August 19, 2011
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Denise L. Cook brings to the stage a wealth of experience as a choreographer, producer, assistant director, published author, actor, dancer, spoken word artist, singer and motivational speaker, and is well known as a healer in the field of massage therapy. Asked what motivated her to pursue such a wide range of interests, she answers, “my father always said ‘anything worth doing is worth doing well. And anything you put your time and effort into, you may as well get credentialed’. I believed him, so doing anything less wasn’t an option. With Daddy excellence was the first line of defense against the big bad wolf of life.”
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Denise began her career in the arts at an early age establishing her first dance company at the age of eight. Ms. Cook went on to receive her B.A. in Dance and MFA at U.C.L.A. and later a MEd at National University. She has studied, performed and worked alongside such notables as Carmen De Lavelaude, Chester Whitmore, Fayard Nicholas, Debbie Allen, Steven Simeon, Shirley Martin, the U.C.L.A. Dance Company, Hal DeWindt, Eddie Beale, Peter Long, Curtis Gadson, Saul Bernstein, Delilah Williams, H. B. Barnum and Mark Swinton. Stage credits include producer, choreographer, assistant director, lead, principal, and supporting lead roles in known plays, for coloured girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf, Tell Hell I Ain’t Coming, Dream Girls, A Chorus Line, Shades, West Side Story, Oklahoma, Legends and Traditions Claim It and the Special Program, and dramatic plays A Shrine To Junior, Love Makes No Sense, and Looking For A Man. Two years on tour with Vickie Winnans in the award winning gospel, Somebody Oughtta Tell God Thank You, and two seasons on BET television sitcom, The Blackberry Inn as Ms. Laura’s evil sister Ruthie Anne and her one woman show titled “Lena Horn Elegance With Lady Day Style” circa 1945. To top it all off, Denise has ventured into the exciting eclectic realm of Spoken Word Artistry. Denise is a prolific writer and captivating performer bringing to life words penned by her hand and others; she invites in, then envelopes her audience with memorable performances.
Her first book and CD, FULL CIRCLE Balance In Life: A collection of poetry and prose chronicling self-love and self-awareness, was nominated for several awards.
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(1)What was the effort like in preparing and producing The ORACLE Speaks?
There really was no effort at all in preparing and producing.
The ORACLE Speaks… just because. After having walked through the publishing process with Cullen Chambers of Back To One Publications on my first book, FULL CIRCLE Balance In Life, this one was a breeze. It took six months to publish the first book, only three with The ORACLE Speaks…
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(2)Who (what?) is The ORACLE?
The ORACLE is a wise woman who gives no advice save to hold the mirror of life that you may see your own truth. Like the masterful Oracle of Delphi or Malkeventa Melchizedek, I simply point out the truth as I see it. No agenda, just the truth, sprinkled with love, understanding and unconditional acceptance of who and what you are. Pure love. My claim to fame is that I make people feel good about themselves. My hope is to envelope them with my word and love of self and life, that they may find their own truth.
(3)What are the inspirations behind doing both a book of poetry and a music CD? Who inspires you?
The inspirations behind doing both a book of poetry and music CD came from a deep seeded desire to share my word with the world. What better way than to speak the language of Havona (heaven); MUSIC. So, as with the first book, for which I have a companion CD, I set out to do just that. Only the second CD, I Gotta story To Tell, became more than just spoken word with music. Each piece is stand alone and worthy of radio airplay. They are finger-snapping and toe-tapping in additional to being inspirational. Not churchy, just a real feel good experience.
My inspirations are varied, from the candid truths shared by Kahlil Gibran to the sultry honesty of Nina Simone, to the veiled and hidden messages of life shared by Kurt Vonnegut. As a child I really liked e.e. cummings because he broke the standard “writing rules” and David Frost, simply because I liked his style. I would be wrought not to mention Maya Angelou because she’s bold and in your face, which I can tend to be.
(4) How are you promoting The ORACLE Speaks?
I am promoting The ORACLE Speaks, along with my CD, inspirational booklets and other products via the internet, Social Media, book signings, Amazon.com, mostly word of mouth. I don’t have the budget to do a full out publicity blitz, so I rely heavily on the net. I am also a Motivational Speaker and find I am able to promote from the stage. It’s tricky though, you never want to come across as being “salesy”, so you find a balance. Final answer, word of mouth and lately lots of radio interviews.
(5) With such a variety of interests and experiences, what is next for you?
What is next for me is the next book, Facing The Demons. Although the first two books speak to my life experiences, they are camouflaged in the commonality of life experiences we all share; love, death, hardships of life. This third book will speak specifically to some of the incidents in my life which helped to make me who and what I am. An honest shedding of the mask I, we all wear as a way to protect our inner child (innocence). At 53, I certainly can’t be considered an innocent, but I beg to differ and my writing opens the door to the fantasy of innocence that we all strive to cling to.
August 18, 2011
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Lorna Clarke Osunsanmi aka Lorna O. is not your average love coach. She is a life changer with an uncanny knack for vividly identifying self-help strategies. Her witty yet practical style underscores a nurturing demeanor that is a gateway way to big advice. A film and television host and producer of her own show “Yin N Yang” in Hollywood, Lorna O. graduated magna cum laude from Texas Woman’s University. The native Christiansted, St. Croix U.S. Virgin Islands is the byproduct of parents who have sustained a 40-year marriage. With two older and younger siblings in 20 and 10-year marriages, respectively, Lorna has seen and heard the gamut of ups and downs in both relationships and marriages. The happily married advice diva continues to live bold daily and has plans for a series of additional inspirational books. Be BOLD and uncover Lorna O’s guidance at http://www.lornaonline.com and http://www.mylobsterforlife.blogspot.com.
