Weekly Word: 7 Traits of a Highly Effective Mindset
I came across the following graphic, 7 Traits of a Highly Effective Mindset, on the instagram account of one of my new favorite bloggers, Twelveskip. The content comes from Marc Chernoff who, along with his wife run Marcandangel.com, a site chock full of “practical tips for productive living.”
7 Traits of a Highly Effective Mindset
Blood To Blood: Second Edition – It’s here!
The second edition of Blood To Blood is now available for sale! Look for new cover art and a more compact size (5.5″ x 8.5″ in the paperback format).
The new edition, released March 18 (today) features a hot new cover. You’ll see a blood-filled wineglass in the process of shattering. Yum… Check it out:
Blood To Blood: Second Edition
This is a huge change from the original cover which featured the shadowy silhouette of a singer holding a microphone and a lot of red. I’ll post it down below so you can compare.
Blood To Blood: First Edition
Besides the new cover art and paperback size, there is also a slight title change. The subtitle “Book One in the Angelica Brown Series” has been added to differentiate it from the upcoming sequel Heart To Heart (Book Two).
For all you who are interested, there are still autographed first edition paperbacks available here. You can also order an autographed second edition paperback as well.
The first edition is officially out of print as of the date of this post, while the second edition is available pretty much everywhere. Ask for it at your local Barnes & Nobles, that is if it’s still open. If you’re looking for it in your local indie bookstore, it’s available for wholesale ordering through Baker & Taylor and Ingram.
Thanks to all my fabulous friends and book-loving colleagues who helped me zero in on the best cover art! I love the new design and hope you do, too.
Goodbye first edition! Hello upcoming sequel!
Current Playlist: Top 3 Albums March 2014
Lorde (Photo credit: GabboT)
Current playlist: Top 3 Albums March 2014 – Adele – 21
It’s been a while since I posted a current playlist, but it’s not because I haven’t been listening to music. I’ve been so consumed with putting the finishing touches on my next books, I haven’t made any time.
Heart to Heart (the sequel to Blood To Blood) has been most prominent as it’s currently (still!) going through editing. There is an end in sight though, and soon the book will be available. In the meantime, the artists I’ve been listening to the most are Lorde, Ed Sheeran, and Adele.
As you can see from the Top 3 list, the tone of the HTH playlist is somewhat subdued. But things get a little more lively with the addition of the artists below.
English: M.I.A. performing at Outside Lands 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I promise I’ll have a playlist for April. In the meantime, you can always visit me on Twitter to see what I’m listening to at any given time.
Current Playlist: Top 3 Albums March 2014
In Blood To Blood, Angel Brown vows to follow her dream of being a singer despite incredible challenges. This is in line with the book’s theme: pursuing your dreams and conquering the blockages along the way.
Besides music and writing, one of my passions is talking to young people about following their dreams, and giving them concrete details about how to go about making those dreams into reality.
I recently spoke to the young folks at Fenway High School and Boston Arts Academy about my books, writing and manifesting dreams. I believe teenage life represents the perfect storm of opportunity. Like kids, teens usually have big dreams, but unlike kids, teens usually have people telling them what they can’t and can’t accomplish.
Like my mom used to say “There’s no such thing as can’t.” I love nothing more than showing people how to prove the naysayers wrong. Here are 5 easy steps to take to make your dreams, whatever they may be, come true.
Repeat the above steps until you reach your goal. And then repeat these steps for any new goals you have. These are basic dream manifestation tactics.
Thanks to all the schools that have opened their doors so far and allowed me to meet all the fabulous young dreamers out there. Keep making your dreams happen!
How to Make Your Dreams Come True in 5 Easy Steps
Success isn’t what makes you happy. It really isn’t. Success is doing what makes you happy and doing good work and hopefully having a fruitful life. If I’ve felt like I’ve done good work, that makes me happy. The success part of it is all gravy.
Philip Seymour Hoffman Imdb profile
I’ll never forget seeing Hoffman’s work for the first time. It was Boogie Nights, back in the early 2000s. Going in, I had no idea the flick was about the 70s porn industry in Los Angeles, and was a little shocked that the film, despite its subject matter, was so good. One reason was the brilliant characterization Hoffman brought to his character.
Through the years, he continued to deliver seamless characters, and although he was referred to as a character actor in Hollywood–a sign of respect in the industry, an acknowledgement among peers that you are an artist–he also proved to be a worthy leading man as seen in Capote.
I’ll always respect his devotion to doing good work, doing right by the characters he portrayed and focusing on the love of the craft. RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Philip Seymour Hoffman was a brilliant, talented man. The news this morning is shocking and sad. My heart goes out to his loved ones.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) February 2, 2014
List of Artists – “Sun City” Video – Artists United Against Apartheid
List of Artists – “Sun City” Video – Artists United Against Apartheid – Bruce Springsteen, David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks Photo: 30daysout
It’s a day after the passing of the great Nelson Mandela and my mind is going back in time to when apartheid was brought to the attention of the world, and most importantly, youth such as myself, through music.
One thing that came to mind was this 80’s video. I’d seen it many times as a kid growing up in Boston on the awesome V66; a progressive, local music video channel that made MTV look like the joke we all learned it to be later.
While MTV balked at playing videos featuring black artists (Michael Jackson was the first in heavy rotation), V66 routinely played this political video which featured a new music called rap as well as legends of the industry such as Miles Davis. The video featured an exciting cross-section of genres, nationalities and generations; everyone from Ringo Star to Jimmy Cliff to a young-ish Bruce Springsteen to what was left of the original Temptations (David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks).
