Chicken Soup for the African American Woman's Soul (36 page)

Ruthell Cook Price
received her bachelor of science degree from California State University, Los Angeles. She is an administrative assistant in banking for HTC International Ministry. Ruth is a wife and the mother of three sons and has one grandson. A professional singer for several decades,writing has become her current passion. E-mail her at:
[email protected]
.

Swannee Rivers
received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in 1987. She lives with her family in Renton, Washington. Swannee is the author of three literary works:
Healthcare Under Dress: An Inside Look at the
University of Washington Billing Scandal
, a cancer journal, and a teen journal. Please e-mail her at [email protected].

Bari-Ellen Ross
graduated from Loyola University in Chicago where she received a B.A. in business. Bari and her husband, Charles, own and operate a seafood/soulfood restaurant, Ross' Hooked & Cooked, in Phoenix, Arizona. She is the proud mother of two daughters, Brooke and Staci.

Carol Ross-Burnett
is a gospel artist, songwriter and producer with Mighty Power Productions and H.I.S. Records, founded with her husband, Ron. A Berkeley graduate, she is also a dynamic speaker, trainer and published author who travels nationally through her company, CRB Consulting. Carol resides in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons. For booking and information, contact her at
[email protected]
.

Jerilyn Upton Sanders
lives outside Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her husband and infant son. She currently directs an inner-city educational enrichment program. She hopes to follow in her grandmother's footsteps to encourage all children to work hard, educate themselves and make their ancestors proud. E-mail her at
[email protected]
.

Sophfronia Scott
, “The Book Sistah,” wrote for
Time
and
People
magazines before publishing her first novel,
All I Need to Get By
and being hailed byHenry Louis Gates, Jr. as potentially “one of the best writers of her generation.” Sophfronia provides workshops and coaching for aspiring authors at
www.TheBookSistah.com
.

Angel V. Shannon
, poet, writer and activist, is the author of
. . . And Then There Were
Butterflies
(2004). Committed to social change, she balances a career in medicine with motherhood, writing, and lecturing on human rights and environmental justice. Ms. Shannon is currently completing her first novel. Visit her Web site at:
www.angelvshannon.typepad.com
.

Nikki D. Shearer-Tilford
is a writer and owns a business, The Sacred Mind. Her story, “I Am My Sister's Keeper,” appeared in
Chicken Soup for the African American

Soul
. She enjoys encouraging the expression of unresolved emotions through gifts, talents and strengths, and creating healing messages that speak to the heart/Spirit. She can be reached at
[email protected]
.

Sonya Simpson
received her bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of Notre Dame. She is transitioning her career from the financial industry to teaching preschool children and writing. Sonya enjoys cooking, live music, dancing, swimming and going to the theatre. Please e-mail her at
[email protected]
.

Dayciaa C. Smith
is author of
The Godfamily Series
and
The Way of the Righteous
. Visit her Web site at
www.dayciaa.net
for more information about her and her novels. She has a doctor of education degree and teaches children's Bible study and Sunday school. Her son is Timothy Paul Smith.

Sheila P. Spencer
created W.O.W. (Women of Words) and SistahFriend, an online newsletter.
He Is: A Lyrical Miracle
is her spoken word CD. She writes because that's what she was created to do! Sheila believes she's been blessed to be a blessing to you. Contact her at
[email protected]
or
www.SistahSheila.com
.

Kelly Starling Lyons
, a North Carolina journalist, transforms relationships, memories and history into stories of discovery. Her children's books include
NEATE:
Eddie's Ordeal
and the upcoming release,
A Million Men and Me
(Just Us Books). Find out more at
www.kellystarlinglyons.com
. This story is dedicated to her grandma, Ruth Starling, and her mother, husband and daughter.

Bernetta Thorne-Williams
was born and raised in Washington, D.C. She received a B.A. in English and a B.S. in criminal justice from North Carolina Wesleyan College. Bernetta has written several romance novels. She resides in North Carolina with her husband and two sons. Please e-mail her at
[email protected]
.

Jacinda Townsend
a 2003–04 fiction fellow at the Wisconsin Institute of Creative Writing and a 2002 Hurston Wright Award finalist, has been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies. A former Fulbright fellow and graduate of both Harvard University and the Iowa Writers' Workshop, she teaches at Southern Illinois University.

Karen Waldman, Ph.D.
, a licensed psychologist, is a frequent contributor to the
Chicken Soup
series. She enjoys writing, dancing, the theater, music, nature, spending time with relatives and friends, traveling with her husband, Ken, and playing with their children and grandchildren (Lana, Greta, and Natalie). Karen's e-mail is
[email protected]
.

Patricia L. Watler Johnson
earned a bachelor of business administration degree in real estate from Pace University in 1983 and is a housing and communications professional in New York State government. She is the proud mother of Theodore and Clifton Johnson and has received awards for her community service. Pat enjoys writing and motivational speaking and is writing a book on forgiveness as a path toward healing. She can be reached at
[email protected]
.

Carolyn West
received her certification in Audix and Definity administration from Avaya University in Pasadena, California, in 2001. She is currently a telecommunications analyst with IBM Global Services. She enjoys singing, writing poetry and mentoring her grandson Derell. She plans to write a novel. Please e-mail her at
[email protected]
.

Lisa J. Whaley
is president of Life Work Synergy, LLC. A highly sought-after speaker, she's the author of
Reclaiming My Soul from the Lost and Found
and
Prisoners

of Technology: Time to Get UNPLUGGED
. Lisa received a bachelor of science degree from Hampton University in 1982. Contact Lisa at
www.lisawhaley.com
.

