Monday, February 25, 2019

Write Now Literary Book Tour for Josephine Baker's Last Dance by Sherry Jones February 25 - March 1, 2019




Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a book tour for Josephine Baker’s Last Dance by Sherry Jones. The tour will run February 25-March 1, 2019. Book your own tour here.

Read the first chapter

ISBN-10: 1501102443
ISBN-13: 978-1501102448


Genre: Historical

About Sherry Jones


Author and journalist Sherry Jones is best known for her international bestseller The Jewel of Medina. She is also the author of The Sword of Medina, Four Sisters, All Queens, The Sharp Hook of Love, and the novella White Heart.  Sherry lives in Spokane, WA, where, like Josephine Baker, she enjoys dancing, singing, eating, advocating for equality, and drinking champagne. Visit her online at AuthorSherryJones.com.









About the Book






From the author of The Jewel of Medina, a moving and insightful novel based on the life of legendary performer and activist Josephine Baker, perfect for fans of The Paris Wife and Hidden Figures.

Discover the fascinating and singular life story of Josephine Baker—actress, singer, dancer, Civil Rights activist, member of the French Resistance during WWII, and a woman dedicated to erasing prejudice and creating a more equitable world—in Josephine Baker’s Last Dance.

In this illuminating biographical novel, Sherry Jones brings to life Josephine's early years in servitude and poverty in America, her rise to fame as a showgirl in her famous banana skirt, her activism against discrimination, and her many loves and losses. From 1920s Paris to 1960s Washington, to her final, triumphant performance, one of the most extraordinary lives of the twentieth century comes to stunning life on the page.

With intimate prose and comprehensive research, Sherry Jones brings this remarkable and compelling public figure into focus for the first time in a joyous celebration of a life lived in technicolor, a powerful woman who continues to inspire today.

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Purchase copies Amazon




Tour organized by Write Now Literary www.wnlbooktours.com



                                          Why did you write your book?

Working as a journalist for 30-plus years, I made little money--but I gained something more valuable: a conviction that I was making a difference in my community and in the wider world.

During my decades as a newspaper reporter and then as a correspondent for a national news agency, I discovered the power of the written word to tear down, uplift, and transform.

So it makes perfect sense that, when I turned to fiction, I would write books about women who made their mark on the world.

From the Prophet Muhammad’s favorite wife to four sisters who became European queens in the 13th century, my protagonists are movers and shakers. Josephine Baker may be the most important of them all because of all she did for her “people”--the African-American community.

Born in 1906 and raised in the St. Louis slums, she knew racism first-hand, abused by the white woman in whose home she worked at age 7; traumatized by the East St. Louis Race Riots in 1917, when white workers and their families set fire to black families’ homes and shot and lynched those who tried to escape; confronted by men in white hoods and “whites only” signs in the American South as a girl of 13 touring on the black vaudeville circuit, and much more.

In Paris at age 19, she discovered a different world, one in which black people and white ate together, sat in theaters and on streetcars and buses together, danced onstage together, and even married one another. She must have thought she’d died and gone to heaven.

But hatred wasn’t so easy to escape. It followed her: to Paris, where white Americans confronted her and even had her removed from the hotel where she was lodging; to Germany, where Hitler’s Brownshirts threatened her; and all around the world, as she performed her famous “banana dance” in spite of protesters’ calling her a “black demon”—and worse.

By the time the Nazis invaded Paris in 1940, Josephine Baker was already working as a spy for the nascent Resistance movement, seducing generals and diplomats to confide in her, then carrying the information across borders.

Empowered by these experiences, she embarked on her third U.S. tour in 1951 with another goal in mind: to put an end to racial segregation. She publicly declared that she would perform in no nightclubs or theaters and patronize no businesses that segregated their clientele.

As a result, many venues allowed black people through their doors for the first time—and Ms. Baker became the target of an FBI investigation into her alleged ties with the Communist Party. Her outspokenness resulted in many canceled gigs and the loss of a movie deal, and ultimately the loss of her castle in southern France.

