The Morning Tea Reflect. Reconnect. Renew

Brought to you by EDC Creations Media Group

Black Pearls Magazine

Brought to you by EDC Creations Media Group Black Pearls Magazine Online is a free digital magazine committed to inspire, encourage and em-power a international group of readers. Our mission is to provide information that is essential, enlighten-ing and entertaining. The information that we publish helps to empower our readers, therefore enriching their lives and benefiting the communities in which they live. We believe in Giving the Gift of Knowledge! The words Black Pearls has become a metaphor for something very rare, very admirable and very valu-able. We are here to bring you those literary jewels, Black Pearls, that are sure to bring you and your love ones much pleasure and empowerment. Every issue of this magazine will celebrate the accomplishments of authors and writers from around the globe, honoring proud traditions and spotlighting ways to enhance the reader's everyday life. Visit the magazine's Bookclub Reading Room for more excellent selections: www.blackpearlsmagazine.com Discover great books, read about the authors, find other book club members, explore our reader’s guides, share our excerpts of new releases and more. Books are a blessing when you can learn and grow from what you read. I hope that you find many books to add great value in your life. Start by reading this entire cata-log of suggested books. Please contact us at: edc_dg@yahoo.com and let us know who you would like to see in the next exciting issue of Black Pearls’ The Morning Tea. Spread the word about these Black Pearls...Give the Gift of Knowledge.

The Morning Teas were originally written by the late Diann Thomas and distributed by the late Linda

Cunningham-Hames. Sister Rugina Poellnitz still carries on the tradition of the Teas in honor and awe

of the three angels from God. Tamara A. Garrett introduced The Morning Tea to us in July, 2012.

Give the Gift of Knowledge Campaign

EDC Creations, The Sankofa Literary Society and The Black Authors Network are proud to announce the launch of their

2012-2013 "Give the Gift of Knowledge Campaign." This is a mission to bring readers and authors together to help

improve literacy. In 2004, during the Christmas holidays, Ella Curry, the founder of EDC Creations, reached out to

women's groups and literary organizations to help promote early literacy by giving new books to children from low

income homes. Today, the "Give the Gift of Knowledge Campaign," seeks to expand even further! Based on the “each

one teach one,” model, our goal is to help people introduce reading and new books to their family and friends.

Each year thousands of people — educators, concerned parents, community leaders, authors, poets and publishers —

devote their time and resources to presenting the reader with great books! However, too many outstanding books do not

get the attention and reader support that they deserve. It is our mission to connect readers with these hidden gems and

bring them books that will change their lives. Please share this magazine with at least 20 people you know...give the gift!

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Reflect...Reconnect…Renew and Give The Gift of Knowledge!

“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities”

― Stephen R. Covey

". . . I have learned to be content . . ." Philippians 4:11 (NAS)

Contentment is something you learn; you have to work at it daily!

Are you generally content with your life - spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects?

Do you enjoy the many blessings that were graciously given to you by God? Have you learned to

enjoy and celebrate the fruits of your labor, the wife/husband of your youth, and so much more?

Are you thankful for the simple things of life by savoring and relishing them? Alternatively, do you

continually strive for more with an insatiable desire to acquire at all costs? Have you pushed your-

self to the max to attain more which has negatively affected your health and well-being? Are you

attempting to keep up with the "Jones"? Has this mindset caused major issues in your home, in that, you want to spend and

your spouse want to save?

Saints, let's learn to be content with our many material, physical, and spiritual blessings. God graciously grants

each of us many seen and unseen benefits. If we stop and reflect on those benefits - we'd have continual praise on our lips and

joy in our heart. Additionally, we have much so that we can be a help to others. We are able to assist in a number of ways rang-

ing from financial (donating time or money to various individuals/organizations) to spiritual (praying and sharing the Word).

We have the ability to touch others by simply living life well. By watching our life well-lived, others could be inspired to prac-

tice contentment (through godly methods) as well.

Contentment is a state of mind that encompasses all aspects of life. Let's learn to share what we have with those

around us while building up God's kingdom. Let's refuse to get bogged down by the worldly view of equating riches to self-

worth and as a barometer of success. God has made each of us as a valuable earthen treasure with much to give (and the

unique to ability to receive much more than we give when volunteering and/or assisting others). Let's learn to appreciate our

lives and lifestyles as we practice the fine art of contentment.

