I know I haven't been blogging much lately. Many of my other passion projects have taken me away from blogging, such as writing my next book, directing a few shorts and building a business. Oh, let me not forget, having a life. I've been working on trying to balance the other side of my life, and that' me. Eating healthy and working on a work-out regiment to get me back in shape. More on this later. But from here on out, I'm going to be blogging at least once a week, if not more.

My homegirl, Sofia Quintero reminded me that October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month and suggested I post a section from my yound adult book, THE SISTA HOOD: ON THE MIC [see myspace.com/thesistahood]. Per her suggestion and don't forget to peep her blog entry from PICTURE ME ROLLIN' [myspace.com/sofiaquintero] in support of Domestic Violence too.

The excerpt below deals with Liza, one of my fourteen year old characters in the SISTA HOOD: ON THE MIC who is in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend and her homegirls are trying to support her. My Second Book in the SISTA HOOD series will continue Liza's story and will also deal with Ezekiel who find himself in an abusive relationship with his girlfriend who is the manipulator in that relationship. Let me just say that Ezekial's story line was inspired by a young man in my life that is close to me and is going through a tough time with a girlfriend who just won't leave him alone.


Here it is, please excuse the formatting I can't seem to get that right on MY SPACE.

p. 181

"What happened, Liza?"
Liza looked around to see who was in the room as if she was protecting someone. "I'm only going to talk if the nurse leaves." But the nurse just stood there.
"I think we'll be fine here", Mrs. Matthews told the nurse, giving her a little wink. Once she was given the Matthew step-to-the-curb command, the nurse left us to deal with Liza alone.
"Okay, Liza what happened?" I asked.
Liza started crying, not even tripping over Mrs. Matthews being in the room. "I don't want you to hate me."
"I could never hate you, chica. You're my homegirl," I said.
"Rio and I had gone to Dolores Park to check out this dealer that supplies him with, you know…"

p. 182

"Drugs?"
"Yeah. Rio had gone a full twenty-four hours without getting high, he was bored out of his drug-free mind. So he decided to try the hard stuff."
"And what happened to you?"
"Well, whatever his hookup gave him was laced with some crazy stuff and Rio just flipped out and started dragging me with my face on the cement up Dolores Street."
"What a loser!"
"It wasn't his fault, Mari. He was on something. I really shouldn't have gotten him mad."
"Don't you get that no matter what you did or said you couldn't have stopped his trip?"
Tears just kept streaming down Liza's face and I knew any criticism of Rio at this moment was pointless. It was most important that Liza felt supported. I sat there just holding her and assuring her that everything would be fine.
"The cops wanted me to press charges and admit that he was on something, but I refused. You can't say anything."
Then Mrs. Matthews put in her two cents. "Well, I didn't promise, and that boy is gonna get his. And you, Liza, need to stay away from him. Once an addict, always an addict."
"Liza, we're all here. Whatever you need, we'll get through this together," I said.

p. 183

"I just want to see Rio. To tell him it will all be okay."
What'll be okay, Liza?" I asked.
"That we'll get through this together. All three of us."
It took me a while to realize that Liza was pregnant. That's what had probably set off Rio's frenzy. He can't take care of himself, let alone graduate from high school. How the hell is he going to take care of a child?
"Does the nurse know you're pregnant, Liza?" I asked.
"Yeah, they did a complete examination before you all got here."
Mrs. Matthews hollered for the nurse to come.
"Ms. Rappaport, you can come in now."
"You all promised," cried Liza.
"No Mariposa promised. I, on the other hand, mist make sure that you're cared for. We must contact your mother. Is she at work?"
"Yeah."
"Can you remember her number?"
"No."
"Then where's your cell phone, I'm sure the number is in there. Right?"
"You can't tell my mother!"
"Why, Liza?" I said.
Liza sat there shaking and crying more.
"Liza, why can't we tell your mother?" I demanded that she tell me the truth.
"Because my mother left us this summer. And my brothers are raising me. I'm still underage, is CPS finds out, they'll put me in foster care."
Then Liza just became very still and quiet.
I'm sorry, Mari. I'm really sorry."
Everything was finally crystal clear. This wasn't the first time that Rio had beaten Liza. The way things were going, it wouldn't be the last. That's why Liza would disappear for weeks at a time, missing school and not showing up when she was supposed to be meeting me. Liza was battered by that asshole Rio. It all makes so much sense now-his control over her, his possessiveness about her whereabouts, her depression. He probably knew about her mother and was holding that over her head too.
I started to feel like I let her down instead of the other way around. Here I was, all wrapped up in my Matthews love triangle. My parents' divorce, even my mom's drinking had never impacted me to the extent of what was happening to Liza.
All I could do was hug Liza. "No, Liza, I'm sorry that I wasn't a better friend. I should've known."
"But it's okay, 'cause Rio loves me. When everyone left me, he stayed," said Liza.
"We'll talk about it later, Liza. But Sadie's mother is right. You need to stay away from Rio for a while. He's sick, homie. He's real sick."