic true story of Ivette Attaud’s dating relationship as a teen and how it quickly manifested into a destructive, violent and psychologically abusive marriage. Ivette puts a face on domestic violence as she describes how she was able to break the emotional and psychological chains of her abuser.

Ivette recounts vivid memories of growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness; her experience with dating violence; her battle with depression; a suicide attempt; the loss of her infant twin daughter to a domestic violence assault and re-victimization by the New York City family court system, including actual documents! In the first part of this three-part series, My Life My Soul, Surviving, Healing And Thriving After An Abusive Relationship: Part 1 – Surviving, Ivette lays bare the life-long difficulties those in abusive relationships face.


BPM: Ivette, when did you begin writing? When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I was born and raised in Harlem. I started keeping a journal about 10 years ago to release some of the emotional pain and trauma I had been dealing with since I left my abuser and to leave something for my children so they could gain some insight as to what I went through and maybe help them deal with their issues when they became adults. I didn't consider myself as just a writer; I considered myself a person with an important story to tell.

BPM: Do you see writing as a career now?
Yes, I do. I am a true entrepreneur at heart! I launched My Life My Soul, The Unspoken Journey of Life After Domestic Abuse to raise awareness about domestic violence and abuse and also launched MLMS Publishing to release my first book.

BPM: What inspired you to write your first book, My Life, My Soul? How did you come up with the title? Who designed the book cover?
I wrote this book as a way to cope with the loneliness and isolation that is felt by survivors of an abusive relationship, and to deal with the grief of losing my child as a result of the abuse. I experienced writer's block frequently, as this is a difficult topic to write about. Over 15 years ago, I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of the abuse, and one of the primary symptoms is re-living the trauma. It took me 10 years to write this because I needed to deal with the book setting off my triggers. 
When I was invited to speak in public about my experience and scores of people approached me with positive feedback and shared their experiences with me, I believed that my book could help a lot of people. When I saw the statistics on teen dating violence, I included my experience with that as well.
I designed the cover myself to show that real freedom does exist for the survivor when they break the emotional and psychological chains of their abuser. My Life, My Soul - Surviving, Healing And Thriving After An Abusive Relationship: The title is a reflection of the physical violence and psychological abuse that threatened my life and the spiritual abuse that jeopardized my soul; and that leaving an abusive relationship is about breaking the chains that bind you.

BPM: Do you attempt to avoid the temptation of interjecting your own morals, value system or ministry in your writing?
Including my belief system in the book was important because the reader will not only understand how my belief system contributed to my being in an abusive relationship, but will see how I went about changing my belief system in order to break the chains of abuse and improve the quality of life for me and my children.

BPM: What insight does the book give teen readers on relationships?
The whole book is based on my experiences. I didn't want my book to be a glossed-over version of an abusive relationship. I wanted it to be as real to the reader as it was to me, so there is graphic language in the book. Not because that is my writing style, but because that is the true nature of domestic violence. 
The book gives the reader insight on what a person in an abusive relationship goes through. It also helps the reader understand the isolation that survivors of relationship abuse go through. And, more importantly, that you can live a happy and fulfilling life after an abusive relationship.
BPM: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
As a result of the abuse, I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. One of the symptoms of PTSD is re-living the experience. Writing this book meant that I re-lived the experience over and over again, including when I lost my daughter. Although writing this book will help a lot of people, it set off my triggers, which I have learned to manage. That is why it took me so long to complete it. But, the more I wrote, the easier it got to deal with and that meant I was on my healing journey.
BPM: Did you learn anything from writing My Life, My Soul and what was it?
We go through things in life for a reason. I was able to take a negative and turn it into a positive so I would be in a better position to heal and help others. I learned a lot about myself and what constituted an unhealthy relationship. I was also able to see how I’ve grown psychologically and emotionally from my teenage years, all the way to adulthood. Understanding where you’ve come from is crucial to knowing where you’re going. I also learned that I have a very powerful gift for helping people past obstacles in life that may be holding them back from achieving their goals. So, I am also a Personal Life Coach.

