Wakanda Forever!

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*Keeping this brief until the movie has been out a little longer.*

I was fortunate to be able to see the “Black Panther” movie the very first opening night. This movie is so captivating from beginning to end. It is so much more than simply a superhero movie, it delivers so many messages, ideals and traditions. It is not only shattering movie records, it is shattering negative stereotypes. I will not go into a lot of detail about the movie’s premise because I feel everyone needs to see the movie for themselves and form their own opinion. However, I will discuss the messages I derived from the movie.

First, let me state how proud this movie has made me. It was refreshing to see our black community depicted in such an elegant and regal manner. The movie managed to entertain while educating without preaching; and that is a rare achievement. The overall message to me is about Unity – unity in our community , unity between our black men and women and unity among different races.

There was honestly so much I wanted to say but with the movie being so newly released, I did not know how to say it all without giving spoilers (enough reviews have already done that). So let me just pay homage by sending a clear message to Hollywood – “All you have to do is look at the opening weekend numbers, and you will clearly see we are starved for my diversity in our movies.”

I will follow up with an additional blog to really dive into this movie after a couple of weeks have passed.

~ Author Mara Prose

Touchstone (A Mara Prose Poem)

Dedicated to my best friend and touchstone, Nicky W., in celebration of not only our friendship but her birthday month. Thank you for all you do and your willingness to go where I go.

It started with a little girl in tears and it’s been thirty years
A bond was formed that day and remained despite some strays
No matter where we are in life, you are always willing to sacrifice
To go where I go, help when I need and encourage when my heart bleeds

You are the wind beneath my wings
You encourage me to flourish and grow
You keep me grounded and on my flow
You accept all that is me, and help to make life more carefree
You have nursed me through some hard times and celebrated the best of times

Thank you for being you
Thank you for being true
Thank you for being not only my friend
Thank you for being a Godsend
You are truly my sister from another mister

We will be best friends no matter the distance
And our bond will carry on even after our existence
To the woman who has dried many tears, squelched many fears and always sends cheers
Never change, God bless you, thank you and much love to you…my Touchstone!

~Author Mara Prose

#LevelUp – Are more women single because they walk in a ‘Girlfriend’ spirit?

There is a current mixed emotional disucssion taking place on social media, concerning the musicial artist Ciara’s recent instagram post about women learning their true value and not settling. Her post was based off of a John Gray sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFpHCBubf_E.

I have included the article below for more details.

Here is what Ciara posted and I am not sure how it can be misinterpreted as her trying to shame single women.

If this message causes a woman to become offended and assume they are being belittled by a married woman, they obviously have some soul searching to do. There is nothing wrong with encouraging women not to settle, focus on their relationship with God and become secure in themselves as a person before becoming a “WE”. Too many of us rush into relationships without thinking it all the way through; this only leads to regrets. You do have men preying on the loneliness of women and that is not male bashing, that is a simple fact. Therefore, we as women have to use our discernment, go with our gut and pay attention to the red flags.

Who has not made the wrong decision at one time or another in their love lives? Who is without regret for past relationships that are seen as failures? The point Ciara was making in my opinion, is that women need to learn from their past mistakes, learn to love themselves more and make better choices for their life. Besides, why attack her for supporting a sermon she agreed with that was delivered by Pastor John Gray – why not attack him?

Once again, if that encouragement causes you to feel bad about your life, then I believe it has simply hit a nerve you have been trying to ignore for some time. I find it exhausting the way people get offended over every little issue. No one wants to take accountability and accept the hard truths. We have to do better, ladies! We need to stop bashing each other and support one another more. #LevelUp

Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty Black Twitter is pretty upset with Ciara. So…what exactly did she do? Apparently, the mother of two posted a clip co-signing with pastor John Gray, who insinuates that too many women act like a girlfriend instead of wife. The “Goodies” singer captioned it, “#LevelUp. Don’t settle.” Take a look: Interesting, depending…

via Ciara Dragged On Social Media For Instagram Post About Marriage — Black America Web

~ Author Mara Prose

The Journey to Mara Prose!

