Elizabeth Funderbirk's Blog - Posts Tagged "web-site"
Three Things I Have Learned Since Becoming A Published Author....
Three Things I Have Learned Since Becoming A Published Author....
There are so many things that come to mind when I contemplate the knowledge I have gained since beginning my literary journey. Most of the articles I write in my Literary Journal “Trials, Tribulations, and Torn” are about my path to get on the shelves. Now, that I have rightfully obtained the moniker “Published Author” I now know the hard work it really takes to sustain in this industry. There are many things I can share on this topic and actually, I could write a book about it J but this particular article I will focus on three things I’ve learned.
The first thing that I have learned for sure is that marketing your book is a must. Some people get so caught up in social media they forget to shut down their PC’s and hit the pavement.
I was one of these people. Don’t get consumed in the social networking machine. It is definitely an invaluable tool and has made it so much easier to reach the masses; however, don’t under estimate the power of the original hustle and get out and meet and greet the public. These are the folks who will remember you took the time to sign and autograph your book that they’ve purchased. It will also exemplify that you are hungry enough to be out and about to spread the word on your work. In turn, these people will continue to spread the word too. Word of mouth is the BEST advertisement you will ever get and the most cost effective.
Marketing and promoting yourself, your work, and your brand, can and will get costly. So it is a MUST to use creative strategies when you begin to hear echoes in your wallet. You can’t put your business on hold when you hit road blocks. Think outside the box to keep your progression going. If you are not being seen or driving traffic your way then you will have sacrificed for nothing.
After you have posted in every and all social media sites, gone out and made yourself known amongst the consumers, and set up a website for all of them to reference … NOW what? Cross promote. Team up with someone in your shoes or shoes that you one day wish to fill and target one other supporters. This is a win, win situation for both parties. You know for sure that if they are making sales and doing well they have obtained a fan base. Readers are waiting on their next read while in the middle of their current book. You know that they have a need for what you have, you just need to gain their attention long enough to tell them. What better way to do so than to get someone they already support to pass along your info. It works both ways. This creates great networking connections and customers for all parties involved.
Don’t forget to ALWAYS give your supporters a deal. Not a hook up but a deal. We all love a deal and if you have people who have been on the fence about your book, a good SALE may just be what they need to take a chance on you, especially if you are new on the scene.
Remember there are always marketing options that will not leave you in financial straits.
The second thing I have learned is ALWAYS be professional. Your professionalism is your brand. Always keep that in mind when you are working and even when you are not. I mean are authors ever off the clock? Your office is not a conventional one. You are a public figure so to speak. Your demeanor in social settings, social media included, will propel your success OR send it diving.
Your conduct as a professional is imperative no matter the genre you write. Consumers want to spend, and support businesses that show longevity and give their clients respect. Becoming an author is starting a business essentially, especially if your goal is to continue writing as a career. Approach each encounter with a buyer, or potential buyer like they have stepped into your office and you need to impress them with not only your business savvy, but your product.
Conducting yourself in a professional manner on social media is MUST! It is so easy to get caught up in the fact that you are behind a screen. Your internet footprint is lasting and can be accessed by almost anyone. If you’re on your social media pages fussing back and forth or get caught up in senseless drama it is unbecoming as a professional and a turn off to potential readers/buyers. Don’t take the bait and allow someone to take you outside your character. The anonymity can make it so easy and although social media should not be your only form of marketing/promoting it IS a wonderful asset. Don’t get a reputation in the negative regarding your interaction or comments made in a public forum. The word of mouth can work both ways.
The third, and most important thing I’ve learned is to believe in your vision. When I started I knew what I wanted. I knew what I wanted my book cover to look like. I knew I wanted to work with a company as opposed to self-publishing. I knew the market I was targeting. I knew what I hoped to grow into as an author. Keep your vision. In this business you will gain a wealth of knowledge from those who have done it before you and their advice will be valuable and help you to get to another level. That does not mean that your game plan is all wrong. That means that you may have to grow your vision or shelf certain ideas until you can bring them to fruitation, but never let them go. Your vision is what brought you this far.
