In the Author's Corner with Etienne

Times: 8:00 pm EST / 9:00 AST. Please check the time in your time zone. Welcome to our Mondays at 8:00: Authors Supporting Authors series, brought to you as a joint project by authors April Thomas and Etienne A. Gibbs. Each week we shall interview authors about their work and the disciple behind their writing. Call 646-721-9611 during the show with your questions or comments. This week's author: Donovan "Bladerunner" Tate Born  on Aug. 26, 1969, in Birmingham, Alabama, Donovan Allen Tate inherited the gift of music. After taking lessons he played the piano, electric organ, & sang in the church choir. His ambition to become an actor and an anchor news reporter halted when he became influence by bands he saw on MTV in the early 80’s. Tate’s musical career began at age 12 as a songwriter, during his 32-year career he worked on numerous projects such as Echoes in the Dark, Code Bleu, Wave Nouveau, Donovan 2525, and Dawn Chorus. His current project, his solo XI-VOX, is his first contemporary Christian synth-pop album, “A New Beginning”, off his own label Electro Underground.  Tate not only worked in the music industry as an artist, producer, manager, music coordinator, dj, journalist, and Minister of Music, but also in other field in the entertainment industry as on a local cable TV channel and performing at events and clubs doing original contemporary, romantic, and gothic poetry. Studying music, art, photography, computer & data entry, he earned his Associate Degree in the Arts from Faulkner University. 

Growing up as a young girl on St. John, in the US Virgin Island Teshanne Phillip fondly recalls the island women who served as her mentors. Now, with the release of her first book, Elevate, Phillip hopes to empower young women in the Virgin Islands — and nationwide — by sharing her own experiences and by teaching them about subjects like forgiveness, achieving greatness, and setting and accomplishing goals. “I am so excited about this new project, and I am blown away by the feedback that I’ve been receiving on the book,” said Phillip. The St. John native, who graduated from Ivanna Eudora Kean High School in 1999, today lives in South Florida where she leads a mentorship program at a foster home. Her relationship with the young women in the home inspired her to help others achieve greatness. Phillip’s passion for the girls in the foster home is evident as she speaks about her interactions with them. Ranging in age from 14 to 17, the young women were removed from their homes due to their parents passing away or being incarcerated. Some of the teens have been in the home from a very young age. Visit Ms Teshanne Phillip at: www.teshannephillip.com

Times: 2:00 pm EST / 3:00 pm AST Check the time zone for your local tme. Around the Fire: A Collection of Holiday Short Stories (The Scribes Anthology Series) (Volume 1) is a collection of short stories written by a group of passionate writers, (Lynette Lee, Christopher Bartlett, Edi Cruz, Amber Box, Sylvia Stein, and Ronnie L. Jeffires) who just happen to be great friends. Inspired by people and events in their own lives, they have decided to donate the profits to a different charity with each edition. Today's panelists are Amber Box, Edi Cruz, and Sylvia Stein. This season's anthology will benefit Make a Wish, with all proceeds donated to the organization. Their hope is to provide their readers with a collection of their favorite stories while supporting their favorite charities! Join along as they bring you holiday stories from the emotional to the fantastical (because witches celebrate the holidays, too!) in the very first edition of The Scribes Anthology Series: Around the Fire. The panelists, Amber Box, Edi Cruz, and Sylvia Stein, are waiting to take your questions or respond to your comments. Call them at 646-721-9611 or visit them our chat room, or visit them at:  www.Facebook.com/ScribesAnthologySeries

Time: 4:30 pm MT / 7:30 pm AST Check your time zone for your local time. Ray Bradbury calls E.E. King’s stories, “marvelously inventive, wildly funny, and deeply thought provoking. I cannot recommend her highly enough.”  She had published two collections of shorts: Real Conversations With Imaginary Friends and Another Happy Ending and a novel, Dirk Quigby’s Guide to the Afterlife.  The first of a children’s fantasy trilogy, The Adventures of Emily Finfeather, and is due out next year. King is the recipient of various international writing, biology, and painting grants. She recently won Gemini’s Flash Fiction prize and has been nominated for a Pushcart award. Her murals can be seen in Los Angeles and Spain. She will be an artist-in-residence at the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art in 2015. King is an artist, teacher, performer, and biologist. She’s worked with children in Bosnia, crocodiles in Mexico, frogs in Puerto Rico, egrets in Bali, mushrooms in Montana, archaeologists in Spain, and planted butterfly gardens in South Central Los Angeles. The butterflies wish she had chosen a different location. Read stories, see pictures, and leave her a note at www.ElizabethEveKing.com.

