The Bridesmaids--The Trailer

Sometimes, you would like your audience to have a visual for your work, something that they can latch onto and be interested in. So I decided to create a trailer for my upcoming work, "The Bridesmaids".

The Bridesmaids--The Book Trailer. Enjoy! Available now for Pre-Orderhttp://www.amazon.com/Bridesmaids-Sonya-Dickerson-ebook/dp/B01AX9KLFG/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1456247801&sr=1-2&keywords=the+bridesmaids

Posted by Sonya Dickerson on Tuesday, February 23, 2016

The Bridesmaids is Available to PreOrder Now

The Bridesmaids

Available now for preorder on Amazon.com!
This is the best one yet!

WHAT'S NEW EVERYONE?

Working on a Supernatural Thriller titled, "Father Time". Just started a first draft yesterday and it's going really well.

Also the dark comedy, Serial Me, is coming along very well. I'm still in first draft stage and I hope to finish and have everything  published by late January 2013.

Also you Diary of A Sick Chick Fans, the sequel is coming soon February 2013. Diary of A Sick Chick: Year Two of Chronic Illness.

The Urban Fiction Plague Part One

Lately, I've been in an Urban fiction mood. I used to read Urban Fiction back in the day but stopped since my tastes changed and I began a career in writing for myself. It's also safe to say that because I lived a sheltered life, I really didn't find myself relating to many of the plots that are characteristic of such fiction...especially in my adult years. I have moved away from the inner city and I live in a small town. 

I recently decided to give Urban Fiction a chance because...well why not? Some of the plot lines are interesting and I discovered new and exciting authors that are really talented and I enjoy their work. 

But as I began my search for good urban fiction, I began to see the same patterns all over again. Here are some of my complaints that are going WRONG in that particular genre.

1. Books With "Bitch" In The Title

You'd be amazed (maybe not) about the amount of books out there with the B word in the title. Gangster Bitch, Gangsta Bitch, Baddest Bitch, Welfare Bitch, EBT Bitch, Light Skinned Bitch, Wannabe Bitch, Stupid Bitch, Dime Piece Bitch.....so on and so forth. Some of the titles are a bit facetious but you get the drift. Every book has this Baddest Bitch character where she is the best looking girl on the block and all the men want her. She has a banging body and her skills in the bedroom can't compare.

2. There Is A Drug Dealer Named Nino....ALWAYS

Yes. No UF book is complete without a drug dealer named Nino. In fact, if he isn't Nino, then you need at least a few drug dealers scattered throughout the book. If the book is heroine based, then there is a good drug dealer (if there is such a thing) that really cares for the heroine and her children. They just want her to see the error of her ways or choose him over the big black ugly drug dealer that once made her eat Jell-O  off the floor and beat her senseless.........yeah...some of these plot lines.

3. Light Skin, Long Hair, Don't Care

The heroine of these books almost will never be a short dark skinned girl with "nappy" and "unruly" hair. Nope! Her hair, thanks to her so called Indian heritage, will sport long hair draping down her back. She will have pecan colored skin so she will definitely pass the paper bag test. (If you don't know what that means, then put down one of those books and read some real African American literature) She is flawless and always the baddest bitch in the game (see example #1)

I'll be posting a part two to this series. It really is disturbing sometimes when almost all of the UB books are literally the same! Same plot lines and same characters. One would think that this is all UB has to offer when there is so much more to Black culture than bad bitches and drug dealers. 

I'm looking forward to the day where an author can let some of these stereotypical characters go and craft an ingenious story with characters that I can believe in. That will be an author worth reading. Until then, the situation looks hopeless. 

Urban Fiction writers out there. Let's get some new material. Think outside the box. And for the love of God, if you write one more drug dealer named Nino into your storyline, I'm bashing my Kindle against the wall.

Black Girls Don't Cry

EXCERPT FROM THE TEACHER'S PET....

Black Girls Don't Cry

You don't get to show your tears.
And admit to the world all of your fears.
Girl are you still bitter after all these years?
Black girls don't cry.

Wipe those tears from your eyes.
And don't you dare forget your disguise.
Somewhere in between the truth does lie.
Haven't you learned that Black girls don't cry?

She must always remember her role.
For that Jezebel has traded in her soul.
She's the lowest being on the totem pole.
But Black girls don't cry.

Demonized by those who look like you,
Fighting stereotypes that aren't true.
You can't win no matter what you do.
But Black girls don't cry.

Seducing men to drink from her cup.
Hold your head high and just suck it up.
Do you think the world really gives a F*&^?
Black girls don't cry.

They don't know what she went through.
Her face deceives but only she holds the truth.
That her cold stony heart could break in two.
But Black girls don't cry.


(c) Sonya Dickerson 2012

Dealing With the Aftermath of Sexual Assault

I never intended to write a book about my experiences, but so much in my life has changed. When I was diagnosed with Lupus, I knew that my time on Earth could be limited. I have already had a near death experience that has reminded me that life is precious and should never be wasted.

I had to get my truth out. Being faced with the decision to go back to school and get a degree, I had to face the reason why I vowed to never step into a classroom again.

I was sexually assaulted in school by a teacher.

I was bullied, harassed, intimidated, and rejected. I committed social suicide by coming forward and telling the truth. No one paid the price more than I did for doing so.

The advice that I have for other women?

• Report what happened to you and save all the evidence that you have.
• Go to a hospital so that you can get checked out. 
• Seek counseling right away.
• Understand that if you do come forward with your story, expect that there will be people that will demonize you, get you to recant your story, harass, threaten, or intimidate you. But know that there is an amazing amount of support out there as well. You are not alone and there are many people out there that know what you're going through.
• Staying silent won't help the next potential victim. 
• There will be triggers at times. Sometimes the smallest things will take you back to that place. Seeking help can actually help you to deal with the emotions.
• Ignore the apologists that want you to just "get over it". People fear what they don't understand. Give yourself distance from these people and allow yourself to heal in the time that you need to. No one else can tell you when you've had enough time to grieve.
• There is no particular way that a victim of rape "acts" although you'll hear a lot of opinions. Everyone is different and so you will get many different behaviors. 
• It's not your fault and you didn't deserve what happened to you regardless of the circumstance. If you walked out of your house naked every single day of your life, you are not "asking for it."
• If you have participated in apologist behavior, educate yourself. Ask yourself,"Why do I think this way?" Then educate others.

Sometimes women can be the biggest rape apologists on the planet. Why? Fear. People destroy what they fear. They may try to destroy you. Some women try to justify a rapist's actions because the world is an easier place to live, if they can find fault with you.

She wore that little skirt. She was out jogging late. Why wasn't she walking with someone? She let him do that to her! She was asking for it. She is an attention whore.

If they can blame you, then the world makes sense. It's like saying, "Hey if I do all the right things, then I won't get raped!" If only it were that simple.

When we demonize the victim, we give him the green light to do it again. And again. And again. 

You can get through this. You're not alone. 

Buy Teacher's Pet

Coming soon to Amazon.com

November 2012

Reviewing Reviews #1

(I may do a series of reviews that I come across in the future for discussion purposes only.)

I write reviews on Amazon and read many before I decide to purchase  a book. I do look at the low rated ones as well as the five star.

Contrary to popular belief, many of the reviews, good or bad, are written by people who have nothing to gain out of writing them. But there are a lot of undeserved low ratings as well as some overinflated great ones.

First off, who is to tell what one person believes is a five star review?


"A five-star novel is a work of exceptional literary genius. I am not an English major (or minor), and I am only medially well-read. But I know a five star work leaves one breathless, both emotionally and intellectually. After finishing such a book, it is impossible to initiate intercourse with another literary work for some time. An example of such a book would be Blood Meridian, Moby Dick, The Brothers Karamazov, or the like. I am not part of the kindle revolution, but I'm not a total stick in the mud, either. C'mon people, this is not a five star work. Of course, being the internet, all things exposed to popular mediation are subject to the extremes of wild fanboy(girl)-ism, or Swift Boating, but can't we have some objectivity here?"

Wow. Everyone has their own system where they grade things differently. Obviously the reviewer here felt that the book in question was nowhere near the literary genius that it needed to be to garner so many five stars. This person gave the author three stars which is fair but I cannot rate a book based to YOUR liking just as you can't for me. Why don't people understand this. The rating is justified but rate a book according to its merit and don't bellyache over other people's ratings.

 If you start your review off with, "I don't understand how this book got so many five stars...." YOU'VE LOST ALL CREDIBILITY. Go sit in a corner until you agree to play nice with the rest of the children....

Here is a bit more of this "review".....

"I feel like an 11th grade English teacher who has given an assignment to the class, and am now reading the work of the brightest pupil in the class. Yes, it was handed in early, every objective was completed, and the margins are properly aligned (although there were at least three grammar/spelling/syntax errors, one the result of a functional spell-checker and non-functional human editor)." 

This is based on conjecture and assumption. What makes this reviewer so justified in feeling the way that he does? The review sounds almost PERSONAL, which a review should never be. It should be related to the work at question and not based on some imaginary hallucination in which all he does is insult the writer.  He wants us to be objective? Try being unbiased. Did he actually sit there and count the errors, then analyze them? Volunteer work would be an amazing start for people like this.

In this strange, wonderful, but sometimes dreary world of writing, it takes a lot to please your audience. Everyone wants you to write characters that they and only they can relate to in every way. Take this review for example.....