Opinions will come at you, which you need to modify this and do away with that. However, that may not be exactly what you envisioned. As the head of your new literary venture you must take control and make the final decision. It may not be the right one, but it will be yours and you will know that you took control. The mistakes is where the learning process begins. If anyone tells you they have the formula for success and it is 100% guaranteed they are fooling you and themselves. They too had growing pains. Some will reach out and express concern because they failed in the direction in which you chose to take. The thing is they cannot tell which path will bring you success. You have walked your path and only you know your circumstances. You can’t follow someone else’s blueprint to the letter because their start and their finish will be different than yours. Although they have obtained success doing exactly what they explained you should do, there is no way to know if that same advice will work in your favor. That is why you can’t look at the next person and wonder why this is not working for me? Or if you are successful you should not question why are they going about things that way? Believe in you and take it all in. Learn your business, research everything! Then research again to make informed choices.
Please base you business decisions on what you KNOW will work in your favor. Base them on what you KNOW you can accomplish on your means. By all means take advice and apply where you can. What you can’t, like I stated before get creative, and stay on the path to your vision.
Three Things I Have Learned Since Becoming A Published Author. By: Elizabeth Funderbirk for Urban Bookshelf.
This article along will many other will also be featured on the Author Literary Blog “Trials, Tribulations, and Torn” http://writingtorn.blogspot.com
For more information on Elizabeth “LiteraryLiz” Funderbirk please visit “Literary Liz Writes” http://LiteraryLiz.com
There are so many things that come to mind when I contemplate the knowledge I have gained since beginning my literary journey. Most of the articles I write in my Literary Journal “Trials, Tribulations, and Torn” are about my path to get on the shelves. Now, that I have rightfully obtained the moniker “Published Author” I now know the hard work it really takes to sustain in this industry. There are many things I can share on this topic and actually, I could write a book about it J but this particular article I will focus on three things I’ve learned.
The first thing that I have learned for sure is that marketing your book is a must. Some people get so caught up in social media they forget to shut down their PC’s and hit the pavement.
I was one of these people. Don’t get consumed in the social networking machine. It is definitely an invaluable tool and has made it so much easier to reach the masses; however, don’t under estimate the power of the original hustle and get out and meet and greet the public. These are the folks who will remember you took the time to sign and autograph your book that they’ve purchased. It will also exemplify that you are hungry enough to be out and about to spread the word on your work. In turn, these people will continue to spread the word too. Word of mouth is the BEST advertisement you will ever get and the most cost effective.
Marketing and promoting yourself, your work, and your brand, can and will get costly. So it is a MUST to use creative strategies when you begin to hear echoes in your wallet. You can’t put your business on hold when you hit road blocks. Think outside the box to keep your progression going. If you are not being seen or driving traffic your way then you will have sacrificed for nothing.
After you have posted in every and all social media sites, gone out and made yourself known amongst the consumers, and set up a website for all of them to reference … NOW what? Cross promote. Team up with someone in your shoes or shoes that you one day wish to fill and target one other supporters. This is a win, win situation for both parties. You know for sure that if they are making sales and doing well they have obtained a fan base. Readers are waiting on their next read while in the middle of their current book. You know that they have a need for what you have, you just need to gain their attention long enough to tell them. What better way to do so than to get someone they already support to pass along your info. It works both ways. This creates great networking connections and customers for all parties involved.
Don’t forget to ALWAYS give your supporters a deal. Not a hook up but a deal. We all love a deal and if you have people who have been on the fence about your book, a good SALE may just be what they need to take a chance on you, especially if you are new on the scene.
Remember there are always marketing options that will not leave you in financial straits.
The second thing I have learned is ALWAYS be professional. Your professionalism is your brand. Always keep that in mind when you are working and even when you are not. I mean are authors ever off the clock? Your office is not a conventional one. You are a public figure so to speak. Your demeanor in social settings, social media included, will propel your success OR send it diving.
Your conduct as a professional is imperative no matter the genre you write. Consumers want to spend, and support businesses that show longevity and give their clients respect. Becoming an author is starting a business essentially, especially if your goal is to continue writing as a career. Approach each encounter with a buyer, or potential buyer like they have stepped into your office and you need to impress them with not only your business savvy, but your product.
