#Debbie Howells

[clairekreads]

Three Quick Reviews #bookreview

[cantsayidont]

Haterating and hollerating through the '90s:

POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE (1990): Carrie Fisher scripted this witty adaptation of her novel about coked-up, pill-popping actress Suzanne Yale (Meryl Streep), who overdoses in the bed of a strange man (Dennis Quaid), ends up in rehab, and learns that the only way the production insurance company will let her keep working is if she stays with her mother, an aging singer-actress-diva (Shirley MacLaine) whose love for her daughter is equaled only by her tireless determination to upstage her. (No, it's not autobiographical at all, why do you ask?) Fisher's deftly paced, funny script weaves in various serious mother-daughter moments without ever becoming mawkish, and offers a fabulous part for MacLaine, who has a ball poking fun at herself as well as Debbie Reynolds, Fisher's real-life mother and the obvious basis for the film's lightly fictionalized "Doris Mann." Curiously, the weakest link is Streep, who never quite sheds her customary air of prim affectation and always seems ill at ease with Fisher's layers of self-deprecating, sarcastic humor. CONTAINS LESBIANS? Apparently not, although I had questions about Suzanne's rehab friend Aretha (Robin Barlett). VERDICT: MacLaine's finest hour, but Streep's primness keeps it "good" rather than "great."

TERESA'S TATTOO (1993): Painfully unfunny crime comedy, directed by Melissa Etheridge's then-GF Julie Cypher and costarring Cypher's ex, Lou Diamond Phillips, along with an array of incongruously high-profile actors like Joe Pantoliano, Tippi Hedren, Mare Winningham, Diedrich Bader, k.d. lang (!), Sean Astin, Emilio Estevez, and Kiefer Sutherland, most in bit parts (some of them unbilled). The headache-inducing plot concerns a couple of brain-dead thugs whose elaborate hostage scheme hits a snag when their hostage (Adrienne Shelly) accidentally dies. Their solution is to kidnap lookalike Teresa (also Adrienne Shelly), a brainy Ph.D. candidate, and disguise her to look like the dead girl — including giving her a matching tattoo on her chest — in the hopes that the dead girl's idiot brother (C. Thomas Howell) won't notice the switch until it's too late. This truly bad grade-Z effort, barely released theatrically, feels like either a vanity project or a practical joke that got out of hand, and is interesting mostly as a curiosity for Melissa Etheridge fans: The soundtrack is M.E.-heavy, and Etheridge herself has a brief nonspeaking role. CONTAINS LESBIANS? Technically? (Etheridge has no lines and lang plays a Jesus freak.) VERDICT: May erode your affection for M.E.

BLUE JUICE (1995): Tiresome comedy-drama about an aging surfer (a terribly miscast, painfully uncomfortable-looking Sean Pertwee) who's still determined to continue living like a 20-year-old surf bum with his obnoxious mates, even though his back is giving out and he's perilously close to driving away his girlfriend (a disconcertingly hot 25-year-old Catherine Zeta Jones), who is keen for him to finally cut the shit. Meanwhile, the scummiest of his mates (Ewan McGregor) doses their pal Terry (Peter Gunn) and gets him to chase after an actress from his childhood favorite TV show (Jenny Agutter) in hopes of dissuading from marrying his actual girlfriend (Michelle Chadwick), and their mate Josh (Steven Mackintosh), a successful techno producer, flirts with an attractive DJ (Colette Brown) who's actually furious at him for building a vapid techno hit around a sample of her soul singer dad's biggest hit. The latter storyline probably had the most potential (although a weird scene where Josh is castigated by a group of outraged soul fans seems like a lesser TWILIGHT ZONE plot), but none of the script's various threads ever amounts to much. CONTAINS LESBIANS? It doesn't even pass the Bechdel test. VERDICT: If you happen upon it, you may be tempted just for Zeta Jones (and/or Brown), but the rest wears out its welcome with alacrity.

HIGHER LEARNING (1995): Potent story of simmering racial tensions on the campus of a university that definitely isn't USC (writer-director John Singleton's alma mater, and where most of the film was obviously shot), let down by incredibly heavy-handed execution. (The film's final shot is of the word "UNLEARN" superimposed over a giant American flag!) A capable cast (including Omar Epps, Kristy Swanson, Michael Rapaport, Jennifer Connelly, Ice Cube, Tyra Banks, Cole Hauser, Laurence Fishburne, and Regina King) tries to maintain a sense of emotional reality through Singleton's frequent excursions into overpowering melodrama, but there are so many competing plot threads that few characters have any depth; curiously, the script's most complex characterization is in the scenes between budding white supremacist Remy (Rapaport) and Aryan Brotherhood organizer Scott (Hauser). Singleton made this film when he was 25, and there's no shame in its sense of breathless ambition (even if it inevitably bites off more than it can chew), but the overwrought stridency undercuts its intended impact. For a more effective treatment of similar themes in roughly the same period, try Gilbert Hernandez's graphic novel X, originally serialized in LOVE & ROCKETS #31–39 and first collected in 1993. CONTAINS LESBIANS? Jennifer Connelly gives Kristy Swanson a bisexual awakening. VERDICT: The '90s through a bullhorn.

CRASH (1996): Divisive David Cronenberg adaptation of the J.G. Ballard novel, about a movie producer called James Ballard (James Spader) and his desperately horny wife (Deborah Kara Unger), drawn into a loose-knit group of car-crash fetishists organized around a man called Vaughan (Elias Koteas at his creepiest), who stages recreations of famous celebrity crashes like the 1955 accident that killed James Dean. Despite some pretentious dialogue about "the reshaping of the human body by modern technology," the controlling idea might be better summarized as "anything can be a paraphilia if you get weird enough about it." Part of what offends people about the film is that Cronenberg deliberately treats the entire story with the same frosty clinical detachment, rendering the "normal" sex scenes just as remote and perverse as the characters' fixation on the grisly aftermath of car wrecks; the point is that there is no line, just different facets of the same erotic longing, which each of the (admittedly unsympathetic) principal characters embodies in different ways. Spader, Kara Unger, and Koteas are very good, as is Holly Hunter, in perhaps the bravest role of her career, but Rosanna Arquette is underutilized. A worthwhile companion piece would be Steven Soderbergh's 1989 SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE, also with Spader, which is much more highly regarded (though almost as contrived and scarcely less perverse), perhaps because it seeks to titillate where Cronenberg does not. CONTAINS LESBIANS? Briefly. (See previous note in re: underutilization of Rosanna Arquette.) VERDICT: Icy but interesting.

[brokehorrorfan]

Scream Factory has revealed the specs for its Bride of Chucky, Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, and Cult of Chucky 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray releases. Originally due out on July 25, they'll now drop on August 29.

Shout Factory has an exclusive set with all four films, four exclusive slipcovers by Devon Whitehead, eight 18x24 posters (original theatrical art plus Whitehead’s new art), prism sticker, five movie cards by Beyond Horror Design (limited to 500), and five enamel pins designed by Matthew Skiff (limited to 500). Pictured below, it’s $223.98.

1998’s Bride of Chucky is directed by Ronny Yu (Freddy vs Jason) and written by Don Mancini (Child’s Play). Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, Katherine Heigl, Nick Stabile, and John Ritter star.

2004’s Seed of Chucky is written and directed by Don Mancini. Jennifer Tilly, Redman, Hannah Spearritt, John Waters, Billy Boyd, and Brad Dourif star.

