Michael McGrew Sets Out To Break Guinness World Record

'Room 111' Author, Michael McGrew announced that he will attempt to break a world record. Check the deets below:

Not again!

I missed a post yesterday so I didn't complete the Blogathon again this year. Smh. This is a sad day...

How NOT to Punch a Bitch In the Mouth

I just had a falling out with my roommate a few weeks ago. I left the same day of our disagreement and I have been having lots of negative feelings towards her. It took everything in me not to punch her in the mouth. She accused me of tampering with her food and giving her bedbugs! Ugh, the nerve of that heffa...
I am very proud of myself though. I kept my cool and packed my things to leave without having a physical confrontation with her. This was hard and I know many of you ladies out there would have given her the business for being disrespectful. That's not the way to do it. I've learned that you can't let other people control your emotions. When you do that, they win! If you have a hard time with not flying off the handle and putting your hands on those that piss you off here's my advice to you:

• Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. The first step in not punching a bitch in the mouth is to remain calm. When you feel your anger rising take a pause, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. It may seem cliche' and corny but this really works. You will start to calm down immediately. Count to ten if you need to while you have your eyes closed.
• TIISG! What ever the argument or disagreement is about is more than likely not that serious that you need to fight about it. Take the conversation and TIISG - Turn it into something good. Find the bright side of the conversation and focus on that. You can agree to disagree if that's what it takes. In my case, I am glad that I was able to leave without falling out with my former roommate to the point that we can never be cool again. I'm also glad that I won't be getting ate up by bedbugs.
• Remember that you can't let other people control your emotions. I used to believe that emotions were hard to control. I also used to believe that your circumstances determined your emotions. Both of those couldn't be farther from the truth. In order for you to get positive outcomes you have to keep a positive attitude. Make it your business to control your emotions and keep the demons away. Don't let anyone have power over you.

Next time you get into it with someone I hope you hear my voice in your head reminding you that there is another way. You can handle conflict peacefully without having to punch a bitch in the mouth. 

2012 AAMBC Literary Awards Winners

Here is the complete list of the winners of the African Americans on the Move Book Club (AAMBC) Literary Awards.

AAMBC Author of the Year
Tiffany Ashley

Breakout Author of the Year
David Weaver

Indie Book Store of the Year
Déjà vu Book Lounge

Magazine of the Year
Essence

Book Club of the Year
Diva’s Divine

Indie Publisher of the Year
Life Changing Books

Street Lit Writer of the Year
Kwan

Poet of the Year
Julia Press Simmons


Male Author of the Year
Eyone Williams

Romance Author of the Year
Donna Hill

Female Authorof the Year
T Styles

Christian Fiction Author of the Year
Kimberla Lawson Roby

Readers Choice Award
Jessica Miller-Epps

Urban Book of the Year
Kwan for Eviction Notice

Nate Holmes Honorary Award
Treasure E. Blue

Rashida Reviews: 'Guilty Gucci' by Ashley Antoinette

I'm proud to present my YouTube debut! From now on my book reviews will be done via video on my webshow titled 'Rashida Reviews'. Enjoy!

Outline Your Story In 30 Minutes

On Elizabeth Craig's blog Mystery Writing is Murder she did a post with a list of writing worksheets and other tools. The one I found most interesting was this one that shows you how to outline a story in 30 minutes. It gives you a list of questions to answer and you only have three minutes to answer each of them. I did it and I found it very helpful.
Here's the link to the worksheet. Try it out and let me know how you liked it.

Fight Night With Ashley & JaQuavis

Ashley and JaQuavis threw one hell of a fight party this weekend for the Mayweather vs. Cotto duel. Check out the pics...

The Making of "Hard Six"

The making of "Hard Six" based on the novel "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" by Ashley & JaQuavis. Produced by Kaven Brown and Mills Miller. Directed by Kaven Brown.

Blogathon Update...

Week one of the blogathon is over. I am proud of myself so far. I have posted everyday and I still have plenty of posts scheduled. My goal for this year is to complete the blogathon by posting every day this month and I want to continue to blog daily from now on. I never really wanted to blog daily before but now I see how much you guys love the posts.
Thanks for reading and supporting me. Back to the regular posts tomorrow

Wonder Bitch Has Left The Building

This is a repost from Tionna Smalls' blog about being in a relationship with a broken man. After reading this I realize that my last relationship was with a broken man. I thought I could be Wonder Bitch and save the day making him fall in love with me the way I was with him but I was wrong. Thanks, Tionna, for showing me the way.