She never gave up or expressed any regrets about her activism, though. Indeed, she persisted. In 1963, she was invited to Washington, D.C., to speak at the March on Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—the only woman to speak.

I wrote JOSEPHINE BAKER’S LAST DANCE to remind the world that the woman in the banana skirt was so much more than that. Josephine Baker was a force of nature and a force for change, and gave everything she had in effort to make a difference for African-Americans.

By telling her story as well as the stories of all my fictional heroines, I hope to make a difference, too. This is why I exist, and why I write.
























Friday, February 22, 2019

Book Blast Tour: My Last Baggage Call Aboard Air Force ONE February 22. 2019




Write Now Literary Book Tours is pleased to be organizing a book blast tour for My Last Baggage Call Aboard Air Force One by Glenn W. Powell. This tour will run Feb 22, 2019. Click here to book your own book tour.

Genre of Book: Memoir, Motivational, Military Life and History

ISBN-10: 1986878406
ISBN-13: 978-1986878401




About the Book






Sergeant Glenn W. Powell’s MY LAST BAGGAGE CALL is the story of a most unlikely young man who leaves his working-class environment of Toledo, Ohio, to become a soldier. Seeking excitement and a way to “make something of himself,” Glenn Powell’s journey exceeds his wildest dreams—a journey that began in basic training in Fort Hood, Texas ends at 1600 Pennsylvania avenue—the most important address in the world. MY LAST BAGGAGE CALL is about so much more than Glenn Powell’s military journey, but about poignant memories of family, friendships, sacrifices, and love—central to his story is Ronda Holloway, the beautiful young woman he falls in love with in Manheim, Germany, and, who joins him on his life journey as wife, soulmate and mother to their two sons. MY LAST BAGGAGE CALL offers readers a glimpse into Sergeant Glenn Powell’s 30-year transformation from the much-beloved boy who seeks more in life…to the man, who discovers it—in adventure, in friendships, and in service to three American presidents. a service he delivered with pride, unquestioned loyalty, distinction and in the end, great admiration.





                        Meet Glenn





Sergeant First Class Glenn W. Powell (Retired) is a native of Toledo, Ohio. He enlisted into the United States Army in 1982 and retired in 2002. During his military career, he served as a heavy vehicle driver, a squad leader, and non-commissioned officer.

In September 1991, SFC Powell joined the George HW Bush White House as a chauffeur, and in 1992, was promoted to transportation coordinator for the white house Press Corps, serving in the Clinton Administration.

In December 1995, he assumed the duties of transportation supervisor for Air Force One.

In January 2001, during his service under President George W. Bush, SFC Powell was transferred to the White House Military Office, Customer Support and Organizational Development where he served as deputy director.

SFC Powell retired with distinction from the Military in 2002. He received numerous awards and decorations throughout his service, including the Legion of Merit Metal, Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the United States Army Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters. He received U.S. Service Ribbons for both domestic and overseas service.

Glenn and Ronda Holloway Powell have been married for 25 years, and have three sons, Darius, Warren, and Glenn, II. They reside in Virginia. For more information, or to contact Glenn Powell regarding availability for speaking opportunities, please email him at glennwpowell@aol.com.




                                       Excerpt


A Soldier’s Story 

Shortly after I turned 18, I enlisted in the army. Around that time, I learned that the young woman I’d been dating was pregnant, so going into the army would be an opportunity to provide for my child. The army sent me to Fort Dix in New Jersey for boot camp training on April 22, 1982. It was the perfect enlistment site for me.

Because of the popular television show, Dallas, I had in mind that I wanted to go to Fort Hood, Texas and meet JR Ewing. Not only did I meet Larry Hagman, the actor who played JR, but I also met the entire cast at one of the big Dallas malls. That was in the 80s when the networks spent money to have cast members show up to greet their fans, and when fans could easily get a photo with the stars. Meeting JR had been on my mental bucket list. Later I learned that “Klinger” from Mash and Danny Thomas were both from Toledo, and so I added them to the list.

