TRENDS, TRAVEL, FILM, HISTORY and BOOKS

Trends, Travel, Film, History and Books provide readers with information that might be off the beaten path of their traditional news sources.   Whether its innovation, unique travel, classic or new age films and documentaries, looking at history from a different perspective or discovering new and established authors, it brings a fresh look to things that are either old or new again.

SOURCE:  OWN / Oprah.com

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PRIEST TYAIRE “THE NEXT TYLER PERRY” DEBUTS HIS NEW MUSICAL STAGE PLAY “MRS. INDEPENDENT” — STARRING ROBIN GIVENS, CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS, DOTTIE PEOPLES AND TONY GRANT

SOURCE:  BlackNews.com

Nationwide — Priest Tyaire today announced the release of his latest inspirational, musical stage play Mrs. Independent starring actress Robin Givens from the movie Boomerang; debonair actor-singer Christopher Williams from the movie New Jack City; Stellar Award winning singer Dottie Peoples, the soulful, Grammy nominated Tony Grant of Tyler Perry’s Love Thy Neighbor, and, featuring the lovely and talented actress Trisha Mann-Grant. This highly anticipated production has already enjoyed a very successful spring tour in major cities and is now scheduled to take place throughout various this fall. The production is sure to have audiences on the edge of their seats, while also leaving them with a message of hope and encouragement.

This show – based on a true life story – delivers intense drama, tear-jerking and hilarious moments, while also providing a family oriented, faith-building and “crowd-pleasing” experience. —

Mrs. Independent, based on a true life story, takes audiences on a riveting, yet thought-provoking journey of exploring questions like – Can a woman still love her husband if she is the primary breadwinner? Will the roles reverse with her wearing the pants while he ultimately works to honor her every demand? But, what if he is a good man that’s faithful and does actually contribute to the household? Is it possible that true love, affection and Godly integrity can be restored to the marriage?

“I am really excited about bringing Mrs. Independent to a number of cities this fall,” said Priest Tyaire, Playwright, Actor and Producer of the production. “The play highlights the struggle a couple experiences when the wife is the primary breadwinner, while her husband still tries to maintain his role as the head of the household. While the play reflects an important, socially relevant issue, it is delivered in an inspirational and entertaining way that captivates all audiences.”

In Mrs. Independent, Priest Tyaire and Robin Givens take on the leading roles. Trey (Priest Tyaire), maintains an honest and respectable salary of $40,000 a year as a head mechanic, while his wife, Carleena (Robin Givens), climbs the corporate ladder as an attorney and advances to a six figure salary. This creates a financial imbalance in the home which leads the marriage on a downward spiral of emotional and spiritual conflicts. Critics are saying that if you don’t see any other play, you must see Mrs. Independent.

Priest Tyaire is a breakthrough playwright who has produced life-changing stage plays through his inspirational productions – “The Tears of a Teenage Mother,” “Torn Between Two Fathers,” and “The Wrong Shade of Black” – to name a few. In fact, his show, Mrs. Independent has been so successful, that it received rave reviews in leading media outlets – The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun Times, on Fox TV, and in Eclipse Magazine.

In addition, Priest’s personal struggle on his journey of success is highly compelling. It was his mother’s battle with cancer which initially led him to becoming a playwright back in 2007. Moreover, he was faced with fighting to keep his dream alive after the painful experience of losing her just two weeks before she was able to see his first play that was dedicated to her life. And finally, the destructive relationship he personally endured with someone who treated him less than a man because of his economic challenges and educational status (at that time) which pushed him to go back to school to pursue his career goals, and, to ultimately write his highly acclaimed play Mrs. Independent.

NEW BLOG SEEKS WRITING FROM YOUNG READERS

SOURCE:  BlackNews.com

Nationwide — Sandra Belton, author of the popular Ernestine and Amanda series about two African-American girls growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, wants to hear what young readers have to say.

