Category Archives: Book Notes

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After the Altar Call on the Move…

Hello World,

The lone writer...(get it? LOVE.THIS.PHOTO)...A pic from my book release party...

If you have visited my humble blog before, you know that my book which has the same name was released in February of this year! And since then, I have been on the move around the A as I have attempted to spread the word about a book that I truly believe will help women to develop a personal relationship with God! And God has blessed my efforts!

As of this month, my book is now available via Black Expressions Book Club! From the web site…

Black Expressions is the book club when it comes to books for and by African Americans. We’ve got bestselling books from such African American authors as Zane, Brenda Jackson, Eric Jerome Dickey and E. Lynn Harris. From new urban fiction to black romance novels and African American Christian fiction, Black Expressions truly has something for everyone. Plus, our editors love reading as much as you do and they’ll constantly keep you updated on the most-talked-about African American books on the scene.

If you are a member of Black Expressions, you can order my book for a whopping 50 cents! Truly, you cannot beat that deal anywhere sooo order it here (click on the link.).

And now that the unofficial start of summer is this weekend (Memorial Day weekend), I plan to venture out of the A and hopefully spread the good news about After the Altar Call!

This weekend I will be at the 33rd Annual Christian Women’s Retreat in the Country Music Capital of the World! Yes, that’s right, I (along with my mother and other women from our church) will be traveling up the road a piece to Nashville to fellowship with Christian women from around the country. And if you’re read my book, one the original organizers of the retreat (which was created in 1980), Ms. Susie Doswell is featured in my book. Ms. Doswell has a tremendous testimony of thriving after after teenage pregnancy and abusive marriages. The convention will be held at the Sheraton Music City Hotel so if you’re in the area, stop by and see me.

The next weekend, on June 2, I will be speaking on “Developing a Personal Relationship With God” at Central Christian Church’s 11th Annual Women’s Prayer Breakfast. The prayer breakfast begins at 10 a.m. Central Christian Church is located at 1916 Dodson Drive, Atlanta 30311…That’s right in the heart of the SWAT!!!

And a few days after that, I will be signing my book on Tuesday, June 5 at 1 p.m. and Wednesday, June 6 at 2 p.m. at the Urban Ministries Inc. bookstore  at the Hampton University Ministers’ Conference in Hampton, Virginia! From the conference web site…

The Ministers’ Conference began in 1914 when the Negro Organizational Society, the Conference for Education in the South, the Southern Education Board, and the Cooperative Education Board sought to address the growing concerns of the African-American church and its relationship to the community. With Hampton Institute carrying strong influence with each of these community organizations, it became the birth-place of the original Ministers’ Conference, then known as The Conference of Negro Ministers of Tidewater, Va.

The HU Ministers’ Conference and Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild has also welcomed famous individuals to the campus of Hampton University. Past attendees have included the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1962; the Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker of Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York; the Rev. Jesse Jackson; the Rev. Al Sharpton; the Rev. T.D. Jakes; and in 2007, Barack Obama.

I pray this book will truly help women all around the world develop a personal relationship with God! And I’m thankful to God for enabling me to spread the word about this book, and I could use your help too…Let erebody know After the Altar Call is on the move…

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Surviving Mama…(a repost in honor of Mother’s Day)

Editor’s Note: This post originally ran in September 2011, but as today is Mother’s Day, I believe that Dr. Thompson’s book can help people who have challenged relationships with their mothers…With that said, today is a day to honor our mothers even if those relationships are challenged. As it is stated in the Bible, “Honor your father and mother”–which is the first commandment with a promise–that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:2-3

Hello World!

As you know by now, I am a serious book lover and am always excited when I encounter a “must-read” book! My friend Dr. Pamela Thompson has written such a book!

In the black community, “Mama” is revered above any other figure in our history. Dating back to slavery, when all else failed, “Mama” was the one to hold it together. Even today, Mother’s Day is nearly as popular as Christmas, Thanksgiving & Easter…which makes it that much harder to admit if you have a problem with your mother or the way that you were raised by the woman that gave you life.

However, in her new book, “Surviving Mama: Overcoming Strained Mother-Daughter Relationships,” Dr. Thompson has provided tangible tools to help those who may be searching for a way to broach this issue…Read my Q&A with Dr. Thompson about her new book below.

1. Tell me about “Surviving Mama.” Describe how you fused Biblical and psychological principles in the book.

I understand that my calling is to highlight the intersection of God’s timeless teaching and wisdom with things that can be explained in the natural or clinical world. In bringing both worlds together–the clinical and the biblical–I hope to cover as many bases as possible in providing guiding principles that give people the tools to KNOW better, DO better, and LOVE better with boundary-setting and choice as a part of the equation.

2. Why did you write “Surviving Mama”, and who is your target audience?

I wrote “Surviving Mama” for anybody who is a daughter -whether she has issues with her mom or not. The perfect audience would be those who are Christian women (African- American women in particular) in search of deeper truth with a willingness to pursue answers and make radical changes in the way they’ve lived life thus far. However, the book is applicable to anyone experiencing discomfort, strife, distress in any close, complex family relationship that just doesn’t work. Ideal age
for the reader would be 25 and up.

3. How did you find the women you featured in the book? You also mentioned a well-known mother and daughter prolific author Alice Walker and her daughter Rebecca Walker, who is also a writer. What about their relationship made you include a reference to them in the book?

