Book Tour: In The Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor

In The Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor
Have you ever wondered what were the children doing during the Civil Rights movement in the 50s and 60s? What were the people who weren't actively protesting or participating in racism doing? Author Martha A. Taylor recently published a book that answers these questions!

Martha tells her childhood story, in her book In The Land of Cotton, as a young white girl who has a memorable relationship with a spirit filled black family. Martha meets a very poor family, the Boyds, and her life changes as she falls in love with one of the young members of the Boyd family, Silas. The Boyd family is trapped in time; Martha comes from a middle-class white family who is not actively taking part in harassing black people. The story is spectacular and filled with historical revelations. For more details, read the material below to fully grasp the importance and relevance of this book, at this time. If you liked the movie and book, The Secret Life of Bees, you will truly love this new book!

Author Martha A. Taylor has published her first book! Let's give her a hand for stepping up to the plate and telling her story. She's one brave woman to have done all the things she reveals in her new book!

Intro:  In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor

SLAVERY IS MORE THAN CHAINS AND SHACKLES
SLAVERY IS A STATE OF MIND

Immerse yourself in this highly anticipated political docu-drama set in the Deep South amidst the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement.

Martha was a young white girl living in the Deep South, inundated with the racist sentiments of the times. But Martha's natural curiosity and generous heart led her to question this racial divide. When she discovered a poor Negro family, the Boyds, living deep in the woods near her house, everyone's life changed forever. She meets Silas, a little black boy and falls in love. The Boyd family "adopts" her as one of their own and the saga begins....

Take the journey of a lifetime alongside Martha as she forges relationships that lead to self discovery and a clearer understanding of the world around her. In the Land of Cotton provides an outstanding snapshot of life in the South during those troubled times - a snapshot everyone should take a close look at, regardless of era or color. The year was 1956.  (Book info: ISBN-10: 1432734717; ISBN-13: 978-1432734718)

Interview: In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor
http://edcmagazine.blogspot.com/2009/04/intimate-conversation-with-author.html

EDC Creations Sunday News Email Newsletters
18,000 Members: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?html=352823
2,654 Members: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?html=301498

Shop EDC Creations Bookstores
http://astore.amazon.com/edcmagazine-20  
http://astore.amazon.com/sanklitesoci-20

Buy the book today  from Barnes and Noble

Buy the book today from Amazon Online


Join the In the Land of Cotton Book Tour

WEEK 1

Martha A. Taylor's Media Center

EDC Creations Media Group front page slideshow

EDC Virtual Tours Main Site

EDC Virtual Tours at MSN

Black Authors Network Radio


EDC Creations at MySpace

Black Pearls Magazine Home Page

Authors on Tour in Reading Room

African Americans on the Move Bookclubs

Guest Blogger with ASA - Authors Supporting Authors

Guest Blogger with Author Arlinda McGlothin

Barnes & Noble Book Clubs

Guest Blogger with Ty Moody Network

http://aakulturezone.com/
http://writtenvoicesblog.com/
http://writtenvoicespodcast.com/

AAMBC Showcase Radio Show
Host: Tamika Newhouse
Radio Show Website: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/AAMBC

Urban Literary Review Radio Show
Host: Martin Pratt
Website: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/urbanliteraryreview

Rachel Berry AKA Lady Serenity
Host: Rachel Berry
Website: http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/Lady-Serenity

Black Authors Network Talk Show
Host: Ella Curry
Website: www.blogtalkradio.com/Black-Author-Network




WEEK 2

iZania Black Networking Community

Black Authors Network Blog

Authors on Tour in Reading Room


Sankofa Literary Review

Short Books Showcase


EDC Book Tours

Black History 365 Authors

SLS Bookclub Center

EDC Creations Twitter

SLS Paradigm Shift

EDC Creations at Library Thing


African/African American Literature

Romance - from historical to contemporary


Books By Us



WEEK 3


Black Authors Network at LinkedIn

Cover to Cover at LinkedIn

Authors of Fiction at LinkedIn

Goodreads at LinkedIn

Oprah's Book Club

ESSENCE Community


The Tyra Banks Show


Lipstick Alley


Sankofa Literary Society Bookclub at Vox

The Inklings at Vox

The Beautiful People at Vox

Verbal Penetrations at Vox

African American by Association


Monthly Book Club at Vox

Girl Talk at Vox

Mahogany Book Club at Vox


Moms Who Shop at Vox



WEEK 4
EDC at Black Planet

Black Planet AA Authors

Black Planet Book Club

I LOVE BOOKS - Book Club


BOOK LOVERS at Black Planet


BOOKS LOVER2 at Black Planet


BlackPlanet Book of the Month

Black Authors Network LinkedIn

Reader's Entertainment LinkedIn


EDC Creations at CafeMom.com

Mature African American Moms


African American Books Swapping


Authors' Den


African American Mommies



WEEK 5

Book Chat at Shelfari

SLS Book Club at Shelfari

African American Books

SistahFriend Book Club


Readers Of African-American Authors

African American Literature at Shelfari

B-more Readers with W.I.S.D.O.M

Books that work well for Reading Groups/Book Clubs

DIVAS OF LITERATURE

SORMAG BOOKS

Coast 2 Coast Readers

United Black Writers



WEEK 6

African American Literature at Yahoo

African American Literature Club

Black Book Lovers - A Club for Connoisseurs of Black Literature

The Black Bookshelf Book Club

African American Book Club & More

Ebony Authors & Readers

My Sistah's Keeper

PASSION 4READING


African-American Literary Network

Speak Sister at MySpace

Book Lovers Bookclub MySpace

Black Romance/Urban Bookclub

African American Intellectuals

African American Fiction at Myspace

Myspace Book Club

The People's Lounge



WEEK 7

TCP Color Page

Book Marketing Network

Black Authors On Fire

Nia Promotions Community

EDC Black Authors Network at FB

African Americans on the Move Book Club

The Writers & Readers Lounge

Reading is Sexy

Passion for Books at FB

Genre Book Club at FB

Girls Gone God!

