Welcome to Love's Troubadours, a
Lorraine Hansberry-inspired novel series about people learning and living as they love.Ananda
Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke (www.anandaleeke.com) is the author of the series. Click here to find out how it was made: www.lovestroubadours.com/id7.html.
The first book in the Love's Troubadours'
series is entitled Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One (iUniverse,
Inc. - August 2007). It 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. The novel begins with Karma's
life in an uproar. Her relationships and the museum curator career that she struggled to form in New York City have crumbled,
leaving no viable options to rebuild. Relocating to Washington, DC, Karma struggles with denial, depression, and debt.
A lack of full-time employment opportunities forces her to craft a gypsy existence as a Jill of Many Trades: yoga teacher,
art consultant, and freelance curator at Howard University Gallery of Art. Unable and unwilling to appreciate these jobs as
gifts, she wallows in a pool of lost identity-and doesn't see a way to keep from drowning. When she looks in the mirror, Karma sees a woman whose choices have dishonored her true character.
Now, for the first time in her life, Karma must learn to see herself for who she really is.
Love's
Troubadours - Karma: Book One is available on Amazon.com for $20.95. To purchase a copy, click on the link below.
The Ananda Leeke Show Launches on June 30 @ 8pm EST.
Me and my best brothalove friend/book editor extraordinaire Wayne P. Henry
Tune into the very first episode of my new creative baby — The Ananda Leeke Show (http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/15820) on June 30 at 8:00 p.m. EST. Wayne P. Henry, my best
brothalove friend and book editor extraordinaire, will join me for a discussion about my insights on writing my
books, That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoirof Self-Discovery (Summer 2009 –
iUniverse, Inc.) and Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One (August 2007 – iUniverse, Inc. –
www.lovestroubadours.com). Our conversation will explore the hardest and greatest moments in my
writing process, 7 lessons I will never forget, and the main reason I choose to write books.
More information about Wayne…
He is a writer and contributor to the book How We Love – Letters to the Next Generation edited by Karyn Langhorne
Folan, Wendy Coakley-Thompson, and Tanara E. Bowie. How We Love is a collection of letters and lessons published
by the Capital Bookfest in 2008.
Click
here to watch a YouTube video (2 minutes, 10 seconds)
that features me explaining how I prepare to write:www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1v0nMObacY. The video was filmed during the question and answer session of a book launch party for
my novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One (www.lovestroubadours.com) on November 18, 2007, at Mocha Hut Cafe in Washington, DC
PS: Yours truly will host BAP Living Radio’s first year anniversary series on the role
Black women play in social media on June 7, 9, and 10. See the radio show descriptions below. Visit http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/18598 to listen to the shows. The June 3rd show featured a discussion on the reasons
Black women blog. You can listen to a recording on the web site. Look for Episode 21.
1. June 7th @ 7:00 p.m. – The theme is “Black
women who use social media to build communities.”
2. June 9th @ 7:30pm – Special interview
with Abiola Abrams , a social media entrepreneur extraordinaire, entertainment journalist, filmmaker, host of Planet
Abiola, and author of Dare http://www.abiolaabrams.com
3. June 10th @ 7:00 p.m. – The theme
is “Black women who are social media activists, entrepreneurs, and strategists.” The guest panelists are:
-Terri
Holley, founder of Creative Blog Solutions, social media strategist, and certified professional life/business coach http://www.creativeblogsolutions.com
About BAP Living Radio: BAP Living Radio affirms the lives of women of African descent who self-identify as Black American
Princesses (BAPs) and educated Black women (EBW). BAP Living Radio features programs about self-love, self-care, spirituality,
health, finances, politics, technology, beauty, fashion, art, music, culture, community service, creativity, fitness, travel,
and more.
BAP Living Radio supports the following
BAP Living social media projects:
How BAP Living Got Started: I
created BAP Living social media projects in response to positive feedback from readers of my debut novel, Love’s
Troubadours – Karma: Book One (http://www.lovestroubadours.com). Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book Onetells the
story of Karma Francois, a thirtysomething California-born BoHo BAP (Bohemian Black American Princess) with Louisiana roots
and urban debutante flair. The book shows how a woman uses therapy, yoga, meditation, art, music, poetry, and support from
family and friends to confront the effects of her poor life choices and embrace a spiritual journey of healing and love. It
was published by iUniverse, Inc. in August 2007 and is available on Amazon.com.
