This is the introduction to my first book, 7 Tips for a Successful Marriage, published in 2012. I always knew I wanted to write after I retired from teaching, and when my husband asked me what I knew a lot about, I replied, "Being married to you." So after...

The most impressive work in contemporary American literature this year has got to be Tayari Jones’ new novel, An American Marriage. This much anticipated romance debuted in February and has caused an uproar on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as the author...

Most of us will admit how blessed we are to see another Thanksgiving Day. We are excited to be with family and to enjoy a fine meal made from hours of preparation. Add to that, football games and a little family drama, and we're making memories worth shari...

The challenge is not in writing the book but in selling it. You have no idea how many people tell me that they want to write a book and they don't know where to start. Some say they have a story to tell, but they are not confident about their writing skil...

How I Came to Be a Writer From as far back as I can remember, I have always loved words. I was an early talker. I even sang solos in church when I was four. Adopted by middle-aged parents, I spent hours entertaining myself with books and classic televisio...

This is the first chapter of my latest book, Seasons, My Journey through Grief. It chronicles my husband's battle with sarcoidosis and my own recovery after his death. It was also selected for the anthology, Rave Soup for the Writer's Soul, Volume 3, publi...

Bernice McFadden is one of my favorite authors. She brings something lyrical and special to the canon of literature by and about Black women. Praise Song for the Butterflies, published in 2018, is one of many books by Bernice McFadden that leaves you tearf...

Half of a Yellow Sun is a fantastic novel that I recently discovered. Written by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie in 2006, it tells the sweeping story of civil war in Nigeria during the infamous conflict between the Nigerian government and military, and the Igbo p...

In honor of Mother's Day, I'd like to share a story about a childhood memory. My mother, like so many, took in a child that she didn't give birth to, and raised me as her own. This is for all the "Big Mamas" out there, who sacrificed what should have been...

Dedicated to the strong women who have stood against the medical establishment to save their own lives. There I was, just minding my own business Doing all the things I thought I was supposed to do. I ate fruits and vegetables, Even juiced and detoxed som...