Urban Reviews Facebook Group

UrbanWritten Coalition at FB

African American Authors

FB Bookclub


African American Relationships at FB

Black Author Showcase at FB

African American Authors (Book Club)

Young, Black, and Gifted Journalists!

Mothers of Wisdom



WEEK 8

MyBrothersKeeper.com

Crucial Diva

We Are One

Each-One-Teach-One

AfricanAmericans.NET


Chocolate Pages Network


Black Internet Marketers


Black In America.com

Black History.com

Black Authors Connect 


Black Authors Network Connect.com

BlackWomenConnect.com


---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Praise for In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor

Racism from the perspective of an innocent white girl who learns firsthand how absurd it is.
Book Review by cashbacher@yahoo.com (TOP 50 REVIEWER, Amazon)

The innocence of youth is a beautiful thing, it is refreshing to witness and gives the world so much, except when it is a young white girl being exposed to a poor black family in the southern United States in the 1950's. In that context, it could have meant the death of some of the participants.

Martha was a young white girl who bonded with her black maid when her parents were generally absent. Her natural curiosity and openness led her to an enclave of an extended black family living in primitive conditions. Martha was quickly "adopted" by the family, as they allowed her to be a part of their activities and she responded in kind. Martha's parents were racist and she maintained her relationship with the black group in secret for many years and even over great distances.

Martha also fell in love with Silas, first a playmate from the black family, then a companion and eventually a fiance. Silas was extremely intelligent and handsome and when he was old enough, he went off to school in Chicago and then joined the military, becoming a helicopter pilot flying rescue missions in Vietnam. Silas is seriously injured and Martha rushes to his bedside to take care of him.

One simple, yet significant scene is when a white soldier in the hospital wing with Silas objects to the black-white relationship. Another white soldier immediately responds, telling the white soldier, "That man saved my life, he can have whatever girlfriend he wants." The history of the civil rights movement, from the Rosa Parks refusal through the assassination of Martin Luther King is chronicled and placed in context.

Therefore, the story has two significant and complex tracks. The story of two people who grow to love each other within the bounds of a truly extended "family" and the broader context of the segregation of the south and how it was finally and thankfully forever broken. Given that the names of the title character and the author are identical, it seems clear that the book is an autobiography, which increases the power of the depiction of the events.

ISBN: 1432734717
ISBN-13: 9781432734718
Format: Paperback, 270pp
Buy the Book: Amazon




 

In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor

In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor

SLAVERY IS MORE THAN CHAINS AND SHACKLES

SLAVERY IS A STATE OF MIND

Immerse yourself in this highly anticipated political docu-drama set in the Deep South amidst the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement.

Martha was a young white girl living in the Deep South, inundated with the racist sentiments of the times. But Martha's natural curiosity and generous heart led her to question this racial divide. When she discovered a primitive Negro family living deep in the woods near her house, everyone's life changed forever.

Take the journey of a lifetime alongside Martha as she forges relationships that lead to self discovery and a clearer understanding of the world around her. In the Land of Cotton provides an outstanding snapshot of life in the South during those troubled times - a snapshot everyone should take a close look at, regardless of era or color. The year was 1956.

Buy the book here. (Book info: ISBN-10: 1432734717; ISBN-13: 978-1432734718)

In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor
Intimate Conversation: http://edcmagazine.blogspot.com/2009/04/intimate-conversation-with-author.html


Important Excerpt from Chapter 1
The time is 1956. The main character, Martha, is speaking as a young child about her environment and daily life. She is a young girl living a relatively sheltered life with her grandparents in Memphis, Tennessee.

"In East Memphis , there were no colored folks. I didn’t go to school with any; I didn’t go to church with any. If I did see one it was only because they were working for a white person; pretty much like my grandmother had said. They were confined by unnatural zoning to their own sections of town. If a new subdivision went in it was most likely advertised as ‘No homes sold to coloreds.’

Every morning when I rode my bike from my grandparent’s house to school, I would pass the uniformed maids who had exited the city buses on Walnut Grove or White Station. They were walking to their various places in our neighborhood; to their places of employment. It was like they all knew each other. They would be laughing and talking when they got off the bus but, the minute I approached them, their heads would bow and their eyes would be clearly focused on the ground beneath their feet.

My grandmother’s highest compliment of a Negro was to say ‘they were clean.’ She had employed maids from time to time. It was a beloved maid in Michigan , when she and Papaw began enjoying life on a different rung of the ladder that had taught her some of the social graces she would need to survive in an elitist world.