2013’s Curse of Chucky is written and directed by Don Mancini. Fiona Dourif, Danielle Bisutti, Brennan Elliott, Maitland McConnell, Chantal Quesnelle, Summer Howell, A Martinez, and Brad Dourif star.

2017’s Cult of Chucky is written and directed by Don Mancini. Fiona Dourif, Michael Therriault, Adam Hurtig, Alex Vincent, Jennifer Tilly, and Brad Dourif star.

Bride and Seed have received new 4K scans of the original camera negatives, while Curse and Cult have been newly mastered in 4K. R-rated and unrated cuts of Seed, Curse, and Cult are included. Special features are listed below.

Bride of Chucky disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Dolby Vision (HDR 10 Compatible)

Audio commentary by director Ronny Yu

Audio commentary by actors Jennifer Tilly and Brad Dourif and writer Don Mancini

Bride of Chucky disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Audio commentary by director Ronny Yu

Audio commentary by actors Jennifer Tilly and Brad Dourif and writer Don Mancini

Bride of Chucky: Spotlight on Location

The Making of Brude of Chucky

Additional screens from the TV version

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

For ten years, the tortured soul of serial killer Charles Lee Ray has been imprisoned inside a child’s doll. Chucky (Brad Dourif) is reborn when his old flame, Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly), rescues his battered doll parts from a police impound. But Chucky wants his favorite playmate cut down to size, so he transforms his blushing bride into a stunning little terror. Chucky and Tiffany can’t wait to start their own homicidal honeymoon. When this demonic duo hits the road and hooks up with a pair of unsuspecting newlyweds, they leave a trail of murder and mayhem behind them.

Seed of Chucky disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Theatrical cut

Audio commentary by writer-director Don Mancini and special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner

Audio commentary by writer/director Don Mancini and actress Jennifer Tilly

Seed of Chucky disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Theatrical & unrated cuts

Audio commentary by writer-director Don Mancini and special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner

Audio commentary by writer/director Don Mancini and actress Jennifer Tilly

Interview with special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner (new)

Interview with actor John Waters (new)

Deleted scene with optional commentary by writer/director Don Mancini and actress Debbie Lee Carrington

Heeeeer’s Chucky

Family Hell-day Slide Show

Conceiving the Seed of Chucky

Till on The Tonight Show

FuZion Up Close with The Seed of Chucky stars

Storyboard to Final Feature Comparison

Teaser Trailer

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Everyone’s favorite killer doll returns and the Chucky legacy continues with the introduction of a new family member! This time around, Chucky (Brad Dourif) and his homicidal honey, Tiffany, are brought back to life by their orphan offspring, Glen. Then, the horror goes Hollywood as Chucky unleashes his own brand of murderous mayhem!

Curse of Chucky disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Unrated cut

Audio commentary by writer-director Don Mancini, special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner, and actress Fiona Dourif

Curse of Chucky disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Unrated and R-rated cuts

Audio commentary by writer-director Don Mancini, special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner, and actress Fiona Dourif

Interview with actor Alex Vincent (new)

Interview with actress Danielle Bisutti (new)

Interview with special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner (new)

Playing with Dolls: The Making of Curse of Chucky

Living Doll: Bringing Chucky to Life

Voodoo Doll: The Chucky Legacy

Storyboard Comparisons

Deleted Scenes

Gag Reel

Trailer

TV Spot

He’s back! From the filmmakers that brought you Chucky comes the terrifying return of the pint-sized doll possessed by the spirit of a notorious serial killer. When a mysterious package arrives at the house of Nica (Fiona Dourif, True Blood), she doesn’t give it much thought. However, after her mother’s mysterious death, Nica begins to suspect that the talking, red-haired doll her visiting niece has been playing with may be the key to the mounting bloodshed and chaos. The return of America’s favorite toy, voiced again by Brad Dourif, is full of blood-splattered thrills and chills!

Cult of Chucky disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Unrated and R-rated cuts

Audio commentary by writer-director Don Mancini and special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner

Cult of Chucky disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Unrated and R-rated cuts

Audio commentary by writer-director Don Mancini and special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner

Interview with actor Alex Vincent (new) Interview with actress Danielle Bisutti (new) Interview with special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner (new)

A look inside actor Alex Vincent's recording studio (new)

Inside the Insanity of Cult of Chucky

Good Guy Gone Bad: The incarnations of Chucky

The Dollhouse

Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by Don Mancini

Trailers

TV Spot

Confined to an asylum for the criminally insane for the past four years, Nica (Fiona Dourif) is wrongly convinced that she, not Chucky, murdered her entire family. But after her psychiatrist introduces a new group therapy tool – a “Good Guy” doll – a string of grisly deaths plague the asylum and Nica starts to wonder if maybe she isn’t crazy after all. Andy (Alex Vincent), Chucky’s now-grown-up nemesis from the original Child’s Play, races to Nica’s aid. But to save her he’ll have to get past Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly), Chucky’s long-ago bride, who will do anything, no matter how deadly or depraved, to help her beloved devil doll.

Pre-order Bride of Chucky, Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, and Cult of Chucky.

[neshatriumphs]

Dark Skin Directory

I did one of these for my sideblog BlackFemmeCharacterDependency (BFCD) and... While it’ll take longer on this end to do because there are more prominent figures here than on that one, I thought it would be good to also have one for my main...

EDIT: Okay, so the one that I did for BFCD does not work, so I am posting this one to see if it works, and if not, they’ll both be WIPS until I have the time to repair them

For the purposes of this list and on this page, whenever I say “dark skinned,” I mean a traditional brown crayon or darker. I grew up around Black people, so the words “dark skinned” do not mean the same thing to me as it do to nonblacks.

Aaron Rose Philip | Abbey Mag | Adelayo Adedayo | Adepero Oduye | Adina Porter |  Aesha Ash | Afton Williamson | Aïssa Maïga | Aja Naomi King | Akiima | Alexandra Arboleda | Alfre Woodard | Alisha White | Allison Dean | Alysia Rogers | Amber Riley | Amber Ruffin | Andrea Bordeaux | Angel Haze | Angel Theory |  Angelica Joy | Angelica Ross | Angelique Noire | Angely Gaviria | Aniela Gumbs | Ann Ogbomo | Ann Wolfe | Anna Diop | Anne Amari | Antoinette Robertson | Ashleigh Morghan | Ashleigh Murray | Ashley Blaine Featherson | Asjha Cooper | Assa Sylla | Aube Jolicoeur | Aunjanue Ellis | Awar Mou | Aweng Chuol | Ayisha Issa | Ayo Edebiri

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Betty Adewole | Beverly Osu | Bianca Brewton |  Biba Williams | Bintou Sillah | Bob the Drag Queen | Bonnie Mbuli | Brandy Norwood | Bre Scullark | Brittany Adebumola 

.

Camille Winbush | Caroline Chikezie | Ceval Omar | Charlayne Woodard | Charnele Brown | Chinenye Ezeudu | Christine Adams | Cicely Tyson | Coco Jones | Condola Rashad | Crystal Clarke

.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph | Damaris Lewis | Dana Davis | Danai Gurira | Danielle Deadwyler | Danielle Moné Truitt | Dawnn Lewis | Debbi Morgan | Deborah Ayorinde |  Debra Shaw | Debra Wilson | Denee Benton | Dewanda Wise | Diahann Carroll | Diany Samba-Bandza | Diarra Ndiaye | Dominique Jackson | Duckie Thot

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Ebboney Wilson | Ebonee Noel | Ebony Obsidian | Ego Nwodim | Elle M. Chaman | Elise Neal | Emayatzy Corinealdi | Enuka Okuma | Erica Tazel | Erika Alexander | Ester Dean | Esther Rolle

.

