Vocal Expressions

Author’s Bio: Latasha Kibler (Peacefulrose) is a freelance writer. She is aspiring to assist in the empowerment and uprising of women all over the country. She is originally from the Washington DC/Maryland area. She currently resides in Columbia, SC. DL: What’s the inspiration for writing your book? LTK: Watching my daughter and seeing many other young ladies going through some of the same situations.   I want to bring unity to women to help bring us up and see our worth and I hope by sharing my truth it will encourage others to know they are not alone in this.   DL: Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult? LTK: Growing up in Washington DC and attending Malcolm X elementary they encouraged us to read poetry by Maya Angelou. She encouraged a child like me that needed a constant reminder “I am somebody.” DL : How long did it take to write your book? LTK: It took about 2 year...

Back in September, Baltimore Center Stage opened its new season (2018/19) with a bang with the premiere of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. This Pulitzer Prize winning play by Tennessee Williams still sizzled even after 63 years. This time it was directed by Judith Ivey and the set was designed by Adam Koch who captured the setting of a Southern (Mississippi) plantation with precision and charm. Once I settled into my seat, I was entertained by a superb cast who transported me to the Pollitt’s house on a hot Southern night where family members clashed in greed and desire. I thoroughly enjoyed the play – superbly acted and great dialogue.  The main leading parts were played by real life husband and wife team: Andrew Pastides (Brick - an alcoholic ex-football player) and Stephanie Gibson (Maggie - his wife). Their chemistry on stage was hot despite Brick’s dismissal of his wife’s attempt at getting his attention. My other favorites were David Schramm who played the larger than life charac...

I’m a huge fan of the Easy Rawlins mystery series. However, I was very curious to get to know Leonid Trotter McGill (aka “LT”), the old-school PI working in New York City filled with many secrets some of which could get him killed. In this first installment of the series, readers meet Leonid (aptly named by his Communist father), a former boxer, and a married man whose wife left him for a lover but came back to make amends. He’s the father to one out of three almost grown children. He’s had an affair with Aura who works in the building but must now cast her aside now that his wife whom he insists didn’t love him was back. But he stayed with his family because he “had a job to do, and more than one debt to pay.” Leonid was contracted to find four men. One was dead, one in prison, and the third was awaiting trial. The fourth, Roger Brown was the one he couldn’t locate. The job seemed pretty straightforward until folks started dying and he was attacked and almost killed. That’s where ...

On Thursday, October 18, 2018, I was a panelist on the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters In Crime: Mystery Author Panel at the Walkersville Branch Library in Walkersville, MD. The other panelists were: Eileen McIntire, R. Lanier Clemons, and Ginny Fite. The panel was moderated by Carla Coupe who did a fantastic job. Although we each write different types of mysteries and suspense novels, we all had something to share about how the framework of crime fiction conveys the concept of justice. The audience was also very interested in hearing about our writing process especially how we created our characters. I had a great time! And to tell you the truth, I really stepped outside of my comfort zone going to parts unknown with barely any streetlights and very windy roads. I was instructed to "Watch out because it's deer season." And I certainly heeded those words as I drove cautiously home.

On Wednesday, October 10, 2018, I hung out with some really cool authors (LaDawn Black – Multimedia personality, Carlos Avent - Program Director, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Baltimore, Aaron Maybin – author of Art Activism, Charmel McMillian – President/CEO, Char-Town Entertainment, and Sean Yoes – AFRO Editor) at Spirits of Mt. Vernon in Baltimore. We were all a part of Marc Clarke Presents: Words & Wine where he tapped local authors to read and sell their books. When I arrived, Marc was chilling in a corner playing some good music and introducing us authors as we walked into Spirits of Mt. Vernon. It was great to meet the man behind the voice back in the day on 92Q Big Phat Morning Show – Baltimore’s legendary hip hop and R&B radio station…missed those days. I loved the laidback atmosphere that allowed us to meet, mix and mingle with each other and with readers looking to purchase the next book for their nightstand. It was great to see Victoria Adams-Kennedy who stopped by to...

During the weekend of October 5 – 7, 2018, I attended and had a wonderful time at the Creatures, Crimes and Creativity (C3) Con at the Sheraton Columbia Town Center in Columbia, MD. I have to say that this conference has grown since its inception in 2013. Throughout the years I have made some great author friends and it was a joy to meet them again and add some new author friends to the circle (Jaime Freveletti, Glenn Parris, Ellen Butler, FJ Talley, Natalina Reis, David Swinson, Shawn Cosby, Helen Chapman, Jacki Kelly, Suzanne Gilbert, and the list goes on). So, let’s get into the action of the conference. For starters, the addition of Noir at the Bar hosted by Ed Aymar on Friday night after dinner was simply awesome. The lineup of readers captivated our attention and made us yearn for me. John Gilstrap brought his “A” game and knocked his reading out the park. Saturday was nonstop . Right after breakfast, I hit the ground running as the moderator for the panel titled “A Nooner...

Author’s Bio: USA Today Bestselling author K. L. Brady is a D.C. native and award-winning author of 15 novels. She self-published her first book, THE BUM MAGNET, after an Oprah "live your best life" moment, which was picked up by Simon & Schuster in a two-book deal. She’s been publishing romantic comedies ever since. K.L. is a Washington football fan and professed nerd-girl who loves all things Star Trek, Star Wars, and Big Bang Theory. She lives to write stories involving hilarious quirky characters looking for love. She's hard at work on her next several projects, including the sequel to her story ACQUIRED which, as part of the BILLIONAIRE EVER AFTER anthology, hit the USA Today Bestseller list! DL: What’s the inspiration for writing your book? KLB: TROUBLE’S IN THE CARDS is my new romantic comedy centered around a greeting card company called Keep It Real Cards.   I guess you could say it's inspired by a lot of the interactions that I see on social med...