Movie Review: 12 Years a Slave

It seems as if  slave tales have been told from every imaginable angle, but the story of Solomon Northrup as told in 12 Years a Slave sheds a slightly different slant by being told from the perspective of someone who actually experienced it firsthand.

12 Years a Slave is candid look at the life of a Black man born free in the north, who is kidnapped and sold into slavery after importing slaves from other countries had been outlawed in the United States. 

Solomon Northrup (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) is an affluent man with a wife and two children, and lives in upstate New York.  After accepting a generous offer of employment from two seemingly established businessmen, Northrup finds himself in chains after being drugged at dinner.  From there he is shipped to the south to embark upon what can only be described as the most horrifying 12 years that one could imagine.

The poignant portrayal of racism, brutality and the utter lack of regard for human life that was shown in this film did much to remind viewers of the not-so-far-in-the-past ideologies that this country was built upon.  It is also a stark reminder of what Blacks had to endure amidst their ever present struggle to not only survive in a system that was designed to keep them in bondage, but also obtain their basic rights as human beings.

As a viewer, I could appreciate the depth and strength of Northrup's character as played by Ejiofor because I was truly drawn into his performance, as well as those of the supporting cast. Without a doubt you will hate who you are supposed to hate, feel compassion and cheer heartily for all those you are supposed to in this movie, as you will no doubt experience a wide range of emotion throughout the two and a half hour time span.

Of course Brad Pitt, Alfre Woodard and all the other big names that you're used to seeing did their thing, but honorable mention and kudos go to Lupita Nyong'o, who plays Patsy, a young slave girl who is plagued with the position of being the object of her master's fancy.  This young lady was a standout performance and I really hope to see more from her in the future.

Though many cringe when previews for movies in this genre hit the media circuit, I personally believe that these stories do much to remind us how far we've come as African-Americans, how much we have to be grateful for, and why we should never EVER take the liberties that many fought and died for for granted. All in all, I give 12 Years a Slave an enthusiastic 10 spirit-fingers and encourage everyone to go support it at the theater.

Till next time!

Visit us at www.black-smithenterprises.com or follow me Twitter at www.twitter.com/janayablack

Movie Review: Django Unchained

One thing is for certain, Quentin Taratino's newest movie Django Unchained is anything but your typical run-of-the-mill slave flick.

I have to admit that it's been a while since I've seen a movie at the theater that didn't leave me feeling cheated by the time the final credits started rolling, but this one was definitely worth the ticket plus over-priced popcorn. (Yes, I'm a cheapskate...don't judge me.)

Django is the tale of a slave, branded as a runaway, who happens to fall upon the unbelievable fortune of meeting Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a German bounty hunter, who in his quest for his latest conquest buys him and then makes him an offer that he can't refuse: Help him find and capture his marks in exchange for his freedom. And as an added bonus, he promises to help Django (Jamie Foxx) find his wife and buy her freedom. From that point on the dust starts to fly and the guns get to blazing.

Enter Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), a blood-thirsty plantation owner who just happens to be the current owner of Django's beloved wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), and his ever faithful house slave Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson) for a non-stop chain of events that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

In true Tarantino fashion, blood, guts and satirical humor are never lacking but in the midst of it all there is a story that will strike a chord with viewers of every race, creed and color. While slavery and all of its historical accounts and visuals never cease to be a touchy subject, Tarantino puts an interesting spin on it with this tale of revenge and retribution.

Foxx, Waltz, DiCaprio, Washington and Jackson are great mix of chemistry and talent as the cast of this project, with special appearances by Don Johnson (oldie but goodie) and Quentin Tarantino himself. 

Django Unchained was definitely a worthy cause for making a trip to the movie theater in what I like to call hibernation weather, and if you're "frugal" like me, catching the matinee will be an added bonus.  So all in all this one gets 10 spirit-fingers.

Did you see Django Unchained? Let me know what you thought.

Visit us at www.black-smithenterprises.com or follow me Twitter at www.twitter.com/janayablack

Don't forget to check out the trailer for our upcoming project Someone To Watch Over Me.

A Lesson In Faith and Patience

I have learned that sometimes in life you just have to let go and let God...and I'm not just saying that to be facetious.  God has an amazing way of dealing with individuals in their specific circumstances and meeting people where they're at.

Recently my husband and I experienced a situation in which I received a lesson in patience while he received a lesson in faith. In our particular situation, we both got an opportunity to pursue something that we have wanted for a very long time so we prayed about it and then went for it.

From the beginning, both of us were convinced that we had heard God correctly and that we were doing the right thing, but then 4 months after we got God's answer we still hadn't come into possession of our blessing. We had been diligent in working toward our goal in doing everything we were supposed to do, but still everything that could go wrong...did.

So like any red-blooded human beings, we started to get frustrated and began to wonder if we were doing the right thing. At one point, my husband turned to me and asked me point blank if I thought that maybe we heard God wrong and were doing the wrong thing. As frustrated as I was, I could not look my husband in the eye and tell him that I believed that we had heard God wrong because I knew in my heart-of-hearts that we hadn't.

The truth of the matter was that even though I knew that God had revealed to us that we would have this blessing, I was tired of waiting and the process of getting to our blessing had turned out to be much harder than I thought it would be. So rather than continue to fight for what God clearly told us was ours, I was ready to give up because...well it was just taking too long. But after I confirmed what we both knew to be true, my husband was like a dog with a bone- he just would not let it go!

So we trudged onward toward the prize and the devil continued to throw every possible obstacle in our way, and every time my husband got close to calling it quits another ray of hope would make its way through and give him that extra push to keep on going...much to my dismay. Because like I said, I was ready to throw in the towel after month #4, but I can honestly say that we have seen first hand that once God opens a door for you NO ONE can close it. Please believe it.

