May June Issuu by Felisha Bradshaw

Contest WINNER

5stars***** REEMA Recording is a Christian base recorded outlet that was created to give pastors, gospel groups, church choirs and organizations an opportunity to promote, distribute and make available their product. REEMA “is not” a recording company that promotes or distributes material for the individual/s. It is merely a way of supplying the Word of God for his people to purchase……..

Not Your Typical Urban Love Stories “Four Faces of Love is four fascinating tales of love from four different perspectives; each having its own set of characters and life challenges that they face. I loved how fast paced and straight to the point the stories were. Both stories starting with enough back stories to help the reader empathize and connect to the characters. Then quickly the drama and twist and turns began, with each story leaving you wanted to read more….

Shanna: I do not remember a time when I didn’t write. It began with tinkering with poems that existed and recreating them completely using their rhythm. Rhythm plays a role in both……………….

Ru Williams definitely makes music that can be described as the soundtrack to any young man’s life ― living, learning and loving. He began seriously songwriting when he was 19 and though he lacked a lot of experience at such a young age, .

WE ARE EVERY WOMAN! By: Felisha

Bradshaw Versatile, stylish, and diverse are women of color. It doesn’t matter if you are African American, Cuban, Dominican, Latina, African, Jamaican, Haitian; Caribbean, you name it. Being of color gives you the natural beauty of queens. When it comes to our hair we can go long, short, natural or permed. Beauty for us comes in many forms. It is our ability to wear our hair to suit the occasion, the……..

TABLE OF CONTENTS Rodney Bradshaw has come up with the ultimate way to share the gospel; sharing the good news in every form; through teachings preaching and reaching. The gospel music industry has been a way to reach out to our youth through lyrics. What a great idea to build a network for the word.

The Love Letter is accepting questions for the month of Aug/ Sept.. Got Love woes or just need to get advice on building relationships send them to: urbangrapevine3@gmail.com.

78 Single&Simply

LOOKING

URBAN

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.~ Rodney Bradshaw was born and raised in Uniondale New York. He accepted Christ and an early age and was baptized at the Emanuel Baptist Church Elmont New York. He discovered the love of music through listening to the Hammond organ. He played piano for the H.D. David Junior Choir for 2 years. After graduating from Long Island Lutheran High School (Brookville New York), he attended Christopher Newport University (Newport News VA) earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. While at CNU, he was favored to be a personality on Hampton University radio station WHOV’s “Quiet Storm”. This was unusual because he did not attend the university. Never the less, ratings went up during the time he was there.

Bradshaw relocated to the TRI State area of Washington DC for a 15 year stint. While there, music flowed as a second music love carried him into being a disc jockey and birthing Studio One Productions. Wedding receptions are the only occasions that the equipment comes out the garage. In 2003, God then ordered his steps to Knightdale North Carolina, where the creative juices started to flow for the gospel sound. He gathered himself and started playing the keyboards after 20 years. He starting playing keyboards at bible study for Michelle Mathews and later married in September 2008. With a blended family, Rodney II, Evan, Aisha, Michaella and Elyjah, he was not about to slow down. A lover of Jazz and now gospel, he released two gospel jazz CDs I’ll Fly Away (2008) and On My Way Somewhere (2009). He is about to release a 3rd entitled “Above the Clouds” later this year under the label and business REEMA Recording.

Rodney Bradshaw has come up with the ultimate way to share the gospel; sharing the good news in every form; through teachings preaching and reaching. The gospel music industry has been a way to reach out to our youth through lyrics. What a great idea to build a network for the word.

REEMA Recording was his second birthing in March of 2011 and has been on a tear ever since. The media ministry is growing in spirit and in numbers. There are now 18 churches apart of REEMA family and spans from New York to Florida. Under the leadership of Bishop Charles & Pastor Pamela Johnson of The Well Church Raleigh North Carolina, Rodney has been found worthy to be over the media and security departments, and personal amourebeare to Bishop Charles Johnson. In January 2012, he was ordained Deacon. He has been in further study to become a minister of the word of God. REEMA Recording is a Christian base recorded outlet that was created to give pastors, gospel groups, church choirs and organizations an opportunity to promote, distribute and make available their product. REEMA “is not” a recording company that promotes or distributes material for the individual/s. It is merely a way of supplying the Word of God for his people to purchase.

REEMA also promotes & distribute professionally packaged CD (or DVD coming soon) without the contract of a recording label/artist. REEMA packages pre-recorded sermons, church services and gospel/Christian choirs at an affordable price. Thus, keeping your inventory stock low and your listeners tuned in. Churches don’t have to hire Staff to take care of the media department! It’s ALL done for you…

Media Subscription everything that is recorded is automatically sent to you monthly or quarterly lengths! REEMA is an affordable way to reach as many people on the web as possible! Members of the church will still know what was being said when they have to miss a Sunday due to a vacation, sick or working! We understand things happen, however they don’t have to miss out!

Our mission is to provide an affordable outlet so that clergy, churches and gospel groups can display their product/s. This Christian online website will offer services ranging from selling sermons and Christian music to CD & DVD duplication. We believe the voice of God can be heard thru many and we are bringing a variety Christians together on one site. Whether spoken or in song, we will professionally display, package and record material for purchase and give you the profits from the sales. We are dedicated to “Getting God’s Word Out Quickly”. There are many who have not heard the word and/or want to get the message from morning service. Our goal is to make available audio for downloading from numerous people in ministry within the same day!

This month I was able to run into two young ladies that share their feeling through literature about being in-love, relationships and the key component to making it work; trust. Their love for literature has them both embarked on a literary journey.

5stars***** Not Your Typical Urban Love Stories “Four Faces of Love is four fascinating tales of love from four different perspectives; each having its own set of characters and life challenges that they face. I loved how fast paced and straight to the point the stories were. Both stories starting with enough back stories to help the reader empathize and connect to the characters. Then quickly the drama and twist and turns began, with each story leaving you wanted to read more….

~Bryan Dennis~

Lakenya McClain, an up and coming author born and raised in the heart of Bridgeport, Connecticut. She took off on this journey of writing as a teen penning poetry about the world around her. Family urged Lakenya to pursue a writing career. By 2007, she’d done just that. Lakenya wrote a story about an intense break-up but her confidence slowed up the world ever reading it. Time allowed her to grow and her confidence heightened. She then partnered up with her cousin and now business partner; Jennifer Arroya, author of Trust Issues and the duo Fire (Jennifer) & Ice (Lakenya) was born. Lakenya has written two short stories that are a part of the book, “Four Faces of Love”. I asked Lakenya where her stories stem from and she confessed they were her own experiences as well as the experiences of others. Her imagination and creativity compliments her skills when she writes her urban tales. Her love for writing does not stop at just urban fiction but has broadened into children’s fiction and erotica.

A teen mom at the age of 15 years old Lakenya let it inspire her success. She pressed forward and graduated from community college earning the credentials she needed to become a head start teacher. Jennifer Arroyo the other half to writing duo, Fire & Ice is a NY native who is making a life with her family in Bridgeport, CT. Raw creative style was recognized by Vickie Stringer in 2008 after winning a writing contest for the infamous urban Author/ entrepreneur. This is when Jennifer decided to pursue her lifelong dream of writing; she realized that writing was what she wanted to do. She uses real life experiences and imagination to write some of the grittiest tales. Although two of her first releases, 'Trust Issues' and 'Four Faces of Love' are urban tales, she considers herself a versatile author planning to dabble in the paranormal/horror and fantasy genre! Together these two authors make up the ingenious mind of Fire & Ice. You can expect to see great inventive works from Fire&Ice. Jennifer and Lakenya are now signed with GStreet Chronicles a well-established publishing company out of Atlanta, Georgia. Their latest release is titled: NO WAY OUT now available on amazon.com both reside in Bridgeport, Connecticut with their children.

There’s no mistaking Black Angle Publishing is ahead of the game. Pun intended. L.A. Smith has teamed up with two authors Starr Noble and Krystol dedicating their works to a worthy cause. Thinking a head will allow children to have a bright Christmas. UGM: Where did the concept of RENDEZVOUS

Guiltless Pleasures come from?

How were the co-

authors chosen? LA Smith: The concept for Rendezvous: Guiltless Pleasures came about 2 1/2 years ago. Initially, myself and another author wanted put together some short stories however, we decided to put the project on hold due to other pressing matters with the publishing company. In August 2011, I received a message from a different author who wanted to collaborate on an anthology so I revived Rendezvous: Guiltless Pleasures. I submitted a request for Stories on Facebook, Twitter, and on the publishing website. Hundreds of writers showed an interest, however only a few really good stories fit within the theme. UGM: Have you chosen the charity you are donating the proceeds to? LA Smith: Every year Black Angle Publishers conduct a drive we call 'Secret Santa.' We donate toys and clothes to under privilege kids in the DMV. With the proceeds from Rendezvous: Guiltless Pleasures, it is our hope to expand this effort. UGM: Tell me about of RENDEZVOUS Guiltless Pleasures ? What’s your story about?

The authors in our next release “Rendezvous: Guiltless Pleasures” donated their short stories in support of the Black Angle Publishers’ Secret Santa fund. It is a service where we provide toys and clothes to less fortunate children around Christmas time. All proceeds from the sale of this anthology will go to that effort. Show your support and pre-order your copy at www.authorlasmith.com.

L.A. Smith: This anthology contains 4 erotic stories of love, lust, and fantasy between couples while away from home. “Picture Perfect” by L.A. Smith What happens when you finally come face to face with who you perceive to be your worst enemy? Bethany “Bea” Richardson and Quincy “Peanut” Monroe had bad blood between them, starting in elementary school and neither knew the reason why. On the day of their high school graduation, the two seniors make eye contact and find themselves drawn into the other. Will they make amends or will the rivalry continue into adulthood? Krystol: “The Honeymooners” by Krystol Honeymooners Aubrey and Marqus Jackson are happily in love, and enjoying their new life as husband and wife. While on their honeymoon in Negril, Jamaica, they want to enjoy their newly joined lives by having a third person accompany them. Sexually, that is. They were confident in their commitment to each other to try anything, even a ménage à trois. Why not try it? Will they explore the island with a third person, or will their intended trio end up being just another duo? Starr Noble: ““The Competition” by Starr Noble Jordan “JD” Dandridge never imagined his life to be this turned upside down after losing the love of his life during the birth of their first born. No other woman could compare to the love he shared with his late wife. Or was he kidding himself? Alicia didn’t think she would love again after losing her husband during a routine military accident. As a single mom, she’s faced with raising a daughter as normal as possible. Will JD and Alicia’s worlds collide? Can these two heart torn romantics find love again? “Torn

Two”

Black

Angle

Publishers

Bonus

Warren Dean couldn’t believe that someone as beautiful as Kirstin Cline could be so relentless especially when it came to his business. She had a vice grip on his company as well as another valuable body part. Business deals are made and broken everyday in the world of software development. But how often do you get swept off your feet by a woman who’s about to ruin everything you’ve built? Not just any woman but the mogul of business deals gone good and bad. Who’s likely to win in this tug-a-war between his company and her business savvy?

I spoke with K’wan about what we can expect and how he chose Animal out of all his books to bring to life, literarily before our eyes. It’s every author’s dream to see their thoughts come to life. For Urban Fiction authors it doesn’t happen that often. Trying to make marks in the literary industry alone is a task for African American authors. Award winning authors and bestselling authors are titles given to AA authors by AA award shows, literary groups; such as book clubs and BlogTalk Radio personalities. Minority authors crown each other in support of popular reads. The African American/Latin literary communities have join forces to shine light on Urban Fiction. Rap star phenomenon 50 Cents saw a profitable investment and started G-UNIT BOOKS. It has been the house of many popular authors; Kwan (Blow), K. Elliot (The Ski-Mask Way), Nikki Turner (Death Before Dishonor), Relentless Aaron (Derelict), Noire (Baby Brother), and Mark Anthony (Harlem Heat) just to name a few. But after a few years of publishing the light dimmed but these authors still excelled. Writer Kwan went on to put out over a dozen more 5 Star reads. As the Urban Fiction genre rises and more and more writers add to this genre notoriety goes out to the top sellers and more popular authors. These veteran authors; Treasure Blue (Get It Girls), Wahida Clark, Ashley&Jaquavis captured the attention of yet another music mogul/s Lil’ Wayne and Birdman. The renowned rap artists and music producers recognized their talents and a genre that has expanded due to technology; e-readers and started a publishing company; Cash Money Content. The popularity and notoriety of author K’wan has opened the door for him to put one of his ideas on film. His love to hate-hate to love character “Animal”, also the title of his lasted novel is a contribution to his short film. Auditions were held this past January.

K’wan: First let me just clarify, that this is a short that I wrote and directed to get a feel for that side of the game. I'm getting my feet wet one toe at a time so to speak. It's titled love and Gunplay because I'm releasing an E-short under that name at the same time, but what the film project is actually a build up to my novel Animal which will be out this fall. Think of it as a really long commercial with a plot. This one is going to be something I put out just for the web, but I'm building a monster that I would like to breath life into over the Summer. That's the one I'm gonna go at the film festivals with, god willing. I don't have a solid release date for it yet, but we're shooting for May. When I cast the talent I didnt want to use pro actors. I got regular guys and girls off the street and asked them to read for the camera. I picked the ones I liked and wrote the final script based on their real personalities so that it would bring out the best in them, even if they arent professional actors/actresses. Ashley&Jaquavis a husband and wife writing duo has had reader’s attention since their 2007 release “Dirty Money”. They have penned as a whole over two dozen books with 2012’s line-up they have even dabbled in a few anthologies and ghost written over a dozen. This duo has mastered collaborating just as well as their new publishing home, Cash Money Content (CMC). Their latest work; Hard Six is in the making to go on film. A&J have set a high mark for Urban Fiction. Mainstream will see that we are here to stay and reading for us is not a phase. Going by their amazon reviews they have male and female reads from their early teen to senior citizens. Talk about your diversity in readership.

