Vocal Expressions

June was a month filled with lots of surprises for me. I signed up to participate in the Langston Hughes Literary Forum & Book Fair on July 11, 2012, got some new members to my website, shared great meals with friends, saw some good movies, did an interview with Black Literature Magazine, an online magazine and was asked to be part of a planning committee for a writers/fan conference, Creatures, Crimes & Creativity, scheduled for September 2013. So, I've been very busy and very thankful at the same time. Let's see what July has in store for me!

Wow - I really enjoyed the modern day spin on this fairy tale! The plot, the fight scenes, the dialogue and Charlize Theron playing the evil sorceress Ravenna were awesome. Two thumbs up! Synopsis (Moviefone): In the epic action-adventure 'Snow White and the Huntsman,' Kristen Stewart ('Twilight') plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Oscar winner Charlize Theron) who is out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the one girl threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, 'Thor') who was dispatched to kill her. Sam Claflin ('Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides') joins the cast as the prince long enchanted by Snow White's beauty and power.

When the Maryland Writers Association put out a call for volunteers to sit at their table and promote them at the C Street Arts Festival in Laurel, MD, I didn't hesitate. Since this was the inaugural C Street Arts Festival I thought this would be a great opportunity to present myself as a local author to the community. Although it was hot outside, I met some cool folks, authors, artists, poets, etc.  I look forward to doing this festival again next year!

I was invited as a guest to the Author's Dinner Group at Old Europe (a German restaurant) by fellow authors B. Swangin Webster and Austin Camacho. This group of authors were very open to "newcomers" and welcomed us with very loud applause as we each stood and told them a snippet about ourselves. When I arrived after trying to find parking on Wisconsin Ave, dinner was just about ready to be served. The place was packed and everyone was cozily sitting in their seats until I had to squeeze myself between tables to get to a seat. So needless to say, I didn't move for the rest of the night. But that was okay because I was entertained by an investigative reporter from Italy (Milan), and others from France, and the US. We shared stories, drank wine and had quite a few laughs before I left. Overall, I had a wonderful evening and I look forward to dining with the group next year!

This month was jammed packed with activities: book signings, networking with fellow authors, writing, socializing with friends, celebrating Mother's Day, watching great movies, including the Avengers which I saw this evening. Sometimes, you really have to go with the flow and this month I thought I would have more down time but sadly that wasn't the case. However, I did manage to set a schedule for myself and I've been sticking with it thus far...until next time, have fun reading my blog and leave me a comment if you like!

This weekend should have been a time for cookouts and enjoying some family time. Instead, my  was jam packed with activities: having dinner and lunches with friends and networking with fellow authors and publishers. By the time I got home this evening, I was beat to the streets which left me just enough time to relax and get ready to go again for the week. Whew, I really need to block some alone time for myself!

Sometimes our lives get so busy that we don't take the time to unwind and do something fun, something that doesn't require much thinking or studying to get a grade. For the past couple of weeks I joined 8 others in an Introduction to Wine Tasting class at the local community college. I enjoy drinking wine both red and white although I'm partial to sweeter wines. So when I saw a class was being offered to learn about the six stages of wine (seeing, swirling, smelling, sipping, savoring and summarize) I signed up quickly. I eagerly gathered all the materials (4 wine glasses, salt free crackers, bottled water and napkins) and geared up to taste some great wines. I was not disappointed. At each class we savored 9 different types of wines from various places (California, Italy, France, Africa) and my taste buds jumped from reds to whites as soon as the instructor could pour them.  We had loads of fun and learned about the wine tasting process and the...