Faith Alabi | Faith Omole | Faithe Herman | Fardosa | Felecia M. Bell | Femi Taylor | Florence Kasumba | Folake Olowofoyeku | Franchesca Ramsey

.

Gabrielle Graham | Gabrielle Union Wade | Gabourey Sidibe | Garcelle Beauvais | Geffri Maya | Genevieve Nnaji | Gina Torres | Gloria Hendry | Grace Jones

.

Halimotu Shokunbi | Hamamat | Harriett D Foy | Heather Headley | Heir of Glee | Helen Aluko

.

Iman | Imani Hakim | Imani Lewis | Ingrid Silva | Ireanna | Issa Rae

Jacqueline Moore | Jada Harris | Janelle James | Janelle Monae | Janeshia Adams Ginyard | Janet Hubert | Janet Jumbo | Javicia Leslie | Jayme Lawson | Jeante Godlock | Jemima Osunde | Jennifer Hudson | Jerrika Hinton | Jessica Allain | Jessieca Alford | Jill Marie Jones | Jo Marie Payton | Jobel Mokonzi | Jodie Turner Smith | Johnnie Hill | Joi Harris | Joie Lee | Jonica “Jojo” T. Gibbs | Josette Simon | Jwaundace Candece

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Kabrina Adams | Karen Glave | Karen Obilom | Karidja Touré | Karimah Westbrook | Keeya King | Kellie Shanygne Williams | Kellita Smith | Kelly Rowland | Kenya Moore | Keshia Knight Pulliam | Kiara Pike | Kiki Layne | Kimberly Marable | Kirby Howell Baptiste

.

Laci Mosley | Lanei Chapman | Lashana Lynch | Laura Kariuki | Lauren Byfield | Lidya Jewett | Lisa Berry | Lisette Malidor | Lolly Adefope | Lorraine Pascale | Lorraine Toussaint | Loren Lott | Loretta Devine | LovelyOverdose | Lyric Ross

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MaameYaa Boafo | Madison Curry | Mame Adjei | Marcia McBroom | Maria Borges | Mariah Iman Wilson | Marlene Clark | Marsai Martin | Mary Alice | Mary Oyaya | Mayowa Nicolas | Medina Senghore | Melodie Wakivuamina | Merrin Dungey | Michaela Coel | Miji Awakyr | Milauna Jackson | Miqueal-Symone Williams | Morgan Dawson | Moses Ingram | Moshidi Motshegwa | Mouna Fadiga | Mouna Traoré | Mumbi Maina | Musabey

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Naomi Campbell | Naomi Ekperigin | Naomi WWE |  Naomie Harris |  Natalie Desselle Reid | N’Bushe Wright | Nia Jervier | Nia Long | Nichole Galicia | Nicki Micheaux | Nicole Beharie | Nicole Byer | Normani Kordei | Nyakim Gatwech | Nyanderi Deng | Nyaueth Riam | Nyla Lueeth | Nyma Tang |

.

Octavia Spencer | Ola Ray | Olunike Adeliyi | Olivia Sang | Omono Okojie | Oprah Winfrey | Oyin Oladejo | Ozioma Akagha

.

Patina Miller | Paulina Otylie Surys | Philomena Kwao | Phina Oruche | Phylicia Benn | Phylicia Rashad | Pippa Bennett Warner | Precious Adams | Precious Mustapha |

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Queen Quet | Quiana Welch | Quinta Brunson | Quvenzhane Wallis

Raigan Harris | Reagan Gomez | Regina King | Regina Van Helvert | Renee Elise Goldsberry | Retta | Riele Downs | Ronke Adekoluejo | Rose Jackson | Ruth (IAmBabeRuth/BabeRuthTV) |  Rutina Wesley | Ryan Destiny

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Saidah Arrika Ekulona | Samantha Liana Cole | Samantha Marie Ware | Sandra Dede sandramabelle | Saniyya Sidney | Sara Martins | Sasha Lambon | Sasheer Zamata | Sese Madaki Ali | Shahadi Wright Joseph | Shanice Williams | Shannon Thornton | Sharon Duncan Brewster | Sharon Ferguson | Sharon Pierre-Louis | Shea Couleé | Sheryl Lee Ralph | Shyko Amos | Sibongile Mlambo | Sierra McClain | Simbi Khali | Simona Brown | Simone Biles | Simone Missick | Sindi-Dlathu | Skai Jackson | Skye P. Marshall | Sokhna Cisse | Sonya Eddy | Stefanee Martin | Stella Okech | Subah Koj | Sufe Bradshaw | Susan Wokoma | Symphony Sanders

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T’Nia Miller | Tamara Dobson | Tamara Lawrance | Tamera Mclaughlin  (Dwarfism Disability. Check PC before adding to that list) | Tanerélle | Tanedra Howard | Tanisha Scott | Tanya Moodie | Tanyell Waivers | Taral Hicks | Tarana Burke | Tempestt Bledsoe |  Tenika Davis | Teresa Graves | Terri J. Vaughn | Teshi Thomas | Teyonah Parris | Theresa Fractale | Thishiwe Ziqubu | Tichina Arnold | Tonya Pinkens | Tracey Ifeachor | Trina McGee | Trina Parks | Tyra Ferrell

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Vanessa Bell Calloway | Vanessa Lee Chester | Vanessa Gyimah | Vanessa Nakat | Vanessa Estelle Williams | Vaneza Oliveira | Veronica S. Taylor | Viola Davis | Vivica Ifeoma

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Wakeema Hollis | Whitney Houston | Whoopi Goldberg | Wunmi Mosaku

.

Xosha Roquemore

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Yaani King | Yandeh Sallah | Yanna McIntosh | Yaya Dacosta | Yaz | Yetide Badaki | Yolonda Ross  | Yusra Warsama | Yvonne Okoro | Yvonne Orji

.

Zainab Johnson | Zelda Harris | Zenobia | Zethu Dlomo | Zhariah Hubbard | Ziwe Fumudoh | Zola Williams | Zozibini Tunzi

#to add to darkskin directory

Aliet Sarah

Tricia Akello

Sokhna Niane

Rashida Renée

Javonna Charde’

Ajak Deng

Edun Bola

Pretty Tye

Herieth Noela

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

Black Femme Character Dependency Dark Skin Directory || Entertainers Pt. 1 (A-N)

For the purposes of this list and on this page, whenever I say “dark skinned,” I mean a traditional brown crayon or darker. I grew up around Black people, so the words “dark skinned” do not mean the same thing to me as it do to some nonblacks.

*I am attempting to redo this list that will not show up for some reason...

A.

Aaron Rose Philip | Abbey Mag | Adelayo Adedayo | Adele Oni | Adella Afadi | Adepero Oduye | Adina Porter | Aesha Ash | Afton Williamson | Aïssa Maïga | Aja Naomi King | Ajak Deng | Akiima | Akon Changkou | Alexandra Arboleda | Alfre Woodard | Aliet Sarah | Alisha White | Allison Dean | Alysia Rogers | Amanda Warren | Amandla Jahava | Amber Gray | Amber Riley | Amber Ruffin | Andrea Bordeaux | Anesha Bailey | Angel Haze | Angel Theory | Angelica Joy | Angelica Ross |  Angelique Noire | Angely Gaviria |  Aniela Gumbs | Ann Ogbomo | Ann Wolfe | Anne Amari |   Antoinette Robertson | Ashleigh Morghan |  Ashleigh Murray | Ashley Blaine Featherson | Ashley Romans | Asjha Cooper |   Assa Sylla | Aube Jolicoeur | Aunjanue Ellis | Awar Mou | Aweng Chuol | Ayisha Issa |  Ayo Edebiri

B.