Other authors like Thomas Long know what it takes to bring a book to life. 4 Life a straight to DVD urban story with a familiar cast was written by Thomas Long. I caught Thomas on Facebook long enough to ash him a few questions regarding the route he took to get 4 Life on DVD. Urban fiction is on the rise and making a dent in the literary world. Our youth need to see that education is king and with it you can go many places. There are worlds within worlds in Urban Fiction and I have faith that the journey will be exciting. An Atlanta Georgian author Marlon McCaulsky is no stranger to writing. He has penned familiar books titled; URBAN FANTASY 1,2,3, PINK PALACE 1,2, FROM VIXEN 2 DIVA and a number of anthologies. Used To Temporary Happiness is an anthology by Marlon and co-writer RaeQuel Edgerson and is coming soon to film. UGM: Urban Fiction is on the rise. Many “Urban” reads are being invested in converting them to film. It’s said that each book shows growth. This is a major accomplishment. It sets the benchmark pretty high. What’s you next move? How do you top that? Marlon: Well, as of right now we’re focus on "Used To Temporary Happiness". This is director Lamont Gant first feature film project. I think RaeQuel and I are blessed to have him take our book and turn it into a film. Once we're done we can see what's next but for now the focus is on making this film the best we can. I don’t look at it as trying to top the last thing I did. I just look at it as trying to do better with the next project than I did the last. Plus always taking advantage of the opportunities that present themselves to you.

UGM: Out of all your works why USE TO TEMPORARY HAPPINESS? What was it about this book that caught your attention over your other works? Marlon: I've always envisioned my books as movies or Show Time series. We didn't plan on this book becoming a film when we wrote it. I think once Lamont Gant from Gant Media Dsigns (also, the cover designer of the book) read what our book was about he got inspired to bring it to life. UGM: This is RaeQuel’s first book. What made you team up with her? Where did you see the compatibility to the point where you said I’m going to do a book with RaeQuel Yes, we can do this…? Marlon: RaeQuel and I have been friends for about nine years now. This wasn't the first book we wrote together. The first being a story called Diary Confessions back in 2004. Since then we always talked about doing another story together but we couldn't quite come up with a story line that we both liked. But in 2010 she came to me with this story line for Ariyanna's character. At first I wasn't sure about it but the more we talked about it the more original this story became. Then once we did the first two chapters I knew this story was going to be special. UGM: Some authors barely make 1,000 sales . RaeQuel, are you surprised that your first works is being converted into a film? What was your first thought? RaeQuel: Yes, I am still surprised actually. I was definitely hesitant when Marlon, K. Roland Williams our publisher, and Lamont Gant brought the idea to me. My first thought was “yeah right, you guys cannot possibly be serious”, but after thinking about why I wanted to do such dramatic story line in the first place I was ready to take the story to the next level. UGM: RaeQuel, what’s next on your agenda? Will you screen write or will there be a sequel or will you continue to team write with Marlon? RaeQuel: Well next for me is the debut of the film this summer thanks to Lamont Gant, and while we are in production Marlon and I are writing our sequel to “Used to Temporary Happiness” entitled “These Beautiful Scars”. Which will probably be releasing this summer as well. UGM: I have always been curious to know how two people write one book. Do you delegate who writes what? Is one person in charge of content and the other character building? Or what? Marlon: Well I know each duo has their own way of doing it that works for them but the way that works for us is that we'll talk about the characters and what we want to see happen to each one. Then we'll talk about each chapter and I'll write a first draft and send it to RaeQuel. She will re-write or add to the chapter or decide we need to go in a different direction and give her ideas to me. We'll play with it until we're both happy with the scene. RaeQuel: Yes, exactly what Marlon said, we go over the story line together. Then Marlon puts together a first draft based off of things we have discussed, and I then simply go in and edit the story fit my true to life vision. And the rest is history! He’s handsome and reaches out to his readers by any means necessary; JM BENJAMIN has over come obstacles in his life and achieved greatness. He went from cells to sales, from prisoner to publisher. How about that for accomplishments? These are just a chip off this iceberg. JM BENJAMIN holds many more titles: best seller author, books store owner, a mentor, motivational speaker and most important a loving dedicated father. Mr. Benjamin founder and CEO of A New Quality Publishing has paved his own way to success and is taking authors with him as well as showing our youth the way out of darkness. JM is known for capitalizing off of his creative ideas to market and sell his novels . He reaches

the masses through all forms of media; text advertising, book signings, social networking and book festivals/fairs. He even has his own sixteen page newspaper : Success Newspaper. JM BENJAMIN really caught readers attention when he took time out of his day to read his books via video on www.YouTube.com under the profile name: Anewqualitypub . Through hard word and dedication to the literacy industry JM is respected for his craft. QBR/Harlem Book Fair has join JM to make his vision of putting one of his novels on film, sophomore novel; My Manz and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Em. I caught up with JM to discuss his endeavor dropping a few questions on him. UGM: Out of all of your books why did you choose My Manz & 'Em to bring to life? JM BENJAMIN: My Manz And 'Em was chosen because it's one of the most compelling stories that I've penned thus far. It possesses a lot more substance than some of my other urban fiction titles and contains some very powerful messages throughout the entire book/script. That's what I was going for. Didn't want it to be just an action packed bang bang shoot 'em up senseless story line that leaves people with nothing more than feeling entertained. This film will be a heartfelt movie that will entertain you in the process.

UGM: Definitely. Sending a message and/or teaching a lesson through entertainment is a great choice. You have established a name for yourself; a brand so to speak. How important is it to brand your business? How did you start branding the infamous JM Benjamin? JM BENJAMIN: Branding is extremely important. I started making my presence felt the moment I was released from prison back in 2006. I took what monies I made off of my freshman novel and re-invested it back into myself. Many haven't figured it out and because they haven't they sometimes cripple themselves. It's not the book that's the product it's YOU who is the product. I packaged myself up properly and presented to any and everybody I could where ever I traveled. Because of that, supporters and followers from 2006 still continue to support and follow and I continue to do the same things I did back in 2006 to achieve that same goal, which is to. People know the name J.M. Benjamin because I have been consistent with keeping the Brand relevant. Again, very important. UGM: Was it hard to get support/backing to do a URBAN related film? How supportive has the community been towards JM? JM BENJAMIN: Laughing! Everything that I have obtained or accomplished has been hard to come by or do, I'm used to the hardwork required to get results, so that's not a factor for me. I've been secretly pushing towards this direction for over 3 years now. Like with anything else, it's all a process, one that I respect. The people who are apart of this project are actually people who believe in me, my capabilities and what I represent. This entire process has come to light from people just believing in me. I am confident that just like my community, other communities world wide will embrace this project for many different reasons, but one of the main ones being the support of the under dog and supporting someone who represents change.

UGM: Is April 28th is the casting call for My Manz And 'Em? Its too bad we could not discuss the outcome due to an early interview, but what type of person are you looking for to play your main characters? And will you give UGM a chance to re-interview you about your big day (casting day)? JM: The official casting call date is actually not April 28th, that's the date we will be accepting 8x10 Head shots and resumes during the HBF in Newark NJ. If and when any are chosen, they will be contacted for auditions for the casting call sometime in May, which will be held in my city of Plainfield NJ. The main characters will be chosen by the casting director, who's judgment I trust and support. I'll basically be looking for someone that makes me feel the way I felt when I created the character on paper for the novel. I'll know when I see and hear it. You guys can definitely get a follow up interview in the near future. UGM: Is there anything you want to share with our readers? JM: I just like to say thank you in advance for your anticipated support not only for the film but for any support in anything that I do. For my J.M. followers, the sequel to Heaven & Earth drops this summer! UGM: And we will be hear to support you on every endeavor. Thanks For giving Urban Grapevine Magazine a chance to chat with you. Stay blessed and keep encouraging.. The game is definitely changing! This is the only profession where the industry is equal. Women are respected for their contributions to the growth of Urban Fiction in the same light as men. The Latina Queen of Urban Fiction is doing her thang making history and making moves. DEBORAH CARDONA pen name “SEXY” is the first Urban Fiction book store in Spanish Harlem. She is a Jackie of all trades; author, book store owner, publicist, literary mentor and publisher. Her novels; Butterfly I & II, Two Fold, A Better Touch, Full of Game and the book she has chosen to go to film; Chained. Check her out in the next issue. Updates on the casting calls will be posted in Aug/Sept. 2012’s issue. ATTENTION ALL LATINO/A ACTORS CASTING CALL FOR CHAINED THE MOVIE WRITTEN BY DEBORAH CARDONA ,DIRECTED & PRODUCED BY JOHN FUENTES: JUNE 1ST. @ DEJA VU BOOK LOUNGE 1783 LEXINGTON AVE BET 110TH & 111TH STREET

FROM 2PM TILL 8PM SCRIPTS WILL BE ON SITE

We are not just a book club but a literary movement. The CHIT-CHAT&CHEW BOOK CLUB'S mission is to enjoy coming together chit-chatting and chewing (eating). We will also fund raise to have community events to promote the importance of literacy and to contribute to POSITIVE YOUNG BROTHERS & SISTERS formed by Eldorado Anderson and also Y.A.N.A (YOU ARE NOT ALONE) formed by Dawn Spearman; advocated for stopping the violence in our urban communities formed by Dawn Spearman. We will also help with volunteer work for both programs. We are a committed group of women dedicated to re-building a positive community through reading, writing and community activism.

Day in and day out I am asked; why is it so hard to find a book club in Bridgeport, CT? So, I decided to come up with our very own book club taking out the hosting at a person’s home. As a supporter of black businesses I decided to frame this book club around the things loved the most; chit-chatting and chewing. Therefor I named the book club the CHIT-CHAT & CHEW REVIEW BOOK CLUB. We will partake in more than reading the book and talking about it. We will discuss our current read (CHASING BLISS BY SABRINA EUBANKS), half the group will give professional reviews and post on our chosen sites, we will fundraise for our two chosen non-profit programs: Y.A.N.A AND POSITIVE YOUNG BROTHERS AND SISTERS as well as have events in the community . We are still accepting new comers. The group has two published authors Felisha Bradshaw and Maritza P. Brown so most of the reads selected the book club will get to meet most of the authors in person to get their books signed, ask questions and get answers to questions about publishing and how to’s. If you are interested you can go to: http://chit-chatchewreviewbookclub.yolasite.com/ and our mother website: www.letstalkurban.com. Or send a information request to chitchatchew@gmail.com. Thanks Again

Self Publishing has made writing books a home based business. Joining several social networks, writing groups, book clubs and business networks; Linkedin.com has proven to be quite beneficial. Friendships, followers, connections and group/club joining is the key to gaining a larger readership. Drica Armstrong is tapping into various types of marketing skills as she has learned throughout her journey as an author. Beautiful Liars was her first self published book released in 2009 under Author Drica Armstrong. But through growth and trial by error Drica went on to being the first to be self published under the company Double Take Publications in 2012 for her sophomore novel HIDE and SEEK. UGM: Drica after reading your bio I understand that you are writing a screenplay on HIDE and SEEK.. Why HIDE and SEEK? What made you choose this book? What spoke out to you? Drica:: Hide and Seek came to mind when I sat back with my family watching a popular talk show. I recall my family yelling at the woman on the show for her lack of knowledge about relationships and how she didn’t know her man as well as she thought she did. The constant phrase out of their mouth was “That will never be me.” With hearing them say that with such force and confidence made me stop and think. I started asking myself, how well do I know my friends and family. Would they sleep with my man? With all these questions in my head I decided at that time to write Hide and Seek. I wanted my novel to make them do a double take, hence the name of my company.

UGM: Wow, so not only are you promoting your sophomore book under your freshman publications but you have a third book coming out too with writing a screen play. How do you balance the writing and promoting? Drica: Writing and promoting at the same time is not difficult because the writing I have down but the promotion is another story. To become a GOOD promoter you must have a little hustle in you. Unfortunately for myself I never had to gain any hustle skills or develop the mentally for hustling. I was always taught by my parents that if you work hard things will come to you. They obviously didn’t mean writing. You have to be able to promote yourself or pay someone good money to do it for you. I am slowly learning and I have established a balance where I do writing and promoting one at a time. UGM: Drica, who are you? Yes I have your bio posted to the left but I want you to tell UG Magazine who you are? Drica: Drica Armstrong is the class clown that had other plans for her life. I wanted to be something that I wasn’t passionate about therefore I was lost for a while. Writing brought me from that dark place and I hope it continues to do that. I am a mother, a woman who has her struggles with things in the world, but most of all I am a woman who trusts God to get me through. I grieve like everyone else, I hurt, I laugh, and most of all I write. Whatever goes on in my life mostly will become a book. UGM: So, like to old saying goes; your life will be an open book… but what about your past releases like HIDE and SEEK. Where does that story line come from? How do you do your research for the character’s you build or do you free flow and bring them to life as you write? Drica: : My story lines come from everyday thoughts and various moments of my life. I could be talking on the phone and someone may say something weird and from that I can build a new novel. Once I get a story idea in place, I jot down the book details with includes a chapter breakdown. I write from that breakdown and sometimes I add a little spice to kick it up a notch. All of my characters are fictitious therefore I don’t do research on them.

Drica Armstrong was born and raised in Elizabeth, NJ. She never thought of becoming an author because she wanted to be a lawyer. A homework assignment given to her by an English teacher sparked her interest in writing. While attending high school, Drica wrote several short stories and poetry but starting writing her first novel, Beautiful Liars, during her first year of college. After graduating from Newbury College in Brookline, MA, Drica started to pursue publishing for her debut novel. Beautiful Liars was self-published in 2009. Soon after the release of her new novel, Drica finished her second novel, Hide and Seek. Hide and Seek is the first book to be published on Drica’s self publishing company, Double Take Publications, in 2012. Drica is currently publishing Beautiful Liars (coming soon) under DTP as well as working on the screen play for Hide and Seek, and completing her third novel, Quiet Storm. Drica lives in Elizabeth, NJ with her son.