I found the women from among my clients and friends. I’ve
literally interviewed thousands of women in my career from murderers to physicians and lawyers, and this topic comes up frequently. I’ve worked with women who have killed their mothers or their daughters and women who have good mothers who still have their own issues and deficits that spill over into the mother-daughter relationship. I’ve always had a close-knit circle of girlfriends, and I’ve seen the mother-daughter issues change from decade to decade as I have experienced in my own relationship with my mom who’s lived with me for
the past five years.

The Walker mother-daughter duo was just a perfect fit for that chapter on control. Certainly it would appear that the daughter of Alice Walker would be edified as a woman, a “sister” and certainly would enjoy the privileges of her mother’s wisdom, insights and wealth. Yet, this was not the case, and it underscored my point very richly that the nuances and inadequacies of any mother-daughter relationship cannot be determined from the outside looking in.

4. What feedback have you received about the book, particularly since “Mama” is a revered figure, particularly in the black community?

I approached this subject gingerly specifically because of the
reverence bestowed upon “Mama” in our communities, and I didn’t want the purpose of this book to be Mama-bashing. It’s bigger and deeper than that. In fact, it’s not that at all. It took me four years to write, not because it’s so lengthy, but because I wanted to treat the issue just right.

I’ve received overwhelming response to the book. I have been blown away at how women have responded across race and socio-economic status. It appears that the book has given women “permission” to discuss this taboo topic with greater confidence that they’re not alone. I usually end up doing “therapy” at each of my book signings as women discuss their long-held pains on this issue quite openly. I pray that it serves as a tool of self-discovery, healing and transcendence.

5. What was your process for writing this book?

I had my best success when writing EARLY in the morning
for 45 minutes or so before I started my day. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would baptize me daily and instruct me accordingly in what I should write before I started every writing session. It is a God-inspired work.

6. As a writer, I write to know. What did you learn from writing the book?

I’ve received confirmation that the issue is as big as I’ve
experienced in my personal and clinical experiences. I’ve learned that mothers are often blind in many ways, as we all are, to how we impact others with our misdeeds. I’ve deepened my understanding of the guaranteed silver lining in any contentious relationship and how our “enemies” can be the members of our family, and yet those enemies probably do more for us than those who’ve always cheered us on IF you allow it. I truly get that ALL things work together for good for them that love the the Lord and are called accordingly to His purpose.

7. Where can you buy the book?

Book can be bought at survivingmama.com and amazon.com(Kindle and paperback). It will be moving into bookstores soon, starting with Medu at Greenbriar Mall.  People can also call me directly at (404) 644-0710  and come by my office to buy a copy. I’m available for women’s workshops and conferences.

Any thoughts?

P.S. Check out Dr. Thompson’s video about her book.

P.P.S. Dr. Thompson is also featured in my book!

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The Black Church: Where Women Pray and Men Prey (New Book Alert)

Hello World,

I’m always on the hunt for the next new and interesting book! And y’all, by the title alone, this book is sure to get some buzz….Based on her inflammatory blog post  The Black Church: How Black Churches Keep African American Women Single and Lonely (which had the blogosphere blowing up) dating expert Deborrah Cooper has penned a new book “The Black Church: Where Women Pray and Men Prey.”

In her original blog post, Cooper asserted that good black men were not likely to be in church, and in fact, if you did happen upon a black man in church, he would fit into one of these categories:

  1. A loser working a 12-step program. These guys are in church looking for structure and something to believe in besides themselves, because they are weak and confused. They need help getting their lives back on track and are seeking solace and comfort in church. If they can hook up with a woman looking desperately for a church-going man of any ilk, they’ve got it made.
  2. Openly or in the closet gay men, neither of which is interested in marrying. Some gay men are wrestling with severe guilt and confusion about their desires, which they hope to pray away. Others are openly gay and attend church seeking acceptance from a community which turns its nose up at homosexuality; they are also seeking forgiveness for their sins. Whatever may be this guy’s issue, he is emotionally and psychologically unavailable.
  3. Opportunistic players on the prowl. Every player I know goes to a couple of different churches… some of them go quite regularly. They have easy pickings amongst the hundreds of horny, lonely single women that will cook and give them free meals and satisfy his sexual urges (though these players have no intention of marrying and committing to anyone). Since sex amongst unmarried singles is a sin, it is easy for him to gain the assurance of the women that they keep things secret and not speak of their “transgression” lest they feel the wrath of the Pastor. This secrecy makes it easy for him to hide the fact that he is bed hopping with four or five single ladies, right under their respective noses.
  4. Elderly reformed players. These guys have played themselves so hard and so long, they’re worn out. Their old butts finally realized that the end may be near and playtime is over. Worried about dying alone, they bring their behinds back to church to find a “good Christian woman” for marriage. Essentially they are looking for a free nursemaid and bed warmer… someone to provide comfort and take care of their old broken down a$$@s before they die.

I felt some kind of way about her blog post and wrote about it here so I’m not sure what to make of her new book. But I’ve got to admit, Ms. Cooper knows how to get a reaction! That’s for sure! Below are a few of the points Cooper says she will address in her new book:

    • Why the majority of black women in church will hear nothing but false promises made by false prophets
    • The real reason there are few single black males of marriageable quality in black churches
    • How to take charge of your financial future and spirituality without ever setting foot in a church again
    • How biblical scriptures are cleverly twisted to manipulate your thoughts and behaviors with guilt and shame

 The book will debut this month, according to her website Surviving Dating. Will you read it?

Any thoughts?