Review: Love Trumps Game by D.Y. Phillips
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3:33 PM | Posted in
Love Trumps Game by D.Y. Phillips – ISBN 10: 1-59309-270-2 ISBN 13: 978-1-59309-270-2 – 255 pages – published by Strebor Books – Paperback – Reviewed by Yolanda M. Johnson-Bryant; Literary Wonders! (www.literarywonders.com) October 19, 2009 – 4.5 Stars.


            Author D.Y. Phillips gives readers the tale of Topps Jackson; a ruthless drug dealer who plans on turning the family business over to his son as his father had done him.
In Love Trumps Game, Topps Jackson, affectionately known as ‘TJ’, has a multi-million dollar drug business and he has no problem popping anyone he considers a complication. After all, he tortured his own mother, which eventually led to her death.
            Neema Jean Sims was TJ’s ‘main girl’. Neema was so caught up in the luxurious lifestyle that TJ afforded her that it blinded her better judgment. The truth was, Topps didn’t trust her and he had every reason not to; Neema had been stealing from him for years. None of her street smarts prepared her for what Topps had in store for her.

            Like so many times in the past, Neema had disappeared and left her children in her mother’s, Hattie, care . It has been days since anyone has heard from her, including TJ. Topps is sure that his number one man Slick knows Neema’s whereabouts. He also knows that Slick and Neema have been creeping behind his back. Hattie knows something isn’t right this time, especially when Topps Jackson sends her the message that if she doesn’t return his two children, she would pay. And pay, she does.
            D.Y. Phillips, creates a story of thug life and adds plenty of action and drama complete with sex, drugs and dead bodies.
            Love Trumps Game shows what can happen with a person on the wrong side of the law leaves ‘lose ends’.
            Determined to save her grandchildren, even if it means her life, Hattie is put in protective custody, but soon realizes, nothing gets by Topps Jackson. But what Topps doesn’t realize is that Hattie was dead serious about keeping her grandchildren safe at the expense of her own life. Even Christian’s get fed up.
            This urban tale is an easy read and gives a realistic look at the pros and cons of the gangster lifestyle. Money and power is all good but you just may pay with your life. 
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Just Write!
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6:44 PM | Posted in
by Yolanda M. Johnson-Bryant
I’ve been writing for several years now, and I constantly hear people make the same statement over and over again; “I have a story to tell, but I don’t know where to start.” My advice is usually not to make it a bigger deal than it has to be. If you have a story, just start writing it. Several people have also made the following comment to me: “But I wasn’t great in English.” My response: “That’s what editors are for.”



Look, the most important thing to do is to just write. Whether you use pen and paper, use a computer or tape yourself telling the story, just get the basics down. It has been my past experience that the longer you wait to put your ideas down , the better the  chance that you will lose the information.



I, myself, am an electronic and sticky kind of gal. I like to see the writing flow onto the screen as I type, which makes it easy for me to go back and make changes. Have you seen my handwriting? I also keep a tablet and a pad of sticky notes in my night stand, next to my bed. That way if I awake in the middle of the night, I can immediately jot down my idea, because chances are, I won’t remember it in the morning. It’s not a bad idea to keep a small tablet with you in your purse and/or pocket for those times when you are on the road and need to write down your idea. A tape recorder is also an excellent idea.


For now, don’t worry about putting your writing in any particular order. Just get it down. You can always go back later and re-arrange parts so that they flow together. Then your editor will work with you to make sure that the grammar and flow is going the way it should.



Speaking of editors; if your intent is bypass and editor on your project, bad idea! One has to understand that although we think we can edit our own work, which we do several times, we will almost always come up short. Allowing an editor to have the final say in a manuscript is key. When an author edits his/her own work, it will flow as the writer remembers the story in their mind, which makes it very easy for a writer to miss errors. It is always good to have a fresh set of eyes to go over your work. And when I say fresh pair of eyes, I mean an editor and not your cousin Louie. I speak this from experience. There are several short cuts one can take in publishing their book, but editing is not one of them.


So put that anxiety on the back burner and ‘get to writing’. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Trust me, you’ll have plenty of time to worry about in the later stages of completing your project.
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Writing Numbers as Words
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3:20 PM | Posted in

Is it necessary to put a numeral in parentheses after you have already written the number in words?



Example: We will need two (2) chairs.

Conversely, is it necessary to write the number in words after you have already used the numeral?

Example: We will need 200 (two hundred) chairs.

If your document is dense, has a lot of numbers, or contains large numbers, the numerical form helps your readers scan information quickly. Conversely, while we may make a typo with only a numeral, we are almost guaranteed accuracy by writing the number in word format. So using a combination of numerals and written number format can be useful without being redundant.


Thanks for this valuable information Jane!
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Featured Business - LadyFingers Designs
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11:02 AM | Posted in

Lady Fingers provides design work for bookmarks, pre-made covers, custom covers and cover art. 


The artwork is beautiful and is professionally done. 


This business is owned by author Dara England. Check out her work, which is displayed nicely on her website, and place an order or two. The prices are awesome. 
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The NANO Challenge is coming!
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4:59 AM | Posted in



 The National Writing Month Challenge will be held November 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009. This will be my third year participating in the challenge. This year, I plan on completing the challenge. I currently have a new concept for a new novel that I want to develop during the challenge.

For those who will be participating this year, the site is finally up and running. I believe they are working out a few kinks, but for the most part, all is set to go. My user name this year is ymjauthor, so feel free to add me as one of your writing buddies. 


If you are a new writer and have been thinking about writing a novel, this is a great chance to start. Not only will the challenge give you motivation, but it will also give you via your writing buddies and the staff and crew at NANO.

For more information please visit the site at NANOWRIMO. 

GET READY......SET.....GO!
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