UGM: The self publishing game is never easy. What avenues did you take to get your first book out? Did you do anything different for book two and if so what? Was it effective? Drica: My very first book is called Beautiful Liars and that book was my learning tool into getting in the business. The various mistakes from my first book helped me to not make the same mistakes for my second book. My second book, Hide and Seek, was a walk in the park compared to the first book. I made rookie mistakes. I let people edit the book who were not familiar with my genre of writing. I tried to cut corners and skimp on things that an author should not skimp on. What I went through with the first book helped me produce a great second book. UGM: Everyone clings to a person in the industry for mentorship. Who is your mentor? Drica:: I have had two mentors since I starting my publishing company. Nanette Buchanan, who lives right here in NJ, was a MAJOR inspiration and mentor to me. I would not have gotten this far without her assistance and help. Most of the mistakes I have and am making, she has already made them. Nanette has taught me ins and outs of this business. My other mentor is Winter Giovanni. Winter gave me the push that most new author’s need to make it in this business. Any and all questions and concerns I have I go to Winter for her guidance. UGM: Do you write your books alone or do you collaborate with someone on your ideas and flow? Did that person ride it out for the three books and short stories? Drica: All of my books were written by me but I do my first collaboration on a novel called A Preacher’s Trick with Winter Giovanni. My ideas and flow are that of my own. UGM: Beside the screen play on HIDE and SEEK what do you have planned for the year 2012? Drica: God has blessed me with a good start so far. I am turning Hide and Seek into a movie, I will continue to run my late father’s television show, and finish my new novel. An anthology of secrets may be in the works. I have been asked to write a book about the experiences I went through with the recent death of my father in December 2011. If I do produce this book, it will be a best seller. I will be at a few book fairs including the Harlem Book Fair in July, the Philly book fair in June, and the African American Author’s Expo in Maryland in August.

Back in Dante’s office, Mina and

“Well, I am fine. See, all in one

Dante are still going at it about

piece.”

him not coming home.

“I came here to see if you were

“You are just looking for some-

alright and all you can do is argue

thing to argue about.”

about how I don’t trust you. You

“Don’t turn this around. All I ask

are unbelievable.” Dante walked

is that you give me some courte-

around to his desk and sat down,

sy and call when you are going to

he was wrong to come at Mina the

be working late. It’s only kind of

way he did but he was not in the

you. ”I am not turning this

mood of explaining his actions to

around. You come in here ques-

no one. Playing both Mina and

tioning my whereabouts. Do I

Dana were wrong but they made

question yours? No. You are an

his

adult and not my child.” “Stop this reverse psychology shit. All I asked was that when you are working late to call me and let me know. I tried to call you but you didn’t answer your phone. So I got worried. I called several time and I even called here.”,

choose if he wanted to.

life

complete.

couldn’t

“I am lot of things and unbelievable may be one of them.” Mina started to walk away when she remembered that she had a message for him from his mother. “We are expected to attend dinner at your parent’s house tonight.

This book was very good. Great plot development and excellent characters that put you through a range of emotions. Lots of action, sex, and drama. Satisfying read. ~Sabrina Eubanks~

In Waterbury, Connecticut, twenty seven year old Claude Porter is released after serving a ten year prison sentence. He steps back into society with the intention of living a legal life, despite Jerome “Rocks” Watt’s attempts to lure him back into his former criminal lifestyle. After becoming gainfully employed, Claude gets fired for falsifying his information on the job application. Growing tired of penning applications in a gridlocked system not designed for exconvicts, he embarks on a mission, alongside Rocks, to capture the American Dream by any means necessary. In Los Angeles, California, Aaron Banks, a thirty three year old career criminal with a horrific past, strategizes a mass murder to take over the revenue in the streets. With the assistance of his cousin Flex and a few others, the men pull off the hit and came away with a stack of kilos and forty grand. When they catch wind that there may be a potential witness to the mass murder, Aaron and Flex vows to eliminate the witness and anyone who has any knowledge of their horrific crime, including Aaron’s suspicion ridden ex-girlfriend Sonya, but he doesn’t realize that he, too, along with his people, are being hunted. This is a gritty, unpolished, urban fiction novel that is set in multiple cities. A story of murder, violence, deceit, lust, sex, and betrayal, this fable is based on the dark lives of individuals who rely on animal instinct to get that fast cash.

http://www.amazon.com/A-Small-World-ebook/dp/B007I9AIIK/ ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334483147&sr=8-2

TIP COMPLIMENTS OF: The 12 Self-Publishing Authors Oath 1) I will learn everything there is about the Self-publishing business to minimize costly mistakes, (books, internet, established authors/mentors, etc) 2) I will never be closed minded and listen to other people's opinions before I make a final decision. 3) I will spare no expenses when it comes to editing. 4) I will get at least 3 concepts for my book cover design, and ask people which do they like the best. 5) I will get at least 3 quotes before I go into printing. 6) I will remember that books are sold months before you have book in hand. 7) I will never sit down at a book signing. 8) I will/shall SELL THY SELF SHAMELESSLY. Squeaky wheel always gets the grease, the silent wheel only gets the dust! 9) I will not be afraid to approach anybody when it comes to making a sale. Play the percentage, knock on one hundred doors, most will open. Knock on no doors, none will open. 10) I will not rely on bookstores or the internet, social network to sell my books. Some authors really believe that once they produce a book for sale, all they have to do is sit back and watch the money pile up. This is the biggest misconception of them all. If you're not willing to get your hands dirty, and come off that high horse, your book will die a slow death! 11) I will know what tell a potential customer the reason why they should buy my book. Your novel have to more than 'boy meets girl, boy lose girl, boy gets girl back.' That's banal. If you unable to give a potential customer some substance, it will likely be futile effort, because they will sense the lack of passion. 12) I will always carry bookmarks and at least 3 of my books everywhere I go. I am programed that whenever I see someone with a book in their hand, bus, train, even bookstores, I introduce myself and offer them a bookmark likely leading to a sale. Bonus: Whomever you sell a book to, tell them, "If you enjoyed the book, can you tell your friends and family about it? Word of mouth is the best form of marketing and it's free! Bonus: Compliment them as they read that back of your book, Example, if they have nice shoes, hairstyle, or jacket, etc. Flattery gets you everywhere. Bonus: Always keep eye contact. This gives you the power and control and greater the chance for the sell.

Raheim Brooks Self-Editing Rules That I Live By!

Submit a letter, REVIEWS, and advertisements of your book. DO NOT SEND THE BOOK. Your letter should describe you and the book, and indicate whether you're looking for placement in the library and want to set up readings/signings. Enoch Pratt Free Library Collections Management Department Attn: Selection 400 Cathedral Street Baltimore, MD 21201

~Raheim Brooks~

Want to get your books into the Baltimore City Public Library System, here's how:

1. Eliminating "bland" verbs: Examples of bland verbs are (is, make, take, watch, go, put, see, get, have, look, move). Get rid of them and really show what's happening. Sentence 1: She was in the hall. Better: She stood in the hall. She paced in the hall. She lounged in the hall. She lingered in the hall. She cooled her heels in the hall. For crying out loud, that does not mean get carried away, friends, and write: She exploded from the car and thundered up the front walk.

2. Adding "ly" adverbs is lazy. IJS. It's very easy to write (walked quickly, sat lazily, moved painstakingly. Try to replace them with action words that end in "ed" (ambled, marched, shuffled, trundled, stumbled). Find all of the "ly" words in your manuscript and work to make sentences that better describe the action. Sentence 1: (Verb/Adverb Combo) He moved painstakingly. Better: He grimaced and held his side as he hunched forward and took one step, then another. No, this does not mean that I am suggesting to take out every "ly" word, but it's better to show then tell. Moreover, if you're writing a "past tense" piece "ed" suggests action that has occurred. 3. Actions attributed to dialogue should deal with the act of speaking. What ever do I mean? LOL. "Help me," she gasped. Here "gasped" has replaced "said" or "asked". Here is my problem with that. Gasped, shuddered, hummed have nothing to do with the act of speaking. It's better to add that action in another sentence ("Help me." She gasped.). Or move the action to it's own phrase ("Help me," she said, and gasped.). Also on the dialogue front, once you have a good back and forth going, you no longer have to keep writing John said/Sarah said. Your readers get that they are taking turns. And add a bit of action to dialogue to move the story along, as opposed to pages of just dialogue and nothing really happening. Ex. "Are you going to leave me?" Jane stood in the doorway, blocking it, with her hands on her hips. "Because I need to know now." 4. I open with strong first lines, strong first paragraphs, and a strong first scene. Ex. Opening paragraph in my latest novel, MURDER IN GERMANTOWN:

Reflexively, Mark spun, and broke the wrist of the gun man, who dropped his pistol. Before he could gather his self another goon had placed an automatic weapon inches from the bridge of Mark's nose. He didn't kill him. They wanted him alive. I hope that this helps to better your writing and self-editing technique. Your editor will appreciate this, and it may cut down your editorial costs. I do other things, like identify the big changes needed, clarify ambiguities, and

My question is about keeping a marriage strong. My husband I were married on 2/14/12. Now that we are married I would like to know how to keep the marriage fresh. We are still in the fresh stage but eventually I feel that will wear off.

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Dear Love Letter, Was with him and we were tight, serious. Then I went away for two weeks when I came back he had changed. He had cheated on me. So we drifted apart, now it seems lie he is confused on whether to come back and pursue it with me or continue with the other girl. I love him so much and I know if we give it another try we will make it. He says let's take it slow but when I call him, he doesn't want to talk me says its not the right time. I really, really love him and want to be with him. Sincerely Anonymous

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As seen in the artwork below titled “One Love” Cody’s choice of colors and the multiple pictures of Bob Marley tell a story of his history for his love of music and his craft; a musician.

Cody Norris a native of Connecticut has mastered the technique of Digital Photography Art Manipulation. This new age way of creating artwork has me hooked from the time I stumbled across it on his Facebook page. The style illustrates stories within stories, faces and shapes within faces and shapes that create an original single storytelling piece of artwork. Facebook is a great business networking system. If there is anything that you need Facebook is where to find it and sometimes the very thing you need pops up unexpectedly. I was looking for artist, painter and poetess Shanna Melton and in my journey I came across Cody Norris. What pulled me in was the outright friendliness and kind demeanor of this gentleman. Like always I skimmed through his profile and then photos. What I came across was pure genius. Cody Norris combined graphic arts, photos and his creative mind and created an art form of expression. His work speaks volumes about society, politics, struggle and the journey of African Americans; from the Black Panther movement to the racism of today. Out of curiosity I became Cody’s friend and sent him an inbox message wanting to get to know the artist behind the art. Awaiting his response I learned with just a few clicks and some scrolling that Cody is a father of two beautiful girls and has a passion for spoken word and music. UGM: Explain to the readers what graphic design art manipulation consists of and where you learned the craft? Cody: Graphic Art manipulation consists of the re arranging of pretty much anything you can scan into a computer into some form of artistic expression. Graphic manipulation pretty much travels the gambit of all forms of painted art, Surrealism, Impressionism, Modernism and is growing into something all of its own. I picked it up at a Job Corps in Bangor ME in 2001. It was part of the business curriculum and it was only supposed to be a few weeks just so we could see what it was, but I took it somewhere else. It got to the point where I stop doing my work and started just learning anything I could that had something to do with graphic art. Online studying tutorials and such led to my teacher actually just letting me do this because he has seen how far I was going with it. Over the course of the 2 and half years I was there I had done other things as well but nothing stuck like Graphic Art for me. It led to them creating a multimedia course there entailing web design as well. And myself and another partner of mine As a started doing all the in house graphic work for the school. Web sites, flyers, banners, certificates, brochures, business cards. If it was a 2 d image...I could do it. The only problem was I was doing it for free but it was a great start and really showed me a lot.

Cody’s Facebook About Me: I am very spiritual, energetic funny and very interested in making manifest the Glory of YHWH. So artist people who need graphics, beats, or if you just want to talk about the Creator of Heaven and

UGM: Sometimes working for free or even a small stipend is the best way to go to get exposure and/or experience. We all have to crawl before we walk. What is your first passion because you seem to have a love for the arts period? Cody: My first passion was drawing actually. When I was younger I used to draw all the time. Of course being a young boy all I did was superheroes but I drew. I used to enter contest at the local comic book shop and everything. I never won (but I was robbed on several diff occasions.) But even then I remember doing posters and stuff for my school on drug abuse and everything. I have a few different talents. I also do music production and am an emcee and a poet and a amateur photographer. So as far as art goes...I pretty much am addicted to it. UGM: You can say again. You have tapped into your creative mind. So you draw, play around with the camera, which I bet in no time will you have mastered it. You rock the mic, spin on the wheels of steel and do music production and art manipulation? Now that’s amazing. I loved your artwork . A few stood out in my head because you used so much passion when they were created. I could even feel it with just a click on each Facebook photo.

UGM: This is my favorite piece. It says so much without a caption of explanation. Generations of our black men â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s voices are being muffled and kept secret. They reach dead ends and never share their struggles. They are taught that men donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cry. It also takes me to Sierra Leon, Uganda and South Sudan where children are soldiers carrying weapons of war and their government wants to keep the happenings a secret. When I look at this artwork the cries of our male youth are being kept within...their feelings...their need to be men. So as you see, this piece of artwork climbs into your heart and manipulates how you should feel about it. What was on your mind Cody? Explain what this art piece is portraying and did you name it? Cody: Ok wow I don't want to say why i made it now...lol but... The piece is called Broken Fences....Last year me and a friend (Shayla Streater) did a show for the prevention of abuse on Children by the same title. It was on me to design the flyer (of course) but we would also sold t-shirts and mix cd (composed by me featuring various poets, singers and mc's) of the same theme to help raise money for donation to a local service or charity. But I wanted to show the struggle of abused children. In any community secrets kill. Children are abused, forced to work, trafficked and just degraded beyond belief and the only reason for it is that they don't speak about it. Abusers demand silence from the victim because when someone finally speaks about it the situation can change. It is like the truth is trapped behind a fence and the only way to free it is to break the fence. The piece is painful but causes conversation plus... People see so much in it. Its hard to speak about the problems we face but conversation is the key. UGM: Wow!...I am moved. I am so moved. You are so on point about silence. It is never the solution. How can people purchase your work or get an original made? Cody: They can purchase it at www.thirdbookproductions.weebly.com...From there it will take you to various stores where items can be purchased, UGM Thanks Cody for sharing your craft.! Stay Blessed and keep encouraging. UG Magazine will follow your success.