Times: 8:00 pm EST / 9:00 AST. Please check the time in your time zone. Welcome to our Mondays at 8:00: Authors Supporting Authors series, brought to you as a joint project by authors April Thomas and Etienne A. Gibbs. Each week we shall interview authors about their work and the disciple behind their writing. Call 646-721-9611 during the show with your questions or comments. This week's author: Wesley “Godfather” Hunter Born and raised in the streets of Los Angeles, Mr. Wesley “Godfather” Hunter began his journey of gang-banging and crime at a very youthful age. By age 10 he’d already experienced his first arrest and stay in a jail cell. By the age of 12 he’d begun a career of incarceration, which has kept him physically imprisoned for most of his life. Yet, even in this, life has not left him bitter and he continues to strive, finding the strength within himself to overcome against the odds. Now a 32 year-old aspiring author, currently incarcerated in the California Dept. of Corrections where he is serving out the remainder of a 20 year sentence for commercial armed robbery and 2 counts of attempted murder on sheriff’s deputies, Wesley has used his time wisley. Devoted to spreading the word of change/love and self-respect in his works and titles, he spends most of his time focused on positive writings, thoughts and goals geared towards improving himself, and giving something back to society in the form of insight, experience, and wisdom. Mr. Godfather has written several novels and an autobiography but has since established his own Urban Diamonds Publishing to release his latest titles. He has started a youth help organization, “The Raw Truth”, to bring forth through the inner city churches and other youth-related programs. Source: Wikipedia.com

Ms Charlita Schuster, Founder and Artistic Director of Music in Motion School of Higher Dance Education is proud to announce that special hip hop dance workshops will be offered on three days: December 26th, 27th, and 28th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the studios of Music in Motion School of Higher Dance Education. The address is 140 St. George, Suite 3, Frederiksted, St. Croix, VI 00840-4441. Telephone: 340-772-5440. Topics to be covered over the three days are Break Dancing, Popping, Battle Tactics, and Dynamics. Attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and madatory sneakers. The cost of the three-day workshop is $40.00.  Returning to St. Croix especially for these events is Ms Schuster's former dance instructor, Mr. Trevoir Mapp, current a US Army soldier stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. If you don’t know or have had an opportunity to know Mr. Mapp, stop by the Anterior Theater in the Sunny Isles Shopping Center during Music in Motion School of Higher Dance Education’s Christmas Holiday Spectacular tomorrow, December 20th, starting at 3:00 p.m. For more information, contact Music in Motion School of Higher Dance Education at 340-772-5440 or on Facebooks at  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Music-in-Motion/386153658132648

If you asked Zenzi Hodge what she wanted to be when she grew up, you would not have heard the word author; however, that is what she has been for most of her life, whether she wants to admit it or not. Zenzi, the daughter of teachers, has been writing most of her life, something she's done since she wrote her first poem about living on St. Thomas, published in a children's anthology when she was in elementary school. Her love for creative expression continued but she purely wrote poems for fun not, as she would say, for public consumption. In 2007, Zenzi began writing short stories for her son to share his family history with him. But her passion for writing for young children came in 2011 after she lost her grandfather & she took the words her son used to express his sadness to write a story titled, I Can't See the Morning. While the character in The Never Snowy Christmas is inspired by her son, much of the antics are of her own imagining as she STILL wishes for snow on St. Thomas.  Zenzi is an alumna of Florida A&M and Clark Atlanta Universities and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.  She resides on St. Thomas with her husband and son. Will it snow in St. Thomas?  That is the hope of a young boy living in the US Virgin Islands.  Each year at Christmas, he wishes for snow in the island paradise he calls home and this Christmas he intends to get it.  Join him on his quest and find out if this will be the year that he gets snow in St. Thomas or will he continue to ask, "Where's My Snow" for another holiday season.  Visit Zenzi's website at www.neversnowystory.com/