The theme for the upcoming year is all about my journey thus far. Mara Prose has come a long way since the inception of my brand. What initially started as a hobby, a past time, a simple way of voicing my opinion; has now grown into an international movement to consistently inspire, empower, encourage and motivate. I am proudly boasting over 6 thousand followers worldwide and steadily growing every day.

It is that time of year where I need to enlighten all my followers on the future of Mara Prose.

New! Prosey’s Corner – weekly broadcast

My new radio show on 4ERadio.com is only getting better and better each week. As we continue to flourish and gain more sponsors, the time that we broadcast will expand. We are also planning to add comedic relief to our show in the very near future. Our show will continue to have special guests who bring a wide variety of topics for discussion. Please be sure to tune in every Saturday morning 9am CST/10am EST on 4ERadio.com or call the studio line at 323-642-1391.

The Davenports Trilogy

Due to unforseen circumstances, we had to push the release date for the first installment to Pre-Sales on February 3, 2018 and official release March 2, 2018. I picked these two dates in honor of my best friend and baby sister who both have offered a tremendous amount of support and encouragement to the Mara Prose brand over the years. Book II of the Davenports is tentatively scheduled to be released December 16, 2018. Stay tuned!

New! The Journey to Mara Prose (An Anthology of Poetry)

I have decided to chronicle my journey to Mara Prose by means of my poetry. There is nothing I write that is more raw, personal and honest as my poetry. As I was reading through my poems, I discovered it accurately narrated my struggle towards self awareness, acceptance and my awakening; but most of all the poems encompass the birth of Mara Prose. You can expect this anthology to be released on May 17th, 2018.

New! Mara Prose Publishing Projects

There is a story in all of us, and I am so proud to announce that more and more people are contacting me to help them find their voice and write their stories. “Finding Your Voice” has become our new business motto and while we cannot take on all the projects we would like to, we look forward to producing the ones we can. We have several exciting projects coming up in the new year, so be sure to support our aspiring writers!

New! The Mara Prose Virtual Book Club

Beginning January 2018, I will be holding live chats to discuss our book selections. These chats will be available on Facebook Live and Instagram Live. I will definitely have to get used to being in front of the camera a lot more, but I feel it will better engage my book club members.

The Mara Prose You Tube Channel

Is currently in development and not being utilized as a Mara Prose platform. However, that will change in 2018 and we will release more details on the direction we plan to take with our You Tube videos at a later date.

As always, I want to thank all my Prosers for your support. I have nothing but love for you and I hope you will continue to follow me on this Journey to Mara Prose. It is a constant evolution and I promise my brand will always entertain, inspire, empower and motivate!

Until next time,

Author Mara Prose

Welcome to Prosey’s Corner!

This past Saturday, I debuted my new radio broadcast, Prosey’s Corner; sponsored by 4E Media Group and The United States of Her, headed by Valerie Denise Jones and Phillip Anthony aka Phelo the Great. I want to send a HUGE THANKS to both Valerie and Phillip for giving me this phenomenal opportunity.

It was a great learning experience, and we should only become more adept at conducting the broadcast every Saturday from this point forward. This new platform will catapult Mara Prose Publishing into an industry I had not originally envisioned.

Of course, I had to bring along my literary agent, Mara Prose manager and jack of all trades Nicky W. aka best friend since 5th grade as my co-host. There is nothing better than having someone who you love and trust along for the ride. I need to send a huge THANK YOU her way for fearlessly jumping right in with me and for all her support!

My first guest was none other than Nate Campbell, a boxing legend: His legacy began at the age of 24-year; a warehouse worker at Winn-Dixie, father of three, shadowboxes during his breaks and is encouraged by his co-workers to try boxing. He then goes on to win world titles and, over the course of a ten year career, appear on every major TV boxing outlet and coined The Galaxxy Warrior.

If you recall, Nate was kind enough to allow me to have my first network experience on his show Experience the Galaxxy with Nate Campbell. And I was very honored that he agreed to be my first guest on such a short notice.