Conducting yourself in a professional manner on social media is MUST! It is so easy to get caught up in the fact that you are behind a screen. Your internet footprint is lasting and can be accessed by almost anyone. If you’re on your social media pages fussing back and forth or get caught up in senseless drama it is unbecoming as a professional and a turn off to potential readers/buyers. Don’t take the bait and allow someone to take you outside your character. The anonymity can make it so easy and although social media should not be your only form of marketing/promoting it IS a wonderful asset. Don’t get a reputation in the negative regarding your interaction or comments made in a public forum. The word of mouth can work both ways.
The third, and most important thing I’ve learned is to believe in your vision. When I started I knew what I wanted. I knew what I wanted my book cover to look like. I knew I wanted to work with a company as opposed to self-publishing. I knew the market I was targeting. I knew what I hoped to grow into as an author. Keep your vision. In this business you will gain a wealth of knowledge from those who have done it before you and their advice will be valuable and help you to get to another level. That does not mean that your game plan is all wrong. That means that you may have to grow your vision or shelf certain ideas until you can bring them to fruitation, but never let them go. Your vision is what brought you this far.
Opinions will come at you, which you need to modify this and do away with that. However, that may not be exactly what you envisioned. As the head of your new literary venture you must take control and make the final decision. It may not be the right one, but it will be yours and you will know that you took control. The mistakes is where the learning process begins. If anyone tells you they have the formula for success and it is 100% guaranteed they are fooling you and themselves. They too had growing pains. Some will reach out and express concern because they failed in the direction in which you chose to take. The thing is they cannot tell which path will bring you success. You have walked your path and only you know your circumstances. You can’t follow someone else’s blueprint to the letter because their start and their finish will be different than yours. Although they have obtained success doing exactly what they explained you should do, there is no way to know if that same advice will work in your favor. That is why you can’t look at the next person and wonder why this is not working for me? Or if you are successful you should not question why are they going about things that way? Believe in you and take it all in. Learn your business, research everything! Then research again to make informed choices.
Please base you business decisions on what you KNOW will work in your favor. Base them on what you KNOW you can accomplish on your means. By all means take advice and apply where you can. What you can’t, like I stated before get creative, and stay on the path to your vision.
Three Things I Have Learned Since Becoming A Published Author. By: Elizabeth Funderbirk for Urban Bookshelf.
This article along will many other will also be featured on the Author Literary Blog “Trials, Tribulations, and Torn” http://writingtorn.blogspot.com
For more information on Elizabeth “LiteraryLiz” Funderbirk please visit “Literary Liz Writes” http://LiteraryLiz.com

Published on September 07, 2011 11:38
•
Tags:
advice, author, blogs, book-clubs, contemporary, drama, elizabeth-funderbirk, literary-liz, marketing, novel, professionalism, promotions, published, relationship-novelist, social-media, web-site
SALE SALE SALE "Love TORN Asunder" By: Elizabeth Funderbirk
SALE SALE SALE!!! "Love TORN Asunder" is on SALE for the entire month of SEPTEMBER! In celebration of my up coming wedding in 9 days!!! I have discounted the price of "Love TORN Asunder" on my website to $12.00 with NO shipping included on your purchase. Kindle, Nook, & E-Readers.... The price has also been cut down to ONLY $5.99. Please go to http://LiteraryLiz.com and read the Synopsis, Reviews and make your Purchase TODAY!!! :-)
Lots of Love LiteraryLiz......♥
http://LiteraryLiz.com
Lots of Love LiteraryLiz......♥
http://LiteraryLiz.com

Published on September 08, 2011 09:06
•
Tags:
amazon, book-club-discussions, contemporary, debut, discount, e-readers, elizabeth-funderbirk, fiction, good-reads, kindle, literary-liz, loyalty, lust, nook, novel, reading-circles, relational-drama, relationship-novelist, relationships, reviews, romance, sale, web-site
"Fresh Faces in Black Books." Feature on Author/Writer/Blogger- Elizabeth Funderbirk
Author: Elizabeth Funderbirk
Book title: Love TORN Asunder
Publisher: Emerald Star Press
African-American History Examiner (AAHE): What is your book about?