BPM: Is there anything that makes your book different from others in the same genre?
I write in a style that makes the reader feel as if I’m talking directly to them. While I was going through my experience, I told a lot of people about the abuse, including the military police, doctors, even the NYC family court system, and no one believed that an enlisted service member could be capable of abuse. As a result, my children and I fell through the cracks and no one did anything to protect us. Not only do I include actual court documents and excerpts in my book, but I mention the names of the people who pushed my children and I through the cracks, including judges. From what I’ve read over the years, there are a lot of people out there who have experienced the same thing.
BPM: What messages in your book, My Life, My Soul, do you want readers to grasp?
The book contains several messages: it inspires and gives hope to the survivor who is currently in or who has left an abusive relationship so they know they’re not alone; it’s an example for the families and friends of the survivor to know what NOT to do and say; it’s for parents and teens who want to know about the red flags of an abusive relationship and it’s for the professional who works with those who have experienced domestic violence and/or abuse. The reader has a birds-eye view of what the daily reality is like for someone going through an abusive relationship, whether you are a teen or an adult. I remember what my thought process was like as a teenager. I believe there is always something to learn from someone else’s experience.
BPM: In writing your book, how much legal research was required, if any?
I still have the court documents I received when my abuser took me to court. When I decided to publish this book, I went to family court to review my family court file and see if there were any additional documents in it. To my surprise, there were court documents in my file that I knew nothing about. I decided to include those documents in my book.
BPM: Who do you want to reach with your book and the message enclosed?
There are approximately 32 million American men, women and children that have experienced some form of family violence. I wanted the reader to understand and know:
• The Military Justice System to know what the daily reality of someone being abused by an active duty service member is like;
• the Legal System to understand that there is more to addressing the issue of domestic violence and abuse than “whoever gets to court first and has the most money wins,”
• the Mental Health System to see how their decisions and diagnoses, without the appropriate follow-up, severely impacts the lives of the victim and his or her children long after the case is closed;
• the Medical Community to see that the number of bruises and broken bones that pass through their emergency rooms are more than statistics;
• the Religious Community to realize that you have to heal the body before the spirit;

• people whose loved ones are in an abusive relationship to recognize the signs of the type of severe depression that leads to suicide and to understand that family support is crucial in the healing process;
• parents of teens who are dating to recognize the red flags of an abusive relationship; and
• anyone who currently is in an abusive relationship or has left an abusive relationship to know that you are not alone and you can and will break the emotional and psychological chains that bind you.
BPM: What should readers DO after reading this book? 
Readers who have a friend or a loved one who is in an/was in abusive relationship, and they want to have a better understanding of what they've experienced should read the book. Survivors of domestic violence and abuse internalize a lot of their trauma, and we don't talk about it too much. My book details the thought process of someone in an abusive relationship.
BPM: Now, let’s talk about the publishing industry. How did you initially break into the publishing industry? What road did you travel?
I initially decided to use a subsidy publisher some months ago. But the publishing industry changes so quickly, and more self-publishing resources became available to me, that I decided to fund the publishing of the book myself. It is a common myth that if you use a subsidy publisher, and they offer you a marketing package, that they will market your book. Their goal is to make money from the author. Regardless of the publishing method used, it will always be the author's responsibility to market the book themselves. I decided to independently publish because I am a true entrepreneur at heart (it runs in my family), and I love the challenges of running my own business. 
BPM: How do you feel about self-publishing? How do feel about selling digital books vs. selling in a brick and mortar store?
It depends on what the author defines as self-publishing. I prefer the term Independent Publisher. It could be a subsidy publisher, or completely funding the publishing of the book yourself. The traditional publishing industry is slowly changing their bias against self-publishers. The choice between selling digital books vs. selling in a brick and mortar store goes back to the first question - what your goal is for writing your book. Both still require a lot of hard work on the part of the author to get their book in either channel. My Life, My Soul will be available in print and as an e-book in order to make the book available to everyone. 

I want to re-emphasize that understanding your goal for writing your book is important. If you want to independently publish your book, you need to understand how the industry operates. For example, if an author plans on publishing independently out of his or her own pocket, and is working hard to market and promote that book, just know that all your hard work may be in jeopardy. I have seen many self-publishers disillusioned by the publishing industry because they don't make much money from the sale of their books. That is because while selling online is an important part of marketing and promoting your book, if they've listed their book at online retailers, they will undercut the author's price by selling their books at a discount. 
BPM: Awesome advice! Do you have any more advice for other writers? Do you have any advice for people seeking to publish a book?
There is a story inside everyone and someone will definitely benefit from what you have to say. I would advise anyone wanting to publish a book to do ask themselves the following questions: Why am I writing it and what are my goals? What results do I want to see from publishing this book? Am I ready to take on the challenges of publishing it myself and not use a subsidy publisher? What do I expect from a subsidy publisher? Do I have the resources to market this book? Do I want to make $1-2 dollars in royalties for my book, or do I want to keep more money in my pocket?

