A Menopausal Detective?

PrologueThe accidental killer looked around him, sweat rolling from his hairlinealong his brow in rivulets. His hands scrabbling through the sand and sheep droppings, he tried to find enough loose stones to weigh down the heavy-duty garbage bag in front of him. He swore when knife sharp shards of oyster cut his fingers. In the distance he heard the sound of an approaching car. To his left, a goose honked sleepily.Ever faster he searched for rocks and stones. Away, he had to get as far away as possible, before he was seen!He held his breath when the car passed him, the sheen of headlights seen just above the dyke, and then moving down the narrow road. When he heard an asthmatic cough behind him, he froze. His bowels threatened to loosen and once more he held his breath, pressing his buttocks together. Again the cough, but this time it sounded less human and more animal. His overheated brain provided him with an answer. Sheep droppings – that meant sheep.As soon as he couldn’t find any more ballast, he tied a tie-wrap around the stiff plastic of the bag, wrestling with its folds. Scrambling up, he dragged the dead weight towards the waterline. Christ, it was heavy going! The blue plastic made a tearing noise, and suddenly all round him there came an alarmed honking and the flapping of wings as the Canadian and Grey Geese woke up and tried to get away from the danger.He doubled his efforts, finally succeeding in getting the bag down the basalt incline to the water and then into it, where it became a little bit easier to drag. He stepped into the shallows, immediately losing his footing on the algae covered basalt and falling piggyback onto the bag. A moan escaped him. He couldn’t get off it fast enough.At last! The bag hovered, gently bobbing on the calm waves. He guided it as deep as he could, walking alongside it on the muddy seabed until only his head was above water. Then he gave it one last strong push. It made a slow roll and half-turn, and teasingly slow drifted away on the current. He sighed. It was supposed to sink, why didn’t it fucking sink?

  9801 Hits

Dishing out the dirt on an old Afrikan dish.

Oana, if you love doughnuts then let me take you to the motherland. Recently my kids grandmother and I was looking through the cupboards for a crock pot to deep fry some chickens when she introduced me to some of her old cook books. At first I knocked them because these where cookbooks her church published. I'm a member of the Nation of Gods and Earths so anything from a Christian church I pay no attention to. Then I continued on reading some of these 19th/20th century recipes to find some nice recipes. Then Nanna (kids grandmother) asked me if I ever had monkey bread. Monkey Bread? That's what I said. Then Nanna went on telling me about this "monkey bread". She told me that her mother made it all the time for holidays and white folks back then loved it to death. I thought it was an European dish but nope. I'm from New Orleans Louisiana, land of the big booties and creole cuisine. I can cook most of these dishes myself but my family never had this monkey bread. It's really soft dinner rolls layered together with butter to create a butter roll tree. I noticed all of her cook books had a monkey bread recipe in them. I'm like damn, it must not be that good if I haven't heard of it yet. So I did my research to find out this dish is traditionally called Afrikan Coffee Cake. Then I remembered that New Orleans has a dish called Afrikan Coffee Cake that was Christianized for a Christian holiday, Fat Tuesday. This particular dish is the signature piece for the Mardi Gras celebration, the King Cake. I can make a King Cake because my mother taught it me but like most American bred Afrikans our culture and traditions were stolen and outlawed to practice so my momma didn't tell me the origins, just the recipe. So now here in DC my kids are like what is this King Cake or Monkey Bread. After giving them a factual history lesson I decided to make it for them. The first picture is my first attempt made with just sugar, cinnamon, brown sugar, butter and store bought biscuits. It was gone in one day. So I decided to make another one with some Creole "stank" on it. This time I used sweetened butter, molasses, brown and light brown sugar, milk, flour, eggs, and I made the glaze from an old school powdered sugar, water and buttermilk recipe...and here you have it for the second picture. It's a shame that racism is apparent in all American history. What's worse then that is today people play a blind eye to it like it never existed. Maybe if people are really sincere of the truth then maybe we can sit at the table together to have a slice of the King's Cake. But apparently not everyone believe Afrikans should be KINGS. That's funny, who do you think created kingdoms worldwide? Check the facts! Peace.