I had the pleasure of meeting Shanna Tanika Melton years ago while attending Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She was this bright source of energy that bought out your lyrical voice. She laid the format for creative minds to spit their lyrics in front of lovers of poetry and poetry slam. Her attributes donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just stop there, Shanna has many gifts. Her signature design stretches from poetry, visual art, painting, and community advocacy for the arts and HIV/AIDS platforms. Her depiction of struggle, pain, love, family: herstory and history are shown in each stroke of her brush and each word she slams. It is ethnic, cultural and soulful at best. UGM: Writing is my one true love. I started out writing poetry and it broadened into short poetry storytelling to just writing book. It was a place in my mind where I could crawl and make sense of things, to hide from hurt, physical pain, low self-esteem and all the wrongs in the world may it be people, places or things. It was my safe haven. So, Shanna what is poetry for you? And how long have you been writing? Shanna: I do not remember a time when I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t write. It began with tinkering with poems that existed and recreating them completely using their rhythm. Rhythm plays a role in both my written and canvas work. Poetry has preserved my true character.

A lot has happened in my life that could have altered the truth of my character and each time I needed to disconnect from a situation I would turn to creativity. That is where I go to work through issues and make sense of what is happening in my life or things happening in the world. Art has kept me authentic. It forces me to look inside myself and pull feelings, ideas, stories, and all the other things that would normally be hidden and turn it into a medium to connect with others as a painting or poem. UGM: Is it the same for your art? When you paint where are you mentally? Shanna: I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember a time when I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t draw or paint either. My father was a great artist and my mom kept me buried in crayons and books. I have a passion for making things pretty and that same passion makes me a painter. I am not present when I am creating, whether it is words or paint, I go into a spiritual space. The process of creating art for me is mostly my willingness to submit to it. The vision is in my mind, my spirit gets too full to hold it in, and the paint or words just spill out. The work is not done until it looks or sounds like the vision. I am unable to feel right until it is complete.

UGM: One of my favorite pieces is your painting titled “Esperanza”. It is by far a picture that captures the essence of a passion for the arts. It’s as if she feels every stroke of her finger against the chords. Where did the concept come from? Shanna: The concept came from Esperanza Spalding. She truly inspires me. I listen to her music most times when I paint. I really don’t like to paint famous people because most painters paint famous people and I feel like they do a great job. I needed to paint her as an act of gratitude. By following her passion for music she assists me in tuning into my passion for painting. It is certainly a work that connected to her energy in order to exist. UGM: I’d like to thank you for sharing your work and letting us get to know Shanna Melton. Your reputation for being the sweetest person with great insight is an understatement. Where can our readers get their hands on your paintings and get a chance to slam at Lyrical Voices? Shanna: My contact info is...www.poeticsoularts.net, www.shatamel.blogspot.com, shatamel@gmail.com. Lyrical Voices Open Mic is on May 18, 2012, August 17, 2012, and November 16, 2012.

JOY PURDIE

A backing force to be reckoned with. Joy Purdie is known by many nicknames earned for her dedication to getting the job done by all means necessary. She is the driving force behind many. Ms. Purdie has been a life resident of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Her dedication starts with her daughter. Since her attendance at Luis Marin Elementary Joy Purdie has been a volunteer, sitting on many nonprofit organizations/ boards.. Her passion is to advocate for our youth.

The children love her but also recognize her as a firm hand enforcing school policies and procedures. So, within Marin Joy has earned the nickname as the mother of students. Her loving motherly ways are what keeps the hallways free of chaos and the order in each classroom; serving as an assistant to each teacher as she calms the spirits of the students Her devotion doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop at Luis Marin. She extends her help at the non-profit organization African American Historical Association (A.A.H.A.). Joy Purdie started as the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secretary and has worked her way up to Vice president. She is the very first female vice president. The A.A.H.A. of Fairfield County is a nonprofit organization that relates to the story of how Africans and their descendants developed diverse civilization in Africa then weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re taken yet continue to shape successive eras of economic political and social development around the world and in Connecticut.

African-American history Association of Fairfield County believes in urban community restructure. It believes and the celebration of identity and our achievements as a culture. Their focus is also strengthen diversity within our urban communities linking cultural centers and other historical sites as well as cultural attractions in the region nation and around the world by restoring and collecting and exhibiting artifacts and international collections. The African American historical Association of Fairfield County also recognizes our minority leaders.

Their most recent acknowledgment was when Joy Purdie was their Mistress of ceremonies at the Fifth Annual Carter G. Woodson Awards Luncheon. The honorees were Walter lock it Rev. Dr. Anthony L. Bennett Scott A. Hughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Michael Askew and Rev. Kevin D. Ginyard for their roles in our urban communities. As you see, Ms. Joy Purdie is not your ordinary Fairfield County resident. Like the president of the African American historical Association has called her the rock she is also mother of students, an active parent, a school volunteer mediator Sec. security guard a positive role model and as said in the beginning a back and forth to be reckoned with. Joy Purdie is also focused on renewal with love, life and health. Hats off and thumbs up to Ms. Joy Purdy.

WE ARE EVERY WOMAN! By: Felisha

Bradshaw

Versatile, stylish, and diverse are women of color. It doesn’t matter if you are African American, Cuban, Dominican, Latina, African, Jamaican, Haitian; Caribbean, you name it. Being of color gives you the natural beauty of queens. When it comes to our hair we can go long, short, natural or permed. Beauty for us comes in many forms. It is our ability to wear our hair to suit the occasion, the weather or to fit our faces. We never again have to wear the mask to conform. Our beauty is just that BEAUTY regardless of the grade of hair or its cost. That’s for all women of color who love to rock a different style/length in the same week. We can be weavibly beautiful as well.

Knowing your hair texture best determines how to care for it. According to Andre Walker; Oprah’s hair dresser there are classifications of black hair. Straight (Fine/Thin): Very Soft, Shiny, Hard to hold a curl, hair tends to be oily, hard to damage. Straight (Medium): Has lots of body. (i.e. more volume, more full) Straight (Coarse) Hard to curl. (i.e. bone straight) Most Asian women fall into this category. Wavy (Fine/Thin) Can accomplish various styles. Definite "S" pattern. Hair sticks close to the head. Wavy (Medium) A bit resistant to styling. Hair tends to be frizzy.

Curly (Loose Curls) Thick & full with lots of body. Definite "S" pattern. Hair tends to be frizzy. Can have a combination texture. Curly (Tight Curls) Medium amount of curl. Can have a combination texture. Kinky (Soft) Tightly coiled. Very Fragile. Has a more defined curly pattern Kinky (Wiry) Tightly coiled. Very Fragile. Less defined curly pattern. Has more of a "Z" shaped pattern. Wavy (Coarse) Hair has thicker waves. Also resistant to styling. Hair tends to be frizzy.

Hair dyes gives African Americans a choice of color diversity. A personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s looks can drastically change depending on their hair color. Here are a few quick tips on dying your hair. The general rule is always color a relaxer, never relax a color. Quick But Crucial Coloring Tips:

Test a strand! Dyeing to a very light color? Go to a professional. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how a color will look, set up a color consultation. Take a picture with you. Deep condition after you color your hair

CHECK

Treating Dyed

INGREDIANTS

Damaged Hair

If you choose dyes that contain ammonia and hydrogen peroxide in their base can lead to dry, brittle hair that breaks off. At best, if it does not break off it will become dry, and take on the texture of straw. Because of the dryness, there will be dullness to the hair color.

Wash Every 2 weeks and keep hair moisturized; jojoba oil, castor oil even olive oil. Never grease scalp; it causes dandruff. Massaging the hair/roots with oils. Get your ends trimmed every 6 weeks

BLACK HAIR MUST HAVES!

A hot oil treatment or deep conditioner is key. Apply the conditioner or hot oil treatment to the hair and scalp, cover with a plastic cap and sit under a dryer for 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, you can wrap your head in a towel. Then wash the hair thoroughly. This is very important for dry brittle hair.

The Beginning:

PRE-PREP:

First lets get the myths out of the way. Beeswax/ other forms of wax are not the best route to started your dreadlocks. The reason for this is; hair needs to move in order to knot, tangle and get intertwined. If you use wax it enables the hair to nap up to knot.by clumping the hair together. This is not to say your hair will never knot but it will take much , much longer. Hair Care Tools: Tools. Pile of small rubber bands for sectioning hair. Butterfly clips to hold finished locks out of the way. Fine toothed metal comb, the finer and stronger the better.

Don’t wash your hair with conditioner for two to six weeks prior to locking. The ideal condition for hair about to be locked is strong, healthy and dry. The three major factors that dictate the appearance of any individual set of locks are: Grade of hair, size care, maintenance.

HOW TO: Start by separating your hair in four parts: parting middle of head to the middle back of the head and then part ear to ear. By now you should have determined your method of choice based upon your hair’s texture. Map out the size locs you want to grow. Separate the hair from the root with a rat tail comb and part the hair in rows of blocks or pinch the hair. The most favorable technique for maintenance is palm rolling. How To Palm Roll Natural Black Hair With damp, clean hair, thoroughly detangle your hair in sections. Either part your hair with a comb or grab sections of hair. Apply a small amount of product. Gel or wax will hold the hair in a palm roll.

Dreadlock Maintenance: This depends on how your natural hair texture responds to dreadlocks. Your hair care routine might include washing your dreadlocks every week or even twice a week religiously. On the other hand, your hair texture might respond well to less frequent shampoos, such as every couple weeks. Your early stages of dreadlock maintenance will vary from the mature stage. Once your locs are mature, you can basically wash them as frequently as you’d like. In the beginning you should make a washing schedule to ensure the locs will develop properly for your hair type When washing locs, focus on your scalp and then work your shampoo through the length of your dreadlocks. One part of dreadlock maintenance is checking and removing lint. If you do not remove lint, the lint will get trapped in your locs, and your natural hair will loc with lint inside. The shampoo should be residue free. A second way to keep dreadlocks clean is by shampooing them with water. A third way to keep your locs clean, especially if you sweat a lot or live in a hot climate, is to rinse them as needed. Be careful doing this when your locs are still babies. After they grow into maturity, you can run water over them at any time to freshen them. You should avoid conditioners when your dreadlocks are in the early stages. Conditioner smooths the cuticle (outer layer of a hair strand), and you want your cuticle to be rough to encourage matting. After you shampoo your dreadlocks, finger comb your natural hair. You don’t want to have crawling locs (when the locs connect together at the root). Cover your dreadlocks in a satin scarf or bonnet at night to keep them looking neat.

Place the hair between the palms of your hand and roll it clockwise, starting at the root and finishing at the ends. Or, place the hair between your index finger and thumb and roll in the same manner. This is how you finger roll. (With loose natural hair, you can use the pointy end a rat tail comb to make comb coils, which look exactly like palm rolls. Simply twist the comb clockwise at the root as you glide it through to the hair’s end). Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you complete your entire head. How To Palm Roll For Loc Maintenance Apply dread product to your loc. This product will aid in tightening the dread when you reach step 3. Grab the dread and place it between your palms. Or, grab the loc between your index finger and thumb to finger roll. Rub the loc back and forth vigorously, compressing it as you rub. Continue this process until you tighten each dread. You might want to have some clips or bands on hand to tie back locs you are not using. Tip: According to Dread Head HQ, it is recommended to palm roll for 30 seconds each day with wax during the first month with dreadlocks. Basically, the more you palm roll your new set of dreads, the faster your hair will loc.

HAIR MAINTENANCE: Wash hair every 2-3 weeks. It is better to use a shampoo bar but if you must use a shampoo liquid make sure it is residue free shampoo. When drying wring dreads as much as possible then tie up with a lint free towel. Never use conditioner. If hair seems to need extra conditioning use a conditioning spray. You can follow the same regiment as beginner locks afterwards. Remember that dying your locs can be damaging if not done properly; regardless of the texture of your hair. Permanent dyes can vause the most damage. If your hair is black and you are shooting for a blonde color (extreme change) your dreads can alter in consistency, texture; causing your dreads to ultimately stiffen. But with proper care some damage can be reversed. So adhere to the rules on the box as far as timing and mixing if any. It is not advisable to dye baby dread. They should be at least 6 months old.

DYING LOCS: 2boxes of dye, Twisting gel (preferably), Step1. Wash hair( non residue) shampoo. Step2. Dry hair completely; towel as suggested above. If not completely dry use blow dryer. Permanent dye does not work well on damp hair. Ste3. Start from top of the head, saturate dye into the dreadlocks, mak-

ing sure to cover every hair shaft from the roots to the tips. Step4. Follow dye box directions except for the step in using conditioner. DO NOT USE THE CONDITIONER IT MAY UNRAVEL YOUR HAIR.

Buzz Cut, Boy Cut and Brush Cuts are all the same. Although it was once taboo for women is now a low maintenance hair style for women of color. Like Indi Iree sang, “I am not my hair…” And she is not. She is still beautiful whether she rocks braids, twists or long hair. The simple care for this doo is to keep the hair healthy. Washing your hair at least once a week and keeping it moisturized. The use of a wave cap to tie the hair down will also keep it trained. Brushing the hair frequently will also keep it trained and after a few weeks waves will surface.

Let’s go natural...growing out the perm can be tedious task. After shampooing; getting out the greasiness and other gel-like substances. Massage the scalp when you ad protein conditioner. Leave in conditioner for 30 minutes before rinsing. (BE SURE TO RINSE THE SHAMPOO FROM YOUR HAIR) When combing out the hair use a wide tooth comb to avoid yanking and pulling out the hair. Divide/part your hair in four sections and the break each section into four either using a hair clip, scrunchie or rubber bands. Comb out each sub-section and fully greasy the hair from the root then plat/braid. Try to avoid extreme heat until the hair is healthy and free of permanent. Air drying the hair is a more suitable and less damaging.

