Tameka, describe yourself for our visitors.

Greetings! My name is Tameka Rogers-Colbert. I am 34 years old and a single parent of two beautiful children. I currently live in Tifton, Georgia. I am Founder and Editorial Director of my new business, TRC Publications, LLC. I love to read and write. I especially love to write children’s book and books that promotes inspiration and illumination concerning the word of God. I love gospel and jazz music.

How do you find time to connect with God?

Each day I find time to connect with God; for He is the strength of my life. I often connect with God through writing, reading and/or meditating on His word daily. Also, I connect with God in the way I treat people on a daily base.

Who were your favorite authors or books as a child?

Dr. Suess is one of my all time favorite children’s book authors. I find all of his books to be fun and easy to read. As a child, I enjoyed how his writing would take your mind through the world of reading and comprehension through the art of using words that rhyme.

Tell us about your current book?

My current book is titled;”See, I Can Read Too!” It is published by Hope of Vision Publishing, LLC, (www.hopeofvisionpublishing.com) and the book is illustrated by Wilson Williams, Jr. (www.doublewillustrations.com ).

See, I Can Read Too!, is inspirationally orchestrated to encourage fruitful minds the rules of perseverance, dedication, and the power of reading. This book ignites the fundamental relationship between parent and child. This story promotes literacy, self-motivation, confidence in reading, while encapsulating the positive power of parental influence and interest in their child’s academic success.

How did you come up with ideas for this book?

Fueling my aspiration to write this book was the literary apt and success of my daughter’s ability to read at the age of 3 using flashcards! So a huge part of this book is how I taught her to read with confidence at a young age.

What are the main themes or lessons in this book?

There are two themes in this book. The first theme is; “Parents have the power to make positive academic changes into the lives of their children who may struggle academically”.

And second, it motivates children to “Stand Tall with Confidence” and Read out Loud!

What advice did someone give you as a child that still remains with you today?

My mother has been a huge encourager in my life, however, I remember how my fourth grade teacher would always encourage me to stretch my mind to read, write and articulate my thoughts into expressive writing. Therefore, involving my 4th grade teacher and my mother, I would have to say that these simple words, which they both have spoken, “You can do anything you set your mind to do!” have remained with me throughout this journey of faith! And those words are very powerful and true all together!

What’s next for you?

Well, I have started a book collection called; “See, I Can Read Too Book Collection; where I plan to publish all 6 of the children’s books I have written. My desire is to travel promote my books in all public and private schools, along with Child Care centers, in and around the state of Georgia.

I have also begun writing Christian books for children that will help cultivate the principals and the spirit of God within their soul. And I am very, very excite about what God has given me to write for His little minds.

Where can visitors find you online?

My website is www.seeicanreadtoo.com for my current book and soon to be Book Collection. My personal website, www.tamekarogerscolbert.org will be coming very soon.

I am simply  a child of the king focused to do the work that God has called me to do to make an impact for Kingdom advancement.

How do you find time to connect with God?

Finding time to connect with God is a part of my lifestyle. I prefer to rise early in the morning before the breaking of day to seek Him. I call it my “Hour of Power.” The experience of the day that He has made would have something very important missing if I did not spend time in His presence. Also there are other times that are unscheduled to steal away from the business of the day when the urge is just to enter into His presence.

Do you have a favorite bible verse and or quote you wish to share?

Somebody else has to share what you see in order for it to work on this earth. Someone else has to see the vision that you have to double it, to  triple it. God has to see what you see to see what measurement your sight is. – Kim Clement.

Who are your favorite authors? Favorite books?

I really don’t have a favorite author or book. I usually read something that ignites my interest by the title that is unusual such as “Commanding Your Morning” by Cindy Trimm or “Seeding For The Billion Flow” by Bill Winston.

Tell us about your journey to publication.

My journey as an author began over ten years ago with a word from God. Over the years I have self published four books and countless articles. I believed the word that was spoken and the evidence continues to manifest daily.

Tell us about your current book.