In 1983, I re-enlisted and chose Hawaii as my next army stint. There for 18 months, I’m convinced that the Hawaii move helped me look long and hard at myself and my future. In Hawaii, I decided I needed to better myself. I enrolled at the Wahiawa Community School for Adults and got my high school diploma. My mother was so disappointed when I didn’t graduate from high school, so I did it as much for her as for myself.

My long transportation management career began in Wahiawa. I was one of a large number of applicants who applied for a temporary mission of driving for the Sergeant Major for the division. He was the senior enlisted man at the post. I beat out the other candidates for that position. Later, I drove for the one-star general at the post. After that, I returned to my unit and worked as the battalion mail clerk until he left in 1985. While there, I met friends and mentors who would help me decide on my career journey. That same year, I was asked to re-enlist, and First Sergeant Herbert Harris became a lifelong mentor and friend. Sergeant Harris recommended that I choose Fort Eustis in Newport News, Virginia for my re-enlistment. I remained at Fort Eustis from April 1985 until January 1988.

I became a squad leader, and for the next six months, I managed a squad of truck drivers in and around the base. After that, I was set on transportation becoming my specialty, but my career trajectory changed some when I was appointed to head up NCO Training, where I was responsible for the training of 270 soldiers.

Around this time, I met First Sergeant Fletcher Walker. He was sent in to straighten out our company, and he did just that. He would stand up at the top of the stairs with his hat covering his eyes but looking down at us. Sergeant Walker was a ‘soldier among soldiers,’ an airborne paratrooper, a Vietnam Veteran who had been shot three times. There was no one more surprised when he chose me to run the training.

I knew he had high expectations, and I was determined not to disappoint him. He was the kind of leaders for whom soldiers would fight and die. He was a true hero who taught me how to be a soldier and a man. He shared a lot about life with me. I imitated him in many ways so much that everyone would call me “Baby Walker.” I met his family and it was an honor. He retired as a Command Sergeant Major.




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Monday, February 4, 2019

Arlena's Blog Information For Various Authors : WNL Presents: Women Who Soar Virtual Book Tour F...

Arlena's Blog Information For Various Authors : WNL Presents: Women Who Soar Virtual Book Tour F...: Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a virtual book tour for Women Who Soar: Stories of Hope, Anthology. The tour will run F...

WNL Presents: Women Who Soar Virtual Book Tour February 4-15, 2019



Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a virtual book tour for Women Who Soar: Stories of Hope, Anthology. The tour will run Feb 4-15, 2019.

About The Book





Women Who Soar is a book collaboration project of women who stepped out on faith, launched their own businesses and released their dreams and purposes into the world.

These powerful women have dispelled lies, overcome difficult challenges, refused to take no for an answer and are now soaring and creating the life they deserve.

Their stories are moving, revealing, encouraging and empowering. They have resolved to use their testimony to pave the way for other women to soar into their destiny.

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ArZqEj
                                                             
Genre: Non-Fiction, Inspiration
Meet Paulette. Visionary and Co-Author


CHAPTER TITLE: SOARING THROUGH ADVERSITIES


Paulette Harper is an award-winning best-selling author of both fiction and nonfiction books. She is a sought-after speaker, pastor, coach and marketing specialist. Her mission, as a speaker, is to help women find hope through transformation, restoration and reclaiming their lives through workshops, conferences and seminars. As a book coach, she helps authors and aspiring authors grow their book business by providing marketing strategies, tools, resources, and opportunities to help them succeed in the literary world.
Her literary works have been spotlighted in a growing number of publications, including CBN, Real Life Real Faith Magazine, The Sacramento Observer and Black Pearls Magazine. She has also appeared on numerous local and online radio shows. Paulette is also the owner of Write Now Literary Book Tours, an online service to help promote authors.



