Danyelle Scroggins: Put It In Ink Blog Tour

Hello...Many of you know me and what I do but for those of you who don't here is my short bio:
 
Pastor Danyelle is the Senior Pastor of New Vessels Ministries North in Shreveport, Louisiana. She studied Theology at Louisiana Baptist University, has a Psychology Degree from the University of Phoenix, an Interdisciplinary Degree in Psychology /Biblical Studies from Liberty University, and is presently working on a Master’s in Religious Education from the Liberty University. Pastor Danyelle owns Divinely Sown Publishing LLC and is the author of “Not Until You're Ready, His Mistress or God’s Daughter?, Not Too Far Gone, Destiny’s Decision, Evonta’s Revenge, The Power Series: Pain, Restoration, Love, & Forgiving, & Coming Soon Processed for Purpose”. She is the wife of Pastor Reynard Scroggins, the mother of three, the extended mom of two, and soon to be grandmother of Emiya'rai Grace.

A little about Put It In Ink:
I started Put It In Ink well over eighteen years ago. Yes that long. The book was about me and my co-workers at the beauty salon we loved...Salon Select. Back then, we loved hair and we loved one another. As you know, working with a whole lot of women is never easy, but we made the best of it.
Well, for some reason, I just could not get this book to jell. I prayed left it alone, started it again, wrote seven books and this book is number 8! My Bishop prophesied years ago concerning 8 Books and the significance of this book being number 8 is amazing. It's as if God knew I was not ready until now to produce this type of book. Is it different from my others, yes. How? I do what I love to do in this book through Sister Sappora Ink...Exhort. I believe it is completely my ministry wrapped in fiction.
It use to bother me that I couldn't put an ending to this book, actually I became frustrated then a phone call from my son DJ changed all of that. He reminded me, God and art can't be rushed! He said, "Mom in due season, God is going to speak to the people exactly what they need through you". Months after, I had a finish product and decided to release it on the Lord's Day which happens to be DJ's Birthday! God has a way and it is not our way.

Blurb:
Nikiya Barnett aka Nikki, is still secretly suffering in silence concerning losing the love of her life, Raja Abrams. She desires total healing from God, but somehow seems to be stuck in her heart and mind. She alongside her two best friends who happens to be her coworkers, are trying to make Salon Select the new ‘it’ spot but this does not happen until they invite God in, by way of Sappora Ink.
Sappora Ink is the new blog talk show host with a show entitled, RFRT~Real Folks, Real Truths. Sister Ink is a straight to the point, raw, doctrinaire Christian girl trying to help her friends in this sinful world. She is changing the world one show at a time, and taking Shreveport by storm with the help of Nikiya Barnett, the owner of Salon Select, who has opened her salon as a hosting spot. Little does Nikki know, Sappora is closer to Raja than she thinks?
Raja is stuck in a world wind of adversity that he seems to have created for himself. Through R.A.B.~ Raja Abrams Broadcasting, he is trying to secretly make Nikki aware that their time together was not a waste, but will his method be the same method used to change his life forever?
Things happen when we choose to let God in. Whether we appreciate His ways or not, we must remember, His ways are not our ways. Will life change for the better for Nikiya and Raja, or is the plan that has been laid before them all a part of God’s plan?


