Christmas Ebook Coming Soon

I have a new short ebook that's going to be released from Red Rose Publishing titled, Under The Mistletoe. Here's a short blurb from the book:
"Grace has harbored a secret from her husband, Tony for twenty-five years. She believes he is not the biological father of her son, Trace. Trace is in need of a kidney. Because of her medical history, that eliminates Grace as a donor. Tony is hell bent on being the donor. Grace knows her secret is about to be revealed, and struggles with how she is going to tell him. Reluctantly, she reveals the events the night of her employer's Christmas Party to Tony, where she believes an indiscretion with a co-worker was the night Trace was conceived. Due to her intoxicated state, she doesn't remember everything that happened that night, especially after she returns home but Tony does. He recounts how their evening really ended. Is Tony really Trace's father? Will he be able to forgive her for her indiscretion all those years ago?"

Merry Christmas, Merry Xmas, Seasons Greetings or Happy Holidays

Well, it's that time of year again and the holidays are in full swing. This time of year beginning with Thanksgiving, has always been my favorite time of year. When I was growing up, it was always a time for families getting together, visiting, sharing, laughing and just simply enjoying being around each other. Times were much simpler then. Maybe that's what made everything special. We were far from wealthy...and let me tell you I mean FAR. There were thirteen of us, so you know money was tight in my family. But when I reflect back, while we didn't have money, we had LOVE, a roof over our heads, warm beds to sleep in, food to eat, and the company of each other.

There are so many times I feel sorry for this generation of kids. Everything around this time of year is so commercialized. All you hear nowadays is I want...I want...I want...I truly feel sorry that our kids will never experience the good times of family like we did back then. A time of family getting together and enjoying each other's company, enjoying good food, helping, sharing and caring for one another. Kids today walk around like zombies, their heads hung low, their attention fully on the latest Techno gadget (ipod, ipad, smartphone). Do you realize kids don't talk much anymore. Texting is the new fad. With everything the technological advances have done for the world, the downside is it's replace plain old communications, i.e. talking.

That's why, this year, it's Merry CHRISTmas for me, not Happy Holidays or shortening the word Christmas to Xmas or Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings...I want to put the CHRIST back in Christmas. What are your thoughts on this matter? Is it Merry Christmas, Merry Xmas or Happy Holidays for you?

Thank You and A Poem In Honor of Valentine's Day

I don't know what time this party officially ends, but I'd like to thank the Administrators for putting this jamming party together and give a big THANK YOU to all of the participants for coming to such a great party. This is my first time participating in an event like this and have truly enjoyed myself. I would definitely LOVE to be a part of something of this nature again in the future. I'd also like to wish everyone HAPPY VALENTINE'S Day. I pray it is all you wished for and more and I'd like to leave you with this poem in honor of the occasion.


ORBITAL LOVE


The journey begins as we join in unison

On this Earthly plane
Tongue, lips, mouths, body and soul

Intertwining, interweaving; our mission: sexual intercourse 

I'll climb atop the Good Ship Lollipop

And orbit through the galaxy, slowly, leisurely

We'll first take a spin around planet Mercury 

Before moving on to planet Venus, known for love and beauty

We'll confirm all the myths, while creating a new kind of love

That will leave an indelible mark of passion requiring further space 
exploration.

As we journey on to Mars, the red planet

We'll pause and make love in the red clay thus adding to it the 
color of red love

Our next stop is Jupiter, where we'll have four times the space

To bounce, spin, gyrate, before sliding and glide our way to our 
next destination

On Saturn, we'll let its rapid rotation take us on a joyous ride

Towards Uranus where we'll be its only visitors since Voyager 2 on 
January 24, 1986

And do things that'll cause NASA to pause and take a second look

We'll continue to allow Saturn's rapid rotation to spin us around 
Neptune and Pluto

And as we're escalated to our highest level of ecstasy

Before slowly beginning our descent 

Allowing the fuel that propels the Good Ship Lollipop

To be sucked down to the last tasteful drop

Muscles contracting and love releases its sweet nectar

As we return to our final destination on this earthly plane.

I Write Because...

My motto for writing is to encourage, enlighten and entertain. With that, I thought I'd share a piece I wrote in hopes of encouraging someone along the way.

