“There is a power and unity and strength in networking. I think networking is always relevant. And I think it is particularly relevant for Blacks because of our feeling of isolation.”
Alvin Pouissant, M.D.
(Success Runs in Our Race, 2004), p. 60 by George Fraser

Years ago, women had their quilting bees and sewing circles in order to form communities of support.This was the old way we networked. Somewhere along the line, though, women lost those connections. All types of problems from alcoholism to substance abuse to broken lives replaced the old quilting bees.

However, given the rise of the Internet, networking has taken on a renewed surge of energy.

Traditionally, networking has helped many people of color make business contacts, develop relationships and meet their professional goals. Now, networking is more important than ever. With our present economy, networking can help your business survive and thrive.

Can you join a group which supports your passion? Or even join a women’s or men’s group or a book club?

One Sunday I went to a book signing at Milligan Books (www.milliganbooks.com)where I found out about the Red Hat Society, which is a national organization (http://www.redhatsociety.com) for women.

This chapter, founded by Ruthie Hopkins (co-publisher of Pasadena Journal with her husband, Attorney Joe Hopkins) of http://www.pasadenajournal.com, hails from Pasadena . The women sported red hats and purple outfits and they came in and modeled for those present at the book signing. As a group, they were on their way to a play.

The prerequisite to joining the group was that the women had to be over fifty. The reason they wear purple and red is because after fifty you don’t care what people think. They say that the younger women can join the group, but those that join wear lavender and pink.

Anyhow, the women looked so excited as they modeled their outfits. What I saw in each eye was a gleam of satisfaction, a look of triumph–a stride that said that they had arrived. Childbirth, child rearing and sometimes marriages were behind them. Now they could deal with life on their own terms. And most of all, they were networking.

Networking is very important to building a business or helping you reach your dreams.

Personally, as a writer, I’ve been in a writer’s group since 1992. I also participate in Black Writers on Tour, Recycling Black Dollars, and many online communities such as Black Planet.com. Now I’m a member in a multi-racial group, the Greater Los Angeles Writers’ Society (GLAWS) as well.

As a race of people, we have always used networking. This is that special something which has helped get around the Old Boy System during Jim Crow, and even up to this day. Just look back at the Black Church, the Masons, the fraternities, the sororities, the NAACP, and other groups and see how they broke down the doors of separatism.

Now with the Internet, we have the power of global social networking groups we can join, such as facebook, twitter, myspace, ning groups, Black Planet and others. We are all stronger when we unite.

“I am because We are, and since We are, therefore, I am.”
John Mbuti

Reviewed by Author, Leigh McKnight

Returning home after seven year, Nefertiti is faced with a number of unresolved issues with the men in her life, including her father who did the unthinkable—forcing her to give up her daughter at birth. Though she returned home seeking answers, she also knew she owed some answers as well—her husband from whom she had kept a secret that could have ruined her marriage.

Hostage of Lies is a powerful portrayal of African-American lives with all the ingredients for a best seller. Maxine Thompson engages you from page one to page 310 with a rich mixture of love, lies, secrets, believable characters, rich African-American history, skeletons, betrayal, pain, racial issues, status, humor, lost loves, infidelity, mental illness, black sheep in the family and many other family issues that leave you wanting more—much more.

Titi’s quest to find her daughter after decades is very real and moving. It lets one know that very often when love is involved, time stands still. I was deeply touched by the warm spirit, perhaps the forgiving or just moving forward and live attitude of Zora Desiree Fairchild, Nefertiti’s daughter.
The structure of this story was brilliantly and flawlessly executed by Thompson, the voices of the characters were strong and believable and I love all the back story that brought me to where Nefertiti’s journey ended. Hostage of Lies is so rich in African-American history that it wouldn’t surprise me if it becomes a required reading piece in schools. This story crosses all kinds of lines. Any and everyone will enjoy.

Fantastic Maxine Thompson—–5 *****

Hostage of Lies by Maxine Thompson
A Page Turning Experience

Hostage of Lies is a compelling family saga that is rich with history that goes back generations and brings the characters’ lives current. Not only is Nefertiti ‘s story educational, realistic and provides a fascinating look into human lives and how lies and secrets impacts lives, it is also easy to follow and entertaining.

The lives of some of the characters are paralleled with the lives of people I know, which caused me to compare fictional accounts with real life situations.

The book is tastefully done. People of all ages, race, cultures and backgrounds can read this book and thoroughly enjoy it.

Maxine Thompson did an absolutely fabulous job of structuring this story and developing believable characters who are real , colorful, strong, yet flawed, sensitive and compassionate. I enjoyed Titi’s journey.

After being away seven years, forty-something-year old Nefertiti returns home. Not so much to attend her father, the mighty Reverend Godbolt’s huge upcoming seventy-fifth birthday celebration, she comes home primarily to find her daughter whom she gave birth to at a very early age, but was forced to give up for adoption to prevent shame from being brought on the Godbolt family name.

Titi struggles with unanswered questions about her life, family past and secrets that have nearly paralyze her to freely move forward with her life. How was she going to find her daughter? Why had her father treated her differently than her other siblings? She wondered about the special relationship she shared with her uncle Tiger. Titi realizes it is time to confront her fears, stand up to her father and demand answers to questions she has lived with much too long.

