My Fiancé K.J. is back from his nine-month stint overseas:!)
I’m still hard at work on the new manuscript, so sorry no new free shorts for a while.
A new event has been added to the calender. Keywords are always BOOK SIGNING.
Pink and grey, "Hope starts with me" canisters will be placed in about seven Hampton Roads business locations. Please drop your spare change in to help raise funds for Making Strides of Hampton Roads 2008. Download my free short stories and Enjoy Your Summer! 

I made the Dean’s List at ODU!!

Excuse me while I give myself a pat on the back:) Whatever!:)

Here is a picture from my Sigma Tau Delta induction ceremony.

Hello All! I know that October seems sooooo far away, but it is time to start thinking about Making Strides of Hampton Roads 2008. The annual walk to help raise money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. I need your help and would love to have you as a team member. Please click on the link below to sign up. Thanks!
JOIN TEAM TANYA YVONNE

Making Strides of Hampton Roads 2008
Walk date: Saturday, October 4
Walk location: TBD
Registration: 8:00 am.
Walk begins: 9:00 am.
No registration fee.

Well during the past two weeks people have been engaging in a public debate that is exactly like the one, which has been going on within my close family circle for sometime now.  The debate over whether Tyler Perry’s work is a reflection of actual black life, or is crudely based on stereotypes. I won’t discuss my family members’ stance, but rather I will just state my own.
Tyler Perry’s work is crudely based on stereotypes that help to thrust unfavorable images about Blacks into society. I have no problem with someone doing what they have to do to get a foot in "the door."  At some point though, one has to forget about the dollars and focus on the sense, as in substance:)

              The Mothering

      Sophia reluctantly let her now frustrated husband, lead her from the room. Just before she took that last step, she could not resist looking back. To her surprise, the baby still lay sleeping peacefully. Once in the den, Sophia eased her exhausted body down onto the sofa. From where she sat, the lanky woman had a clear view of the outside. All she could see was miles and miles of soil and vegetation. Her husband was sitting near her and was presently talking on the subject of strange behavior. He seemed to be concerned about something, but what Sophia did not know. The young mother’s mind was elsewhere.
The Mothering

The rejection rate for manuscripts is 90% plus. Yes, more than 90% of all manuscripts submitted to publishers and agents are tossed in the trash UNREAD. Recently I have come across several people who have looked at me smugly once they found out that I, oh my gosh, self-published. The lowest of the low for any would be respectable writer. Oh so they think.

Instead of looking down smugly upon the self-published author. Perhaps those whose favorite statement always seems to include some form of, "I still have my rejection letters," this is often said as a badge of honor, should reconsider their view of the self-published author.  I don’t have a stack of rejection letters, but I will tell you what I do have. I have the sales information of books sold. I have signed copies of my books in the hands of numerous people. I have good and even a few great reviews splashed about on the world wide web. I have readers out there who know my name. I also have a good reputation that is rising daily. Most importantly I have my first published book in hand. And while those of you who look down upon the self-published author while wearing your rejection letters proudly pinned to your lapel, I Tanya Yvonne and all the other published authors out there will continue to sell books. How about the next time you hear that someone has been proactive about their dreams you smile, give encouragement and then go trash that rejection lapel pin:)

Hello All! I recently got braces:) I posted a picture below. Whatever:!) My third and final short story will be reviewed this week in the fiction workshop/class. I have had some inquires about how to access my downloadable stories. You must click on the words sign up in order to access them. You will then be on my IT list (like a celebrity A list). You will be among the first who will have access to the first chapter(s) of my new manuscript. And of course you will be able to read all my short stories.  Hope that helps to clarify things.

Hello All! I had my last book signing this past weekend and it was very enjoyable. I encountered a bunch of interesting and nice people. As always, thanks to those who stopped by to chat and/or purchase:) 

Signed copies of Alexander are available at the TCC Barnes & Noble bookstore located in MacArthur Center Mall.

I have some good news! I am one of the new members of Sigma Tau Delta (STD) English Honor Society!

Last week I had my second story reviewed by the workshop/fiction class. The response was again favorable. One suggestion made by L.H. was that perhaps I should add a little to the beginning, creating a frame story around the inner story, which leads me to my tip from the workshop/fiction class.