As the Lord worked with my husband on his faith, He convicted my heart for not being obedient. I always knew that God was going to bless us but I was angry because it was taking so long and causing me inconvenience. He showed me that I was holding up the process by being selfish and not being obedient. So with that knowledge, I made that first step toward doing what I knew I should have been all along and from that moment things really began moving in the right direction.

After two more months of waiting, praying and frustration, our blessing finally found it's way to us after the expiration of our man-given deadline. So not only did God bestow an amazing blessing on us, but he also went further to show us that man can't put limits on what He can do even if that "man" is holding all of the so-called cards.  

In the end what we learned from this experience is that: 1) God always keeps His word. 2) You can't rush God and 3) Never be afraid of the journey because if God brings you to it, He most assuredly will bring you through it. 

Faith is substance of the things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. That means that even though your natural eyes can't see God's plan for the future, as his children it is our responsibility to believe Him. Why? Because God cannot lie. If He says it, it will come to pass. Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains.

The bible also says that the trying of our faith works patience. So even though we look forward to the promises of God, we must also understand that God's method of delivery is way beyond our scope of understanding. Therefore as we wait for Him to move, we must remember to embrace the journey and learn the lessons that He means for us to learn along the way.

Be blessed.

www.black-smithenterprises.com
twitter.com/janayablack

The Prison Chronicles Series

Week 20 ‘THE NEXT BIG THING’ BLOG HOP

We are blog hopping our way through some new reads! What a great way to be introduced to some wonderful authors you might have not known about.

Be sure to follow our blog hop and be introduced to some exciting reads as well as works in progress.

Below you will be able to learn a little about myself and the authors who follow me in week 21.

Be sure to check them all out because they are fabulous authors that I am delighted to brag about!! Special thanks to Sylvia Hubbard for asking me to participate.

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:

Q: What is the working title of your book?
A: The working title for my new book is called The Watchman. It is the first of a new series I've started with a good friend of mine that I am really excited about. If you enjoyed "The Prison Chronicles" series, I really think you'll like this new one.

Q: Where did the idea come from for the book?
A: My friend and I met up one day and had a discussion that centered on some very intense spiritual matters that have always been intriguing to me, and after a lengthy discussion we decided to turn it into a series. This series will be one that would be a Christian rebuttal to the Harry Potter series.

Q: What genre does your book fall under?
A: It will fall under Christian fiction.

Q: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
A: Wow...not really sure about that one. I would love to hear suggestions from the readers after they've had a chance to read the book.

Q: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A:  The Watchman is story about a warrior for Christ who has been chosen in the 21st century to battle the forces of evil through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Q: Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
A: It will be self-published through my company Black-Smith Enterprises.

Q: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
A: Thus far it has been a working progress due to the fact that I have had several other film production projects taking place one right after the other, so it has been a challenge to nail down a solid date of completion.

Q: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? 

A: The Left Behind Series, which includes:

Q: Who or What inspired you to write this book?
A:  Just seeing how dark all of the stories are getting and how they make everything evil seem good and glamorous. I wanted to put something out there that will shed light on those things from a biblical stand point.

Q: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
A: The Watchman will definitely be a book that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The protagonist is a character that you will get to know intimately and grow to love as a person who is walking in his destiny while dealing with very real situations. For those who are familiar with any of my previous work, you will know to expect the unexpected and be ready to experience a wide range of emotions.

Here’s a list of my tagged blog hop authors for next week.

Adra Young

Shaka Senghor

Check out their blogs next Wednesday, November 14th, to read about their WIPs and New Releases.

My newest releases are:

Till Death...Do Us Part which is now available at Walmart and Blockbuster!

 

And look for my new movie Someone To Watch Over Me coming soon.

 

Movie Review: Flight

In the new movie Flight, Denzel Washington plays Whip Whitaker, a troubled pilot, who finds himself on the brink of  heroism and utter destruction after completing a miracle landing  that saves the lives of all but six passengers on a doomed flight.

A known drug and alcohol abuser amongst his family and friends, Whitaker becomes the subject of an intense federal investigation immediately following the crash after it is discovered that he had both drugs and alcohol in his system while flying the plane. As he struggles to fight the battle of his life and hold on to sobriety at the same time, he is forced to take stock of who he really is and what it's really going to take to get his life back on track.  

While Washington's performance in this film is as solid as ever, I can't really say that there was really anything earth-shatteringly great about this film. Don Cheadle was palpable as the passively-aggressive, hard-nosed attorney, and John Goodman was slightly humorous as the reliable all-around neighborhood pusher. Not to say that Flight wasn't a good movie, I just didn't feel that it was the Academy Award winning performance that it has been portrayed to be in the media.

Flight has all the elements of a good movie that could've had the potential to be...something more. Then again maybe I'm just a little bias because I'm accustomed to Denzel Washington movies usually being able to move me to some kind of emotion and this one didn't even inspire a sniffle. But as they say "Ce la vie!"

Overall, Flight gets a solid 6 on a scale of 1-10. I say go see it just because it's Denzel and come back and let me know if you agree with my assessment or not. Seriously...I really want to know what you think.

Visit us at www.black-smithenterprises.com and follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/janayablack.

Trayvon Martin: Will Justice Be Served?

I tried to avoid it as long as I could but it happened today and now I have to let it out...because that's what I do...I write.

After hearing the tragic story of what happened to Trayvon Martin, I swore that I wasn't going to listen to the 911 call that featured the audio of the screams and shooting that took place that night, but this morning while driving to work I was caught off guard and I heard it for the first time...

I heard the sounds of a woman calling in a disturbance and in the background of her call you can hear the frantic pleas of a young man screaming for help and then moments later you hear a gun shot and immediately the screaming stops.  From that moment on it felt as though my heart had torn in two as I drove blindly down the street with tears streaming down my face.

I cried because at that moment, I felt Trayvon's mother's pain as I imagined the thought of my son being taken from me in such a cold-hearted manner. I cried because a young life was taken because of ignorance and hatred.  I cried because this world is becoming more and more like it's prince, yet we still refuse to turn to God in our darkest hour of need.

The sicker this world gets, the more tears we can look forward to shedding because of loss.  Media has desensitized us all to the pain and suffering that those around us endure and it's sickening.  And shame on the media for continuing to play those 911 calls for ratings! What parent wants to hear the sounds of her child pleading for his life and then being shot over and over again? Yes, people need to know what's going on but there is a thing called decorum and integrity.   

People are outraged by this situation because it is a stark reminder that no matter how far we've come in our society, the underlying hatred that has kept us divided for centuries still manages to rear it's ugly head every so often to remind us that it never too far away.

While this is sad, sad situation, it should serve as a wake up call that violence in any shape, form or fashion should not be tolerated against anyone in our society: black, white, Hispanic, Asian or other.  When black people kill each other, it's treated as normal happenstance, but when another race does something to one of ours that's when we choose to unite.

This is not a black or white or Hispanic issue.  It is a justice issue. Every parent, every mother, black, white, yellow, pink or orange, who lost a child armed with only a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea who was gunned down by a person who was breaking the law...deserves justice.  Plain and simple. 

So, yes, we are all sad and angry about this situation with Trayvon Martin, but the question now is: What are you going to do to ensure that things like this don't keep happening?

Change begins on your knees.  Be blessed.

Movie Review: Tyler Perry's Good Deeds

Tyler Perry's newest movie Good Deeds hit theaters this weekend amidst much anticipation from his loyal fans, but I have to be honest and admit that I was a little leery about going to see this film at the movies.  

Now don't get me wrong, I love a Tyler flick just as much as the next person, but as a writer I have come to find that his films are very predictable and unimaginative with respect to his story lines.  But at the end of the day, Mr. Perry has found a formula that works very well for him and I'm not mad at him for doing what he does because, let's face it, he does it well. 

But with his latest effort, Good Deeds, starring himself, Thandie Newton, Gabrielle Union, Phylicia Rashad and Brian White, I found myself very entertained and pleasantly surprised with the apparent growth in Perry's repertoire. 

Good Deeds was a story of two people from very different worlds who find each other in the midst of life-changing and challenging circumstances. While we have definitely seen this scenario before, Perry did a great job of telling the tale from the rich and poor perspectives simultaneously.

Wesley, played by Perry, is the eldest son of an affluent family who is expected to run the family business, keep his rebellious brother from destroying the family name, marry the perfect girl and live up to his dominating mother's expectations all at the same time. While Lindsay, played by Newton, is a single mother who is trying to keep her life from falling apart emotionally, and financially, while caring for her young daughter after the loss of her husband.

 

Perry and Newton definitely have a great chemistry on screen, and Tyler Perry has definitely turned up his sexy for this role.  Yes, ladies, unlike his other films when he wasn't playing Madea, Perry's swag was on 10 in this one.

So overall, while Good Deeds isn't totally outside-of-the-box crazy different from what you're used to seeing from Tyler Perry, it was definitely a refreshing change from what you're used to seeing from Tyler Perry...if that makes any sense.  You'll still laugh and maybe even cry a little, but at the end of the day this film gets a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

I can safely say that this one is worth going to the theater to pay your "we support Tyler Perry" money and you won't leave feeling some kind of way about it.  Don't take the kiddies because there is definitely some adult content, but other than that...enjoy!

Till next time.

Visit me at www.black-smithenterprises.com.
Follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/janayablack

Check out the trailer for my new upcoming movie Someone To Watch Over Me:
http://youtu.be/eQk6abtZfRA

The Bitch Factor

I know I've been away for a while but recent reality TV shenanigans, and life in general, has prompted me to get back on my j-o-b. So here we go...

Bitch- a female dog; a female of canines generally.

It seems the the use of this word as a term of endearment has escalated over the past few years, and the way that we as women have embraced it as such is a blaring example as to how far we have sunk in our view of the female gender.

There used to be a time when girls aspired to become "ladies", which was a term that personified everything that was feminine, classy and beautiful about being a woman.  Whether it was the way she acted, dressed or spoke, a lady always knew how to conduct herself in public and in private.  Now days, so many women are so seemingly starved for attention that they have resigned themselves to becoming "less than" she was meant to be.

Not so long ago when a man referred to a woman as a bitch in a song, rap, or public forum, there would be an uproar.  It was a fighting word and if you said it to a woman, then you needed to be prepared for the consequences that were sure to follow. The connotation of a word that portrays women in such a negative ad misogynistic light was met with much opposition, and to now hear women calling each other that as a way of showing affection, as well as hatred, is baffling and sad.

And to make matters worse, now days when men refer to their wives and girlfriends as "my bitch" they smile and nod proudly at the recognition. Then in songs when they refer to women as "bitches" and "hoes" we bob our heads appreciatively to the beat while waving our hands in the air.

It's bad enough that media has been allowed to let these things become part of our daily entertainment, but for us to continue to perpetuate the cycle as if there is nothing wrong with it is even worse because most of us are old enough to know better. 