BPM: A Legacy is something that is handed down from one period of time or culture to another. Finish this sentence- “My writing offers the following legacy to future readers and new authors... ”
To blaze new paths in your writing and publishing journey and to not be afraid of the challenges. I am happy to say that after 10 years of writing and two years of promotion, that My Life, My Soul – Surviving, Healing & Thriving After An Abusive Relationship – Part 1: Surviving, is now available to make a difference in someone's life!
My Life My Soul tells readers things that someone in an abusive relationship, whether it is your loved one or friend, won’t tell you. It contains my deepest thoughts and feelings from when I first entered an abusive relationship at 16 through to an abusive marriage as an adult. I have included actual court documents as proof of how my children and I fell through the cracks of the systems designed to protect those in abusive relationship. You can view the book trailer and purchase the book at  http://www.mylifemysoul.com/ 

BPM: Share with us a quote or brief excerpt from one of the most powerful chapters.
Here is an excerpt from the published book, My Life, My Soul – Surviving, Healing & Thriving After An Abusive Relationship.
Part 1: Surviving

...I was terrified by the time I arrived in the delivery room. No one was there to hold my hand, or to tell me everything was going to be okay. Doctors and nurses ran around the delivery room and failed miserably at trying to calm me down. I was too busy screaming from the pain and crying for the doctors to stop my labor.

The doctor yelled at the nurses, “Find a vein and get an IV line going NOW!”

I felt a shot of pain in my arms from where the nurses were hitting me as they desperately tried to get a vein to pop up.
“Doctor, all her veins have collapsed!” I heard a nurse say.

Someone exclaimed, “I got one!”

Someone else yelled, “Get it, get it, get it!”

Then the doctor walked over to me.

“We’re going to have to deliver those babies now. They’re in distress and it’s too late to stop your labor.”

Through my tears, I yelled with all the strength I had.

“You can’t take them now! It’s not time!”

“We have to. If we don’t deliver them now, all of you are going to die,” the doctor said.

My thoughts ran back to earlier in the day when Victor strangled me and I couldn’t breathe. The stress of fighting, along with the lack of oxygen, put my babies in distress. The doctor left my side and went to the foot of the bed while the nurses secured my feet in the stirrups. Everything happened so fast and the labor pains were so intense; it felt as if someone stuck hot knives into my belly. Then my thoughts turned elsewhere. Was this God’s punishment? What did I do wrong to deserve this? I was raised to believe that God had two faces; one that was loving and forgiving and the other one was mean and punished those who disobeyed him. All I did was marry a man because I loved him! What was so wrong about that?

The doctor broke my train of thought as he examined me to see how much more I had dilated.

“Don’t push!” The doctor yelled at me while he continues his examination.

“I’m not pushing!” I yelled back.

I tried to close my legs a little but couldn’t because of the stirrups. I wanted to resist the urge to push but I could feel a baby trying to come out anyway. The doctor bent down in front of me to prepare to deliver the first baby. He turned his head to say something to the nurse when, all of a sudden, he screamed, “OH SHIT!”

When he stood up, he held my baby upside down by her feet and his hospital gown was completely splattered with blood. The baby had to have come out feet first because of how he grabbed it. When the doctor yelled, I lifted my head off the bed and strained to see her. She was so tiny and I didn’t even hear her cry. I just saw the baby’s back as the doctor handed it to the nurse, who quickly ran out of the delivery room with her. Right away, I felt dizzy.

“The other baby’s transverse!” I heard a nurse say.