Mary SaxonWilburn
a retired R.N., has been writing since childhood. She currently lives near Atlanta, Georgia, where she is active in the writing community. One of her stories appeared in
Chicken Soup for the Nurse's Soul
, and her first mystery novel,
Blood Kin
, was published in 2005. E-mail her at:
[email protected]
.

Blanche Williams
is the host of the nation's newest talk show sensation, Greatness by Design, broadcast live from coast-to-coast on XM Satellite Radio. She's an acclaimed author of
How to Design Your Mind for Greatness
, motivational speaker, business strategist, inspirational columnist, life coach and successful entrepreneur. Please e-mail her at
[email protected]
.

Permissions

We would like to acknowledge the following publishers and individuals for permission to reprint the following material. (Note: The stories that were penned anonymously, that are in the public domain, or that were written by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen or Lisa Nichols are not included in this listing.)

A Line in the Sand
. Reprinted by permission of Sherie Labedis. © 2005 Sherie Labedis.

Legacy
. Reprinted by permission of Jerilyn Upton Sanders. © 2002 Jerilyn Upton Sanders.

Letters of Love
. Reprinted by permission of LorraineM. Elzia. © 2005 LorraineM. Elzia.

Walking the Lessons of Life
. Reprinted by permission of H. Renay Anderson. © 2005 H. Renay Anderson.

These Precious Hands
. Reprinted by permission of Sheila P. Spencer. © 2005 Sheila P. Spencer.

My Mother's Shoes
. Reprinted by permission of Andrea Blackstone. © 2005 Andrea Blackstone.

What She Said
. Reprinted by permission of Betty DeRamus. © 2005 Betty DeRamus.

Getting to Know Miss Gladys
. Reprinted by permission of Bari-Ellen Ross. © 2004 Bari-Ellen Ross.

The Ring
. Reprinted by permission of Monica Montgomery. © 2004 Monica Montgomery.

Just Like Mom
. Reprinted by permission of Linda Coleman-Willis. © 2005 Linda Coleman-Willis.

Mama's Hands
. Reprinted by permission of Evelyn Palfrey. © 2005 Evelyn Palfrey.

The Outfit
. Reprinted by permission of Berthena Kemp. © 2005 Berthena Kemp.

Birthdays and Blessings
. Reprinted by permission of Karen Waldman. © 2005 Karen Waldman.

Dancing in the Kitchen
. Reprinted by permission of Barbara Holt. © 2002 Barbara Holt.

History Through Herstory
. Reprinted by permission of Emma Ransom Hayward. © 2003 Emma Ransom Hayward.

Ninety-Pound Powerhouse.
Reprinted by permission of Swannee Rivers. © 2003 Swannee Rivers.

My Womb's Butterfly
. Reprinted by permission of E. Claudette Freeman. © 2005 E. Claudette Freeman.

The Wisdom of Motherhood
. Reprinted by permission of Lolita and Briana Hendrix. © 2005 Briana Hendrix and Lolita Hendrix.

One Day, You'll Understand
. Reprinted by permission of Kelly Starling Lyons. © 2005 Kelly Starling Lyons.

Even a Dancing Time
. Reprinted by permission of Angel V. Shannon. © 2005 Angel V. Shannon.

Keeping Faith
. Reprinted by permission of Tracy Clausell-Alexander. © 2004 Tracy Clausell-Alexander.

Handpicked to Nurture
. Reprinted by permission of T. Rhythm Knight. © 2005 T. Rhythm Knight.

Single-Mommy Love
. Reprinted by permission of Dayciaa C. Smith. © 2005 Dayciaa C. Smith.

The Christmas Sparrows
. Reprinted by permission of Joe Gurneak. © 2005 Joe Gurneak.

Soul Food Rite of Passage
. Reprinted by permission of Anita S. Lane. © 2005 Anita S. Lane.

Lesson for a New Life
. Reprinted by permission of Evelyn K. Lemar. © 2005 Evelyn K. Lemar.

Bathed in Love
. Reprinted by permission of Adiya Dixon–Sato. © 2005 Adiya Dixon– Sato.

My Cup Runneth Over
. Reprinted by permission of Nikki Shearer-Tilford. © 2005 Nikki Shearer-Tilford.

Meet Me in the Middle
. Reprinted by permission of Connnie Bennett. © 2005 Connie Bennett.

The Dreadful Story
. Reprinted by permission of Lisa Bartley-Lacey. © 2005 Lisa Bartley-Lacey.

Gluttony to Glory
. Reprinted by permission of Stacey Lindale Banks. © 2005 Stacey Lindale Banks.

Getting Real
. Reprinted by permission of Elaine K. Green. © 2004 Elaine K. Green.

Crown of Splendor
. Reprinted by permission of Sheila P. Spencer. © 2005 Sheila P.

Spencer.

Birth of a Nappy Hair Affair
. Reprinted by permission of Linda Jones. © 2003 Linda Jones.

A Cup of Tenderness
. Reprinted by permission of Brenda Caperton. © 2005 Brenda Caperton.

Sistahood
. Reprinted by permission of Jeanine DeHoney. © 2005 Jeanine DeHoney.

Who Is Helping Whom?
Reprinted by permission of Margaret Lang. © 2005 Margaret Lang.

Merry Christmas, Emma
. Reprinted by permission of Mary Saxon Wilburn. © 2001 Mary Saxon Wilburn.

Elegant Ladies . . . Again
. Reprinted by permission of Karla Brown. © 2005 Karla Brown.

Friday Afternoon at the Beauty Shop
. Reprinted by permission of Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig. © 2002 Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig.

Sisters' Song
. Reprinted by permission of Rita Billbe. © 2000 Rita Billbe.

Divine Intervention
. Reprinted by permission of Michelle Cummins. © 2005 Michelle Cummins.

Holy Ghost Filled
. Reprinted by permission of Kiana Green. © 2002 Kiana Green.