Tuesday, September 16, 2008

EDC Creations Presents...September Authors on Tour

EDC Creations Presents......



Three [3] things about yourself that others don’t know

1. Pastor Joshua McClure ran a very successful retail kitchen and manufacturing business for 29 years in Providence, RI before leaving it in 1986 to pastor Pleasant Street Baptist Church in Westerly RI.

2 Joshua built a communion table in memory of his mother and it was dedicated in
1959 at Pleasant Street Baptist Church Westerly, RI. Five years later, in 1964, a
devastating fire destroyed 80% of the church building including the altar, however, the
communion table was left undamaged.

3 I have three other books in mind. I am currently working on a book of sermons, then I
plan to write a children’s book, and also a book for young pastors and ministers.

Two [2] lessons learned in the literary world

1. A writer must not get discouraged if he or she does not find ready acceptance by a publisher for their work. Some publishers only want books of a specific genre and subject matter, so you must keep trying until you find the right one. I look at rejections as merely a reason to quickly move on to the next one.

2. I learned that the easiest part of the literary cycle is the writing. The publicity and marketing of the book require as much or more attention and detail and time for your book to be successful. I believe success is tied to how much personal effort you put in to promoting your own book.

Joshua A. McClure
http://www.joshuaamcclure.com/
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Staying in the Game by Donna Hill

I am sitting here writing this article amazed at how long it has been since I officially became a writer. It was eighteen years ago this past June. In this age of merging publishing houses, cut backs, new genres, new voices and the explosion of self-publishing, I consider myself blessed to still be around to tell my story. I guess on the street I would be considered an O.G. (original gangsta LOL). Well, not quite, but you get my point. And because of my O.G. status, so many people have asked me what the secret is to being around for so long when there are many authors who have disappeared off the literary playing field.

These are the things that come to mind:
· You have to be in this business for the right reasons. If you got in just to make money, or to get your name on some list, your time in the game is limited.
· You must build relationships within the publishing industry, i.e., with editors, agents, publishers.
· You have to keep your finger on the pulse of the industry, be willing to expand your horizons, stretch your writing skills, i.e., teaching a class, hosting workshops, joining an anthology, presenting an out-of-the box proposal to your editor that includes other writers, take classes and read to enhance your skills.
· Stay out of the fray. Don’t get dragged down by the crab-in-the barrel mentality.
· Be willing to do for others even if you aren’t getting something out of it. Share your information.
· Build friendships with other writers. Only another writer can understand your craziness.
· Most of all respect your fans/readers. Respect their intelligence. Give them the best you can every time and always give them thanks for supporting you. They could be supporting someone else.

All those things are so important to longevity. In the long run, it’s about writing a damned good story, writing with integrity and be willing to stick it out when the going gets tough. That’s what a writer does. They write!

Donna Hill
http://www.donnahill.com/

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THEY ARE STEALING THE ELECTION!

In the past few days I've heard and read from many Obama supporters. "Oh, they're gonna steal this election (the Republicans)."
"They won't let a Black man in the White House unless he's cleaning the floors."
"He should've picked Hillary, etc."

And from several McCain supporters,

"Well, what Palin does with her family is her family. The press won't be fair so I don't care if she never answers a question about her record or stance..."

"HUH!"

Well my Sistahs and Brotha's, what has this election come to?

Let us be mindful that this is politics. It's a nasty and yes, very nasty game. If we should be concerned about anything, in my opinion, it should be the way God's Word and message has been customized and compromised.

At one point in my life I would've identified myself as a possible "Evangelical" but then they became too judgemental. I didn't fit.

On another level I thought I would've identified myself as a Conservative. Well I found out that since I truly believe in God's word where it states that "whatever you do for the least of mine...." Conservatists, in my mind, quickly discounted that rhetoric with the "I got mine and I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep mine..." I didn't fit in there either.

Now I find that I'm troubled, as I stated before, by some of the comments and conclusions that some have come to when it comes to People of God. We've been all lumped together.

With our Senator Obama and the Jeremiah Wright situation.. Many think, "Black folks secretly preach Black Liberation and they don't really like white folks."

With our Senator McCain: Some think At Saddleback church, "I'm forgiven." So now many think that Christians can go about pushing wars, hair trigger tempers, memory loss.. whatever. (Okay, I might fit in a little with the memory thingy.)

Now with the emergence of Gov. Sarah Palin comes a new dimension. And, I'm not talking about her family situation. The focus is now on her church affiliation. It is reported that her church and its Pastor tells the world that it was God that ordained the Iraq War and its consequences. Not President Bush but God. And almost immediately after her acceptance speech where she enthusiastically called out Obama on everything from his patriotism to his little-ole Community Service Activist role.

It seems that when it comes to politics many of the ten commandments are not only broken but obliterated. Not to bear false witness against your neighbor to :...placing no other God before me" has become a running joke on many blogs when it comes to this election.

But wait a minute... Didn't Bush say that God whispered to him what to do about governing?

With all of this happening it's no wonder that those on the fringe of Salvation and many deeply in it with a personal relationship with God don't know what to make of this election-government mess.

I certainly pray that people will understand that politics and religion make dangerous bedfellows.

I could say that our solution is in the Word of God... but the way this political atmosphere is going, I'm sure many would have to ask.."Which version?"

Pat O'Gorge Walker
http://www.sisterbetty.com/
http://aalbc.com/authors/pat.htm

1 comment:

Platinum Elite Management Co. said...

I totally agree. Love that comment about him doing the floors. This kind of crap is exactly why I started a website for Black women writers. i am a new writer and most of my issues are along the lines of the treatment of black women. Feel free to read my bio on
http://www.bwwo.org/
I also have a blog on here: Detroit Black Bike Weekend have a look at that one also.