When an unborn baby is in a transverse position, it lays across the mother’s pelvic bone instead of the normal birth position of head down. It was dangerous for me as well as for my baby, because there was a possibility that my uterus could have ruptured which could have lead to both of our deaths.
The nurse grabbed my belly tightly where the still unborn twin was, trying to keep the baby from moving any further. The pain was excruciating. As the doctor moved back to the side of my bed, he told me what he had to do.
“Ivette, I have to give you an emergency cesarean section. The anesthesiologist has been called and he’s on his way here.”
I didn’t want to die like this! What would happen to my children? With the remaining strength I had, I motioned for a nurse to come to me.
“I need you to call my Kingdom Hall and ask for the pastor. Tell him it’s an emergency and I need him here now!”
I looked at the clock on the wall and it was close to midnight. I had memorized the number so I gave it to her and she ran off. The other nurse was still holding my stomach and she was hurting me so bad that I tried to push her hand away.
“If we let this baby move, you’re both going to die! Ivette, Stop it!” the nurse screamed at me.
I yelled out again what my religion was and that I didn’t want a blood transfusion. When I saw the doctor again, I asked how my first baby was.
“So far, you had a girl and we’re not sure how she is right now. The ambulance took her to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where they have a neonatal unit and we have another ambulance on standby waiting to take this baby.”
It seemed like an eternity before the pastor finally arrived in the delivery room. Through my tears, I told the pastor what happened.
“Please pray with me. I can’t do this alone,” I told him.
He held my hands tightly, closed his eyes and I closed mine.
“Lord, we humbly come to you in this time of need to watch over our Sister who needs you now more than ever. Whatever your Will is, Lord, will be. Lord, I ask you to watch over her babies, that they be healthy and safe. In Jesus’ name we ask you, Amen.”
I said “Amen.”
As soon as he finished praying, a peace came over me like I’ve never experienced before...
(continued in the book, My Life, My Soul)

BPM: What has been your most difficult hurdle to leap? Marketing, promotions or gaining media exposure, etc. How can EDC Creations and our readers help you?
The most difficult hurdle is in converting the level of interest in the book into actual sales. As an author and publisher, I wear many hats. Not only am I responsible for the health of my business, but I'm also responsible for making the strongest efforts possible in my marketing and media exposure to make sure my book gets into the hands of those that can really benefit from it.
BPM: Share with us your latest news. How may our readers follow you online? 
Readers can follow me on Twitter - @ivetteattaud or on Facebook. They can also email me directly at ivetteattaud@mylifemysoul.com  


Domestic violence is devastating. Understand how to better help a friend or loved one.

Purchase My Life, My Soul - Surviving, Healing And Thriving After An Abusive Relationship, Part 1: Surviving on www.mylifemysoul.com


My Life, My Soul - Surviving, Healing And Thriving After An Abusive Relationship 
Part 1 – Surviving by Ivette Attaud
US $15.95; Nonfiction; ISBN-13: 978-0615440613 
Purchase books here:  http://www.mylifemysoul.com/


Disclaimer: 
The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Black Pearls Magazine, EDC Creations or the owners. We are not to be held liable for the statements of the authors. Submission to EDC Creations confirms that the guest writers agree with all of the terms listed and give us permission to display their original work, book excerpts, written and oral interviews and links. The writers are also confirming that they own all rights to the material submitted to EDC Creations and that all statements are true and not malicious. Submission to EDC Creations confirms that the author understands he/she is responsible for all legal enquiries into material submitted. 




 

New Book Alert: Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe

Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe
Prequel to the Upper Room

If you are a fan of Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston, you will love Mama Ruby and the writings of Mary Monroe!

New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe presents an unforgettable tale featuring Mama Ruby, the indomitable heroine of her acclaimed novel The Upper Room. Now readers will get a peek into Ruby’s early years, as she transforms from a spoiled small-town girl into one of the South’s most notorious and volatile women…

Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Ruby Jean Upshaw is the kind of girl who knows what she wants and knows how to get it. By the time she’s fifteen, Ruby has developed a taste for fast men and cheap liquor, and not even her preacher daddy can set her straight. Most everyone in the neighborhood knows you don’t cross Ruby. Only Othella Mae Cartier, daughter of the town tramp, understands what makes Ruby tick.

When Ruby discovers she’s in the family way, she’s scared for the first time in her life. After hiding her growing belly with baggy dresses, Ruby secretly gives birth to a baby girl at Othella’s house. With few choices, Othella talks Ruby into giving the child away and with the help of a shocking revelation, convinces Ruby to run off with her to New Orleans.

