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Supernatural Love
“Bruh” saves the world
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Reading, writing and Amazon
I create a lot of promos and book covers for my ebooks, and I usually do it on Saturdays:
I added a spotlight to my Imani performance pic. The original just had her over a black background:
The title for this novella isn’t set yet. I just wanted to add text to it:
My main witchy-poo from Long Ago and Far Away: Lilith
On or after August 15th, indie writers who are enrolled in Amazon’s Select program will find out just how much each page read under Amazon’s new system will amount to. The guessing game up to now has been that the honeymoon is over regarding payment under the Select program.
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A paranormal state of mind
HUI news:
This book has been quite a journey. My research included ballet, the culture and history of North and South Korea, The Korean War and its aftermath, Korean food and drink (baby mice wine is real, y’all). In addition, balancing the erotic romance elements with real world issues gave me pause. Love can’t cure everything, but this is a romance, so I went for a HFN (happy for now) instead of a HEA (Happily ever after). What I hadn’t counted on was the lack of visuals to help inspire my scenes. When I write, I have to “see” the characters. And there just aren’t enough stock photos with sexy Asian males. Especially Asian males in romantic scenes with a black female. So I had to create my own:
Jpegs for my new HUI gif promo
With HUI done, I’m going to release Confessions of a Shapeshifter next, because Andre Santana’s origin story is in that book. Andre’s now part of my NIGHTSTALKERS series:
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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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HUI – Any Day Now
I’d planned for HUI to be released on the 15th.
My new goal is to have it out any day now, and that’s what I’m concentrating on.
In addition to the a first chapter excerpt found here. I’ve included a couple of brief excerpts from the book:
Excerpt:
The very first woman he’d given his heart to was Nuri, his mother.
He loved her, not because she was exceptionally good or kind, but that she was resourceful. In a city where people were dropping in the streets from starvation, Nuri not only made sure they had food to eat, but that they shared their rations with others.
“See, your mother looks like a movie star in this photo,” his second mother, Eun-mi told him, her wrists shaking as she handled a black and white photo of Nuri. Posing in the large gathering space known as Kim-Il-sung square, Nuri could’ve passed for a flapper from some old Hollywood movie. Clothed in a long trench coat, Nuri’s mouth was darkened with lipstick and her teardrop shaped eyes appeared even larger, helped by liner that flared upwards from each eyelid. She wore a beret, so only the midnight curls framing her face could be seen. That small photograph shaded in black and gray was all he had to remember her by.
Each time his own eyes were enhanced with liner prior to a performance, Hui was reminded of her. Nuri’s beautiful heart shaped face was his face, and it had saved his life.
“Be glad that others can clearly see Nuri in you. This way, any man would be proud to call you his son,” Eun-mi had said. “Your mother had a talent of making friends of her enemies, and she has passed this gift on to you.”
Hui could no longer recall his Omma’s voice. But he had fond memories of walking along Kim-Il-sung square, marveling at the Grand People’s Study house, and the Juche Tower, a monument just across the Taedong river.
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Copyright 2015
Excerpt:
Of the five reviews three were so-so, one was glowing, and the last read more like an endorsement for Russian ballerina Natalia Osipova, after the writer compared Natalia’s version of Kitri to hers.
Still, this was one of the only times her name had been mentioned as a professional dancer. Imani was over the moon with happiness. But that last review . . .
“You’re thinking too hard on one review.” Hui told her.
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HUI goes on sale June 15th
HUI will finally be released on June 15th. An excerpt can be read here
At Last is already on sale at Amazon.com
I’ve added two more edited photos to the WSC Romance Image Gallery:
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The Male Mystique
Just finished watching Sloane Stephens defeat Queen V (Venus Williams) at The French Open. Sloane never gave up, so congrats to her on the win. Venus showed flashes of her old self, as she slowly makes her way back after battling an auto immune disease. At almost thirty five years of age, Venus looks GOOD. So does Serena. They were the inspiration for my new ebook that features a Jamaican tennis phenom who falls for her doubles partner.
The male mystique for WIKKID SEXY COOL books is alpha badass, compassionate, contrary, vulnerable and every thing a girl could want.
Whether its the coolly elegant hottie Tristan “Didi” Botha from Game.Set.Love.
Or the wisecracking and sexy Iann Bono:
Or the gorgeous but complicated ballet dancer Le Jong Hui: