B Love Productions … Winter Wonderland

This winter … Author B Love and B Love Publications is gearing up for an epic event for readers of all genres! Yasss honey, you are reading this correctly.

How do you register? Easy … Click HERE

This Winter Wonderland of Authors is sure to be pleasing to you. As you will see, from the flier, there is a full list of authors who will be in attendance. However, it’s no fun without readers and supporters!

Join us … pretty, please!

All you have to do is register for $20, then make plans to join us in Memphis for a weekend to remember!

How do you register? Easy … Click HERE

 

Daily Devotional – 7/29/19 “Focus on the purpose, not the people!”

There are people around you who are waiting on you to fail, family members who don’t believe you will amount to anything and people who come to cheer you on, but then leave speak negatively about you. Here’s what you do … stop trying to explain! All you have to do is, continually walk and work, in the purpose God has set before you. Stop trying to demonstrate signs that you’ve been called. Stop trying to provide evidence of your purpose. Stop trying to get them to visualize your vision. You don’t have to make the statuses of “I’m going to make it with or without you,” show them. You don’t have to make the subliminal post, show them. You don’t have to buy the shirt, show them. Baby, if I sat around waiting on folk to “buy in” to my purpose, I’d be somewhere, raggedy and tore up with a dried up harvest and no plan. If I waited on folk, to support my ministry, I’d probably never preach in “their” pulpits. If I had to count on folk, I do know, to buy books, I’d never get and be appreciative of all those I didn’t know.

What I’m saying is, stop putting time in the wrong people and things. When you focus on the purpose, you’ll see God’s plan but when you focus on people, you’ll miss God’s purpose. Child, if I focused on people who statistically said, because I was raised in the projects of North Memphis; I should be a teenage mother with multiple baby daddies, high school dropout, living in the same area on government assistance and possibly drugs; I would’ve doubted God’s plans for my life. Folk said, I couldn’t possibly be called to preach when I write books with sex/cussing, tattoos, high heels, shaved head and don’t conform to the standards of man AND I almost allowed this negative thinking to stunt my growth; BUT I know what I heard when GOD called me and not man. When I stopped living for the world and instead living, in the word, my life changed. When I stopped trying to please folk, my life became pleasing. When I stopped trying to make folk believe in me, folk began believing in me. Why? Because I no longer tell them ANYTHING, but I show them! How? By the fruit that I produce. Focus on the purpose, not the people!

Thought I’d share this again…

As an author …

I wish I could tell you I know all there is. I don’t.

Truth is, when i first started writing I barely saw a return on the investment I put in. Hours upon hours of writing but no money was being made. Time spent away from family and friends and even some of them will not support. My name printed real cute on the front cover of books and you can find me on Amazon but that’s about it.

I should quit, right? I BET NOT and neither should you.

Here’s some unsolicited advice.

1. Invest in yourself and your gifts. The same way you go to school for a degree or certification; study your craft. Spend money on the best book cover, editors, proofreaders and promoters. Cheap is not always the way to go. Trust me, I know.

2. Build you a team. People who will push you, encourage you and pray for you. Have someone on your side who will tell you the truth, even if it hurts your feelings. Get to know people who are on the level you’re trying to make it too and one day surpass. Ask their opinion and take their advice.

3. Do NOT write book series if you don’t have the time to finish it. You will lose readers that way. If I have to re-read the first book just to read the second one, issa no for me.

4. Believe in yourself. There will be some folk who will not like what you put out and you may get some bad reviews. Trust your gift. Family may not support. Trust your gift. Nobody showing up at your celebration, trust your gift. It will pay off.

5. NEVER GIVE UP. I told you, for years the royalties I received couldn’t even pay my water bill (the cheapest bill in the house) but I did not quit. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not in a position to quit my jobs but I am finally seeing a return on the investment I’ve been putting in. IT TOOK YEARS though! You will see it too.

6. Stop comparing yourself to someone else. You are you and they are them. I don’t care how many of their books you read, you will not write like them. It’s their gift the same as it is your. Find your own footing. Sure, I said before, take advice but don’t copy them because that will only make you a copy of them and not you.

That’s it for now.

I don’t know it all. I haven’t made the New York Times’ Best Seller. My books are not in Barnes and Noble or Walmart stores. My name is not rolling in the credits of movies. I am not being called on to headline book events. Fact is, I’m Lakisha … Author Lakisha and people know me and they read my books.

“Writing didn’t find me, God etched it within my soul when He formed me in my mother’s belly.”

authorlakisha@gmail.com

Daily Devotional – 7/22/19 “Stand your ground!”

Pastor Deldrick Leasure of New Genesis Christian Church penned a message this morning that I want to share a snippet from. He said, “A stand-your-ground law (sometimes called “line in the sand” or “no duty to retreat” law) establishes a right by which a person may defend one’s self against threats or perceived threats, even to the point of lethal force regardless of whether safely retreating from the situation might have been possible. Such a law typically states that an individual has no duty to retreat from any place where they have a lawful right to be. The enemy is trying to fight you off of your ground. He’s after your ground. When the Bible says, “Neither give place to the devil,” it literally means neither give territory to the devil. It literally means stand your ground. He’s after your ground. That means on the deed, it’s yours. Oh, my God. The deed says it’s yours.” #preachsir

His message was on time and I simply wanted to encourage somebody today. You’re looking at your situation and the enemy is wanting you to believe, you made the wrong choice. You’re starring at the current condition of your life and the enemy is beckoning you to throw in the towel. You’re facing a hardship and the enemy is tricking you to believing God doesn’t care about you. LIES … STAND YOUR GROUND! Whether you’re my niece who moved to a new state and the enemy is attacking everything, maybe you’re in a new relationship, started a new job, car broke down, account in the negative, more bills than money or maybe you’re at the edge of give up and it’s looking tempting. STAND YOUR GROUND! Unuh, don’t you dare move.

You can even be good, financially, healthy, wise and family doing alright and the enemy is still messing with you. Depression, you thought was managed, hit you in the gut. Brokenness, you thought was gone, came back with a vengeance. Self-doubt and fear, you thought was under control; got you crying in the car. STAND YOUR GROUND! Not only do you have the right, to stand your ground, you can use lethal force. Why? Because the enemy is after your ground. Why? Because if you have no ground, you have nowhere to plant. Why? Because if he takes your land, he’ll come after your life next. STAND YOUR GROUND beloved. Even when you’re getting hit, stand your ground. Why should you stand? Because bible says in 1 Peter 5:8-10, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. (Here’s where you shout –>) So after you have suffered a little while, He (God) will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He (God) will place you on a firm foundation.”

ATL … I’m coming!

This weekend, me and an entire plethora of authors and readers are bombarding Atlanta. Naw, chile, this ain’t Freaknik … it’s better! We’re joining with the 556 Book Chicks, for their annual Kick Back Book Event.

I know … it’s exciting, right?

This is why, if you’re in Atlanta or the surrounding areas, I’d love to see you. Stop by my table, purchase a few books, pick up a few pens and snap some selfies. Then move to the next table and repeat.

I hope y’all are ready because I am.

 

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