Put It in Ink...... Chapter 1 Excerpt
Nikiya “Nikki” Barnett
Nikiya Barnett, known to shop patrons and friends as Nikki, was eager to tune in to RFRT with Sister Sappora Ink. The blog talk show previewed for the first time the past week, rating high and considered a hit by reviewers. As far as Nikki was concerned, the world needed someone who would tell the truth, live the truth, and share the truth, even if it were a blog talk show host.
       As explained, Sister Ink answered questions about relationships, and although honest, she was raw. Against her will, Nikki listened to blog talk shows often blaming the desire to be a good best friend for this phenomenon. A couple of them were worth listening to, but some were uninformative and a useless waste of time. The hosts were inexperienced or too pretentious to explain life’s circumstances with realness and clarity. They failed to solve problems or share foundational truths from the Gospels, as Chelle declared Sister Ink did.
       For the first time, Nikki’s curiosity about a show’s review ignited interest and Nikki refused to miss it. Intent on judging for herself perhaps sparked the motivation. It may also have been the desire to understand how she lost the love or her life or the need for spiritual advice. Either way, Nikki would be in the front of the computer, with an open mind centered on Sis. Ink.
       The only dilemma was making it home on time. Nikki’s solution may not have been perfect but it was plausible. She drove 85 in and 70 mph zone, praying the angels would blind the police. The inability to afford another speeding ticket should have detoured Nikki from breaking the law, not to mention how dumb it would be to get a ticket resulting from rushing to hear a talk show, but it didn’t. With long hair weave blowing, as the wind whipped through the windows of the car, Nikki uncaring and unconcerned bobbed and sang along with the music. We are conquerors, conquerors.
       Driving fast, the “zooming” of the other passing vehicles warranted a rearview mirror check. Dang Nikki! The thought was not a result of a police approaching, but the reality of looking at a calescent mess. Nikki snickered, but noticed the children in the car to the left laughing and pointing their fingers. Nikki licked at the children and then sped past them.  
She didn’t care about them laughing. Nikki commissioned today a nappy day and hair didn’t matter. There was a trend with most professional beauticians, either your hair was nappy most of the time or on point all the time. Nikki's stayed on fleek because styling and touching it up throughout the day became the norm, but not today.
       This complete rarity occurred once every rushed moon; when Nikki’s mind was set on getting customers in and out, due to something to achieve, somewhere to go, or something to experience. Maybe it was being a Jesus freak or nosey, but this new talk show sparked intrigue and both were okay with Nikki. Life was too short not to be a Jesus freak or living enthralled by new information, which was her definition of nosey.
Glancing in the mirrors and noticing no lights, Nikki drove a little bit faster, all the while, praying there were no police ducked off I-49. Nikki merged off the highway onto Stonewall Frierson exit. If a cop stopped or ticketed her, Nikki’s recourse was to blame, the spoiled brat Zina Michelle Hastings, AKA Chelle. Chelle would pay the ticket for coming into the salon begging for the show to be included on our weekly to-do list, which is my excuse for speeding.
       In Nikki’s defense, if Chelle wanted something, this woman would drive folks nutty, until they complied. Like earlier in the week, when Chelle ran into the beauty shop going nuts about the show, bringing it into their conversations every few minutes. Chelle, a five feet seven ball of fire, loved all things blog and you could tell to what degree she liked a show by the feedback given.
       If it was okay, you got a head bob. If it was exotic, you got a stinky nose squint with a side-to-side head motion. But if it was stay on your mind good, Chelle couldn’t keep quiet. You would get words like ‘oh my gosh or goodness’, ‘that’s dope’, ‘uuhhh wee’, and sometimes a few choice curse words if it were super exciting. This time, Nikki got the curse words.
       Based upon Chelle’s reaction, Nikki figured RFRT standing for Real Folks Real Truths, must have been good. Chelle’s response alone caused Nikki to buy into the hype of RFRT, but neither did Nikki say, “yes or no.”
Nikki never cared for blogs, but Chelle’s reaction of something, often caused it to become a part of their extracurricular activities. Friends on any level learned because you don’t like something, doesn’t mean you do not participate. If your friend likes it and it doesn’t require breaking the law or negating your values, you sometimes play-ticipate; Nikki’s word for playing as if you like participating when in fact, you don’t.
A friendship spanning since the fifth grade when they were their own version of Salt & Pepa until now, rather attached them more as sisters than friends. Friends get mad and forgo their friendships, but sisters get mad and fix their flaws with covered love as Nikki and Chelle did. Their bond, built on sisterhood and commitment to both their relationship and their dream of becoming a black beauty salon chain, withstood the test of times.