Elizabeth Funderbirk (EF): Love TORN Asunder, is a twisting drama centered around an adulterous affair. Trusts are broken, friendships are tested, and loyalty is questioned in this tangled web of deceit.
Leslie is a successful, beautiful woman with a dedicated man by her side. However, when an extended absence on her dream mans behave, makes her insecurities rise, her lustful choice to see if the grass is greener causes a domino effect in the lives of the five main characters.
Leslie will have to confess her sins and deal with the revelation that not everyone who claims to be your friend has your best interest at heart.
A scorned wife, a betrayed lover, a two timing Casanova, a bitter vamp, and flawed temptress…. will they find redemption at the end?
AAHE: How did you pick the topic for Love TORN Asunder?
EF: I wanted to write a novel that dealt with the dynamics of relationships. Not just the relationship between lovers but also, those we encounter in our everyday life. To really dive into the delicate balance it takes to navigate these bonds. The topic of an affair being the catalysis of this Novel was a perfect way for me to dissect all the people who are really affected by such an act. This in most cases extends further than the two parties involved. I believe that most of my novels will deal with Relationships
AAHE: How is Love TORN Asunder different from other books that cover the same or similar information?
EF: The topic of an affair is not new to the written word. This story is however unique because of the way I allow each charters the forefront to explain their side of the story. Each character is written in a definable voice that is their own. Although this story line is nothing new my delivery has its own presence. This story is fictional but written from a very real place, which is what makes it one of a kind.
AAHE: What do you like most about being an author?
EF: The freedom to express myself on my terms. To create a book that was not only relatable but also entertaining for the reader. I have wanted to be an author for some time. One thing or another stopped my progression. Now that I released the doubt from others and my own mind, I feel free in pursuing my dream. I had no idea what it meant to get a book published when I started this journey. Now that I am slowly tip toeing my way through the door, I know this is what I was meant to do. At the end of the day, I am proud of the small feats I have won along the way. Such as just completing my debut novel, then to have it actually available is a blessing that I cannot even describe. What I like most, is that I had a dream, I worked hard, made some wise choices, some not so much, but I can show my children that this is the reward for hard work. Accomplishment!
An excerpt of Love TORN Asunder:
CHAPTER 15
HER
Kendrick has been spending a lot of time at home. He even spent Thanksgiving with me and the kids although he usually celebrated it with his family, and I went with mine. It was nice us spending it together, but he is getting antsy. I have been trying to do my best to accommodate him by allowing Bernard over without a lot of fuss. I know that this isn’t going to last long. Ever since we went to that blues lounge, The Indigo, he has been even more on edge than usual. I thought it was strange for him to invite me out without me having to push him. The last time he was so accommodating was the last time I caught him cheating on me. We had taken a cruise to the Bahamas with a group of friends. I’d paid for the trip because I just wanted to spend time with Kendrick without his friends around. I’d wanted to let him know that I would do anything for him and this marriage. Kendrick and I just couldn’t get it right . My oldest son, Robert, had moved out about a year a half ago and I became severely depressed after that. No one understood. My family said that I had chosen Kendrick over my own son. Kendrick is my husband and Robert, my first-born. Robert is an adult though and the things that he was accusing Kendrick of couldn’t have been possible. He wouldn’t have disrespected me like that in our house. I knew Kendrick did things that a husband shouldn’t do in a marriage, but he would not bring those things to my home. A year and a half ago was when I started detaching myself from Kendrick’s indiscretions.