Betty Adewole | Beverly Osu | Bianca Brewton | Biba Williams | Bintou Sillah |   Blesnya Minher | Bob the Drag Queen | Bonnie Mbuli | Brandy Norwood | Bre Scullark | Bria Henderson | Brittany Adebumola | Brittany Marie Batchelder |   Brooke Singleton

C.

Camille Winbush | Caroline Chikezie | Ceval Omar | Chanelletime | Charlayne Woodard | Charnele Brown |  Chinenye Ezeudu | Chiquita Fuller |  Christine Adams | Cicely Tyson | Coco Jones | Colette Dalal Tchantcho | Condola Rashad | Crystal Clarke

D.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph | Damaris Lewis | Damita Jane Howard | Dana Davis |  Danai Gurira | Danielle Deadwyler | Danielle Moné Truitt | Dawnn Lewis | Debbi Morgan | Deborah Ayorinde | Debra Wilson | Denee Benton | Dewanda Wise |   Diahann Carroll | Diany Samba-Bandza | Diarra Ndiaye | Dominique Jackson | Duckie Thot

E. 

Ebboney Wilson |   Ebonee Noel |  Ebony Obsidian |  Edun Bola | Ego Nwodim |  Elle M. Chaman | Ellen Bendu |   Ellen Thomas |  Elise Neal |  Emayatzy Corinealdi |  Enuka Okuma |  Erica Tazel |   Erika Alexander |  Ester Dean |  Esther Rolle

F.

Faith Alabi |  Faith Omole | Faithe Herman | Fardosa | Fatou Jobe | Felecia M. Bell |  Femi Taylor |   Florence Kasumba | Folake Olowofoyeku |  Franchesca Ramsey

G.

Gabrielle Graham |  Gabrielle Union Wade |  Gabourey Sidibe |  Garcelle Beauvais |  Geffri Maya | Genevieve Nnaji |  Gina Torres |  Gloria Hendry |  Grace Jones  

H.

Halimotu Shokunbi |  Hamamat |  Harriett D Foy |  Heather Headley |  Heir of Glee |  Helen Aluko

I.

Ifeoma Nwobu | Iman |  Imani Hakim |  Imani Lewis |  Ingrid Silva |  Ireanna |  Issa Rae  

J.

Jacqueline Moore |  Jada Harris | Jade Eshete | Jaimi Gray |  Janelle James |  Janelle Monae |  Janeshia Adams Ginyard |   Janet Hubert |  Janet Jumbo |  Javicia Leslie |  Javonna Charde’ | Jayden Rey |  Jayme Lawson | Jeante Godlock |   Jemima Osunde |  Jennifer Hudson | Jerrika Hinton |  Jessica Allain |  Jessieca Alford | Jill Marie Jones |  Jo Marie Payton |  Jobel Mokonzi |   Jodie Turner Smith |  Johnnie Hill |  Joi Harris |  Joie Lee |  Jonica “Jojo” T. Gibbs |  Josette Simon |  Jwaundace Candece  

K.

Kabrina Adams |  Karen Glave |  Karen Obilom | Karidja Touré |  Karimah Westbrook |  Keeya King |  Kellie Shanygne Williams |  Kellita Smith |  Kelly Rowland |  |Kenya Moore |  Keshia Knight Pulliam |  Kiara Pike |  Kiki Layne |  Kimberly Marable |  Kirby Howell Baptiste |  Kyla Ramsey 

L.

Laci Mosley |  Lanei Chapman |  Lashana Lynch |  Laura Kariuki |  Lauren Byfield |  Lidya Jewett |  Lisa Berry |  Lisette Malidor |  Lolly Adefope |  Lorraine Pascale | Lorraine Toussaint |  Loren Lott | Loretta Devine | LovelyOverdose |  Lyric Ross

M.

MaameYaa Boafo | Madisin Rian | Madison Curry | Mame Adjei | Marcia McBroom | Maria Borges | Mariah Iman Wilson |  Marlene Clark |  Marsai Martin |  Mary Alice |  Mary Oyaya | Mayowa Nicolas |  Medina Senghore | Melinda Berry (Melrose) | Melodie Wakivuamina |  Melody Lulu-Briggs | Merrin Dungey |  Michaela Coel |  Miji Awakyr |  Milauna Jackson |   Mimi Ndiweni | Miqueal-Symone Williams | Morgan Dawson |  Moses Ingram |  Moshidi Motshegwa |  Mouna Fadiga | Mouna Traoré |  Mumbi Maina | Musabey

N.

Naomi Campbell | Naomi Ekperigin | Naomi WWE | Naomie Harris | Natalie Desselle Reid |  N’Bushe Wright | Nia Jervier |  Nia Long |  Nichole Galicia |  Nicki Micheaux | Nicole Beharie | Nicole Byer | Normani Kordei | Nyakim Gatwech | Nyanderi Deng | Nyarach Abouch Ayuel | Nyaueth Riam | Nykhor Paul | Nyla Lueeth |  Nyma Tang

[itsyourchoicedevotionals]

Stood In The Gap

“…Jesus said to the chief priests, temple officers, and elders who had come for Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against an outlaw? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on Me. But this hour belongs to you and to the power of darkness.” Luke 22:52-53NIV

There are times that belong to satan. We can pray, trusting faith scriptures, quote God’s Word until we are blue in the face… that is the hour of satan. One such time was when they crucified our Lord Jesus, Yeshua Hamashiach. Another time is coming— the final hour of satan, the time of antichrist, and his tribulation.

Until that time we must be ‘the ones who restrains’… “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way” 2Thessalonians 2:7ESV. I’m quite aware many preachers teach Holy Spirit is the one who restrains. My question to them has always been and continues to be, where is the scripture which predicts Holy Spirit is leaving? Each preacher has then pointed back to this scripture. Problem with their explanation returns to the actual language translations— a ‘masculine-feminine’ or ‘human gender nonspecific,’ male or female. Nothing like Holy Spirit Who is Spirit and part of the triune Godhead.

During the time of Nazi Germany, Hitler was considered to be the antichrist. The church thought we were at the end of the age, thus they wouldn’t pray away the events. Except for a few intercessors such as Bonhoeffer, or Reese Howell, a man from Wales UK, who led a group of intercessors, who literally stood between Hitler’s goals and the world. Yes, there were other nameless intercessors who stood in the gap… “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it…” Ezekiel 22:30NIV. God will always look for His person who will pray and intercede on behalf of their nation.

Today, we have such people interceding for our land. Cindy Jacobs and Dutch Sheets being two leaders in this movement. Assuredly, there are thousands more praying as well. I know a little woman from South Africa, whom God has frequently provided the funds to come to the USA to pray. Jesse has been to every border crossing in this nation, both borders, anointing it with oil, while bathing it in prayer. She also goes bi-annually to Israel instructed to walk the streets and pray there.

Has anyone beside me ever wondered what the following scripture means? “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father” John 14:12NLT. What are the greater works than what Jesus could people do?

As I read our text, Holy Spirit dropped into my spirit— ‘Jesus couldn’t prevent the hour belonging to satan. We can. Reese Howell, Bonhoeffer and the other intercessors prevented Hitler from taking over the world, as the antichrist.