Ladies, we have got to do better. We continue to complain about how our men are treating us and wonder why they don't respect us, but yet we're on television, out in the clubs and everywhere else fighting, tearing each other down and calling each other bitches and hoes.  Until we learn to respect ourselves and each other we are getting exactly what we deserve.

The definition clearly states that a bitch is a dog, and there is nothing flattering about that comparison when it comes to being a woman...no matter who's mouth it's coming out of.  

Women are beautiful creations of God who were given the distinct honor of being the vessels used to bring life into this world.  We are the backbones of our societies and our men and deserve to be treated as such.  A queen is a a queen does.  A queen does not allow herself to be reduced to being compared to things that eat from the garbage and sniff their own feces. 

So the next time the b-word comes to your lips, think about that.

Till next time be blessed.

Visit us at www.black-smithenterprises.com or follow me at twitter.com/janayablack.

Don't forget to check out the trailer for my upcoming movie Someone To Watch Over Me. http://youtu.be/eQk6abtZfRA

  
 

Black/Smith Consulting is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Big Stage Talent Challenge! If you think you've got what it takes to become the next superstar singer or rapper, here is your chance to show and prove. Let us put our money where your talent is!

In a concentrated effort to mobilize and challenge Detroit's talented dreamers to raise the bar as it relates to their performance presentation while reaching for the stars, Black/Smith Consulting has made it their mission to reignite the community's interest in rallying to champion our hometown talent by rekindling the passion for what Motown has always celebrated: Real music.

On December 17, 2011, fifteen contestants will perform before an audience of their peers, and industry judges, at the Boll Family YMCA in Detroit for a chance to win $500 in cash, a professional photo shoot, an artist development package from Star Factory and a 30 day consultation package courtesy of Black/Smith Consulting.

This is a no holds barred competition. Contestants will be judged on their stage presence, vocal ability, costume and crowd participation by a panel of industry judges who will select three contestants to advance into a final round that will be judged Apollo-style by the audience to determine who will emerge victorious as the winner of the Big Stage Talent Challenge.

The Big Stage Talent Challenge is open to Michigan singers and rappers of all ages. Auditions will be held at Star Factory, located at 13305 Capital in Oak Park, on November 26 at 4 p.m. The competition will take place at the Boll Family YMCA located at 1401 Broadway, Detroit from 6 p.m.-10 p.m.

Applicants must be Michigan residents and should be prepared to perform a two minute selection with no profanity or explicit lyrics. The registration fee per group is $20.

For more information please contact Brandon Smith or Janaya Black at 313-451-4272 or email blacksmithconsultingllc@gmail.com.

Movie Review: Courageous

I'm going to start this out by saying that every father in America needs to go see the movie Courageous.  This film, starring, written and directed by Alex Kendrick, was a beautifully presented as a clear call to action for men to step up and fulfill their duties as fathers and leaders of their communities and households.

The story follows the lives of five friends, four of which are police officers, who are all fathers dealing with various issues in their personal lives.  When tragedy befalls one of the five, it forces him to take a close look at the kind of father he has been to his children. Bothered by the fact that he only felt that he had been "good enough" by his own standards, he begins to seek out God's standards and is heavily convicted by what he finds in God's word as it relates to a father's duties.

Driven by the desire to be a better father, he creates a resolution and presents it to his friends so that they will hold him accountable to be the man that he promises to become in his resolution.  After reading the document the other men decide to join him in his pledge.

This action sets off a chain of events that tests the faith and resolve of all the men, while forcing them to deal with their personal issues of loss, abandonment, forgiveness, financial hardship, guilt and integrity.

When this movie ended, there was not a dry eye in the house.  Alex Kendrick did a masterful job of tackling the position of fatherhood from every angle imaginable.  Whether it was the "baby daddy" who was running from responsibility, the effects of growing up in a fatherless home, the father who's in the home but spends no time with his kids...no situation was left untouched.

Real talk, Courageous is a movie that is definitely worthy of Oscar attention because it is the best movie I've seen all year.  The story's message is one of critical importance to our society and the acting was outstanding. And to see a movie that openly proclaims God's Word and message of salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is nothing short of a blessing.

This one gets ten very enthusiastic spirit-fingers! Do not walk, but run to go see and support Courageous at the theater! Let Hollywood know that there is nowhere that God's voice can't reach!

 

www.black-smithenterprises.com

www.twitter.com/janayablack

If you want to see more faith-based movies and theaters, please considered supporting Someone To Watch Over Me.

1-on-1 With Khary Turner, Co-Author of Surrendered: The Rise, Fall and Surrender of Kwame Kilpatrick

Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Khary Kimani Turner for Shop Talk Magazine with respect to his recent project in which he co-authored the book Surrendered: The Rise, Fall and Surrender of Kwame Kilpatrick. 

This book has been on everyone's hot list, so I'm excited to present this interview. Enjoy!

Khary Kimani Turner: Storyteller At Large

The name Khary Kimani Turner is synonymous with hip hop journalism at its best. With everything from music and celebrities to social consciousness and hip hop culture, this man’s ability to skillfully craft the written word to stir emotions, provoke thought and open dialog has garnered him national renown.

After having been a featured writer in notable publications such as The Source, XXL, Vibe, Rap Pages, Metro Times, The Detroit News and Ambassador, this year Turner embarked upon one of the most pivotal projects of his career by co-authoring Surrendered: The Rise, Fall and Revelation of Kwame Kilpatrick, the highly anticipated tell-all book about the scandal surrounding the Kilpatrick Administration, with former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

In the midst of the media frenzy surrounding the book, Shop Talk got a chance to chop it up with Turner to find out how it all came about.

Shop Talk: Give us some background about yourself. 

