Vocal Expressions

This was the first novel that I’ve read by Diane McKinney-Whetstone and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. In Tumbling , McKinney-Whetstone weaves an intricate tale of family, love, commitment, sacrifices, and community. The novel which is set in South Philadelphia during the 1940s, finds Herbie in a tenuous situation. He is a man who loves his wife, Noon, but because of her “problem” of being unable to consummate the marriage because of a horrible incident in her past, he finds comfort in the arms of Ethel, a sultry jazz club singer. These two women were worlds apart:  Noon, a good churchgoing woman is comfortable wearing sensible shoes and Ethel; a woman built to be chased by men and wouldn’t be caught without wearing her red high heels. One night after coming home from the speakeasy, Herbie finds a cardboard box with a baby in it swaddled in a “loosely knitted bright pink blanket,” with eyes as “dark as coals.” He and Noon decide to raise the child whom they called Fannie ...

Author’s Bio: A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Shermell K. Ward now lives in the State of Maryland. Growing up all over the United States as an Air-Force brat gave her diverse experiences and upbringing. Ms. Ward has one son. She graduated and received a dual Degree in Business Management and Marketing (2009), along with a Master's Degree in Management (2011). Ms. Ward continues to strive for awareness in the community by speaking at various events empowering women and men to learn, leave their past behind, and focus on their future. Her hobbies are writing, reading, exercising, traveling, and continually gaining new profound knowledge, spiritual growth, and rebirths. What inspired you to write your book? What inspired me to write the book was the process to heal from my pain, disappointments, of relationships, marriage, divorce, and losing a baby. I am not ashamed. I am not a failure. I am a successor, why? Because I survived all of those experiences. Is there a...

Author’s Bio: MaRita Teague has a master’s in English from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a bachelor’s from The Ohio State University.  She has taught college English composition for many years.  MaRita has published both fiction and non-fiction and has written the inspirational blog, Abiding in the Vine, Writing to Bear Fruit, for almost ten years.  She also  does freelance writing for Urban Ministries, Inc., among other organizations.  She has contributed to a number of publications, most notably, A Cup of Comfort Devotional for Mothers, All My Good Habits I Learned from Grandma, and Living the Serenity Prayer.   Every Closed Eye Ain’t Sleep is her second novel (Urban Books-Kensington October 2015).  Her first novel, The Taste of Good Fruit was published by Harrison House Publishing Company.  MaRita speaks to women’s groups and is on the leadership team for the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Washi...

How important is dialogue in a story? I asked myself this question as I’m going through the editing process of my upcoming novel,  Gotta Get It Back . Short answer – it’s HUGE! You see, dialogue is what makes the characters come alive. It increases the pace of the story and makes it more dynamic. Moreover, it gives the characters a voice and allows them to engage each other on paper. It also gives readers a reason to pull up a chair and get to know the characters, what drives them nuts, why they have attitudes and why their emotions and motivations matter. And I love it when my characters can tell me what’s up! Here’s a snippet of what’s to come: I sat down on the padded swivel kitchen stool. After sucking in a deep breath, I asked my father, “Have you been drinking?” “James, Chapter 1, verses two through three gives us encouragement…” My father could make a sermon out of anything. “Okay, don’t have a Bible in front of me right now, but what do you need encouragement for now?” “You...