Neither of my grandparents were bigots. I never heard either of them say anything demeaning about the Negroes. It was just the way of the South. It had begun long before the Civil War and had continued for ninety plus years past. If you moved from the North to the South it didn’t take you long to learn the ways of the South. The Negroes had their own schools, they had their own churches and they had their own commercial businesses. They had a place. They knew their place; and that was that. They were taught as small children to respect a white person and fear their power over them. There was no need to feel sorry for them after all, they weren’t slaves anymore." -- from In the Land of Cotton


BOOK REVIEW
"To be part of history is a wonderful experience but, to stand perfectly still holding your breath those precious few seconds when you know history is imminent but before it is written; before it actually becomes history, that is overwhelming." ~ Silas Boyd

In The Land of Cotton is a poignant and emotional chronicle of a young, unpretentious white girl coming to age in the color divided world of the fifties and sixties. Martha's story places the reader smack in the middle of the civil rights war; a beautiful and heart wrenching journey through history that weaves a tale of forbidden friendships, misconceptions and human nature, at both its best and worst.

Martha's passionate desire to break through the prejudice and learn for herself the truth, submerses the readers into the tumultuous, discriminatory world of soul mates kept apart by skin color and social stigma.

In The Land of Cotton is a prodigious must read for any generation. For those who experienced the world divided by flesh tone, Martha's take will bring them back to an all too familiar, and perhaps even uncomfortable, territory. For others, it will be a heart and eye opening rendition of history, and the long, hard fought battle of equal opportunity and universal acceptance, not just between colors, but people.

Martha's weaving of history and personal experience give readers a start to finish, can't put down narrative, offering a singular panorama of an ever changing, ever adapting world and the people caught in the maelstrom of it all. It is a seamlessly written tale of love, moral dilemma, honor, political uprising, conviction and self evolvement.

In light of this year's Presidential Election, In The Land of Cotton can't help but assume the form of a beacon of hope for any individual who has ever felt different and longed for more.

Well written, beautifully depicted and stirring, In The Land of Cotton is sure to present old and new reader alike with a unique perspective in to a part of history that shaped and molded past generations and formed the future as well as to serve as a reminder that true love is, and always has been, colorblind. -- 5/5 stars. Reviewed by Claudia Robinson, Amazon review


BOOK REVIEW
"In the Land of Cotton" is Martha Taylor's very personal look at one of the most volatile and exciting periods in American history, a time during which the Civil Rights Movement changed race relations in this country forever. It was a decade during which America put a man on the moon, fought one of the most unpopular wars in its history, and finally recognized that all men are, indeed, created equal. Like Martha, I came of age in the South during the 1960s. Unlike her, with the exception of how America's Viet Nam adventure impacted all young men of the time, I was largely an outside observer to what was happening around the country.

When Martha's story begins in 1956, she is a young girl living a relatively sheltered life with her grandparents in Memphis, Tennessee. One year later Martha's parents buy a home in a new Memphis subdivision and she moves back home to live with her parents and little sister, a move that will change her life forever. Martha's parents are happy enough to leave her to herself as long as she is home before dark every evening and she is quick to take advantage of that lack of attention.

Exploring the area on her bicycle one day, Martha is thrilled to discover, deep in the woods near her home, the little family enclave in which Lucy Boyd, her family's black housekeeper, lives. The Boyd family is at first a little uneasy about having Martha around so much, fearing what might happen if the little white girl is noticed there among them. Martha, however, because she understands her own family's racial attitudes well enough to know she can never tell them about her visits, is able to continue them in complete secrecy.

And continue, the visits do. Martha comes to know and love the several generations of Boyds living in their primitive family compound and they, in turn, accept her as one of their own. By the time her parents move the family to Texas, the Boyds have taught Martha more about the world and life than she will ever learn from her own parents, and she has become especially attached to Silas Boyd, a young man about her age.

What happens to Martha and Silas over the next few years is as much America's story as it is their own. Deeply in love though she might be, Martha realizes that her family is never likely to accept her love for a black man. Silas, on the other hand, has the reluctant approval of his mother but knows that being seen with a white girl in the 1960s South could cost him his life. Swept up by the rapidly changing events of the times, their story is one of inspiration and tragedy.

"In the Land of Cotton" is a touching reminder of those times for those of us who lived through them. Just as importantly, it is a very readable personal history of that period for those too young to remember it for themselves, history told in a manner that makes it both vivid and real - something even the best history books seldom achieve. -- 4/5 stars. Reviewed by Sam Sattler, Amazon Top 1000 Reviewers

Buy the book today here.
Martha A. Taylor, Author, "In the Land of Cotton"
Email: Taylortsg@Aol.com

Reparations for Slavery and Disenfranchisement to African Americans

Four Hundred Years of Injustice and Discrimination Discussed


New Book exposes the evil of slavery and argues that compensation must be given to African Americans

For over four centuries, African Americans have suffered from injustice and prejudice. Their struggle for equality continues as Xlibris, the leading print-on-demand self-publishing firm, announces the release of Reparations for Slavery and Disenfranchisement to African Americans: Four Hundred Years, the new book authored by Gene A. Brown.

The text reveals the magnitude and duration of the catastrophic injustice that African Americans suffered for over four hundred years, from the Middle Passage Voyages to the present. It offers an in-depth look at the evils of the institution of slavery and deems it to be the most heinous crime committed against humanity. This epic revelation unveils the panoramic details and accountability for the ills and effects of slavery. The climatic apex of this book presents the remedies of Litigation, Payments, Restitution, and Compensation to African Americans for Slave Labor and Bondage for nearly four centuries.

