The Making Of A Family Regardless Of Their Being Two Kinds Of Color
Las Vegas, NV – Two Kinds of Color (Createspace) by Deborah Kennedy may be fiction but its characters and events reflect the author’s real life story; growing up black in a racially divided family who were mostly conceived through prostitution when her mother was pimped out by her father. Kennedy has already proven herself to be a compelling writer with a deep sense of compassion and an intensity that adds raw emotion to her amazing story.
Two Kinds of Color is the story of a mother’s love and heroic sacrifice for her racially divided children, two black and two white, raised in a hustler’s brutal environment on Chicago’s south side. In her story, that parallels much of Kennedy’s own life, Freddie Walker is a very beautiful and sensuous woman who begins working as a prostitute at age sixteen for a vain and greedy pimp/businessman. Jimmy Tate is her pimp and his notorious reputation and illegal gaming practices allow him to make all the money he can.
One stormy night Freddie attempts to leave Jimmy and take her children with her. Unfortunately, when he finds out he goes crazy and tries to kill her. When Freddie’s best friend Ruby arrives just in the nick of time, a battle ensues in their dark bedroom that leaves Jimmy dead – resulting in Freddie and Ruby going to prison and the children being separated and sent into foster care.
But what happens when a prostitute like Freddie starts reading the Wall Street Journal and dabbling in the stock market? Does she make a fortune? Did Freddie kill Jimmy, or was it her best friend Ruby? What sacrifices did Freddie make for the sake of her children and what secrets did she keep from them? What will their legacy be and, as adults, will they have the courage to meet each other to find out? These are the questions that keep readers rapidly turning pages to find answers.
Two Kinds of Color is a powerful story that would make an incredible box office smash hit! It sheds light on the underworld of prostitution and focuses on the truth of the pimps that abuse the children caught up in this world. It is a story of best friends, of having faith and belief in God, and of trust and love.
Kennedy’s goal in writing this extraordinary story was to bring hope to women and their children trying to get out of this lifestyle, and to offer encouragement to children of racially divided siblings that no matter what one experiences in life, nothing is more important than family – even if they are two kinds of color…
From Survivor To Thriver – A Young Woman’s Battle To Find Herself In The Midst Of Disfiguring Cancer
Guttenberg, NJ – Are you overwhelmed by life’s challenges? Has a crisis sent you into a tailspin? You have the power within you to turn things around one thought at a time. No more self-sabotage. No more feeling lost in your own life. These are the inspiring words of a young woman who truly ‘walked the talk’ in her life and death battle with head and neck cancer that left her disfigured.
When Michele Howe Clarke received the shattering news of advanced cancer, it hit her mid-stride in a neat and tidy materialistic life. When all was taken away, she turned inward to discover that she was the source of all things and with her purpose rediscovered, she wrote Face Forward: Meeting Challenges Head on in Times of Trouble (Morgan James Publishing).
Face Forward is the story of a life abruptly changed, and of its journey to hell and its flipside. Clarke is a woman greatly enhanced by a piercing life experience and for her there is no going back. She wears the scar of this battle on her face and is reminded every time she looks in the mirror. In her compelling story, Clarke is an inspiring example that in the face of adversity we can still enjoy a rich and fulfilling life.
‘Cancer Thriver’ is how Michele Howe Clarke sees herself and she graciously shares her extraordinary journey from the time of her devastating diagnosis shortly after becoming a first-time mother, through her transformational recovery. Self-pity was short-lived for this brave young woman. Not to say she didn’t feel these emotions and more, but the road to self-pity was not a choice that inspired her.
In Face Forward, Clarke provides readers with the tools to take back control, focus their power, meet challenges head on in times of trouble, and celebrate every day in order to get the life they always wanted.
Michele Howe Clarke is a bestselling author with a vast amount of experience in investment banking; she is a seasoned real estate investor, serial entrepreneur, experienced speaker, a columnist for Examiner.com, and dedicated writer and poet. She earned a BA in psychology from Boston University and an MBA from Howard University.
Through tragedy, Michele Clarke found transformation. She is the epitome of inspiration in her encouragement to others to ‘Set your vibration to thrive and tune into your best life ever!’
