I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the CONTROL by Stephanie
Guerilus Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the
giveaway!
About the Book:
Author: Stephanie Guerilus
Pub. Date: October 2, 2018
Publisher: Stephanie Guerilus
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 297
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle
Read for FREE with a
Kindle Unlimited Membership!
Control, whose title is lifted from the iconic Janet Jackson song, embodies its name. Theresa Marie Jenkins is a 17-year-old who thinks she knows it all. As the saying goes, a hard head makes for a soft ass and Reesa learns the hard way that she doesn’t really know much about life.
Reesa quickly becomes an It girl after speaking up at a Black
Lives Matter protest but her activism gets in the way of her career. She wants
to be the next pop diva on the charts. For that to happen, Reesa will have to
be packaged; smile and wave as though she’s at a beauty pageant. She’ll have to
give control to advisers who want her to sing on cue, tap dance on command, no
throwing shoes at parties and keeping her mouth shut on the culture. If only
Reesa had just sat there and ate her food.
Control is a novel that addresses the political climate, #MeToo,
identity and what it means when you are a young woman of color who the world doesn’t
automatically think to protect.
Excerpt:
2.
“Theresa
Marie Jenkins!” Momma hollered my government name.
I picked up
my high heeled boot and stomped down the stairs. Momma stood at the base, arms
folded across her chest. Her brown eyes, which matched the hue of her swept
back ponytail, locked in on me.
“I’m trying
to make it into heaven and you’re making me late for church,” she said in
exasperation.
Momma’s
polished manicured nails fell to her wayside and just shook her head.
“I’ll sneak
through the pearly gates and write Melissa Ann Jenkins in that big book,” I
promised with a big ‘ol smile.
I even
reached for her pinky and intertwined the limb with mine to make the vow
official. Her pouty lips creased.
“What am I
gonna do with you, Reesa?”
“An extra
$100 in my allowance would be nice.”
“You’re
gonna be a whole grown woman next year and you’re still hitting me up for
money.”
“You say
that as if you’re gonna let me do whatever I want even when I turn 18.”
Momma just
smirked, turning on her black heel to approach the foyer closet and retrieve
her wool coat.
“If my Momma
could see me now,” Momma said with a wistful smile. “She used to be yelling at
me to get ready.”
Momma slowly
breathed in and out, a bit of mist filling her eyes as sadness lingered on her
brown face.
“Your Big
Momma Ruthie always said I’d turn into her one of these days,” she said with a
faint breath.
I leaned in
to wrap my arms around her. She held me back and then playfully pushed me back
with the palm of her hands.
“Great
moment but we’ve still got to haul our butts out of here,” Momma said, reaching
for the front door handle.
I followed
Momma outside, clutching onto my Burberry jacket as the risk wind blew. The gust
caused my curls to swirl. I pushed the ringlets behind my diamond studded ears
and then raised a hand to wave hi to our neighbor’s 17-year-old son. He was the
starter kit of the kind of white boy who shopped at Target: mop of blonde hair
coiffed into a clean cut buzz, dressed in khaki and a blue sweater.
“Gregory’s
crushing on you,” Momma said, driving her black Mercedes into the barren
street.
Gregory was
still waving at us as she peeled away, driving towards the green light and
pushing her foot on the pedal to turn.
“Opinionated
Aries are his kink,” I smacked my lips. “Especially black ones.”
My cheeks
rose.
“You know
the type,” I teased.
Momma’s long
lashes just batted.
“Reesa,
don’t even start.”
“I can’t
bring up the fact that you like white boys?”
“I prefer
men.”
“Who ain’t
shit.”
Her brows
arched.
“My skin
could use some exfoliating,” Momma began, her fingernails tapping on the
steering wheel. “Your tears are just as good as any lotion.”
I frowned.
“You don’t
want this smoke.”
“It’s not as
if I haven’t been burned before.”
A scowl
formed around her mouth.
“I just
think it’s funny how these cops keep getting away with killing Black people for
no reason and my own father doesn’t even care,” I said through gritted teeth.
We sat in
silence for the next few minutes as Momma just drove. My head leaned back into
the leather seating during that time.
“He cares
more about being a politician and not even decent at that,” I grumbled of Sen.
Ben Chandler. He served as the junior United States senator from Georgia.
“Ben’s
white,” Momma said in resignation, pulling into the Philadelphia Baptist
Tabernacle parking lot. A flood of cars were navigating the space that housed
the Victorian built megachurch.
“We can talk
to Rev. Daniels after the service,” she offered.
I cleared my
throat.
“Thoughts
and prayers aren’t enough,” I stated matter of fact.
About Stephanie:
Stephanie Guerilus is a multimedia journalist and social media expert.
She is a native of Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Haitian immigrants. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Temple University and is the secretary of the New York Association of Black Journalists.
Prior to joining the chapter board, she has volunteered with the National Association of Black Journalists. In this role, she helped in functions related to the annual convention, media and organizing various panels that have featured April Reign and Vann R. Newkirk II.
Stephanie previously worked as a reporter at The Philadelphia Tribune, the oldest African American newspaper in the country. Through this position, she was assigned late breaking news coverage in addition to the community, religion and obituary beats. She interviewed such notable names as Rev. Al Sharpton, actress Victoria Rowell, Sen. Pat Toomey, Olympian Dawn Staley, gospel artist Mary Mary, Democratic Strategist Donna Brazile and TV Personality and Professor Melissa Harris-Perry.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
Giveaway
Details:
3 winners will receive a finished copy of CONTROL, US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
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10/1/2020 |
Interview |
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10/2/2020 |
Interview |
Week Two:
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10/5/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/6/2020 |
Guest Post |
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10/7/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/8/2020 |
Guest Post |
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10/9/2020 |
Review |
Week Three:
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10/12/2020 |
Review |
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10/13/2020 |
Review |
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10/14/2020 |
Review |
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10/15/2020 |
Review |
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10/16/2020 |
Guest Post |
Week Four:
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10/19/2020 |
Guest Post |
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10/20/2020 |
Review |
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10/21/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/22/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/23/2020 |
Review |
Week Five:
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10/26/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/27/2020 |
Instagram Post |
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10/28/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/29/2020 |
Review |
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10/30/2020 |
Review |
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