We discussed why the black community suffers through mental illnesses in silence. . African Americans are 20% more likely to report having serious psychological distress than non-Hispanic Whites, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Services. Yet young adult African Americans, especially those with higher levels of education, are less likely to seek mental health services than their White counterparts, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association. (Read more at EBONY http://www.ebony.com/wellness-empowerment/black-folks-and-mental-health-610#ixzz4xhK5uQHW)

You can listen to our first broadcast via 4E Radio. Please keep in mind this was our very first time hosting our own radio show and we have identified many areas of improvements. I encourage my Prosers to please stick with us and support us as we grow and bring you the best of the best in special guests, hot topics and all the inspiration and empowerment you can stand!

Until next time,

Author Mara Prose

Mara Prose Monday Edition: Meet singer, songwriter & entertainment genius Elexi!

It began with one woman’s struggle, a dream, a wish, a vision and is evolving into stardom.

Meet Elexi!

Born Alexis Arielle Adrian Williams, she began to hone her performance skills while in high school. In her senior year, she was hailed “musician of the year” and has been making musical strides every since. It comes as no surprise, since Alexis’ (stage name Elexi) very own mother is also blessed with musical brillance, Lisa Adrian, aka Adrian Fairlight.

Elexi’s mother, Lisa Adrian was formerly in a band with Perri “Pebbles” Reid called Software. The band was disbanded when Pebbles decided to pursue a solo career. She was also on the album cover of Vicious Rumors, Timex social club (but not affiliated with the band).

Lisa was later signed to an artist development deal with TouchTone productions and they did a joint venture with JOE AND HARRY GANTZ to make a music video for her song “Bad Dream”. The video was shot at the Federal Building in San Francisco; a famous landmark. At this time, the Gantz brothers were just starting out but they are now EMMY AWARD WINNING film producers who address very serious topics.

Despite all this, Lisa did not get a record deal since labels felt she posed too much of a risk. The labels felt she was too white for the R& B sound.

But the dream continues…

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Elexi is forging her own path as an artist. She is determined to be an entrepreneur now that artists are able to create their own businesses and release their own music. Her goal is to be an ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEY and she is currently attending college to make that dream come true.

Elexi is also steadily building an impressive music career. The Elexi Agenda involves being a POSITIVE ROLE MODEL for girls, women, and all other artists. Advocating for the rights of artists is extremely important to her. She wants to address serious topics like the Gantz brothers do.

Elexi is learning by starting from the bottom and what the process truly entails. She is consistently challenging herself to learn how to be the best Entertainment Attorney, who can help artists at all levels, not just the top. Elexi and Lisa will be the first to tell you that figuring out how to do all this from the ground up has been daunting. There are no clear instructions because technology and the game changes weekly. Lisa has passed on her knowledge to her daughter from her previous experience in the industry and her motto is: YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!

I feel her fans are really resonating with her because she exudes confidence, empowerment and girl power! Her lyrics are whimsical and fun; they take you through The Masks We Wear (A Mara Prose Poem) as women: “Take that mask off, flick it back, look at it cause it’s gone when I say so…” In recent years, Elexi was invited to perform and record as a featured vocalist on two singles by AM Kidd (who is currently being considered for a grammy nomination) “Due For Love”

and “You Wrote Me”.

Elexi Music recently co-produced a music video (GYGG) with Adrian Cicerone of Rookhill Production to showcase her talents and promote her first single release.

GYGG is a fun song for girl bonding. It is all about letting your hair down and having no expectations. I believe we can expect longevity from this talented artist – she is out to change the game and I believe she will do just that. You can follow all her strides at eleximusic.com ~ Mara Prose

Facebook: Elexi Music
Twitter: @lifewithelexi

Chico’s Cancer Awareness Fashion Show

On Sunday, October 8th, 2017, I had the pleasure of being asked to blog for my former manager and now friend, A’Cynthia Villery – store manager of Chico’s Pearland Town Square in Houston, Texas.

This was such a special event because our models were actual cancer survivors and it was truly a blessing to interact with such profound women. On display that entire day, were women with prolific strength, determination and strong wills to live.

I am so proud to have been a part of this event and be able to share it with my Prosers. I will now allow the stories to speak for themselves. ~ Author Mara Prose

Pretty Girls With Cancer

Meet Kandice Survivor Chick Rose the Co-Founder & Executive Director Pretty Girls With Cancer. Her non-profit runs strictly on donations that support women with cancer year round. After you read her story and feel in your heart that you want to make a difference by supporting Pretty Girls With Cancer contact Kandice today at http://www.prettygirlswithcancer.com/. Please do not forget to click on the “Our Story” section and read Kandice’s amazing story of survival, passion and purpose.

