Literary Works of Dena Tyson

Hello everyone…

This is the week to the final countdown for my appearance at The Chicago Black Womens Expo starting this Friday August 1st thru August 3rd at the McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Go to www.theblackwomensexpo.com to learn more about the event. I am so very excited and am looking forward to seeing you there!

Here’s what you can expect…

To meet me in all my greatness, of course! : ) and My Tony bologna! I will be selling and signing copies of the much anticipated novel “Xceptance” The raw version of the story is this… It’s about an illegitimate child (Augie), who was blamed for everything bad happening to everyone else around her, and the mother who chose to leave her other children for a better life, due to her own infidelity. Augie struggled to fit in, to be accepted finding herself facing the world alone at 14 with no place to go and no one to turn to. Now you will have to follow along and see how it all unfolds. What becomes of her and her life, and also her sisters because of the deep rooted scars. Y’all this one right here is a mess! Be sure and hide the knives ‘cuz you goan wanna cut somebody! …hahahah ( I say that with much love )

Be sure and come on out to the Expo this weekend and holla at-cha gurl alright…?

See you there!
~Dena aka “Boots”

Ok so by now, I’m sure you’ve figured out I’m a country girl. “Pot-liquor and koan- bread and all!” (…hahahah) Now see, some of y’all may not even know about that so I’ll give you a minute to go run and ask Big-Moma.

You know time sure does fly… I cannot believe my Tony bologna and I have been married 19 years! We were talkin ‘bout that and I was like –whoa… It seems like maybe about five but not 19, can you imagine?

So lemme tell ‘ya how it started…

We met in February, started dating in March, were engaged in April and married in May. (I know right…?) We eloped and got married in Las Vegas at the Candle Light Wedding Chapel. We actually planned to elope so that took place two weeks after we made the arrangements. We stayed in the Las Vegas Hilton, which wasn’t that far from the chapel, so the night before the wedding we stayed up running our mouth about some of everything, so needless to say the next morning when the limo driver showed up we had over slept. The phone rang and I answered half asleep. I was like hello…? He said, yes… this is the limo driver and I’m down stairs. Were you still getting married this morning? Y’all know I tried to play it off right? I said, “Oh yeah, we’re still getting married, we were on our way down in one minute.” He said well I’ve been waiting since nine-o’clock and its nine fifteen. I said ok, we’re on our way. I could not believe we had to rush and take a shower “together” throw on our clothes and run down to the limo! I had to put my make-up on in the car on the way to the courthouse! I was saying to myself every bride I had ever seen was simply beautiful, face just flawless, and here I was having to put my make-up on in the back seat of a limo! Thank goodness my little curly- Q’s were tight so I didn’t have to worry about my hair, although I was going to re-rod it the night before but we were talking and I fell asleep! I was so worried about my pictures y’all… So we make it to the courthouse and got the paperwork, then on to the wedding chapel. Since it was just us, the little camera man was our witness, and we were bestowed the honor of marriage by non-other than the “Pastor Love”, from the “Church of Truth”. For a minute I was a little nervous thinking is this real…? Like I said earlier, I’m a country girl so I was use to names like “Pastor Cleo Simmons” or something like that you know…? But it was the real deal, and the chapel was just beautiful.

After the ceremony we were driven back to the hotel and Tony bologna picked me up in front of our room door to carry me over the threshold… and we paused for a moment so I could throw my bouquet over my shoulder, and then he carried me in the room. As soon as the door closed I told him to put me down because I had to go back out there in that hallway and get my bouquet! There was no one out there any way when I threw it, so it was just for effect. Y’all know I’m a mess, but that bouquet cost too much money to be leaving in some hallway! (…hahahahah)

So we make it back home to Chicago and I have a confession… First off let me just say that what we say in this “blog” stay in the “blog” ok… so we can always just put it out there alright…? So, we get back home and for the first month I would get up early and ease my way out of bed and go in the bathroom and brush my teeth and put my make-up on, then ease my way back in bed next to my Tony bologna. Yes I admit it! I was perpetrating like I woke up beautiful all the time, and forget about morning breath, I was not having it. ( humph!) This was hard work getting up like that. Shoot, by the next month I just got up and put some eye-liner on! (..hahahah ) He told me I was beautiful without all that stuff so I guess I had been stressin myself out all that time for nothing.

I guess love is what it is, stank breath no make-up and all so just be happily in love people.

Holla!
~Dena aka “Boots”

So many of you have e-mailed me on my books wanting to know how I got started and how to go about publishing your book.