Destiny’s Closet is the adventure of children finding and talking to Jesus in a way that they have never experienced. Listening to adults they think that the only way to meet and talk with Jesus is in a prayer closet. What starts out as a simple fascination turns into a great journey for all.

How did you come up with ideas for this book?

Actually I was at a conference at my church and everyone went out to eat between sessions. Most of the adults were positioned at the head of the table near the Pastor. But I was near the children. I began to pay attention to their conversation and received a divine idea from the throne room.

What influenced you to write this book?

Destiny’s Closet started out as a short story in 2008. Before I knew it there were five short stories. At that point the Holy Spirit directed me to continue with the writing for a book.

Did you have a favorite character(s)? Who and why?

Destiny, Becca, and Mauri, the three main characters. They continue to introduce other children to Jesus.

What’s next for you?

I have been inspired  to follow-up with two sequels. The first is titled, “Destiny’s Closet -Circle of Friends,” which is in the process of being published.  “Destiny’s Closet – Circle of Friends” continues the adventures of Destiny, Becca, and Mauri and their growing relationship with Jesus. I am also in the process of writing the third book in the series, “Destiny’s Closet – The Wonder School.”

Where can visitors find you online?

http://www.authorsden.com/beckydewitt or Blood Drop Inheritance Group

I understand you support different charities through the sales of your book. Tell me about those.

I select a charity for each book that I write. I strongly believe in the idea of giving back to the community. So, I select charities that I think will benefit youth, families, and people at educational risk. So, far I adopted The Sigma Gamma Rho National Education Fund to provide scholarships to low-income college students, and the New Orleans Library Foundation to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. I am also a Shadow forest author. I donated books to the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation.

What is the best piece of advice you have received, from either a fan or a fellow author?

The best advice that I received from a fellow author was to promote my work via social networking sites.

If you could pass on one tidbit of knowledge to both your fans and aspiring writers, what would it be?

I would suggest that you work on craft every day.

About the Book

This book is about a little girl that transports herself to the moon and back with a flick of her imagination. A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to New Orleans Public Library Foundation. The purpose of this donation is to aid the Youth Services Department to rebuild the children’s literature collection after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

About the Author

Tiffany A. Flowers is a native of Chicago, Illinois, and the author of two children’s books. Born the child of an artist, she spent the majority of her childhood attending poetry readings, festivals, and art shows with her mother. The majority of her stories reflect a culmination of all of her experiences from childhood to adult. However, the ultimate goal of her work is to promote hope and creativity, and to bring joy into the lives of children.

Tiffany lives in the south and spends her time teaching, writing, reading, and spending time with her family.

Visit Tiffany online:

http://www.goldenbutterflypublishing.com/

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1426034761

Hear Tiffany read from her book:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqdYqxDcBkA

Be sure and leave a comment for Tiffany! Sign up for Tiffany’s blog and be entered to win one of three copies of For Those Who Stare At the Moon! Winner will be randomly chosen by the author and announced on the last day of the tour.

http://thegoldenbutterfly.blogspot.com/2010/10/re-book-give-away.html

Jean, describe yourself—

Formerly an attorney, I am a professional writer with a focus on writing for children, middle graders, and young adults. I am also an editor, essayist, writing instructor, and grant writer. While wearing each of these hats is fulfilling in its own way, I find my greatest joy in writing for youth and young adults.

How do you find time to connect with God?

My most focused time with God is during my morning prayer and devotional time. I find that if I do not have this one-on-one time in the morning, it gets crowded out of my day. So, I make sure that either before or after my morning physical exercise routine, I have my private time with God.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse/quote you wish to share?

One of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 4:8—Finally brethren, whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, if there is any excellence, anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.

This verse is a good reminder for writers—our job, in whatever we write, should be to lift up and not drag down the reader.

Tell us about your current books.