You Can Be Right Or You Can Have Love, But Not Both
Houston, TX – Former divorce attorney Bill Ferguson knows a lot about broken relationships. He built a career around them before turning the tables and figuring out what makes them heal. In his earlier books, he provided simple but powerful tips on healing relationships and keeping love alive. For example, when you are being right, you are making the other person wrong and destroying love, but when you have love, it doesn’t matter who is right. Now his compelling message about love and power continues in his newest book, Get Your Power Back.
When parts of our life are troubled or torn by conflict, it’s not those situations that are causing the problem, Ferguson explains. These areas of life are just a symptom of something deeper.
“The real problem is an underlying condition of resisting or hanging on,” he continues. “This condition makes us defensive. It destroys love and takes away our power. It creates a state of fear, upset and tunnel vision. It destroys our ability to find solutions and it forces us to act in a way that actually magnifies the problem.”
Every relationship and every area of life that doesn’t work can be traced to this underlying condition. “Fortunately, this condition can be found and removed. The moment this happens, you restore your ability to see clearly. Solutions appear and this area of life begins to clear up.”
Get Your Power Back is a profound, yet clear, easy-to-understand book that shows step-by-step how to find and remove the destructive, underlying conditions that destroy love and sabotage our lives. The result is more love, more peace and a much more enjoyable, productive life.
Bill Ferguson started his career as a divorce attorney and soon gained national attention for his ability to take the conflict out of divorce. A remarkable fifteen percent of his clients never divorced, and the ones who did were able to part as friends. He showed his clients how to end conflict and restore love, not necessarily as husband and wife, but as one human being to another.
In 1985, he closed his law practice and devoted his life to showing people how to heal relationships, resolve problem areas, and lead happier, more rewarding lives. He has since been featured on Oprah and recommended by both The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. His approach to life has been called “The penicillin of psychology.”
His book, How To Heal A Painful Relationship, has become a national best seller. He is also the author of Miracles Are Guaranteed. Ferguson teaches therapists and reaches thousands of people through his individual consulting and workshops.
Del Mar, CA – Growing up in the tumultuous racial tension of the South in the 1960s, there was a secret in Betty Ann Hoehn’s home: alcoholism. But the young girl also had a secret ally: Corinne. There was little shared between the two. Hoehn grew up in luxury; Corinne grew up in poverty. Betty Ann was white. Corinne was black. But when Corinne came to work for Betty Ann’s family, the friendship was instantaneous – sparking a heartfelt relationship that bonded them against all societal norms.
In Corinne and Me: An Unlikely Friendship (AuthorHouse), author Betty Ann Hoehn reaches back to a time when racial issues determined daily activities for the majority of Americans. Her story captures the segregation that many experienced during that time and touches the heart through the story of one downtrodden, but courageous and loving woman who reached across racial lines to help a child and provide the unshakeable love and friendship that would take that child through the most difficult time in her life.
“Through my life journey, Corinne has always been there for me; teaching me important lessons in life. My story highlights our unique relationship while drawing attention to important issues in our world today,” says Hoehn. “We are all God’s children; love knows no race, sex or religion.”
For years, Hoehn watched as one by one the members of her family succumbed to “funny breath”–her family’s euphemistic term for alcohol addiction in a time when addiction was not openly discussed. Little did she know that she, too, would fall victim to the disease. Her determination to overcome and lead a fulfilling and productive life is uplifting and encouraging to anyone who is facing this challenge or seeking to help a friend or family member as they face a life of recovery.
Betty Ann Hoehn was born and raised in Memphis, Tenn., and currently resides in Del Mar, CA. Born in 1954, she grew up in the 1960s, a tumultuous time—strictly enforced segregation between blacks and whites, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the feminist movement. She received her B.A. from Bowdoin College in 1976 and her M.A. from the University of Memphis in 1997. She is an art historian and independent lecturer.
Corinne and Me: An Unlikely Friendship intertwines the racial and segregation issues of the 1960s with positive messages of acceptance, love and faith. Available at www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com
This Statesman Believes It’s Time For A Return To Reason And Civility In Politics
Chicago, IL – The Black Book by Adlai E. Stevenson III is named after a loose-leaf binder Adlai E. Stevenson I started as a means of collecting stories, sayings and aphorisms gathered throughout his life, beginning as a county prosecutor and rising to Vice-President of the United States under Grover Cleveland. Jotted on a napkin, card – whatever was at hand – if worth keeping it went in the binder which became known as the black book. His son, Lewis Stevenson, Illinois Secretary of State contributed little to the black book, but his grandson, Adlai II, known to friends and family as ‘The Guv,’ expanded the black book during his years as an official in the Roosevelt and Truman Administrations, Governor of Illinois, Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. during the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations.