At the salon last week, Nikki watched attentively as Chelle gathered the words to explain this new talk show host. She promoted the host as a Christian woman -putting tons of emphasis on ‘Christian woman’, counseling women and men dealing with real situations. Nikki was certain Chelle predicted if she said the word Christian, she was all in. Even, if it meant sitting through thirty minutes of blog radio. Nikki was not a fool by far and knew tons of wolves in sheep’s clothing, people claiming to be Christians displaying their Christianity on Sundays and Wednesdays. Her grandmother prayed the gift of discernment over her and although she thirsted and hungered for more of God, she perfected trying the spirit by the spirit. She planned to do the same with this blog talk show host and makeshift classroom.
When Nikki made it home, she tossed her purse and keys on the antique foyer chair. The chair was a gift from someone she once loved but now only served as a rest stop for stuff. Nikki braced herself by holding the arm of the chair, kicking off her shoes, too tired to bend down; she pushed the leather loafers by feet in the corner, which was their usual spot.
Nikki stole one quick glare in the hallway mirror at her hair now resembling a bird’s nest. I look like my old college professor after she got fluffed and teased. Nikki hurried past the kitchen, down the hall, and into the computer room. Turning on the lights, Nikki walked around the white fluffy rug, not wanting to put dirty, unbathed feet on it. Taking a seat in the office chair, she leaned over to hit the computer’s start button.
Like normal, the computer took forever loading. Nikki adjusted the memory-foam butt pillow and opened a pack of crackers while waiting.  Lord, take the wheel Jesus and while You’re driving, either grant me a Mac computer or speed this thing up. Clicking on the icon for the web browser, Nikki typed www.realfolksrealtruths.com. The Real Folks, Real Truths page emerged with a picture of a beautiful black woman.
To Nikki, black women were pretty, not because of perfect faces, but because they never lost their zest or zeal. They came in an array of colors, shapes, sizes, and strengths, which made their beauty both outer and inner noticeable. This woman fit the mold.
In the women’s eyes, Nikki saw wisdom and guessed the woman to be about sixty-years-old, although, her facial features looked not a day over 35. With hazel eyes and a bleached blonde bob, featuring curls hanging over the left eyebrow, the look signified jazzy and stylish. Nikki decided it must be Sister Ink and the bio located under this picture confirmed Nikki’s guess. Mrs. Ink was sixty years old. Lord, I pray I look like this sister at that age.
She lifted her eyes towards the top of the page and noticed one hundred and seventy-four people logged in. With cheer, Nikki became the hundredth and seventy-fifth person, hitting the flashing link ‘RFRT Live’. The page’s chat and radio bar surfaced, and worship music from Brian Courtney Wilson pour from the speakers.
The song entitled All I Need was indeed a life changing song. If people embraced the Lord being all they needed, the world would be a better place, she thought. Nikki could only imagine living in a world with no envy, no greed, and no coveting. Tapping to the beat on the desk, Nikki sang along with the singer. Although engulfed in the song, she still made a mental note to shop I-Tunes later for every CD Mr. Wilson ever made.
The song became personal and tugged at a place of emotions, gratefulness. Nikki no longer listened as an awaiting patron, transforming lifting hands, but as a worshipper. Yes Lord, all I need is a touch. Touch me, touch me, yes. Nikki on the verge of “going in”, the church folk’s way of describing someone displaying emotions as the Spirit of God moved, standing up from the desk doing two-step praise, Nikki rejoiced. A woman’s voice shifted her attention.
    “Hello in blog land. You’ve tuned in to RFRT, Real Folks, Real Truths, and you are on the line with Sappora Ink-better known as Sister Ink. This is your Christian girl trying to help friends living in this sinful world. Shout out to all my single sisters logged in and what’s up to all those married girls on the lines.”
     Nikki refined a knack for speaking to the radio and television as if she was the one the character or dj were speaking to and tonight was no different. “I’m ready Sis Ink, let’s get this party started”.
     “I hope somebody’s out there ready to yell back at us tonight, dapping it up with their girls. Our first show was awesome and over three hundred folks logged in. Tell somebody and let’s connect.”
     “I’m the one and I’m ready”, Nikki bellowed.
     “Before we go deep into this discussion tonight let’s pray. Dear Father, You know all, see all, and can do all, and we invite your presence on the line tonight, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
     Nikki opened her eyes after the quick but precise prayer and glanced towards the right corner of the page. Over sixty people had joined in. And people are still logging on. Turning full attention back to the show, Nikki listened.
  “Our discussion tonight stems from a letter from Lady Tamika Thomas from Dallas, Texas and it reads….
“Dear Sister Ink, I’m single and want a man, but I keep getting solicited by married men and women. I’m like, what the heck am I putting in the atmosphere making me an appetizer for this crowd.”
   “Caller one, holler at your girl.”
 
 
 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.…
Titus 2: 3-5

Find out more about me or my books by staying right here on my website or by checking out any of these sites below:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/danyellescroggins
Twitter: www.twitter.com/pastordanyelle
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/2738130.Danyelle_Scroggins
Amazon Author’s Page: www.amazon.com/Danyelle-Scroggins/e/B004513RVY
Blogspot: www.danyellescroggins.blogspot.com
Link to Purchase: http://www.danyellescroggins.com/put-it-in-ink.html

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