Robert and I came home from the grocery store on a Tuesday afternoon. Robert started unloading the groceries from the trunk of my car and taking them in the house while I gathered my daughter, Rayne. I was walking through the garage to the back door when I heard the commotion. I picked up my pace and when I entered the kitchen I could tell that it was coming from upstairs. I s ecured Rayne in her high chair in the kitchen and raced to the hallway. I stood at the bottom of the staircase and watched Robert and Kendrick attack one another. I didn’t know what to do. I was planted in that spot and couldn’t find my voice. Robert’s girlfriend Emma was shouting at them to stop, that they were acting like fools. I agreed but I couldn’t talk. She looked at me asked if I was going to do anything? Was I going to get Robert off Kendrick? I couldn’t move. My baby began crying in the kitchen and I still couldn’t move. Out of nowhere, Reggie came bounding through the front door and up the stairs. He pried them apart after a few tries. Robert was staring down at me, breathing hard, nostrils flared. The glare on his face made tears spring to my eyes and burn a trail down my cheeks. He turned his anger to ward my husband, demanded that he leave and told Emma to do the same. Robert was pushing her down the stairs, one step at a time. The tears impaired my vision, which made everything blurry.
“Mom! What are you going to do about this?” I heard him but I couldn’t answer. What could I say?
“Are you going to let him stay here after this shit? He has always been a cheater, but I know you’re not going to let him get away with this!” Robert yelled, demanding answers. My lungs were burning from holding my breath. “He was fucking Emma in my room, Mom. He’s sleeping with my girlfriend under your roof!” His voice boomed throughout the house, the sound echoing inside my head. “Mom?”
I could hear Kendrick telling him to calm down and to stop raising his voice in his house. “So you’re really not going to say anything, are you? You’re just going to look the other way again? Even though this time he didn’t just fuck you over he fucked me too!” My son said those words to me, and that was the last time we stayed under the same roof.
After some time, I made sure that Robert was settled into an apartment. It too k a lot of doing since he didn’t want to speak with me and I couldn’t blame him. When things sort of fell in order, I planned the cruise. It was a five-day, four-night event. By night three, he was antsy. He couldn’t even keep it together on a boat in the middle of the ocean. One evening while I was in the shower, he left the room. I knew that he was up to something. He kept trying to get me involved in an activity to keep me busy so he could get away, but I wasn’t fall for that. I stayed stuck to his side, until I went to take a shower that is. I got out of the shower and wrapped the new robe that he purchased for this trip around my body. I then called everyone that we came with on the cruise to see if had hooked up with any of them. No one had seen or talked to him since we left after dinner. I had an idea of where he might be, but I just didn’t want to believe that he would embarrass me like this with all these people to witness it. I went straight to Barbara s room. She was the sister of one of my friends that came along. She was exactly what Kendrick liked. She had light skin and big breasts. She was very cute, so the sight of him being friendly with her made my insecurities rise. She and Kendrick had been a little too friendly for the first couple of days. My stomach was in knots and I had a bad feeling about the whole thing as I got closer to her suite. When I made it to the door, I just listened at first. I could hear him inside laughing with her. Why would he do this shit here? Why now? I knocked. They became quiet, so I knocked again, louder. Then Louder. Nothing.
“I heard y’all in there and I am not leaving until you send my husband out here, Barbara.” I heard movement. Then there was nothing. I stood there for ten damn minutes then knocked on the door to the next cabin. A woman tentatively opened the door. I asked her if I could borrow a chair. She kindly brought one out to me without question. I’m sure she coul d hear what was going on through the thin walls. At that point, I didn’t care anymore. He’d already made me look like a fool for pulling this so why should I give a fuck? I sat there, arms folded, in the middle of the hallway on the cruise that I paid for to bring us closer together. He waited another fifteen minutes before he showed his face. He came out and all he could say was a pathetic “I’m sorry”. He took me by the arm lifted me from the chair and escorted me back to our room. He didn’t say anything about what happened and foolishly, neither did I. He made love to me as soon as we got back to our suite, while I cried.
Copyright© Elizabeth Funderbirk
Purchase Love TORN Asunder from Amazon ,Barnes&Nobles , Books-A-Million , Literary Liz Writes, and store locations by request.
Elizabeth Funderbirk’s Social Media Sites:
Literary Liz Writes: http://LiteraryLiz.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.fu...