Dear Diary,
I know I have been gone for a minute but I was writing my first ever screen play. Yes, you read it right; I am writing and directing a movie in Brooklyn. Yep!
Anywho, I am back and today I would like to talk about broken men. Now what is a broken man? Well that’s a good question. A broken man is man who is emotionally unable to love and/or accept love into his life. He is a man who should have received a SSI check when he was younger because he just don’t have it all upstairs. A broken man is a self-sabotager who make sure he messes things up with any woman who shows him love especially if he feels himself falling too.
You can’t blame a man for being broken. Most of the times, you have to blame their sociological factors such as their nature and their nurture. Many broken men become that way from what they had to go through in their environment but MOST of them learn their shitty ways from the people that they were around most which is their mother.
Many women fall in love with broken men hoping that they can save them and show them a little love but they are truly mistaken. You can’t undo 25 years of fuckery!!! Nothing can help this man but prayer. A broken man must know and respect the fact that he is emotionally broken and that he may need help to overcome what has happened in his past.
Have you ever dealt with a man and no matter what you tried to do, he never seemed to show you the same love and respect back. Well, you may have dealt with a broken man. See, these broken men want to love and want to show love but they just don’t know how. No one has shown them how to properly care and feel empathy for someone else; all they know how to do is be messed up and care for themselves. Well at least they think they care for themselves. A broken man is very miserable and insecure and does not have a clue on how they can change their lives; so why are you trying to be Wonder Bitch, thinking you can change his life?????
No matter how much you may love someone, sometimes shit just doesn’t work out. Love is not enough; you have to leave a dude to keep a dude. Staying in a bad situation with a broken man is not going to help the situation, it is going to hurt the situation…Leave him and let him realize on his own that he need to get his shit together.

To read the rest of this post check it out on The Diary of Tionna Smalls

*Covers eyes* I've Never Read any of 'The Prada Plan' Books...

The Prada Plan 3 available February 2013

Ashley Antoinette is probably my favorite author right now. I am just now getting a chance to say this because I've read a whopping two books by her. I know you just screwed your face up and said something like "She supposed to be a urban fiction author and she ain't read but two books by her?!" And to that I hang my head in shame and say yes. When hot authors like Ashley & JaQuavis, K'wan, and KiKi Swinson hit the streets I was in the streets myself. The last thing on my mind was reading books.
With the announcement of The Prada Plan 3 being released it made me realize that I haven't read the first two. I have asked around and learned very quickly that this is a series that I just have to get my hands on.

Have you read any of the Prada series?
What do you think of Ashley Antoinette's body of work as a whole?

'A Generation of Curses' Book Trailer

I was scrolling through the tweets in my Authors list on Twitter and this tweet courtesy of @MsNicola of NCM Publishing. A Generation of Curses by Patricia Briedewell & Fatimaa Albasair-Johnson looks like it's gonna be a very juicy read. Check the trailer below.

May 2012 Urban Book Releases

Thanks to My Urban Books for the list! 

• 
  Bottom Line Bitch by Cashay by 5/1
• Girl Called Nikki 2 by K.L. Davis by 5/1
• The Reverand's Wfie by Kimberla Lawson Roby 5/1
• Rapper's D-Light by Sa'id Salaam 5/1
• Hood Sympothy by TNICYO 5/4
• Roulette by Michele Fletcher 5/1
• Home by Toni Morrison 5/8
• Cameron by Jade Jone by 5/12
• Taurus 2 by Shiana by 5/18
• Dead Heads by VJ Gotastory 5/15
• Boss Bitch by Deja King 5/15
• The Union by Tremayne Johnson by 5/18
• For The ove of The Moey by Shoney K 5/19
• In My Shoes by Brenda Hampton 5/21
• Black Butterfly by Nika Michele 5/29
• My Man's Best Friend by Tresser Henderson 5/29
• Precious Stone by Darrien Lee 5/29
• God Don't Make No Mistakes by Mary Monroe 5/29
• Girls From Da Hood by Nikki Michele by 5/29
• Deranged 2 by Amanda Lee by 5/29
• Mistress Inc by Niobia Bryant 5/29
• Paparazzai by Miss KP by 5/30
• Trust o Ma 3 by Cash 5/31

Successful Author Secrets Summit 2012

Lynne Klippel is interviewing 16 publishing and marketing experts about how to write, publish and promote their books. I'll be sharing tips on how to sell books to libraries. 

The interviews are recorded so you can listen at your convenience. And, there's a great contest with some pretty spectacular prizes, including a Kindle Fire, a book consultation, and a custom book cover design.  

Click here for your complimentary registration.