Tonight's show's reschduled for next week; in the meanwhile, enjoy the steelpan music. Ms Teshanne Phillip's book, Elevate, challenges readers to self-reflect. According to Ms Phillip, "In order for you to transform into winners, you must defeat your internal struggles. This book is an instructional guide on how to overcome and conquer some of the adversities that have kept you hostage. I invite you to take this excursion with me as I share some of my personal struggles and triumphs and how God has elevated me from being a victim to a victor." A motivational speaker, Ms Phillip adds, "This is your time! Your time to break free of the bondage. Your time to position yourself so you could reach your full potential. Your time to win!" Ms Phillip served in the Education Industry for over 10 years before expanding her enterprise as a mentor, author, & entrepreneur. God has qualified her to change the lives of women & teens via mentorship & by sharing her journey of struggle, triumph, & victory. Ms Phillip came to recognize her purpose: to celebrate & motivate everyday women to reach their full potential. A single mother from St. John, US Virgin Islands, Ms Phillip earned her Bachelor in Hospitality Management from Johnson & Wales University & her Master in Business Admin. from Kaplan University. She learned to juggle the responsibilities of being a mother & role model, with that of being a career woman & fulltime student.  Additionally, Ms Phillip leads a mentorship program at a Foster Home in South Florida & strives to impact the lives of these children & young adults by being an inspiration, & living what she preaches: faithfulness, self-respect & self-love. 

Ms Charlita Schuster, Founder/Artistic Director of Music In Motion School of Higher Dance Education, works wonders with young people who desire to pursue a career in dance or related occupations. She is also proud that 5 young students were invited to dance at the Dance the Magic at Disney World. The students and the mothers who accompanied her were Yalena Anderson, 11, and Luz Anderson-Santiago; Markeymar Carbile, 11, and Ralna Jackson; Aniyah Baptiste, 11, and Debra Mason; Brianna Bruce, 12, and Terrie Brow-Rawlins; and Trinity Cupid, 13, and Glenda Cupid. Ms Schuster has always been closely associated with local youth. As Founder/Artistic, Ms Schuster is the guiding force behind this institution providing professional dance training to the children of the Virgin Islands. Returning home after the birth of her first child, Ms. Schuster began her dance career on St. Croix as a dance instructor with St. Croix Street Theater. She moved on from there to share her love of ballet with her beloved island through her own school, and Music in Motion was born.  For 30 years, Music in Motion School of Higher Dance Education has not only produced fine dancers, but has saved children’s lives by keeping them off the streets. Her institution not only instills focus and self-discipline, but it also brings forth positive attitudes and values. The students of Music in Motion School of Higher Dance Education have thrilled audiences in performances at many different venues across the British and US Virgin Islands; Puerto Rico; the Eastern Caribbean; and Denmark. Visit Music In Motion School of Higher Dance Education.

The alarming underachievement of African Caribbean boys in British schools and abroad in comparison to other groups is highlighted in Dr. Janet Graham's book. The author adopts an historical perspective to compare West Indian children who arrived in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s (many labelled as ESN) (Coard 1971) to problems faced by black boys in today's classrooms. Dr. Graham also explores the impact of globalisation, population movement, government policies and diversity on black boys’ education provision in inner city schools in Britain. She investigates masculinity, subcultures, peer group pressures and exclusion from school and their impact on black boys education. The Institutional Focus Study sets the context for the empirical study and provides a perspective from voices of black boys in one inner London school to find out what they think about school, learning, subcultures, peer group pressures and teachers. As a contrast teachers’ views of the boys are also provided. This book will be of interest to educationalists, teachers, students; parents, school management and government bodies interested in race, diversity, achievement and want to bring about change to improve life chances. Visit Dr. Graham's Blog at: https://EducatingAfricanCaribbeanChildren.WordPress.com/

I:00 pm EST / 2:00 pm AST  If you asked Zenzi Hodge what she wanted to be when she grew up, you would not have heard the word author; however, that is what she has been for most of her life, whether she wants to admit it or not. Zenzi, the daughter of teachers, has been writing most of her life, something she's done since she wrote her first poem about living on St. Thomas, published in a children's anthology when she was in elementary school. Her love for creative expression continued but she purely wrote poems for fun not, as she would say, for public consumption. In 2007, Zenzi began writing short stories for her son to share his family history with him. But her passion for writing for young children came in 2011 after she lost her grandfather & she took the words her son used to express his sadness to write a story titled, I Can't See the Morning. While the character in The Never Snowy Christmas is inspired by her son, much of the antics are of her own imagining as she STILL wishes for snow on St. Thomas.  Zenzi is an alumna of Florida A&M and Clark Atlanta Universities and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.  She resides on St. Thomas with her husband and son. Will it snow in St. Thomas?  That is the hope of a young boy living in the US Virgin Islands.  Each year at Christmas, he wishes for snow in the island paradise he calls home and this Christmas he intends to get it.  Join him on his quest and find out if this will be the year that he gets snow in St. Thomas or will he continue to ask, "Where's My Snow" for another holiday season.  Visit Zenzi's website at www.neversnowystory.com/