Submitted by Rugina Poellnitz, in honor and awe of the late Diann Thomas, Linda

Cunningham-Hames, and Evelyn Pete - three angels from God.

Practice Being Content by Rugina Poellnitz

“Dominator culture has tried to keep us all afraid, to make us choose safety instead of risk,

sameness instead of diversity. Moving through that fear, finding out what connects us,

reveling in our differences; this is the process that brings us closer, that gives us a world

of shared values, of meaningful community.”

― Bell Hooks, Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope

Greenwood and Archer by Marlene Banks

After the Riot, the sequel novel to SON OF A PREACHER-

MAN takes the reader back to Greenwood District in the

1920s during its restoration from the devastating race riot.

Lives have been drastically changed since he riot and its citi-

zens defiantly rebuild their piece of prosperity. Tulsa Okla-

homa is as segregated as ever but doesn’t want the whole

country watching it play out.

Additional tension festers as prohibition brings Chicago

gangsters to settle in the oil rich boomtown. Violent tragedy

revisits the barely recuperating community demonstrating

the Almighty hand of God having once again untangling the

mess men make.

Benny Freeman and Billy Ray Matthias navigate more hur-

dles in their relationship. Faith carried them through once

but has their trust in God been tested to its human limit?

Are they able to continue holding on to God…and each

other?

Purchase Greenwood and Archer

http://www.marlenebanks.com/?cat=6

Published by LEVB/Moody Publishers

“Read. Read. Read. Just don't read one type of book. Read different books

by various authors so that you develop different style.” ― R. L. Stine

MARLENE BANKS resides in Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania. In addition to being a prolific writer

she has an associate degree in Theology from

Rhema Bible Institute in Keysville, Virginia and is

currently pursuing studies to initiate a Christian

counseling ministry.

Freeman, the new novel by Leonard Pitts, Jr., takes place in the first few months following the Confederate

surrender and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Upon learning of Lee's surrender, Sam--a runaway slave who

once worked for the Union Army--decides to leave his safe haven in Philadelphia and set out on foot to return to

the war-torn South. What compels him on this almost-suicidal course is the desire to find his wife, the mother of

his only child, whom he and their son left behind 15 years earlier on the Mississippi farm to which they

all "belonged."

Freeman is a love story--sweeping, generous, brutal, compassionate, patient--about the feelings people were

determined to honor, despite the enormous constraints of the times. It is this aspect of the book that should ensure

it a strong, vocal, core audience of African-American women, who will help propel its likely critical acclaim to a

wider audience. At the same time, this book addresses several themes that are still hotly debated today, some 145

years after the official end of the Civil War.

Purchase Freeman by Leonard Pitts Jr.

http://www.amazon.com/Freeman-Leonard-Pitts-Jr/dp/1932841644

7 Essential Steps to Writing Your First Novel By Trevor Johnson

Many people dream of writing their own book. But it remains a

dream - maybe a few kind-of started pages gathering virtual dust on a

computer somewhere and eventually consigned to the digital dustbin

when an upgrade arrives. So what can you do to make your dream of

writing a novel come true? Here are some tips to help you.

1. Make an outline: You need a road map to follow if you are to

stand any chance at all of writing your masterpiece. Start with the

chapter headings and then a brief outline of what will happen in each

chapter.

2. Flesh out your outline: Once you've got the direction of your novel worked out, it's time to put a bit more

detail together. Notice that I didn't say start writing "for real" yet. Just add some meat to the chapter heading

bones. Aim for around a dozen things that will happen in each chapter.

3. Define your main characters: What do they look like? How old are they? Are they male, female, animal or

alien? Write a summary of each character - this will likely end up scattered across your book as each part of their

character becomes relevant. But as the author, you need to know these details from day one.

4. Define your main locations: It doesn't matter whether these exist in the real world or not. But these should

be defined in the same way you've defined the major players. This crib sheet will help keep your mind on track

when you're actually writing your new novel.

5. Start writing: By now, your head should already have a very good idea of the novel you're about to write. Set

aside time each and every day to work on your novel. This can be short, ten to fifteen minute, bursts or it can be an

hour or more with your hands almost tied to the keyboard. The important part is to do this every day, to help

convince your unconscious mind that you're serious. Don't interrupt yourself with editing at this stage. That uses a

different part of your brain and will kill your creativity.