 Chapter title: Soaring into purpose



Dr. Elaine Gattis is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area. She is an educator, author, speaker, and ordained minister of the Gospel who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, East Bay, a master of divinity degree from the Emory University Candler School of Theology, and a doctor of ministry degree from the Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. She is an Associate Professor at Ohio Christian University’s Morrow, Georgia campus, and serves as the Executive Pastor of Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Stockbridge, Georgia, where her husband, the Reverend Dr. Terrance Gattis serves as the Senior Pastor.  Together, they have four adult children, Terrell, Tiana, Armoriana, and Nandi. 


  
CHAPTER TITLE: TEARS FOR MY SISTER



Marcy Thomas is an avid reader and book reviewer of Christian fiction. She has worked professionally as a certified medical coder for eighteen years. In 2008, Marcy was certified as a domestic violence advocate through The Domestic Abuse Project in Delaware County, Pennsylvania after the murder of her sister Christine. As an advocate, she’s had opportunities to speak about domestic violence at churches, health fairs, schools, and youth groups.

In 2011, she was appointed Vice-President of The Project Butterfly in Chester, PA for two years. The Project Butterfly was an organization geared toward teaching teen girls to understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships. Marcy’s passion helping teen girls and women understand they should have self-love first and realize they are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Marcy resides in Covington, Ga with her husband, Alvin, of thirty-three years. She has three adult daughters, two nephews she raised and two gifted grandchildren.



CHAPTER TITLE: FLYING ABOUT THE STORM



Shurvone Wright, an entrepreneur, owns a small business practice specializing in retirement planning. Using insurance as a foundational component, she helps client families prepare for the future by protecting and preserving what is important to them to leave a legacy and not bills. Her efforts and business acumen have earned recognition with several awards all in one year.
A previous thirty-year healthcare career in nursing provided her an avenue to launch a lifelong commitment of helping others. Shurvone served patients in specialized areas: medical/surgical units, mental health, home health nursing, outpatient clinics. Her last fifteen years were served in managed care as a Pre-Certification Utilization Management Nurse.
Married for twenty-five years to Roger Wright, they have four daughters and three grandchildren. Shurvone Wright and her family reside in Brentwood, California.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivechangedme


CHAPTER TITLE: A CROWN OF BEAUTY


Meiah Shaun is an author, playwright and prophetic scribe. She writes faith-based messages linking her personal life experiences with spiritual life lessons.  Her novel, Burnt Orange, is an inspirational coming-of-age novel based on real-life events from her life. Other works include her stage plays, My First Love & A Rich Woman’s Party, published and licensed by HCP Book Publishing.
Meiah is a graduate of LeTourneau University and Touch of God Healing and Deliverance School of Ministry. She studied playwriting at Dallas Theater Center. She is the visionary of A Crown of Beauty Ministries, a ministry of healing and deliverance. She is a member of Christ Purpose International Church. She resides in the Dallas, Texas area.

Website https://www.meiahshaun.com

CHAPTER TITLE: MY LIFE REBOOT


Roni Teson is a two-time Readers’ Favorite award-winning novelist and the recipient of the First Place Dante Rosetti Award for YA Suspense Romance. Convinced that her passion for writing played a critical role in saving her life, Roni’s entire perspective shifted when she beat stage IV cancer. Her soul-searching quest to understand the meaning of life’s not so random coincidences has led her down a path of self-discovery and into an extraordinary existence. Read about her amazing life reboot in her most recent creation, The Order of Things.
  
Website: https://roniteson.com


CHAPTER TITLE: UNSHAKABLE FAITH


Katrina Shaw was born and raised in Long Island, New York and is a Morgan State University graduate. A radio and media professional of over twenty years, she currently works for Hearst Television, Inc. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
An entrepreneur, Katrina is pursuing her dream and passion to promote health and wellness with a product called “Thrive” by Le-vel and is making an impact to change lives and help others.
A five-year breast cancer survivor, she created a Facebook blog page, MANE (Mammograms are Not Enough), and supports and enlightens women on the importance of diagnostic mammogram/3D screenings.
Katrina resides in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband. She is very involved in her community and church.  A Zumba Fitness Instructor, she enjoys traveling, reading, and serving as a role model to at-risk youths.

