Angela, describe yourself for our visitors.

I’m an author with a full-time job as a university professor. I enjoy reading, writing and traveling.  My most memorable trip was a recent visit to South Africa where I toured Robben Island, the place where Nelson Mandela and other South African freedom fighters were imprisoned. 

Now released, many of those men serve as tour guides at Robben Island, telling their story as part of the Robben Island story. I was in tears by the time the tour ended, because of the atrocity of apartheid but more because of the faith of the men who had been imprisoned. To a man, none of the tour guides wanted vengence or held hatred toward their captors.  They all wanted to live peaceably with those who’d wrongfully imprisoned them and work together to build a more just South Africa. Listening to them speak, I heard forgiveness in action. I was awed.

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Wanza, describe yourself for our visitors.

What can I tell you about myself? Well, I must say that I love God and working for my church full time. Outside of that, I am a wife and mom to a precious little girl! I enjoy reading, writing and watching TV. Lately, I’ve been getting hooked on reality shows - esp. Top Chef and Project Runway!

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Sharon, describe yourself for our visitors.

I was born in Baltimore, MD and raised, for the most part, in the Landover, MD/Washington, D.C. area. After graduating from high school in Summerton (Clarendon County), S. C., I returned to Maryland. Later, I lived in Columbia, S.C.; Charlotte, N.C., and currently the Atlanta, GA area for the past 14 years. I’ve worked for various federal government installations from the time I was 16 at the Pentagon until taking an “early out” from the Social Security Administration, retiring my duties as a Systems Administrator in 2003.

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Tanya, describe yourself for our visitors.

компютри втора употребаI am a very real, down to earth and fun loving woman. I work hard but have learned how to play hard to bring balance to my life. I am Christian who loves reading, meditating and teaching others the word of God.

I love music and movies. My taste in both are very diverse. Although I am a DIE HARD New Edition fan, you still can catch me listening T.I., Jill Scott, Toby Keith, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Avril Lavigne and Chris Brown all in the same day. I love music that is empowering and tells a story. My absolute favorite movies of all time are Sparkle, Mahogany, Lady Sings The Blues, Boyz In The Hood, Imitation of Life and Coal Miner’s Daughter.

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Julie, describe yourself for our visitors.

I was born in Louisville, KY and the oldest of 3 daughters in a Christian family. My father is a retired teacher/business man and my mom is a fantastic homemaker. I am boldly committed to God, family and ministry. I sang my first solo in church at age 9 and this lead to directing choirs and singing across the country, Jamaica and Switzerland. My favorite singers are Tramaine Hawkins, Ce Ce Winans, Yolanda Adams, Aretha Franklin and Indie Aire, just to name a few. When I am not singing, I am writing music or motivational writings for my monthly newsletter “A JAR in the Potter’s Hands” or an upcoming book.

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For the record, I never called my work "street literature" and I never will. When I began to publish ground breaking contemporary novels with Flyy Girl in 1993, and Capital City in 1994, I called them "urban classics." They were "urban" because they dealt with people of color in the inner-city or "urban" population areas. They were "classics" because I considered myself one of the first to start the work of a new era. But now, after sixteen years and sixteen novels in the African-American adult urban fiction game, I feel like the man who created the monster Frankenstein.

Omar Tyree sounds off in his article, “An Urban "Street Lit" Retirement.”

Kesha, describe yourself for our visitors.мебели

I’m a mother of a very funny two-year old little girl, Chayse, who keeps me busier than I probably would like to be.  On top of that job, I’m a worker, a full-time student and writer.  I would say my hobbies include mostly reading.  I love to read!  In the summer time, my hobby would most definitely be to swim.  I love gospel music, with John P. Kee being my overall favorite male vocalist.  I don’t count out Jazz or R&B as being on my list as well.

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