So long 2007....

I have mixed emotions today ( as I do on the 31st of every year) I say mixed because I'm still working at not suffering the past or the future...but concentrating on the here and now.

I am so grateful for the 42 years I've been blessed with thus far and I have to say that I'm excited and curious as to what the 43rd year will bring me!

When I feel myself walking that narrow line that divides happy from not so happy I pull out this baby picture of myself (happy, smiling...not a care in the world) and mentally try and put my self in the same space that six month old me was in when the photographer snapped the photo. I gotta tell you...nine times out of ten it works!

We as human beings experienced plenty of highs and lows in 2007. My wish for myself and for the rest of the universe is that we grow deeper in our spirituality and consciousness and that we work especially hard at being kind, loving and sensitive so that peace will rain down on every troubled corner of the globe.

I made made New Years' resolution list on the first day of 2007 and sadly...did not accomplish one thing on that list!!! So my resolution this year will be NO RESOLUTIONS!



Know that that R'yane and I are wishing you all health, happiness, love and balance from now to forever...

See you back here in 2008!

Bernice L. McFadden

If you're in Detroit this weekend....

I have I told you that I come from a talented, creative, family?

Well my cousin Edgar Wallace (on my mama's side) is performing this weekend in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan.

Take someone you love...or just someone who loves good music and when you see him, tell him I sent you and yeah, go on a give him a hug from me....

Bernice L. McFadden

You know you want to.....

Donna Hill is holding a contest over at her blog for the release of the short story collection: On the Line. Go on ahead and mosey on over there and find out what all the hoopla is about! You know you want to....





Happy Holidays Book Lovers,

I do hope you all had a safe and happy XMas. And for those celebrating Kwanzaa, Happy Kwanzaa!!!

As many of you know today, Dec. 26th 2007 ON THE LINE hits bookstores nationwide! All of the participating authors are thrilled and working hard to make this book a success. Of course that includes you! The first week of sales is so important. So while you are in the malls returning those gifts that didn't fit, please be sure to pick up a copy of ON THE LINE.

And as a token of our thanks to all of our supporters, today begins a 19 day contest!!! There will be one winner each day. To enter the random drawing, please visit http://onthelinenews.blogspot.com and sign our guest book. There you will find the details of the contest. You gotta be in it to win it! You can also listen to an excerpt, read some of the comments from the authors and watch a short trailer.

Tomorrow, Dec. 27th join in the conversation when the authors get together for their first teleconference, sponsored by APOOO book club. To participate use a land line and dial 1712 580-1800, access code 553081. 9 p.m. EST.

Feel free to leave your comments on the blog and when you get your copy of the book see if you can figure out which of the 18 authors penned each story.

On behalf of the On the Line authors, I thank you for your support!! Hope to see you ON THE LINE.

Peace,

Donna Hill

Bernice L. McFadden

In the end it all came together...

In the end it all came together...but dosent it always?

How was your Christmas? Mine was wonderful!

I was able to sort out the house and my aunt flew in from California and decorated the tree.








The kids are ALWAYS the big winners on this day!















Aaah, the holidays....

Bernice L. McFadden

I just couldn't resist! Merry Xmas!

Me and my younger brother, comedian/actor Reggie McFadden.

Bernice L. McFadden

Happy, Merry and all that Jazz!

Where what....three days away from xmas and my house is still upside down.....



My tree is still naked....!



The flip side is I'm done with shopping for and wrapping gifts...and the guest room/reading room is completed! Just waiting on someone to feel sorry for me and install the window treatment...


Before


After

Now I have to brave the supermarket crowds and pull the house together. Oh well.....tis the season, right?

I'm wishing each and every one of you a wonderful holiday. Eat, drink, love and be merry and I'll see you back here on the 26th!

Bernice L. McFadden

Books, Books and more BOOKS!

So it seems that I was wrong about the release date for the Donna Hill anthology -- ON THE LINE...the book will actually be available on December 26th...just in time for Kwanzaa! We're trying to make the USA Today best sellers list so go on out and help 18 authors keep their lights on! LOL

I have a copy of the book and its an unique format...the stories do not bear the authors names...I already shared the title of my story..BLACK POWER...so the cat's out of the bag there. But as you read, drop in and let me know who you think the author of each piece is...I think it'll be fun.

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I love books with faces on the jacket...just this thing I have.

I don't know Abiola Abrams but I'm on someones email blast list that thought I should know her. Maybe it was the similarity in book covers?

It seems she is very popular with the BET crowd (can't tell you the last time I watched BET) but I'm sure many of you out there are familiar with her. So make sure you show the sister some love and purchase her new novel DARE.
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And finally, fresh off the press...Terrie Williams non-fiction book:

Black Pain (it just looks like we're not hurting) just arrived via UPS to my front door.

Terrie and I have been friendly for a few years now. In fact, she paid me a great honor two years ago by cutting a Florida trip short to fly back to New York and attend my infamous summer party!

When she called and asked if I would contribute some of my pain and recovery to her new literary effort I did not hesitate to say: Hell yeah! -- talking and writing it out is such an important part of the healing process.

Bernice L. McFadden

Black Lit, Guest room blues and OUTED!!!

Big shout out to the lovey sista's who traveled all the way from DC to Stroudsberg Pennsylvania this past Saturday to spend time, support and chat with me, Gloria Mallette and Donna Hill. Talk about die hard fans! I was nearly moved to tears....

One of the sista's told me that she had a library built on to her house this summer. Now is that a reader...or is that a reader??!!!

