DivaBooksInc.

I am sitting here having thoughts like "I gotta blog this or maybe I should make a note about that!"...lol...am I a hot mess or what?...lol...

So I was reading blogs/notes and they always have me laughing but more so they always have something written that make me go hmmm.…(Shout out to Arsenio Hall…lol)

Well, my favorite topic in cyberland is LITERARY HOLLYWOOD...lol..I mean what DIVA doesn't love scandal and controversy? I know its our guilty pleasure …I do but not all the time and yesterday I read something that was disturbing and made me disgusted as an author because you know how the saying goes "one bad apple spoils the bunch"...Well that was exactly my feelings since I am a newbie author on this literary scene…Well let me get more into that later but before I do I want to talk about something else I read where the author posed a great question, it was something like " Do you have what it takes to be the next big literary star?" and to answer the question and not to toot my own horn but ...TOOT!!! TOOT!!.....HELL YEAH!!

I read plenty of books and often times after completing them I am like “Damn, I could have wrote that!”...and that was before I actually published a novel. Seriously I believe in myself and my writing even if no one does and when I look at where I want to be at in 5 years honestly I will still be that woman that is STILL publishing, writing, radio hosting with a bright smile taking LITERARY HOLLYWOOD by storm and I mean it.

A few years ago another author Olivia Stith and I came up with the term LITERARY HOLLYWOOD with all of drama we were enduring at the hands of the a so called bishop and a plenty of debt having fake publisher...LMAO...but anyway since then it has taken on a life of its own meaning that it just doesn't apply to phony publishers but for me any type of drama that involves literary but also that “spotlight” you are in once you publish a book.

Back to that disturbing thing I read, there is an author that has been on the scene for a few years and has a bunch of books under their belt and has a few awards and etc. So anyway you would think a person like that would embrace new authors trying to get to where they are, if not further but they showed their true colors and displayed a huge ego (Shout out to Beyonce) and was really acting like their do-do don’t stink...EXCUSE ME…UMMMM… IT DOES

STINK...AND BADLY!!!...Damn shame but you know what I am not one for stooping to such behavior. I am here to network and since when wasn’t that a good thing?

I WANT TO NETWORK WITH LIKE MINDED INDIVIDUALS!!!! I REPEAT LIKE MINDED INDIVIDUALS…

Anyhoo…Moving along in my note, It is such a great feeling when you are faced with obstacles and while going through them you feel alone but you tap into that inner strength and you find out the so called weakling you might have thought you were is actually a strong person. Where did this come from you ask? You had to really LET GO and LET GOD (or whomever your higher power you believe in) and once you turn over the reins to a higher calling everything and anything doesn't seem so rough! I am not trying to get all religious but life is about choices and also with those choices we know right from wrong.

I am blessed I know, I can keep saying how I started off from nothing to become who I am today but you know I have to give praises due to the man who makes it all possible. I know that becoming a successful author will take hard work, dedication as well as determination and I don't just want to be an ESSENCE best-selling author (don't get me wrong that is a great achievement if your are on that list the RIGHT way) but we all know that we as authors (well at least I do) want that national best-selling status because truth be told there are white(and even some black) people out there who don't even know about that publication!

Anyhoo…

Before I go let me ask you- Do you have what it takes to be that next literary star?

OK PLEASE PARDON THE INTERUPTION….THIS IS LAKISHA TALKING, NOT LITERARY DIVA KISHA GREEN JUST SIMPLY LAKISHA. MY MIND IS RUNNING CRAZY AND I HAVE A MILLION THINGS CURRENTLY ON MY MIND AND SINCE THIS IS MY WEBSITE WHAT BETTER PLACE TO VENT AND LET YOU CAN READ IT TOO…LOL

OK SO I TOOK A LEAP OF FAITH- I JUST DECIDED TO BE SELFISH...CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?? I KNOW BECAUSE I AM A VERY SELFISH PERSON BUT YET SO GIVING. I LOVE ATTENTION BUT YET VERY SHY...I GOT ALL THESE INNER DEMONS THAT I FIGHT WITH ON A CONSTANT BASIS AND FINALLY WITH THE HELP OF FRIENDS I AM SLOWLY BEGINNING TO SEE SOME CLARITY IN ALL OF THIS.

I HAVE MADE MISTAKES IN MY LIFE LIKE MOST PEOPLE AND SOMETIMES I HAVE ALLOWED THOSE MISTAKES TO TAKE CONTROL AND MANIFEST INTO SOMETHING SO VENOMOUS THAT I FELT AS THOUGH I WAS LOOSING MY MIND.

I AM SLOWLY BEGINNING TO LOVE THE SKIN THAT I AM IN AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY ACTIONS AND REALIZING AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT IT IS OK TO MAKE MISTAKES AND IF I FALL IT IS OK TO GET UP AND DUST MY SHOULDERS OFF AND KEEP IT MOVING<---FOR MY OWN SANITY I MUST.

