www.debbierigaud.com

It’s been days of Internet frustration (turns out I need a new laptop), but now there’s finally cause for celebration. Because of these issues, I’m a day late announcing this, but no time like the present: I guest blogged on fabulous natural hair website Black Girl w/ Long Hair (BGLH)! I love reading BGLH any chance I get, so being featured on it is beyond exciting for me. And get this—after reading my “Between The Lines” post about naturally kiny-curly hair on YA/children’s book covers, BGLH empress Leila Noelliste (love her name!) invited me to write about my personal “going natural” experience.

BTW, a huge thank you all for your comments on the “Between The Lines” post. I’m so glad you guys like the new feature. Lots more to come!

After playing host to back-to-back visitors at our cottage these past weeks, the fact that I get to play “guest”—in any capacity—is really cool. Please head on over to BGLH to check out the guest post (and maybe leave a comment). Hope you enjoy!

Thank you for the opportunity, Leila Noelliste!

So glad my home Internet is back up. Our land line (which has a US number) is hooked up to the Internet, so when it’s down, no talkie with the family.

Took a walk on Bermuda’s Railway Trail the other day. In an effort to break out of my laziness, I decided to take a stroll to my girlfriend’s house instead of driving. It took me a half hour to get there, but the sights along the way made the journey feel quicker. Here are some shots of the trail, which used to be an actual railway until Bermuda got rid of their train system in the 1940s. Can’t you just picture an iron horse blasting through the below path?

What’s left today is a trail that runners, cyclists, dog walkers and plain ole walkers like me use without worrying about the dangers of the island’s narrow roads.

Speaking of dangers, once when I was on the trail alone, a man walked out of the bushes. Uh-oh, I thought. This could go either way. Fast forward five minutes later and he and I were both walking side by side, stretching our arms over our heads in sync, practicing deep breathing. He instructed me to be mindful of taking deeper breaths by inhaling deeply for three steps and then exhaling slowly for three steps. I wondered, would this chance encounter end up this way had I been at some park back home?

Above, the ubiquitous oleander and hibiscus flowers in some of their colorful variations. Below, an authentic moongate at the entrance of a cottage off the trail. Legend has it, it’s lucky for a newlywed couple to kiss under a moongate.

I enjoyed the walk, but was especially grateful for the ride home later that afternoon.

Happy trails!

I’m premiering a new feature on my blog. My “Between The Lines” posts will introduce real-life themes or topics inspired by children’s/YA fiction.

To kick things off, let’s talk about cover images of Black girls’ hair. Yes, there’s been way too much “whitewashing” going on these past few months. But I’ll stand on my chair and sound a vuvuzela if I see even one cover prominently featuring a Black girl in all her naturally kinky curly glory. I’m still excited about the PERFECT SHOT cover, featuring my main character London Abrams rocking her big hair. Notice that throughout the story, London doesn’t feel she has to straighten her hair to compete in the model search.

Here are a few kinky curly characters who practically jumped off the bookshelves to grab my attention (see below). Check out the adorable image on the new chapter book SUNSHINE PICKLELIME illustrated by Christian Slade. Author Pamela Ferguson’s whimsically-titled tale is about a girl who invites a dejected yellow bird to live in her bushy hair. I should also note that in the story, big hair is not at first admired. And who can forget the stand-out image for INDIGO SUMMER, one of the first books to launch the KimaniTru imprint?  The same curly girl went on to be featured on other covers in author Monica McKayhan’s series. Then there’s the cover art for author Sherri Winston’s book THE KAYLA CHRONICLES. The way the character wears her hair plays into the story—Kayla is an activist main character who loses the puffy hair when she goes glam for an “undercover” investigation.

And, if you can believe it, I was once featured as a book cover model. Interesting enough, I was chosen because of my hair. It was a total fluke—I personally know the book cover designer, and he was in desperate search of a Black woman with “natural hair” per author Crystal E. Wilkinson’s request. And no, the book isn’t about Blackberry phones. The title is inspired by Kentucky country living, as evidenced by the basket of blackberries next to me. Here I am, a NYC-born girlie posing as country girl. Convincing?

While we’re on the subject of coiled coifs, I thought I’d share my personal regime. I get lots of questions about my hair, so here goes a quick rundown of one of my usual styles, the “twist-out.” First, it’s all about moisturizing. I usually turn to Carol’s Daughter products for help in that department. Here I am, post-wash, setting my big hair in a handful of plump double-strand twists.

In these photos, I washed my hair at night, and then wore my twists to bed. But you can wear your twists as a style for days. The next morning, I untwisted and…voila!

Just don’t expect me to ever let a yellow bird take residence in this here head of hair.

Suntan lotion? Check! Bikini? Check! Sun hat. Check! No breezy summer T-shirt and juicy beach read? Not to worry. YA author Jenny O’Connell has got you covered—literally!

To celebrate the launch of her Island Summer series LOCAL GIRLS  and RICH BOYS, Jenny is giving away an Island Summer T-shirt in the size of your choice. It’s the perfect companion to her series, which CosmoGiRL! calls “sweet romances with relatable characters trying to find themselves.”

About LOCAL GIRLS:
In LOCAL GIRLS, friendships are in danger of ending with the summer. Kendra and Mona are best friends, local girls who spend their summers catering to rich tourists and the rest of the year chafing against small-town life. Then Mona’s mom marries one of the island’s rich summer visitors, and Mona joins the world of the Boston elite, leaving Kendra and Martha’s Vineyard behind. When Mona returns the following summer, everything is different.

About RICH BOYS:
In RICH BOYS, Winnie jumps at the chance to babysit for a wealthy summer family and earn some extra money—but soon learns that life in the Barclay’s beautiful vacation home isn’t as perfect as it appears. And what was supposed to be a carefree summer quickly becomes more complicated than she ever thought possible.

Excited yet? Head over to Jenny’s blog for the latest updates on the series and for your chance to win an Island Summer T. Good luck!