Diva Love: Poet Taneisha Grace-LaGrant


      I can't let National Poetry Month come to a close without putting the spotlight on one of my fellow poets. Taneisha LaGrant joins me today and gives us a look inside of her writing life and influences.




1. There are so many poets who don't publish their work. Tell us about your decision to share your words beyond the stage and your journey to publication.


Hi! Thanks for having me. For me it started a long time ago. My seventh grade teacher told me I should publish and so I compiled two volumes of poetry from middle school through high school that I wanted to publish. Long story short, I lost all of those poems and started over. I knew that I wanted to be a published writer and I hadn't branched off into novel writing at the time and the stage scares me. I tend to speak too fast when I do spoken word, so I was in my barracks room and started typing up my book. That was in 2009 and I published The Pain of Love in 2010. At the time I had never heard of a poetry editor, writing groups or any of what I know now. I'll be republishing a more polished version within the next year or so. I felt that other people could relate to some of the things that I've been through. Understand and other pieces like it was my way of telling other women that they aren't alone. I write to inspire and want to help as many people as I can, even if it's only one.


2.      Who are some of your writing influences?


I am really enjoying all styles of books these days. Growing up, Maya Angelou and Tupac's poetry spoke to me. I love what they had to say. These days I read to branch out and get introduced to more writers. In doing so, it allows me to find my own voice. I've always wanted to write about love, but hadn't read my first romance novel until 2014. I could say that initially I was influenced by Brenda Jackson, but now that I'm branching out, my writing is mixed with romance and suspense based on the book.


3.      Do you schedule your writing or just let it flow?


I try to schedule my writing during lunch, before work and on the weekends. Other times, I just let it flow and lately it works better that way. I'm not distracted by social media when I let it flow.


4.      What advice do you have for new writers?


Stick to it and learn your genre. It took me awhile to find my niche and now that I'm learning, I don't want to stop. So read. Writing is important but reading is better to me. When you read, you learn what elements go into the book and you can dissect books based on what you know about plot development for that genre. Don't worry about word count in the beginning. Edit after you've completed your first draft. If you edit as you go, you'll be stuck in the first chapter. You can do it!


5.      What's next for Taneisha LaGrant?


I just released my new poetry book Life & Love: Volume I, which to me is the beginning of my journey. I enjoyed the experience. That said, I'm working on Life & Love Volume II (Spring 2018), the revisions of God, Love & All My Soul 2nd Ed (September 2017), The Pain of Love 2nd Ed (Winter/Spring 2018), The 6th Month Vow (Winter 2017) and I'm brainstorming my first screenplay Rise.



Please enjoy this spoken word video and be sure to connect with Taneisha on the web!







About the Author


Taneisha LaGrant is a poet from Gretna, Florida. She is the author of Life & Love Volume I. Taneisha holds a BA in English and currently attends graduate school majoring in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. She resides in Washington with her husband and two children.

Get your copy of her latest book here:



Connect with Taneisha online:






Diva Love: Pastor Danyelle Scroggins



About Pastor Danyelle 

Pastor/ Author Danyelle is the Senior Pastor of New Vessels Ministries North in Shreveport, Louisiana. She studied Theology at Louisiana Baptist University, has a Psychology Degree from the University of Phoenix, an Interdisciplinary Degree in Psychology /Biblical Studies from Liberty University, and is presently working on a Master’s in Religious Education from the Liberty University. Pastor Danyelle owns Divinely Sown Publishing LLC and is the author of “His Mistress or God’s Daughter?, Not Too Far Gone, Destiny’s Decision, Evonta’s Revenge, & The Power Series: Pain, Restoration, Love, & Forgiving”. She is the wife of Pastor Reynard Scroggins and the mother of three.



To find out more about Pastor Danyelle and her ministries, visit www.danyellescroggins.com, www.newvesselministries.org, www.facebook.com/danyellescroggins, or www.twitter.com/PastorDanyelle


Diva Love: Tracee Lydia Garner




Creative Expressions Literary Services is pleased to announce the Virtual Book Tour for
Deadly Affections
 by Tracee Lydia Garner.

The tour will run March 27- April 7, 2017.

Book Release Date: March 30, 2017
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense

About The Book


Synopsis

A crime romance, mystery suspense, romance novel. Psychologist Leedra Henderson has a hidden motive in abandoning everything to accept a new job at the Anchored Empowerment Center. She secretly hopes that the new position will help her to investigate her own past – and to finally uncover the real story behind a string of mysterious deaths at her childhood foster home. Now a strong, independent woman, Leedra doesn't need help: she wants to seek justice, and she will. Alone. Dexter Parker needs his own answers about that time in the foster home so long ago. A grown man reeling from the fallout of a broken marriage, Dexter’s rational mind tells him never to try the risks of love again – but he knows he could fill in the blanks for Leedra, if only it doesn’t end up costing him his heart. More urgently, Dexter needs to save the determined Leedra from the results of her detective work, before it all blows up in her face and costs both of them their lives. Can the pair set aside their painful histories, avenge the lives that have been lost and – who knows – discover new love?


Excerpt

 His father moved closer, tugging feebly at Dexter only to be pushed back. “Get off me. Get off!” Dexter warned and gave a final shove. The old man fell dramatically onto the bed. The little energy he’d summoned was spent.

“Stop looking through my stuff.”

“No. It’s here, isn’t it? I’m going to listen to your pathetic excuses just one more time. I’m listening this time, so you tell me. You think you gonna die or something? Well, you’re still here now and people want answers. I want answers.”

His father sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I had a job and a life and I was trying to get my son—you—back. It wouldn’t have looked very good if they knew I had any dealings with those people, now would it?”

“You are ‘those people,’ Garrison,” Dexter clarified coldly.

“No, no. Now, I wasn’t like ‘em. I had a drug problem, y’see,” the older man clarified in a wheedling tone. “But I wasn’t no killer. Don’t you see I would never have been able to get you back if they found out? At least I had supervised—”

“I know, I know. Stupid supervised visitation to see me . . . A lot of good it did! Eventually, you stopped coming around altogether, anyway.”



About the Author

Tracee Lydia Garner is a bestselling, award-winning author who writes stories full of complex heroes and heroines, relationships and families that experience tough but realistic life challenges in their quest for love. Born and raised in a suburb of the DC metro area, Tracee works in health and human service by day, has a degree in Communications and is a speaker and advocate for people with disabilities. Find Tracee on the web at www.Teegarner.com, or connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Social Links



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Happy National Poetry Month!


April is National Poetry Month!
Stop by my website to see some of my poetry performances and to get your copy of Straight from a Diva's Heart.

Thanks for stopping by!