UGM: Hello Pastor Hines! Its seems strange calling you Pastor Hines because we know each other from our childhood. You were always the reserved type. Did you know as a teenager that you would be a woman of the cloth? When did you get your calling to spread the Gospel of the Lord? Pastor Hines: No, I had no idea that I would be a Pastor. I got my call to spread the gospel in 1997 when I moved to Norfolk Virginia. UGM: When were you ordained? Who was your mentor? Pastor Hines: I was ordained as a Evangelist in 1998, ordained as a Minister in 2004, ordained as a Elder in 2008 and in 2010 a Pastor. This may sound vain, but Jesus Christ was and is my mentor, see people can fail you but God can do anything but Fail. Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever more, he changes not . UGM: I remember your husband also from growing up and hanging out in Beardsley Terrace. Being a Pastorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s husband must be a dutiful position. When you shared your calling with him what was his reaction? You have 6 girls, am I right? I know your childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outlook on living and life has probably changed as well. How was/is the transition going with the girls? Pastor Hines: My husband was fine with my choice and he has the upmost respect for my relationship with Jesus. Yes I have six beautiful daughters and yes there outlook on life has changes tremendously. At first it was hard for them when I got saved because they were use to me doing things my way and it was hard for them to understand when i would say I'm waiting on god. they couldn't understand the trial and the tribulations that we had to endure. The one thing that was the most importance to me is that as a parent I did not want to tell them to trust god and live for god if I was not going to do what I was telling them to do. That is very confusing for kids. We are good for saying do as I say to our children when all reality is that they do what they see us do. Now they understand that they will stand before God for themselves and they are very supportive of me being a Pastor.

UGM: Wednesday’s are a very important day; a day for feeding the spirit. I see you are one of the few churches that still teach in the old school format. In an hour I understand that you sit down with your congregation and you dissect the bible in guileless terms. Do you find that Babies in Christ and those renewing their relationship with God find this type of bible study more effective in retaining and understanding the word? Yes bible study should be bible study, because Sunday services is not the time to ask questions. When ever you talk to people about the bible they say that they can't understand what they read. The bible say's to study to show yourself approve unto god; a workman need not be ashamed but rightly divide the word of god. So it's important to breakdown the word and get understanding of what your reading. He said my people our destroyed for the lack of knowledge. I love to learn the word and just because I am a pastor, that doesn't make me smarter than anybody and in bible study I like to get the input of the lay people it helps me to grow and understand what I didn't no. We are forever learning. We are many member, but ONE BODY. UGM: I know that you are new to Stratford Avenue, Bridgeport CT. (East End) and we welcome you. What can we expect from you when it comes to community activism ? What does LOVE JOY & PEACE MINISTRY have planned for the summer of 2012? Will you conduct outside worship? Pastor Hines: You can expect for LOVE JOY & PEACE MINISTRY, to go out into the community and spread the love of God , because JESUS IS LOVE and he didn't sit in the synagogues all day he went out and healed the sick and prayed for people and raise the dead. Christ said greater things shall we do in his name. Yes, I will conduct service outside. Paul say's I'm all things to all people that I might win some. He that win soul's is wise. UGM: Is there a message that you’d like to give the readers? Pastor Hines: My message to the readers is Christ has been given a bad rep and I would like to clear it up for the record. Christ is not mean and he is not ready to kill you or strike you down with lightning. Christ is love and he is ready to bless you. Christ is not threaten by any of your issues or struggles , he says come as you are that means all you issues and he will fix you. You can't get right and then come to God come just like you are he already know you and he still loves you.

UGM: There is a lot of violence going on in the year 2012. What do you think is going on with our youth? And how do you think we can reach them? Pastor Hines: Pastor Hines: Yes there is a lot of violence going on with our youth. The bible says the thief come but to still, kill and destroy but Christ said I came that you might have life and life more abundantly. The youth don't know that Christ died for them and the enemy (Satan) is very busy in keeping them in the dark. What we have to understand is that Satan time is winding down and he is trying to recruit as many soul's as he can to go to hell with him. Our youth must know and understand who they are in Christ Jesus. Heaven is real and hell is real and my job as a pastor is to help the youth understand that they don't have to die and go to hell they can live and go to heaven. They must understand that they are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness in high places.

UGM: Can you give some input to the readers about what “SAVED” means? Some have the wrong impression especially our youth. In simplest terms How do you explain what “SAVED” is? Pastor Hines: .A lot of people have a wrong impression about what being saved mean. To be saved mean that you have (romans 10: 9,10.) that if you confess with your mouth the lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. People think that you have to go in front of a church and get hands laid on you or roll around on the floor that this is what makes you save and that is not true. You can get saved right in your own home, in your car, in your shower. Being save is confessing , believing, and receiving Jesus Christ into your heart as your personal savior. UGM: What time is service on Sunday at LOVE JOY & PEACE MINISTRY? Pastor Hines: At LOVE JOY & PEACE MINISTRY :Our Sunday services are at 11:00 to 12:15; GOD DON'T TAKE ALL DAY TO SAY WHAT HE HAS TO SAY. COME EXPECTING GOD TO SHOW UP AND HE WILL. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FELISHA AND MAY GOD BLESS YOUR MAGAZINE COMPANY TO THE FULLEST, TO THE OVERFLOW. HE SAID, “I WILL BLESS THEM THAT BLESS YOU AND YOU HAVE BLESSED ME SO MUCH.” UGM: Readers there is a new church in town and their Pastor Sharmaine Hines is spreading the word and welcoming members. See if LOVE JOY & PEACE MINISTRY is the church you can call your home of worship.

203-641-8579 2007 Mercedes Benz. 550 AMP.

2000 Mazda Millenia

â&#x20AC;&#x17D;2002 Camry, 132K Miles....

“Mommy, Where Do Babies Come From?” Is that dreaded question parents try to avoid with sill answers that make their children giggle but walk away uninformed. What age can this question be answered? According to Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Katia Moritz PhD from Parenting Magazine the age should be determined by the child’s comprehension. You never want to make up a fairy tale story like we were old as kids because it becomes distrusting. It’s said that it’s easier to let the child ask the questions and you follow up with the appropriate answer. I know what you are all thinking: What is the appropriate answer? Well, if the child just asks where the baby comes from answer just that; from a mommy’s belly. There’s no need to go into great detail if that is all the child wants to know. Some kids will be satisfied with that answer because it makes sense to them. Children a little older than 5 years old may ask further. There are movies that can help you with this discussion.

“When can I have a boyfriend?” When this question is asked I know you are hoping your daughter is twenty-one. Most likely she won’t be. This question is normally asked at the very young age of ten. First you take a deep breath. The first question you should ask her is, what do you think a boyfriend is? You very well may be happy with her answer. She may say “…somebody you hang out with, play video games, go to the movies…text with.” See, that wasn’t so bad. You can all wipe the sweat from your brows. Sometimes we think like grown-ups and we forget that we see things differently. In our minds we vision smooching, sneaking around making out, four play, then sex then you have someone calling you grandma or pop-pop at the age of 35. See where your child’s head is at and it will make it easier to answer.

“Why was Daddy on top of you? Were you having SEX?” This question usually comes when you forget to lock your bedroom door and your child catches you in the act. Be patient. I know I know…the rule knock before entering went right out the window with no you can’t eat cake for breakfast but what can you do? Honestly you must address the question. Think about the answer before you answer. Keep it simple depending on the age but most of all keep it clean and honest. Its best to use the proper names for body parts so that the child knows it is a serious matter and does not get silly when talking. Never make the child feel ashamed of saying “penis” or “vagina”. If under 5 years old you may want to say: “Daddy was loving Mommy is a grown up way.” It’s best to be serious and to stress that only grown-ups do this. Never leave the child wondering. You want to make sure it is clear to them. Make sure he/she understands: “Do you understand what Mommy is telling you?” If the child is older or more mature you may want to have the talk about the “birds and the Bees”.

”Why does it feel good when I touch myself?” Children touch themselves as early as infancy. It’s said to be calming. You ask is it normal and he’s only 4 years old? According to David Swanson, PsyD, a child and family psychologist through an article on webmd.com, yes it is quite normal. Kids at that age do it for two reasons; pleasure because it feels good and second because it is relaxing; soothing. If you catch your child masturbating remember the first reaction means everything. You do not want to make him feel ashamed because it could cause serious damage psychologically. You have to stay calm. I know it may take you walking away and saying a few woosa’s but do what you have to do to remain calm. Once you have calmed yourself, explain to your son that he is young and touching himself is natural because he is learning about his body. Be sure to tell him that this should never be done in front of people that getting to know your body should be done in private.

By Felisha Bradshaw Just you and me! Date night has become a part of relationships. It’s the glue that keeps couples communicating; laughing, learning and loving. This does not have to be at great expense either. A night on the town can be cost effective; free even. Taking ion the NY sites are always an option on the Metro North Railroad. The Bronx zoo is free on Wednesdays so the fare to the Bronx is all that you would spend for traveling. If not on a Wednesday a weekend date would be suffice. A walk through the zoo holding hand, hot dogs, cotton candy and a refreshing drink would be great. The train ride is a great way to get in a good read, conversation or short nap. Hints that Date Night is Needed: 

You are watching television in one room and he is in the next room (every night)



Something important has happened at the job and your partner has no clue but your friends do.



Eating alone when you are both home

A Little Less Expensive! Beardsley Park Zoo: Bridgeport’s very own mini Bronx Zoo…

GENERAL ADMISSION PACKAGE (year-round):

BRONX ZOO Package price from GCT/Harlem-125th Street: adults, $20.75; seniors, persons with disabilities and individuals receiving Medicare, $17.25; children 12, $18.50; children 5-11, $10.50; children 3-4, $9; children under 3, free. Package price from other stations: check here for price from your boarding station. -OR-

Regular Admission:

TOTAL EXPERIENCE PACKAGE (3/31/12 - 10/28/12)

Adult Admission (ages 12 & older) = $12.00 Child Admission (ages 3 -11) = $10.00 Senior Admission (62 & older) = $10.00 Under 3 years = FREE Connecticut Zoological Society Members = FREE

Package price from GCT/Harlem-125th Street: adults, $31.50; seniors, persons with disabilities and individuals receiving Medicare, $25.50; children 12, $24.50; children 5-11, $16.50; children 3-4, $15; children under 3, free.

The Zoo accepts all major credit cards. Parking is free. Stroller rentals: Single stroller rental fee is $5.30 (includes tax); double stroller rental fee is $7.42 (includes tax). Wheelchair rentals: $6.00 (no tax on wheelchair rentals).

Package price from other stations: check here for price from your boarding station.

Dutchess County Fair

An Experience to Remember

Towards the end of the summer is the Dutchess Count Fare. The experience of a lifetime awaits you at the 167th Dutchess County Fair in quaint Rhinebeck, NY. Just two hours north, the largest six-day county fair in NY is 162 acres of family fun. You will be immersed in agriculture with thousands of farm animals while enjoying horticultural displays in a park-like setting. Learn about the past with a visit to an authentic oneroom school house and Antique Village Museum. Hundreds of crafters sell one of a kind items. A host of other family activities include petting zoos with domestic, exotic and rainforest animals, racing pigs and a high dive show. Over 50 carnival rides await children of all ages. Is there food, you asked? Bring your appetite. Over 100 vendors serve everything from deep fried Oreos to full-course meals.

For six days each August, the bucolic fairgrounds on Route 9 in Rhinebeck plays host to nearly half a million patrons. The second largest county fair in New York State is the showplace for agriculture in Dutchess County. Over 160 acres of finely manicured gardens and grass create the beautiful setting for thousands of farm animals, agricultural exhibits and horticultural displays.

The deal: On sale July 28: Package price from GCT/Harlem-125th Street: adults, $38.25; seniors, persons with disabilities and individuals receiving Medicare, $31; children 5 -11, $1.50; children under 5, free. Bus Fare: Not included in package price, pay on board the bus ($5 round-trip). Purchase your package from any Metro-North ticket office or full-service ticket vending machine (excluding Poughkeepsie Station). Getting there: Take the Hudson Line to Poughkeepsie Station and connect with the shuttle bus which meets specific am and pm trains to/from the Fairgrounds.

On the Hudson! Evening Star Hudson River Cruise May 17 through October 28 Thursday, Friday and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

THE DEAL

One of my more romantic choices is a cruise on the Hudson. Packing a picnic basket, wine, cheeses & fruits a nice throw blanket makes a date to be remembered.

Package price from GCT/Harlem125th Street: adults, $37.75; seniors, persons with disabilities and individuals receiving Medicare, $29; children 5-11, $11.50; children under 5, $10.

YOU MUST MAKE A RESERVATION AT LEAST 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE by calling 914-589-7773

May 12 - September 9 (Closed on Mondays) Still got that play in you? Love the amusement park? Playland is the park of choice. No hassle (driving) a great ride on the metro. The deal On sale May 12. Package price from GCT/ Harlem-125th Street: adults, $41.25 (includes rail, rides admission and roundtrip MetroCard); seniors, persons with disabilities and individuals receiving Medicare, $31 (includes rail and rides admission without MetroCard); children 5-11, $26 includes rail, rides admission and round-trip MetroCard); children under 5, $20 includes rail and Junior admission). Getting there Take the New Haven Line to Rye where the No. 75 bus to Playland will meet specific trains throughout the day.

