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Recently an article was published on the Oprah Magazine website, “119 Black-Owned Bookstores in America That Amplify the Best in Literature.” While I was not attributed as a source of the list, I know I was because my bookstore list contains at least one bookstore that is not a bookstore 😉. But the list was widely copied so who knows where they sourced the info (including my rouge “bookstore”). Unlike many of the other sites which used the list, Oprah Mag at least included AALBC as a store, so I’m good. Oprah Magazine also created another article, "12 Authors Share Their Favorite Black-Owned Bookstores." This is was an really cool thing to do too! One of the 12 authors, Mitchell Jackson, even cited AALBC.com as his favorite bookstore! But here’s is the thing, and it is a big deal, when mentioning the author’s books, the Oprah Magazine did not send readers to a single Black-owned store. Instead they linked to a white-owned business (bookshop.org), for the book sales — missing a tremendous opportunity to direct those sales to Black-owned bookstores’ websites! It is fine to say how much you support indie booksellers, but the biggest thing supporters of Black-owned bookstores can do is to send book buyer to our stores and websites. Far too many “supporters” send book buyers link to Amazon, and now increasingly, to Bookshop, while voicing support of Black owned bookstores (read more on why linking to Bookshop.org does not support Black-owned Bookstores). Several authors have told me that they don't want to show favoritism for one Black independent over another. However these authors easily show favoritism by linking to Amazon or Bookshop. In 2020 no one needs to be told they can buy a book from Amazon, and Bookshop gets free promotion that really was intended for Black-owned stores If you want to support Black-owned bookstores, stop promoting Amazon and promote a Black-owned bookstores instead! I know most supporters of Black-owned bookstores simply don’t know this, and this is why I'm writing the message. I didn’t know either; While I've been selling books, on the web for almost 23 years, most of that time I was selling books as an Amazon affiliate. Despite my advocacy for Black owned bookstores, I was completely unaware of how my affiliation with Amazon was undermining independent booksellers. Once I started selling books directly, boycotting Amazon just made common sense. However replacing Amazon with Bookshop is only a marginally better solution. Amazon pays affiliates 4% and Bookshop pays 10%, far less that what an indie bookseller would make on a sale. You have to actively support Black-owned stores if you believe they are important. The idea that Amazon has the best prices is often not true, so that argument no longer holds. Often books sales on Amazon are actually fulfilled by third parties anyway, so Amazon is not really adding any value. Indeed, they are reducing value by acting as an intermediary who make money on every transaction with zero risk. The American Booksellers Association (ABA) used to tout an solution called Indiebound.org which allowed supporters of indie bookstores to provide book links without showing "favoritism" to any particular bookseller or linking to Amazon. For example, if someone wanted to provide a buy to Mitchell S. Jackson's book, Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family they could use a link like this: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781501131707. Once the book buyer reached the indiebound site they could enter a zip code, say my local zip code 33647, and a list of local booksellers would be shown. Indiebound would send readers to local indie bookseller sites to complete the sale. It seems like the ABA is pushing the Bookshop solution which is a mistake in my opinion, but again I advocate for independence. Reliance on Bookshop or Amazon to process our book orders and take most of the profit, is the opposite of Independence. Clearly Amazon wants us to be dependent upon them. I doubt Bookshop is any different. Now I understand that some brick and mortar booksellers are unable to sell books on the web and the pandemic has only made things worse by closing some — not all — physical stores. But imagine if the Black independent booksellers, who can handle the sales, got the business that we are sending to Bookshop. Support Black-Owned Booksellers.

Hi @Nnamdi Azikiwe I don't allow hyperlinks to Amazon. Aren't there any Black-owned bookstores you can send readers to? Seems like a reasonable thing to do given your book's content.

Book covers using the sames images are actually more common than you might think @Nnamdi Azikiwe. Of course the red/black/green color combination deals directly with Gravey's flag, so that is not surprising. I doubt the designer directly copied the cover design ... but you never know.