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ELFunderbirk
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lizfun
Saving Lives Through Lit: http://savinglivesthroughlit.org/
BlogSpot: http://writingtorn.blogspot.com/
Black Folks Hot Spot: http://bfhsnetwork.com/profile/LizFun...
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/117140130...
To read this article and many more please go to The African American History Examiner , and read about the 100 Fresh Faces in Black Literature. http://afamhistoryexaminer.com/2011/1...
Lots of Love Literary Liz......♥
www.LiteraryLiz.com
Book title: Love TORN Asunder
Publisher: Emerald Star Press
African-American History Examiner (AAHE): What is your book about?
Elizabeth Funderbirk (EF): Love TORN Asunder, is a twisting drama centered around an adulterous affair. Trusts are broken, friendships are tested, and loyalty is questioned in this tangled web of deceit.
Leslie is a successful, beautiful woman with a dedicated man by her side. However, when an extended absence on her dream mans behave, makes her insecurities rise, her lustful choice to see if the grass is greener causes a domino effect in the lives of the five main characters.
Leslie will have to confess her sins and deal with the revelation that not everyone who claims to be your friend has your best interest at heart.
A scorned wife, a betrayed lover, a two timing Casanova, a bitter vamp, and flawed temptress…. will they find redemption at the end?
AAHE: How did you pick the topic for Love TORN Asunder?
EF: I wanted to write a novel that dealt with the dynamics of relationships. Not just the relationship between lovers but also, those we encounter in our everyday life. To really dive into the delicate balance it takes to navigate these bonds. The topic of an affair being the catalysis of this Novel was a perfect way for me to dissect all the people who are really affected by such an act. This in most cases extends further than the two parties involved. I believe that most of my novels will deal with Relationships
AAHE: How is Love TORN Asunder different from other books that cover the same or similar information?
EF: The topic of an affair is not new to the written word. This story is however unique because of the way I allow each charters the forefront to explain their side of the story. Each character is written in a definable voice that is their own. Although this story line is nothing new my delivery has its own presence. This story is fictional but written from a very real place, which is what makes it one of a kind.
AAHE: What do you like most about being an author?
EF: The freedom to express myself on my terms. To create a book that was not only relatable but also entertaining for the reader. I have wanted to be an author for some time. One thing or another stopped my progression. Now that I released the doubt from others and my own mind, I feel free in pursuing my dream. I had no idea what it meant to get a book published when I started this journey. Now that I am slowly tip toeing my way through the door, I know this is what I was meant to do. At the end of the day, I am proud of the small feats I have won along the way. Such as just completing my debut novel, then to have it actually available is a blessing that I cannot even describe. What I like most, is that I had a dream, I worked hard, made some wise choices, some not so much, but I can show my children that this is the reward for hard work. Accomplishment!
An excerpt of Love TORN Asunder:
CHAPTER 15
HER
Kendrick has been spending a lot of time at home. He even spent Thanksgiving with me and the kids although he usually celebrated it with his family, and I went with mine. It was nice us spending it together, but he is getting antsy. I have been trying to do my best to accommodate him by allowing Bernard over without a lot of fuss. I know that this isn’t going to last long. Ever since we went to that blues lounge, The Indigo, he has been even more on edge than usual. I thought it was strange for him to invite me out without me having to push him. The last time he was so accommodating was the last time I caught him cheating on me. We had taken a cruise to the Bahamas with a group of friends. I’d paid for the trip because I just wanted to spend time with Kendrick without his friends around. I’d wanted to let him know that I would do anything for him and this marriage. Kendrick and I just couldn’t get it right . My oldest son, Robert, had moved out about a year a half ago and I became severely depressed after that. No one understood. My family said that I had chosen Kendrick over my own son. Kendrick is my husband and Robert, my first-born. Robert is an adult though and the things that he was accusing Kendrick of couldn’t have been possible. He wouldn’t have disrespected me like that in our house. I knew Kendrick did things that a husband shouldn’t do in a marriage, but he would not bring those things to my home. A year and a half ago was when I started detaching myself from Kendrick’s indiscretions.