First of all, I want to commend the many writers out there and encourage you to keep moving forward! Never stop writing even when your thoughts come to you and you have to write them on a paper napkin honey, write them down! ..hahahah My husband cracks me up because he knows when the inspiration hits me watch out… I will start writing on anything in my reach including the light bill!

In the beginning I tried to go the route of finding a main stream publisher, however I learned in order to do that you had to have an agent or they won’t give you the time of day! Unless you’re some big name writer, so since I’m still workin on being a “starRa” they won’t even answer the door bell! Y’all know they in there lookin at me through the peep hole talkin ’bout “shhh… be quite, another “bud” aka-budding author trying to get in without credentials! …hahahah, I’m a mess! But let’s keep it real here. I am not going to try and sugar coat the situation because it’s tough out there in the writing world.

Trying to find an agent to even “read” your work and find a publisher to pitch/sell it to is even harder! But that’s something we all seek to find because it will ultimately make our lives as Authors a bit easier. So we keep trying until one day by the grace of God they seek you! This happens because “you” took the initiative after working so hard and believed enough in yourself, your works and put it out there for the world to see. You became a self published Author showing just how serious you were about your writings and forced them to recognize you because of the popularity behind your work, as well as your marketing strategies and your promotional stamina.

Being a self published Author was a great decision for me. After much extensive research, feelings of “I’m not good enough” when trying to get an agent to help me then find a publishing company…maybe, and so on… I decided to self publish my books through an online publisher (Infinity Publishing). There are numerous online publishing companies out there so please be sure and do your home work!!! Be careful of some and more watchful of others!!!! Trust me I know!! So after I compared contracts etc., Infinity was the best choice for me. Their contract is pretty cut and dry not all that small print and double talk when you speak with them personally as well. The cost to get started was $499.00 “period” if you want to add extra for someone to edit and things like that, then of course there are additional costs. After I mailed in my manuscript to them it took about 4 weeks to get my 1st proof copy and I cannot tell you how excited I was to see my book in print!!! Chile (ebonics for child…), I think I starred at that book all night, me and my Tony bologna! ..hahahah He is so proud of me. So after I got myself together, I read my proof and examined the book for any other corrections needed and made sure everything I requested was in place like the cover design (I actually designed the cover myself. I did that for both of my books), if everything met my approval I sent back the signed paperwork approving everything as well as the release of my book! Two weeks later I was published and saw my book online in their bookstore www.bbotw.com. As part of the deal I am also apart of Amazon.com, Barnes N Noble, Boarders etc. I still have to market my books as far as book signings, other appearances etc., the marketing is up to you because no publisher markets your book only the Author. So that’s where your elbow grease comes into play.

I know things are tough out there, trust me. Especially when you have a mortgage, car payments, sick husband (at the time), and just so many other things not to mention the lack of support from your family and some friends. See when you have always helped others without hesitation and gave of yourself from the heart, you shouldn’t have to ask for help when it’s the obvious and I never did. I simply refused to ask because I could see the line of separation, and you could tell what they were thinking. You know how you act when you’re at a club and you can see this fool comin right…? You know you don’t wanna be bothered! ..hahahah

But I stepped out on faith and let God… I cannot tell you how blessed I am today. Maybe one day I’ll write about it.

I hope this information was helpful and I wish all the writers out there my best!

Holla…!
~Dena aka “Boots”

I just want to send a blessed shout out to all of my Sisters and Brothers out there who have survived a “Stroke” and the Stroke Advocates/Caretakers that are out there doing their thing helping them along their journey as well.

Let me tell you something… a stroke is a very traumatic change. Not only to the person that has suffered the stroke directly, but everyone else around them. Can you imagine your life changing with a blink of an eye leaving dramatic results…? Can you imagine…?

As an Advocate myself, we not only have to be strong for ourselves but for the stroke survivor as well. And yes I said “stroke survivor” because they did survive. They are still here with us but this time around have to go about things a lot different to get the same results. Please pray for your strength and theirs, and always encourage. Say to them as I would say to my husband “the more you do the better you become” Yes, it may be hard right now for you to speak, or walk, eat and even write, but never allow the person to stop believing because with God all things are possible.

You are correct in trying to seek answers from others in your situation. The doctors will always give you a grim view. I guess it’s their job and they have to give the worse case scenario. Your so called friends will separate from you and your family as well. Initially they will try and tell you “just call me if you need anything and I will be there! Just let me know what ever I can do, what ever you need…” But they simply disappear and go on with their lives, leaving you to untangle yours “yourself” Aw, they come back long after the dust has settled, but what about all of that stuff they said…? I don’t know why things happen that way but they do.