The cabal, elites, and globalists all believe this is their hour to rule our world. They’ve been busy putting their one world government into place, painstakingly so, over the last seventy plus years. News flash: God has His elect praying, interceding, repenting for this world because it’s not satan’s hour yet. Will you join the intercessors in praying away the darkness’s hour? It’s your choice. You choose.

LET’S PRAY: LORD God we pray for Your kingdom alone to come, and Your will only to be done in our nations and our world. You alone God love us and are trustworthy. Help us to trust in You alone, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

by Debbie Veilleux Copyright 2024 You have my permission to reblog this devotional for others. Please keep my name with this devotional as author. Thank you.

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BATTLE OF THE BANDS: "Bottle Of Wine" Results (REVISED)

Is my face ever red… I don’t know how I managed to do it, but I managed to miss one whole vote, Susan’s, when I published the results from my November 1 Battle of the Bands. Here are the revised results: The Fireballs – 9.5 Di Birgit Arlee Debbie D Willow (1/2) John Howell Bluebird Jack Randy Susan Porter Wagoner – 8.5 Mary B Cathy Clive Stephen Willow (1/2) Diedre Max Dan Eugi Susan, I know…

[thewoolleygeek]

It All Started With You by Debbie Howells

Synopsis I always thought I was going to be a girl who did something. I was going to run my own business and find fame and fortune! Fall in love… But here I am. Still waiting for it all to happen, sitting on the floor, surrounded by lilies and roses, trying to do my best friend’s wedding flowers because – in her words – ‘how hard can it be, Frankie?’. The answer is actually ‘very hard’ but…

[barcimedia]

Her Sister's Lie by Debbie Howells (2019, Trade Paperback) 

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Part 166: Monday, 9th August 1965, 10.00 p.m.

Part 166: Monday, 9th August 1965, 10.00 p.m.

I am a swine. Talking about asking Edith in cutting tones. She went into hospital this morning. One doesn’t want to dramatise, she is having a routine varicose-vein operation, though the ulcer is a little disturbing. Aunt Debby is staying, and all three terrors are out of sight and sound at a creche for three hours in the morning. Perhaps longer for the rest of the time – Mrs White-Howells gave…

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Radio NET Bulgaria (November 24, 2022)