6. Edit and polish your work: If possible, read your book out loud. This will raise the places where you

literally stumble over your words and will bring out the parts of your book that don't quite make sense. It's actually

quite a fun process once you get used to it!

7. Publish: Nowadays you don't need a publisher unless you want one. You can publish your own work on sites

like Amazon and indulge in your own publicity with a few press releases. The sky's the limit - go for it!

To learn how to write a novel in a month: http://onemonthnovel.info. Article Source

Detox Your Finances by Deborah Owens

Just as liquids are important to flush toxins from your system as you diet, a similar approach

can trim the bulge in your budget. Americans have been bingeing on debt and according to the

Federal Reserve Board have racked up more than 2.26 billion dollars in consumer debt. Like

dieters who get on the treadmill daily and the pounds don’t come off it can be difficult to gain

control of your finances. The culprit---- fees and monthly interest charges that have the same

affect on your budget that nutritionist say artificial sweeteners and refined sugar have on

weight loss. Here are a few ideas that you can use to implement a financial cleansing.

Financial Fast: Like a fast when you’re dieting it is important to approach ridding yourself

from debt gradually otherwise you feel deprived and then start to binge or in this case

overspend. Start by making a list of all your debt and identifying the largest balances with the

highest interest rates first. Pay off your small balances first and eliminate a bill or tackle the balance with the highest interest

rate in order to short circuit the compound interest on your balances. The key is to gradually reduce your debt burden and

experience a feeling of financial peace.

Drink your liquids: When I talk about putting liquidity in your budget I’m not talking about grabbing a can of Slim

Fast, I mean having readily available cash. One of the main causes of credit card debt is not having an emergency fund.

Building liquidity may require you to cut your expenses. If you haven’t been saving money, I hope to convince you to reverse

that trend. Make a commitment to pay yourself ten percent of your take home pay each week and have it automatically

transferred from your paycheck or checking account. into a savings or a money market account. The trade off is settling for

the paltry current interest rates of 1.50% or less. For listings of top-yielding savings, money market accounts and CDs, check

www.bankrate.com and www.imoney.net When an emergency happens you can reach for cash instead of credit.

Spend Organically: Going green in your finances means using cold hard cash. A study on spending behavior found that

people who use credit cards for everyday purchases spend fifteen percent more than if they were using cash. Give yourself an

allowance every pay period and make a commitment to use cash only. When you open your wallet and there is no cash it

means you have reached your spending limit. The sweetest sound a financially responsible person hears is the sound of their

wallet or purse snapping shut.

Deborah Owens is the Wealth Coach on My Generation TV on PBS and is the author of A Purse of Your Own: The Easy

Guide to Financial Security published by Simon and Schuster. Visit www.deborahowens.com to read an excerpt.

A brutal murder, missing documents and an unscrupulous opposing counsel lead attorney Vernetta

Henderson on a quest for justice—and ultimately—revenge.

The hotshot L.A. lawyer takes on a corporation with a long history of discriminating against women. While Vernetta simply

wants justice for her clients, the corporation’s hired gun wants to win . . . and she doesn’t care how. On the home front,

Vernetta’s infamous sidekick Special has finally found true love. But is the price more than she’s willing to pay?

Purchase Attorney-Client Privilege Today

http://www.amazon.com/Attorney-Client-Privilege-ebook/dp/B008BWAD5G

What secrets do you keep from the one you share everything with?

Secrets. Lies. Half-Truths.

In the sequel, Today's Truth brings the characters of Yesterday's Lies back together to honor their departed friend. They're

each keeping secrets in an attempt to shield each other from the pain that the truth will cause. What they don't realize is that

their efforts will all be in vain. One of them holds the key that will open the door and the sins, lies and secrets will come to the

light. Today's Truth is filled with suspense, drama and twists that you will never see coming. Will the secrets they all hold

from the past ruin their friendship and lives forever?

