Dear Friends,
Merry Christmas & Prosperous New Year
The Christmas season is always a time of reflecting and looking to the future. In reflecting, I think of 2007 as a time of becoming more willing to give up myself for the divine destiny of my life. The more I give up, the better things become because I'm in sync with the reason I'm on this earth.
In 2007, I found some loyal friends on this Internet and even in my hometown. On the Internet, I found a bunch of New Image Writers. They appreciate my take on writing, and I so much appreciate theirs. In looking to the future from that perspective, greatness is bound to appear in 2008. Somebody's.
In 2008, my goal is to bring the New Image voices to the forefront of the Black literary Renaissance. From my writing classes, editing, publishing, motivational speaking, and the Think-Out-Of-The-Box Marketing we will become a force for positive African American images. That is who we are, and we will be heard.
Being a New Image Writer does not mean limited and dull,. We just mean to make something happen in the Black community beside murder, drugs and sex. We know those things happen, but the New Image Writers group wants the world to know that African Americans are intelligent and are working on things of excellence too.
Reflecting some more: I met Idrissa, and Margie, Yolanda, Winfred in this cyber world and found them to be human friends. I can'twait to meet them at BEA this year.
Further reflections: I knew I had made the right decision to self-publish when I won the prestigious Cush City "2007 Best New Author Award" on June 1, 2007. I was so blessed and I still love all of those wonderful people who believed enough in The Mayor's Wife Wore Sapphires enough to vote for it. I love you! I didn't go on my cruise in September, as I had been given my first paid motivational speaker job. Well, guess what? Gary, Indiana's illustrious Mayor Rudy Clay rolled out the red carpet and brought me home to be honored. Needless to say, I didn't do the speaking job either. Instead, I was given my own Martha Hinton-Tucker day, September 7, 2007--and it's in the records forever. I also hit the front page of the Gary Post Tribune and Cush City made it possible to take my cruise in 2008. Talk about God's favor!
I needed that favor because last year, my dog, Joshua, the Akita, remember, was on his last leg, and we were putting him down by December. That was so painful. He was my daily walking/jogging buddy for five years, and had been in the family for 16 years. Wow!
On October 12, 2007, the months of planning the New Image Writers Bus Tour came to fruition. When we rolled out of the 4-Points Sheraton on a bus, it was magic. All day, community people yelled at us us to keep those positive images coming. The purpose of the tour was to start the world to think of African American people as more than pimps, druggies, and sex fiends. We took, read, and performed New Image African American characters:
There was the invincible Indigo Tate, the first black Mayor's wife in the world. A white man told me that. And I realized it was true. I know there are many, but none have been written and sealed into the cement of history. On that same trip, we met a sharp black female lawyer in Pamela Samuel-Young's mystery, and cozy love in Corlis Martin's Expressions of Love, Charles Chatman's Voices of South Central extoled the Black female, and cursed her not. Mary Wilridge offered a strong lesson in Build That Man Up. Sheila Spencer talked about the life and beauty of brown hands in her poem included in Chicken Soup For the African American Woman's Soul. Staci Robinson, like Anjuelle Floyd, came from the Bay area. Staci talked Interceptions, and Anjuelle talked Secrets. We met Kelly from San Diego at the Huge Center Book Fair, under the guidance of dedicated Maxine Jackson. Now Kelly is much a part of New Image Writers. We were hosted by SPA 313, Crown Book Store in Crenshaw Mall, Border's at Fox Hills Mall, and Howard Hughes Center by Maxine Jackson.
The Mayor of Inglewood sent a commendation, the Inglewood Library included us in its collection of AA books, KTLA TV shadowed us for a half day and aired the show on August 12, 2007, 10:25 p.m. Further, New Image Writers went out of our way to support failing Black bookstores.
After the tour, I tried to get back into writing the sequel to The Mayor's Wife Wore Sapphires. There were too many phone calls, thank-you-letters and people calling about how we could expand New Image, to pump Indigo Tate up.
As for the present, there has been a whirlwind of social activities with my grandchildren's plays and dance recitals, friend's birthdays and holiday fanfare. I got the flu for the first time in years. It raged for almost three weeks. But, thank God, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, I'M ALIVE!!!! My limbs are strong, my joy is full, and next year's business plan is almost done, much slower than I wanted.
As for the future, I'm rearing to rush out the gate into 2008, because I just feel that God is about to do something magnificent in our race. Come on and believe that with me-- I believe Black "males" will be lifted up from maladies and dysfunction. I believe African American images will become 3-dimensional, and broader stroked, a diminishing of the stereotypes--we are more than entertainers, comedians, and violent offenders. I believe that African Americans will be a truly equal part of this land, a race respected for productivity and contributions to our country.
On a personal level, I pray that all of you will be able to earn a living from and make an impact with your writings. Now, won't that be a great day in 2008?
DON'T FORGET BEA (Book Expo America--the largest Book convention in the world) will come to LA--IN 2008.
Meanwhile, life always has a few punches for us, but don't despair. This too shall pass--My daughter-in-law fell down her townhouse stairs and broke her ankle in three places. Surgery is set for Thursday if the swelling goes down. Now I know most of you know how to pray for swelling to go down, so get to it. LOL.
I'm being a bit quiet now and praying for her. Please send your prayers for less pain and perfect, speedy restoration.
All of you have been a source of joy, nurturning, uplifting when I'm down, and generally helping me become the kind of writer that will make us proud. Just remember, Jesus Christ is the reason for this season.
I am still autographing books for Christmas.
Happy, blessed, Christmas, and a prosperous Happy New Year,
Your Friend and colleague,
Martha "Marti" Tucker, The Mayor's Wife Wore Sapphires
www.myspace.com/author_marti_tuckerwww.urbanclassicbooks.com
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