For those of you who have been waiting so patiently, I am pleased to announce that Dark Empire's Rise is now officially a published title.
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   What better day to publish than Leap Day? I didn't choose the day, it is just the way it happened--then again, my adventures in writing always did yield interesting experiences.

   I would like to thank everyone who encouraged me to keep writing even when I thought I would never finish writing this, or any other book. I may be just starting out with publishing my writing, but I hope that I will be able to continue to grow as a writer and keep producing as an artist. I hope that you, my willing audience, will enjoy the reading experience.

   As always, please do not be too shy to leave a comment, or read my other posts.

~Danielle G.

​Dark Empire's Rise will be available in the following timeframes:

• CreateSpace eStore: Immediately
• Amazon.com: 3-5 Business Days
• Amazon Europe: 3-5 Business Days
• Expanded Distribution channels: 6-8 Weeks​

*Please use the links provided above for the appropriate purchasing website. All dates are relative, the title may be available sooner.

          A Tempest rages in my Soul
          The skies are dark and gray,
          A Nightmare plagues my every Dream
          Thoughts left in disarray.

          The Fear of all that lies ahead
          The Pain of times gone past,
          To look beyond the darkened bounds
          Afraid these thoughts will last.

          And yet I wonder where I'll be
          Tomorrow from today.
          Will I still be the same old me
          To drown and slip away?

          Or maybe it is possible
          A Queen of Fate I'll be,
          I guess I will just have to wait
          For Life to let me see.

 
   In America, February is Black History Month. Many people argue that color and race continue to be issues of contention because we tend to keep racial differences negatively highlighted in public thought. The way I see it, America is the great "melting pot" and it is our differences that make the country great. By that I mean, that we should respect the fact that different cultural backgrounds and racial dynamics have contributed to our art, literature, music, language, and even our politics (no matter how negative or positive).

​   I have often reflected on the subject of color and race as a point of creative inspiration and pride. I am an African American author, and though my literary influences lean more toward Shakespeare and Dickinson, I never deny my open love of Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, or many other writers of color. My greatest point of pride is having the option of drawing from all wellsprings, no matter who I am. I celebrate my freedom to love what I love and reflect my feelings in my own words. 

   I have included some of my thoughts on color, race, and style through the works I have written which are inspired by the African American writers that I have studied and read.

~Danielle G.

 
The vibe he sings with ancient blood ties
Peering endlessly with sight
Into the everlasting depths
Of the universe in flight;
 
Framed with the ebon lengths
Of darkness: soft and light--
Thicker than blackness,
Imbued with the essence of night.
 
Arched with raven feathers
Like the plumage of Thebes
Elegantly reigning o’er
Deep orbs of mystery.
 
Imprinted on the canvas
Of Africa: brilliant and rich--
Smooth, Chocolate, Caramel;
Chiseled features bewitch.
 
Virile and strong
With rose petal lips,
Soft as the breeze
And the Morn’s fingertips.
 
Stature of stone
To stand on his own,
With grace in his rhythm--
Ingrained to the bone.

 
On wings of angels I do blindly soar

And songs of Heaven lift me up on high

For Love has opened up a gilded door

And happiness has drawn me ever nigh

With promises of pleasant moonlit years

Where age will soften all the rose’s thorns

And bring young laughter to thy worthy ears

From both these hearts will surely have been borne

But when the twilight touch of time has come

There will be many witnesses to see

That for my Soul matched truly only one

To which the bond shall be eternally

An when they open up the final gate
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Together shall we go to master Fate.