WE ARE HAVE OUR OWN PERSONAL SAFE HAVENS AND I TOO REACH OUT FOR THAT SECURITY BLANKET IN TIMES OF NEED BUT I CANNOT GET IT TWISTED AS IT BEING A CLUTH EITHER.

SOME OF YOU ON MY FRIENDS LIST HERE KNOW ME-SOME OF YOU ARE JUST HERE BECAUSE SOMEONE TOLD YOU ABOUT ME GOOD OR BAD…NONETHELESS SINCE YOU ALL ARE HERE YOU MIGHT AS WELL READ WHO I AM, INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO HEARSAYß GET IT STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE

I KNOW I AM ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH THIS BUT THESE ARE MY THOUGHTS AND AS THEY COME TO ME I WRITE THEM. I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN WRITING ABOUT AN UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AND HOW ONE FEELS WHEN THEY BECOME SO INTOXICATED WITH ANOTHER HUMAN BEING AND IT HAS BEEN SO REFRESHING TO ALLOW MY MIND TO JUST GO AND IMAGINE.

I ALMOST FEEL AS THOUGH THIS IS THE MOST CREATIVE I HAVE BEEN IN A LONG TIME- FINALLY ALLOWING MYSELF TO JUST GO OUT ON A LIMB AND STOP CALCULATING AND JUST WRITE WITHOUT FEAR OF WHAT ANYONE MIGHT SAY BUT WRITING BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT I ENJOY.

AUTHORS- YALL KNOW WHAT I MEAN WHEN YOU GET S STORY IN YOUR MIND AND CANT GET IT OUT AND YOU ARE CONSTANTLY WRITING THINGS DOWN AND MAKING MENTAL NOTES AND THEN WHEN YOU START TO TYPING IT JUST FLOWS…

WELL, I AM JUST VENTING AND TRYING TO GET MY MIND RIGHT. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL WHO COME TO MY PAGE AN SAY HELLO, THOSE WHO HAVE MY # AND TEXT ME SOMETHING FUNNY OR YOU HAVE LISTENED TO ME ON MY SHOW THE WRITER’S LIFE CHATS AND SUPPORT ME IN MY LITERARY ENDEAVORS BY PURCHASING MY BOOKS.

IN A PERFECT WORLD WE ALL WOULD BE FREE OF ERROR AND WE WOULD ALL GO RUNNING OFF INTO THE SUNSET ON THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER ISH- TRUTH IS ITS NOT GONNA HAPPEN LIKE THAT SO YOU GOT LIVE AND LEARN , TAKE THE GOOD WITH THE BAD AND NOT READ TOO MUCH INTO ANYTHING.

SO MAY TIMES YOU HEAR PEOPLE SCREAM -KEEP IT REAL BUT DON’T DO THAT, INFACT THE DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE SO ON THE NOTE HERE I AM LAKISHA MARIE JUST TALKING…

ANYWAY BACK TO YOUR REGURLAY SCHEDULED PROGRAM….

PS- IF YOU EVER WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT A PERSON- JUST ASK THAT PERSON….NOT THEIR COUSIN, EX BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND, FORMER SCHOOL MATE BUT THAT PERSON…YALL KNOW HOW NIGGA NEWS TRAVELS…SMDH

PPS-IF YOU EXPECT SOMEONE TO TRULY SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR ENDEAVORS…YOU HAVE TO DO THE SAME FOR THEM- IT WORKS BOTH WAYS J

WILLIE LYNCH REVISED

Category: Life

I was sitting home reading the Willie Lynch letter and what was so shocking to me was that in 1772 what this man was referring to is ever so present in 2009. WHY????

Read for yourself…

Gentlemen:

I greet you here on the bank of the James River in the year of our lord, one thousand seven hundred and twelve. First, I shall thank you, the gentlemen of the of the colony of Virginia, for bringing me here. I am here to help you solve some of your problems with slaves. Your invitation reached me in my modest plantation in the West Indies where I have experimented with some of the newest and still the oldest method for control of slaves. Ancient Rome would envy us if my program is implemented. As our boat sailed south on the James River, named for our illustrious KING JAMES, whose BIBLE we CHERISH, I saw enough to know that our problem is not unique. While Rome used cords or wood as crosses for standing human bodies along the old highways in great numbers, you are here using the tree and the rope on occasion.

I caught the whiff of a dead slave hanging from a tree a couple of miles back. You are losing valuable stock by hangings, you are having uprisings, slaves are running away, your crops are sometimes left in the fields too long for maximum profit, you suffer occasional fires, your animals are killed, Gentleman,...You know what your problems are; I do not need to elaborate. I am not here to enumerate your problems; I am here to introduce you to a method of solving them.

