______ING WHILE BLACK: WEDDINGS WHILE BLACK

Hello All!!!
So, I was at a wedding with the hubby on Saturday, when we had one of those funny experiences that only happens when you're one of a few minorities at a big event. It got me thinking on the crazy experiences I encounter as a black girl that grew up in the suburbs, so I thought I'd lay those out for all to see...and thus "____ing While Black" was born. 

I plan on doing a slew of these entries. Such as:

Weddings While Black
Driving While Black
Cheerleading While Black
And so on, and so on.

Most of these will be experiences I've had growing up, and I may take a few from friends I know. But they all promise to be fun. With that being said...

**********

The hubby and I were so excited to celebrate the union of some good friends. It was a small and swanky affair, with only about 60 people in attendance. The ceremony was lovely, the drinks devine, and we'd just settled down for dinner. In looking around, we were two of three Black folks in attendance, not something all together uncommon for us as we tend to hang out with lots of different people. But it was when the DJ perked up with a few catchy tunes that we ran into our awkward terrain of the night.

To dance, or not to dance.

See, it's commonly thought that black folks can, and enjoy to, boogie. It's like folks feel it's in our blood. Like there was something about the way we were bred that infused us with the "you can dance" gene or something. And while that's meant to be a compliment to us, it's also a huge stereotype. And one thing that young, educated Black folks don't want is to be stereotyped. 

My husband and I spent - I kid you not - a good 15 minutes discussing whether or not we were going to hit the dance floor because:

1) We did not want to be the first ones out there
2) We didn't want to be known as the Black folks that brought the party
3) As stated above, we didn't want to feed into the stereotype

In the end, we did take a turn or two around the dance floor.

Even though it was a funny and awkward moment, I will say this...if they'd played the Wobble, nothing would have stopped me from hitting the floor. It's my favorite wedding line dance song!

Happy reading and writing, y'all!

IS KARMA REALLY A B*#CH?

Hey All!!!
I was discussing the craziness of The Apprentice with my mom (who religiously watches said show), and we got to talking about Kenya Moore and how she's been acting on the show. Supposedly she's up to her normal tricks and mess, which hasn't gotten her any friends (her and Vivica Fox butted heads quite a bit), but she continues to get work. And that got me thinking...does karma really come back on folks?





I think in a lot of books and shows the folks who are awful, horrible people often get what's coming to them, but in the real world that's not often the case. So why do we often like to see the villain meet his (or in this case her) end? Because it personally vindicates us. 

That's why the mean girl in a lot of YA novels gets put in her place - even though that hardily ever happens in real life. It's because we are able to live vicariously through these stories and are able to see these representations of the folks who hurt us get their due. It's not perfect. Hell, it may not even be right. But I'll continue to gain a gleeful sense of satisfaction from seeing these folks bite the dust!



Happy reading and writing!

THE BOOKS OF MY CHILDHOOD

Hey All!!!
Recently, I read The Haunting Season by Michelle Muto, and I was disappointed by how little the book actually scared me. It also got me thinking on how much I used to love Fear Street novels when I was in high school.

I used to love how creepy and scary each one was, and how they often connected to one another. And that got me to thinking about re-reading a few of them.

So, I'm off to find some Fear Street books. Wish me luck!

Happy Reading and Writing!

BULLYING STOPS HERE: GETTING MY NIECE TO SEE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BULLYING COIN

Hey All!!!
Late last week I found out some really horrifying news from my sister. She told me my niece - my sweet, always helpful, ever loving niece - has been hanging around with the wrong crowd in her after-school program and they've been mean to other kids. When I found this out, it broke my heart (almost as much as her telling me that she wasn't the biggest fan of reading, but I digress).

As someone who's vertically challenged, I spent a large part of my middle school, and some part of my high school, years being picked on. It was a difficult time, and one I would never want to inflict on anyone else. I was so upset when I first heard this news that I didn't know what to do.

After throwing out all of my ideas on strict punishments ("No birthday party for you!"), I decided that maybe the best way to handle this is to build a bit more empathy in my niece. So I'm on the lookout for ways to show her what it's like to be on the other side of bullying, and to encourage her to use her size (she's bigger than most of the kids her age) to protect others and not the other way around. I remember that there's a documentary on bullying in America, so I'm going to pull that out, and try to find a few children's books on the subject. Any suggestion y'all might have are more than welcomed.

I just want to show her that J.K. Rowling really did have it right in Harry Potter, when Dumbledore stated that, "...sometimes you have to choose between what is right, and what is easy."