So excited to read this. Thank you!!!

For Immediate Release September 29, 2020 LaShelle L. Turner Announces the Release of a New Novel Price of Past Sins Atlanta— September 29, 2020 — Today, LaShelle L. announced immediate availability of Price of Past Sins. The contemporary novel centers on searching for redemption from the past and finding the strength to love again in the present. After his released from prison, ex-drug dealer Patrick Mitchell seeks to make amends for all the lives he left in shatters when he was first sent away. He comes home to find the lives of his sister, girlfriend, and daughter in tatters as they struggled to survive without. While he sets on the path to atone for his mistakes, he falls in love with the woman hired to help him put his life back together. The guilt of his past sins convinces him that he does not deserve to have the love of such a good woman. Patrick needs to forgive himself before he can set things right and open himself of to love again. Author Bio LaShelle L. Turner is a romance and women’s fiction author. The author has a Master of Arts in Professional Writing. She currently lives in the Atlanta metropolitan area where she works as an educator. When not writing, she is constantly investigating her next adventure as a budding traveler. For more information on Price of Past Sins: LaShelle L. Turner Website: https://turnerlashelle.wixsite.com/mysite

MutShat Shemsut-Gianprem Kaur. Meditations for An Evolving People ISBN: 978-578-71158-4 Published June 14, 2020 This is a book of meditations selected for the times we are in. Though anyone may practice them, they are chosen with people of African lineage in mind. When practiced regularly, these meditations will enable one to remain calm under pressure and amid chaos. The techniques will enable one to eliminate negative thought patterns and protect oneself from the stress and strains of this physical world. May of the meditations address physical, mental, and spiritual challenges that plague Black people in particular—disproportionately. Through this sacred technology, one may avail oneself of methods to create a relationship with one’s own higher consciousness, cultivate sensory perception, and access that limitless part of oneself. The author would be appreciative of a book review, as she truly hopes that these sacred tools will reach as many Black people as possible.

Why is it easier to reach the chapstick that fell between your car seats than it is to find a dozen Black female animators in this world?! We are striving to change that statistic. In the meantime, stop by and say hello to Major Denese Payne, the baddest on the peninsula, and hear all about the email that turned her world upside down... Click now to watch Black Love: A Beautiful Docuseries, Episode 01 "The Email" Trailer: The melodic prose of critically acclaimed novelist O.W. Showe fuses with colorful animation and never seen before footage as intimate stories of Black love unveil. Traverse a wonderfully artistic “Memory Lane,” paved with warm memoirs of passion, friendship and romantic infatuation. From hearts that pain with long-distance adoration to a love affair spanning continents, tales of kinship and personal maturation are woven into the fabric of this original docuseries. “This is for the dreamers. The ones who believe in love at first sight. The souls that nurture new soil and the lush greenery that blossoms. This is Black Love.” – O.W. Indie Animated Web Docuseries: Black Love: A Beautiful Docuseries Genre: Romantic Comedy Parental Guideline: PG Series Release Dates: 2020 E1: 07 Nov / E2: 21 Nov / E3: 05 Dec Streaming: Exclusively on owshowe.com Director & Exec Producer: Madinah Slaise Original Manuscript & Score: Madinah Slaise Cinematographer/Illustrator: Madinah Slaise Distributor: MadPo Production Studio Art. Culture. Creativity. -owshowe.com

Flame Tree Publishing are delighted to announce a new call for submissions which is now open! We are looking for twelve to twenty short stories by black contemporary writers to complement a small selection of core classic tales by early black writers of speculative fiction. Check out the announcement here for full details about the book and how to submit a story: http://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/black-sci-fi-short-stories-call-for-submissions