At the time my husband had his stroke I had no one. It was just him and myself. I slept at the hospital in the chair next to his bed every single day and night and continued to speak with him when he couldn’t speak, feed him when he couldn’t eat, massage his paralyzed right side from head to toe, exercising his paralyzed arm and leg, washing his face and making sure to massage the right side of his face that was once mis-shapened from the stroke. I shaved his face every week just like he had when he was able. I mean I would shape up his goatee real nice around his mouth and everything! Y’all he was the best lookin guy up in the whole intensive care unit! ..hahahah. Yes believe it or not I did all of this as I continued to pray. My life at that point had to be put on hold because I knew how important it was to him, and for him to get back to himself.

One day he awoke and called for me as I was asleep in the chair next to the bed. I was so very tired and opened my eyes half way because I thought it was someone calling from the hallway or something. Then he called out to me again and when I focused my eyes in his direction he was sitting up in his bed and had removed his glasses from his face looking at them and he said “you know… when I get outta this place I’m going to need for you to call the eye doctor and make an appointment for me. I can see outta these glasses, but I think I need a new prescription.” I have to tell you at that very moment I couldn’t move from that chair and I sat eyes wide, mouth open thinking…”oh lord is this some kind of dream I’m having here?” I got up and walked over to the right side of his bed and stood next to him. He looked over at me and smiled saying that he had so much to tell me! I smiled at him holding back the tears in my eyes and held out my hand, and asked if he could take my hand. He gave me a strange look and his paralyzed hand opened and held on to mine, and I raised it to my face and kissed the back of his hand. I walked to the end of the bed and asked if he could wiggle his toes on his right paralyzed foot/leg and he had a puzzled look on his face and asked if I was alright, and repeated what I had asked him. He not only wiggled his toes but rocked his foot from side to side and moved his leg! At that moment I lost it and fell to my knee’s.

This was just a year ago today. He is a walking, talking, living, breathing miracle before my eyes, and I just smile every time I look at him, and thank the heavens above. God is so good when we truly believe, and I always have.

I hope I was able to encourage someone today. There are so many levels a stroke can have on our bodies but always remember… “you are still here to serve your purpose in life” Stay encouraged and never give up!

Warmest regards
-Dena aka “Boots”

Now ladies…

you know we can go through some stuff with our hair. We let it grow out, we get it all cut off, we perm it, fry it, dye it, you name it, most of us have done it to our heads, and don’t forget about the weaves! I have to laugh somethimes when I think about all of the stuff I use to do to my hair because I didn’t know any better for myself. No one ever taught me about the beauty of my coily hair also referred to as my nappy head. Don’t get me wrong… I stand proud of my nappiness, and thank you for saying so. If I had only known then about all of the great things I learned about my hair today…! So I would like to share my loc journey with you.

Seven in a half years ago today I decided I would no longer braid my hair with extensions. I loved them but hated giving up a whole weekend to braid ‘em. I would do the individual braids, and would have them all down my back and you know I was tryin to be all cute and stuff, but I braided my hair for the last time… I went on the internet to learn more about loc’s and how I would get started. After I learned how, I created my own technique and called them “Tylocks c2000″. At that time my loc’s were about as long as your baby finger, so when I showed up to work for the first time with my loc’s… honey you should have seen the faces! I guess them folks thought I had lost my mind. Now some people were supportive but for the most part…? Humph! But I did it and I stood proud, and was ready to embrace my journey.

At the same time I loc-ed my hair I was also starting a new way of life and joined weight watchers. My Tony bologna and I went to Disney and had taken lots of pictures and when I saw the pic of me with Mickey Mouse…? I could not believe my eyes!!! I was standing next to Mickey kinda squating a little bit ‘cuz he short, we were cheek to cheek and I had my hips all tooted out kinda to the side…? Well when we got back home and developed the film I could not believe my big ole booty! And I had on some short cut off pants!! I was like “awe hell naw who is that…?!! Y’all, I thought I was cute and for all that time I still thought I was still small like I was when I first got married! So I vowed not to take another picture until I lost 50 pounds! With Weight Watchers you have to count points and honey I was squeezing them points like they were money! (..hahahah) I was wheeling and dealing all over the place and when it came to my favorite peach pie… watch out! My Tony bologna can tell you about that!