Below is a list of all the music artists, personalities and celebrities that appeared in the video. If I have missed anybody, please leave a comment and I’ll add after verification.
RIP Nelson Mandela!
| Afrika Bambaataa |
| Big Youth |
| Bob Dylan |
| Bob Geldof |
| Bobby Womack |
| Bonnie Raitt |
| Bono |
| Bruce Springsteen |
| Charlie Wilson |
| Clarence Clemons |
| Darlene Love |
| Daryl Hall |
| Daryl Hannah |
| David Ruffin |
| Duke Bootee |
| Dumisani Kumalo |
| Eddie Kendricks |
| George Clinton |
| Gil Scott-Heron |
| Hart Perry |
| Herbie Hancock |
| Iqbal Akhund |
| Jackson Browne |
| Jennifer Davis |
| Jesse Jackson |
| Jimmy Cliff |
| Joey Ramone |
| John Oates |
| Jonathan Demme |
| Kashif |
| Keith Richards |
| Kurtis Blow |
| Linton Kwesi Johnson |
| Lotti Golden |
| Lou Reed |
| Malopoets |
| Mark Morales |
| Melle Mel |
| Michael Monroe |
| Miles Davis |
| Nona Hendryx |
| Pat Benatar |
| Pete Townshend |
| Peter Gabriel |
| Peter Garrett |
| Peter Wolf |
| Ray Barretto |
| Rene Gezan |
| Ringo Starr |
| Ron Carter |
| Ron Wood |
| Rubén Blades |
| Run-D.M.C. |
| Scorpio |
| Shenkar |
| Sonny Okosuns |
| Stanley Jordan |
| Steven Van Zandt |
| Stiv Bators |
| Tina B. |
| Tony Williams |
| Via Afrika |
| Will Downing |
| Winnie Mandela |
| Zak Starkey |
Also see: Artists United Against Apartheid
Source: IMDB.com, Wikipedia
Top 10 Nelson Mandela Links
Top 10 Nelson Mandela Links – Photo: ANC.org.za
My 9 year old asked me who was Nelson Mandela. At that moment I realized that I hadn’t sufficiently done my job.
Why do we endlessly discuss only the people that have passed on; King, Ghandi, Teresa, Jesus, but the living legends remain spoken about only every now and then? Why must death precede canonization?
It has been twenty minutes since I learned of the passing of one the world’s greatest leaders. So many emotions are flooding my head and heart. I want to give an answer that will really address the question. Who was Nelson Mandela?
It’s a simple question but the answer is epic and, perhaps, as endless as the man’s impact on the world and future generations.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ~ Nelson Mandela
The easiest way for me to answer is to compile a list of authoritative links that will collectively do justice to the magnanimity of the life of, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest people to walk the face of this earth. Instead of relying on my rambling attempts to explain in a few breaths, I hope this list will help my son, and anyone reading this, to truly understand the enduring power of humility, forgiveness, grace and strength in the face of great adversity.
Rest in peace, Madiba. You are with the Ancestors now.
Thanks, Sarah Ban Breathnack!
Hi folks, I have great news! I’m happy to announce release information and titles for my next two upcoming books. Here are the upcoming 2014 novels with a little taste of what to expect:
The first release will be To Protect and Serve. It is the first in a series of books based on a character from Blood to Blood, Justin McCarthy. In Blood to Blood we met Justin who is a blood donor for the book’s blood-drinking heroine, Angel Brown. In To Protect and Serve, we enter his world before he meets Angel. Eighteen year-old Justin hails from a long line of Boston Police Department officers, so prepare yourself for plenty of crime and action. The book is due to drop in April 2014.
The second release will be Heart to Heart, the highly anticipated sequel to Blood to Blood. Due in May 2014, Heart to Heart will see newborn Shimshana Angel deal with the highs and lows of her way-to-complex teen love life while dealing with new pop star fame, blood lust, and immortal powers.
Keep your eyes peeled for excerpts, cover reveals and more over the coming months.
Ok, I’m going back to writing. Cheers!
I love meteor showers and every year always do my best to see them in action. Recently, we got blessed with the Perseids Meteor Shower, and it was fabulous.
In the Northeast, it was challenging to see the shower clearly on the last peak night, August 11. Fortunately, the viewing was extended to the 12th, which is when I got to see it. I didn’t get any good pictures; I leave that to the real photographers. What I did do was compile some of my favorite pics to share with you. These all come from www.nasa.gov. Feel free to share links of any other ones (not photoshopped or pics of satellites) you’ve found over the ‘net. Enjoy!
Video allsky image of Perseid shower over Colorado – Credit Chris Peterson
This shows 85 Perseids (non-Perseids have been removed) captured between dusk and dawn.
Rainbow Perseid – A multicolored Perseid Meteor, from the Red Desert of Wyoming on 8-11-13. Credit – dakotalapse
Perseids from the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center – Credit Steve Coates
Monster Mojave Perseid Meteor – Credit – Wally Pacholka
Credit – conemmil
Crews in #Milton battling a major wildfire at Blue Hills. #BREAKING
I just learned this was a cover and didn't even know it had a video. This song will never grow old. #classic
RIP Quincy Jones... 😔
I am heartbroken to learn of the passing of my friend, the one and only musical genius, Quincy Jones. Quincy touched my world as both a cherished mentor and as also as someone I looked up to for his deep impact on virtually every form of American music.
I was privileged to work…
The Reason ❤️ Thank you for everything Mr. Quincy Jones.
I promise; you won’t get bombarded with email. Thank you for visiting my website!