Khary Turner: I’m from Detroit; born on Lesure off Fenkell. Raised on the east side; North Park, near Miller Middle School. I remember all of my schools from Gesu/Golightly/Duffield in elementary, to Miller Middle School and UD Jesuit High. Graduated in ’88, earned my bachelors from Xavier University in Cincinnati in ’92, and my Masters last year.

ST: Who or what inspired you to become a writer?

KT: I found hip hop in 1984 and started emceeing. Never stopped; I rhyme to this day. Through hip hop I discovered poetry and short stories in middle school, and opinion columns with my high school and college papers.

The true inspiration was the reaction I got whenever someone read or heard my work. I was a reserved pre-teen, and the written word drew me out and into a more social lifestyle. I found acceptance and uniqueness in that space. It became my thing because while other kids around me liked to rap, or write, or sing, or speak, no one seemed able to do all of those things well. So I committed early on to becoming that man. I’m still driven by that goal.

ST:  How did the opportunity for you to work with Kwame Kilpatrick on his new book come about?

KT: Full disclosure: my wife is a relative of the Kilpatrick family. Through her, I’ve known the former Mayor since 1995. During the summer of 2008, when his scandal began to pique, I was entrenched in my career as a journalist and was also nurturing a desire to write books. Specifically, I wanted to focus on controversial memoirs with some redemptive value. That desire comes from being a black man and feeling like I was born a suspect to so many American communities.

Naturally, the family connection was providential. Mayor Kilpatrick knew me well, and I was close enough to know that another side of his story existed; one that wasn’t being told. So I approached him at a wedding, a bit out of order but, again, providentially. I was just at the right place, at the right time, with the right idea. And I’m thankful that he trusted me with his life story.

ST: How did the experience affect you being that you were in Detroit as his case played out in the media?

KT: It was tough because, in that situation your subject needs to trust you implicitly before anything gets written. To gain his trust, I just spent time around his immediate family [and] got to know them. That time affected me tremendously because I saw his sons respond when forced to grow up quickly. They manned up at age 12, especially when Kwame went away. That floored me. Carlita became the true hero, in my opinion, because she remained upright through the entire saga, and she’s always been brutally honest with me. You’ll never get me to question her spirit.

As a writer, I saw a level of ugliness in the city that I just can’t be proud of.  Journalists have long had thankless jobs, and unfortunately, today’s journalists are groomed in an age of biased media and sensationalism. Before the Joint Operating Agreement, almost 20 years ago, newspapers’ goals were to tell stories. In today’s corporate-driven media climate the job is to sell headlines because headlines sell papers and gain ratings, and sales satisfy and attract advertisers.

So, the journalist is too often forced to compromise and historic storylines lose their balance. I think that happened with Kwame Kilpatrick, and the public suffered because we were positioned to judge the man, and by default the city of Detroit, without having a balanced account on the public record.  That affected my resolve positively because I won’t live in a community that mutes anyone’s voice, but I won’t run.  And so, I committed to helping tell that story.  It was just that important to me.

ST: Did your experience working with him and being able to hear the story from him personally change your view on his situation? How so and did you find it hard to be objective?

KT: Good question.  Kind of. I went in thinking there’s another side to this story; I came out knowing, and thinking, hey, maybe the world isn’t flat after all.

As for being objective, that wasn’t my job. I was co-author, not a reporter, and I was there to help Kwame tell his story. To that end, I maintained my respect for the fact that he was the mayor.  I only call him by his first name because he asked me to, and he and I talked for weeks and weeks prior to writing establishing along the way that I had to be free to challenge him in order for this story to be told successfully. I did that and, to his credit, he never ducked a question. Not once.

ST: What is the biggest thing that you want people to walk away with after reading the book?

KT: Respect for the fact that every story has two sides and there’s nothing you can do about it. You just don’t know everything until you know everything, and to pass judgment based on half the data is to set yourself up to be wrong.

Two, I want people to know that, regardless of your personal politics or preferences, this is a good book. It’s well written, well thought out and told well by two native Detroiters. I’m very proud of that.

ST: What other projects do you have in the works?

KT: My blog, at www.kharyturner.com, is called Stay Low, Keep Movin’, named after my band Black Bottom Collective’s first album. I write entries weekly.

I also want to speak publicly. My passion points are media imaging and men’s health. Too many of my peers were lost or sickened young. We in hip hop and the hood are doing a poor job of taking care of ourselves. Proof. Dilla. Blade. Baatin. Bugz. Get better, Hex! I wish these men weren’t examples because I respect them, but I want them to know that I, for one, get the message. I’m heading to the gym now.

Of course, there’s the next book, but I won’t jinx that by going into specifics.

 
Surrendered: The Rise, Fall and Revelation of Kwame Kilpatrick is now available on Amazon.com, Truth Bookstore, Shrine of the Black Madonna and God’s World.  For more information on Kary Kimani Turner please visit www.kharyturner.com, Facebook at Khary Kimani Turner, or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/kharyturner. 

For more information visit www.black-smithenterprises.com or follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/janayablack.

Movie Review: Warrior

When I got the invitation to go to a private screening for the movie Warrior I was really excited because of the fact that it is a faith-based movie. I had no idea what it was about, all I knew was that I was going because it was in the genre that I wholeheartedly support. Little did I know how impactful that 90 minute movie would be.

Warrior is kind of a modern day Rocky meets The Prodical Son in the story of a family torn apart by alcoholism and abuse.  Paddy Conlon (played by Nick Nolte), who was once an abusive alcoholic, is now a born-again Christian who is trying to live for the Lord. In the process of taking his road to sobriety day by day, he dreams of the day that his family will be reunited; but unfortunately his two sons, Brendan (played by Joel Edgerton) and Tommy (played by Tom Hardy), want nothing to do with him.

