Excerpts
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Dancing like no one’s watching
What I’m watching: HBO’s The Latin Explosion: a New America
I hope they include Celia Cruz. I was so happy to see José Feliciano’s segment. Many people know Feliciano’s hit Feliz Navidad, but his rendition of the star spangled banner was groundbreaking, and years before Marvin Gaye’s souful version.
Yes! they just showed vintage Celia!! Cuban born Celia Cruz is a Salsa legend. I hope someone does a big screen bio on her.
This is an excellent documentary. It was good to see footage of artists I still enjoy listening to.
I’ve got a few ebooks that I’ve kept under the radar, since I love creating unique story lines. So if you enjoy reading books featuring diverse characters who navigate through challenging life stories, then you may want to check them out.
The next romantic release from Wikkid.Sexy.Cool books highlights that age old debate. Can love co-exist with a burning drive to succeed?
This is why I enjoy digital editing, because I can manipulate stock photos to create covers and promos that feature minorities.
Excerpt:
“Oh, Imani, you’ve got company,” Julio sang, just before knocking on her bedroom door and getting the okay to enter.
Imani was on the verge of asking “Who is it?” when a familiar face peeked over Julio’s shoulder. Hui thanked Julio, who was bold enough to turn around and tell him, “Hey now, I told you to wait in the front room-”
“Thank you, thank you,” Hui kept saying, but Julio wouldn’t budge. Whenever Hui tried stepping around him, Julio blocked his way.
“Julio, it’s okay,” she finally said.
“Well alright then. Y’all have a good time.” He backed out of the room, closing the door slowly while giving Imani a comical face. “Adios.”
Once they were alone Imani acted as if it was totally normal that she was covered from forehead to chin with a frothy green beauty mask. “It’s an avocado peel. S’posed to clear my pores,” she told him. “It’s not really dry yet.”
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The Dinner Date
“In Korea and China we have baby mice wine. It’s a cure for everything. You got asthma? Drink some baby mice wine. Bones ache? Nothing like baby mice wine.” The horrified WTF look on Imani’s face only egged him on. “We drown newborn mice in rice wine and it takes 12 to 14 months to ferment. Then it’s safe to drink.”
“How are dead mice ever safe to drink?”
He countered with, “Ah, but you Americans drink Tequila and swallow a worm.”
“Uh, sure. But I still think you’re punking me. I don’t think there’s any such thing as baby mice wine.”
“It’s true. Look it up on your phone, look it up on the Google.”
“I’m gonna do just that. You better not be messing with me.”
“Or what?” he challenged.
She pinched a crouton from her salad in order to throw it at him, but changed her mind after he kept laughing at her. No, she needed something else. Maybe a chickpea or a baby tomato bonking him right on the forehead would work.
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The Anti-heroine
I’ve got two versions of the same bad ass anti-heroine. In the first pic, she’s got lion teeth. The second pic was actually the one I’d edited first, but she looked too much like a vampire (or werewolf with the bottom teeth), so I changed it to better represent her species, which is Panthera Leo. The lion teeth may be a bit too big for my taste, so I may just go with my first edit (plus the teeth are whiter).
Just a few of my anti-heroines:
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XTC and TGIF
I wanted to put up an extended excerpt from a paranormal romance that’s ready for release, but I’ll have to come back and finish this post.
A few more edited photos for my growing romance picture gallery. Three out of the four stock photos had couples of the same race, so I changed the couples to interracial lovers. These photos will be used for my novellas:
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XTC and TGIF
I wanted to put up an extended excerpt from a paranormal romance that’s ready for release, but I’ll have to come back and finish this post.
A few more edited photos for my growing romance picture gallery. Three out of the four stock photos had couples of the same race, so I changed the couples to interracial lovers. These photos will be used for my novellas:
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A HUI excerpt and Serena is GOAT
First, Serena Jameka Williams is GOAT.
Check out JK Rowling’s comeback on twitter to someone who tried to rain on Serena’s parade:
Serena’s WEARING that dress!! Look at those curves!
That Wimbledon women’s final had everything. High drama, an emotional roller coaster for both players. There were thrilling rallies and at times, brilliant shots. Yes, both players had a case of the yips. But it was the Wimbledon final, so I expected that. Garbine Muguruza is a rising star in tennis. I’ve been watching her progress, and her talent is undeniable.
A few more promos I’d worked on for my fictitious ballet sex symbol, Le Jong Hui:
One more excerpt before the book comes out:
If Hui wanted to impress her with this place he’d succeeded. From the time they stopped in front of a building with a wrought iron entrance and made their way to a top floor condo ─ a place that Hui said someone had graciously offered the use of ─ Imani’s eyes bulged at the décor and design.
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Congratulations Miss Copeland!
Misty Copeland is now a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater:
Excerpt:
“Even as her promotion was celebrated by her many fans, it raised all-too-familiar questions about why African-American dancers, particularly women, remain so underrepresented at top ballet companies in the 21st century, despite the work of pioneering black dancers who broke racial barriers in the past. And it showed how media and communications have changed in dance, with Ms. Copeland deftly using modern tools — an online ad she made for Under Armour has been viewed more than 8 million times — to spread her fame far beyond traditional dance circles, drawing new audiences to ballet.”
Misty Copeland is Promoted to Principal Dancer at American Ballet Theater
It took individuals both within and outside of ballet to publicly support Misty Copeland for this to happen, imho.
And let me also add: IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME. For more ballet trailblazers of color, please see this post: http://wikkidsexycool.com/2015/02/11/dance-trailblazers/
So, as I ready HUI for release, an ebook that features a fictional African American ballerina going for the Holy Grail like Miss Copeland, please take note that at this moment, Misty is the one and only. That’s right. For whatever reason, Miss Copeland is the only black woman in the role of principal dancer in a major US ballet company.
Book Excerpt:
Outside of Meredith’s office a number of dance students lingered in the hallway, waiting for their classes to begin. Some used the walls to support their weight as they stretched. Others utilized the comfort of the crowded floor. Making her way among the maze of human parts, Imani was almost mowed down by a younger group of students bursting out of one of the classrooms. Their excited chatter and giggles reminded her of the tiny dance academy she’d once attended. It was encouraging to see the diversity of the group and their excitement at seeing her.
“That’s Imani,” she heard one little girl whisper to the others as if Imani was on the cusp of greatness. “She’s so beautiful! I wanted to come here after I saw her perform at my grammar school,” the same little girl said, apparently not realizing how far her voice carried.
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New Paranormal, Adult and NA excerpts
Click the photo to be redirected to the excerpt page: