Inside me is an alluring collection of poems and reflections overflowing with the potency of a real life struggle for love, survival and change. In her book, Ahnaise gives you an inside look at her life as a young girl becoming a young women. Stepping over hurdles of family, friends, love and loss, she shares her soul poetically page after page. You will be left speechless and inspired. From living with a drug addicted mother to becoming a girl gone lost then finding what she thought was her prince charming only to find herself in the end. Ahnaise is definitely one of this year’s truest poets.

“I often think of the space I was in when writing became my confidant. I think of the times my hands moved so feverishly across the page that my words were illegible. Poetry is my therapy first and my gift second. I use it to vent, to confide, and at times to understand my own madness. I used to be selfish with my poetry because I was afraid to let anyone know me so deeply. I had to realize that the experiences that I have had in my life regardless to how I may have felt like no one could possibly understand, my life was not unique; that there will always be someone who can relate to some part of it all . . . sharing my journey is my gift. I pray that someone reading my words will find something there to claim as their own.”

Born in Los Angeles, Ahnaise has been featured on stage and film and now a self-published author, the 24 year old has only just begun to make her mark. INSIDE ME Vol. I is available at www.ahnaise.com.

Mistress Me by 2 X Award winner of the African-American Literary Awards for BreakOut Author of the Year 2007 and Self Published Author of the Year 2007 is coming to a bookstore near you soon. Mistress Me by authoress Venesha is one of the most anticipated urban fiction or contemporary fiction novels of 2007. Venesha has accomplished what most veteran authors haven’t accomplished in many years. She’s marketed and promoted her first novel and herself as an author in such a way that bookstores, distributors, and media outlets are overwhelmed with intrigue and delight concerning her much anticipated debut novel.

Venesha has caught the attention of several publishing houses and is extremely close to signing a fantasy publishing deal with one prominent publishing house. The Mistress will be gracing the pink carpet sometime in December just in time for the Christmas holidays and just as the NBA basketball season heats up. 2007 has been deemed the year of the mistress and the most valuable mistress in the game today will be introduced and presented to the world. Yes, she comes equipped with four inch stilettos, a hot pink Hermes Birkin purse, a Pucci print dress, and a signature diamond charm bracelet. She has an insatiable appetite for NBA ballers, money, and hot sex on a beach! Channing is urban fiction’s very own Victoria Beckham in Hollyhood glitz and glamour.

Join Channing L. Golden and her all-star supporting team as she has a fanciful and whirl wind affair with Alonzo Butler, the ultimate NBA playboy extraordinaire. Sheila, Alonzo’s barren wife hires a private investigator to get the drop on her distant husband and finds out he has been playing house with his “Easy Breezy Beautiful Cover Girl” publicist, Channing and they have three children. Mistress Me by Venesha takes you up close and personal into the elite world of the NBA. Quiet whispers are heard and sinful secrets dance through out this novel that reads immensely close to a tell-all. Mistress Me has NBA insiders buzzing and desperate to read this urban fiction treasure.

Although this is not a tell-all book Venesha’s two decades of dating platinum caliber men definitely play a major role in the blingism and industry buzz concerning the most anticipated novel of 2007. Mistress Me by Venesha officially closes 2007, the year of the Mistress out in a fashionably fabulous way! Cheers to the Mistress!

About The Author: Have you ever delved into the deepest darkest, innermost secrets of a mistress? Ever sat and discussed the characteristics and lifestyle of your modern day courtesan? Those that do kiss and tell will stop at nothing to inform you that although glitzy and glamorous on the outside, being the “other woman” is no walk in the park. Self-published author, VENESHA, can attest to that lifestyle. Her debut novel Mistress Me, draws astounding similarities between herself and protagonist Channing Golden, who finds herself tangled in a web of lies, betrayal, lust and deceit.

VENESHA, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin born and raised novelist, is the middle child of 5 children. Growing up, she was adopted by her best friend’s family at the age of 12. She struggled with feeling like an outsider within her own household and sought peace with her adopted family. “My mother and I never quite got along,” says VENESHA. “ I speak to her at times but the family that I grew up with is all the blood that I need.”

Attending college was a very brief period in VENESHA’s life. She went to Texas Southern University in Houston for 1-year until she met the man of her dreams, who happened to be an NFL player at the time. This man introduced her to a life filled with different “flights of fancy” as some would say. From first-class trips to the most elusive islands, to gifts that you would only dream of having, VENESHA’s 6-year stay in Houston, Texas was a life spent with endless adventures and new-found freedom.

It is this lifestyle that propelled her to pen her fictional novel, Mistress Me, along with the desire to unleash a talent within – writing. Going back to college at the age of 30 served as crucial stepping-stone in VENESHA’s life. She credits Dr. Christine Manion, a professor in the English Department of Marquette University, “She taught me the foundation of writing and literature,” says VENESHA. “She’s an amazing person.” With her new found knowledge and understanding on the subject of English, VENESHA established Polka Dotz and Stripez Publishing Company; under which Mistress Me is published.

Two decades and two beautiful daughters later, VENESHA is able to look back on some of the not-so-good decisions she has made over the course of her life and come to grips with her sense of self. A 10-year member of the Christian Faith Fellowship Church, VENESHA prides herself on 3 life principals that she follows, spirituality, education and empathy. “Self-healing is the key to forward progress,” says VENESHA. “I’ve been through so much, in what feels like so little time. I don’t live life with regrets and I look back on the mistakes that I’ve made and try to correct them for the next time.”

VENESHA is living proof that life’s obstacles only stand in your way if you let them. She’s a single mother with her own publishing company, a novel under her belt and the passion to expose her creative talent to those willing to receive it. Already working on her next project, Notorious: The Aftermath Journals, VENESHA is ready to prove that being someone’s “mistress” is not all life has to offer. There is reality after the fantasy comes to an end.

With four grown children and a multi-billion-dollar empire to oversee, Janet Chase has been the perfect partner to her husband Steven, Founder and CEO of Chase Beauty. But lately, her well-ordered world seems to be falling apart….

Daughter-in-law Kimberly has had enough of living in the Chase mansion and enough of Janet’s reminders that she doesn’t belong. Kimberly sees only one solution: get rid of Janet. And the only way to do it is by unearthing a skeleton from deep within Janet’s closet… It’s almost been a year since Carter Chase walked into Avery Jackson’s beauty salon intending to buy her out for his father’s company…and fell madly in love with her instead. It didn’t matter to him that Avery was already engaged. A fiance was something Carter could make disappear. And he had, though now it meant hiding a shameful secret from Avery, one that could destroy their future…

Carter’s kisses set Avery on fire, but it’s more than physical. He was there for her when her fiance broke her heart. Avery couldn’t be happier- or more willing to ignore the voice inside, warning her to make sure she really knows this man who has swept her off her feet…

Exiled to Europe after a high-profile scandal, twenty-three year old Haley Chase has returned home to cause new trouble. This time it involves a dangerously sadistic new beau… Driven to desperation by a family out of control, Janet may be her own worst enemy in a world where no indulgence, addiction or desire is out of reach…

Angela Winters is the national bestselling author of 17 novels and novellas. Her first novel, ONLY YOU, was published in 1997, followed by her first novella, MAMA DEAR: NEVER SAY NEVER and her first romantic suspense, SWEET SURRENDER. Angela’s other titles include ALWAYS A CHANCE, A CAPITOL AFFAIR, A CLASS APART, HIGH STAKES, SAVING GRACE, DANGEROUS MEMORIES, SEASON OF LOVE: COMING HOME, LOVE ON THE RUN, THE BUSINESS OF LOVE, KNOW BY HEART, SUDDEN LOVE, A FOREVER PASSION and ISLAND PROMISE.

VIEW PARK is Angela’s first mainstream fiction novel and is the first in a series of family sagas featuring the engimatic Chase family. NEVER ENOUGH is the continuing story of Chase family published in July 2007. The third installment is due July 2008.

A native of Chicago, Angela received her B.S. in Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is currently pursuing a law degree in her current home of Washington, D.C. She also works as a leadership executive and freelance writer.

She has written for several newspapers, online sites, newsletters and magazines and also runs her own political blog, POLITOPICS. Angela has also written several original and adapted scripts which have placed in contests such as Scriptapalooza, TVWriter.com, American Accolades and TalentScout.

For more information on Angela Winters please log-on to www.viewparkonline.com

Until the Next Time is an entertaining, keeping it real novel that takes its readers on twists and turns as they read Sonia Marlon’s journal. Sonia is an ordinary woman who is forced to deal with the trials and tribulations of infidelity, weight, and being a woman of color. She is on a quest for love in all the right and wrong places and finds herself having to make a choice between trying to make her marriage work and / or finding love on the other side of town. Sonia struggles with her identity as a women of color and tries to cover that up with her desire to be loved. Her decisions are deadly as you read her daily journal. You will be introduced to a host of friends, lovers, and adventure. This is not your typical journal as she takes you on a journey beyond belief. Sneak a peek into her intimate thoughts and desires and experience drama as only Sonia Marlon could.

About the Author
Assuanta Collins was born and raised in New York. She began writing books at the early age of nine. She is an educator and has worked for the CUNY System in New York. She established her own publications company, Asta Publications, LLC in 2005. She published “Until the Next Time” in February 2006.

For more information on Assuanta Collins and Asta Publications please visit www.astapublications.com

Author/ Freelance Writer Zekita Tucker brings you the new and more powerful revised edition of her highly controversial children’s book titled Don’t Call Me N!gga. This daring and critically honest book has kept both children and adults in amazement at the shockingly open display of emotions and the realistic language used by this books’ characters.

Already, Don’t Call Me N!gga has generated an enormous buzz across the country throughout many African American communities. Since its first publication in March 2006, Don’t Call Me N!gga has been featured by ABC World News on the very popular news site ABCnews.com, has made cover stories in African American newspapers and websites. Zekita Tucker has been interviewed by a Black Enterprise reporter for her courageous work on “Don’t Call Me N!gga” as well as the very popular The Ave. Magazine, and she has also been a guest on the Roland S. Martin Show, who is a CNN News commentator (Chicago) and The Intersection w/ Rebecca Roberts (DC).

Teaching your children about the affects of language is a great way to help them conquer some unforeseen battles in their lives. Don’t Call Me Nigga now published and reprinted by Zeniam Publications, written by Zekita and illustrated by Matthew Schultz, is a perfect tool for parents who want to combat the use of the ‘N’ word with their children but may not have other effective tools or resources. It is a perfect tool for children of all ages and is recommended for 8 years old and up.

The story focuses on the history of the so called ‘N’ word, its negative connotations, and its impact on the African American community. In this book the two main characters are faced with two very common dilemmas- conflict and self respect. This is the first children’s book that has ever addressed such a powerful issue in the African American community. Your children will be able to enjoy and learn from a story about children who look like them, use the same language codes, and may have similar viewpoints on the world. This book is a must read for all! It tackles responsibility for actions and the power of language. Zekita Tucker serves the community as an author and freelance writer. She is the Founder and CEO of Zeniam Publications, a company that offers literary services to both independent authors/ writers as well as businesses .

She has written many controversial articles about the problems in African American communities for newspapers across the country. Some of her many insightful works have appeared in the ABCnews.com Website, Award Winning St. Louis American Newspaper, Black Star News, Emerging Minds, Westside Gazette, The Indianapolis Recorder, The Black Suburban Journal (NJ Ed.), Gambia.net, The Jackson Advocate, Black Britain Magazine, and the very popular black British website Tytecurl.com and Timbooktu.

“Don’t Call Me N!gga” (Revised Edition) - ISBN# 978-1-60402-249-0 is available at www.zeniampublications.com, by call in order through Barnes & Noble (if it is not already on local shelf), and available at Amazon.com.

Sacrifice the One is a faith-themed family drama set against the backdrop of rejection, rebellion and redemption. When an adored and treasured woman risks and loses her life to have the child she always dreamed of, a wave of repercussions follows. Rose is the treasured wife of Robert Armstrong. Rose, always headstrong, knows having a baby could be risky after having already miscarried. But she wants nothing more than to hold in her arms the little girl she has always wanted. She bargains with God, if he’ll just give her a baby, she won’t ask for anything else. She gets the baby, but at the stake of her own life. Robert could leave or take becoming a father. All he’s ever wanted was to spend his life with Rose. Everything he does is because of her, for she is the woman who wiped away so many years of loneliness and became the center of his world. When he loses her as a result of childbirth, he can’t take it. He wants to be angry at someone; he wants to be angry with his beloved Rose. But it’s too much weight to carry being angry with the woman he loved more than his own life, so he turns to the next person: the child of that union, Seta.

Furious with God for taking his wife and for never seeming to stand by him, and angry with this child for being the cause of his wife’s death, Robert renounces them both. He doesn’t need God and he doesn’t need this child. He curses God and dumps the baby on Rose’s parents. Seta is devastated when she finds out her father has remarried and has new stepchildren that he allows to call him “Daddy.” She rebels, deciding that since being good didn’t get her anywhere, being bad would definitely get her the attention she deserves - and be more fun. She wants nothing to do with the values her churchgoing grandmother raised her with, as she wonders why her prayers to God for a father’s love have gone unanswered for so long. So Seta goes down a destructive path, all on her search to fill the void. Her and her grandmother, Barbara, fight as Seta’s rebellion tests the family’s foundation of faith.

To purchase Sacrifice the One log-on now to Amazon

To learn more about Monica Carter visit http://www.rootskypublishing.com/

This month’s self-published spotlight is focused on Shelia Goss, author of Roses are Thorns, Violets are True and My Invisible Husband.

Clutch: First, congratulations on the incredible success you have achieved as a self-published author. Why did you decide to self-publish as opposed to pursuing the more traditional publishing route?
SG: In 2002, I decided to submit my manuscripts, but received countless rejection letters from agents. After encouragement from friends and colleagues, I decided to try my hand at self-publishing. I also felt it was something I needed to do. I took on the motto: If I don’t believe in myself, then who will. My first two books I self-published in 2003 and 2004.

Clutch: What do you feel were some of the major challenges of self-publishing?
SG: One of the major challenges of self-publishing is making sure your book is accessible to readers. Although a lot of people shop on the internet, there are still some people who prefer to walk into a store and put their hands on a book before buying. Another challenge is making sure you have the resources to keep up with the demand of the book.

Clutch: How long did it take you to self-publish your first book?
SG: It took me about nine months. I did research on printers, barcode providers, graphic designers, distributors, book stores, etc.

Clutch: What advice would you give those who may be interested in self-publishing?
SG: I advise anyone who is thinking about self-publishing to make sure you’re dedicated to your craft and be prepared to handle the business side of self-publishing. Remember you are not only the writer, but the CEO/CFO etc. I would also suggest reading books such as Dan Poynter’s, The Self Publishing Manual and taking workshops that outline step-by-step instructions on how to self-publish.

Clutch: Was there any marketing strategy used to create a buzz for your first self-published release or had you already established a fan base?
SG: I created a few contests and also sent out information about my books to various online readers groups. I also depended on friends, relatives and other readers to help spread the word. I left bookmarks and/or postcards at the library and at book stores. I also did cross-promotion with other authors.

Clutch: Both of your self-published titles have done very well and you were recently picked up by a traditional publisher who has re-released both books. Are you currently working on anything new? If so, when can we expect it on shelves?
SG: Kensington Books re-released My Invisible Husband in December 2006 and Roses are thorns, Violets are True in February 2007. Paige’s Web will be on the shelves in October 2007. It’s about a woman who is afraid of commitment. Paige Christine Webb enjoys her independence, but finds herself entangled in not one engagement, but three. The story is not only packed with drama, but there are some comical scenes as well.

Clutch: We will definitely keep our eyes open for that release. Will you be touring or appearing at any book signings for either of your re-releases?
SG: I have been attending book club meetings in person (if within two to four hours driving distance) or on conference calls (when outside of that range) for those who have chosen either My Invisible Husband or Roses are Thorns, Violets are True as their book of the month selection.

Clutch: Some self-published authors, once established, pursue publishing up and coming authors. Is this an avenue you would or have considered?
SG: No, but I will continue to be a mentor to up and coming authors.

Clutch: Well, we certainly wish you continued success in your writing endeavors and are looking forward to more of your work. Thank you.
SG: Thank you. I’m honored to be interviewed by Clutch Magazine. If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Roses are Thorns, Violets are True is not a story about your typical twin sisters. Rose’s main goal in life is to stay in the spotlight; whether it be the star of her parent’s eyes, or that of the silver screen. Violet, unlike Rose, prefers to remain behind the scenes and cherishes her privacy. In the past, regardless of the circumstances, Violet has always been able to forgive her sister’s hateful deeds. Well that is, until Rose does the unthinkable. Can these sisters ever be friends, or will they always stand divided? Violet Purdue gives a shocking interview about the life of Hollywood actress Rose Purdue, her twin sister, to a popular magazine. Violet voices her frustrations about Rose and her escapades, with the latest involving stealing her ex-husband, David, and tricking him into marriage. Violet also reveals to the reporter that she loves Rose, but she is still dealing with the pain of the betrayal.


About Sheila Goss
Ms. Goss successfully self-published her first novel, Roses are Thorns, Violets are True. This delightful tale made its debut in August 2003, making the Dallas Morning News Best Sellers List. She was the recipient of three 2003 Shades of Romance Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards.

To purchase Roses are Thorns, Violets are True please visit www.amazon.com
To learn more about Sheila Goss please visit www.sheliagoss.com

Pinwheels and Hula Hoops: Poems That Tell Stories; Stories That Are Poems, is a collection of poetry written over a period of two years. The content includes: serial poems written as narrative poetry with a somewhat intense view of the author’s surroundings. Each poem has been crafted in a manner that feeds to the reader, and quenches his or her reading thirst. Here is a taste of what readers have to look forward to:

If you would like to read more of Pinwheels & Hula Hoops: Poems that tell stories; Stories that are poems visit http://www.lulu.com/content/132318 to purchase this book and Tremaine’s other future literay classics.

If you are a self-published author and would like to have your work featured in out spotlight email us at readingdirectory@clutchmagazine.com