Queen Connect

When I took these photos in 2020, I knew then that one of these pictures would be used for the cover of Phatabulously Made.  I worked with Jose Pagan Photography , and we traveled out to a beautiful beach in Florida.  These were taken just steps from the water in an open field.  I laid a gigantic checkerboard sheet across the ground, and we lined up the large checker pieces around the board and he was able to snap these beautiful photos.   When I first started designing the cover, I settled on these six and tried a variety of font types and filters to add depth and to give it the book representation of who I am and what I was feeling during the moments I'm describing in the book. I love this zebra print jumpsuit and I knew this would be the garment for the cover.  Why? Because I love zebras-the animal.  They're mysterious and beautiful.  I found this jumpsuit on Style Your Curves website- an online boutique with stylish plus size apparel .  This garment was perfect for this sh

QCP: Back Cover Spotlight I met Syndy many years ago in my hometown Jacksonville Florida. We connected for a fashion show that benefited the community. I was really impressed with her fashions that were effortlessly transforming clothing into art. Over the next few years, we would run into each other at various fashion and community events including Black Magic Live Art Museum created by is founder and Duval Connect Magazine editor Tiffney Funchess and TNR Magazine publisher Chelsey Pough. We came together for a very special issue of Duval Connect Magazine over the summer of 2021 to publish an article on the first inaugural Juneteenth in Jacksonville. Syn helped style the model on the cover and it was phenomenal. Check out this short video interview and learn more about the designer SynStyleFashions. Go check out Syn Style Fashions- https://bit.ly/Synstylefashions Follow Syn Style Fashions: https://www.facebook.com/Synstylefashions https://www.instagram.com/synstyle_1/ Back Cov

Mosquerade Video Below I did start college.   It wasn’t right after high school because I had two children.  When I finished high school, I was supposed to join the military.  I was sworn in my senior year.  However, that was also the first year that I lived with my boyfriend and outside of my mother’s eyes.  I never made it to the military.  And when that plan failed, I didn’t have a backup.  A few years later I decided to go to school for journalism.  I’d already worked in radio and that felt very comfortable for me, but I also love writing, so I decided to try writing for a newspaper.  I was so excited to start school.  When I was reviewing the selections for the elective courses, I noticed some religious classes.  I was excited to be able to take a different perspective on Christianity.  During this time my perspective on religion changed.  Every semester I committed to taking one religious’ course.  One of my first courses was World Religions.  The professor was a Black clergy man