Adlai E. Stevenson III inherited the black book stuffed with the Guv’s and Adlai I’s bits of wit and wisdom and contributions from friends and supporters the world over as word of the black book spread. With the help of the Guv’s staff and later his own, the black book was continuously edited and organized as a ready source of jokes, anecdotes, clichés, wisdom and inspiration for their speeches. He augmented it from his life as a Marine, Illinois Supreme Court law clerk, partner in a large law firm, State Representative, State Treasurer, U.S. Senator, two-time Democratic candidate for Illinois Governor, farmer, international investment banker – and ever the hereditary global sojourner and public policy activist.
Probably no American family has been as actively involved in public office and politics for as long as the Stevensons, starting with Jesse Fell in the 1840’s who was Abraham Lincoln’s sponsor, and including Vice President Adlai Stevenson I, Governor Adlai II and U.S. Senator Adlai III. The Black Book by Adlai III records American politics and history as these men knew it from on the ground and in the world. The perspective is from no ivory tower. It is a record of lessons from the past on finance and economics, law and justice, the media, crime and justice, politics, speeches, religion, education, diplomacy and war – and more. To see the future, you must see the past – from the black book.
Rich in humor, The Black Book aims to help restore American values to American politics for generations largely cut off from a rich past and its lessons – lessons for today. It is a vast panorama of experience in politics and the world. Little of great moment in recent history was not anticipated in The Black Book, including terrorism, unwinnable wars and unsustainable levels of debt. It ends in China with an Epilogue on the life cycles of nations and empires.
Stevenson observes that despite the metamorphosis of American politics, there are still many courageous and sensible men and women prepared to lay down their political lives for their country. He dedicates The Black Book to them with the hope they gain some “amusement, nourishment and strength from its bits of wisdom.”
Adlai E. Stevenson III has lectured widely, authored numerous articles and is the recipient of many honors, including Japan’s Order of the Sacred Treasure with Gold and Silver Star, and is an Honorary Professor of Renmin University in Beijing. He is Chairman of the Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy which aims to bring practitioners from the world together to address systemic challenges to democratic systems.
He is a graduate of Harvard College and Law School, maintains an office in Chicago and home with his wife, Nancy, on a farm near Galena, Illinois. They have two sons, two daughters, and five grandchildren.
For more information on The Black Book or Senator Stevenson, please visit: www.adlai3.com.
Why Clean Cuisine Is The Next Best Thing To The ‘Fountain Of Youth’
Palm Beach Gardens, FL – No one wants to watch a loved one suffer through a debilitating illness, least of all a doctor who feels he should be able to do something to help. Dr. Andrew Larson faced this scenario a decade ago when his wife Ivy was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis). After Ivy’s neurologist, a world-renowned MS specialist at the University of Miami, spelled out the options available for treating her disease, which included dietary change, Andrew Larson used his medical background to create a science-based nutrition plan that could bring Ivy a healthier and better life naturally with an anti-inflammatory ‘clean eating’ diet.
The Clean Cuisine diet places special emphasis on plant-forward nutrition and is based on anti-inflammatory, unrefined and nutrient-dense whole foods. Emphasis on flavor is a big component and the Larson’s recipes replace processed oils and sugars with herbs, spices and simple culinary techniques for delicious and easy-to-prepare meals. “Clean Cuisine bridges the gap between what we should eat, what tastes good, what is scientifically proven to be best for our bodies and what is actually doable in the real world,” says Ivy.
The Larson’s eating and living program does not make people feel deprived – they can have a glass of wine or a sweet “cheat” treat each day because Clean Cuisine is a healthy program for body and mind that makes it possible to lose weight without ‘counting food’ in the form of calories, carbs, fat grams, etc. As Dr. Larson explains, “Once you supply your body with the nutrients it needs you can put an end to excess hunger and food cravings. The only way to lose weight long term is to find a way of eating that is both enjoyable and that doesn’t leave you hungry. That’s what Clean Cuisine does.”
In developing a way to control Ivy’s debilitating illness, the loving couple and bestselling health and nutrition authors discovered a lifestyle that rewards the whole family, including their 10-year old son, with an abundance of energy and vitality. “Since Clean Cuisine centers on a philosophy of healthy eating that transforms traditional dishes into guilt-free, flavor-forward food, everybody in the family benefits and can enjoy the same delicious meals together,” says Ivy Larson.