Times: 8:00 pm EST / 9:00 AST. Please check the time in your time zone. Welcome to our Mondays at 8:00: Authors Supporting Authors series, brought to you as a joint project by authors April Thomas and Etienne A. Gibbs. Each week we shall interview authors about their work and the disciple behind their writing. Call 646-721-9611 during the show with your questions or comments. This week's author: C.J. Miller, a 2004 graduate of Wilberforce University, has a BA in Mass Media Communication. From 2003 to 2006, he hosted & produced TV’s Community Concern, a talk show for Dayton viewers & business leaders through the Time Warner Public Access Division. CJ is nationally & internationally recognized for his roles on reality TV shows such as Season 1 of the ABC Network & Tyra Banks' True Beauty, TV One's Donald J. Trump Presents: The Ultimate Merger, & as a reoccurring personality on the Tyra Banks' Daytime Talk Show.   Also the author of Grind: How To Turn Your Coffee Break Into Your Big Break”, a non-fiction book that empowers readers to redefine their realities & not rely on systems to hold back their dreams. His newly released novel, The Bishop’s Mistress, is said to be the most highly anticipated Christian Fiction novel. Moreover, CJ is the founder & Executive Director of Publishing Hope & Branding A+ Behavior (PHABB 5), an after-school writing-intervention book publishing program operating out of Locke High School in Watts, California. C.J. Miller is the proud father of 2 beautiful daughters, Princess Jazmin & Princess Arielle.

Born Fernando Teixeira de Camargo, F. T. Camargo, of Italian-Brazilian descent, resides in Sao Paulo, Brazil, South America. An award-winning architect, he also studied Arts and Media and has a post degree in Economics and MBA in e-commerce. A travel enthusiast, he has published a travel book - Rio, Maravilha! A strong affinity with animals has led him to a deep involvement in causes for their protection and freedom. For many years he has been practicing yoga and meditation and studying the Kabbalah. His exploration of spiritual teachings motivated a commitment to self-development which in turn created a new path and goal in life. Shanti and the Magic Mandala was born from this inner journey. Shanti and the Magic Mandala won the Bronze Medal at 2014 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards.

Times: 10:00 am EST / 11:00 am AST  Check your Time Zone for your local time. Here's what Chauncey Wyatt, Director of ViikL Books, has to say, "Authors, want to sell more books? Then convert to HD Audio Book because they allow your readers to experience the emotion of your writing in High Definition sound." Why go audio? Because you have Huge Market and Low Competition! In 2013, audio books sold more than $1.2 Billion in retail with less than 1% of all authors having their own audio book. Besides that, you have: 100% of the Profits! The average book can cost $4 to $9 per copy. With audio books, there is no cost per book sold. You keep 100% of the profit. Lower Production Cost! The average cost to write, publish and market a book is $4,500.00. With our services, you'll spend less than $500 including initial marketing. No Fees, Keep 100% of Profits. You keep 100% of every sale made. Sell your books for $1 or $20.00. You will keep 100% of the profits. Easier Marketing! We will create an audio sample of your book and market to thousands of potential buyers on social media websites - easily. Very easy and simple way to grow your book sales. Viikl will make getting a professional audio book created inexpensive and easy.

Times: 11:00 a.m. (EST) / 12:00 noon (AST) Check your Time Zone Author Sylvia Stein began her path to writing when she joined the Writer’s Group on LinkedIn 750 in 2012. She continued her journey by creating short stories, which were published, in the Giant Tales Anthology series. While obtaining her Master’s degree at Southern New Hampshire University online Author Stein built a solid foundation with her colleagues who encouraged her to continue on her writing. That’s when Closure was born. With the help of her editor, Closure grew from a short story to a full novella that Author Stein is excited to share. Closure is her debut book as a solo writer. To quote author Stein, “This is the first of many to come.” Book Description: Garrison James had it all. He had a beautiful family and one loving home. Together, he and his wife, Lila, built a successful ranch and construction company. His world changed the day he lost his wife to cancer. He turned to the bottle and became a monster. Sara, his daughter, tried everything to please him. After years of abuse, Sara’s aunt visits. She recognizes the abuse and removes Sara. The frail girl begins the delicate journey of finding herself, while struggling to leave her father and the monster behind. Despite the emotional and mental scars she carried, Sara manages to start a new life. She is finally happy. A phone call changes everything. Will Sara continue her new life? Can she face the monster, or will she find closure?