My most recent book—Who’s Jim Hines?—is based upon real events in my family’s history. It is a coming of age story where twelve-year-old Douglas Ford, Jr. comes to terms with the racial realities of Depression-era Detroit. However, my current books also include the Joe Joe in the City series. In each volume of this series, ten-year-old Joe Joe Rawlings learns life lessons when he reads about heroes from African American history. In Just Call Me Joe Joe, he reads the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues; in I Have a Dream, Too! Joe Joe reads about Mary McLeod Bethune; in I’ll Fly My Own Plane he learns about the Tuskegee Airmen; and in I’ll Do the Right Thing, he discovers the legacy of Ralph Bunche.

What influenced you to write the Joe Joe in the City series?

My husband and I faced real concerns as parents raising two children in an urban environment. It was incumbent upon us to prepare our children to respond appropriately to negative peer pressure, racial stereotypes, and the pervasive drug and gang cultures. I wanted to address those concerns in a set of books for young readers that would be entertaining and edifying for the youngsters and a source of support and reinforcement for parents and other caregivers.

What valuable lessons do you want readers to learn from the Joe Joe in the City series?

Each volume in the Joe Joe in the City series offers a crucial lesson for youth, particularly urban youth. Joe Joe summons up the courage to return and face a local shopkeeper who accuses him of being a part of a gang that has just trashed his store in Just Call Me Joe Joe. In I Have a Dream, Too!, Joe Joe realizes that with hard work, dreams can come true. I’ll Fly My Own Plane finds Joe Joe turning away from an opportunity to make “quick, easy money.” And, Joe Joe learns the value of being a peacemaker in I’ll Do the Right Thing.

What’s next for you?

During 2010, I look forward to completing volume one of a trilogy of teen books. In addition, I will begin working on a companion book to Who Jim Hines?. I also have a full schedule of appearances at libraries, conferences, and museums throughout the spring. At these events, I look forward to connecting with readers of my books and the public at large.

Where can visitors find you online?

Online readers can contact me and find updates about my books and appearances via my website www.jeanaliciaelster.com. They can also find information about me at my publishers’ websites www.judsonpress.com and wsupress.wayne.edu/.

Nationally Renowned Editors and Illustrators Collaborate to Inspire Hope and Faith in Youth

Grand Rapids, MI (BlackNews.com) – In uncertain times, keeping hope and faith alive in our young people is a top priority. This fall, Zonderkidz(TM), the leading publisher of children’s Bibles and Bible storybooks, will underscore efforts by families, clergy, schools and others seeking to encourage Black youth with the release of My Holy Bible for African-American Children (www.zondervan.com/africanamerican), a large print, New International Version (NIV) Bible featuring culturally significant artwork and inspiring book introductions.

Edited by Cheryl and Wade Hudson, the nationally acclaimed authors and publishers of Just Us Books, My Holy Bible for African-American Children connects the spiritual challenges and triumphs of today’s youth with the journeys of well-known Biblical heroes. Leading African-American illustrators such as Pat Cummings, Nancy Devard, Shane Evans, Cathy Ann Johnson, Anna Rich, Javaka Steptoe and Michele Wood also engage readers with more than 30 pages of spellbinding art.

According to Marketing to the Mosaic, an October 2008 study conducted by the marketing strategy researchers Taylor and Welch, 96 percent of African-Americans polled indicated that they believed in God, with 95 percent reporting that they pray in a given week and 60 percent saying they read the Bible. These are rich traditions that Zonderkidz believes My Holy Bible for African-American Children can help families pass on to the next generation. "Our goal is to publish resources to help more African-American children explore God’s Word," said Annette Bourland, Zonderkidz Senior Vice President and Publisher. "And we believe that this one-of-its-kind full text Bible, both Old and New Testament, with its glorious illustrations, created just for the African-American community, emphasizes just how much God knows and loves them."

My Holy Bible for African-American Children (ISBN: 978-0-310-71964-9, $24.99, Hardcover, Print Caseside) will be available in October 2009 wherever books are sold in the NIV translation, the most-read, most-trusted Bible translation. It will be the first of a series of Bibles Zonderkidz will release that are focused on African-American youth. A King James Version (KJV) of My Holy Bible for African-American Children will be introduced in February 2010. This offering will be coupled with new NIV and KJV Bibles for African-American teens. The NIV and KJV Bibles for African-American Teens will be available with gender specific customized Italian Duotone(TM) covers in February 2010.