Tommy is filled with a bitterness and hatred toward his father and brother over the loss of his mother and the hardship they faced after fleeing from an abusive home and his brother's perceived abandonment, while Brendan is bitter toward his father for the abuse and feeling like he was never able to live up to his father's expectations as a fighter.

As fate would have it, the three of them meet up in the most unlikely circumstances when they all find themselves at the Sparta cage fighting tournament to compete for a $5 million prize.

While the movie does have some harsh language and very aggressive fighting scenes (as the premise of the competition is mixed martial arts), the story paints a very real picture of the state of the family unit today.

What I really liked about it was that it didn't paint the fairy-tale picture with the happy ending where everybody lives happily ever after.  It showed the realness of the hurt that children suffer at the hands of their parents' selfish decisions and how the road to forgiveness and recovery is not always an easy one.

It also touched on the struggles of marriage and how husbands and wives are supposed to work together through the hard times instead of just opting for divorce when times get tough.

Warrior is definitely a movie that will touch your heart and keep you on the edge of your seat. The message is a strong one of forgiveness, self reflection and unconditional love. While the PG-13 rating should definitely be taken to heart when considering taking young ones, this movie is definitely worth the trip to the movie theater when it comes on out Sept 9.

Please go see it and support faith-based films.

www.black-smithenterprises.com
www.twitter.com/janayablack
 

Christians: Will You Stand?

Harry Potter (the series), Twilight (the series), Wizards of Waverly Place, True Blood, Vampire Diaries are just a few names of the dozens of movies and TV shows that are currently dominating the big and small screens.

What do they all have in common? They all, in some shape form or fashion, deal with the occult and go to great lengths to glamorize it all.  Our children are intrigued by magic and smitten with vampires and werewolves, as if these things are to be emulated and revered. But Christian brothers and sisters, I ask you: How do we combat these messages when we see it at every turn?

These images permeate the so-called "children's" channels, like Disney and Nickelodeon, and then channels like The Cartoon Network air what you may as well call soft porn during prime-time. And now to top it all off, they are trying to make Bert and Ernie get married!

People, the minds of our young people are at stake and it's time for Christians to take a stand. The messages of sex, violence, homosexuality and the occult are at an all time high and show no signs of slowing down, so we must arm ourselves with the Word of God in order to effectively combat the enemy. 

Since the Bible says that we should be doers of the Word, and not hearers only Black-Smith Enterprises, Goldline Films and Global pictures have teamed up to begin being the change we want to see by producing movies that are dedicated to help expanding the kingdom, starting with Someone To Watch Over Me.

Due to the fact that independent films, especially those focused on God, don't always receive the support that is required to ensure global success, our methods must be more grass roots in approach.  So, we are asking our community to stand with us as we make strides to embark upon this huge undertaking.

The Indiegogo campaign we have created will allow you, the viewers, to show the powers-that-be that you are ready for change; that you are ready to get back to the place where families can enjoy wholesome entertainment once again. Entertainment that showcases core values that are not laced with hidden agendas that are contrary to God's word.

By donating you are actively becoming a part of this project and will be instrumental in helping us bring it to the big screen. So please check out the video and share it with your friends and family, and if you can please make a donation.

Our voices must be heard and we can't do it alone.  So in closing I will leave you with this question: Will you stand with us? 

Peace, blessing and love to you and thank you for reading!

www.black-smithenterprises.com
www.twitter.com/janayablack

Movie Review: The Help

I have two words for the movie The Help: Awe and some!

I'm not sure about the book, as I haven't had the pleasure of reading it yet, but this movie had all the characteristics of a timeless classic.

Set in the early 1960's, The Help follows the lives of 3 women who are all facing various life issues in the midst of racial turmoil in southern Mississippi.

The lives of two black maids, Aibileen and Minny, are turned upside down when Skeeter, a white journalist from a southern aristocrat family, decides that she wants to write a story about life in the south from the black perspective in the midst of Civil Rights movement.

Faced with the imminent danger of participating in such a project, Aibileen (played by Viola Davis) and Minny (played by Octavia Spencer) begin to understand the importance of allowing their voices to be heard and ultimately find the courage to join forces with Skeeter (played by Emma Stone). 

Meanwhile, Hilly Holbrook (played by Bryce Dallas Howard), an ornery, pompous socialite, does everything in her power to keep the blacks in "their place" and ruin the lives of anyone who tries to get in her way.

What I loved about this movie is that it had a very strong message that was well presented through a great storyline.  The characters were believable and moving, the scenes played out magnificently, and the movie possessed all of the key elements: drama, humor and substance.

The Help is a great movie for the entire family to see.  Not only is there tremendous entertainment value, but there are also a lot of serious discussion points that parents and children alike can explore together.

All in all, this movie gets another enthusiastic 10 spirit-fingers! Go see it and enjoy.

www.black-smithenterprises.com 
www.twitter.com/janayablack

If you'd like to see more positive movies in theaters please check out Someone To Watch Over Me.

Movie Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes- Spoiler Alert

Honestly, the Rise of the Planet of the Apes was not my first choice when I planned my recent trip to the movies but you know what they say...everything happens for a reason.  Needless to say, the 105 minutes I spent in the overly air-conditioned movie theater was well worth the ticket price.

This modern day reprise of the 1968 classic Planet of the Apes was an awesome display of cinematic ingenuity. With a starring lineup that includes John Lithgow, James Franco, Freida Pinto and an ape with more swagger than I've seen in most humans, this movie is sure to join the ranks of the likes of Avatar.