Readers will learn that the constitutional processes of granting black people their rights had long been delayed or ignored through the decades. While the 15th amendment of 1870 came into effect, white Southerners refused to accept the new status of the blacks and made suffrage for them tremendously difficult. It also analyzes the shortcomings of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, which freed only few people and did not apply to slaves in border states fighting on the Union side during the Civil War. As such, this release argues that African Americans still do not have the “permanent” right to vote in any state or jurisdiction of the nation. Not only does Brown ask for Reparations for Slavery, but for Disenfranchisement as well.

Filled with immense historical details, Reparations for Slavery and Disenfranchisement to African Americans: Four Hundred Years can spark a new wave of debates about civil rights, racial relations, and American history in general. Readers who wish to order a copy are encouraged to visit www.Xlibris.com or call (888) 795-4274.

About the Author

Gene A. Brown was born in 1941 in a small town in Georgia, southeast of Atlanta. He graduated Valedictorian of his high school class in 1960, which is the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement and the same year that Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Hamilton Holmes enrolled at the University of Georgia as its first black students. Brown attended Savannah State University in Savannah, Georgia in 1960, during the time that “sit-in” demonstrations were taking place at the lunch-counters, in the Southern States. Unable to secure financing for his second year, he moved to New York at Brooklyn College in 1962; he was a student of the renowned Dr. John Hope Franklin, who was then the Chairman of the Department of History. The author also attended the Bernard M. Baruch College in New York City, and he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Science from Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.

Reparations for Slavery and Disenfranchisement to African Americans: Four Hundred Years
by Gene A. Brown  read an excerpt here

Publication Date: March 30, 2009
Trade Paperback; $19.99; 177 pages; 978-1-4257-8220-7
Cloth Hardback; $29.99; 177 pages; 978-1-4257-8230-6

To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7479. Tear sheets may be sent by regular or electronic mail to Marketing Services. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7876.

Book Tour-How I Made The Angels Cry

Book: How I Made The Angels Cry by Meleisa Betts

Website: www.myspace.com/433250625
Email: molly.betts@yahoo.com
Publisher: Neighborhood Publishing
Pub. Date: April 2009
ISBN-13: 9780615290508

Molly is a woman who has lived the equivalent of two lifetimes, a life filled with at times hardship, struggle, triumphs but many challenges, sometimes of near epic proportions. In spite of this, she has never backed away from a situation or conflict despite the consequences, many of which have been enormous and there were great prices to be paid. This memoir, "How I Made the Angels Cry" is her struggle with spirituality, sexuality, corruption, injustice, and murder.

"It will take you from desperation to inspiration. What a liberating ride!"

Buy the book at: Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com or order from your local bookstore, distributed by Ingram Book Group.

Follow Author Meleisa Betts on her Internet Book Tour

Week 1

EDC Creations' Social Networks

http://blackhistory365.ning.com/
http://slsbookclubcenter.ning.com/
http://paradigmshiftaap.vox.com/
http://www.facebook.com/EDC.Creations
http://www.myspace.com/edc1creations
http://edcvirtualtours.spaces.live.com/


EDC Creations Sunday News Email Newsletters
18,000 Members: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?html=352823
2, 654 Members: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?html=301498


EDC Creations Facebook Features

Black Pearls Audio Book Preview




Week 2

The Thinking Woman

The Vox Book Club

Social Media Group

Book Reviews

The Inklings

The Beautiful People

Verbal Penetrations

African American by Association

Monthly Book Club

Girl Talk

BeYourOwn.Personal.Library

Mahogany Book Club

Young, Black, and Gifted Journalists!




Week 3

Mothers of Wisdom

MyBrothersKeeper.com

Crucial Diva

WeAreOne

Each-One-Teach-One

AfricanAmericans.NET

Chocolate Pages Network

Black Internet Marketers

BlackInAmerica.com

BlackJourneys.com

BlackHistory.com

BlackAuthorsConnect.com

BlackWomenConnect.com

DMV Black





Week 4

The Writers & Readers Lounge
183 Members

Reading is Sexy
78,198 Members

Passion for Books
10,689 Members

Girls Gone God!
6,425 Members

Urban Reviews Facebook Group
666 Members

African American Authors
397 Members

FB Book club
1,713 Members

African American Fiction
121 Members:

AA Facebook Bookclub
481 Members

Black Author Showcase
106 Members

African American Authors (Book Club)
146 Members

Aspiring Black Authors
354 Members

African American Opinions
318 Members


How I Made the Angels Cry Book Video




Meet Author Meleisa Betts
I am Meleisa Betts, an author and owner of my own publishing company "Neighborhood Publishing". I am single, currently living in New Orleans La., however, I was born in a small town in the state of Alabama called Monroeville. My only child is my darling dog, my peekapoo, MaryBell.

I have always had a need to share and communicate my thoughts to others. I am an accomplished member of "Toastmasters" which filled a need to convey my thoughts somewhat, yet it did not allow the opportunity for me to reach a broad audience. I felt as though I had an important message that could help people.

We all have stories and a belief that ours are capable of sustaining book and movies yet how many lives actually are living morals; examples of what NOT to do and the consequences of those actions? I felt and still feel that there are many people living secret lives with things that they dare not share for a fear of being judged. My mission is to prove to the reader that the best therapy for the soul is not a psychiatrist (although counseling is a necessary process in many cases) but rather blunt force honesty; a raw openness and truth.

Fundamentally a psychiatrist makes the patient talk about his or herself, and in revealing those intimate truths the patient feels better. Why must we wait until the psychiatrist asks us to before we can be honest with ourselves? We give ourselves aspirin for a headache or an antacid when our stomach is upset; then why can't we give ourselves a little "self-revelation" therapy?