Of course during their short visit we found ourselves knee deep in that never ending discussion on...What the F&@K....Black Literature!

How many out there believes that there is a conspiracy where black books are concerned? (My hand is raised)

What do you think is going to happen if publishers continue to publish one "type" of AA books (ya'll know what type I'm talking about) ......

I say that those of us that have become tired of reading that "genre" will most likely start spending our dollars where there is more of a variety to choose from (White Authors) and then we'll be thrown back twenty years when publishers claimed that Black people didn't read......and they'll just stop publishing us all together.

Now understand that I'm not one of the "crabs" I'm not trying to pull anyone down to gain an inch...what I want is balance...I celebrate all type of authors and genres....I'm the one in the cheering section screaming Rah! Rah! When another one of us gets a book deal...but goddamn....can we have some balance?

Do we need to have "two" black tables/sections in the bookstore?

Feedback?

(Climbing off my soap box)

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Okay well the little guest room is "mostly" all done! The futon came today and yesterday I went shopping for accessories -- and the decorative/functional ladder I bought to put books and nick-knacks on is just to damn big for the room. The magazine rack/night stand I bought at Pier one is still in the box...I'm afraid that item might too big for the room too!

There's plaster dust all over the house. You know plaster dust is like sand....it shows up in the most unusual places and as soon as you think you've gotten rid of it...you walk out of a room and come back and there it is...looking all innocent like it didn't know you just hit that spot with Pledge!


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So Monday night was my last travel writing class....for me at least. The very last class is next week, but I can't attend. Did I learn something? Yes, I did, but mostly I enjoyed reading the travel stories from my classmates. The one story I submitted for critique was well received and I'm thinking seriously about expanding it.

Was I found out?

YES!

Two weeks ago the instructor paired us off for interviews. When my interviewer asked what I did for a living...I told him...(nah, I didn't use the check-out girl story)

I thought it was more than clear that I didn't want this to be public knowledge (immediately) of course I knew it would get out...but not until the second to last class when we discussed the project. Apparently, as soon as rushed out of class that night...he "outed" me to the instructor, who in turn "outed" me the following week to the entire class. Talk about embarrassed...and yes VEXED!

I guess privacy is no longer a right...just a privilege

Bernice L. McFadden

Welcome Raven!

Last night at exactly 9:03PM a new edition to my family came wailing into the world.

At 7lbs,6oz and 19 1/2 inches long please welcome Raven Savannah Taylor!!!!

(applause,applause)





L'il miss Raven is the culmination of Jonathan Taylor introducing himself to my cuz Kathleen Taylor, a spark, three years of dating, a year long engagement, March wedding and and a hot steamy weekend in Dallas two weeks later that brought Raven into existence... (TMI?)

Kathleen Taylor... a phenomenal woman, wife, daughter and interperter..can now add mother to her impressive life list.

I have been frantically working on Kathleen's patriarchial line and have discovered some very interesting information. This is will be my welcome gift to li'l Raven.

Will you join me in sending blessings and white light to the Taylor family?

Bernice L. McFadden

This is hilarious!

This gave me a wonderful Thursday belly laugh!

On The Line...coming Jan 2008

So author friend, Donna Hill, gathered together a number of authors (including moi) for the new short story collection:

On the Line

The collection is jam-packed with stories from your favorite authors and will be in store on January 1st. Of course it's available for pre-order on Amazon.com today!

My inclusion is a story entitled: Black Power.

Looking forward to hearing your feed back in 2008.


Donna Hill, Gloria Mallette and myself will be on hand for the official opening of the brand new Border's mega-book store in Stroudsberg, Pennsylvania (The Poconos) this saturday December 8th.

We will be signing books from 2 - 4, so if you happen to be in the area stop on buy.

Of course I'll be giving away HUGS!

Bernice L. McFadden

Just some stuff.....

Remember when we were kids and it took FOREVER for Christmas to come and then another FOREVER for the summer to arrive?

Now we blink and before we know it, the holiday season is upon us...another blink and we're standing in the mirror wondering how come we didn't use those cold winter months to ready ourselves for bathing suit season.

My opinion as to why the years begin to fly by so quickly when we become adults is the fact that for the most part our lives (the fiscally challenged) revolve around our pay days and the due dates on our bills.

I bet you the year goes by a whole lot slower for rich folks!

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I made a mistake last week Monday when I posted the pages/words of my MS in progress.

While I did make some cuts to Glorious - I was surprised to find when I opened the file that the cuts had been so significant. ( I hadn't worked on it for while) Alas, it was not as severe as I thought -- after I transfered it from my old computer system to the new one - for some reason the font changed to a really tiny one - hence the 65 pages. Now at the proper font: New Courier 12 - I actually have 150 pages!


I spent most of the week owrking on the Geneva Holliday project. If you remember last Monday it weighed in at:

4 Pages/ 1205 words.

I now have:
83 pages/ 13,625 words!!!

Whew...another 37,000 words or so to go!

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I've begun a new project in my home. I have small bedroom that has served as a sort of walk in closet for the past few year and so last week I decided that I wanted it to be turned back into a bedroom...needless to say - THERE'S DUST EVERYWHERE!

The electrician's came in and installed additional sockets in the room and changed the ancient box in the ceiling. My all around handy man will start plastering on Tuesday -- the room should be painted by the end of the week and then its off to buy furniture -- well really just a futon, nightstand and some wall art. Like I said, its a really small room.

I have a lots of company over during the holidays at least this year I won't have to give up my bed and sleep on the couch.....

Bernice L. McFadden