Will Rodman (played by Franco) is a scientist who is working on a genetic experiment, which is being tested on apes, that he believes will be the cure for Alzheimer's and all he needs is for the powers-to-be to give the green light for funding.  He is right on the brink of a success until all hell breaks loose and one of the apes runs amuck during a crucial presentation for the board of directors.

From that point on, Rodman's research is shut down and his boss demands that all of the lab apes be put down. Unwilling to give the only hope he has of finding a cure for the illness that plagues his father (played by Lithgow), he secretly takes one of the infant test apes home with him and continues his research on his own.

As the young ape, which he names Ceasar, progresses Rodman finds that his intelligence exceeds his wildest expectations. As Ceasar grows, he becomes not only more intelligent but more human in nature, and as he becomes more human in nature he begins to see just how different he is from other humans when he really starts to interact with the world around him.

Then the plot thickens after Ceasar tries to protect the people he has come to know as his family and is then caged like an animal, and then the city of San Fransico quickly learns the consequences of mistreating and pissing off a genetically enhanced primate.

Enter the guns, spears, explosions and such.

Long story short, I loved this movie! The acting and emotion of apes was phenomenal! The humans did a good job too, but the shear execution of how the animals were portrayed made this viewing experience a real treat.

I also liked the fact that there wasn't a lot of unnecessary violence and profanity. So Rise of the Planet of the Apes gets an enthusiastic 10 spirit-fingers. Go see it and take the family.

www.black-smithenterprises.com
www.twitter.com/janayablack

Don't forget to look out for my daughter's new book "The Lonely Kid" which hits stores August 31st!

Step Your Game Up! Rules of Engagement for the "Boys"

If I hear a grown man yell "Hey, baby!" at me one more time I am going to have a BF, for real.

Aside from the fact that I am a happily married woman, it's 2011 and that line is tired, lame, disrespectful and as a grown man if it's the only thing you can think to say, then you deserve to be single.

Heaven forbid some of these guys should venture to pull up their pants, brush their hair and approach a "woman" with a simple phrase like "Hello, how are you doing today?" or "Excuse me, Ms..."

In the 21st century where information is literally at your finger tips, there is no excuse for this type of ignorant behavior to still be in existence...I mean be for real. 

Due to the fact that this has happened far too many times in the past few months for my liking, I have decided to offer up some advice for those of the male persuasion, the boys not men, who basically just don't have a clue.

1. DO NOT yell, "Hey, baby!" or any other disrespectful cat-call to any woman at any time...ever and expect a serious, non-confrontational reaction or stupid look. Don't get angry at her because if you were dumb enough to put yourself out there like that, you deserve it. 

Instead of bombarding females with tired lines that only make you look immature, try approaching a "lady" (keyword here being lady) like you have some home-training and open up the dialog with some good conversation. You may be surprised at how far being charming and interesting can get you.

2. RESPECT THE RING! If a woman tells you that she is married...keep it moving! It is so annoying to have some random dude approach you and ask if you're married and then proceed to say, "So?", "Happily?", or even worse, "So am I," after you say yes!

First of all, if I took the time to tell you I was married and didn't offer up any additional conversation that means respect my situation and either move on to some appropriate conversation or get out of my face.

Second, what kind of dog does it make you look like to be trying to push up on a married woman despite the fact that she just told you she was married?

3. PULL YOUR PANTS UP! No grown woman wants to be bothered with no wannabe thug who clearly doesn't understand the concept of a belt or accurate waist measurements.  Wearing your pants sagging to your knees really makes us wonder if it's really us you're trying to impress or if you're secretly batting for the other team. #justsaying

If you're over the age of 25, you're grown so act like it. It's time to put your big boy clothes on and get a clue. For real.

Though that's just the tip of the ice berg, those are some key first impression issues you can work on that may help you make a huge difference in your female response rating.  Try it and see.

And ladies, stop letting these guys approach you any old kind of way! If you demand respect then they have no choice but to eventually get the picture.

We know that there are a lot of men out there who do know how to treat a lady, so if this doesn't apply to you then please share it with someone you know that could benefit from it.

Until next time...holla!

www.black-smithenterprises.com
www.twitter.com/janayablack

Punctuality Problem? Problem.

Habitual punctuality is a condition that I am clearly in the minority with. I will readily admit that I am very meticulous when it comes to my time; and this is only because I understand that time is the one commodity that you CAN NOT GET BACK!

In my line of work, meetings are a necessity. It's just what we do.  But more often than not (90% of the time), I find myself waiting for people who are running late for appointments that they themselves have set the date and time for and I just don't understand it.

For the doctors' offices that set appointments and then leave you sitting in the lobby for an hour past your appointment time, why not just give your clients a window of say 9-5 and take them on a first come first serve basis? After all, if they are late or miss an appointment you don't hold them up on charging that cancellation fee!

And for the the wedding parties that leave their guests sitting for hours waiting for the wedding ceremony or reception to start...don't even get me started on that.

Then there are the people that you have to tell that everything starts 2 hours earlier than it actually starts just so they'll make it somewhere near the "on time" mark; and we all know people like that.

Ergo, I present this post to let those who think it's cool to be "fashionably" late for everything that its very irritating to say the least and here's why:

1. It displays a lack of professionalism.

In my managerial capacity, I have had a total of 5 people show up late for job interviews. Can you guess what happened to those 5 individuals? Their resumes were thrown in the garbage and they were politely thanked for their time and told that they would not be considered for the job due to their lack of professionalism with being unable to show up to their INTERVIEW on time. 

Seriously, how do you show up late for a job interview and still expect to get hired? Who does that? 