About the Contributing Editors

Married since 1972, Cheryl and Wade Hudson are cofounders of Just Us Books, an independent publishing company specializing in books and learning materials for children and young people. The company was founded in 1988, after a search for books that reflected the diversity of Black history, heritage and experiences proved disappointing. In response, the Hudsons published the AFRO BETS® A B C Book and followed up a year later with the release of a second title and their own publishing firm. Over the years, Just Us Books has published dozens of titles and received numerous prestigious awards, including the Publishers Marketing Association’s Ben Franklin Award for illustration given to Bright Eyes, Brown Skin in 1991 and From a Child’s Heart in 1994. In 2008, Just Us Books’ The Secret Olivia Told Me, was named a Coretta Scott King Honor Book for Illustration. The Hudsons have been honored for their contributions to literature with the Ida B. Wells Institutional Builders Award presented by the National Black Writers Conference. They have also become recognized leaders in the field of multicultural publishing. Both Hudsons are active in their church, where Wade Hudson serves as a deacon.

Zonderkidz(TM), a division of Zondervan, inspires young lives through imagination and innovation. As the leader in Christian children’s communications, it produces bestselling and award-winning Bibles, books, board books, graphic novels, audio, video, and digital products that awaken the hearts and touch the souls of kids under 16 and the people who love them, from family members to educators. Zonderkidz is the publisher of the NIrV (New International Reader’s Version) Bible translation, the 3rd-grade reading level edition of the NIV that is ideal for children and those who speak English as a second language. Visit Zonderkidz(TM) on the Internet at www.zonderkidz.com

Kevin Manning and his younger brother Jordan are new to Harriet Tubman Elementary School. A little shy, Kevin tries to go unnoticed on the first day at school. He’s successful at blending in until something upsets his six-year old brother, who is autistic, and only Kevin can calm his screams.

In this second book of the Yasmin Peace series family tensions and school unrest sore to a fever pitch. A school counselor starts a club for 8th grade girls: The LIGHT club, which deals with major issues: gangs, depression, teen suicide, self-esteem, etc. Yasmin discovers that there is hope on the other side of every obstacle—if she holds on to her faith.

REVIEW: This Christian YA novel is masterfully written. Moore delivers a positive book I believe teen women will love. She deals with serious issues and topics in a way that will help readers think long and hard about the choices they make. The characters are three dimensional with great introspection, believable dialogue and crisp description. I’d recommend this story to teen girls every where and a few guys too!

Reviewed by Shawneda Marks

Nine year old Jeremiah Jones is a born runner. He runs faster than most boys his age. Trouble is ever since his grandmother’s passing his running has been getting him in trouble. When he’s sad or stressed, he runs. His running helps him cope with the loss of Grandma Joanie and the prospect of never finding a ‘forever family.’ Running gets him thrown out of foster homes and expelled from school.

The story opens with Jeremiah getting expelled from school again. He is temporarily placed in the home of a social worker, Mrs. Kennedy. Mrs. Kennedy, her husband, and their young son, P.J. help Jeremiah slow down long enough to reflect.

While in the Kennedy’s nurturing home Jeremiah learns the meaning of faith and hope in God’s promises. Throughout the book, the reader gets glimpses of Jeremiah’s spiritual foundation through memories Grandma Joanie strong words, paraphrased Bible passages. In the end, Jeremiah find the courage to be still.

Run, Jeremiah, Run is a good quick read. The introspective style and pacing may appeal more to pre-teens and adults. The spiritual lessons in the book are filtered through Jeremiah’s eyes and posed in a way that a child could understand. The book contains many moments of light-hearted action that will interest children of any age.

$6.99, 150 page

Reviewed by Linda Leigh Hargrove