Tired of feeling weighed down? Does that extra 10-20 pounds feeling like 50 pounds because of health concerns? Well I am. This is my blog sharing diet tips weight loss, recipes and moral support. Weight Watchers is going to be the eating change of choice. I won’t say diet because I refuse to try fad diets ever again. They leave you feeling guilty and hungry and that makes for a sad and moody woman. So I am going to take Jennifer Hudson’s advice and BELIEVE!!!!! On May 1sy I will do a weigh in. If you want to join me on this journey to better living and better health log on to www.letstalkurban.com and join me on the message board. A helpful hint will be to upload the points plus calculator, WW diary, WW point list and barcode scanner. Let’s go WW Mobile, okay? Right now I am jumping from WWW.WEIGHTWATCHERS.COM to this blog making sure I am posting the best tips. I will also be attending a WW meeting on Friday, May 2nd, 2012. After I come back I will post all information on www.letstalkurban.com in the A Healthier Me, A Healthier U tab. I am grocery shopping today and will be videoing most of it. The first tip I am taking advantage of is “plan 1st”. So I am stocking up on zip lock bags and plastic containers. Your best buy will be the dollar store in your neighborhood and for me that will be the infamous Dollar Tree. My budget is $20.00. $6.00 will go to Ziploc baggies; freezer size, snack size and sandwich size. A 3/pack of plastic containers for each meal that’s 9 containers; $3.00. My snacks will go into plastic baggies. The other 11.00 will go into prep packaging. Example: seasoned meat pre-weighed, diced celery, onions and such which will serve as ingredients for meals; measured out. Okay, now that I have that mapped out I am going to put together a dinner meal plan for the week because dinner costs the most. Below are the points I am allowed. I got this information from http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/calculators/ww-points-allowed/ It was based upon this information: My Profile: Female, 5” 11’, 320lbs, 42 years old weight loss wanted: 100lbs, and very little to no activity. When I get more active I will recalculate and re-post. I am being 100% honest. My Allowed Points per day -

320

39 WEEK 1

318 - 310

38 WEEK 2

6 -10 310 - 300

37 WEEK 3

11-15 300 - 290

36 WEEK 4

1-5

CONDIMENTS: 2 tbsp. of salsa would be worth zero points, 4 tbsp. would be worth half a point. Other zero-point condiments include 1 tbsp. of barbecue sauce, 2 tbsp. of fat-free salad dressing, 1 tbsp. of chili sauce and 1 tsp. of bacon bits.

Calorie intake based upon information in my profile above:

Cal. PDay

DRINKS: single cup of coffee or tea in the morning and count zero points, provided you have not added anything such as sugar, milk or honey. You may also drink one can of club soda for zero points if you desire something carbonated. You may flavor plain water with additives such as Crystal Light for zero points as well.

Weight

4128

320

Week1

2999

318.98

Week2

2988

317.95

Week3

2976

316.93

Week 4

2965

315.9

More Camps: http://www.ctparent.com/camps/campdirectory.htm http://www.fairfieldcountyonline.com/directory/just-for-kids/camps/

t e g o t t i a w r t ’ e n m a m u S “Ic . ff o I y e a r d e h a n io t a c va ” ! e com

Camp Descriptions: 3-in-1 Sport Camp: (Ages 4-12) This camp offers three sports: soccer, tennis and baseball. There will be different coaches for each station formed and players will be divided according to age groups. Players will enjoy learning and playing each sport. Recreational Camp: (Ages 4-12) Our Multi-Sport Camp allows players to branch out and get a taste of various sports. Participants will enjoy playing Soccer, Baseball, Tennis, Kickball and Dodgeball.

Total Soccer Camp: (Ages 4-12) The name describes what this camp is all about. Soccer is "our thing" and we cater to any level player. Developmental, Travel, Premier and above. Your child will learn the latest moves, skills and speed development. Players will be divided according to their class age/ level. We will provide the best coaches for each category. Note: Total Soccer Camps are scheduled to begin at 9:00 am

Mini Me Camp: (Ages 3-4) This week long camp is perfect for your little one. Our Mini Me Camp allows young children to be introduced to the world of soccer. Fun Time @ UIS: (Ages 3.5-5) This 3 hour clinic has a "FUN" focus with various recreational games, sports and activities incorporating down time such as story time.

United Indoor Soccer 176 Linwood Avenue Fairfield, CT 06824 203-319-0087

www.unitedindoorsoccer.com

Three (3) Weekly Camp sessions to choose from: Summer Figure Skating Academy for Learn to Skate Participants Level 2 through Bridge. e os o ch ingo t B o s t e a i Pr s, P m , / de T w ach mp a Ac in C Co x Ca r d e t h ea Fle ng m g H i m N u rs er U ioni S y e e ig Tig dit ple ock T i n t l H und und Co Mu m: r o o e S S o g r i , f m, ons d T a h iti oun b S Am Our summer Junior Golf Academy offers 5-day camps (Mon-Fri) throughout the summer for boys and girls of all age and skill levels

http://www.sportscenterct.com

Have you ever walked between the rows of growing vegetables in the early morning and experienced the fresh smell of produce mingling with the soil it's grown in? Have you ever made your own paint from the stamens of flowers? How about comparing the composition of different soils and performing experiments to find out which ones will provide the best drainage? Well, if you join us at Unquowa's Summer Farm Camp you will do all these things plus much more.

Hope to see you this summer! For more information, contact: Mrs. Mary Faulkner - Camp Director Phone: (203) 336-3801 ext 113 Email: mary.faulkner@unquowa.org

Computer Camps Held at Sacred Heart University ID Tech Camps, Ages 7-17 WEEKLONG | CO-ED | DAY CAMPS | OVERNIGHT CAMPSCOURSE TOPICS: VIDEO

About:iD Tech Camps is North America's largest provider of summer computer camps and technology camps for kids and teens with programs at 60 elite universities in the USA and Canada. Established in 1999 in the Silicon Valley, the company is family-owned and operated. iD Tech Camps offers technology courses iD Tech Camps is North America's largest provider of summer computer camps and technology camps for kids and teens with programs at 60 elite universities in the USA and Canada. Established in 1999 in the Silicon Valley, the company is family-owned and operated. iD Tech Camps offers technology courses including Video Game Design, 3D Game Modding, Game Development, Programming in C++ and Java, Programming, Mobile Apps, Robotics, Web Design, Animation, Graphic Arts, Digital Photography and Video Editing. The summer camps consist of week long day camps and sleep away camps, and multi-week teen academies. Courses are appropriate for beginner to advanced learners. Categories:Computer Training, Academic Specialty Schools 

Payment:Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Check

Products and Services:iD Tech Camps runs summer camps on the Sacred Heart University campus in Fairfield, CT. iD more...iD Tech Camps runs summer camps on the Sacred Heart University campus in Fairfield, CT. iD Tech offers the following summer camp options: computer camps, tech camps, film camps, video game design camps, robotics camps, programming camps, web design camps and photography camps.

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Our 2012 Pottery / Ceramic Art Summer Day Camp programs are designed to provide children and young teens with the experience of an actual professional pottery studio. During each weekly camp program, the students will: Learn to make pots on the potters wheel successfully (we promise),  Learn to construct creative handbuilding / sculpting artwork  Color and glaze their four projects. The summer camp projects are fun and creative and are taught by our full time ceramic art instructors who will maximize the children's creativity and discovery. The participants will have great sense of achievement and will feel very proud of what they have accomplished (see some camp projects). By the end of the week, camp participants will have a good idea of what is to work with clay and make good friends. No prior ceramics art experience is required. 

543 Newfield Avenue Stamford, CT 06905 Phone: 203-323-2222

www.lakesidepottery.com

CAMP SEED 30 Buxton Farm Road, Suite 105 Stamford, CT 06905 (203) 674-8200 www.seedautismcenter.com The SEED Center is a state-of-the-art, all-inclusive therapeutic center for individuals with autism and related disabilities. We offer a multitude of services such as applied behavior analysis, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, social skills training, comprehensive evaluations and home programming. Camp Altitude (914) 307-1674 www.altitudefamilies.com Where life skills develop and friendships blossom Camp Altitude is a two-week summer camp experience for boys and girls with social cognitive challenges who are entering 6th through 11th grades. We are committed to providing a safe, fun and rewarding summer experience that promotes social learning and independent living skills

Polly’s Gymnastics 550 Ferry Boulevard Stratford, CT 06615 203-375-3244 Flip into Summer with Polly’s Gymnastics June 25-August 10 Summer classes at Polly’s Gymnastics begin the last week of June. All summer classes are held during the week. There are no Saturday classes during the summer months. Summer is the time to accelerate in gymnastics. Youngsters are chosen for higher level classes and competitive groups, and teams are formed at this time. There are no pressures of school and homework; and a good, well-rounded exercise program for the summer months only adds to the health and wellbeing of the youngsters. Our goal is to give every youngster that enters our gym a chance to do gymnastics in a safe and friendly way, and make every work-out a happy experience. Our primary emphasis is always on the general instructional program. Using an adult staff of dedicated, professional teachers, Polly’s Gymnastics makes sure that each student realizes self-satisfaction, self-confidence and personal achievement through the mastery of skills appropriate to his or her ability level. We take great pride in the personal and physical development of all our students. Mommy and Me classes are offered mornings only. All other classes are scheduled during the late morning and throughout the day according to ages and abilities. Weekday evening classes are available for boys and girls ages 7 and up.

GLENWOOD PARK TENNIS CAMP 2012 Camp Dates: July 16 - August 17 Days: Monday Thursday Hours: 8:30 AM - 11:45 AM Location: Glenwood Park Tennis Courts - 123 Glenwood Ave (Located next to the Wonderland of Ice) Ages: 8-14that focuses on tennis instruction for Bridgeport's youth population. The tennis instructors teach the fundamentals of tennis starting at the beginner level for all campers. Campers will also take part in a variety of field trips including the New Haven Tennis Open Tournament.

City Hall 45 Lyon Terrace, Bridgeport, CT 06604

Call Center: 203-576-1311

2012 Camp Dates: July 9 - August 14 Days: Monday - Friday Hours: 8:30 AM - 2:45 PM Location: Seaside Park Ages: 5-14 Fee: $100 per camper Camp T-Shirts are provided and a daily breakfast, lunch, and snack The Seaside Park Summer Day Camp is a 5-week program that offers a well-supervised and organized summer camp experience for Bridgeportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youth population. Daily activities at the camp include arts and crafts, athletics, and swimming. In addition to daily activities, a first aid and safety awareness workshop is coordinated and conducted every week for all age groups. A variety of fun, educational components will be incorporated to promote safety and environmental stewardship. Campers also go on a variety of field trips. In the past, these have included Port Jefferson Ferry, Beardsley Zoo, CoCo Key Water Resorts, and Nutmeg Bowl.

After reading various articles on Bridgeport, Connecticut youth's being place under curfew the more I realize it is a much needed law. The implementation of a curfew will send a message to our youth that we have not lost all control. The urban community is getting weary about the deaths of our young sons that frequent our city streets. Groups are being formed to grab hold of our youths by the collars and to release a message that "You Are Not Alone aka Y.A.N.A. Incorporating the Bridgeport Police Department, Hip-Hop, a mother's love, and the urban community's voice into this fight to stop the violence our youth may just have a chance at a future; a brighter future. If we stay consistent and allow each other to come to one another if their child/ren are getting out of hand like our mothers did this curfew has the potential to stick. If you are in agreement with the curfew let your voice be heard. Write your alderman, your mayor, city council the stronger voices in the community with political influence.

UGM: What's Yana all about? Shanda Devane(YANA): YANA is a group of women who have lost a child through street violence! who have come to grips with the fact that their loved is not coming back...and having been there! Can offer help to those families who are now hit with the very same tragedy. We afford those families with the same attention and concern and understanding that is needed to get through the stages to acceptance. UGM: Where did the idea of Yana come from and who are its founders? Shanda Devan(YANA): The idea (name) was brainstormed, after meeting a few times to talk over what will be our mission and vision! The founder(s) was Dawn Spearman who wanted to reach out to a mutual friend (NIcole)..and do something...then I was contacted along with others ...the rest is history! YANA was formed. UGM: The city has lost a lot of young lives since 2010, what is you take on why the violence has increased? Shanda Devan(YANA): It saddens me to see our young children resort to violence for things that are sooo unimportant. I truly think that their hopes and dreams are shadowed by their home life...it maybe mothers who are uninterested in their children's day to day activity. Children need to know that they are loved and appreciated. I honestly think that if we can reach out to both young girls and boys and give them some hope and interact with the parents we can captivate them and give a glimmer of hope to let them know that they are somebody and the world could be theirs with some grounded ethics and attention.. UGM: You've lost your son at the envious hands of another youth ;how did you explain this to his siblings? How does a family recover when death leaves behind brothers and sisters? Shanda Devan(YANA): A death of a child devastates an entire family! It ripples through all connected to the child. I wasn't prepared for what happened to me Feb 2005. My youngest son lost his best friend...they were to peas In a pod!! His dreams and hopes were shattered and would not only keep him on the right track, but he became angry and bitter...a family who have been hit with tragedy never ever recovers, but with the help of GOD and prayer and forgiveness it will get better...the void is always there and will never be refilled. LIVING, LOVING, LAUGHING and remembering the good times of my son keeps or heart filled with good thoughts. Lastly! You are absolutely right. YANA knows this and feel that by reaching them and giving them positive avenues and attention to their wellness will curtail the hopelessness they may feel...and if we (YANA) can help just one think about what lies ahead will be a fight well fought....

Y.A.N.A had a vigil prayer on January 11, 2012 and the turnout was heartwarming and wrenching at the same time. The youths in attendance outnumbered the adults/parents. We often wonder what it will take to open the eyes of our youth. What will it take for our sons to see that killing is not the answer and that we are worth living; worth life, experiencing rights and wrongs, worth growing up and growing old, seeing their children grow up, and actually fathering their children. Enough is enough. The city council, mayor and aldermanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s need to see that we can come together as a community and demand change. Obama stated, "Yes we can!" and we are showing that we are more than capable of coming together for a cause; for change. Our youth need an outlet and a platform to express their pain. As parents, and political figures we need to provide the microphones and the speakers to blast the youth who can't hear their peers cries. It will take more than deaths of loved ones, friends, young fathers and boyfriends. It will take more than a few airbrushed t-shirts reading R.I.P and we miss you. These prayer vigils, walks and more groups like Y.A.N.A to reach the souls of the young men that promote the violence because they seem to not understand the severity of taking a life.

So much has gone on since the vigil the death toll for the city of Bridgeport. Some of the most heinous crimes have been committed, leaving even the criminal minded baffled; open fire in broad daylight, ax killings and the finding of decomposed bodies. The very things we only heard about on television is becoming the norm. Morning the lose of a child, a sibling, a father a son, a nephew a friend, a boyfriend, and a husband is occurring quite often for Bridgeport, Connecticut residents. These same residents are putting on their verbal warfare and are not backing down. Alliances are formed to scream at politicians our youth, the victims families, we won't let another death go by in vain! UG Magazine ran into Tessy Samuel a member of Y.A.N.A to ask her what contributions are being made by Y.A.N.A to help the community get the message out to the proper channels.