Author Name: Dervé J. Book Title: On the Way to Reign Publication Date: October 14th, 2020 Synopsis: Dervé J.’s debut poetry collection, On the Way to Reign, takes readers on a journey from pain, sorrow, and anger to strength, beauty, and freedom. On the Way to Reign teaches us how to be our own light by taking the first steps on the road to self-love and self-knowledge. After reading these poems, readers are ready to stand up as the rulers of their own destinies and reign over their own lives. With affirmations and spiritual knowledge, by the end of On the Way to Reign, readers are ready to trust in the power of self-reliance, learning not to “[ask] for truth, /as if the first person version /wasn’t abundant.” This is not the love poetry we are used to; this is the love poetry we need. Picture of cover

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For Immediate Release Contact: Esther Productions, Inc At 202-829-0591 Esther Productions, Inc recently published ESTHER'S DISCOVER ME.. WITHOUT YOU BOOK Available April 4, 2020 (Washington, D.C.) - At last, we grasp the long-lasting effects of father absence through the voices of confident and powerful teen girls,” writes girls and women advocate Ana Acevedo in the preface of “Discovering Me…Without You: Teen Girls Speak About Father Absence.” In this groundbreaking book, published by Esther Productions Inc. Books, two dozen girls ages 14 through 17 tell their personal stories about the impact of father absence on their lives. It is edited by Jonetta Rose Barras and published by Esther Productions, Inc and Jonetta Rose Barras. For more information, please visit https://www.estherproductionsinc.com/shop Esther Productions, Inc. is dedicated to using a variety of vehicles—traditional and nontraditional—to develop communities throughout the United States and Europe. A special emphasis is placed on youth and underserved communities. The corporation uses the arts, social services and networking, and business development to enhance its targeted populations. For more information please contact Ms. Barras at estherproductionsinc@gmail.com. Visit: www.estherproductionsinc.com Ms. Jonetta Rose Barras is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author. She has more than 20 years experience reporting and commenting on national social, political, and cultural trends, including as an opinion writer with The Washington Post, Washington Examiner and Washington City Paper. Ms. Barras hosted her own weekly radio show on the 50,000-watt WPFW-FM radio in Washington, D.C. Following that stint, she served for more than six years as the political analyst for NPR affiliate WAMU-FM radio, where 75,000 individuals listened each week to her. She also has appeared on CBS (60 Minutes), C-SPAN, CNN, PBS (This is America with Dennis Wholey) and Fox News Channel’s The O’Reilly Factor. Ms. Barras founded Esther Productions Inc. in 2004 after the publication of her Black Board bestseller Whatever Happened to Daddy's Little Girl: The Impact of Fatherlessness on Black Women (Ballantine 2000, hardcover—2001, paperback). She has spoken at more than two-dozen national and international conferences and symposia, and many consider her the foremost authority on the affects of father absence among girls and women. Understanding the need to offer solutions to Esther Productions Inc.’s target audience of fatherless girls and women, Ms. Barras wrote Bridges: Reuniting Daughters and Daddies (Bancroft Press 2005). That book is a step-by-step guide for girls and women hoping to reconcile with their fathers or simply to come to terms completely with the affects of father absence in their lives. Ms. Barras communication expertise combined with her management skills has made her a highly sought consultant. Through Esther Productions Inc. she offers her knowledge and experience to other nonprofit organizations and individual entrepreneurs. Ms. Barras has expertly used the art of personal essay to take readers inside her world, hoping to help them understand and assess important local and national issues. Her writings have appeared in the Washington Post, The Hillrag, The Washington City Paper, Essence Magazine and the New Republic. Ms. Barras has written three nonfiction books and two collections of poetry. Her fiction and essays have appeared in numerous anthologies and journals. Visit http://jonettarosebarras.com

Please join Joy Jones at Culture Coffee too (300 Riggs Rd. NE in Washington, D.C.) on July 18th at 2pm for Double Dutch. It is geared towards women ages 18 - 45. The Spoken Word "began as a performance poetry ensemble in 1988 founded by arts activist Darrell Stover. The performing group presents at schools, museums, conferences, colleges, churches, community groups, fairs and festivals throughout metropolitan Washington, DC. The group has since grown to stimulate and motivate audiences on a broader stage. The Spoken Word offers workshops, classes and activities that address needs in the community through art and culture." http://www.thespokenwordonline.org/?page_id=8