This medically sound, anti-inflammatory diet has kept Ivy’s MS in remission for over a decade, and is scientifically proven to reduce body fat, reverse diabetes, lower blood pressure, LDL cholesterol and CRP levels as well as ease the symptoms of other inflammatory diseases such as fibromyalgia, asthma, allergies and arthritis. This is huge for the millions of Americans afflicted with these various conditions who often don’t get the results they want from medication alone and are left to feel there is no hope of leading a normal life again. The side benefit of optimizing nutrition with Clean Cuisine is a younger-looking, slimmer and more vibrant body.
In addition to the science behind Clean Cuisine, there is also a beautiful, human-interest love story attached to this young couple’s relationship that is all about love and dedication. It makes perfect sense that Clean Cuisine centers around living from the heart and loving your family enough to help them make smart choices about food and lifestyle, and loving yourself so much that you choose to make choices that will help you be healthier, happier and more energetic.
At their easy-to-navigate website, the Larsons merge medical know-how with practical experience to show how to live life to the fullest. They offer free healthy living product reviews, time-efficient 30-minute ‘fitter, firmer, faster’ workout videos, over 200 Clean Cuisine recipes, and nutrition recommendations for the whole family.
For more life-changing information on Clean Cuisine, visit: www.cleancuisine.com.
Avoid the Winter Blues with The Snow Blew Inn and Rocky Cave Kids
Colorado Springs, CO – Some stories are made for reading while curled up next to a crackling fire as the wind whips snow and ice fogs windows. Well-known children’s author Dian Curtis Regan’s newest titles are perfect for cozy quality family time.
The Snow Blew Inn (published by Holiday House with illustrations by Doug Cushman) is a cozy story about family, friendship, and sharing. Dian Curtis Regan captures the imaginations of young readers and parents alike in this picture book for all ages, with lively language, unexpected characters, and plot twists.
Emma can’t wait to have a sleepover with her cousin Abby. But snow has begun to fall outside the Snow Blew Inn where Emma waits, snug and warm. Stranded guests keep arriving until the Inn is full, full, full.
There’s Father Bear and Baby Bear, the Squirrel Family, Grandmother Rabbit, and the Fox Family, to name a few. What will happen to Abby and her Mama out in the howling storm?
The Snow Blew Inn is a perfect read-aloud bedtime story, especially on a cold winter’s night. A free teaching guide for the classroom can be found on the author’s website: http://diancurtisregan.com/freecurriculumguides.html.
Rocky Cave Kids: The Dragon Stone (published by Marshall Cavendish with illustrations by Stacy Curtis) is a story of suspense and discovery for newly independent readers (ages 7-9) who love dinosaur stories. Visit http://www.rockycavekids.com for more information about dinosaurs, prehistoric times, and Miggy’s Clan. The site also includes a brief video showing the timeline of history.
For years, Miggy and her friends have searched for dragon stones, but the stones are well hidden in the hills and valleys of Rocky Creek where Miggy’s Clan lives. One day, while searching for a glimpse of a rare Spinosaurus, Miggy accidentally finds a dragon stone.
The Clan’s wise grannies say that whoever finds one must keep it a secret or its ability to grant wishes will disappear. Is the stone’s magical power really meant for Miggy alone? Even if the very existence of the Clan is in danger? How brave can a cave girl be?
Dian Cutis Regan is the author of more than 50 books for young readers. She has published board books, picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, and anthology stories. Some of her popular titles include the bestselling Princess Nevermore, Monster of the Month Club, Barnyard Slam, Monster Baby, The World According to Kaley, and the Ghost Twins series.
Dian is a former “Member of the Year” of the international Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She received a “Distinguished Author” medal from the Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers, and she is the namesake of the “Dian Curtis Regan Library” in Venezuela.
Born and raised in Colorado Springs, Dian graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder and taught school in Denver until deciding to become a full-time writer. Dian has lived in Texas, Oklahoma, Venezuela, and Kansas. She has recently returned to Colorado to live.
The Snow Blew Inn and Rocky Cave Kids are now available online and in bookstores everywhere. There is also a Kindle edition of Rocky Cave Kids. Learn more about Dian and her writing at http://www.diancurtisregan.com and http://www.rockycavekids.com.