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Becoming Bold unleashes a straightforward guide for delving deep and mining one’s inner audaciousness. With the goal of unmasking and releasing latent deterrents to success, “Becoming BOLD” serves as the definitive guide to self-actualization and transformation. By going for the gusto, we set the pace for achieving ideal love and life.
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(1) Among the many volumes of self-help, self-improvement, and self-sustaining that
weigh heavy on the store shelves, what makes Becoming Bold stand out?
The Orange Lady! Most people love the cover and people have told me how compelling it is. It encapsulates how they feel either as a person stuck in the row or the Orange Lady breaking out of the mold to become the person they want to be. Personally, I am inspired by the Orange Lady!
(2) What were your inspirations in writing it? What is the message that you want to
impart to your readers?
I always wanted to be writer growing up. I wrote articles for my school newspaper, I wrote poems, and short stories, but I got serious about having a career as a writer after college. It then decided to pursue a career as a television film writer and ended up working as as Assistant to Executives on a variety of popular shows and on the movie “Get Him To The Greek”. My career expanded early on as a talk show host/producer and with each episode I researched for Yin N Yang, I came up with more and more ideas about how to help people have healthier relationships and fuller lives with themselves and others. I drew from my own journey and my own struggles on how to achieve success, and knew if I was having to become a stronger, bolder person and overcome challenges, that others were going through the same thing. I wanted to tell people that they could change. I wanted to share what I discovered: that with a little bit of courage, fearlessness, your entire life could change for the better. Mine’s did! This is where the idea for Becoming Bold was sparked.
(3) What does “mining one’s inner audaciousness” mean?
Audacious means invulnerable to fear or intimidation, which is essentially being bold! Boldness also includes being direct, clear and honest even in the face of opposition. But I believe everyone has a level of boldness and audaciousness inside of them except the fire burned out. The switch was turned off. Fortunately, that switch is still there. It exists! The ability to be bold, audacious is possible, it’s just deep inside of us. It calls for us to make choices and moves that ignite those bold fires so we can turn that switch back on. When we do we’ll our life will change for the better. I love the quote that I use in the book because it so true and encompasses the ideas in Becoming Bold: “Courage [Boldness] is the greatest of all virtues. Because if you haven’t courage, you may not have an opportunity to use any of the others.” (Samuel Johnson, Novelist, Poet)
(4) What are you doing to promote Becoming Bold?
I’ve been doing radio interviews across the U.S. I’ve also been sited in news articles. I was featured on Tom Joyner’s Black America Web.Com with Erica Taylor; and I’ll be a part of the Author’s Circle at the Tom Joyner Family Reunion in Orlando, Florida next month. With my own dating and relationship talk show, Yin N Yang, I’m able to promote my book and discuss different ideas that I talk about in Becoming Bold. I’m also planning a book tour. Basically, I’m promoting my book in every way possible!
(5) What has been the response like to Becoming Bold?
The response has been fantastic! A friend told me that just by looking at the cover she felt stronger. She made a “bold” decision that she was vacillating on that ended up saving her $3000.00 dollars and she was motivated by the cover of Becoming Bold. Stories like that are what I’ve been hearing. It’s truly a blessing to be a blessing to others. It makes every second I spent writing the book worth it!
January 23, 2011
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Available February 8, 2011 in Hardcover
Available March 15, 2012 in Paperback
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Janet Jackson emerged from the shadows of an already famous family to become one of the most beloved, recognizable, and influential performers in the world. But at what cost?
From the age of ten, when she made her acting debut on Good Times, Janet was told by Hollywood that she needed to slim down. Her well-meaning brothers, especially fun-loving Michael, teased her relentlessly until she began to believe that who she was wasn’t good enough. It was an idea that no amount of critical acclaim in television and film or, later, international platinum success in music could change.
Janet turned to food for comfort and escape. She developed a self-destructive pattern familiar to so many of us: fear and uncertainty led to bad feelings about herself and ultimately depression. The depression led to overeating. And her yo-yoing weight was painfully obvious in the bright lights of the entertainment world.
It has taken Janet most of her adult life to come to terms with who she is. But she has finally broken free of the attitudes that brought her down and has embraced realistic goals that help her eat better, exercise better, feel better, and ultimately be better.
This book is about meeting those challenges that face all of us. With candor and courage, Janet shares her painful journey to loving herself. She addresses the crazy rumors that have swirled around her for most of her life, shines an intimate light on her family, and pulls us behind the velvet rope into her unforgettable career. She also shares lessons she has learned through contact with friends and fans and reveals the fitness secrets she has learned from her trainer. Finally, her nutritionist, David Allen, unveils the wholesome, delicious recipes and lifestyle-changing tips that helped Janet get in shape — mind and spirit, heart and soul.
True You is a call to tune in to your own fundamental wisdom, to let go of the ugly comparisons, and to understand that who you are, the true you, is more than enough.
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True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself
by Janet Jackson, David Ritz
Karen Hunter