Robert and I came home from the grocery store on a Tuesday afternoon. Robert started unloading the groceries from the trunk of my car and taking them in the house while I gathered my daughter, Rayne. I was walking through the garage to the back door when I heard the commotion. I picked up my pace and when I entered the kitchen I could tell that it was coming from upstairs. I s ecured Rayne in her high chair in the kitchen and raced to the hallway. I stood at the bottom of the staircase and watched Robert and Kendrick attack one another. I didn’t know what to do. I was planted in that spot and couldn’t find my voice. Robert’s girlfriend Emma was shouting at them to stop, that they were acting like fools. I agreed but I couldn’t talk. She looked at me asked if I was going to do anything? Was I going to get Robert off Kendrick? I couldn’t move. My baby began crying in the kitchen and I still couldn’t move. Out of nowhere, Reggie came bounding through the front door and up the stairs. He pried them apart after a few tries. Robert was staring down at me, breathing hard, nostrils flared. The glare on his face made tears spring to my eyes and burn a trail down my cheeks. He turned his anger to ward my husband, demanded that he leave and told Emma to do the same. Robert was pushing her down the stairs, one step at a time. The tears impaired my vision, which made everything blurry.
“Mom! What are you going to do about this?” I heard him but I couldn’t answer. What could I say?
“Are you going to let him stay here after this shit? He has always been a cheater, but I know you’re not going to let him get away with this!” Robert yelled, demanding answers. My lungs were burning from holding my breath. “He was fucking Emma in my room, Mom. He’s sleeping with my girlfriend under your roof!” His voice boomed throughout the house, the sound echoing inside my head. “Mom?”
I could hear Kendrick telling him to calm down and to stop raising his voice in his house. “So you’re really not going to say anything, are you? You’re just going to look the other way again? Even though this time he didn’t just fuck you over he fucked me too!” My son said those words to me, and that was the last time we stayed under the same roof.
After some time, I made sure that Robert was settled into an apartment. It too k a lot of doing since he didn’t want to speak with me and I couldn’t blame him. When things sort of fell in order, I planned the cruise. It was a five-day, four-night event. By night three, he was antsy. He couldn’t even keep it together on a boat in the middle of the ocean. One evening while I was in the shower, he left the room. I knew that he was up to something. He kept trying to get me involved in an activity to keep me busy so he could get away, but I wasn’t fall for that. I stayed stuck to his side, until I went to take a shower that is. I got out of the shower and wrapped the new robe that he purchased for this trip around my body. I then called everyone that we came with on the cruise to see if had hooked up with any of them. No one had seen or talked to him since we left after dinner. I had an idea of where he might be, but I just didn’t want to believe that he would embarrass me like this with all these people to witness it. I went straight to Barbara s room. She was the sister of one of my friends that came along. She was exactly what Kendrick liked. She had light skin and big breasts. She was very cute, so the sight of him being friendly with her made my insecurities rise. She and Kendrick had been a little too friendly for the first couple of days. My stomach was in knots and I had a bad feeling about the whole thing as I got closer to her suite. When I made it to the door, I just listened at first. I could hear him inside laughing with her. Why would he do this shit here? Why now? I knocked. They became quiet, so I knocked again, louder. Then Louder. Nothing.
“I heard y’all in there and I am not leaving until you send my husband out here, Barbara.” I heard movement. Then there was nothing. I stood there for ten damn minutes then knocked on the door to the next cabin. A woman tentatively opened the door. I asked her if I could borrow a chair. She kindly brought one out to me without question. I’m sure she coul d hear what was going on through the thin walls. At that point, I didn’t care anymore. He’d already made me look like a fool for pulling this so why should I give a fuck? I sat there, arms folded, in the middle of the hallway on the cruise that I paid for to bring us closer together. He waited another fifteen minutes before he showed his face. He came out and all he could say was a pathetic “I’m sorry”. He took me by the arm lifted me from the chair and escorted me back to our room. He didn’t say anything about what happened and foolishly, neither did I. He made love to me as soon as we got back to our suite, while I cried.
Copyright© Elizabeth Funderbirk
Purchase Love TORN Asunder from Amazon ,Barnes&Nobles , Books-A-Million , Literary Liz Writes, and store locations by request.