UGM: Hello Tessy, I am glad that you took time to sit with UGM to discuss your part in Y.A.N.A and what it means to you. Why did you join Y.A.N.A? TESSY: I joined YANA to be part of the support system to the mothers that have lost their children. Me myself have never experienced loosing a child however, I have lost several family members and friends. The majority of the members of YANA have lost a child and in order to carry out their mission they need a strong support system to carry it out in the event they become emotionally overwhelmed. I also have a strong corporate background which contributes to the structure of the organization. UGM: I notice that many stop the violence groups have joined together to bring awareness to our youth about the violence and deaths that have swarmed our city and coveted our youth and made our homes their stomping ground. I have seen many of these groups like CAV (Connecticut Against Violence) join with Y.A.N.A to march on CITY HALL. But you have taken a different stance with Y.A.N.A. Tell us about your young sistah group associated with Y.A.N.A.? TESSY: YANA Sisterhood is a group of girls 11-18 that will be mentored by myself. The group will be based on the same vision as YANA but will be ran and operated by the girls. All social media and communications will be done by them. I hope to empower and educate the girls while creating solidarity amongst girls who otherwise may have never known one another. The group will have a heavy community outreach curriculum. I want them to become aware of issues that plague the city and become the voice of our youth. UGM: Tremendous! I love the concept. Whenever you need UGM to cover an event or help in anyway we will support as much as we can. Maybe the girls will want a column in the magazine. What events do you have planned for these young women? Do you see a young male group evolving in the future? TESSY: While Developing the group I decided to create questionnaires and surveys and allow the program to flow based off of the results. The reason being is we as adults often feel that we know what it is the teens want. In this group I am allowing the girls to tell me what it is that they take an interest in and what their concerns are. So, as of right now I do have a few things set up in the community that they are scheduled to attend. They are also co-hosts of anything that the mother organization holds. Marches, rallies, meetings, and forums are now a part of their extra curricular activity schedule. I also plan to have a member of the group speak at each event that we host or are invited to. In reference to young men's group...you will see one sooner than later. Parents have been reaching out asking us to please hurry and form a group for the males.

UGM: I knew it would be in fruition. I is much needed. Our youth need to join hands; girls and boys in order to defeat the streets. Y.A.N.A is definitely getting the word out and is becoming very active in our community and now in other communities. Tell me how you reached out to HOT 97? Hitting the airwaves is a major voice for Y.A.N.A. The moves your group is making will have a great impact on saving our youth and our neighborhoods. What can our readers do to contribute to this worthy cause? I've learned that people don't always have time so, what else can they do to keep this program moving forward? TESSY: We went on 93.7 to speak about violence and inform the listeners about the rally that took place back on the 7th of April. YANA was invited to attend and speak at a rally that has been held in Hartford for the past 4 yrs. we were invited by Rev. Brown and a group called Mothers United Against Death. During that march everyone holds a white cross and march through downtown Hartford ending at city hall. Once we reach city hall all the crosses are left on the lawn for all to see when they arrive. When this was done it made such a powerful statement. This symbolized the hundreds of lives lost in the city of Hartford and now we have added the crosses bearing the names of our loved ones. The one thing that readers can do to become involved is to attend a meeting or event that YANA host WITH their child. The girls in the group as well as our other "YANA kids" feels so good when they see that their parents are so heavily involved in the community. When you are directly connected to your community makes your child think twice about some of the decisions they make. They understand that my parents are out here trying to make a difference and I also want to represent my family in a positive way. Today there are several groups in place that are geared towards saving the youth. YANA, PYBS, CT Against Violence, CT Stop Violence Movement, Park City Panthers, and Neighborhood Studios are just a handful programs available to the youth. People are giving up personal time and money to help keep kids off the street, now we need the parents to do their part. Get your children involved, get yourselves involved. Y.A.N.A (You Are Not Alone) has set in place change. A group of fed up moms and their supporters are taking time to show that they refuse to loose anymore young men to the street. So, your time is necessary in saving our youth. Be a part of the movement.

A familiar face? You keep looking at him thinking , “Wow, I know that face.” You’ve got it. He is a familiar face. He’s is Connecticut’s own; Ru Williams! We love this guy. When he was on 106&Park for Wild Out Wednesdays Ru owned the stage. That was just 5 months ago and Ru is reaping great rewards for not only being on the show but winning . Connecticut poured in their votes bringing Ru to victory. Its said his remake of Loving the Crew by was a dedication to his fans and supporters. The lyrics Loving the Ru is just what Connecticut residents are doing these days. Being a Hartford life long resident, R&B singer and opening for a wide variety of R&B superstars: from Neo to Case speaks volumes for his voice. It’s soulful, refreshing and he’s a force to be reckoned with. “Making Me High” directed by J. Asuko Blaze which was the song that won him Wild Out Wednesday! And can be found on : www.recroommusic.com. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf6WIe4m-TU

To many of today’s top artists, Hartford, CT is just another stop their tour buses make on Interstate 95 en route to bigger cities like Boston and New York. Taking full advantage of that fact Ru Williams continued to find himself as the opening act for many of the city’s biggest shows. Having already opened up for Ne-Yo, Slim (formerly of 112), Keyshia Cole, Trey Songz, Bobby Valentino and many more, Ru is a hometown favorite who never disappoints. Winning countless talent shows, he was named Connecticut’s 2008 R&B Artist of the Year. And now, Ru is ready to take center stage and show vocal ability and true songwriting skills.

the world that he’s got real talent backed by raw

Ru’s parents met in church so it was only natural that he would soon find himself there as well. At age 7 he joined the choir where he not only sang, but played drums. It was in church that Ru first saw what the emotion of music could do to people and he was hooked. In middle school, he formed a group named Cappuccino with some friends and continued to sing locally throughout high school. Determined to follow their dreams, Cappuccino moved out to LA after graduation hoping to hit it big but that never happened. Returning to Hartford, the group broke up but Ru didn’t let that stop him. It never crossed his mind that he would do anything else. He found himself writing more, singing more, performing more and along with a few local producers, working on what would become his debut album, My Life & Music. Written entirely by Ru, My Life & Music was released digitally in 2006 to good reviews. Ru Williams definitely makes music that can be described as the soundtrack to any young man’s life ― living, learning and loving. He began seriously songwriting when he was 19 and though he lacked a lot of experience at such a young age, Ru’s unique ability to tell real stories that people can relate to is the foundation to what his mark will be in this business. Influenced by legends like Sam Cooke, James Brown and Stevie Wonder, Ru understands the importance of giving a great show. An all-around performer, he goes the extra mile and feels that the stage is where you bring your music to life. “The beauty of music is not only what you say, but how you say it,” he says. “Performing is the reward and it is where you can bring different emotions and really touch people with your message.” A true student of his craft, Ru says he looks up to groups like to Boyz II Men for their tight harmonies and that singer/ songwriters such as Brian McKnight and Carl Thomas taught him the importance of always writing & singing from the heart. Hooking up with SPJ Music Group, Ru is currently working on his follow-up LP and still killing shows in and around Hartford, New York and New Jersey. Describing his style as a “return to real R&B,” Ru Williams’ sound has a universal appeal that will reach everyone. “Together” is a feel good record that speaks directly to the ladies while “Rewind” is a dreamy, heartfelt apology of sorts that showcases Ru’s vocals. On the flip side, “Let’s Ride” is a laid back groove that flows with ease and “Get Open” takes it straight to the clubs. This new album will offer a collection of songs that take you through the life & times of a young man. Staying true to his passion, Ru wants to make music that “will stick to your ribs…music that will be around forever.” Ru Williams is the fresh face of new R&B― a mix of urban groove and pop sensibilities. No longer the opening act, be sure to check out him out. His star is shinning bright and ready for top billing on any show!

BET’s Wild Out Wednesday’s Jan. 2012 Winner R&B Singer Ru Williams FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER...@RUWILLIAMS101 Got a big family that goes from Springfield MA to Brooklyn NY to the west indies (Jamaica and Barbados ) " IF YOU REALLY KNOW ME YOU KNOW IM ON DA GRIND LIVE AND DIE BY THE MIC NO QUESTION BOUT IT I DO THIS".....

AND STILL RISING

After speaking with Connecticut artist Blazze Johnson on a Facebook chat about up and coming artists, Blazze spoke highly of the young man that made the cover of Urban Grapevine Magazine; Peter Rose. There was something about his voice that reeled me in and kept me listening. His voice was like no other. I couldn’t say, ”Oh, he sounds like….” Peter Rose has his own signature tone and style. I guess its because he is no stranger to music. Peter is a graduate of the Julliard School of Music where he practiced his love for the piano. In one of his songs; Mindless Behavior Remix the piano introduces his voice. His talent doesn’t go unnoticed in this remix. The culture in his song selections are the perfect match for his vocals. Harlemite Peter Rose is not a force to be reckoned with. I was blessed to be able to get a bit of his time to drop a few questions . http://www.Facebook.com/iamPeterRose http://www.Twitter.com/iamPeterRose http://www.ReverbNation.com/iamPeterRose http://www.Youtube.com/PeterRoseMusic

New York City’s own “Peter Rose”, is a piano prodigy singer songwriter. As a young teenager he studied at the world renowned Juilliard School of Music. Peter debut his first classical piece by Beethoven at the legendary Carnegie Hall where the audience raved about his performance. At the present, singer song writer Peter Rose has been determine to establish himself as a mainstream pop artist. Working with various producers, he was introduced to the production team of R.O.K Music Entertainment, and there he found his musical home. These selected songs that are being introduced are a great example of the journey of Peter Rose.’

Single&Simply LOOKING

GIRL TALK You're on the phone with your home-girl of 6 years. You two talk at least once daily. She is your outlet, confidant, BFF and the two of you can talk about anything, from childhood to motherhood and even sex. This particular day the conversation turns as it often does, from how the winter season seemed to take a break this year. And the warm breezes and beautiful colors of Spring, almost bullied the brisk wind chills of February out of the atmosphere. Now the topic is 'men'...or lack there of.

You've had this discussion time and time again. Being that you are in your late 30's with 4 single female friends. They've come from all walks of life. One college educated, making close to her goal of 6 figures a year. She's certain that her professional status makes her intimidating to the average man. One hoping to wed for almost a decade and with her biological clock ticking, she is now caught up in a tumultuous relationship that she's certain will never amount to anything. Yet she stays, hoping that after one of their many fights, God will see fit to send her a savior or change the one she's got for the better. Then there's the Caribbean immigrant, in the states so long, she's almost lost her accent. She's newly married and shortly after her 'I do's', her husband has done everything from neglect his responsibilities to financially provide for the family, to decide he would much rather spend his money on his mistress and her kids. And then there's your buddy you've been chatting with on the phone for the past hour, Darlene. Married for almost 20 years, her husband was emotionally distant the last two. She, certain it was just a faze since every "What's wrong," was met with a harsh and nonchalant "Nothing," Darlene went on being his wife in every way that he would allow her to. Until the day he handed her the 'papers'. It was her divorce papers, and it was the end of what she thought would last forever. "I'm not prepared for this dating world," she said, "things have changed so much from the 80's. I hate being single and don't believe I will ever find another man who's marriage material without settling for someone I'm not truly in love with. Men are such dogs and all they want to do is screw." And that's when I welcomed her to the world of the reluctant single female. Often called, ABW (angry black women). Statistics can break things down and say that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one man for every woman, generally speaking. And that the ratio isn't really as broad as people think. but of course, they're not taking in account available men. Still, most women think that men have lost their minds because they're just not taking relationships seriously. Sometimes it is distressing and overwhelming listening to their grievances. Especially, when I have relationship problems of my own. Getting a man is always the easy part. But keeping him is something different, challenging, and often times exhausting. But why does it have to be?

You see, I've lived all of their lives at some point. I was professional and just couldn't see myself working in the Pharmacy and having my thugged out husband with a grill of gold in his mouth coming up on the job and embarrassing me. I loved him but just wished he wasn't so doggone ghetto. At the end of the day, I was the fool as he ran off with a younger version of me that wouldn't complain when he said he would much rather sell drugs then slave all day for McDonalds money. I've been that desperate woman, who woke up one day and realized that the man she fell in love with was someone else. He didn't change, he just revealed his true self. And, if I had followed the 3 months rule of waiting to have sex, then I wouldn't have let my hormones get the best of me and agree to let him move in. I wouldn't have found myself caught up in the house with a freeloader that paid his portion of bills in sex and mentally broke me down with verbal abuse. With my self-esteem scarred, I had settled for anything, while to figure out if having half a man, was better than having none. Across the country, reasons vary as to why so many relationships between black men and women are so unhealthy. We complain that chivalry is dead and that men cheat too much, too easily and too often. They complain that we're not submissive enough and that we don't know how to let a man be a man.

Alex Avery and Journey Moore's stagnant love relationships are unexpectedly tested when they each, upon happenstance, meet two men, who seem to incredibly possess all of the qualities the women seek in their perfect mates. Yet, it is soon realized that no one is perfect when the women discover that their knights in shining armor are closely connected to their current lovers. Alex Avery, a career-driven, savvy-business consultant, and her daughter's father, Steven "Sway" McCoy, maintain a unique 'friends-with-benefits' relationship that suddenly comes to a halt after Alex is introduced to and immediately captivated by Derek Minor, a handsome, ex-thug turned legitimate businessman. Alex and Derek connect on every level to solidify the kind of relationship she yearns for, and, as time passes, he appears to be the man of her dreams. Derek, however, is keeping a secret from his past that may prove him to not only be too good to be true, but could sever the unique relationship Alex shares with Sway, forever. Journey and her husband Tiny own and manage a fitness gym and live comfortably, and, on the surface, appear to be the picture perfect couple. Yet, behind closed doors, Journey is the helpless recipient of Tiny's verbal and physical abuse. When Journey starts to suspect that Tiny is being unfaithful, Journey decides that she has had enough. And, with the help of an enticing, sexy, younger man, Journey rediscovers her self-worth as well as her explosive sexuality. Yet, she knows that in order to be set free, Tiny would have to let her go, which she knows he will not do willingly, especially since Journey's younger lover is the son of his best friend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR The author, Maritza P. Brown is married and the mother of three boys. She is a lifelong resident of Connecticut, and currently lives in Bridgeport. In 2007 Maritza self-published her first book, Full Circle, A Novel. She has a strong passion for writing sophisticated, urban literature that portrays the exceptional lives of successful African American women and men, sharing their experiences and life lessons on maintaining good love and having great sex.