 "My first issue with (*******************)  by J********** is the language barrier. The book is a sore reminder that British English can be quite different than American English. The sample that I read is littered with British terms and slang that take a while to figure out the meaning from the context. For example, a father refers to something as "f_g." [Amazon did not post original review due to inclusion of this word.] Obviously, in American English this is a derogatory gay slur. But for British English, it (I think) refers to cigarettes. There are many such instances where the American reader will have to pause and figure out what the author means by a certain word and its usage. Your average American reader may not have that kind of patience. I deduct one star in my rating for this reason."

This reviewer is actually complaining about the author using British words instead of American. Now the writer is actually BRITISH! The author lives there! How should she write? Should the author had written an American version where the characters speak with a Bostonian accent that smokes cigarettes instead of fags?  I mean you have to at least know that if someone asks for a fag on the street, they're not asking you if you are carrying a homosexual person in your pocket! 

For goodness sakes, when the 2012 Olympics were in London, many newspapers, blogs, and television shows had segments where they explained the differences in British and American words. Not all Americans need a British/English translator to read Brit Lit and it's insulting to assume that the writer needed to include it. Isn't it a prerequisite to at least study English Literature in schools? 

Take a look at this gem, albeit from the same review....


 My second issue are the characters themselves. The author appears intent on making EVERY single character (at least that I encountered in my sample) possess an unlikeable character flaw. While flawed characters may smooth the path towards interesting scenarios and story lines, this also turns off the reader, who CANNOT associate himself with ANY character. The bottom line is that if the reader does not like the characters, why would he care to read what happens to them? I deduct a second star for this reason.

Really? I don't read many books where the characters don't have character flaws. I can't point to a person on Earth that didn't have a character flaw...especially an unlikeable one at that. I guess the author that received this unlucky review needs to go to the store and and purchase a crystal ball. 

Then she should create characters based on what this reviewer feels as acceptable. Here is the thing about writing. You won't relate to ALL the characters and sometimes that is a beautiful thing. Without it, you wouldn't have the insight or knowledge from other people's points of views, concerns, dreams, destinies, etc. 

Literature would be pretty boring if it were that way. Writers write characters the way that they see them, plain and simple. You're going to relate to some and others, not so much. It  shows diversity and will create a pretty interesting storyline if you ask me. When you read, you are walking in someone else's shoes for awhile. You are not going to agree with all their choices or decision making in the book. Guess what? There are people in your life that don't agree with YOUR choices and decision making. Does that mean that they are right and you are wrong?

I can't relate to someone who has lived a criminal past for all of his life and decides to go rob a bank. Sure he has a mother that is dying of cancer and she needs money for treatment, but I couldn't relate to committing a crime just for that reason. I can relate to the sympathy that character would have for his mother's health, as so would a lot of people. But what about the reader that absolutely HATES his mother? 

They couldn't relate to robbing a bank to save a person's life that they totally detest. Hell, they may even be happy that she won't be on this Earth for long and decide to jump for joy. They may even relate to robbing a bank! People who think like this should probably resort to writing their own stories instead of only looking for characters that you can relate to. It would be nice, but nice doesn't make interesting reading.





".....I was very excited to buy this book for my Kindle Reader but...$17.99...are you kidding ? In this economy ?"

Okay that book is very expensive for Kindle but then again, this isn't a review.


"I have only read the sample, but that all it took for me to be disgusted."

READ THE BOOK. THEN JUDGE! I can understand not wanting to read the entire book because it doesn't catch your fancy. That's perfectly fine. God knows I have hundreds of books that I stopped reading that didn't interest me in the slightest. But then, that makes me NO longer ABLE to write a fair review on the book. In this case, I don't write a review at all. It's just like those people that say, I don't read Romance books but downloaded it anyway and hated it! 

Really? You don't like Romance, downloaded it anyway, and were horrified that you didn't enjoy the subject matter.  I have been surprised by reading genres that I have no interest in and was pleased. But then again, I go into reading...say a Western, and fully expect myself not to be able to follow because I don't read books of that subject matter. 
  
If one is really good and blows my mind? That's awesome. All that states to me is that the writer writes with universal appeal. I study Astrophysics. If I wrote a book that only PhD professionals can understand, then I'm obviously not writing to the layperson. But if I write that same book so that a ten year old can understand? Congratulations. That is a book that has universal appeal and can attract people of all backgrounds. 

It doesn't mean, however, that the first book for the PhD's isn't any good. It just means that people with PhD's or someone that is into science and technology would be able to understand it. A writer with universal appeal has the ability to make a lot of money and become extremely successful as well. 

It is hard to sit down, write something, and finish it. It's even harder to listen to criticism, but that can only make someone's work better. It's unfair to write a review that has nothing to do with the actual product. If your professor graded your paper that you worked so hard on, just to give you an F because you didn't use the right pencil or paper that they would have preferred. It's one thing if your professor ASKED you to use a certain pencil or paper but another if you learned that in hindsight. 

Just something to think about folks.
 

Early Success With Hannah!

Screenshot taken with iPad of Hannah at 2:21PM Sunday 8/12/12