That is my approach to "How I Made The Angels Cry". It is 100% truthful but I chose to use a principle of "shock and raw". What this means is, I wanted to leave my life exposed and threadbare, not filter or edit the book for an audience but to tell the honest truth.

Before I decided to always be forthcoming, I was living a shell of a life, frustrated, confused and basically a farce. However since changing my perspective to one of complete honesty and openness it has been an altogether different life for me, one which is free of pretense and pressure to be SOMETHING. I now simply am.

I want the book to stand as testimony to future readers that LIES only escalate, and have to be escaped, yet the truth has to be told only once, and it stands on its own. The best therapy for a troubled conscience is for one to be completely honest with the one person who matters most on planet Earth: Yourself.

"How I Made The Angels Cry" is a memoir based upon my actual experiences in an improbable life, and only the names have been changed to protect the anonymity of the persons involved in the book. It is indeed graphic and discusses sexuality and manipulation of people and circumstances in an open forum that many dare not to attempt. In fact few authors have written in such open and graphic detail, as I have left my life completely open to the judgment of others. I accept this wholeheartedly and if this method helps others to escape their own demons and unlocks the door of emotional imprisonment, then I have succeeded.

I hope that by writing such an open discourse that I can encourage others to be as open in discussing their own fears and desires rather than keeping them simmering below the surface like a pot ready to boil over. HONESTLY is liberating, LIES are condemning and things that are kept within are potentially maddening; Again, that IS why we have psychiatrists, is it not? Through my book "How I Made The Angels Cry" I hope to offer an example of how being honest can save a soul.

Meleisa Betts
Email: molly.betts@yahoo.com

Publisher: Neighborhood Publishing (April 1, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0615290507; ISBN-13: 978-0615290508

Capital BookFest 5th Anniversary

5th Anniversary Capital BookFest
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Time: 10am-7pm EST

Location:
Boulevard at the Capital Centre
900 Capital Centre Boulevard, Largo 20774

Meet Ella Curry of EDC Creations for live reader interviews!

Celebrating 5 Years of Strengthening Families through Reading

Event Description: Presented in partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Bookfest features author readings, publishing workshops, poetry performances, children's storytelling, teen programs, and over 75 vendors. Free books to the first 1,000 people.

The authors talks include discussions with Nelson George, Tim Reid, Liza Mundy (Michelle Obama: Biography), Sonya Sones, Marita Golden, Lori Nelson, Ronald Cotton (Picking Cotton), Chef Gillian Clark, Sahar Simmons, Le Hinton, Victoria Christopher Murray, W. Ralph Eubanks, Lucille Clifton, Omar Tyree, Kimberly Seals Allers (The Mocha Moms Manual), Charisse Nunes (I am Barack Obama children’s book), and several teen authors.

This year, in response to President Barack Obama’s call to service, the Capital BookFest and the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services will team up to promote healthy homes for children in foster care. Visit www.capitalbookfest.org for a schedule of events. All ages welcome. Cost: FREE admission

Capital BookFest Founder

Kwame Alexander, a poet, publisher, playwright, producer, dynamic speaker, and performer, is the author of eight books -including the best-selling Do The Write Thing: 7 Steps to Publishing Success, Kupenda: Love Poems, Dancing Naked on the Floor: poems and essays, and The Way I Walk, a collection of young adult short stories.

He has conducted standing-room only publishing workshops, delivered awe-inspiring keynote speeches, and performed his cutting-edge brand of poetry to audiences at numerous conferences, colleges and venues throughout the world, including: Stratford-on-Avon, Brixton Town Hall, Oberlin College, UC Berkeley, Hampton University, Duke University, University of Maryland, America's Choice National Conference, Baltimore Writers Alliance, and the Gwendolyn Brooks Writers Conference.

Alexander has produced over two-hundred literary related special events, the most recent being the First Annual Capital BookFest, a major literary arts festival sponsored by The Washington Post, Chick-fil-A, and The Literacy Council of Prince George's County. Dubbed a "phenom" in the poetry world by The Charleston (SC) City Paper, Alexander has wowed audiences with his electric readings and performances at coffeehouses, theatres, and universities across the country and abroad. In 2002, 2004, and 2005 Alexander was selected as a special guest author for the Library of Congress Poets at Noon Series, and The Washington Post-Maryland Center for the Book Evening in The Stacks Gala.

The founder of two book publishing companies, BlackWords Press and Do The Write Thing , this publishing veteran of over fifteen years is responsible for some of the most progressive, original and exciting fiction and non-fiction on the shelves today. He has published over forty authors in different genres, including: M. Dion Thompson, former Baltimore Sun reporter and author of the critically-acclaimed historical novel Walk Like A Natural Man; Lalita Noronha, author of the short story collection, Where Monsoons Cry; and Michael Datcher, Today Show Book Club Awardee and editor of Tough Love: The Life and Death of Tupac Shakur . Kwame Alexander has served as a judge for several local and national literary awards, including the Georgia Writer's Awards, and the Washington, DC Parkmont Poetry Awards. Among his many board appointments are The CityLit Project, Baltimore's Artscape Festival, and the Hippodrome Arts & Education Committee. Alexander is a graduate of Virginia Tech, where he studied under renowned poet Nikki Giovanni.