Weight Watchers taught me a lot about myself ( and wait a minute… I did it online because I was not about to go to no meetings talkin ’bout “hello… my name is Dena and I’m chubby… pleaz!) It taught me a lot about myself. All you need is a slice of pie… save some for later! It also taught me a lot about butter and salt and food portions… “moderation is key”. It took me a year to reach my goal of losing 50 pounds and I am still in my size 6 today. People would talk about me behind my back and say that my whole diet thing was temporary and I would regain the weight plus more. They would also snarl at my hair but that was ok too because God is good. I’m happy, healthy, full of life, and still enjoying my marriage of 19 years to a man that stood by me in full support of what ever I wanted to do. Today my loc’s are down my back and proudly wave to all of the nae-sayers as they sway with the wind. Today, and always I am proud.

I will be working on a loc book in the very near future as well as Diet book so stay tuned!

Take a look at my pics through-out my journey! “Please do not use my loc photos in any publication with out my authorization. I do not authorize the use of these photos beyond this blog page.”

So you say you’re family huh?

Family… should always be loving caring and supporting. You should be able to pick up the phone and call on family to help you any time of day or night, and they should all pool a network of other family together to help you make it through. A family stands strong together in both good times and bad, and after the disagreements have reared their ugly heads, we move on and continue to treat each other with respect, dignity and love. So don’t try and tell me you’re family. We might be related “by blood” but we are not family.

My friends… people that I share my life with that love me without reservation or hesitation. We embrace each other in a caring, loving and supportive way, each and every day of our lives. There is no burden so heavy that I must bare alone because I have my friends and they are my family. I thank the heavens above for blessing my life with these people… “my family”.

So take ‘yo ass on back where you came from… you were never there for me to begin with, even though I always tried to be there for you. How foolish I was to have even tried.

Big ups to my peeps and much love!

~Dena aka “Boots”

What does an Author do when she’s not writing books? I work on my Kuckabug Collection.c2002 Go to www.denatyson.com to learn more about the books I write!

How it all started

My Kuckabug Collection.c2002 started out as a little something I placed here and there in my home because I like unique things. I looked for different pieces in stores and had a hard time finding what I was looking for so I made them, and that was good enough for me. ( I thought…) More and more people have been asking for them so here they are. Every piece is unique and no two are the same. It’s just how my imagination flows. Check out my Literary shop online section on my website: www.denatyson.com and start your collection today!

New collection for 2008!

Moments of reflection-

Years ago my husband, ( I refer to him as my Tony bologna ) and I worked together for this huge corporation about 64 miles from where we live, (that’s round trip). We had a deal, he would drive in to work so I could put on my make- up and sleep the rest of the ride in, and I would drive back home in the evenings when we left. Now he’s the type of person that’s always on time, never take a sick day, blah- blah- blah… me on the other hand, have always taken complete advantage of time given by corporate “period”. Don’t get me wrong I’m not a sluff off by any means I just don’t believe in investing long hours towards someone else’s dream when I have my own.
Enough about that… on this day we awoke to a horrible snow storm and leaving the house by six a.m. didn’t make things any easier. We had these little fine snowflakes pouring from the sky, and the wind was blowing so hard, this caused severe white out. I just couldn’t believe it. We start out on the two lane road (we live in a very rural area in the Midwest), and from where I’m seated I couldn’t see a thing. I looked towards Tony bologna in true panic mode and asked if he could see anything. Being the tough guy that he is he rattles off “yeah, I can see…” Mind you, I’m lookin out the same window he is and I couldn’t believe he said he could see so I asked him again. Are you sure you can see because I can’t see anything from this side of the window. He looked at me nodding his head “aw I can see just fine.” I said you got the lights on high beam…? Maybe we should just go back home and try this again tomorrow. You couldn’t even see the cars in the other lane until they were right up on you that’s how bad it was. So we keep moving, then all of a sudden the road got so bumpy. I mean the car was just bumping up and down and he looks at me and asks “why is the road so bumpy…?” I looked at him still panicked and said I don’t know… We were moving very slowly and all of a sudden the wind shifted and we were able to see something from the side door window. His mouth flew open with eyes stretched, looks at me and says… “I think we’re in a corn field” I couldn’t believe it!! I just could not believe that we had somehow gotten off the main road and was sittin smack dab in the middle of a corn field! I was like… Oh god we’re gonna die out here! I can’t go this way… lord just help us! ( you know we always start prayin when stuff goes bad right?) I told ‘em to please just turn around and lets go back home. I can’t tell you how long it took for us to get outta that damn field especially with the winds so high, but I was glad to see home!
Tony and I were sittin here laughing and talking and I thought about that and I just wanted to share my moment. My Tony bologna and I met in February, started dating in March, were engaged in April and Married in May. We eloped to Vegas and that was 19 years ago now. We love each other so much and are the best of friends… “still” : )

P.S. Look fellas… just admit it when you get lost and please turn your butt around when you can’t see from the window!