  4134 Hits

Open Book with Envy Red & Q: Michelle Pebbles Caldwell, Photographer P1

Author's Info presents Open Book with Envy Red & Q. This episode we feature Mizz Baltimore Michelle "Pebbles" Caldwell, Photographer. Mizz Pebbles or just Michelle commonly known, is a fan photographer who is coming up on the entertainment scene. Yes, she started as a fan photographer but under the study and guidance of Hip-Hop pioneering legend-The Chief Rocka Busy Bee, this charismatic personality is slowly becoming the "Baltimore" celebrity photographer at parties and concerts. Each one of her photos has a personal story behind them as she keeps it 100 with me. Currently she's working on publishing her memoirs titled "Memories of Pain" and she's a writer on imusiccentral.com. Here's a short list of her photo subjects Jamie Foxx, Trey Songs, Anthony Hamilton, Musiq Soulchild, Snoop Dogg, Estelle, Erykah Badu, Common, Redman, Method Man, Busy Bee, Red Grant, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Miguel, Amazin', J Holiday, Rakim, K-Swft and many more. Michelle is also managing her son's music group Amazin'. The music video for their new single "Keep Up" is in preproduction as I write and will be produced by Q. At the same time Michelle has Black Diamond Entertainment and Swagga Magazine for new and aspiring local artists. Michelle has been featured for her work with The Chief Rocka Busy Bee in the LA Times this month as well. The second part of this interview will be available soon. K-Swift Baltimore Club Mix Tribute composed by Q aka DJ KaNeckScratch Patterns performed by DJ Ant Love of the Mo' Nique Show.

  5450 Hits

A failed system, or is it?

    Above is a picture of Frederico Bruno, he is accused of pushing his ex-girlfriend and 3 month old child out of a window three stories high.  He climbs down from the same window, finds a metal bar stool leg and beats her with it as she is lying on top of the 3 month old baby who broke her fall to a concrete ground.  Read that over again.  Take a deep breath.  Now who is the blame for this type of violence?  Before you go any further, let me add this too...the widow also had an air conditioner installed in it.  For real!  Who do you blame for this type of violence?  Violence has such a profound meaning.  It sure can sway any jury.  Oh did I tell you, he sliced up the victim's friend who attempted to call the police.  Yes sir!  He left them all for dead.  Sad ain't it, or is it?  What if I told you crimes like these are good for business?  Business?!  

  7372 Hits

SAGGIN': NIGGAS spelled backwards, but going in the same direction.

Eugenics strikes again...

  5281 Hits

Open Book with Envy Red & Q: The Force MD's Relived/Escape From Shaolin part 1

Open Book presents Antoine "Tony" Shaheed Elliott, the man who moved to Shaolin, but wrote "Escape from Shaolin".  He is also the author of the children's book "Spelling Girl".  Mr. Elliott's latest accomplishment is his film in which he wrote and co-produced...The Force MD's Relived.  Very few authors have done what Shaheed has done.   That's write a book, publish it, get national acclaim as a professional storyteller and produce a film which is featured in a prestigious film festival.  Wow!  He's an inspiration to me just hanging with him.  In part 1 of this interview, we talk about his upbringing and influences.  This was the backdrop to Escape from Shaolin.  Shaheed let's us know how life was in 1970's Staten Island NY.  We also want to mention the works of Claude Brown (Manchild in the Promise Land) and Piri Thomas (Down these Mean Streets).   

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM-FIH0ewvs&feature=colike

  3958 Hits

Open Book with Envy Red & Q: Touch, Part 1

Q Productions & Author's Info presents: Open Book with Envy Red & Q.  This is the premiere episode of Open Book.  In this episode hosts Envy Red and executive producer Q talk about her novel: Touch.   This is the book that made Envy Red a celebrity.  She has won 5 awards for Touch, and we talk about it in this 2 part interview.  Touch is an erotic thriller, based in Washington DC.  The story has a serial killer who stalks the DC "swingers" scene.  Yeah, that's what I said.   It's a must read!!!

Highlights include:

  7630 Hits

Open Book with Envy Red & Q: Jaded Part 1

Mental illness, childhood trauma, and serial killer are the terms associated with the character Jade. Get up close and personal with Envy Red as she gives the inside scoop on the mental mayhem she calls "Jaded." FInd out what was the most troubling thing for her to pen in this psychological thriller. 

Open Book was started as a forum for authors and those in the surrounding business to spread the word about what makes the world go around...LITERACY. Join us as we discuss the latest and greatest in the industry and give you and your business an open platform to chop it up.

  4434 Hits

Meet Hank Waterman - Excerpt from 'The Wheels Final Turn"

Chapter 4 – Hank Waterman

Hank Waterman stood on the sidewalk holding the three-month-old Havanese close to his chest. He scanned the street and noticed Jennie Ford approaching from a few feet away and for an instant considered freeing the young pup until the young girl had passed. Instead, he grasped the squirming dog tighter to his chest.

He watched the girls’ slim figure, dressed in white canvas shorts and tight blue t-shirt, pony-tailed black hair flying in the wind as she jogged toward him. Inwardly, his thoughts turned to lust. She might be ‘just a kid’ but that didn’t stop his body from yearning or his groin from aching with desire. Acting the respectable male adult had its difficulties, sexual desire being one of the most challenging to conceal. His weight shifted from left leg to right while he steadied his short wide frame and cast his cold black eyes upon the approaching girl.

  3708 Hits
Cron Job Starts