They say we nag, we say we nag because they cheat. Then they say they cheat, because we nag. And the cycle keeps turning. A vicious reminder that what it all boils down to, is it's more than the love between man and woman at stake. With impressionable children in the next rooms most times, it is the future that's most vulnerable. If we teach better by example, what example are we setting for our children when they are witnesses to unhealthy relationships? We hope they are intelligent enough to learn from our mistakes, and break the curses or chains that have kept us in bondage long after slavery ended. But the reality is that only a few probably will. And, then what are the children learning when their mother is depressed or frustrated because of a lacking that would otherwise give her a fulfilling that they alone can not. For I believe we are not here to live separate. We are here to live life together and form families. But as single women who now carry the bulk of the responsibility to rear these offspring into productive, loving human beings, what a weight to carry. Because after working 40+ hours a week, the upkeep of the house and making sure that school is taken seriously; these women are often left overworked, unloved, unappreciated, and misunderstood. Their need for change is seen as desperation and their unwillingness to repeat past mistakes is seen as resentment and emotional baggage. A man once told me that bad men came from bad mothers, insinuating that it is a woman that failed to raise the son properly. But I quickly reminded him that it is not 'bad mothers' but 'absent fathers' that is the root of the problem in the first place. And I'm so proud to say I schooled him without turning my ABW persona on. So what do we do about it? Being that I am spiritual and not religious, I hold onto my relationship with God above any other. I pray for guidance in love and parenting. I know that there are bad people in church and so I embrace my spirituality and learn to meditate to not only invite positivity into my life whether its people or money. But I developed calming and coping skills to meet the challenges of everyday situations and circumstances. By doing this, hopefully I can perform my parenting duties more effectively. I can teach my son and my daughter how to be spiritually balanced and nurturing and how to love as well as live. For it is more to life than being successful in the professional aspects. Too many angry people are going to work and making others miserable, because of their inability to accomplish both...loving and living. But the one thing I cannot and will not do is settle. Settle for less than I am worth. Settle for spirit crashers. Or become a part of society that have not realized that they control what they allow others to do to them. Because 'only a fool continues to do the same thing and expect a different outcome' rings true in my mind and spirit. You may fool me once but if I allow you to fool me again, I become a fool rather than fooled. And, this is what makes me the reluctant single female I am still to this day. Lord help us all!

ď&#x201A;¨

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it take to get the juices flowing? Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it take to get your freaky on? If your partner seems to have a low sex drive and thinks your sex level is way too high then bring your partner up to your level. How much sense would it make to be two lazy fucks (lol). There are pills for this. We are all familiar with the little blue pill, Viagra; a sex stimulant for men. But are you familiar with Female Viagra the pink tablets containing sildenafil citrate chemical that can increases blood flow to the vagina and helps in sexual dysfunction treatment. But who wants these chemicals flowing through their vaginas. here are other ways to keep your libido at full strength. There are foods that will do the same job; natural aphrodisiac foods. Talk about your comfort foods. Here is a list of foods that just do it for you.

The sin of all sin: Chocolate. Not your processed shelf supermarket chocolate but pure chocolate. Pure chocolate contains anandamide a chemical that gives a natural good feeling. It also contains phenylethylamine which is the 'love chemical that releases dopamine in the brain's pleasure centers and this can peak during orgasm, in addition it induces excitable feelings and stimulates both attraction and euphoria.

Oysters are second on my list. Not only are they healthy but are great for getting your man going and going and going; like a energizer bunny. Oysters will keep him hopping well into old age. The zinc that’s in oysters is known to help produce sperm, increase testosterone and also increase libido; sexual arousal. Oysters do have proven potency as well as just romantic association. They are believed by many to keep men sexually active. So, can we say “City Island”. 

Honey…I am not calling you sweety, but talking about the syrupy thick sweet substance “Honey”. The vitamin B in honey gets the freak in you going building up testosterone. If you didn’t know, testosterone builds up your sex drive and brings out the big “O”; orgasms. It is also a source of boron a mineral trace that assists the body in using and metabolising estrogen which is the female sexual hormone. So, honey can be used by men and women to bring out the freaky. I guess that’s why it’s also appropriate to call a man honey and a woman honey. Hmmmm…..something to make you go, I see…… 

Don’t women just love the curve of the banana. It’s a sure winner for reaching the g-spot. There is no co-incidence about the shape of it ladies. It’s a great stimulant for men. The Vitamin B, potassium and magnesium in the banana is what activated the sex drive. So, this fruit is good for monkeying around. (LOL) 

The aphrodisiac with a touch of class: champagne. The bubblybubbles in champagne hit the bloodstream quickly and warmly intoxicate the body. Basically you get tipsy and it makes you horney. 

Graduating Head of the Class Suma CUM Loudly

Sextastic These hip-hop lyrics by Rob Base: “It takes two to make a thing go right….sex.” doesn’t really equate to oral sex. This very well can take just one. So fellas, here goes the best tips to bring you to the “head” of the class. She says that the best love making she’s ever had was love made to her lips. Hmmm….Can you top that? If you think you know how to please her start with a little teasing her. Foreplay is very important to bring intensity to the lovemaking. The top form of foreplay is head. Here are a few steps in the right direction: downtown. Make sure the mood is set and ample space is available; whether you are on your knees and she is standing above you spread eagle in an erotic stance or lying on a comfortable platform; floor/mattress in a more romantic position. The second best form of foreplay comes into action now.:

1. Kisses; tender kisses trailing down from the nape of her neck to her inner thigh and back up gently allowing your chin to brush up against her outer lips making way to her belly button. Swirl your tongue in and out remain gentle. You want to heighten the intensity. So, always get closer and closer to her clitoris but never truly going there. With each section of her body being touched you should be peeling of her clothing. 2. Now you have her down to her Victoria secrets. Before you remove her panties the traditional way have some fun with it. Nibble through her underwear breathing heavenly over the clitoris area with warm breaths. Use your mouth to pull and tug at her panties eventually pulling them off. 3. Now that she is exposed and as much as you would like to dive in…don’t! There is an art to reaching the clitoris. The object is to move from the outer to the inner. Start with kisses to her outer lips and gently lick the traces of her inner lips (labia). (Keep your hands busy messaging her thighs, her curves…) Spread her inner lips with the width of your tongue then lick around her tunnel. Remember you are still being gentle ever so lightly just skimming the surface of her skin. 4. By this time she should be super moist and the head of her clit swollen with anticipation. Still do not touch it. Work your way around it. If you are a lover that sets no boundaries you may even want to use your finger (moistened) to massage her back door (do not enter just linger outside). Most women love the tease of it. (double arousal) At this point she is begging every so often guiding your head or pressing your face into her clitoris. 5. It is now time to lick the clit. Tease her with the warmth of your mouth by blowing on it then focusing on the hood of the clit. (That is just above the clitoris). With just a bit more force slowly suck, nibble and tug. If you think she is getting use to this method trying to wind her hips to gain control seductively pin her hips down but not too harsh. And begin with wrapping your top lip over the clit hood and then using your tongue to tickle the clit. Using the tongue to trace out the alphabet drawing each letter is also a great method. Work your way from the outer to the head of the clit.

6.. She is panting and heaving gyrating her hips and is begging to cum. Flick your tongue over her clit then begin lapping it

up like a kitten would milk using the entire tongue. 7. Her response should give you the guidance afterwards. If she goes wild when you lick a certain area make sure to return to it every now and then to bring her up and up to a near climax never overpower her with too much intensity unless you are ready for her to cum loudly. 8. When you are ready remain in the spot that had her going wild. Pick up the pace and the intensity of force. When she has reached her peak and is cumming cover her clit with your mouth and humâ&#x20AC;Śthe vibration gives off extra sensa-

URBAN

The Moment I Fell In Love I remember the moment I fell in love with you. We were dancing in the wind, listening to wave’s crash against the rocks. We connected so well, we thought our lifetime had come I closed my eyes and my body learned the comfort of your touch. We fooled around sometimes til’ the sun came up! Our love demanded attention as we entered any room, Exuberating beauty which displays joy and peace! Ours was a love everyone wanted to be. I remember the moment I fell in love with you. It was a bright white snowy day Silent yet oh so loud! Umm, the smells of a crisp winter day! Roasted almonds, Candy apples galore, Boiling hot apple cider, Soft pretzels and porridge! Loving you was like the Cherry on top of a perfect Sunday. You taught me to share my passion with the world, you helped me to grow. Now that I know your purpose, it doesn’t hurt so bad letting go There will never be a sweeter November for me. Today I understand, you only came for a season you see!

I walk the walk and talk the talk and dress the part That’s fabulous me being fabulously me! I got grace in my style make up on with my smile my hair done with my fashion and my nails did with passion That’s fabulous me being fabulously me! Music blasting, cruising through the post hair moving like it saw a ghost singing loud as if no one was around That’s fabulous me being fabulously me!

After a day’s work I lay down and rest for a while Then get up and take a bath having no phone or anyone disturb my bathing leisure That’s fabulous me being fabulously me! I place my eye mask over my face, sleeping gloriously under the stars Waiting for a new day to rise. That’s fabulous me being fabulously me! You may call me the foxy diva Because I’m fabulously me That’s just fabulous me being fabulously me!

Imprison me within your walls. Cover me in your essence. Surround me in your moisture. make me call your name... as my energy you drain. Seduce my mind with passion... as you stroke my erection. Enjoy my carnal injection... as I listen to the inflections... in your tone. Using words of choice... sounds and moans... as I call out to God ... while you are making me groan... with pleasure.... as I insert myself deeper in your wet... sweet treasure... as I fill every measure in full... as you bite scratch and pull... losing control. Even satisfying the inner woman... deep within your soul. You want me ! and... we cant let go. The longer we love... the more you take hold... of my desire.

as we devour in carnal elation.

my skin is on fire !

Bringing life to our erotic flirtations...

Your the flame of my desire . keep me in your lair ... as I am aware... of our animalistic need... to ravage each other... fills our erotic appetite with delight...

as our bodies dance in manifestation... of orgasmic incarnations... to become one. As we cum.

ORGASMIC ELATION

Santos TaĂno Santiago

THE THOUGHTS OF KENNETH KING! In 1994 the world watched a murder mystery unfold. O. J. Simpson was accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown-Simpson. After tampering with evidence, a national television station lying, saying that the clock was wrong on their recording cameras, witnesses that seen otherwise being sent out of the country and hushed, O. J. Simpson was arrested and later on trial for a double homicide. Everyone tuned in. Not even the President of The United States could interrupt the trial proceedings. O. J. was guilty no soon as he was accused. In July 1995 the O. J. trial was interrupted! A black dude carjacked the white woman and killed her 3year old and a 14 month old baby. Everyone was mortified! It was plastered in the papers, the news, talk shows and communities. They wanted the blood of this black man! But then Susan Smith recanted her claim. It was her! She killed those two innocent babies… Her own babies! It was not only swept under the rug, it was nailed down. O. J. was again the frontrunner. Six white boys murder a 17 year old black boy (Noah Jamahl Jones) by beating him to death in Pasadena, Md in May 2005. The boys were acquitted. Even after witness testimonies, they walk free. Then on May 14, 2005 Washington Examiner’s Gregory Kane says “It’s not a crime to HATE black people”. Trayvon Martin’s murder is proof that you will remain black in this world. Black is a color code created by racist back in the day. We, whites and blacks, are the only sets of nationalities that wear a color code. White meant ‘FREE’ and Black meant ‘Slave’. Other nationalities label themselves after their countries. Stupid, we are to stand proud and say, ‘I am Black and I’m proud’. Blacks have to beg to have charges brought upon whites.

Beauty If beauty was life taking, My life would be forsaken Cause you are as beautiful as a rose, From your smile, to your eyes, to your pose It is your beauty that blinds me, It’s because of you I can’t see. Beauty as yours is hard to seek. I would be honored if you were to kiss me on my cheek A dream I had contained two, The two of course were me and you. We cuddled and we kissed. But at the end it was your beauty I missed. To dream of your beauty is a blessing Next time I dream I hope it’s you I’m caressing

MF the Poet

TRAYVON MARTIN WAS KILLED FOR NO REASON, I GUESS A BLACKMAN WITH A HOODIE ON IN A NICE NEIGBORHOOD, IS OPEN DUCK SEASON, IF IT WAS THE OTHER WAY AROUND, TRAYVON WOULD HAVE BEEN HELD FOR TREASON, THEY WOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM THE DEATH PENALTY AS IF HE WAS ROLLIN WITH A LEGION, MAN THIS RACISM SHIT' IS CHOKIN US (BLACK PEOPLE) DOWN! LORD MAVE MERCY, WILL JUSTICE BE FOUND? WHERE ARE YOU JUSTICE, DO I HAVE TO BUST THIS (GUNS) ? WHEN THEY SAID WE WE'RE FREE, WE NEVER DID TRUST THIS.. THAT "KLAN" WHO KILLED TRAVON (ZIMMERMAN) SHOULD BE LOCKED IN JAIL, OR BETTER YET, SWALLOWED UP BY A VERY LARGE WHALE. WILL WE GET JUSTICE ONLY TIME WILL TELL, THAT'S LIKE TELLING US TO GO TO HELL!!! THIS WONNA BE NEIGHBORHOOD COP, TRUE TO LIFE FLOP, SHOULD BE GIVEN THE DEATH PENALTY OR LEFT THERE (PRISION) TO ROT. THROW THEM DUCES UP IF YOU TRULY AGREE! WE WANT JUSTICE FOR TRAYVON, THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE!!! WELL I'M GONNA LEAVE YOU WITH THIS, I HOPE THE TRUTH' AIN'T DRUNK, TO SHOOT A UNARMED MAN YOU MUST BE A PUNK!!! By Bernard Harris

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WHERE READERS GET THE JUICE...

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