"Sometimes you have to encourage yourself’" goes the refrain on a gospel song that I’ve been leaning on lately. Oh yes, it’s red-zone deadline territory and your gurl is reaching for any inspiration she can get her speed-typing fingers on.

I’m nearing the deadline for my romantic comedy (PERFECT SHOT hits bookstores in the Fall of ‘09). It’s to the point that I have daily writing goals that I desperately need to hit. Ain’t it amazing how many excuses come to mind when your back it against that wall?

Times like these (among other times) I miss my mommy. She’s the one I can truly whine to. And that I did.  Miss the bus and it’s freezing at the bus stop? Pull out that cell phone and whine to Mummy about it. Apartment a mess and don’t know where to start? Call up Mummy and whine about it. Sure, this makes me sound like a total brat–but that’s not my point here, folks. The fact is–Mummy was always ready with encouragement that charged up my depeleted batteries when I needed it most.

Her advice was a nourishing pep talk that usually ended with  "Get to it–I’m praying for you," or  "I’ll call you in a few minutes to see how you’re making out." By the time I hung up, it usually felt like I just downed a can of Red Bull. I was amped and ready to tackle whatever lay ahead.

My mom was like an empath. You stubbed your toe and she felt it. Watching her contort her beautiful face in empathy was enough to zap that ache from your bunion. Also, as she liked to say, God listens to a mother’s prayer. So if I told her of my challenges, she could put in a good word for me.

My mom passed away last year. It’s taken me  a while to  say that. I only feel comfortable saying it now because pretty soon we’ll be in 2009, where that statement will no longer be true. :-(  It was tough coming into 2008 because my mother never experienced it. Still, the fact that 2008 rubs shoulders with 2007 kept her close–which was comforting to me. That’s what makes me sad about moving on to 2009. But Mummy will never be past tense to me.

When I first watched this performance of "Encourage Yourself" I was moved to tears. The singer has a quiet poise even when she’s  sangin’ with all her might. That’s my Mummy Viviane Rigaud to a "T!" Always dignified. Even more jolting–the lyrics were like a message straight from Mummy. These are all the things she’d tell my three sisters and me. And I’m sure my mom’s biggest worry is that she’s not here to encourage us. That’s why stumbling onto a video like this was no coincidence.

I got the message, Mummy. Thanks for leading me to it!

And P.S. Sorry about all that whining.

Hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. (It’s my most favorite holiday!)

Apologies for the infrequent posts. [Sharp slap on right wrist.] I’ve been laying low because the deadline for my fabulous Simon Pulse romantic comedy PERFECT SHOT is around the corner. Truth be told, my obsession for devouring every last morsel of campaign/election news on my daily news plate put me way behind schedule. (Full disclosure: I took hefty servings from every major news site’s pot…and on some days I’d even lick my plate clean.)  Witness the screen shot I took after Obama’s victory was announced. Notice the bottom tab where the PERFECT SHOT file stands in waiting like a wall flower.

Yup, my friends. That’s what your gurl has been up to. Now–on a good day–she’s editing and writing like a mad woman. There’s no Starbucks (AKA the "writer’s office") here in Bermuda so I’ve been staying home to write. That is, until my brilliant husband suggested I check out a coffee shop in the capitol. It’s the only one we know of and it’s proven to be a wonderful place in which to crank out thousands of words.

As for other non-writing highlights of my low-profile month, the in-laws flew in to spend Thanksgiving with us. It was their first time in Bermuda and they came with their two–ahem–spirited granddaughters (age 5 and 3). Before that, my honey played in a lacrosse tournament  here on the island. He represented for team USA and they won. Here’s a shot of him (player in center) on the field during the USA v. Bermuda game. I was so proud!

Also, hubby and I are getting our passports renewed. Oddly enough, we were both issued our passports 10 years ago (Kismet!) so they’re expiring in 2009. Well, check out how much I’ve changed in a decade. I took my new passport photo and compared it with the old one. Now I see why officials looked twice at me and at my photo every time I went through a check point. Months ago, one official (a Black woman) was honest enough to express what other officials could not. She asked me, "Is that YOU? You’re a lot darker in person!"  I told her that the original picture was taken in the New York City winter. But look at me now that I’m island livin’!

Back to the grind. But I’ll try to post again soon. In the meantime, please check out my recent post over at the Simon Pulse ro-com site.  I post over there around the 19th of every month. Toodles!