...And Still I Write In The Face of Rejections

Writing has always been a source of comfort for me. I can remember when I was in high school how much pleasure I got from my journalism class, writing and sharing words with my like-minded peers. But for many years after graduating from high school, I didn’t writing anything. It wasn’t until after the untimely death of my mother and son in 1994 that my husband suggested I start writing. I’d previously told him how much I loved to write in school.
He suggested that I use writing as a way to express my feelings about what I was going through. He got the idea after our grief counselor had us write goodbye letters to our departed loved ones in one of the group sessions. Thus the beginning of my writing life began.
I’m happy to say I’ve been writing continuously since 1994. I've written several short stories, as well as a non-fiction book about loss and the grief process, a collection of poems, articles and essays, in addition to completing my first work of fiction, Sacrifices In The Name of Love.
With all of the joy and comfort writing has brought to me, the most frustrating part thus far was getting published by a traditional publisher. I've entered many short story contests, placing as a runner up in one. I've written personal letters, essays, and several poems that have been accepted for publication in anthologies.
I've created a web site displaying some of my work. I've submitted essays and poems to online sites that do not offer any compensation, just to get my work seen by others. I’ve joined many online writers groups to help get my name out there and to introduce my work.
In reference to my non-fiction book, I have so many, “Thanks, but no thanks,” form rejection letters from agents and publishers that are suppose to specialize in the type of book I’ve written. It is really hard not to lose focus on my purpose of writing, and that is to entertain, encourage and/or educate others with my writing.
For the many rejection letters that come through, I remind myself that each one in only one person's opinion. I will continue to send out query letters. I haven’t been deterred in my mission, especially when the letters appear to be standard form rejection letters and are of poor quality, or the agents or publishers don’t bother to compose a letter of their own. They just unprofessionally, scribble, “No, thanks,” across my original query letter.
“It's their loss,” I conclude as it’s evident that the agents and publishers who respond with form rejection letters aren’t worthy of my written words if they don’t know how to be the professionals they claim to be.
It’s ironic, I think. “What would agents and publishers do without writers?” They disregard worthy manuscripts like yesterdays old newspapers. I would love to be the fly on the wall of many agents and publishers who discarded the works of E. Lynn Harris, Karen Q. Miller, and many other notable authors who chose to self-publish after being rejected by large publishing house.
This poor treatment of the now best-selling authors by agents and publishers remind me of the scene in the Temptations movie, when one of the original members of the R & B Singing group who quit and then bangs his fist on the bar as he watches the group perform their first hit song, “My Girl,” for the first time on the Ed Sullivan show. Well we all know that to this day, the Temptations legacy still lives on some 50 years later. As the saying goes, “…And the rest is history.”
I wonder how many desktops have been banged in this manner, as many of the authors that were rejected now sit atop Best-Sellers lists time and again.
I don't let Nay-Sayers deter me in my quest to fulfill a lifelong dream of writing and becoming a published author as I continue to write in spite of the many rejections I've received.
I tell myself that if no one else ever gets to see my written words, then so be it. I started writing as a way of helping me to deal with a very traumatic time in my life. By writing, I have accomplished that and so much more and as such, I feel I’ve already reached my number one fan, me. And I will continue plucking away at my computer keyboard, sending out query letters, all the while increasing my writing portfolio until I reach you, my other number one fan.
In 2009, my perseverance paid off. My first work of fiction, Sacrifices In The Name of Love was accepted for publication by Red Rose Publishers, and was released in Ebook form on June 3, 2010.
So always remember, perseverance and persistence is vital if you want to fulfill your dreams of becoming a published author. Learning to not let rejection letters deter you is vital, if that’s your goal. But first of all, YOU have got to believe in yourself and your writing abilities.

Hello and Welcome to the World of Author Vanessa A. Johnson

Good morning all. I'm Vanessa A Johnson, author of ebook Sacrifices In The Name of Love. I'm from Louisiana, just west of The Big Easy. As we approach Valentine's Day, with the theme of love in the air, I'd like to give you a small excerpt from my book, Sacrifices In The Name of Love, which is the moment my characters Trey Martin and Tessa Phillips share their first kiss.
"When the only thing separating us was our warm, quick, panting breaths of hot air, our gazes remained locked together. We stared deep into each other‟s eyes. My entire insides burned with desire. Trey‟s stare set my soul on fire, a fire that only he could squelch.
Bolts of electricity burst throughout my body from the nearness of him. I couldn‟t contain my desire any longer. I leaned my face toward his, shut my eyes and opened my hot, trembling lips to invite in Trey‟s equally hot quivering tongue. Our lips locked in a slow dance as we methodically sucked, twirled, and toyed and explored each other‟s mouths.
I felt like I was floating on a cloud and peacefully drifting toward the heavens."

Now, as my book title suggests, what sacrifices have you made under the guise of love. Better yet, what is one thing you have done, be it childish, foolish, stupid, etc., under the guise of love. Now don't be shy, spill it! If you haven't made any sacrifices, then tell me about your first kiss...the real one, not the one on the side of the face...the one where you exchanged DNAs...



Buy Link for Sacrifices In The Name of Love: http://redrosepublishing.com/books/index.php?manufacturers_id=169&osCsid=29f0d8b8fc60f851a243427d3c159537
Book is available with a 10% discount on Red Rose Publishing site.

I'm also giving away a pdf of Sacrifices In The Name of Love. I'll choose a name from the posters on this post on Monday, Valentines Day and notify the winner by email. So please, include your email addresses in your comments on this post. :)