If you are meeting with someone in a business capacity for the first time, your first impression is usually going to be the lasting one. Showing up on time says, "I'm ready to work!" or "I'm ready to get the job done!" Whereas showing up late says that you really don't take anything seriously.

2. It's rude.

Being late is rude, flat out. We all understand that sometimes things happen that can prevent one from being on time, but this should be the exception and not the rule.

When you make a habit of being late, it tells the person that is left waiting for you that you don't respect them or their time.  It's also a non-verbal statement that they are on your dime and whatever it is that has to be done can wait until you feel like showing up.

Did you really mean it that way? Probably not, but if you really cared enough to say otherwise you have would have planned better to account for unforeseen circumstances, traffic and whatever else you could blame your tardiness on.

Being on time is not a race thing and it's not a gender thing.  It's a respect thing. If making time deadlines isn't your thing and you're dealing with people who hold that in high regard then it's up to you to figure out a system that won't have people wanting to bite your head off when you finally do show up. 

As for me, if you decide to show up late, and more than 15 minutes late at that...don't be surprised if I'm gone when you get there.  Just saying...time is money. #keepitmoving

Ok, I'm done ranting now. As you were! :-) 

Visit me at www.black-smithenterprises.com for books and movies or follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/janayablack.

Self-Publishing Lessons Learned

Since self-publishing my first book in 2004 I have learned A LOT.   Some of those lessons were nice cushy lessons that didn't cost me anything but time, while others were a serious pain in the pocketbook. Pocketbook...who says that? Anyway, I digress.

While publishing a book isn't rocket-science, it is still a very time-consuming and sometimes intimidating process. Since I have been blessed with a wonderful network of very knowledgeable people who were willing to take the time to share pivotal information with me, I have decided to share few key things I've learned with you.

1. Learn your craft.

Just because you like to read doesn't automatically make you a good writer. Not everyone was born to be a writer.  As astonishing as that revelation is, it's true. Not everyone is gifted with a firm grasp of how to articulate the written word, so therefore it is imperative to study the craft and learn your strengths and weaknesses. This goes for the gifted, as well as those who were destined to work a little harder at it. Things like knowing how to put sentences together, formulate a storyline, use proper tense and punctuation are all very important things to know if you plan to write a book.

2. Finish the book.

Finishing your book is the most important part of any book project, because lets face it: If you don't have a finished book to sell, then you're pretty much wasting your time, as well as everyone else's.  Writing a book is more than a notion, and it takes time, dedication and discipline to do. So before you start going around telling your friends, family and everyone else who will listen that you're publishing a book, get the book finished first.

3. Get your book edited.

After I finished my first book I was so excited about the fact that I had finally finished it, all I wanted to do was to get it out for the world to see. I wasn't working with a lot of money at the time, so I figured I would cut corners by editing the book myself and then have some of my friends take a second glance at it for me.  WRONG ANSWER! 

After releasing the first run of my book, which was chocked full of typo's, grammatical and punctuation errors, I was forced to endure the humiliation of receiving reviews that pegged my work as having the potential of being a great story if it didn't have so many editing mishaps as a distraction for the reader to overcome. 

As a writer, it's always a bad idea to try to edit your own work simply because you're not going to catch all of your own mistakes because your brain is only going to see what you "meant" to write. And as far as having your friends do "glance overs" for you, they may not understand the written word as well as you think they do.

So after you finally finish your manuscript, make it a point to find and hire a good editor who understands your vision for your story and has a proven track record with respect to editing.  This is not something that should ever be compromised. This is your work, so be prepared to invest in it. Your readers deserve it.

4. Pick a great cover. 

The cover of your book is your reader's first introduction to your book. For the hundreds, thousands or even millions of people that you want to buy your book, you have to give them a reason to pick it up in the first place. This too was a lesson that I had to learn the hard way.

The cover for my first book, The Breaking Point, was symbolic for me. I wanted it to be metaphoric for the story's subject matter, so it was a picture of shattered glass with a knife behind it with red undertones. It was very cerebral and thought-provoking in my mind, so when a marketing expert told me that I needed to change my cover to be more appealing I was thoroughly offended.

Old Cover

So, I ignored her advice because after all what did she know? My cover was special and I felt that what was in between the front and back cover was much more important that what was on the outside. I was so confident that my readers would just get it, because after all...in my mind, I was a great writer.  As a result I spent a lot more time explaining myself, and my story, to potential readers than I did selling books.

Needless to say, a year later I took her up on her advice and, lo-and-behold, my book started selling itself because people would just walk by and pick it up to look at the cover and would then flip it over to read the back. The new cover gave me what the marketing expert referred to as "shelf appeal".

Revised Cover

 When designing your cover, don't plan to be cheap. Do your research and honestly ask yourself if this wasn't your book, would you pick it up off the shelf?

5. Know your market.

When selling anything, it's always important to know who you are selling to. It's a simple matter of the timeless principal of "supply and demand". If you study, learn and understand who is demanding your product and how to effectively supply that demand, then you will be successful in your endeavors. If you don't, you won't. It's that simple.

Marketing your book effectively takes imagination, drive and commitment.  Imagination to come up with creative ways to make and keep your book relative to your audience; drive to push yourself to find and keep up with the latest and most effective marketing tactics and to educate yourself on all aspects of the craft; and the commitment to see it through to reach and exceed your goals.

In the grand scheme of things, these five principals are the meat and potatoes of the self-publishing journey. If you are able to diligently and aggressively approach them the rest will be a piece of cake!

Check out the Prison Chronicles Series on Kindle or paperback!

Visit us at www.black-smithenteprises.com or follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/janayablack.

Till Death...Do Us Part is now available for rent on Amazon!