In my bag, I have a fool proof method for controlling your slaves. I guarantee every one of you that if installed it will control the slaves for at least three hundred years. My method is simple, any member of your family or any OVERSEER can use it.

I have outlined a number of differences among the slaves, and I take these differences and make them bigger. I use FEAR, DISTRUST, and ENVY for control purposes. These methods have worked on my modest plantation in the West Indies, and it will work throughout the SOUTH. Take this simple little list of differences and think about them. On the top of my list is "AGE" but it is only there because it starts with an "A"; The second is"COLOR" or shade; there is INTELLIGENCE, SIZE, SEX, SIZE OF PLANTATION, ATTITUDE of owner, whether the slaves live in the valley, on a hill, east or west, north, south, have fine or coarse hair, or is tall or short. Now that you have a list of differences, I shall give you an outline of action- but before that, I shall assure you that DISTRUST IS STRONGER THAN TRUST, AND ENVY IS STRONGER THAN ADULATION, RESPECT OR ADMIRATION.

The black slave, after receiving this indoctrination, shall carry on and will become self-refueling and self-generating for hundreds of years, maybe thousands.

Don't forget you must pitch the old black VS. the young black males, and the young black male against the old black male. You must use the dark skinned slaves VS. the light skin slaves. You must use the female VS the male, and the male VS, the female. You must always have your servants and OVERSEERS distrust all blacks, but it is necessary that your slaves trust and depend on us.

Gentlemen, these kits are your keys to control, use them. Never miss an opportunity. My plan is guaranteed, and the good thing about this plan is that if used intensely for one year the slave will remain perpetually distrustful.

-WILLIAM LYNCH-1772

A simple question why is it that we (when I say we I am referring to a black people African American for the politically correct), why do we feel the need to tear each other down each and every time we get a chance to? Everyone is always quick to say "I would never do that", when in all actuality we do!

I also want to say that this isn't just amongst blacks it happens with Caucasians, Hispanics, Koreans…you catch my drift?

We are always quick to dish out a negative comment at some point in time. We often comment that when others hate on us, they are simply jealous but what is it when we hate on them?

We live in a society where everyone is not always going to agree with one another. That is what makes the world go round, but to hate on and tear down someone simply because you cannot have your way is childish!

I see it happen a lot in the world but one community that I see it happen on different literary communities. It is sad but so true. I had an author friend of mine go out and contact a well known author and figured since they were on MySpace/FaceBook/Twitter they would reach out in attempt to get some literary advice.

Well, this well-known author nixed them off and basically told them in so many words if you were not going to pay them for their time they couldn't be bothered! Are you kidding me???

That disgusts me because as an author (a newbie one at that) nonetheless it would make me a little skeptical about reaching out! I just want to know why fellow authors don't embrace other aspiring authors. I am the type of person that if you ask me and I know I will tell you and if I don't know, I will at least point you in the right direction.

There was another situation where a fellow author read a book of another author and then because the two people had a falling out the other author went and posted a bad review on a very popular website. Why?

Again, if I read a book and I don't like it I will sidebar with that author and it has nothing to do with the entire World Wide Web. As adults for me that is the proper action than to blast him or her on the net. I mean honestly just because YOU didn't like a book doesn't mean the next person wont either. Let's examine and see what the consequences of a bad review= poor book sales.

I am not saying sugar coat shit but think about your decisions/actions all the way through and who else they will affect.

I just don't get it at times and I look around here on different online communities geared to African Americans there are a lot of people who claim to help authors when in all reality they don't! They just hate on them and attempt to keep them down like crabs in a barrel. Hence my reference to the Willie Lynch letter.

I will say that there are a lot of different forums out there that are the perfect networking and marketing tool for authors, but I advise all authors that he or she should be careful of the group they choose to network with since not all people have YOUR best intentions!

I have learned that lesson first hand (I REPEAT 1ST HAND- 2009 HAS BEEN A YEAR OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR KISHA GREEN) and after sitting back and really thinking about it. For myself I have to be careful but honestly it is often hard to see who is really with you or against you.

I have to constantly ask myself are there that MANY people who DO NOT have my best interest?

I can't blame people for me being that naïve person; at the end of the day it is ME. I wont lie I often tend to look through rose tinted Gucci glasses (lol)

I am also not saying that you should live your life like you are paranoid but at least try to find out if those on your so-called team truly have your back!

I believe that life is always going to throw you curve balls...and life a box of chocolates...you never know which one you might get (Shout out to Forrest Gump)

I read this book of poems a lil while ago called DEFINING PROCESS by Godschosenqueen (Shout out to Shaunte) and there is a poem titled Defining Process and it hits the nail on the head and the one part that stuck out was-

"Responsibility starts with truth to one's self"

So back to my original question- Why is it that why do we feel the need to tear each other down each and every time we get a chance to?

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