He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and daughter, where he hosts a weekly radio program, Word of Mouth, and serves as poet-in-the-schools for Crossland High School/Prince George's County Schools. When not working on several new and exciting book and TV/film projects, he enjoys reading, writing, and a good game of chess.

Book Celebraton: Who Is He To You

Join the Party with Ella Curry and Author Monique D. Mensah as we celebrate the release of Who Is He To You!

EDC Creations and the Sankofa Literary Society announces the official virtual book tour of Monique D. Mensah, the award-winning author of the dramatic fiction, Who Is He To You. Come party with us September 1 to October 30, 2009.

Follow Monique D. Mensah on an interesting journey all over the Internet from the comfort of your home. Readers will be intrigued by the intelligent exploration of sensitive issues such as cutting, emotional abuse, depression, and drug-addiction. The first page is filled with intense emotion and a descriptive setting that pulls the reader right into the scene. This virtual book tour is brought to you by EDC Creations Media Group.

Give the Gift of Knowledge Campaign
EDC Creations announces the launch of the 2009-2010 Give the Gift of Knowledge Campaign, bringing readers and authors together to help improve literacy and change lives through the gift of books. A sincere thank you to all of our tour hosts, wonderful readers and book club members who continue to support us and our authors and business owners. During our travels, we meet so many wonderful people and we look forward to meeting more of you, and getting to know you and providing what you need to satisfy your literary appetite. If you have not done so already, please sign up for our newsletter to stay abreast of new literary events and the latest book news, reviews and author tours. We select 4 newsletter subscribers each week to review newly released books for us. Sign up for our Sunday News Literary Email Newsletter here.

Prizes for Bloggers and Reviewers
We offer special gifts for those who support the authors during our Intimate Evening reading series on BAN Radio and to those who respond to the posts! To become eligible to win 1 of 5 copies of Who Is He To You by Monique Mensah, follow author Monique Mensah on her virtual tour and leave comments at the blog stops and interviews. The lucky winners will be announced on EDC Creations' Black Pearls magazine blog on November 7, 2009!




Join the Who Is He To You Book Release Celebration

If you would like to follow the Who Is He To You virtual book tour, visit the online media center frequently at http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/moniquemensah.htm for the tour schedule. Meet Monique on the sites listed and add your comments or reviews. If you would like to host author Monique Mensah on your site, blog, radio show or magazine, please visit the online media center and select promotional material that will Give the Gift of Knowledge to your network.

Thank you all for Giving the Gift of Knowledge! Make sure to check out our bookshelves for gifts and books that change lives. Let's get this party started!

EDC Creations- Book Stores
http://astore.amazon.com/edcmagazine-20
http://astore.amazon.com/sanklitesoci-20

Ella Curry, president of EDC Creations
Website: http://www.edc-creations.com/

WHO IS HE TO YOU BOOK TOUR CELEBRATION

WEEK 1
Who Is He To You Book Launch Party
Listen to the exciting book release party with fans
Author: Monique Mensah
Book: Who Is He To You
Genre: Dramatic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780578023489

Download a copy of the Who Is He To You Book Launch Party
Click here and save to your computer


Urban Literary Review Radio Show
Sept 11, 2009 @ 9p EST
Website: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/urbanliteraryreview

Black Pearls Magzine Sistas Corner
http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/sistacorner.htm

EDC Creations Media Launch
http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/moniquemensah.htm

EDC Authors on Tour in Reading Room
Profiles listed for media and bookclubs
http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/readingroom.html

EDC Creations 2009 Fall Authors on Tour
Eblast: http://tinyurl.com/fallauthorspart1

Sylvia Hubbard and Motown Writers- Each Monday in Sept.
http://motownwriters.blogspot.com/
http://michiganliterarynetwork.com/

Unika Molden The Unique Reviewer
http://www.theuniquereviewer.blogspot.com/

AAMBC Book Tours Spotlight
http://www.aambcbooktours.blogspot.com/

Create A Unique Xperience with Unika
http://createauniquexperience.blogspot.com/

---

WEEK 2
Intimate Evenings Reading Series

Audio Introduction Who Is He To You by Monique D. Mensah

Audio Excerpt Who Is He To You by Monique D. Mensah


Read an Excerpt of Who Is He to You by Monique D. Mensah
Read the excerpt

Monique D. Mensah - Book Tour Media Sheet
Read the media sheet here

EDC Creations Best Books Summer 2009
Check out the Top Books List

Simply Said Reading Accessories
Read the feature

Erotic Expressions Blog
Read the feature

Intimate Conversation with Monique D. Mensah
http://edcmagazine.blogspot.com/

ASA - Authors Supporting Authors
http://asanetwork.blogspot.com

Author Arlinda McGlothin Spotlights Authors on Tour
http://www.lindarinsights.blogspot.com

---

WEEK 3

Party with MySpace Fans
The Making of Who Is He To You by Monique D. Mensah

EDC Creations at MySpace
Read the feature

Sankofa Literary Society Authors Spotlight
Monique D. Mensah Journey to Publication