In the first post of her new blog, Sandra’s Write Place, she asks her readers, “If you could talk to Ernestine or Amanda which one would you choose and what would you say?”

“In creating a community of readers and writers, which I very much want to do,” Belton says. “I want to know what young people today know about the Civil Rights era and might say to kids their age who grew up during those times,” Belton says.

Readers who respond will have the opportunity to be published on the blog and to receive an autographed copy of the latest Ernestine and Amanda book, Goodbye. Hello…, which tells of an unexpected event that befalls the two girls in their middle school years and triggers the question that has been asked throughout the Ernestine and Amanda series: “Can Ernestine and Amanda ever be friends?”

The two girls are very different, and dislike each other from the beginning of the series, even though circumstances keep bringing them back together. Musically gifted but lacking somewhat in self-confidence, Ernestine thinks Amanda is stuck up. Amanda, outwardly more confident but with family problems, thinks Ernestine is too fat. As the series progresses, the two girls grow from third graders to teenagers, encountering adventures and challenges along the way: musical competitions, summer camp, family separation, first loves.

A companion website, www.ernestineandamanda.com, allows readers to learn more about the people and events mentioned in the series – historical figures and occurrences that characterize and help define their times. These include, for example, not only well-known figures from American history like Rosa Parks, Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington and Harriet Tubman but lesser known African-American luminaries like classical pianist Philippa Duke Schuyler, and choreographer Katherine Dunham.

Belton began the series with the first book, Ernestine and Amanda, published by Simon and Shuster in 1996, because, as she says in her blog,

“Ernestine and Amandas stories tell ones I wish I had been able to read when I was growing up – stories about black girls like me.”

“My friends and I longed to read about kids who looked like us and talked like we did. Kids whose neighborhoods were similar to ours and whose families cared and talked about the same kind of things at the dinner table that we did. Kids who went to the same kind of schools we went to.”

Of the series, Publisher’s Weekly has said, “Lots of texture and perceptive writing make this a winner.”

“Belton writes very well,” adds Booklist, “not only beautifully capturing the voices of her characters but also bringing the two feuding girls to the brink of friendship in a believable, endearing fashion.”

Belton will also share stories from her own life as the blog develops, hoping to lend support to aspiring young writers. She is also thinking about sharing as yet unpublished stories about other characters from or connected to the series, one being Jazz, who is Ernestine’s sister.

“I am very excited to hear from my readers and looking forward to reading their thoughts and ideas,” Belton says. “It is critical for each of us to gain a strengthened understanding of who we are, who we were, and who we can become. All the bridges we build between our generations can help us do that.”

Young writers should send their submissions directly to Sandra Belton at her blog, http://sandrabeltonbooks.blogspot.com

CORPORATE LEADER AND MILITARY VETERAN TRACY D. PIERCE PUBLISHES BEST SELLER ON LEADERSHIP

SOURCE: BlackNews.com

Dallas, TX  — The 2 Faces of Leadership: Merging the Best of Both Leadership Styles by Tracy D. Pierce provides readers with information on how to effectively lead and build high performing teams.

Often times, individuals are placed in a position to manage others but have not been given the skills to do so. In turn, this can lead to low productivity or cause disruptive turnover within an organization. But how do you avoid becoming an epic fail as a leader? In the book The 2 Faces of Leadership, Corporate Leader Tracy D. Pierce is ready to provide newly promoted or seasoned managers with the right tools to prepare them to become the next generation CEO.

The book highlights how pairing leadership styles from both the military and corporate America can help those in management positions become better leaders. Meant to be a quick read at less than 80 pages, the book provides key principles that enable managers to lead successfully. Says Christine Bach, Sales Manager for a Major Corporation, “I applied some of the leadership styles with my sales team and saw results right away.

The 2 Faces of Leadership: Merging the Best of Both Leadership Styles is now a best seller on FriesenPress available for sale online atwww.FriesenPress.com and Amazon.com.