Vocal Expressions

Sharon Lucas has done it again! YES, the 2018 BARR weekend (September 14 – 15, 2018) at the Harborside Hotel in Oxon Hill, MD was a hit. On Friday, I taught a workshop titled “Why Joining a Writing Group Makes You a Star!” I had a great group of folks who were interested in learning what to look for in a writing group and how to start one. I will share the tips in a separate upcoming blog post. Later that evening, the audience tuned in to the Men in Literature Panel that featured Victor McGlothin and Black Topp. Both authors talked about their writing journeys and future plans. This was followed by a reception in honor of the BARR 2018 Literary Icon Tina McElroy Ansa. On Saturday, there was a live taping of the “The Tea,” an online talk show for people who love books. Janelle Clayton, Deborah Franklin, Nigeria Lockley, and Dina Strachen discussed Barracoon by Zora Neal Hurston. It got very emotional at times. I made a note to put this book in my re...

In this short story, Gil Brewer introduces us to Cora Fleming a married woman with a past as a “big-time call girl.” Enter Rush Taylor, who poses as her “cousin” who comes to visit Cora and her husband, Ernie who is a very busy writer. Unbeknownst to Ernie, Rush would place horrifying sexual demands on Cora and sometimes even beating her while Ernie is busy typing away on his typewriter. Cora feared that someday Ernie would start asking her about her bruises. The plot thickens when Ernie suspects something isn’t right with Rush staying under their roof and wants Rush gone. But Cora is in a quandary because although she agrees that Rush should go she doesn’t quite know how to do it. And this is where it gets quite interesting. Let me just say I didn’t know this short story would be packed with such noir. Gil Brewer did an awesome job at wrapping up this story with a delicious twist!  Great read! Two thumps way up! Note : This short story appeared in Gil Brewer’s A Devil for...

DL: Hello everyone! It’s my pleasure to introduce guest blogger, Wendy Coakley-Thompson, President of Duho Books, a boutique press based in the Washington, D.C. area. Wendy will talk about her writing career and her journey into the publishing world. WCT: Hi Dee. Thanks much for the opportunity. When I talk to people about Duho Books, my new Washington DC boutique publishing company that showcases the vibrant history, culture, and people of The Bahamas, I immediately prepare myself for the barrage of questions.   Questions like “What’s a ‘duhu’?” “Why would you publish books about The Bahamas?”   “Does The Bahamas even have a literary tradition?”   In answering such questions, I find that it helps to return to the past for the answers.             In the summer of 2016, I’d been musing deeply about my writing career—or what was left of it. Since 2002, when I’d become a serious published author, I’d made myriad attempts at hacking the publis...

Author’s Bio : Leo is a Cameroonian-American author. He published his first novel The Bright Eyes , Book One of the series in October 2017. He has a bachelor’s degree in banking and finance and a master’s degree in business administration. He currently works as an auditor for the State of Maryland. He enjoys many activities including sports, fitness, travelling, and martial arts (taijutsu). DL: What’s the inspiration for writing your books? LN: The love of writing, of creativity. There is something about transducing a concept to script that is very fulfilling and fun. DL: Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult? LN: Robert Ludlum remains my all-time favorite! The Bourne Identity was the first and only book that, once I started reading, I didn’t stop until I was done. The Hermit , by T. Lobsang Rampa, The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ , by Levi H. Dowling, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, and the Christian Bible ar...