Looking for readership, so it's time I say something about the reviews I've received.

My heart compelled me to write 'Born To Return The Gift'. The book was written in 2007 and wasn't published until 2009. After enough rejections, I self-published it through my own company with a mission to create literary, film, and music to intrigue the mind, prick the heart, and incite the spirit. I strongly feel the need to write about issues that are common to many in the hopes of encouraging faith in God, our creator, whom I believe predestined each of us to live our lives like it's golden despite adversity.

I believe we all have our own hardships and burdens to bear in life, but if we look at it with a positive perspective we come to the realization that they are beneficial lessons for personal growth because it helps elevate our humanity, and in doing so helps elevate others' humanity as well.

I want to thank all of those who have reviewed my book. Of course I am thrilled by the good reviews, but I want it to be known that I am not discouraged or daunted by the bad...such is expected in a world where everyone is entitled to their opinions.  I hope to receive many more - good, bad, or indifferent - and respect all that which is honestly given. I realize that in a competitive world there are those who feel no shame in going full throttle with negativity on someone else's art and right to be heard, especially if the voice is counter to their own.

In 'Born To Return The Gift', alot of issues are raised. Mother/daughter conflict; sibling rivalry; teenage pregnacy; blind submission; abortion; domestic violence; alcohol/drug use; profanity; friendships; adultery/revenge; love/pain; death of loved ones - through natural causes and perpetration; child abuse; the impact of racism; sexual orientation; coping with depression and post traumatic stress disorder; childhood molestation; and most importantly, spiritual re-awakening. The point is - we all fall down at one time or another from something or another, but if we grasp a positive view we have learned a lesson from the fall, and graciously rise with humility and fortitude for another opportuntity to win.

Eventually there will be more reviews. I welcome them all, whether negative or positive, but of course I'm going to accentuate on the positive and leave the negative behind because that's how I choose to live.

How you living?
I'm only human and cannot resist acknowledging Melissa's insights (the book journal review cited below) Excuse the omission of 'are' - LOL - chalk it up to ebonics. (How are you living?)

No ebonics dictionary was necessary for the real life dialogue I chose to express in my book. Misspellings? . . . sometimes it's an art form. For example, I choose to refer to females or a mixed group as guyz instead of the masculine form - guys. As far as the profanity, well . . . it belonged to Naima (Mena), not Nyima (Nima) - the main character of the book. It was necessary because it was a show rather than tell approach which resolved with Mena eventually acknowledging that maybe it was time for a change. (Her own spiritual awakening at her own chosen time.) There was a warning in the beginning of the book about profanity. For anyone who would be so "horrified" as Melissa claimed to be, I can't help but wonder - why did she choose to proceed with reading the book in the first place?  And just as my name Catherine, for example, could be nick named Cathy or Katie, or any other imaginative choice, Mena and Nima was my perogative because I wrote the book.

Melissa couldn't tell if I was A.A. - ?? The first time I've seen such a label. I AM an African American and like most of us, can be as articulate as the next person. I AM proud of my race and culture (We are as varied as any other race, but ALL can be stereotyped by humor or ignorance.); I value my right to express myself; and appreciate my ability and audacity to do my own thing. Like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr., who belonged to the same rat pack, both sang - 'I did it my way' - you too can love it or hate it.

BTW - My photograph is shown at the end of the book. Surely she could tell I wasn't Caucasian, but then again her sight, like her reading comprehension isn't very clear at all.

Feel free to blast me or commend me on my insight or lack there of, but sometimes Peter talks about Paul and tells more about Peter than Paul . . . I'm just saying . . . I would have had more respect for her opinion if she'd just stated facts without an attempt at a comedy routine at my expense.