The frame story, I learned, is a very old device that was used by writers to connect a series of stories within a larger story. One example would be starting a story with a narrator that is old. That elderly narrator would then begin to tell another story about something that occurred during his/her youth. After the flashback story was complete, you would then bring the story back to the presently older narrator. Usually this is when an explanation for the telling of the flashback is given.

A new short story will be posted this weekend!

I won’t get the critique of my second short story until this week. I will not be looking forward to them. After all, I did not get past the first page of my last critiques. Atop the stack of marked papers was one where a classmate suggested that I omit all descriptive lines like, "The lanky woman . . . " and replace them with flat words like she instead. Oh my, oh my, oh my:) I smiled as I threw the stack in a nearby trash can. Whatever.
Here’s a tip from the class/workshop. Never start a story with an alarm clock scene. The experts find this to be a boring opening as the reader has to get through the whole waking up, showering, getting dressed and so on and so on stuff.
One of the short stories I wrote, The Mothering, was inspired by my new manuscript. The new shorts won’t be posted until this spring. They may only be available for It list members, so please sign up:) Joining cost you nothing and you will be able to read more stories for free.
Thanks to Barnes & Noble and to those who have chatted with me recently at signings, and a special thanks for those who purchased a copy.

Thanks for the support:!)

I have added a new short story (The Last Snowfall of Childhood).  It was one written for a class I took last summer.  You can click on the link below to read it.    http://www.tanyayvonne.com/Downloads.php

The holidays this year have been a little less jolly for me. Toward the end of the summer, I bid farewell to my fiancé for a year. He is in the Navy and is currently stationed in Diego Garcia. As I was boxing his present up to be shipped out, my thoughts turned to others who are faced with the same situation. This post is for all of you who have a loved one ( not just in the military) who is too far away to hold. I wish for them to be safe and hope you can find some cheer with the loved ones who are near.
Below is a picture of my honey taken just days before he left.  

Here are some pictures from my launch event.
We had a great turn out!!
And for those of you who missed out,
I have one final local appearance
in February, at the Williamsburg Barnes & Noble.
Happy Holidays!

The gentleman in the picture, wearing the hat,
is Michael Taggert Magician Extraordinaire.
Michael performed at the book launch event and was a big hit.
I have posted a link to his website for more information.
http://www.gigmasters.com/magic/MichaelTaggertMagicianExtraordinaire/

Hello All!
I have two reviews posted on Barnes and Noble.com, to read them please click on the link below.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=tanya+yvonne&z=y
 
I am also the spotlight author at great reads.com, again please click on the link below to read the review.
http://great-reads.blogspot.com/2007/11/alexander-by-tanya-yvonne.html
 
Special thanks to the science fiction literature class at Thomas Nelson Community College. I really enjoyed our discussion on Butterfly Kisses.

Please check the event calender. Keywords are BOOK SIGNING.
Thanks!

Please check the events calendar.  Key words are book signing.

Hello

Don't forget about this weekends Walk for the Cure, taking place in Norfolk, VA.  For more information click on the events calender page. 

Hope to see you there!

Tanya Yvonne

Hello All!

Just a reminder that I will be at the fanta-sci 2007 convention this weekend. 

 
Area book signing events are coming soon.  I am also in the process of putting together a belated book launch event.  The IT list newsletter will be arriving shortly. 

Thanks!

Tanya Yvonne

So I was in the middle of doing thirty on my treadmill when this song caught my ear. It was that new song by Rihanna. She had the chickest haircut and I was instantly inspired, so now I am sporting a new haircut myself. Feeling quite sassy and working on the next Alexander installment, I sort of let that sauciness seep into a few passages. Wait. I’m getting ahead of myself here.

Back to Alexander the appetizer.

Alexander is a novella about a boy who not only is dealing with the death of his mother, but also the strange dreams that now plague him. Home is now where his aunt lives. Dreams filled with images of candy fields and sport figures, are replaced with ones of unearthly looking creatures in strange meetings. Alexander’s life is forever changed by events that began before his conception.

Alexander begins to become aware. Aware of his ability to see a person’s true self, aware of the ugly that lies dormant within him, aware of the weapons that dwell just beneath his skin.

I refer to Alexander as an appetizer because, well it is. The novella gets you acquainted with the characters, while also arousing your curiosity.

Anyway.

Don’t forget to join the IT list and just maybe you, will be invited to my up coming release party this fall.

Gotta go, you know classes to prepare for, writing to do whatever, whatever...