Cindy Ram

Let me introduce you to cancer survivor Cindy Ram of Pretty Girls With Cancer that modeled at the Chico’s Cancer Awareness Fashion Show. She is a 34 year old Harris County Deputy Constable at Precinct 5, who was diagnosed right before her 33rd birthday.

Tina Russell

Tina Russell is another cancer survivor with Pretty Girls With Cancer that modeled. She has a family history of cancer. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer February 2009 and her father diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer August 2011, later to lose his earthly life to cancer and to gain his Heavenly life with God Sept 2012. Tina, herself was diagnosed a year later, August 2013 with Triple Negative Breast Cancer DCIS stage 1 and underwent a left mastectomy. What a phenomenal woman is she!!

Diamone Broussard

Diamone Broussard is a cancer survivor with Pretty Girls With Cancer; another amazing model for the event. Diamone Broussard is a mother of two, business owner (diamondpieces.net) embellished apparel and jewelry), Breast Cancer Blogger and Awareness Advocate (www.ConfidenceForTheCure.com) and as of this year, a survivor of stage 3 breast cancer!

Tamiko Byrd

Tamiko Byrd is also a cancer survivor with Pretty Girls With Cancer. A wellness challenge by her employer sent Tamiko, a breastfeeding mom, to her college health services department to complete wellness documents- October 13, 2015 changed her life- she was immediately scheduled for her first mammogram, subsequent biopsy the next day, and on October 26, 2015 diagnosed with Stage III Metastatic Breast Cancer! In disbelief- her college health services scheduled a 2nd opinion at MD Anderson on November 4th, 2015, where two additional tumors were found and her diagnoses was upgraded to Stage IV. Praise God this beautiful, vivacious woman still graces the world with her presence!

Andrea Bradford

Andrea Bradford a cancer survivor with Pretty Girls With Cancer, was first diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in June of 2014. She is currently in remission but through her faith in God, she considers herself cured. Married to Melvin Bradford, Pastor of Calvary Hill Christian Center Church in MIssouri City, TX; she has 2 children, Melvin Bradford, Jr., and Adrianne Kendrick and 2 beautiful grandchildren, Halo, and Harper. God is good!

Kitty Lane

Kitty Lane aka Raven Binkley with Pretty Girls With Cancer who modeled at the Chico’s Cancer Awareness Fashion Show was diagnosed with AML Leukemia 2012 and a recipient of a Bone Marrow Transplant from her brother. As of September 2017 (after 5 long years), she is in TOTAL REMISSION!

Angel Chenier

Let me introduce you to another one of our models at the Chico’s Cancer Awareness Fashion Show featuring Pretty Girls With Cancer Angel Chenier. She is a 5 month survivor who was diagnosed 12/16/16 with Stage I Bilateral Breast Cancer – Ductal right breast and Ductal and Lobular left breast; detected through an Annual Screening. Her mother, Becky Chenier, lost her battle with lung cancer on February 4, 2015. Angel loves to make gift baskets and plan children’s events.

Thank you ladies for sharing time, your stories and your strength with us!

Special Guest Speakers at Chico’s Cancer Awareness Fashion Show

Dr. Sabrina Echols – Elliott

Dr. Sabrina Echols-Elliott is a family medicine doctor in Houston, Texas. She received her medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

Cindy Keller

Cindy Keller is owner of CVM Fierce Fitness, LLC. She is here to help you achieve a balanced lifestyle: spiritually, mentally & physically without breaking your bank or becoming frustrated with the process. Visit her Facebook page today and get signed to Get Right and Get Tight!

Author Mara Prose

Author Mara Prose is not only an author; but a blogger, poet and now radio show host. She has a new podcast in development and her first book is due out shortly after the first of the year (2018). Chico’s is one of her favorite stores and she is always happy to blog for all the fashion show events. You can follow all her upcoming endeavors at www.maraprose.blog

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