Happy reading and writing!!!

WONKY WEDNESDAYS: THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING

Hey All!!!
I'm starting something a little new called Wonky Wednesdays, when I talk about something completely out of left field. Normally a random observation or crazy fun thing I've seen.

So, as a woman who is totally height challenged I feel the need to wear really tall heels. I love really pretty, tall shoes that lift me to the sky (okay that might be an overstatement). One small problem, a lot of tall heels kill my feet.

Seriously.

There are times when I feel like my feet are going to fall off, and I'm looking at other women strutting around like they're walking on clouds. Being the engineer that he is, my husband told me that I should just find comfortable heels...but is there such a thing?

I'd almost resigned myself to a life in flats, when I tried out an older pair of Aldos in my closet...and it wasn't half bad. I wore them all day and had very few issues. Now I'm on the hunt for more Aldos.

I mean, seriously, how cute are these!!!

In that search, I realized that many things in life are like finding the right high heels. It may take a lot of time and you may have to try out a whole lot of different options, but when you find the right fit, it's golden!

MY TV ADDICTION: CRIMINAL MINDS

Hey All!!!
So, I'm going to try something a little new and have some TV talk on the blog. When I'm not writing or working or working out or reading, the most common thing you would find me doing is watching a good show. Now, my tastes for entertainment vary depending on my mood and interests, and one of my favorite shows is Criminal Minds! This show manages to touch upon my obsession with abnormal psychology (I was a psyc major in college) and drama (I have to get it somewhere, since I refuse to deal with drama in real life).

What I love about this show is the fact that there's a new case every week, and the team does a great job of showing how the perp (perpetrator for those not into crime shows) became the crazy sociopath, or psychopath, or deranged individual that he or she is. I love how they break down the socioeconomic factors and relationships (or lack thereof) that caused the dysfunction to take over. Not to mention that the writers do a fantastic job of incorporating real life drama in the main character's backstories.

Overall, it's a great show and I'll be forever on board...as long as you never, and I mean never, try to mess around and knock off some of my favorite characters (AKA Morgan, Reid, and Garcia). For more information on Criminal Minds, feel free to look here.

Happy Thursday, Y'all!!!

I'S MARRIED NOW!!!

Hey All!!!

So, it's been a while since I've written and a lot has changed in my life. I got hitched and am now navigating the craziness that is marriage. And I had a period where I didn't want to write for a long time. 

I'm not sure what happened... Maybe after the craziness of publishing my first book and seeing how difficult it was to promote it, and not being very good at that promotion, I was drained. Maybe I just didn't have the emotional head-space to be in someone else's head at that time. Whatever the reason, I was seriously reconsidering what writing meant to me and how I saw it playing out in my life.

After some soul searching and lots of rest, I came back to the blank page. And while it's been difficult, it's been kind of fun.

So, I'm back at it, y'all!!! I'm hoping to provide y'all with more information on the world around me and how I'm seeing things. Until then...

Happy reading and writing!

SEE MY INTERVIEW ON DIVERSIFY YA!!!

Hey All!!!
So, I'm being featured in an interview with DiversifYA! I'm so excited to share my experiences with this great group who's sole purpose is to create a more diverse and open market within the YA industry.

You can see my interview with them here.

Happy reading and writing!

WHAT WEDDING PLANNING TAUGHT ME ABOUT WRITING!

Hey All!!!
As many of you know, I'm in the mist of the storm of wedding planning...and it has been a major source of both joy and frustration in my life to say the least. Between having to research 10 vendors for every thing that we need, and having to make tons of decisions about décor and themes and such, I'm exhausted. Not to mention the ever present political things that come up during this process...things like being asked, "Can you invite so-and-so that you've never met a day in your life because they're my friend?" by loved ones when they know darn well that you're trying to keep to a budget. But now that I'm coming to the end of the "major items I have to get off my list", I am able to stand still and look at what this process has taught me...many of these lessons are great when placed towards my writing.

1) Make a List and Check it Twice! - When I first started wedding planning, I went with where my interests lay. If I wanted to look at DJ's, then I looked at DJ's. If I wanted to search dresses, then I did that. That led to lots of fun searching, but no real progress. So, the fiancé sat me down and talked to me about making sure I had a list of to do's and keeping to it. After that I started really using the lists given on The Knot and Wedding Wire and have been really organized ever since.

The same determination and strategy-based focus is a must when it comes to writing...especially for the tasks that you don't particularly care for. In my case, I'm not good at social media and being overly aggressive online. I'm more of a homebody who likes to watch movies and do some heavy reading, and that doesn't bode well for the promotions side of this business that I need to do. So, I'm looking to put myself on a major schedule so I can do what I need to, which is to promote my work!

2) Don't Sweat the Small Stuff! - There are few processes as stressful as planning a wedding. You make decisions daily that will either make someone unhappy (such as not giving every single person there a plus one) or you're worried about the linens not being right, or there not being enough food, or of something going wrong! But the thing is, something will inevitably go wrong. Yes, I've been thinking about this one day for as long as I can remember, but the most important part of it is that I'm finally marrying the man of my dreams. If someone wants to talk badly about the fact that they didn't like our décor then they can kiss my behind (and I really do mean that). I don't want to spend my time worrying about anything that doesn't involve the relationship and foundation of the marriage I'm going in to.

When you're putting your book (or baby, as I like to call it) into the world, it's very easy to get caught up in the negative talk in your head. Things like, "What if no one reads it?" or, "What if everyone hates it?" can easily get you off the track of putting your work out there. When it comes down to it, we write to put our stories out into the world. So, don't worry about folks not liking it and not understanding your genius. The only person who has to fully understand you is you!

Well, you and maybe your significant other =).

Happy reading and writing!

EVERNIGHT TEEN EARTH DAY 50% OFF SALE!!!

Hey All!!!
My publisher, Evernight Teen, is having a 50% off sale today for Earth Day!

The theme is, "Save a tree. Read an eBook!"

Feel free to go to the Evernight Teen website to get some great deals on some great reads.

You can also get great deals on Evernight Teen books at AllRomance ebooks.

Happy reading and writing!

THE DREADED LIFE SCHEDULE!

Hey All!!!
It's been a while since I've posted. Life and wedding planning has sucked up all of the hours of my days and I'm finally working to get more balance in my life (well... the fiancé sat me down and said, "Trakena, you need more balance in your life." which prompted me to sit down and think over how my hours have been spent, which prompted me to make some adjustments).

For the first time in my life, I'm feeling like my hours are so limited due to everything that needs to get done...and I'm starting to realize that this is going to be a consistent state that I will be in. Because, there will always be something that I need to add on to my life. First it will be my husband, then kids, learning Korean, or whatever else I get a flight of fancy to do. And that's on top of the writing and reading I need to be doing. Not to mention the duties my 9 to 5 carries.

So, how am I going to balance it all?

Well, I sat down, pulled out a notebook and starting to make myself a schedule. I have writing days when I'll focus on getting some words on a page. I have my Korean class, which I'm so excited to start this summer! I have working out. And any other time I'll need to manage.

Gone are the days when I could spend hours and hours reading and writing without a care in the world. It makes me kind of sad to realize how things have changed now.

How have you all gone about making those big changes to your schedule and timing throughout your lives?

Happy reading and writing!

EVERNIGHT TEEN 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY BLOG BLAST AND CONTEST!!!

Hey All!!!
So my publisher, Evernight Teen, is turning the big 1 today, and is having a great contest to celebrate!!! You can enter to win on the Evernight Teen Blog here.

The grand prize is a $100 gift card from iTunes, which is always a good find.

I'll also be giving a $10 Amazon gift card to a winner on my blog! Just leave the answer to the below question in the comments section of this post.

1) What does Jazz ask Khan to do if she ends up turning Suecai?

You'll find the answer below, so make sure to keep reading!

Just a little info on the fabulous book I published with Evernight Teen. Cursed is about one young girl’s journey to fight the darkness within herself. The main conflict is Jazz’s fight to maintain a sense of humanity in spite of the growing hunger that starts to take over her. This journey also forces her to open her eyes to new possibilities – to the love she’s always had for her closest friend, Khan.

You'll find a blurb from my book that's hot, hot, hot below:

When he walked out the bathroom, the nerves I’d thought I’d turned to steel started to quiver. What if he refused me? Khan was just as stubborn as I was. How could I possibly ask this of him? How could I get him to understand?

I took a deep breath and looked at him. “Khan, we need to talk.”

“Uh oh, that’s never what a guy wants to hear from his girl.”

My stomach fluttered, but I refused to give into the distraction. “I have a plan…in case we don’t find and kill the Gunshi. But I need your help to pull it off.”

He didn’t look taken aback, just more determined than anything. “Jazz, it’s too soon for you to give up now. We’ve got some really good leads, we can do this!”

I shook my head. “I’m not giving up, Khan. I never give up…you know that.” I smiled at him and was rewarded with one in return. “But…being a leader means having to think outside of myself…you and my dad taught me that. We have to prepare for all possibilities – even this.”

His dark eyes flashed and, for a second, I thought I was in for a long and hard fight. Then understanding washed over his features and he nodded. “As long as you promise this doesn’t mean you’ve given up.”

“Not even close – and giving in doesn’t even sound like me.”

He snorted. “That’s for sure.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, I think we can do this, but if not…I have a forgetting tonic to erase my memories. That way, in the very least, the vermin can’t use my knowledge against everyone I love.”

Khan jerked. “Where in the hell did you…?” Then he groaned. “Claudine.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “She always has been good at knowing what I need.”

His face was hard. “Okay, so I’ll make sure to wipe away your memories. I’ll erase everything that makes you, you – everything I’ve grown to know and care about. We done?”

I paused. “Not quite.”

He flinched. “I figured something more was coming when you said, ‘In the least’.”

I almost didn’t have the guts to continue. “Think about it, Khan. You can’t just leave me there, a newbie Suecai with the urge to feed. What if I came across my mom one day? Or your dad?

“You might not be able to do it immediately – there’s no telling how strong I’ll be at first or how protected – but eventually you’ll have to take me out! I shuddered at the thought. “What else can we do?”

The rage flew through his features even more quickly than when I’d told him I couldn’t be his Valentine in the sixth grade.

“Anything, Jazz,” Khan whispered. “We fight. We search. We keep pounding the pavement until we find that bastard. We do anything and everything.”

Words escaped me. A boulder set squarely on my chest and wouldn’t budge. I should’ve known this wouldn’t be easy – hadn’t I spent my entire life traipsing around Chicago with Khan? I shouldn’t have expected anything else.

Khan seemed to take my silence as an opportunity to change my mind. “You could learn control, Jazz, become a full-fledged Dorgai.” There it was, that secret hope I held deep in my heart that I was too scary to speak out loud.

“Khan, that’s impossible. There’s no way I can learn control if I’m forced into feeding too fast. The only way we halfers manage it is by taking an entire year to ease into the process. All of Dad’s advisors are agreed that I’ll become an uncontrollable Suecai.”

“I can’t believe that, Jazz. It can’t happen. Not to you.”

I couldn’t focus. My need to be rational kept battling the little girl within me reaching for a solution, any solution.

I didn’t notice Khan moving until it was too late.

Before I could say something to break the bubble, Khan stood over me, his face inches from mine. His eyes were warm and I could feel the heat of his breath, minty from his recent trip to the bathroom. My heart stopped. And then he was kissing me, slow and deep at first, and then with a heat and passion I’d only guessed he possessed.

 

 

You can buy my book on Amazon and Evernight Teen. And don't forget to like it on Goodreads!!!

Happy reading and writing!!!

CH CH CH CH CHANGES!!!

Hey All!!!
So my life has taken a turn...for the awesome!

My book, Cursed, was published with Evernight Teen on 12/13/13, and it's been really great seeing peoples response to it. I've been working to get more reviews and publicity, so hopefully you'll see more about it in the weeks to come.

Also, the BF, who I've been having fun with for 2.5 years now, asked me to marry him!!! The proposal was absolute perfection...what any romance obsessed writer would want.

But now it's back to reality and writing.

Happy reading and writing!

BUY CURSED NOW!!!

Hey All!!!
Cursed is available in ebook and paperback forms!

You can find it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Cursed-Guardian-Chronicles-Trakena-Prevost-ebook/dp/B00H9MWJ9C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387158523&sr=8-1&keywords=trakena+prevost

You can also find it on Createspace:

https://www.createspace.com/4570656

Don't forget to put reviews up on Amazon and Goodreads!!!

Happy reading and writing!

GREAT POST ON THE FIVE QUESTIONS TOO OFTEN ASKED ABOUT KDRAMAS AND KPOP

Hey All!!!
As many of you may know, I recently discovered the wonder that is KDramas. In my wanderings around the Internet, I found this great post by Katie M. Stout about the 5 questions she wishes people would stop asking her about KPop and KDramas, and it kinda rung true for me.

Well, except for the Lee Min Ho question...I LOVE Lee Min Ho!!!

Happy reading and writing!

THE RACE TO THE FINISH LINE

Hey All!!!
So, my book will be officially out on Friday, 12/13/13.

And while I was immensely nervous at first, as I looked at the numbers of the date that my first published work will be let out into the world, I kind of felt hopeful.

