February Is Packing A Punch!!

It’s 2024. It’s Black History AND my birthday month (just so we’re clear, I will be celebrating all twenty-nine days)😉! The shortest month of the year packs a punch, and I plan to use every bit of the extra 24 hours in this leap year!!

I’m in a great headspace! It’s taken a bit, but HERE I am! Singing offkey to Beyonce’s CUFF IT 🎵 I'm in the mood to f*ck somethin' up tonight, I'm f*ckin' somethin' up, baby 🎵! I’m writing, I’m vibing, and I’m THRIVING!

The good news is I’m working hard on Full Throttle 2. Vroom vroom!! I would say I’m 2/3 of the way done with the first draft. I hope to release it in March. We’ll be checking in with Colby, Liam, & the Lockwood Racing team, but Lila and Brian’s got next!

CHECK OUT THE EXCERPT BELOW & LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS!!

What the h*ll is ORIGIN??

Origin is a new movie directed by the amazing Ava Duvernay (I'm a huge fan!). Have any of you seen it? I have to confess, at first, I wasn't really interested. Why? In today's world, I think most of us just want to be entertained instead of educated, even though education is so important right now.

But the curious side of me couldn't resist. The press tour was so mysterious that I couldn't quite figure out what the movie was about! What was the human story behind it? So, I did a little investigating. And guess what? I just bought my ticket for the upcoming show on Tuesday!

First of all, it stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (from The Clark Sisters, The Color Purple, & King Richard) and Jon Bernthal (you may know him as Shane from The Walking Dead). That alone should be enough to get you excited (I admit, I'm a little superficial ), but ultimately, it's a deeply human story about love, the need to belong, and acceptance. These are the things that unite all races and cultures.

In its simplest terms, Aunjanue plays Isabelle, a journalist who falls in love with her neighbor Brett (Jon Bernthal) during a time when interracial relationships were not widely accepted. But here's what's interesting: Duvernay goes beyond the typical portrayal and delves into the reasons behind people's reactions to their relationship. That's where the title "Origin" comes in. From the trailer, it looks like Duvernay takes you on a journey through the human stories that Isabelle investigates. And she does it in a way that makes you really "feel" the emotions behind those stories, while also trying to answer the age-old question: what are the root causes of the ‘isms’?

I think the press tour might not have done justice to the potential brilliance of this film. Maybe? Maybe not. I'll check in later and let you all know what I think after I've seen it! Can't wait!

THE REBOUND

Rebounding from QUARANTINE fatigue is a real challenge for some.  In the beginning of the COVID lockdown, putting pen to paper or tapping away on my keyboard seemed impossible. I didn’t know how I was going to bring any character to life.  As much as I love Harlem, Carter, and Damian from the Slow Burn duology . . . that trio almost didn’t see the light of day.  Fortunately, Her Baby His Gift got its start in 2018 and dear friends came to the rescue. They gave advice on how to deal with the emotional crisis I found myself. I was able to push through toward the light to finish the series (selfless plug-Her Baby His Gift and His Baby Her Gift are AVAILABLE NOW click HERE and HERE)!  So glad I was able to overcome. Harlem & Carter are now one of my favorite couples. 

I will say discipline and routine also helped to keep me going, while dealing with the physical and emotional toll of being locked down.  Now that life is starting to get back to normal, I want to share a few new things that I’ve incorporated into my daily routine over the past year.  These tips have helped me tremendously.  I think mentally, I’m stronger than before quarantine. And since I can now safely go around people again, I plan to continue what I’ve learned!  Maybe these tips can help those of you who are still struggling to rebound from quarantine fatigue too.

SELF-CARE TIPS:

1.      Spend 10-15 minutes a day clearing your mind and just BREATHING (slowly);

2.      Spend 10-15 minutes a day stretching;

3.       Grounding.  I hear you asking, “What is that, LaShawn?” Grounding is a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth-like simply walking in grass or sitting leaned up against a tree while reading a good book. What happens? Good/positive energy transfers to you. Personally, I love going to the beach, sitting on the sand, and listening to the waves roll in. 

4.       Find something to laugh about.  No matter how silly.

5.       Reach out to someone you love to check on them. As a matter of fact, TEXT me at (833) 635-0658 & I’ll text you back with all things LVP!

6.       Listen to music that make you feel good and empowered. Like any of my booktracks on Spotify, Youtube, or Tidal!

7.       Finally, if necessary, go somewhere and scream at the top of your lungs (just make sure you’re in a secure location, so folks don’t call the cops.  And if you don’t live alone, make sure you let them know what you are about to do so they don’t call 911(lol)!

That’s it!  That’s how I remained sane and managed quarantine fatigue.  Hopefully, you’ll find these tips helpful.  Let me know.  Now, it’s back to the grind.  The writing Angels are shining on me so I better get to it.

Love, LaShawn

LOVE DURING QUARANTINE

Love During Quarantine

COVID-19 has been a disaster and is still wreaking havoc.  After almost a year of lockdown, if you’re like me—somewhat of an introvert—you are probably suffering a bit of quarantine fatigue.  However, there has been a silver lining.  Life has slowed down considerably.  Enough that people who are typically on the go-go-go are having to spend quality time with their partners.  It’s been interesting to watch couples navigate all of this quality time.  Some have grown close and are thriving (I fully expect the COVID-19 baby boom). Others have realized that they can’t stand the way their bae likes to eat cereal in bed and split!    

Yeah, it’s been interesting to observe—lots of rich material to pull from.  I might even write a book about it. 

Stay safe, wear a mask, and social distance!

LaShawn

Merry Christmas

A Merry Christmas message from Me to You!