23:55 JACKIEM JOYNER - Back To Motown 23:50 MARCUS ANDERSON - From The Heart 23:45 YOLANDA RABUN - O Holy Night 23:40 GREGG KARUKAS - Mesa Moon 23:37 NORMAN BROWN - Down Here On The Ground 23:32 PETER WHITE - Don't Want To Be A Fool 23:27 KEN NAVARRO - Island Life 23:23 NILS - Night Flyer 23:20 DAMIEN ESCOBAR - This Christmas 23:16 PAUL BROWN - Midnight Kiss 23:13 NICK COLIONNE - The Journey 23:09 NICHOLAS COLE - Triple Threat (feat. Julian Vaughn & Marcus Anderson) 23:04 AL GOMEZ - Devotion 23:00 VINCENT INGALA - Kimi Trick 22:59 HEADSTRONG, HELENA WARD - Broken Ice (Acoustic & Strings Chillout Mix) 22:56 SCUBBA, IVETTE MORAES, RONAN - The Sweetest Taboo (Remix) 22:52 ROMA BABANOV - Flight 22:48 IT'S DIFFERENT - Tell Me 22:45 HEADSTRONG, SHELLEY HARLAND - Here In The Dark 22:38 FLAER SMIN - Alone In The Dark 22:33 EVANESCENCE - My Immortal (Acoustic Version) 22:29 GARBAGE - Milk 22:25 MICHAEL ANGELO, MELISSA LORETTA - Hearts Unspoken (Christopher Breeze Chillout Mix) 22:22 METAHARMONIKS - Doors 22:17 MIGUEL LARA - Oblivion 22:14 MOBY - Porcelain 22:09 FAR EAST MOVEMENT - Like A G6 (DJ Dan Karim Relax Mix) 22:04 MICHAEL E - Deja Vu (Short Mix) 22:00 DEEP MOTIONS - Memories 21:56 MIA LEMAR - Colourful Life (Photo In Lounge Remix) 21:48 DELIRIUM, SARAH MCLACHLAN - Silence (Michael Woods Mix) 21:45 ERIK HAKANSSON - Smooth (Original Mix) 21:38 ALBERT ST. BARTH - Balearic Treasure 21:33 ALY, FILA, TIFF LACEY - Paradise (Original Mix) 21:30 MR. SPECIAL - Aren't You Clever (CJ Alex Chillout Remix) 21:23 PROJECT BLUE SUN - Ibiza Zouk (Sunny Mix) 21:18 DOMINIK POINTVOGL - Step up (original mix) 21:15 AHY O - Shine On 21:09 MATHIEU & FLORZINHO - Life Is Just A Dream (Levitation Remix) 21:05 PRIME CIRCLE - As Long As I Am Here (Cafe D'Afrique Mix) 21:00 BLANK & JONES - Coming Home (Afterlife Mix) 20:55 KUBA - Kailash 20:49 DENIS SERGEEV, 4ONE - Merging Of Two Destiny 20:42 DEEP SECTOR - Rainbows (Original Mix) 20:39 DEEJAY HOUSE PROJECT - Komodo (Stefy Martinez Lounge Mix) 20:33 CHRIS B, LADY V - A New Direction (Original Mix) 20:28 CHRISTIAN HORNBOSTEL - Waiting At Potsdamer Chaussee 20:24 HOKKAIDO, DEBBIE DIGITAL - Sigh For The Beauty (El Gambrero Remix) 20:20 CJ STONE, ANNA TURSKA, SHERLOCK - Believe Me (Chill Out Classic Mix) 20:15 CLAUDE CHAGALL - Obsession 20:10 DASH BERLIN, SECEDE, SARAH HOWELLS - Believe In You 20:06 CJ RCM - Humans Of Space (Original Mix) 20:03 DAVID VENDETTA - Love To Love You Baby (Lounge Mix) 19:59 DJ MATISSE, LOUNGE PARADISE - This Love (Maroon 5 Cover) 19:56 DARK MATTERS, DENISE RIVERA - Take Me Home 19:50 KITARO - Caravansary Original 19:48 HOUSE MASSIVE, J. GOLUBEVA - Apologize 19:44 IDENLINE - At Sunset (Original Mix) 19:38 DON GORDA PROJECT - Attractive Qualities 19:33 DOWNTEMPO GROOVERS - Smooth And Sexy Mix 19:29 EXIMINDS, AELYN - I Feel You (Chillout Version) 19:26 BROCKMAN - Live Your Life (Free Your Mind) 19:20 COASTLINE - Adriatic Sea (Lounge Cafe Chillout Del Mar Mix) 19:14 INNA - Hot (Chill Out Remix) 19:10 CRISTINA CAMACHO - Thank You 19:04 AK47, TRACY DIAMONDS - It's No Good 18:57 HALDO, GEORGIA CEE - Clouds 18:52 DEPECHE MODE - Enjoy The Silence (Pacific State Chillout Mix) 18:49 GYSNOIZE - Loving You More 18:45 ELLIE GOULDING - Heartbeats (Cosmonaut Grechko Edit) 18:41 HEAVN - Bright Lights 18:38 DJ G.ROS, IAN CAREY - Keep On Rising 18:33 DJ A - Let Me Love You (Andreas Agiannitopoulos Remix) 18:29 DJ ANTOINE - This Time (Acoustic Mix) 18:23 DJ ARTAK SAMVEL, SONE SILVER - I Feel Your Body 18:19 DJ ELECTRA - I Feel You (Acoustic Version) 18:15 DIMA ZIMAKOV - Right Back (Original Mix) 18:10 DIDDY, KEYSHIA COLE, B-STAR - Last Night (Slow Version) 18:07 DASH BERLIN, ROXANNE EMERY - Shelter 18:04 DIANA KRALL - California Dreamin' 17:58 DINKA - Hotel Summerville (Original Mix) 17:55 ROB NUNJES - Smells Like Teen Spirit 17:51 DJ GROOVE - So Late 17:48 DARK MATTERS, CATHY BURTON - Together (Album Mix) 17:43 DJ KODI - Love Will Tear Us Apart 17:37 DJ SHAH - Over & Over (Acoustic Mix) 17:31 ROAN PORTMAN - In Faith We Trust 17:27 RIHANNA - We Found Love (DJ Fernandez Chillout Remix) 17:16 ENVIO - Touched By The Sun (Rusch & Elusive's Chillout Mix) 17:11 ENRICO DONNER - Chicago At Sunrise 17:06 DJ MILEWS - Children 17:00 LEO ROJAS - Brothers 16:56 CHRIS GODBER - Sophisticated 16:52 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Groove Love 16:48 AARON BING - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 16:44 TIM BOWMAN - Let It Shine 16:40 MARION MEADOWS - Dreamin 16:36 STEVE OLIVER - Wings Of Spring 16:31 KIM WATERS - With Open Arms 16:25 DAVE KOZ - I Believe 16:22 SHAKATAK - A Christmas Dream 16:18 AL DEGREGORIS - Sandbox 16:13 EUGE GROOVE - Truly Emotional 16:09 GIL - You & Me 16:04 ROD TATE - Back Together 16:00 DANCING FANTASY - Take The Night Train 15:58 JOYCE COOLING - Green Impala 15:55 KOOL&KLEAN - Cruise 15:51 KIM SCOTT - I'm Every Woman (feat. Althea Rene & Ragan Whiteside) 15:46 BRIAN LENAIR - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 15:42 JAY KING - Baby Lets Dance Tonight 15:38 ALAN, RITA BLAKE - Return of the Mack 15:35 BE'NE MUSIC - Just You Just Me 15:31 JACKIEM JOYNER - Round The World 15:27 MARCUS ANDERSON - Hazelnut 15:23 JULIAN VAUGHN - O Christmas Tree 15:19 GREGG KARUKAS - Floating in Bahia 15:14 PETER WHITE - Chasing The Dawn 15:10 NORMAN BROWN - I Won't Hurt You 15:05 RICHARD ELLIOT - Chill Factor 15:00 KEN NAVARRO - A World Of Our Own 14:58 NILS - Dance With Me 14:54 PAUL BROWN - R 'N' B Bump 14:50 NICK COLIONNE - It's Gonna Be Alright 14:46 JAY ROWE - Do You Hear What I Hear 14:42 NICHOLAS COLE - Can You Stay 14:38 VINCENT INGALA - Let's Go Back 14:34 RICK HABANA - Loungin' (feat. Jackiem Joyner) 14:29 CHRIS GODBER - Upward and Onward 14:25 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Ridin' High 14:21 RHYTHM JETS - The Christmas Song 14:17 TIM BOWMAN - New Day 14:13 MARION MEADOWS - Consequences 14:09 STEVE OLIVER - Up Front 14:05 KIM WATERS - Let's Do This 14:00 DAVE KOZ - Love Is On The Way (feat. Chris Botti) 13:57 AL DEGREGORIS - Sunnyside 13:53 EUGE GROOVE - Lay It Down 13:48 KIM SCOTT - Emerge (Feat. Jonathan Fritzen) 13:45 GERALD ALBRIGHT - This Christmas 13:41 JAZZ FUNK SOUL - Life And Times 13:36 AMANDUS - Floating Cloud 13:31 MAURIZIO GRONDONA GROUP - Looking At The Sea 13:26 JEFF KASHIWA - Hyde Park (The 'Ah, Oooh' Song) 13:22 JACKIEM JOYNER - Trinity 13:20 SHARMOND SMITH - What Child Is This 13:15 MICHAEL BROENING - Summer In Blue 13:12 MARCUS ANDERSON - 2 Cream, 3 Sugars 13:07 GREGG KARUKAS - Tomorrow We Sail 13:04 PETER WHITE - Hit The Road Jack 13:00 NORMAN BROWN - Don't Make Me Wait 12:57 RICHARD ELLIOT - Corner Pocket 12:52 KEN NAVARRO - A Part Of It All 12:48 NILS - East Bay 12:42 BRIAN CULBERTSON - Angels We Have Heard On High 12:38 PAUL BROWN - Bridges Of Paris 12:34 NICK COLIONNE - Still Connected 12:30 NICHOLAS COLE - Summer Groove 12:26 VINCENT INGALA - If You Were Here Tonight 12:23 RICK HABANA - Cocktails 12:19 HANK BILAL - Hark the Harold Angels Sing (feat. Jonathan Knott) 12:15 