Elizabeth Funderbirk’s Social Media Sites:
Literary Liz Writes: http://LiteraryLiz.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.fu...
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ELFunderbirk
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lizfun
Saving Lives Through Lit: http://savinglivesthroughlit.org/
BlogSpot: http://writingtorn.blogspot.com/
Black Folks Hot Spot: http://bfhsnetwork.com/profile/LizFun...
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/117140130...
To read this article and many more please go to The African American History Examiner , and read about the 100 Fresh Faces in Black Literature. http://afamhistoryexaminer.com/2011/1...
Lots of Love Literary Liz......♥
www.LiteraryLiz.com

Published on November 19, 2011 15:21
•
Tags:
amazon, book-club-discussions, contemporary, debut, discount, e-readers, elizabeth-funderbirk, fiction, good-reads, kindle, literary-liz, loyalty, lust, nook, novel, reading-circles, relational-drama, relationship-novelist, relationships, reviews, romance, sale, web-site
The Bitter Sweet Conclusion!!! The explosive sequel to "Love TORN Asunder"
In "Love TORN Asunder" you met five very real characters all telling their side of events that has them all tangled in a web a deceit. In the follow up Novel "The Bitter Sweet Conclusion", you will be immersed in the muddy waters that follow the storm!
LESLIE: Will have to come clean about all her sins one-way or the other, while laid in a hospital bed the gritty truth becomes known.
LINCOLN: Gets the whole picture of exactly what’s been going on while he's away at work. The phrase while the Cats away the mice will play is a mild compared to the information that was just dropped on him.
KENDRICK: Male gigolo at your service, his scathing antics, and doggish ways catch up to him and gets him in a situation that may end his life for good.
DEVINE: Entangled in an affair that she had no idea she was participating in, find out how a woman of her means decides to settle the score.
HER: On the verge of losing it all, she will not only make those that have done her wrong pay, she will become so enraged inside her own anger, she may not be able to see her way out.
A scorned wife, a betrayed lover, a two timing Casanova, a bitter vamp, and a flawed temptress.... will they find redemption at the end? "The Bitter Sweet Conclusion" is the explosive sequel to "Love TORN Asunder" By: Elizabeth Funderbirk
AVAILABLE NOW ON KINDLE & NOOK.... Pre-Orders for paperback taking place NOW on Literary Liz Writes (http://LiteraryLiz.com) Thanks to all that have supported me :-)
Lots of Love Literary Liz......♥
www.LiteraryLiz.com
LESLIE: Will have to come clean about all her sins one-way or the other, while laid in a hospital bed the gritty truth becomes known.
LINCOLN: Gets the whole picture of exactly what’s been going on while he's away at work. The phrase while the Cats away the mice will play is a mild compared to the information that was just dropped on him.
KENDRICK: Male gigolo at your service, his scathing antics, and doggish ways catch up to him and gets him in a situation that may end his life for good.
DEVINE: Entangled in an affair that she had no idea she was participating in, find out how a woman of her means decides to settle the score.
HER: On the verge of losing it all, she will not only make those that have done her wrong pay, she will become so enraged inside her own anger, she may not be able to see her way out.
A scorned wife, a betrayed lover, a two timing Casanova, a bitter vamp, and a flawed temptress.... will they find redemption at the end? "The Bitter Sweet Conclusion" is the explosive sequel to "Love TORN Asunder" By: Elizabeth Funderbirk
AVAILABLE NOW ON KINDLE & NOOK.... Pre-Orders for paperback taking place NOW on Literary Liz Writes (http://LiteraryLiz.com) Thanks to all that have supported me :-)
Lots of Love Literary Liz......♥
www.LiteraryLiz.com
Published on November 19, 2011 15:24
•
Tags:
amazon, book-club-discussions, contemporary, debut, discount, e-readers, elizabeth-funderbirk, fiction, good-reads, kindle, literary-liz, loyalty, lust, nook, novel, reading-circles, relational-drama, relationship-novelist, relationships, reviews, romance, sale, web-site