I got the first review back for my next novel - DOUBLE PLATINUM . Check out the blurb:

“An evocative look at the music industry from the inside. Double Platinum is a gripping portrayal of one woman’s quest to climb back to the top of the charts while overcoming personal obstacles”. ~ Vonnie Woods – HoneySoul.com

Here’s what I’m reading now: 

Nappily Married: A Novel by Trisha R. Thomas

Halle Berry has purchased the film rights to her first book and will be starring in the movie “Nappily Ever After.”

WIP Update

35,105 / 70,000 (50.1%)

Brian McKnight is currently starring in the Broadway musical “Chicago.” Below is an interview I had with the R & B crooner when he was promoting his last CD.

Ten @ Amazon.com
Brian McKnight

Shelia Goss: Why do you think you’ve had longevity in this business?
Brian Mcknight: I wish I had the answer to that question. I don’t have it. That question would be better answered by the people who have been fans. All I do is go to the studio to write songs that I love and hope that there are people out there who love them as well. Up until now, there have been a few (smile).

Shelia: You’re very humble. When you write, do you write from personal experiences?
Brian Mcknight: A lot of its personal…some of it is what other people are going through I suppose. If I had to do percentage wise, it’s about 80 percent personal and 20 percent emphatic.

Shelia: The name of your album is “10″ which is befitting since it’s your tenth album. What do you want listeners to feel after they hear “10?”
Brian Mcknight: That’s a hard question to answer. When I make a record all I’m hoping for is that people will hear one song that makes them feel something familiar about one thing or another…the songs will probably make you cry…make you think about your own relationships–ones you’ve been in or one you’re hoping to have…that’s all I hope for.

Shelia: With this album did you have a lot of creative control?
Brian Mcknight: I always have creative control.

Shelia: Not too many artists can say that.
Brian Mcknight: From the beginning…I said if I didn’t have creative control, I didn’t want to do it; so I’ve had that since my very first album.

Shelia: What’s different from this album than from some of your previous ones?
Brian Mcknight: I think the only difference is my outlook. I’m finally at a place where my view of myself and the view the label has of me is the same. I’m emancipated. I got out of a situation I wasn’t happy in. I think this music here is very light, not too deep and it seems like I’m having a lot more fun and I am.

Shelia: How do you stay motivated in between albums?
Brian Mcknight: I just love to write music.

Shelia: Do you have plans on recording a gospel album?
Brian Mcknight: Not at this time. I choose to put an inspirational song on every album as opposed to doing an entire gospel album.

Shelia: What are some of your goals for the upcoming year?
Brian Mcknight: Single digit handy cap on the golf course.

Shelia: It sounds like golf is one of your favorite pastimes.
Brian Mcknight: Yes. I’ve only been playing about eight months but I’m bit by the bug.

Shelia: What do you like to do besides play golf?
Brian Mcknight: I still play basketball, skydive, and motorcycles, but right now golf is taking precedence over everything.

Shelia: Will you be doing some of those celebrity golf tournaments?
Brian Mcknight: Soon. Not yet, but soon.

Shelia: I know it’s hard to pick favorite songs on your own album; especially when the whole album means so much to you, but tell me about three songs in three different categories on your CD–one that makes you feel good, one that makes you think and the third one in any category.
Brian McKnight: A feel good song would be “For the Rest of My Life.” It’s probably one of the best songs I’ve every written. The title says it all. It’s the kind of love you’re looking for.

One song that makes you think about things is sort of my theme song and it’s “Should Have Been Loving You.” It’s a song where it makes you look at your life and ask yourself what would you change? You know you can’t change the past, but you can go back and tell the people whose lives you’ve affected that you’re sorry.

I wrote a song for the troops called “Red, White, and Blue.”

Shelia: Sylvia Hubbard is a huge Brian McKnight fan and she’s the winner of the “Speak with Brian Mcknight” contest that I had last month. After Sylvia got over the excitement of speaking with “the Brian Mcknight”, she was given an opportunity to ask him a few questions.

Below are her questions and his responses.

Sylvia: Where do you get your inspiration from when you make your music?
Brian Mcknight: I get it from everywhere. Most of it comes from personal experiences but there’s some from other people’s affairs…

Sylvia: How do you feel about the type of music being made in your genre and how does it compare to your music?
Brian Mcknight: I don’t do comparisons…I kind of live in my own world. I listen to the same music I listened to when I was a kid. My kids keep me up to date on what’s going on, but everything kind of sounds the same so I don’t know who’s who. People are expressing themselves the way that they are. Every next generation is different than the last one, so I don’t know.

I just do what I do.

To learn more about Brian Mcknight, be sure to visit his website. If you’re in New York, catch his performance on Broadway.

Shelia M Goss is an entertainment writer and National Bestselling author of Paige’s Web, My Invisible Husband,  Roses are thorns, Violets are true and Double Platinum. For a full bio, go to www.sheliagoss.com. 