Purchase Today's Truth by Terri D.

http://www.amazon.com/Todays-Truth-Terri-D/dp/0983188718

The first family of the Mount Zion Progressive Baptist Church lives to preach. But when it comes to

practice, they could use a little divine intervention…

Minister King Brook’s daughter, Princess, is about to marry the man she thinks she loves…until a disaster leaves her lavish

wedding—and her life—in shambles. Her ex, Kelvin, has returned to win her back. Her fiancée, Rafael, is determined to tie

the knot. And when Princess’s grandfather, the Reverend Doctor Pastor Bishop Overseer Mister Stanley Obadiah Meshach

Brook, Jr., adds his own unexpected contribution to the matrimonial mayhem, all you-know-what breaks loose…

Purchase Divine Intervention by Lutishia Lovely

http://www.audioacrobat.com/note/Cl0PXmFs

Red Dollar by Andrea Clinton

When Leo found a red dollar, his grandmother told him to get rid of it as it looked evil. Red Dollar is a story about a red dollar

bill that many believe has been touched by the devil. It’s like bad luck money many hate to get and rush to get rid of when they

get it because they believe so long as they have it in their possession, they’ll go broke in the worst way.

Leo, a ex-drug addict owes money to his old dealer, Low-Blow. In order to rid himself of the debt, Leo takes advantage of his

old dealer by setting Low-Blow up to receive the red dollar. Low-Blow who never heard of the red dollar, finds his life whirling

into a kaleidoscope of weird, awkward happenings, leading him to believe he’s in a sort of twilight zone. Low Blow learns a

whole other meaning to the term, “Money is the route to all evil.”

Purchase Red Dollar by Andrea Clinton

http://www.amazon.com/Red-Dollar-1-ebook/dp/B008U94PLS

“There's so many different worlds, so many different suns. And we have just one world,

but we live in different ones.” ― Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms

Social media marketing and networking is about engaging your audience, interacting with them, and creating a relationship and most importantly building a "trust" with them. It's important to engage your readers, fans, audience, peers, colleagues, and get them to interact with each other, as well as for you to interact with them. Ella Curry, president of EDC Creations Media Group hosted this information rich coaching session on how to stand out amongst the millions of other authors. Authors will come away from the 4 sessions with a high-level plan for cell-phone marketing, product promotions, branding tips, and techniques on using social media tools such as: GroupMe, YouTube, GoodReads, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, RSS feeds, widgets, and video blogging, etc. Ella will instruct the listeners on how to use social media tools like TweetChat and podcasting to stand out, while attracting readers and obtaining that "leading edge" with the readers!

RECAP OF THE 4-DAY COACHING SESSION How To Move People To Action Seminars http://www.audioacrobat.com/note/CwKh3tSs

Visit EDC Creation for extraordinary book promotions!

www.edc-creations.com

Sanctuary Cove (A Cavanaugh Island Novel) by Rochelle Alers

Still reeling from her husband's untimely death, Deborah Robinson needs a fresh start. So she decides to pack up her family, box up her bookstore, and return to her grandmother's ancestral home on Cavanaugh Island. The charming town of Sanctuary Cove holds happy memories for Deborah. And, after she spies a gorgeous stranger in the local bakery, it promises the possibility for a bright, new future.

Dr. Asa Monroe is at a crossroads. Ever since the loss of his family, he has been on a quest for faith and meaning, traveling from one town to another. When he meets Deborah, the beautiful bookstore owner with the warm eyes and sunny smile, Asa believes he has finally found a reason to stay in one place. As friendship blossoms into romance, Deborah and Asa discover they may have a second chance at love. But small towns have big secrets. Before they can begin their new life together, the couple must confront a challenge they never expected . . .

Purchase Sanctuary Cove (A Cavanaugh Island Novel) by Rochelle Alers

Rochelle Alers Interview with Ella Curry of EDC Creations

Listen here: http://www.audioacrobat.com/note/C4By6gfs

Bestselling New Novel Fuses Tribulations of Working Women with the Unbreakable Bonds of

True Friendship. Following 5star reviews and a spot on Amazon’s Bestseller list, Monica Mathis-

Stowe’s debut novel is a gift to the spirit of women everywhere.

Monica Mathis-Stowe orchestrates a scintillating adventure in Where Did We Go Wrong? that will leave you affected by

the world that is left behind after the last page is turned. The author gives each of the three women distinct attitudes and sets

of behaviors. The power struggle between the two alpha-women Gabby and Joy is juxtapositioned by Maxine's nurturing,

timid nature. The interactions are as interesting as they are authentic - with the strengths and weaknesses giving Where

Did We Go Wrong? its own feel. Where Maxine wants everything to be alright, Gabby thrives on conflict. Where Gabby

wants everyone she comes into contact to benefit her, Joy wants her friends to be strong and independent. Where Joy finds

herself sad because she is alone, Maxine is sad because she has a family and wants to do so much more for them.

