Sunday, August 23, 2015

3 THINGS with NIGERIA LOCKLEY




Nigeria Lockley is steadily building a name for herself in the  literary industry. Her novel Born At Dawn won the 2015
Wheatley 2015 First Fiction Award. Her second novel
 Seasoned with Grace released in July 2015.
 

Below are ‘3 Things’ about the author and her work.
 
3 THINGS ABOUT NIGERIA LOCKLEY

1.      I’m a native New Yorker.
2.      I took dance class when I was a child at the Boys and Girls Club.
3.      My first job was at McDonald’s.
3 Things about Seasoned with Grace
1.      I wrote most of the book on my cell phone.
2.      There is a parallel between some of the events in the book and the Bill Cosby situation. That was totally unplanned.
3.      The protagonist, Grace King struggles with drug and alcohol addiction.

Book Synopsis: Sentenced to probation, thirty-year-old, supermodel Grace King must put her plans of transitioning into acting to extend the longevity of her career on hold. Desperate to keep a close eye on Grace and his job Grace’s ambitious lawyer, Ethan Summerville has her complete community service in the last place Grace wants to be. His church.

Instead of God, Grace finds a "chocolate drop" of a man-Brother Horace Green. However, Horace isn't looking for a supermodel. He wants his woman saved and sanctified, but Grace has never met a man who has been able to resist her. Will Horace compromise his faith for a tast of fortune, fame, and Grace?

While Grace focuses on the pursuit of passion Ethan finds one director willing to take a risk and cast Grace in his debut film, but this role fits Grace all too well. Will this film revive Grace’s relationship with God and her career or bring her closer to destruction?
You can learn more about then author at her home on the net: www.nigerialockley.com

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

'TIS the SEASON


The summer season is fast approaching and many have already made the decision to attend some type of reader or writing event.

As an aspiring, novice or established writer there is wisdom in seeking to enhance your skill set and/or gain visibility within the reading and writing community. To better understand the value of industry based knowledge one might consider attending a writer’s conference, writer’s retreat, writing workshop, book festival, book club event or reader’s convention.

While most may view these venues as a social event, the majority of them are the valuable tool writers can benefit from attending. They are worthwhile in an ever-evolving industry because most serve multiple purposes. Chief among those purposes is the ability to expose the writer to the world of possibilities they may not have known existed or did not previously have a way of connecting to.

Over the years these once primarily academic events have evolved into a combination of continuing education and memorable social events. To date there are a myriad of options to satisfy a writer's need. However, before you rush to fill out registration and push send, be sure that you understand what it is you need and if the event you’re considering will fill that need. To assist you with your making your decision, brief definitions of various writing events are listed below.

Writer’s Conference – For the most part a writer’s conference provides the attendees with introduction to basics and continuing education as it pertains to the craft of writing and publishing. Those offerings most often are taught in a one-hour classroom setting by industry professionals. There may be many classes offered, and for the preservation of time, they are run simultaneously. It will be up to you to determine which will be the most beneficial for you. At some conferences there is also opportunity to pitch to an agent, editor or publisher representative, receive free books and interact with popular authors. The conference may offer a luncheon and formal dinner, both with a keynote speaker (usually a popular author), and book signing events.

Writer’s Retreat – The writer’s retreat is less formal than the writer’s conference. The retreat offers concentrated instruction in the area of writing in a comfortable and often secluded environment that lends to a sense of fellowship with attendees. The primary focus is to instill a sense of confidence in the writer while teaching foundational skills that will inspire their creativity.

Writing Workshops – Writing workshops are often locally held events hosted by a literary professional. The offerings are usually in the areas of writing basics and editing.

Book Festivals – Book festivals are events that give opportunity to expose the author to a large number of readers. Some festivals offer a main stage/VIP event with headline authors. Author participants can be as few as a dozen tor as many as several hundred.

Book Club Conferences/Conventions – These events often cater to fans of a particular genre, but some have expanded to encompass several genres for a greater impact. The convention offers programs and events that give opportunity for attendees to meet experts in that field, popular personalities and to become a part of the culture for the duration of the convention.

Attending one of the many literary events offered each year can be a memorable and life-changing event. Before registering, be sure to know what it is you want to experience and take away from your investment.
For those who feel that the investment of travel, accommodations and registration fees may be out of their budget—don’t despair. Online conferences may be the perfect option for you.
To find out what writing events are being held online or in physical locations, type your request into your favorite search engine, ask a friend or those in one of your writing groups. You may be surprised at what you might find that will fit your industry and budgetary needs.

 
Until next time, I encourage you to use your words to bear good fruit!

 

Linda!

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Do You Have the Victory?

Claim the victories in your life. They may be small or large, but they are worth celebrating.
 


Linda!

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

UNITY



In this world there are so many who have embraced the ‘Me-Me’ mentality. Too often we’re so consumed about an individual agenda being met that the good of whole gets lost.
It warmed my heart yesterday as I watched the groups of Baltimore residents ban together to clean the aftermath of a night of violence in their city. To me that signified a sense of unity.
Their actions may not have impressed everyone, but to me their collective effort displayed the true heart of the city.
 
 
Linda!

Tuesday, April 28, 2015


Trust is something that we all would like to have in all of our relationships. Trust is something that has to be earned, is highly regarded and can be easily broken.
Placing trust in ourselves is something that is developed over a period of time.  Like other relationships (yes you should have a relationship with yourself), when trusting yourself, it requires a measure of belief.
In this life having a healthy trust/belief in your abilities is necessary. Without that trust, that belief in your abilities it will be easy for others to tell you who you are and what you’re not capable of. Likewise, a lack of trust in self defeats the purpose you’re born to as you convince yourself of who you aren’t.
Trust in ones abilities is not being conceited; its understanding who you are and what you’re capable of. Trust your gut and trust that you are all that you've been set on this earth to be.
 
Linda!

Monday, April 27, 2015

SOLID PLANS


Over the years that I’ve been writing and reviewing many people have asked how I’ve been able to achieve the measure of success that I have. My answer is a very simple one. I wrote what I believed to be a solid business plan and did my best to stay on track with it.
Many believe that writing the story is all that you need to do. I’m sure that many authors will tell you that writing the story is only a portion of what it takes to achieve a measure of success in the industry. And if I may so bold, I will dare to say that whether your business is featured on the stock exchange, an established fixture in your community or the most important one of all, seeing to the budget of your family, having a solid plan is vital.
 
It is said that a person without a plan is planning to fail. That is true in some many ways.  Although it is, I’d also submit that a solid plan doesn’t always have to be a long drawn out process, but it should be one that is thought out and executed with care.
 
Linda!

Friday, April 24, 2015

LIVE YOUR PERSONAL RAINBOW


I often tell people that I’m not afraid of color—and I’m not. I love vibrant colors and wear them often and incorporate them into the décor of my home, workplace and the multiple projects I create.
To me, color, my personal rainbow represents the many attributes that makes me – ME!
I’ve embraced who I am and live being unapologetically me. I encourage you to do the same. Whether your color palate consists of earth tones, deep jewel tones or tips the color spectrum with the vibrancy of electric pink; the point is to dare to live out loud embracing the multiple colors of your personal rainbow.