But nothing can erase Ruby’s memories of the child she lost or quell her simmering rage at Othella for persuading her to let her precious baby go. If there’s a fine line between best friend and worst nightmare, Ruby is surely treading it. Because someday, there will be a reckoning. And when it comes, Othella will learn the hard way that no one knows how to exact revenge quite like Ruby Jean Upshaw!


Excerpt from Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe
Mama Ruby - Coming June 1, 2011! How did Ruby and Othella Mae come to be who they are today? Find out in the exciting prequel to The Upper Room. There’s a fine line between best friend and worst nightmare…but there will be a reckoning....


Introduction to Mama Ruby Prequel to The Upper Room

Originally published in 1985, Mary Monroe's engaging debut novel, The Upper Room, features Ruby Montgomery, an obese, indomitable character who steals her best friend's baby daughter and flees to rural Florida, where she establishes herself as an almost mythical figure. The dialogue and setting are reminiscent of Zora Neale Hurston. The Upper Room by Mary Monroe is a candid portrayal of the cold-blooded yet fascinating Mama Ruby.


~ Shreveport, Louisiana, 1934 ~

Nobody ever had to tell Ruby Jean Upshaw that she was special, but she heard it from every member of her family, her father’s congregation, her classmates, and even the people in her neighborhood almost every day. She was the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. To some black folks, that was a very high position on the food chain. It meant that she had mystical abilities usually associated with Biblical icons. But as a child, Ruby didn’t care one way or the other about being “special” like that.

She balked when people insisted that she’d eventually have “healing hands” and the ability to “predict the future” like other seventh daughters of seventh daughters. But Ruby didn’t care about healing anybody, that was God’s job, and those snake oil salesmen who rolled through town from time to time. And she certainly didn’t want to be telling anybody what the future held for them. Because if it was something bad, they didn’t need to know, and she didn’t want to know.

The bottom line was, and she’d told a lot of people this when they brought it up, she didn’t want those responsibilities. The last thing she needed cluttering up her life was a bunch of superstitious people taking up her time, and drawing unwanted attention to her. Just being the daughter of a preacher was enough of a burden.

And since Ruby was the youngest member of the Upshaw family, her parents watched her like a hawk, and tried to monitor and control most of her activities. “Why do I have to go to church every Sunday?” she asked her mother one Sunday morning when she was just eight. “I want to have some fun!”

“You go to church because you are supposed to, gal. How would it look to the rest of your Papa’s congregation if his own daughter don’t come to church?” Ida replied, giving Ruby a stern look. “Don’t you want to be saved?”

“Saved from what, Mama?” Ruby questioned, looking out of the living room window at the kids across the street building a tent in their front yard.

“Saved from the world, worldly ways. This planet is full of all kinds of pitfalls out there waitin’ on a girl like you. Drinkin’. Men with more lust in their heads than brain matter. Violence. Loud music and sleazy outfits that would shock a harlot,” Ida answered.

Ruby already knew all of that. From what she’d been able to determine; it was a lot more fun to be “worldly” than it was to be the way her parents wanted her to be.  “I want to have some fun like the rest of the kids!” she pouted, knowing that she faced a no-win situation. Her parents’ minds were as nimble as concrete. Once they laid down the rules for Ruby, there were no exceptions.

“You can still have fun and keep yourself virtuous,” her father insisted. “Me and Mother ain’t makin’ you do nothin’ we didn’t make your sisters do, and look how well they all turned out.”

Ruby pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. Before they got married, all six of her older sisters snuck out of the house at night, drank alcohol, slept with men, and wore clothes that would shock a harlot. That was the life that Ruby thought she wanted, and she had already started on the journey that would lead her to a life of fun and frivolity. And as far as violence, she wondered what her over bearing, but naïve, parents would say if they knew that she was already carrying a switchblade in her sock.

Ruby made good grades in school and she had a lot of friends, but it was hard for her to maintain both. She didn’t like to study, and she didn’t like having to attend that run down school four blocks from her house. Those activities took up too much of her time. She appreciated the fact that her classmates and playmates were at her beck and call, not because they liked her, but because they feared her. They all knew about that switchblade she carried in her sock, and they all knew that she was not afraid to use it. She was the most feared eight-year-old in the state.

(continued)


© 2011 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author and the publisher, Kensington Publishing Group. This excerpt has been adapted for Internet viewing. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher's written permission. Copyright infringement is a serious offense. Share a link to this page or the author's website if you really like this promotional excerpt.