I know it's silly, but the fact that there's two thirteen's in the date makes me feel calm. Yes, I know, but it's Friday the 13th! Doesn't matter to me. All I know is that I'm grateful that someone saw the talent in my work.

And I hope you see it, too =).

So, now starts the emails requesting reviews and such, and prepping for my blog tour. I'm hoping to get the word out there that there is a new YA Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, with a kick-assed heroine, who just happens to be of color! You never know, maybe I can make a splash in this boxed in industry.

Happy reading and writing!

WHAT KDRAMAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT WRITING!

Hey All!!!
So, as you know I've been devouring KDramas (aka Korean Dramas) lately, and after having finished my first two series I had a bit of a revelation about my own writing process and the dos and don'ts of storytelling.

The first two dramas I watched were the ever popular Boys Over Flowers (2009) and the sweet and wonderful Playful Kiss (2010). While I loved them both for different reasons, I had a difficult time finishing up Boys Over Flowers for one simple reason - they put my girl Jan-di through way too much crap! I mean really, writers? Did you have to keep throwing issue, after issue, after issue her way? I guess it's a nod towards their writing of a wonderfully loveable character that I got so upset, but that's beside the point. The point is, by the last four to six episodes I had to keep taking breaks from the show because I was all frazzled by what they'd be putting my girl through next (thank goodness for bloggers out there like Dramabeans who blogged detailed episode synopses or I'd have gone stir-crazy).

And it was through watching that series that I learned a valuable lesson. While it's a storytellers job to give his or her audience some drama and conflict, if you give too much you risk losing your audience all together...and that's no good.

While Playful Kiss did throw many obstacles at main character Ha-Ni, the resolution came at a good time where I was just at the breaking point of throwing my hands up.

As writers we all have to walk that oh-so-thin line between giving the conflict needed to make a story great, and overdoing it. I don't ever want to overdo it. So, I'll make sure to be mindful of just how much crap I put my main characters through. And hopefully will find a nice balance that'll keep everyone who'll read my fanciful stories happy.

Happy reading and writing!

NOTHING IS EVER A FAIRY TALE...EVEN FAIRY TALES!!!

Hey All!!!
I was poking around on the Internet and came upon this nice article published in the Huffington Post detailing the true stories behind many of our beloved fairy tales. Now I've always been a huge fan of the Disney versions of these stories, which are filled with love and happily ever after endings, but found this to be very sobering.

I did know the real stories behind Cinderella and The Little Mermaid, but Sleeping Beauty is what really shocked me. Enjoy!

Happy Reading and Writing!

YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOUR NEXT BANGING IDEA WILL COME FROM!

Hey All!!!
I was recently doing some reading online and happened upon this Korean teen drama series called Boys Over Flowers (Forever Young Adult has a good review on the series here). It seemed right up my alley: a little nutty, a lot of fun, and full of teenaged-dramatic-goodness.

While I was reading the plot online a light bulb went off in my brain. I realized that this story has all the ingredients for a fun YA novel:

1) Smart, nice, cute and mouthy main character goes to private school on scholarship? Check!

2) Meets a cute group of boys that are all major douches? Check!

3) Boys all fall madly in love for our wonderfully lovable heroine and all chaos ensues? Double Check!

For my purposes, I'll probably want to add in a dash of the supernatural with my own bit of flair...but I think it may be something special.

I never know when a good idea will hit me, or where I'll get my next inspiring thought, so I always keep an open mind for whatever may come. I'll be pocketing this idea, along with slew of others I have locked away in my handy-dandy notebook, for later use. Until then, I have about 24 hours worth of Korean teen drama to catch up on!

On a different note, I recently heard from my editor with Evernight Teen and have been working on my first round of edits for about a week now. I'm about halfway through and am so excited I may bust!

Happy reading and writing!

FREE BOOKS ON AMAZON AND KINDLE!!!

Hey All!!!
Check out this post from one of my favorite blogs, Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and Romance!

In the post, blogger extraordinare Jennifer Bielman gives a list of free reads that can be found on Kindle and Nook as of 3:00 am EST. I don't know how long it will last, but get the books while they're hot! And free!!!

The list of what I grabbed up is below:

-Love At First Bite
-Her Mad Hatter
-Crush
-Accidentally Flirting with the CEO
-The Beautiful Thing

All these books are sure to make the BF cringe, but he'll be okay.

In other news, I have to put aside all reading for now because I just received my first round of edits from my publisher! Hopefully I'll be posting more information on release dates and maybe even the first chapter pretty soon.

Happy reading and writing!