  






Here is my review of "Women Who Soar" from these 7 wonderful women.
This is taken  from Arlena's Book Reviews:  http://arlenasbookreviews-arlenadean.blogspot.com



Title:  Women Who Soar
Authors:  Paulette Harper (Author), Meiah Shaun (Author), C. Marcy Thomas (Author), Katrina Shaw (Author), Roni Teson (Author), Shurvone Wright (Author), Elaine Gattis (Author)
Publisher:  P. H.                                                                                                   
Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean
Rating:  Five
Review:

"Women Who Soar"  by Paulette Harper (Author), Meiah Shaun (Author), C. Marcy Thomas (Author), Katrina Shaw (Author), Roni Teson (Author), Shurvone Wright (Author), Elaine Gattis (Author)

My Rationalization.....

These seven anthologies from some wonderful authors  give us something to truly think about  whether it is 'depression,  violence, divorce, illness to even death' we will be able to make it.

We have some good stories of each of these authors in their 'past experiences, hurts and pains' and how they make in during their emotional ride.  Through it all each one will make it out of their situation with one scripture..."I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."  

Be ready for some interesting adversity  stories in how they made it out of it all.   

Paulette Harper...  "Soaring Through Adversities....Still I Rise...I loved this poem!  Here is a little bit of it...

I've been beaten, scorned and battered...Still I Rise.  I've been devalued...Still I Rise.  My spirit has been crushed..Still I Rise...My heart is broken...Still I Rise...Oppressed by people...Still I Rise...Homeless... Still I Rise...Faced Death...Still I Rise...Storm, rain, and floods...Still I Rise...In debt, discouraged and broke...Still I Rise....[and there is more]...

Rev. Dr. Elaine Gattis, DMin... Soaring into Purpose...presents a beautiful story of how she learned .... 'Through her journey, I learned that the Lord, my God, would be with me wherever I go.  Now, I know and now, I soar!"

Katrina Shaw... Unshakable Faith  From Surviving to Thriving...a survivor of breast cancer...having to watch everything I eat.  Watching her stress levels...losing a parent wasn't easy.  Then losing her job leaving her with a lots of mixed emotions....but being lead on the scripture..."Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean on your own understanding, in all your way acknowledge him and he will direct your paths." Opportunities came for Katrina and her stories continues.  "It's blessed to be a blessing!"

Roni J. Teson...My Life Reboot...what was her future?  "For three months, I walked around with a lump in my breast and did nothing about it."  Now Chemo...  forced into disability, now back to writing.  Her Stage 4 cancer goes into remission with more trails coming...where she survived cancer but her relationship didn't.   Good and bad news...Will she be able to deal with it?  Another surgery needed!  Would she survive "from two cancers, a career collapse, and a broken heart...all within a twelve month period?"
What was left for Roni? 

March Thomas...Tears For My Sister...Christine.  This was a abusive relationship stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat in this Domestic Violence read.

Shurvone Wright...Flying About The Storm...Confidence Without Regret...Soaring...Never Give Up on Anything where she 'decided not to let her fears hold her back and fly above the storm.'
"Forgive yourself for past mistakes, know that failing is not the end, but a lesson  to better your tomorrow."

Meiah Shaun...A Crown Of Beauty...The Key to Forgiveness...'Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you.'  Reject Fear...Receive Your Healing...Prophecies...Beauty for Ashes...
The Oil of Joy and No More Sorrow...Wear Your Garment of Praise...Soar in My Army...Declarations..."The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?"...

These are seven beautifully written anthologies of Faith that will definitely give one much thought long after the read.  Thank you for your words that can only give a reader much hope through your 'scriptures, stories, poems and much direction through prayer as we listen and wait on God.'