MICHAEL LINGTON - Still Thinking Of You 12:11 DONN BYNUM - Because I'm Feeling You 12:08 CHRIS GODBER - At Last 12:04 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Always There 12:00 TIM BOWMAN - Tan Hermosa (So Beautiful) 11:58 MARION MEADOWS - Last Ticket To Somewhere 11:54 KIM WATERS - Pocket Science 11:50 THREESTYLE - Our Christmas (feat. Magdalena Chovancova & Robert Fertl) 11:44 STEVE OLIVER - Hidden Sun 11:40 DAVE KOZ - I'll Be There 11:36 AL DEGREGORIS - Cookie Jar 11:30 EUGE GROOVE - Play Date 11:26 KIM SCOTT - Seabreeze 11:23 HERB ALPERT - Let It Snow 11:18 JAZZ FUNK SOUL - Windfall 11:14 GORDON JAMES - Cafe Soul 11:09 PATRICK YANDALL - Stay Tonite 11:04 JEFF KASHIWA - Meet You There 11:00 JACKIEM JOYNER - Road to Soul 10:58 MARCUS ANDERSON - Hero 10:53 ROBERT HARRIS - Midnight Rendezvous 10:48 GREGG KARUKAS - Barracude Bob 10:45 RONNY SMITH - When It Snows Outside 10:41 PETER WHITE - Reveillez 10:37 CHRIS STANDRING - Through the Looking Glass 10:33 NORMAN BROWN - Talk It Out 10:29 RICHARD ELLIOT - Deep Touch 10:24 KEN NAVARRO - Stoned Soul Picnic 10:20 BEN TANKARD - O Little Town Of Bethlehem 10:16 NILS - Above the Clouds 10:12 PAUL BROWN - Deep Into It 10:08 NICK COLIONNE - Just Let it Be 10:04 NICHOLAS COLE - Beyond the Stars (feat. Lynne Fiddmont) 10:00 VINCENT INGALA - Lost In You 10:00 RICK HABANA - Journey 09:56 ADRIAN CRUTCHFIELD - Can't Let You Go 09:51 PAUL JACKSON JR. - City of Refuge (feat. Jeff Lorber) 09:48 DREW DAVIDSEN - God Rest Ye 09:43 CHRIS GODBER - Butterfly 09:39 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Beautiful 09:35 TIM BOWMAN - Smile 09:31 MARION MEADOWS - Life In The Clouds 09:26 KIM WATERS - Wonderama 09:22 TONY CRADDOCK JR. - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 09:18 STEVE OLIVER - Oh Yeah 09:14 DAVE KOZ - Love Changes Everything (feat. Brian McKnight) 09:10 AL DEGREGORIS - JD's Groove 09:05 EUGE GROOVE - The Journey Ahead 09:00 KIM SCOTT - Off The Top 08:56 JAZZ FUNK SOUL - Cadiwampus 08:51 CAROL NETHEN - O Holy Night 08:47 GORDON JAMES - Smooth Sunshine 08:43 PATRICK YANDALL - Down at the Shell 08:38 JEFF KASHIWA - The Name Game 08:33 JACKIEM JOYNER - In Love Again 08:29 MARCUS ANDERSON - Just Like Me 08:25 MICHAEL LINGTON - Silver Bells 08:20 GREGG KARUKAS - Catalina Wind 08:16 PETER WHITE - Coast Road Drive 08:11 CHRIS STANDRING - Ain't Mad Atcha 08:06 NORMAN BROWN - Let's Wait Awhile 08:00 KEITH MASON - A Little Talk 07:58 RICHARD ELLIOT - Desire 07:53 KEN NAVARRO - A Place To Start 07:49 NILS - Shake It 07:45 JUSTIN YOUNG - The Christmas Song 07:41 PAUL BROWN - Foreign Exchange 07:37 NICK COLIONNE - Only 2CU Smile 07:32 NICHOLAS COLE - Dreams 07:28 VINCENT INGALA - Wish I Was There 07:24 RICK HABANA - Downtown City Lights 07:21 K.VIO, TIM TONIC - The Little Drummer Boy 07:16 BLUE SIX - Aquarian Angel 07:11 CHRIS GODBER - Rolling 07:07 PAUL HARDCASTLE - Slomotion 07:04 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Pocket Love 07:00 STEVE OLIVER - Chips And Salsa 06:57 TIM BOWMAN - Columbus,Ga 06:53 MARION MEADOWS - Dark Beauty 06:49 KIM WATERS - The Touch Of Love 06:45 OLI SILK - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 06:42 DAVE KOZ - It's All Love 06:37 AL DEGREGORIS - All in Good Time 06:32 EUGE GROOVE - Just Feels Right 06:28 JOYCE COOLING - Take Me There 06:23 KIM SCOTT - Glorious 06:20 BRIAN BROMBERG, DAVID BENOIT, GREGG BISSONETTE - O' Tannenbaum 06:16 JAZZ FUNK SOUL - Fifth Ward 06:12 GORDON JAMES - Empress Rule 06:08 PATRICK YANDALL - Good Love 06:04 JEFF KASHIWA - It's Up To You 06:00 JACKIEM JOYNER - Generation Next 05:56 MARCUS ANDERSON - Just A Taste 05:52 GREGG KARUKAS - Uptown Rendevous 05:48 PETER WHITE - Mr. Caribbean 05:44 SYLVIA BENNETT - Silent Night 05:41 CHRIS STANDRING - Love and Paragraphs 05:37 NORMAN BROWN - L.A. Chill 05:33 JIM ADKINS - Answered Prayers 05:28 RICHARD ELLIOT - Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler) 05:24 KEN NAVARRO - That Time Of Evening 05:21 ANDRE DELANO - O Come All Ye Faithful 05:16 NILS - Goldfinger 05:13 PAUL BROWN - Ain't No Sunshine 05:09 NICK COLIONNE - Right Around The Corner 05:04 NICHOLAS COLE - Between Us (feat. Michael Stever) 05:00 VINCENT INGALA - Just Imagine 04:57 RICK HABANA - RH Lounge 04:53 CHRIS GODBER - Momentum 04:49 BONEY JAMES - Batucada (The Beat) 04:45 SMOOTH SOUL HOLIDAY - Jolly Old St. Nicholas 04:42 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Lullaby 04:38 ROCCO VENTRELLA - Yah Mo B There 04:33 TIM BOWMAN - Happiness Is 04:30 PEET PROJECT - Trafiq Jam 04:26 MARION MEADOWS - Pandora 04:22 DANA FIELDS - This Christmas 04:18 STEVE OLIVER - Full Tilt 04:14 KIM WATERS - Midnight Magic 04:10 DAVE KOZ - Honey 04:05 AL DEGREGORIS - Odyssey 04:00 EUGE GROOVE - Take You Higher 03:57 JOYCE COOLING - Expression 03:51 KIM SCOTT - Bright Eyes 03:49 CHRISTMAS CAROLS - Adeste Fidels 03:44 ERIC DARIUS - Love Not War 03:39 JAZZ FUNK SOUL - Sunset Rock 03:35 GORDON JAMES - Free Flow 03:31 PATRICK YANDALL - I See You 03:26 JEFF KASHIWA - Because of You 03:22 DR. SAXLOVE - O Christmas Tree 03:17 TONY SAUNDERS - Melody in My Heart 03:13 JACKIEM JOYNER - Kineen 03:08 MARCUS ANDERSON - For Your Glory 03:04 GREGG KARUKAS - My Favorite Season 03:00 PETER WHITE - Crazy Feeling 02:57 CHRIS STANDRING - Whatever She Wants 02:53 NORMAN BROWN - I Still Believe 02:48 JIM ADKINS - Thinking out Loud 02:44 JEANETTE HARRIS - Angels We Have Heard On High 02:40 RICHARD ELLIOT - Sweet Memories 02:35 KEN NAVARRO - Wake Up Call 02:31 NILS - Mind Games 02:28 PAUL BROWN - I Say a Little Prayer 02:24 NICK COLIONNE - Born Again 02:20 NATHAN WOODWARD - Hark the Herald Angels Sing 02:15 NICHOLAS COLE - Yokohama 02:12 VINCENT INGALA - Not Meant To Be 02:08 RICK HABANA - 5th Ave 02:04 CHRIS GODBER - Downtown Shuffle 02:00 BONEY JAMES - Fresh Air 01:59 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Shades of Gray 01:54 ROCCO VENTRELLA - Feel Like Making Love 01:49 TIM BOWMAN - Flyin Away 01:46 JODY MAYFIELD - Oh Christmas Tree 01:42 DARREN RAHN - Our Love 01:38 PEET PROJECT - ark Corner 01:34 MARION MEADOWS - Andalusian Sunset 01:30 STEVE OLIVER - You Rescued Me 01:26 DAVE KOZ - All I See Is You 01:22 BRADLEY LEIGHTON - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 01:17 KIM WATERS - Feels Like Friday Night 01:14 AL DEGREGORIS - South Shore 01:10 ROB TARDIK - Walk It Like You Talk It (feat. Sandra Bouza) 01:05 EUGE GROOVE - Cabolicious 01:00 JOYCE COOLING - Another Time 00:59 KIM SCOTT - Block Party 00:55 ERIC DARIUS - Rollin' out 00:50 JAZZ FUNK SOUL - Room W Vu 00:47 SHIN GIWON CHRISTMAS CAROL COLLECTION - I'll Be Home For Christmas 00:43 GORDON JAMES - Rainy Afternoon 00:39 PATRICK YANDALL - That Deep 00:35 JEFF KASHIWA - Thanks To You 00:30 ZOLBERT - Back Home 00:25 TONY SAUNDERS - Sleepless Nights 00:22 JONATHAN BUTLER - Away In A Manger 00:17 JACKIEM JOYNER - Beautiful Seduction 00:13 MARCUS ANDERSON - Unity 00:09 GREGG KARUKAS - Love Is In Your Own Backyard 00:05 NORMAN BROWN - Let's Get Away 00:00 JIM ADKINS - The Journey