Has Artist/Author Ananda Leeke's work made a difference
in your life this year? If yes, then click on the PayPal button above
and make a donation to Kiamsha.com, LLC, Leeke's healing arts company. PayPal offers Visa, MasterCard, and American Express
secured payment options.It also offers a PayPal card that you can use for other purchases. Many thanks
in advance for your gift. It is greatly appreciated!
Kiamsha.com, LLC promotes creativity through coaching
and expressive arts, teaches contemplative practices (i.e. yoga, Reiki healing touch, meditation, breathing exercises, journaling,
affirmations, and prayer), and builds community that awakens your soul and transforms your life.
AKOMA is a Ghanaian Andinkra symbol that represents the heart and
means keep an open heart filled with compassion.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud It
is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil,
but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
WHAT IS LOVE'S
TROUBADOURS?
Love's Troubadoursis a healing fiction series that features stories told by people who are learning and living as they
love. The healing fiction series is deeply rooted in the storytelling traditions of the West African griot and troubadours
of the French Middle Ages. To learn more about these traditions, read the sections below.
Senegalese Griot, 1890
WHAT IS A GRIOT?
A griot is a West African poet, storyteller, historian, advisor, arbitrator, and wandering musician
who serves as a repository of oral history tradition. Griots are walking history books who memorize traditional songs
and teachings, folktales, cultural history, and family relationships. This information is passed down through generations. Griots
also marry them with current events and chance incidents to create praise songs and stories with wisdom teachings, comic relief
and satire, political commentary, and gossip. Today, griots live in Senegal, Mali, Gambia, and Guinea. They are present among
the Wolof, Serer, Mande, Malinke, Bambara, Fula, Tukuloor, Wolof, and Mauritanian people. There are several African names
for griots including jeli (a word that means "blood in the Manika language that is derived from ; northern Mande areas),
jali (southern Mande areas), guewel (Wolof), gawlo (Pulaar, a Fula language), and igiiw (Hassaniyya, an Arabic language).
WHAT IS A TROUBADOUR?
Troubadour is derived from an Old French word "trobador" which comes
from the verb "trobar" that means to invent or compose. When you put it all together, troubadour refers to a composer
and performer of lyric poetry. The French Middle Ages (1100-1350) gave birth to the troubadour tradition in the eleventh century.
The tradition defined troubadour lyric as poetical, rhetorical, and musical fiction. They dealt mainly with themes of courtly
love, chivalry, nature, life, and death. Most troubadour lyrics were metaphysical, intellectual, and formulaic. They also
included many genres including alba (morning song - the song of a lover as dawn approaches, often with a watchman warning
of the approach of a lady's jealous husband), canso or canço (the love song, usually consisting of five or six
stanzas), dansa or balada (a dance song with a refrain) ensenhamen (a long didactic poem, usually not divided into stanzas,
teaching a moral or practical lesson), enuig (a poem expressing indignation or feelings of insult), escondig (a lover's
apology), partimen (a poetical exchange between two or more poets in which one is presented with a dilemma by another and
responds), planh (a lament, especially on the death of some important figure), salut d'amor (a love letter addressed to
another, not always one's lover), and tenso (a poetical debate which was usually an exchange between two poets, but could
be fictional).
ODO NNYEW FIE KWAN is a Ghanaian Andinkra symbol that means the power of love.
Copyright 2009-2012 by Madelyn C. Leeke. All rights reserved.
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"; "Our Womanist Spirit";
"BAP Living"; "Black American Princess...BAP Being At Peace"; "Sisterhood, the Blog"; “Ananda
Leeke TV”; “The Ananda Leeke Radio Show”; and "That Which Awakens Me" are the intellectual property of
Kiamsha.com, LLC. They may not be used without the prior consent or licensing by Kiamsha.com, LLC.