Black Authors Network at MySpace
Read the feature

Black Pearls eSpot Live Reading
Read the feature

BAN Community Blog

Read the feature

African American Book Club!
Read the feature

Readers of African American Books
Read the feature

Myspace Book Club
Read the feature

Black Fiction Writers Community
Read the feature

Book Lovers Book Club
Read the feature

The Readers Circle at Myspace
Read the feature

African American Fiction
Read the feature

Everything in Between Reading Group
Read the feature

Black People World Wide
Read the feature

SPEAK SISTER
Read the feature

---

WEEK 4
Party with Vox Fans
Articles by Monique D. Mensah

SLS Literary Society
Read the feature

The Inklings
Read the feature

The Thinking Woman
Read the feature

The Book Club at Vox
Read the feature

The Beautiful People

Read the feature

Verbal Penetrations
Read the feature

African American by Association
Read the feature

Monthly Book Club
Read the feature

Girl Talk

Read the feature

Be Your Own.Personal.Library
Read the feature

Mahogany Book Club
Read the feature

Moms Who Shop
Read the feature

---

WEEK 5
Party with the Connect Platform Fans
Inside Who Is He To You by Monique D. Mensah

Young, Black, and Gifted Journalists!
Read the feature

Mothers of Wisdom
Read the feature

My Brothers Keeper.com
Read the feature

Crucial Diva

Read the feature

We Are One

Read the feature

Each-One-Teach-One

Read the feature

African Americans.NET

Read the feature

Chocolate Pages Network

Read the feature

Black Internet Marketers
Read the feature

Black In America.com
Read the feature

Black Journeys.com
Read the feature

Black History.com
Read the feature

Black Authors Connect
Read the feature

Black Women Connect

Read the feature

DMV Black

Read the feature

---

WEEK 6
Entertainment for the Party Goers

Off the Pages Podcast
Website: http://www.offthepagespodcast.com/
Call in number is (724) 444-7444-- Call ID: 60248
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 9:00 pm EST

Book Videos for Who Is He to You by Monique D. Mensah
Check out the trailer for Who Is He To You at Facebook
Check out the trailer for Who Is He To You at YouTube


Who Is He To You at iZania
Enter the community

Black Authors Network Blog
http://profilesinblack.blogspot.com/

SLS Paradigm Shift
Read the feature

Sankofa's Literary Review
Read the feature

Shortbook Showcase

Read the feature

EDC Creations Tours
Read the feature

---

WEEK 7
Party with Black Planet Fans
Excerpt Presentations

Amazon Readers 5-Star Reviews
Read the rave reviews

EDC Creations at BlackPlanet
http://www.blackplanet.com/EDC1Creations

BOOKS LOVERS
http://groups.blackplanet.com/BOOKSLOVER

Black Planet Book of the Month
http://groups.blackplanet.com/BookoftheMonth

Fabulous Black Woman
http://groups.blackplanet.com/fabulousblackwoman

Ghettostocracy
http://groups.blackplanet.com/Ghettostocracy

Black Planet Journalists
http://groups.blackplanet.com/BlackPlanetJournalists

African American Authors Pavilion
http://groups.blackplanet.com/aaauthors

---

WEEK 8
SO BLACK, SO BEAUTIFUL
http://groups.blackplanet.com/SBSB

It's Poppin!
http://groups.blackplanet.com/itspoppin

Black Planet Book Club
http://groups.blackplanet.com/blackplanetbookclub

Smart & Educated Black Women
http://groups.blackplanet.com/educatedblackwomen

BP BOOK LOVERS
http://groups.blackplanet.com/BOOKLOVERS

African American Fiction Lovers!
http://groups.blackplanet.com/hotblackauthors

African-American Authors & Writers
http://groups.blackplanet.com/African-American-Authors-Writers

The Black Book Club Podcast
http://groups.blackplanet.com/TBBCP

---

Connect with Monique D. Mensah Online

Who Is He To You by Monique Mensah
Website: http://www.moniquedmensah.com/
Email: monique@moniquedmensah.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mdmensah
Fanclub: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=84945652309
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/monique-d-mensah/14/33/220
Blog at: http://moniquedmensah.wordpress.com/


Purchase Who Is He to You by Monique D. Mensah
Barnes and Noble or at Amazon

Murder, Incest and Depression discussed in Who Is He to You

Sankofa Literary Society Authors Spotlight
Monique D. Mensah Journey to Publication

Ella: Monique, tell us those Intimate Details about your book and the people within, Who Is He to You.
MDM: As the shattered lives of Simone, Ryan and Jessica collide, they find that they have one thing in common: they are all in a desperate fight to hang on to love that doesn’t love them back.

Simone, a beautiful 14-year-old girl, lies in her bed begging God to take her life. She says the same prayer every night, but mercilessly, He ignores her pleas. She believes that God left her on this earth to cope with incestuous rape the best way she knows how—through self-mutilation. Simone’s father loves her; he always has. But realizing that Simone processes something that no other woman has, he allows himself to fall in love with his own daughter. Simone’s family is one of affluence and prestige and she couldn’t live with herself if she tarnished that reputation and disappointed her mother’s high expectations. She doesn’t want her father to go to prison and she can’t tell her mother. Her father just needs help. Once he gets the help he needs, they can return to the happy and normal family they once were.

Ryan is falling fast into the cold and isolated world of depression. The only thing that keeps her dangling on to hope is her boyfriend, Anthony’s, empty promises of marriage. After two years, their relationship suddenly begins to unravel at an alarming rate. Ryan is clueless as to why their relationship has taken such a dramatic change for the worst, but refusing to be single and childless at mid-life, she is determined to make it work.

Jessica is a polished and refined wife of a high-powered attorney, but she has a hardcore interior. She grew up in a dilapidated trailer with an alcoholic and abusive mother who hated her because she was half-black. When she met her husband, Ross Anthony Pembroke, while dancing as a stripper at a bachelor party, she was convinced that he was her savior. He trained and molded her into a well-groomed trophy wife. But Jessica will never be good enough for him. Ross will never accept her as long as she doesn’t accept herself.

