Sugarland by Martha Conway   A riveting mystery set in Chicago in the Roaring 20’s. The action starts off literally with a bang which sets Eve Riser on her journey to Chicago. There she hopes to connect with her sister, nightclub singer, Chickie (who has secrets of her own). Eve is a musician and familiar with music clubs and the dubious characters who frequent them.  Unfortunately, Eve’s troubles are just beginning when she’s caught in the crossfire of a very public shooting. Luckily Eve finds an ally (and a nurse) in Lena. And as it turns out, it was Lena’s brother who was killed ..read more

by Deborah A. Bailey I’ve decided to continue my tradition of sharing Martin Luther King,  Jr. quotes. You can see previous years here: 2015, 2016, 2018 , 2019, 2020. 2021 , 2022 and 2023. Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. More often than not, those who are holding the reins of power aren’t interested in surrendering power. Or sharing it. They have become comfortable stacking the deck in their favor and have no motivation to change. Because of that reality, those who are under the weight of ..read more

About Author Martha Conway Martha Conway’s first novel, 12 BLISS STREET, was nominated for an Edgar Award, and her novel THIEVING FOREST won the North American Book Award for Historical Fiction. Her short fiction has been published in The Iowa Review, The Carolina Quarterly, The Massachusetts Review, Folio, and other journals. She is the recipient of a California Arts Council fellowship, and teaches creative writing at Stanford University’s Online Writers Studio and UC Berkeley Extension. Her latest novel is SUGARLAND. About Sugarland IN 1921, TALENTED young jazz pianist Eve Riser witnesses t ..read more

  Shop Small with these Women-Owned Businesses These days the start of the holiday shopping season seems to go from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. But beyond those shopping days, small businesses are the backbone of the country. Most businesses here are small businesses, not the larger corporations. In my Women Entrepreneurs Radio podcast I’ve interviewed women business owners, creatives and founders since 2008. Now I want to share some businesses that I’ve personally purchased from and want to highlight. NOTE: Most, if not all, of these companies have some sort of discount or promotion f ..read more

International Women’s Day 2023 campaign theme: #EmbraceEquity International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. For International Women’s Day and beyond, let’s all fully #EmbraceEquity. Equity isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. A focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society’s DNA. And it’s critical to understand the difference between equity and equality. The aim of the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about Why equal opp ..read more

by Deborah A. Bailey I’ve decided to continue my tradition of sharing Martin Luther King,  Jr. quotes. You can see previous years here: 2015, 2016, 2018 , 2019, 2020. 2021 and 2022. Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.     It’s extremely easy to meet hate with hate. In fact, it’s how many people live their lives. Or they create a reason to hate so they can justify their actions. In spite of what many may want to believe, hating takes energy. It takes attention away from things that might be more meaningful in your life. It requires a sort of de ..read more

  Women-Owned Businesses for Small Business Saturday and Beyond These days the start of the holiday shopping season seems to go from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. But beyond those shopping days, small businesses are the backbone of the country. Most businesses here are small businesses, not the larger corporations. In my Women Entrepreneurs Radio podcast I’ve interviewed women business owners, creatives and founders since 2008. Now I want to share some businesses that I’ve personally purchased from and want to highlight. NOTE: Most, if not all, of these companies have some sort of discou ..read more

by Deborah A. Bailey I’ve decided to continue my tradition of sharing MLK Jr. quotes. You can see previous years here: 2015, 2016, 2018 , 2019, 2020 and 2021. We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice. Not in love with publicity but in love with humanity. A leader doesn’t have to be a political one. Or a business one. You can be a leader in your community, your family or your workplace. We live in a time where people can become social media “stars” overnight. They can command attention and be looked at as leaders. That’s not necessarily bad. Thi ..read more

by Adriana Lopez Living a sustainable lifestyle is crucial to minimize the impact we have on the environment. The overproduction of clothing is just one way humans have harmed the environment and our world. Through minimalism and sustainability, having only what you need and consuming less can positively change the planet and your life. It’s essential to find your own personal style, and by building a capsule wardrobe, you can find stylish outfits while reducing the number of clothing articles you need. Integrating the principles of Feng Shui, Vastra Sutra, and other holistic beliefs with ..read more

Now that spring has finally sprung, you’re probably itching to get started on cleaning/clearing out your space, and there’s no better place to start than with your closet! Your closet is the one area that’s probably collected the most dust in 2020, as the pandemic has left most of us working from home in our sweatpants. If you know you’ve been holding on to a surplus of clothing, spring is the best time to downsize things and commit yourself to creating a capsule wardrobe! Curating your closet to include only quality items of clothing that you love will keep you looking stylish and confident a ..read more