Yesterday I gave a talk at the Bermuda Youth Library in celebration of Teen Read Week. The event was organized by the wonderful librarians and their Teen Advisory Board (yes, the library has one!).  It was a pleasure to come out and work the reader cheerleader role. And  It was cool to hear that some of the attendees were in the middle of reading Hallway Diaries. After my gabfest, the floor was open to lots of good questions, which kept the conversation flowing until it was time to raid the sandwiches and drinks the library spread out for us.

Here I am with some of the students and Teen Advisory Board members. Great meeting you, guys! Thanks for coming.

BTW, when I arrived at the library, I learned that CITV, the government TV station, would be filming my entire talk. (Can I get a "Zoinks!") I think I may skip watching it when it airs next week. I’ll probably be too embarrassed to watch myself on screen. (I’ve discovered that I make the oddest John McCain type faces when I know I’m on camera–nervous eye rolls, odd grimaces, and all!!)

What a week! The annual Bermuda Music Festival is finally upon us and this year’s lineup is FI-YAH. Alicia Keyes, Lyfe Jennings, Beyonce and Solange, to name a few. Of course the big-name acts are cool, but I was excited that the Steve Harvey Morning Show would be here. I was a regular listener of his syndicated radio show (via New York City’s 107.5 WBLS) when I lived back home. Hilarious! Steve Harvey just cracks me up.

Mr. Harvey hosts this music festival annually. Incidentally, years ago I listened to him go on and on about how crystal clear Bermuda’s turquoise waters are and how progressive the island nation is. It piqued my curiosity about Bermuda. I wanted to know more about life on "the Rock" (as Bermuda is affectionately called by locals). Who knew that I’d eventually be living here–and crossing paths with Steve Harvey here.

I went to two live broadcasts of the morning show (yesterday and Wednesday). It was so much fun. A highlight was Michelle Obama phoning in to encourage folks to register to vote. But what I especially enjoyed was being among my back-home people. Folks flew in from Phili, DC, Galveston, Atlanta and everywhere in between.

Here’s a shot of Steve Harvey broadcasting live from Bermuda’s Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel.

Now on to last night’s concert highlights. It rained most of the afternoon, but by the time we got to our wet seats, the rain tapered off. Solange Knowles kicked the night off with a strong performance. When she sang her hit "I Decided" I had to get up out my seat.

Next on stage was Lyfe Jennings, Mr. R&B in a Hip Hop Guise. The brotha  showed grit, passion, and soul. I was impressed.

And last, but not least–and please excuse the shaky recording and blury picture–the Suga Mama herself, BEYONCE, backed by an awesome all-female band! (Of course I couldn’t just take a picture of the the dazzling Mrs. Carter. Her performance was too off-the-hook for a still shot.)

And that’s how you rock the Rock!

I just finished reading Love, Hollywood Style, the Simon Pulse ro com by P. J. Ruditis. Following the silver-screen-inspired adventures that character Tracy Vance goes through in this fun story got me thinking about movie montages. Yes, those narrative scenes stitched together and packaged with a rockin’ or sentimental tune lands a part in Tracy’s romantic plot. But while Tracy goes for the energized romantic montages, I usually like the more wistfully sentimental ones.

One of my favorites is from "13 Going on 30." Okay, so I was going through my "Alias"-obsessed phase when "13" came out–plus the crush-tastic Mark Ruffalo is the romantic lead–so I was an instant fan of the film. In it, a nostalgic and heartbroken Jennifer Garner returns home to Jersey (nevermind that she’s clearly riding the LIRR and not a NJ Transit train at the start of the montage, but who needs strict fact checkers for a fantasy romantic comedy?).

Not only do I love-love the Billy Joel song "Vienna" that’s featured , but I can so relate to that yearning for childhood comforts of home.  Anyone with me? I’m sure a few of my girlfriends can testify. This isn’t your typical busy, multi-scene montage but it is a narrative set to music. Feel your gurl Jennifer’s anguish in this sweet clip:

Another one of my ro com montage favorites is from "Just Like Heaven" staring Reese Witherspoon and, you guessed it, Mark Ruffalo. As with most montages, the music is initially what got me liking it. Amos Lee’s touching song "Colors" supplies the soundtrack to the "Just Like Heaven" montage (beginning at minute 3:01 to 4:57)–which happens after Mark is pained to find that Reese has come out of her coma with no memory of their special relationship. (sniff)

Can these kind of montages tug on your heart strings without the sentimental sounds of strings (or piano, brass, vocals, etc.)? I doubt it. [deep, wistful sigh]

Thanks, P.J., for triggering that waltz down memory lane.

Now I’m off to view my own personal montage–i.e. sparking up my iTunes while watching a slideshow of my summer vacation pics.

P.S.

- Tomorrow’s my first day blogging over at www.pulserocom.com so be sure to check out my post over there as well as here!!

By popular demand–well, at least at the request of a handful of folks–I’ve enlarged the tiny photos featured on my Ghana travel post.

I got a lot of great feedback about my list of top ten Ghana sights, but lots of complaints that the photos in the post were too small. Well, that was before I discovered the joys of Windows Live Writer. I still have a lot to learn as far as my tech skills go, but a little visual kick goes a long way.

Click here to revisit the Ghana post with its [cue harp sound effect] newly resized photos.

Enjoy!

I just returned from my visit to Jersey/NYC. It was sooo wonderful to be back.

And what a buzzin’ time it was to be in the Sates–the Democratic National Convention was going on and everyone was talking about it. (How exciting was that?) But [deep sigh] the trip was too short, so I didn’t get a chance to see some family and friends. The hubby and I had lots of errands to run and shopping to do because we’re not sure when we’ll be visiting the area again. My suitcase was heavy with new purchases (bed sheets, towels, clothes, etc.), but thank goodness it all fit.

It’s always sad to leave my amazing sister and my precious niece and nephew. Fortunately, the stunning sight of the coral reefs and clear, blue waters surrounding Bermuda brings your gurl some consolation. This clip was filmed a bit too late during the landing, but you get the idea.

And then this Labor Day, my honey and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary with a walk on the beach and my favorite dinner (his fantastic roast chicken). Happy Anniversary, Honey!!

My mood right now? Totally excited! I’m so happy to announce that I am officially a part of the SimonPulse romantic comedy community of authors. Yaaaay! Even though my own romantic comedy comes out in the Fall of ‘09, awesome author/RoCom blog moderator Jenn Echols has invited me to start posting! I’ve been checking out that RoCom blog for the longest, getting familiar with the writers and their YA author adventures. Now my name has been added to their blog team’s staring lineup. So, beginning in September, I will also be  posting my monthly two cents at the SimonPulse romantic comedy blog. Check me out over there around the 19th of every month. (By the way, the new shortcut address to the blog is www.PulseRoCom.com.)

I’m also excited that I’m flying home to Jersey today. Between our visits to family and friends, the hubby and I will be squeezing in lots of shopping (got to restock on stuff we can’t find here on the island).  Nice way to cap off our first summer in Bermuda.

Speaking of summer in Bermuda, for the past few weeks, we’ve been enjoying our first tropical summer with lots of house guests. I finally got to hang out with our wonderful Bermudian cousin Sonia, her son and her husband (my hubby’s cousin). She flew in for the island’s huge Cup Match holiday. And in between our guests’ visits, the hubby and I have been venturing around the island getting familiar with Bermudian summer happenings. Happenings like their annual Non-Mariner’s Race. Don’t worry-we were just as confused as you feel right now. Basically, it’s a wacky race of hilariously-decorated homemade boats/floats. By the way, each "boat" carries a mocking spin on a topical/hot-button issue in the news. The best part is when floats tip over spilling all its creatively-costumed occupants. Below is one crowded float mocking the recent closing of the Stateside Bermuda Tourism office.

And of course, we’ve hit the beach and our backyard hammock for some chillaxin.

Plus I’ve been working a bit on my cooking. I call this one Haitian sushi. It’s a yummy strip of turkey bacon wrapped inside of a sweet plantain.

Before I sign off and hop on our flight, I must express my shock. Can you be-lieve that this year marks 10 years since Lauryn Hill dropped the amazing "Miseducation of Lauryn Hill?" Whuuut? TEN years! I clearly remember being one of those stans who impatiently counted the milliseconds until the CD dropped. There I was on the Brooklyn-bound subway examining my new copy of the CD. Remember the dope cover design? True hotness.

I distinctly remember reading the liner notes like it was a juicy novel and anticipating my subway stop so that I could get home and listen to Lauryn’s soul. Yes, I tell you–I was a straight-up stan for Lauryn.

So, this week I’ve been listening to the CD and finding new meaning in it all over again. (Talk about memories! A fellow Jersey girl, Lauryn’s track "Every Ghetto, Every City" shouts out spots I grew up around in "New Jerusalem.") It’s been a while since I’ve heard it and it’s still golden.

Enjoy the rest of your August! Check back soon.

This Live Writer program is really taking your gurl places. Now I’m stepping things up a few notches with this first video post. Painful for me to watch, yes. (And what the heezy is up with the awkward freeze frame shot? Ugh.) But it had to be done sooner or later. And exciting still cuz it’s a milestone for me. Enjoy!