Hello everyone

I have added this blog so you can learn more about me aside from the books I write and what’s going on in my part of the world. This is also a way for you to communicate with me and each other as well. So feel free to post and let me know what’s going on!

I will look forward to our communication. Check back often as I will be updating this site with new information on a daily basis, and don’t forget to check out the books I write on www.denatyson.com

Regards
~Dena aka “Boots”

This Month’s AuthorTree Spotlight Winner: Author Dena Tyson
Posted: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:03:39 +0000

Justin here, and today we’re posting the winner of the second monthly AuthorTree Online Spotlight Competition. Now, please join me in congratulating Dena Tyson, this month’s featured AuthorTree author.

What’s the Author Spotlight Competition?

The Author Spotlight Competition is a monthly opportunity for authors with free AuthorTree Web pages to feature their site and books. AuthorTree staff reviews all entries and selects those they believe actively engage readers and fellow writers. The judges base their decision on features such as:

Presentation
Readability
Blog entries
Book reviews
Social networks
Additional Web sites
among other features…

As the winner of the AuthorTree Online Spotlight Competition, a quick link to Tyson’s AuthorTree Web site, where you can read about her publications and order her titles, will be listed on the sidebar of AuthorTreeHouse for the following month.

Who is Dena Tyson?

“I am a native from the Midwest who has a real zest for life and a true compassion for drama and suspense, adding a dab of my own wit and humor. I have released myself from Corporate America and am pursuing my dream of writing.

I picked up my mechanical pencil and yellow notebook paper one day in 1992 after a segment aired on Oprah Winfrey recognizing some very talented ordinary people much like myself. That day I was so pumped and ready to take the world by storm. Then reality kicked in the next day as I sat behind my desk in an office building and made me realize perhaps the only way I would be able to pursue my dream was if a huge bag of money fell from the sky and knocked me in the head, or
maybe I won the lotto.

You have to be able to play that game to have a chance of winning, and I’ve never thought of myself as being that lucky. As life would have it, things happened, some good and some bad and I just took each event as some kind of lesson God wanted me to learn and grew from that. But through it all, I never stopped writing.

My stories come from deep within me, and my release is through the force of my mechanical pencil, and I have never given up. I hope to inspire as I continue my journey, as I was inspired that day.”

Tyson’s Available Titles:

Give Me the Strength (Read the reviews on AuthorTree)
Xceptance (Available July 18, 2008 at Buy Books on the Web)
So Said to Be (Coming in December 2008 )
Black Beans ‘N Rice (Coming in Spring 2009)

Tyson’s Web sites:

www.authortree.com/dtyson
www.denatyson.com

Why Dena Tyson?

In addition to her upcoming events, Tyson also engages readers and culls reviews by actively maintaining two author Web sites. As a result, her book Give Me the Strength has gotten rave reviews, and she has made a book trailer for her publication Xceptance as well. Check it out here!

Please join Tyson at her book signing event at The Chicago Black Women’s Expo at the McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, on August 1-3, 2008. She will be selling and signing copies of the much anticipated Xceptance, and she will also have copies of Give Me the Strength for distribution.

As an empowering, motivational, and entertaining forum that targets the specific needs and interests of Black Women, TBWE is a unique celebration of Black Women everywhere. Please visit The Black Woman’s Expo site for more scheduling and event information.

Submission Guidelines

Become AuthorTreeHouse’s next spotlighted author by creating a free Web site with AuthorTree and posting a comment with your exact URL below. Once the bloggers have carefully reviewed each site submitted, a new author will be selected for a monthly presence within the company blog.

Should you be selected, your Web site will not only appear in an independent blog entry, but a direct link to your author page will be posted on the tree trunk (sidebar) of AuthorTreeHouse. Entering your AuthorTree site only takes a minute and just might direct curious browsers that number in the thousands to your author page.

What Are the Benefits of Winning the Author Spotlight?

Think about it – you’re being recognized by professionals who review Web sites for a living – that has to mean something, doesn’t it? And your SEO (search engine optimization) should improve with each spotlight. With the more links and content (like this blog entry, for example) that reference you, the greater the chances people searching for your book and your themes will find you (and order your new titles).

Designing, maintaining and submitting your AuthorTree author site is completely free, and it takes hardly any time at all. What’s there to lose? Only one thing’s for certain – not creating and submitting your free Web page won’t help.

This is Justin, blogcasting from AuthorTreeHouse, signing off.