About the Author
Mary Monroe is the author of the award-winning, New York Times bestselling God series, which includes God Don’t Like Ugly and God Ain’t Blind. Mary Monroe is the third child of Alabama sharecroppers and the first and only member of her family to finish high school. One of her proudest moments was when she became a winner of the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award.

She is currently celebrating the release of Mama Ruby, the prequel to the Upper Room, the book that started it all. She still writes seven days a week and gets most of her ideas from current events, and the people around her, but most of her material is autobiographical.

Mary Monroe currently lives in Oakland, California. She is divorced, loves to travel, loves to mingle with other authors, and she'll read anything by Ernest Gaines, Stephen King, Alice Walker, and James Patterson.  Author website: http://www.marymonroe.org/ ; Video link: http://www.openroadmedia.com/authors/mary-monroe.aspx 



Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Dafina (May 31, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0758238614
ISBN-13: 978-0758238610

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Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe

Meet New York Times Bestselling Author Mary Monroe



The UPPER ROOM continues with MAMA RUBY

Mama Ruby - Coming May 31, 2011!  How did Ruby and Othella Mae come to be who they are today? Find out in the exciting prequel to The Upper Room. There’s a fine line between best friend and worst nightmare…but there will be a reckoning....

Mary Monroe is the author of Mama Ruby, The Upper Room and the God Don't Like Ugly series. When The Upper Room was published, Monroe had this to say: "This is my story -- these characters are people I know, it's my life!"

Mary Monroe laughs when asked what her inspiration was for the novel.  "I took inspiration from the people in my life. They were so colorful, it was a shame that the world didn't know about them." A storyteller since she was a child, writing came easy to Mary Monroe. So 17 years ago, when the images of her aunts, uncles and friends from childhood would not leave her mind, she sat down to write The Upper Room. "It wasn't the time for me or my book," the author admits. Although the book garnered strong reviews, publishing for African Americans was sporadic at that time.

In the interim, Monroe continued to write. "I have about two thousand rejection letters. When the market changed, it made it all worthwhile." Now the time is ripe with the renaissance of African- American novels and Monroe believes that she adds to the incredible mix with her unforgettable characters. "I enjoy the books that are on the shelves now, but those stories do not have my voice. They don't represent me and those I know. Everyone's experience needs to be heard. I know my characters are kind of quirky, but that's my experience. The reading public is now ready for my voice. I've been ready a long time! I hope readers will enjoy my latest novel, Mama Ruby. The readers will get a peek into the making of Ruby in her earlier years. You won't be disappointed!"  Visit Mary's website to view her tour schedule and to find more details on her books: http://www.marymonroe.org/


Introduction to Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe
Prequel to The Upper Room

New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe presents an unforgettable tale featuring Mama Ruby, the indomitable heroine of her acclaimed novel The Upper Room. Now readers will get a peek into Ruby’s early years, as she transforms from a spoiled small-town girl into one of the South’s most notorious and volatile women…

Originally published in 1985, Mary Monroe's engaging debut novel, The Upper Room, features Ruby Montgomery, an obese, indomitable character who steals her best friend's baby daughter and flees to rural Florida, where she establishes herself as an almost mythical figure. The dialogue and setting are reminiscent of Zora Neale Hurston, but the story has a bizarre, violent edge … la Stephen King. The Upper Room by Mary Monroe is a candid portrayal of the cold-blooded yet fascinating Mama Ruby.

Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Ruby Jean Upshaw is the kind of girl who knows what she wants and knows how to get it. By the time she’s fifteen, Ruby has developed a taste for fast men and cheap liquor, and not even her preacher daddy can set her straight. Most everyone in the neighborhood knows you don’t cross Ruby. Only Othella Mae Cartier, daughter of the town tramp, understands what makes Ruby tick.

When Ruby discovers she’s in the family way, she’s scared for the first time in her life. After hiding her growing belly with baggy dresses, Ruby secretly gives birth to a baby girl at Othella’s house. With few choices, Othella talks Ruby into giving the child away-and with the help of a shocking revelation, convinces Ruby to run off with her to New Orleans.