There are so many levels to Hostage of Lies and Thompson did a fabulous job educating us, weaving back stories, the good, the bad, the ugly, along with the pure evil to show the deep dark place where a mind can go when one feels her relationship with her man is threatened by the return of his former love. It is interesting to see how the author cut through generations riddled with lies, skeletons, pain, racial issues, humor, status, lost loves. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder as demonstrated by Isaac and Pharaoh, who still love Titi and who would give their lives for her love.
I enjoyed this wonderful page turner with the educational aspect, history, suspense, surprises and revelations from cover to cover. The end will leave you saying to yourself, ‘I didn’t see that coming.’ I was caught me so unaware. This book should be a reading requirement piece in schools.

FANTASTIC——5 *****

Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey: Ruth’s Story
By Fran Lewis
Reviewed by Dr. Maxine Thompson

Where does the love go when one has Alzheimer’s Disease? This is the question posed in Fran Lewis’ moving memoir, Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey: Ruth’s Story. Of course, the love goes nowhere; it just changes forms. The main place it remains is in the “precious memories” and in the hearts of the loved ones.

Lewis wrote this book as a tribute to her mother’s life before and after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Ruth had once been a vibrant, loving woman who was the matriarch of the family, and a friend to many in her community.

Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey: Ruth’s Story, shares the journey of the author’s mother, Rush Swedloff, who has lived with the disease for the past six years. It also shows the impact of Alzheimer’s Disease on the family and on the community. According to http://www.alz.org/documents_custom/report_alzfactsfigures2010.pdf Alzeimher’s Disease affects 5.3 million people and is the seventh leading cause of death.

In a panoramic sweep, Fran examines the life of her mother, Ruth Swerdloff, through the eyes of those who love her, through her mother’s blog before the Alzheimer’s disease progressed, and at one point, through the point of view a toy bunny, which was at her mother’s side during a serious surgery.

Memories are Precious is an eclectic collection of photos, letters, and poems from Ruth’s grandchildren, from her adult children, from her neighbors.

The book changes voices throughout the story, which gives the book a fresh human twist. The collection of journal-sounding entries, poems, and memories from others who have been affected by the disease adds layers to this true human story.

The book opens with Ruth’s own words. We learn about her life as a child, then as a young woman, and as an older woman. She tells how she experienced the early signs of the disease, from forgetting things, to eventually getting sick. She provides insights into the disease that many people are still mystified by.

In turn, Francine relates what she saw as changes in her mother’s behavior, from forgetting to wandering to getting lost.

The story tells some of the medical challenges her mother went through before the Alzheimer’s set in. One of my favorite sections is how, in 1993, Francine flew her mother on a private jet to have surgery in California. There were a series of mishaps, but they made it. The author went through the proverbial hell and high water to make sure her mother got the best of medical care, and it worked. Subsequently, with her mother’s strong spirit and Francine’s advocacy, Ruth lived through this critical operation.

Another favorite letter in the book was one written from Ruth’s granddaughter. It showed the granddaughter’s memories of how her grandmother stuck by her side through a childhood accident.

The book provides a guide as to the signs of Alzheimer’s Disease, tips for how to survive as a caregiver, and resources both online and offline that can help family members provide care.

As painful of a subject as this book covers, I read it twice. Why? Not only is this book a cry for scientists to try to find a cure for the disease, it is also a shining example of what family can be.
Too often, society writes off people when they are ill. Friends no longer visit. Sometimes even family shuns the sick person. As a result, many people are shuttled away to nursing homes where they may or may not get adequate care.

For me, Memories are Precious speaks to the power of love and family to overcome any problem.

This book shows what lengths a family will go to help their loved one when they are sick. After all, what is family for?

Dr. Maxine Thompson
http://www.maxinethompson.com
http://www.maxinethompsonbooks.com
Author of Hostage of Lies

Voted a Best Book of 2009

“I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there I went to the washtub. From there I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations….I have built my own factory on my own ground.”
Madam C.J. Walker,
National Negro Business League Convention,
July 1912

Do you have a dream? That’s exactly what Madam C.J. Walker had before she launched her company. She prayed and came up with the hair product, which provided a living for many African American women at the turn of the century.

To be an entrepreneur, one not only makes a living, but provides a living for others. Not only was Madame C.J. Walker the first African American female millionaire, she was an entrepreneur.
But before she could accept her greatness, she had to accept responsibility for her own life. What if she had said, I’m poor and I don’t have but a few dollars to start my business? She never said, “It can’t be done.” She never let her circumstances stop her.

Today too many professional and educated people have found themselves without a job during this recession. Many of them have given up. But what if we were to look to people like Madam C.J. Walker, and use her for inspiration?

How many of us blame others for where we are stuck in life? How many of us blame the economy and the government?

How about stop blaming the world, and looking at yourself. Take your natural abilities and gifts, then do what you can with your unique skill set to make a living. Who knows? You might wind up providing a living for many others as well.

The willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life is the source from which self-respect springs. – Joan Didion