THE TRUTH HURTS 3 In prison, the thing most constant on a prisoner’s mind is freedom. Remember that. I remember a guy that stayed in the same cellblock where I lived, and one night when it was time for Soul Train, I ran excitedly to his cell, giving him the good news. Soul Train was now airing. He looked me in the eyes and said that the last thing he wanted to see was sexy women. He said that he had a life sentence which meant that his career with women was officially over. That, in and of itself, was almost enough to make you want to escape. The next time I saw Biggs was about five years later at another prison. He was on the Mental Health Unit, the so-called ‘nut ward’. He was a zombie, so heavily medicated that he didn’t even know who I was. Looking at him, I thought that it would have been much better for him to had tried to escape than to have let this happen to him. He was, for all practical purposes, dead. As a friend, I would have much rather to have seen him physically dead from an apparent escape attempt than to view him mentally and spiritually dead. That was always the thing with brothas. We would rarely try to escape. We thought we were tough, so we would grit our teeth, and suffer. White convicts would jump the fence. Me, I didn’t think twice about trying to get missing if I had half a chance to pull it off. Damn! If we could have pulled off that escape from Petersburg in 76′, that would have been one for the books. And we almost did it, and would have accomplished the mission, had it not been for someone telling on us. Snitching was almost unheard of back in the 70s, and virtually nonexistent in the prison system, but yeah, someone got us. Man, I still get goosebumps from just reliving those moments. Like I said in another piece about the escape, I was scared although not scared in a cowardly fashion. No, this was the fear that men felt when they understood that death was right around the corner. Now, thanks to the new ‘get tough’ laws, convicts face another fear, one even greater than the fear I experienced at four in the morning, lying in damp gravel atop a two story prison building, desperately waiting for the flashing lights of our getaway car, informing us that it was a go. Can you imagine the fear that ensued when we realized that our getaway car was not coming? We were trapped outside the dorm, and could not get back in so there was nothing to do but continue the escape with the bad news that there would be no transportation and guns on the other side of the fence. We were, basically, abandoned, left to suffer whatever would come next. What came next was the fear of getting shot at with automatic weapons. So what could possibly be worse than a four a.m. execution Well, it is the very real fear the convicts face of never, ever seeing their loved ones ever again!. It is that one gnawing fear that will give way to ‘the new hell’ that awaits this country. And couple this with another very, very real fear that every convict lives with. Right this moment, convicts fear Donald Trump. Know why? The public may not be aware of this but convicts certainly are. There is a law that certifies the wholesale death of convicts in the event this country is ever invaded by a foreign enemy. In that eventuality, the prisoners would be locked in their cells and gas will be administered through the air vents. What a lovely way to die. This is no old wives’ tales, or a lost book from Mother Goose’s fairy tales. It is a thing that convicts believe with all their hearts. What would be a greater strategy than for an invading army to free the prisoners, many of whom would gladly take up arms against the country who had spit in their faces, and locked them away, throwing away the key. But even if the convicts didn’t take up arms, it would be a logistics nightmare for America to attempt to round the prisoners up, and to fight a war at the same time. It would be anarchy! With Trump in office, convicts are sweating, never sure if he will do something foolish, calling forth war. Things are already tense in the world of foreign affairs, and with the US and North Korea selling wolf tickets, who knows what the fuck might happen, and convicts might just decide not to stick around to find out. Busting out of jail is lot better than getting gassed while you are asleep in your cell. Join the campaign to reform prison now. Your life depends on it.

I love the idea of bloggers helping bloggers...especially within the black community. I had started a blog to focus on financial literacy. Understanding and managing money. I think the lack of money and the financial errors caused by under education leads to many problems within our community. I am hoping that we can reach enough people to be able to make a difference in our community. http://thecleverafrican.com/