[alexsfictionaddiction]

Review: The Girl I Used To Be by Debbie Howells

I didn’t know what to expect from this book other than a reflective, heartwarming read. It wasn’t until I was almost done with reading it that I learnt that Debbie Howells is actually better known as a thriller writer and I honestly never would have known that by just reading this book!

Since their romance as teenagers, Anna and Will have spent most of their lives bumping into each other. 20 years after they dated, Anna is unhappily married with a grown up stepdaughter while Will is about to be divorced from his daughter’s mother. While sorting out his recently deceased father’s house, Will meets Anna in the local park and both of them discover that they still have feelings for each other. The spark reminds Anna of who she used to be and she starts to wonder how she can get that girl back. Can they both rediscover joy and is it finally the right time for them?

Every time that Anna felt she was too old to restart her life, I wanted to yell at her that she wasn’t. I am a firm believer that anyone can make a fresh start, whenever their life simply isn’t bringing them genuine happiness and I was really proud of Anna, when she finally took that leap. I didn’t enjoy how long it took her to do that though!

One thing that really frustrated me is the amount of time the protagonists spent doing absolutely nothing to help their own romance along, especially as they were both very open and honest about their feelings from the very beginning. The fact that they were both very quick to declare their love for each other is another issue I had (especially as Anna was still very much with her husband at this point). I understand that the author was trying to build the ‘will-they-won’t-they’ thing but it was always very obvious that they would, so that didn’t really work as well as it could have done, had there been some more ambiguity about one or both of their feelings or some bigger obstacles in their way.

While I know that some step-parents can become better parents than biological parents to their stepchildren, I didn’t see the connection between Anna and Millie until about two thirds of the way into the book. In fact, I think Anna and Millie talked on the phone once before this point. Therefore, I just couldn’t get on board with the fact that Anna saw Millie as her daughter, when she insisted several times that she was. I needed more interactions between them throughout the book rather than just at the crisis points in order to fully believe their relationship.

Anna kept getting ‘messages from the universe’ via her Facebook feed and this all felt a bit strange and unbelievable to me. I know that she is a middle-aged woman on Facebook and perhaps this is the kind of meme or post that typically floods her news feed but she was getting them daily and it just felt forced.

There were parts of the book I enjoyed. I loved the theme of living your best life and trusting your heart to tell you what’s right. However, I didn’t like that I was still being introduced to characters halfway through the book (Charley -no mention of her before 50% in despite her apparently being Anna’s oldest friend) or being re-introduced to a character who appeared briefly in a paragraph of a very early chapter before they faded into the background again (Liza). I was still learning about Anna’s passions (apparently she likes gardening) in the second half of the book too, despite having spent a good few hours of reading time inside her head by this point. I’m not sure what the author was trying to do, but none of the characters -and I include the protagonists in that- were very well-developed at all. While it’s not all that important, I had no idea what either Anna or Will looked like apart from the fact that Anna had brown hair. I couldn’t picture either of them as real, living and breathing people in my head, so that sadly diminished my connection to them. I also needed James to be a much more obvious villain for me to be OK with Anna cheating on him. I know that he had an affair before and so you could consider them to be ‘even’ now but Anna did choose to stay with him, signifying that she forgave him somewhat. To me, James seemed like a typical husband of his age -selfish, thoughtless and perhaps a bit misogynistic but he’s definitely not uncaring or the worst husband in the world. I think Millie even says at one point that she ‘doesn’t think he knows any different’, suggesting that’s just how he is -almost certainly a product of toxic masculinity, neurodivergence or both. 

Considering Debbie Howells is a psychological thriller writer, I really expected the plot to be more fast-paced. While I recognise that this isn’t a thriller at all, I’d expect to see markings of that within the writing, if that’s what the author usually writes. While it was a readable story, I just wish I’d been able to believe the characters more. If I had, I’m sure the high emotion at the end would have affected me far deeper and I’d have been fully invested in the central themes of true love, fate and discovering your true self.

[travelerbypage]

Book Review: The Bones of You

Book: The Bones of You

Author: Debbie Howells

Genre: Fiction/Thriller/Mystery

Summary: I have a gardener's inherent belief in the natural order of things. Soft petalled flowers that go to seed. The resolute passage of the seasons. Swallows that fly thousands of miles to follow the eternal summer. Children who don't die before their parents. When Kate receives a phone call with news that Rosie Anderson is missing, she's stunned and disturbed. Rosie is eighteen, the same age as Kate's daughter, and a beautiful, quiet, and kind young woman. Though the locals are optimistic - girls like Rosie don't get into real trouble - Kate's sense of foreboding is confirmed when Rosie is found fatally beaten and stabbed. Who would kill the perfect daughter, from the perfect family? Yet the more Kate entwines herself with the Andersons - graceful mother jo, renowned journalist father Neal, watchful younger sister, Delphine - the more she is convinced that not everything is as it seems. Anonymous notes arrive, urging Kate to unravel the tangled threads of Rosie's life and death, though she has no idea where they will lead. Weaving flashbacks from Rosie's perspective into a tautly plotted narrative, The Bones of You is a gripping, haunting novel of sacrifices and lies, desperation and love. - Kensington Books, 2015.

The Bones of You is a novel that has a plot I have not read in quite some time. While the content is not unique or unusual, it's not something you find often anymore - the amateur, everyday man seeking answers on their own. It's a chilling, thrilling story that makes you wonder what's coming next and what will happen to the main characters as events unfold.

I believe this is Howells' first mystery novel and I think she made a fine job of it. She divides the narration chiefly between Kate and Rosie. Kate takes readers through the present as the events following Rosie's murder unfurl. Rosie provides the chilling, sickening backstory to her life and how there was really no other chance for a different ending to Rosie's story.

It's an interesting juxtaposition, especially given who Kate and Rosie are. While switching between each characters' perspectives provides both a break from the narratives and a sense of suspense and tension, it also shows how different Kate and Rosie truly are. You would think that Kate being the adult and Rosie the teenager, Kate would have more maturity. It's quite the opposite. Kate is more innocent and naive, almost annoyingly so. She's not capable of distrusting anyone or finding any fault in them until it's thrown in her face. Rosie's soul has been aged beyond her physical years by her life experiences and the family she was born into. It's a tragedy as much as a mystery.

The mystery itself is one that a seasoned mystery reader will figure out easily. Someone new to mysteries might be surprised by the ending. Overall, I think it's a story that would be enjoyed by all.

I give The Bones of You an A.

~*~

Please support the author by buying the book or by borrowing it from a friend or your local library.

Thanks for reading!

[angel-must-die]

I AM DYING HOW CAN THEY BE SO CUTE TOGETHER SMH I'M–

[onehandtypingb1]

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: "Bottle Of Wine" Results

Another close battle this time! We heard “Bottle Of Wine” from The Fireballs and Porter Wagoner, and here are the results: The Fireballs – 8.5 Di Birgit Arlee Debbie D Willow (1/2) John Howell Bluebird Jack Randy Porter Wagoner – 8.5 Mary B Cathy Clive Stephen Willow (1/2) Diedre Max Dan Eugi Yes, it’s a tie! Willow said she liked both of them, so I gave each contestant half of her vote.…

[thewoolleygeek]

It All Started With You by Debbie Howells

Synopsis I always thought I was going to be a girl who did something. I was going to run my own business and find fame and fortune! Fall in love… But here I am. Still waiting for it all to happen, sitting on the floor, surrounded by lilies and roses, trying to do my best friend’s wedding flowers because – in her words – ‘how hard can it be, Frankie?’. The answer is actually ‘very hard’ but…