Purchase Where Did We Go Wrong? by Monica Mathis-Stowe

http://www.audioacrobat.com/note/CTnMG99s

HEADLINE HERE SUB-HEAD. SUB-HEAD. SUB-HEAD. SUB-HEAD.

Purchase books from LCB at: www.lcbllc.net

Intimate Conversation with The Sista Girl Book Club

BPM: Give us the history on your organization. How many members do you have?

Sista Girl: It was my personal challenge to read at least one book a month that lead me on this literary journey. My name is Michelle and I started “The Sista Girl Book Club” back in Sept 2005, with some of my co-workers. Our seven year anniversary is Sept 2012! It has been an interesting adventure to say the least. If any book club has been together more than a couple of years they can attest to the fact that a positive book club is hard to maintain. We started with five members ,we at one time had eleven members and back down to the four core members and the last three years we had five members. This May we added our sixth member to our club, we will wait another year see how this works out and may consider adding another member and take it a year at a time. We are primarily located in Pa with one member from NJ.

BPM: What is the purpose for your organization? Do you host events during the year or provide services for the community?

Sista Girl: We are a group of ladies whom love to read and get together the last Saturday of each month to break bread, relax and catch up on each others lives in the midst of discussing a common book we have read. Our sole purpose is having a Sista Night Out! We all have busy lives, families, jobs and such and we are taking one night out of our busy months for some Sista time!

Read more here or scan the QR code to go to Black Pearls http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/bookclubs2011.htm

Intimate Conversation with Sistah Minds in Motions Book Club Atlanta

Sistah Minds in Motions enlightens your mind through the power, spirit, soul of sisterhood, and reading. We want to address every aspect of a women's world, physically, spiritually, socially and emotionally. We are a small, newly formed African American book club and social organization for positive, spiritual women who enjoy reading! Our book selections will fluctuate to include non-fiction, fiction, inspirational, romance and a wide variety of other topics chosen by our members. We meet once a month, on the 4th Saturday. BPM: Give us the history on your organization. Share with us your leader's name and any other officers in the group. How many members do you have? SMM was established in November 2009 by Bobbi Ramey, our President. Our first official book club meeting took place on January16, 2010. Lashandra Searcy is the Treasurer, Rhonda Sidibe is the Events Coordinator, and I am Shannon Powell the Secretary. We are in Atlanta, Georgia and we have about 10 members. BPM: What legacy will your club leave for those watching in the community? We hope to show that reading can be fun and show especially our young kids that reading is not something you have to do only in school. It allows you escape and use your imagination. . Bobbi has also started Sistah Minds in Motions Little Divas, which is a Book Club for young girls from the ages of 8-13 to show them that getting together and reading can be fun and show them how girls can come together in "Sisterhood" and support one another. They also learn things such as cooking, sewing, braiding and other things girls love to do.

Read more here or scan the QR code to go to Black Pearls http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/bookclubs2011.htm

Never Stop Reading by Rugina Poellnitz

"Let us not be weary in well doing" Galatians 6:9

Do you continue to read and meditate on the Word? Are you still enthralled by its timeless and

applicable message? Are you reading for substance and life application? Alternatively, is bible reading

the first to go when busy? Has the Word become dull and stale therefore you avoid reading it? Are you

too weary to read anything therefore spend a great amount of time mindlessly watching television or

strolling through the internet?

Saints, let's never step reading! It is vital that we read, meditate, and soak in God's timeless

message of encouragement, wisdom, and guidance. He speaks clearly to every situation in His Word.

What was applicable years ago continues to cover our generation as well. It is a matter of inviting in the

Spirit to help us understand what God is stating through His word. Oftentimes, He will make it highly

personal and the words will simply jump off the page into our heart. If we no longer read the guide book

for godly living, it is quite easy to get off-course and lose sight of what has eternal value. Finally, if

anything has to go in your busy schedule - choose to cut down on other activities and keep reading.

Book Club Facts: Book clubs rely on recommendations from other book clubs for their book selections. The book

club population has increased 25% in the last 5 years, rising from 4.6 million to 5.2 million adults. The average book

club member reads 36 books per year. Only 12 of those are book club selections. (The average American reads 5

books per year.)