But nothing can erase Ruby’s memories of the child she lost-or quell her simmering rage at Othella for persuading her to let her precious baby go. If there’s a fine line between best friend and worst nightmare, Ruby is surely treading it. Because someday, there will be a reckoning. And when it comes, Othella will learn the hard way that no one knows how to exact revenge quite like Ruby Jean Upshaw…


The Upper Room by Mary Monroe
Originally published in 1985, Mary Monroe's engaging debut novel, The Upper Room, features Ruby Montgomery, an obese, indomitable character who steals her best friend's baby daughter and flees to rural Florida, where she establishes herself as an almost mythical figure. The dialogue and setting are reminiscent of Zora Neale Hurston, but the story has a bizarre, violent edge … la Stephen King. Fantastic and exaggerated, The Upper Room by Mary Monroe is a candid portrayal of the cold-blooded yet fascinating Mama Ruby.

Mama Ruby is the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, with healing hands and an inconceivably vengeful spirit. After successfully bringing her best friend's stillborn baby to life, she claims the child as her own and runs away to a migrant settlement in the Everglades. Mama Ruby's ever-increasing girth and unhealthy dependence on her daughter, Maureen, cause her to make choices and decisions that are both troubling and foolish.

Mama Ruby makes sure that Maureen is treated special by giving her the upper room of the house. It becomes Maureen's special place and is off-limits to most people, especially men. As Maureen grows into a beautiful woman, she begins to have desires of a life outside of Mama Ruby's watchful eye and of a city far away. It takes an unthinkable series of events for Maureen and Mama Ruby to accept the other's ways and needs. A chilling story that is bound to astound Monroe's fans!


Mary Monroe created fabulous books such as: Mama Ruby, The Upper Room and the God Don't Like Ugly series for readers with a sense of humor and adventure!  Meet author Mary Monroe as she travels across the nation discussing Mama Ruby and her literary journey: http://www.marymonroe.org/tour2011.html


Join the Mary Monroe Yahoo Discussion Group



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The Upper Room by Mary Monroe
ISBN-10: 0758267347
ISBN-13: 978-0758267344

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Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe
Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0758238614
ISBN-13: 978-0758238610

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80 Proof Lives (YA Fiction)


 80 Proof Lives (YA Fiction)




80 Proof Lives (YA Fiction)   Debut Novel by Felicia S.W. Thomas


Felicia S.W. Thomas is the author of 80 Proof Lives, her debut novel, which was released in February 2011 and published by Amani Publishing, LLC, in Tallahassee, Florida.

Felicia holds a B.S. degree in Journalism from Florida A&M University, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Florida State University. Felicia practices Unemployment Law. She is also an editor, as well as a freelance writer. Felicia currently lives in Quincy, Florida, with her husband and three children. She is hard at work on a sequel to her debut novel and other creative titles.


80 Proof Lives (YA Fiction)
Primary Subject Matter: Coming of age, cautionary tale that touches upon many issues young adults struggle with today.  80 Proof Lives is a young adult novel set in a small, southern town where graduation is optional but a life of despair seems mandatory.

This is the story of Fla (rhymes with clay), a 15-year-old girl who is brilliant but ignorant that she's supposed to be somebody great, because her emotionally abusive, alcoholic mother stifles her dreams and forces her to work for Miss Lipstick, the queen of the bootleg business and the local madam.

While working for Miss Lipstick during the summer of 1976, Fla learns why some people live inside a liquor bottle, as well as some life-changing information about herself that could plunge her into an 80 Proof life, or break that bottle hanging over her head to become somebody great.

~~ Now on the summer reading list for Crossroad Academy Charter School ~~



80 Proof Lives Book Review
Fla's plight is handled expertly by author Felicia Thomas in her ground-breaking new book 80 Proof Lives. The reader is moved to cry or to celebrate with Fla as she determinedly makes her way through her fifteenth year of a cruel life. Finally, Thomas brings the reader up short with an unpredicted plot twist that explains a great deal and may cause the reader to thunk herself in the head and ask, "Why didn't I see that coming?"

The author ties up loose ends and brings the novel to a satisfactory close. While closure is good, this reviewer still wonders what lies ahead for Fla and can only hope that this is the first in a series that follows Fla into what will undoubtedly be an interesting adulthood.  -- Liz Jameson, Reviewer



Website: www.feliciaswthomas.com
E-mail: feliciathomas917@hotmail.com


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ISBN-10: 9780981584775
ISBN-13: 978-0981584775
Target audience: 13 and older