Song for the day – Just Got Paid by Johnny Kemp

O.P.B. stands for Other People Blogs. These are a few places I visited this past week. Check them out:

My Invisible Husband is still going strong almost a year later. I found this link while surfing last night. Check this out:

Battle of the Book Covers

Alicia Keys Contest – If you win, don’t forget about me

Don put in overtime this week. He has a few hot topics over at Minus the Bars:

The Good Man versus The Man You Wish You Never Met

Are you easy to fall in love? (Why or why not?)

Click on the following link only if you want to see animals do some things that your kid shouldn’t see. Be warned, its not G-rated.

Click here: Divalicious Opinions: 5 Reasons NOT to take your kids to the zoo

Just like it’s important for people to go see a movie on “opening weekend,” authors need the support the first month the book hits the shelves. It’s all about the numbers and publishers are looking at the bottom line. Check out Adrianne Byrd’s post:

 THE BOTTOM LINE

For you movie buffs, there will be another Mummy movie.  Jet Li will be in this one. Check out The Mummy – Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. 

Here’s a little eye candy for the ladies:

Tyson Beckford is ready for his close-up — again. Read more…

 Song of the Day – End of the Road by Boyz II Men

Have you ever broken up with a guy and then days, weeks, or months later gotten back together? Did anything change that second time around? As I look back on the times that I went back to an ex, I realize now that in most cases, it was a huge mistake. After awhile, one or both of us was back to doing whatever it was that caused us to break up in the first place.

There was a time I was “so in love” with this particular guy that we had this on again/off again relationship for a few years. The last and final time we broke up, I FINALLY realized that he was like a bad habit–hard to get rid of. To break that unhealthy cycle, I couldn’t put the blame on him, but did some self-reflection. I had to love me more and realize that it was unhealthy to be in a “yo-yo” type relationship. It wasn’t easy at first, but one day became a week and the next thing you know–it’s years later.

I don’t regret the decision I made to end things with him that final time because once I let go and didn’t allow him back into my life, my life was so much better. He had not months, but several years to show me that he was the man for me. Although he supposedly was hurting when I made that decision to end it, he no longer tried to convince me othewise.

I’ve been in other relationships since then and there were times I was tempted to GO BACK with an EX, but I didn’t. One lesson I learned is that AN EX IS AN EX FOR A REASON and should remain an EX.

I know it’s easier in this day and age to deal with someone you have history with than meeting someone new. With someone new, you don’t know what you’re going to get. But then on the other hand, with an EX, you do know what you’re getting and remember there’s a reason why they are an EX. So is it really worth your peace of mind, just to say that you’re in a relationship? If I were to answer for myself, I would say “NO.” Being free of an EX is freeing you up to learn more about yourself–taking time to love yourself more–and possibly opening the door for love from the person that God has for you.

Have you ever gone back with an ex? Did things change the second time around for better or worse? If you had to do it all over again, would you have not gone back?

WIP Update

30,120 / 70,000 (43.0%)

Song of the day: “Leaving You” by Lina

It’s a good feeling to wake up in the morning and after giving God the praise to say, I love me.
It’s a good feeling to be able to look myself in the mirror and know that I love me.
There’s so many times, that I didn’t love me. Like the time I allowed anybody and everybody to say what they wanted to say to me, do what they wanted to me and didn’t say a word or do a thing.
But as soon as I started loving me, I became a whole new me. I’m nowhere near conceited, but there are several things that I’m very confident about. Yes, I need to lose weight, but I’m a beautiful woman. I’m pretty beyond a doubt, but I’m also beautiful on the inside and that’s part of my aura. I’m creative beyond a doubt and I say it with confidence, because God gave me the talent and I’m going to use it to the best of my ability.
Today, I’m loving me–just for me. No it’s not being vain or stuck on myself. What I’ve learned in my thirty something years if you don’t love you, then no one else will. So TODAY, I’m loving me for me and will continue to love me–inspite of life’s complications.

When I moved from Texas to here, I had to put a lot of my stuff in the garage.  I wish I would have known about these storage solutions during that time. I did see a few things that my brother might like. If you know any guys who like to fix on cars or who are mechanics, I see quite a few things on CarGuyGarage.com such as tool boxes and cabinets to place some of their other stuff in.

What happens when you go from being friends to lovers? I’ve always had males as friends since as long as I can remember. I have several male friends who are like brothers to me. There’s nothing they wouldn’t do for their girl and the feeling is mutual. So this post isn’t about those type of male friends. I want to talk about the male friend who you may have had some type of romantic thought about but instead of either one of you acting on it, you kept it in the “friend” category.

There’s a thin line between going from being friends to lovers. What if things don’t work out? Will you lose a good friend? Can it ever go back to the way it used to be? Is it really worth losing a friend over?

But on the other hand, who knows you better than your friend? Doesn’t it make it easier if you’re friends first? Shouldn’t your mate be your best friend anyway?

Have you ever gone from being a friend to a lover? If you’re no longer together, are you still friends? What were some of the pros and cons?

Current WIP

22,000 / 70,000 (31.4%)