Blessings All,
Welcome to the Love's Troubadours Myspace Page. Be sure to visit the official Love's Troubadours web site.
http://www.lovestroubadours.com/
Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One tells the story of Karma Francois, a thirtysomething Oakland-born BoHo B.A.P. (Bohemian Black American Princess) with Louisiana roots and urban debutante flair. Karma represents a new type of Black woman who is a Love Jones cohort, a member of a vibrant population of Black middle class women who are young, remain single, live alone, and continue to accumulate personal, spiritual, and sensual wealth. She is a departure from the video vixens and stoic matriarchs. The way she wears her womanhood as she confronts the effects of her poor life choices and embraces a spiritual journey of healing and love, makes her a 21st century archetype that everyone can relate to.
Art plays a major role in Karma's life. It inspires, consoles, and teaches her. My novel offers you a wonderful opportunity to look at life through Karma’s eyes as an art enthusiast and museum curator. Through Karma's eyes, you will learn about exciting artists and photographers from the African Diaspora, Americas (USA and Mexico), Europe, and Japan such as Lois Mailou Jones, Kara Walker, Renee Stout, Yayoi Kusama, Faith Ringgold, Chris Ofili, Ansel Adams, Marion Perkins, Elizabeth Catlett, Francisco Mora, Alexander Calder, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Maria Izquierdo, Jean Michel Basquiat, Andre Derain, Annie Lee, Betye Saar, Alison Saar, Amalia Amaki, Joyce Scott, Lorna Simpson, Constantin Brancusi. Eldzier Cortor, Amedeo Modigliani, Sister Gertrude Morgan, Archibald Motley, Adrian Piper, Hughie Lee Smith, and Charles W. White.
My novel's characters will definitely shake things up in your life! They represent a wide spectrum of beautiful brilliant brown people. Some wear locs, naturals, and processed hairstyles. Whatever way they choose to express their outer selves, I think you will find them incredibly fascinating. Their heritage is rich. You will get to know African American, Afro-Latina, Afro-Thai, Afro-Hindu, Black British, and Afro-Russian folks. Some folks practice yoga, meditation, mantra chanting, Christianity, and Buddhism. Others participate in spoken word events, HIV/AIDS awareness activities, and grassroots healing work to help the African American community overcome homophobia. You will also witness the diversity of loving relationships in the Black community - straight, lesbian, and gay.
Music plays a major role in the novel. You will have a chance to see how the music of Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Sting, Deva Premal, India.Arie, Amel Larrieux, Omar, Eric Roberson, Fertile Ground, Julie Dexter, Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis, Les Nubians, Stevie Wonder, Omar Sosa, Susana Baca, and others impact the characters.
The novel takes place primarily in Washington, DC. It features many businesses, organizations, and landmarks in the U Street, Shaw, Adams Morgan, and Dupont Circle neighborhoods such as Mocha Hut, Cake Love, The Islander, St. Augustine Catholic Church, The Women's Collective, 18th and U Street Diner, All Souls Unitarian Church, Malcolm X/Meridian Hill Park, 9:30 Club, Metropolitan Baptist Church, and Teaism.
My characters also travel to Chicago, Oakland, San Francisco, New York City, and Wilmington, DE. Several are members of Black greek letter organizations such as Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Other characters are graduates of Morgan State University, Howard University, Bennett College, Xavier University (New Orleans), Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Savannah State University.
Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One was published by iUniverse on August 1, 2007. It is now available ONLINE (only) for $20.95 on Amazon.com, Borders.com, iUniverse.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Target.com, and Booksamillion.com. Barnesandnoble.com is offering a member discount of $18.95.
The 2008 Book Reading and Interview Schedule is contained below.
1) April 3, 2008 @ 7:22 pm, Heard’em Say Poetry Night (poetry on love and relationships) sponsored by Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Alpha Phi Chapter @ Sankofa Bookstore Cafe, 2714 Georgia Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20001. I will read several poems featured in her debut novel. Free Event
2) April 9, 6:30-8:00pm, Book Reading @ The Historical Society of Washington, DC, 801 K Street (at Mt. Vernon Square), Washington, DC 20001. I will read novel excerpts that celebrate DC neighborhoods and poetry for National Poetry Month (April). There will be a question and answer session. Free Event -http://www.historydc.org /
3) November 7-9, 2008, Antigua and BarbudaLiterary Festival @ Jolly Beach Resort, Antigua, West Indies. I will participate in several literary panel discussions. www.antiguaandbarbudaliteraryfestival.com/index.php
To participate in the Love's Troubadours Online Book Party (launched on Labor Day Weekend 2007), visit the section of my page dedicated to blogs. There are several surprises waiting for you including how you can purchase Love's Troubadours apparel and products posted onhttp://www.cafepress.com/kiamshacom / .
Before you leave my page, make sure you listen to the various podcasts posted below. Also, check out the YouTube video. If you like what you read, hear, and see, tell your family, friends, and colleagues to visit my page. Take it one step further by logging onto Amazon.com, Borders.com, iUniverse.com, Target.com, Barnesandnoble.com or Booksamillion.com, and purchasing my book as a gift for yourself and others.
PODCASTS
1) Author's Welcome to Love's Troubadours Online Book Party and Reading from Prologue
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2) Location of Author Book Readings - Excerpts from Chapters 13, 16 and 17
Visit the blog space above and click on the section entitled "Love’s Troubadours - Author Book Reading Podcasts." Visit the web links and have a great time listening!
Check out the very first Love's Troubadours YouTube video entitled "A Walking Tour of Love's Troubadours" below. Click on the screen. My brother and fellow Howardite, Matthew J. Leeke, President and CEO of MAJIK Productions, Inc., directed, produced, and edited the video. It features me giving viewers a walking tour of places featured in my novel. Washington, DC's historic U Street neighborhood is featured. Viewers will also have a chance to see the actual artwork that I created for the book cover. I end the video with a book reading from one of the novel's final chapters.
You can find me online at:
http://www.lovestroubadours.com/
and
[email protected]
Thank you for stopping by my page.
Be love, love light,and live as the spirit of life.
Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke
Writer/Artist/Creativity Coach/Yoga Teacher/Reiki Practitioner/Esq. Entrepreneur/BoHo BAP
NOTE: The slogans "Love's Troubadours"; "Be love, love light, and live as the spirit of life"; "YOGA is Your Opportunity to Graciously Accept yourself"; "Honey I'm OM"; "OM on My Mind"; "that which awakens me"; and "Black American Princess...BAP Being At Peace" are trademarks of Kiamsha.com, LLC.
PS: If you dig yoga, the main character is also a registered yoga teacher. So am I in real life. kg yoga life practice is my yoga and reiki healing touch business. To learn more about my services and free yoga events in DC, visit http://kgyoga.blogspot.com/ .