You and the readers will have to read the book to see how these storylines turn out!


Spread the word about Who Is He to You by Monique D. Mensah
Click on full screen button to preview and download

Author Monique Mensah Media Sheet -



Ella: What inspired you to write this novel?
MDM: I constantly have story ideas and characters flowing through my mind. A conversation I’ve overheard, a television show, or a news story may spark some ideas. Sometimes I pull from my own experiences or those of my friends. However, the concept of Who Is He To You emerged purely from my imagination.

I was prompted by a close friend to get started on my first novel and shortly after I came up with a broad, general idea. I knew that I wanted to defuse some stereotypes and keep the readers shocked and guessing. I wanted to write about things, other authors have yet to explore. The rest unfolded throughout the writing process.


Ella: What message(s) are you trying to convey to the readers?
MDM: When I started writing Who Is He To You, I did it with the sole intention to entertain. It wasn’t until after I completed the manuscript and read the story in its entirety did I recognize the underlying messages weaved throughout the plot. Women too often count on the men in their lives to validate or complete them. For Simone it was her father, Ryan’s boyfriend, and Jessica’s husband. Women have to learn to love themselves, recognize their self-worth and learn to be happy instead of expecting a man to fill the gaps in their lives.


Ella: What do you want the readers to feel when reading about the struggles of the three main characters?
MDM: It is my responsibility as the author to create a unique experience for my readers. When reading Who Is He To You, my readers should feel as if they are in the room with these characters, experiencing their stories first hand. I want the readers to feel Simone’s pain, desperation and uncertainty. They should empathize with Ryan’s frustration, and root for Jessica’s emergence into her identity. My goal is to have my readers identify a piece of themselves in one of the three main characters. That makes the story realistic and relatable.


Ella: Do you identify with any of the main characters? How so?
MDM: I definitely identify with Ryan the most. I have never had a drug-addiction, but I have experienced depression and the frustrations of dealing with an emotionally unhealthy relationship. Some of the situations Ryan endures in the novel were inspired by my own experiences. I tried to exert feelings I had at those times into Ryan’s character in order to make her more real and relatable.


Ella: How would you describe your writing style?
MDM: My writing style is very descriptive. I like to set the scene and vividly illustrate the emotions and feelings of the characters as they experience each situation. I am also a bold writer; writing about real situations and making my characters come to life with thoughts and actions that depict real life. I am not afraid to write about the ugly truths of reality like the mixed emotions Simone had about her relationship with her father. I stay away from the simplicity of stating the obvious in my writing. I want to broaden my readers’ minds and give them insight into some things they have not otherwise thought about.


Ella: What differentiates you and your novel from other novels in your genre?
MDM: Who Is He To You is edgy and unpredictable. The characters are flawed, complicated, and multi-dimensional. Each chapter is filled with dramatic, descriptive scenes that pull the reader right into the story. Who Is He To You is an intense experience with real depictions of character reactions, emotions, and life situations. The novel gives an intelligent exploration of the infrequently discussed issues of incest, self-injury, and depression in the African-American community. It also breaks down and dispels some stereotypes and opens the readers eyes to fresh, new perspectives.


Ella: What is your writing process?
MDM: I have a freestyle method of writing. I don’t create outlines for the story or characters. I start with a general idea, and then I begin to type. I allow the characters to take on lives of their own and guide me through to the end. Although I find it difficult to stick to structure, I try to commit to writing at least an hour a day. If during that time, I am unable to come up with actual material, I will spend that time thinking of how to further the story or alter what I’ve already written. I need complete silence when writing because I tend to be distracted easily. I usually write at home, in the evenings after my daughter has fallen asleep. I completed Who Is He To You in nine months by committing to that schedule.


Ella: What can readers expect from you in the future?
MDM: My readers can expect more dramatic, intense novels filled with literary adrenaline. I will always provide original plots, real dialogue, and believable characters. I like to read the kind of books that make me want to flip back to the beginning after reaching the end. I hope to provide that same type of experience for my readers. My novels will evoke strong emotion and audible reactions. Overall, my readers can expect a unique experience.


Ella: What advice would you give aspiring authors following in your footsteps?
MDM: I would advise aspiring authors to find your own writing style, perfect it, and stick to it. Don’t compare yourself to other established authors. Don’t try to write like your favorite author. Write in a way that identifies you as an individual and differentiates you from everyone else. In addition to writing, I read a lot of novels. Often after reading a book by one of my favorite authors, I would immediately begin to feel insecure about my own writing because I did not write like him or her. I had to learn to be confident in my writing and secure in my talent. You don’t want to be just like someone else. You want to stand out and be different.


Ella: What are your long-term writing plans and goals?
MDM: Just about every writer wants to make it to the bestseller list and I am no different. I want to be able to reach a wide range of readers and make my mark on the literary world. I am currently working on my second novel and I plan to keep going from there, making a successful career for myself as an author. My ultimate goal is to earn the privilege of being a full-time author. I look forward to the days when I will make a living from my passion.

Book: Who Is He To You by Monique Mensah
Website: http://www.moniquedmensah.com
Buy the book from Barnes and Noble
Buy the book from Amazon.com


Shop for great books at EDC Creations Bookstores:
> http://astore.amazon.com/edcmagazine-20
> http://astore.amazon.com/sanklitesoci-20