The Causes of Racism

Racism, defined as prejudice or discrimination aimed at an individual of another race or a whole race in general, has brought much depression and hate in our society. You would think that an attitude that is this “primitive” would be gone by now, but no – it is still around, taking many different forms, still in the mind of some people.

What causes this hurtful attitude to form within a person? 

• Ignorance. Ignorance is being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed. Racism stems from ignorance because the person just doesn’t know that what he or she is doing is wrong, probably because the people around him or even the whole society that he grew up in has such an attitude. Ignorance drives racism to be a habit, not just a one-time act.
• Fear of loss and displacement. When some people encounter people of another race, they become afraid that these people would take over their jobs, territory, status, and even personality. They are threatened that they would be replaced, and so they attack the other person of another race as they believe that doing so help them stay where they are.
• Lack of self-love and the need to feel superior. The most racist people are those that do not have love for themselves, continuously enveloped by negativity. They pass on their negative feelings to those of other races, which makes them feel superior because they ridicule and insult others based on what they feel they can do better or what others do worse.

Unfortunately, these causes are still prevalent in society. Racism feeds on them and continues to live – though not as outspoken as times past, but certainly no less hurtful or vicious.

“Sister Josephine” by Joanna Traynor is an award-winning story of a strong young woman that is challenged by racism every day of her life – a black girl fostered by a white family, living in a society where she is the only black person. She doesn't know her birth family and doesn't meet anyone else who is black until well into her teenage years. She is neglected but resilient and goes onto become a nurse - a profession that comes with pressure that is difficult for her to bear.

This book, originally published by Bloomsbury, won the Saga Prize in 1997. The Saga Prize was organized by Marsha Hunt, to raise the profile of black British writers. Marsha Hunt's daughter by Mick Jagger lived in England at the time and Marsha realized there were very few books written by black British writers to give to her to read, so she set up a literary competition to find new writers. Joanna Traynor won the second Saga Prize offered and was published by Liz Calder, then the Director of Bloomsbury Publishing.

"Sister Josephine" is current available in Kindle format at Amazon.com. Click on the link to preview the book or download your own copy.

Kindle Book Review: "Cry Dance" Winner of the 2012 Sharp Writ Book Awards

“What if there is no death?” That is the question asked on the cover of “Cry Dance,” a novel by Helen Bonner.

It’s a deep question, and indeed, this is a deep book. It is a love story, but it is also much, much more. It is a tale of life, death, and life beyond death.

The story begins with Lorinda, the heroine, facing murder accusations. All the evidences point to her, but she says she did not do it. Of course. That’s what they all say.

But in Lorinda’s case, that’s all she would say. She wouldn’t explain how it happened that she had a knife in her hand and the dead man in the same room. Why did she stay in the room with him? Why did she bathe him? Why were there flowers around his face? Was she in love with him? But he was not her boyfriend, and she was definitely in love with her boyfriend. Did he try to attack her? Was it self-defense? What really happened that night? She would not say. They would not understand, she kept thinking to herself.

Personally, that intro alone was enough to hook me. I had to find out what happened.

Reading the book felt like running downstairs to meet your date – it was easy and exciting, and the ending was as wonderful as the beginning.

“Cry Dance” is the winner of the 2012 Sharp Writ Book Award in the General Fiction category.

Kindle Book Review: "The Obsidian Pebble" Winner of the 2012 Sharp Writ Book Awards

“The Obsidian Pebble,” by Rhys A. Jones, is the Sharp Writ Book Awards 2012 winner in the Young Adult category. It is the story of Oz Chambers, a boy who one day discovers that the house he and his mother are living in is haunted. Far from being intimidated, Oz is fascinated by the house and grows determined to discover its secrets.

But Oz is not the only one who is interested in the house’s mysteries, and once the secret is uncovered, Oz’s world is completely changed.

This book is a prime example of how spooky tales for children should look like. The characters are scary but the story is humorous and fun. Jones is a masterful storyteller who is able to make his characters come to life while he pulls his reader right into the story. It’s a story you can read to your kids and enjoy yourself.

DESPERATE MEASURES

“Desperate Measures,” by Cindy Huefner Cromer, is the winner of the 2012 Sharp Writ Book Awards for the Mystery/Thriller category.

In this fast-moving thriller, protagonist Caitlin Martel is the recipient of a cryptic message that she initially dismisses as a misdirected threat. But when she finds her house vandalized and a blood-inked message left in her kitchen, she quickly realizes that the threat was not misdirected after all. She really is a target.

She then remembers a secret that her father revealed to her nearly two decades ago. But the secret was incomplete. Now the secret is exploding piece by piece as the threat to Caitlin’s life slowly catches up with her.

The plot twists and turns, keeping you at the edge of your seat trying to discover who the real villain is. And just when you thought you’ve got it all figured out, the next page will prove you wrong, until the climactic ending uncovers a strange alliance between two mortal foes.

The only thing certain in this book is that you’ll keep turning the pages, glued to your seat until the very end. It’s definitely one of the scariest, most thrilling stories we’ve read in 2012.

this book won the 2012 Sharp Writ Book Award in the Mystery/ Thriller category.

(Review by Beatrice Adams)

Kindle eBook Review: Assassin Hunter - A True-to-Life Peek at the Undercover Agent's World

The world of the undercover agent is certainly a fascinating one, no matter what point of view you take. So it shouldn't come as a surprise when a book that reveals the undercover agent’s world turns out to be a real page-turner – which is what “Assassin Hunter” is.

This story is written in the first person, which works extraordinarily well for the author, August Palumbo, because with his background as a homicide detective and a retired special agent, he is able to enter the story so well that he inevitably pulls the reader right into the story with him.

The protagonist is a federal agent assigned to go undercover to find and capture a paid assassin. His mission takes us into the heart of the criminal world and reveals to us some of the federal agents’ tricks-of-the-trade.

Palumbo discloses that the novel is not fictitious; it is based on a true-to-life criminal case.

If only for the peek at this normally hidden world of organized crime and undercover work, this book is well worth the read. The story is filled with painstaking detail that highlights the author’s deep familiarity with the setting of his novel.

“Assassin Hunter” is a very highly rated book on both Goodreads.com and Amazon.com. It was also a runner-up at the 2012 Sharp Writ Book Awards, in the General Non-Fiction category.

The Wedding Shroud: A Tale of Ancient Rome

It is not every day that we see a romance novel set in the ancient Etruscan society. That alone makes “The Wedding Shroud” stand out from the rest. This piece of historical literature gives us a rare glimpse into this not-so-famous part of history. It’s almost like history class, with a spoonful of sugar. (The author, Elisabeth Storrs, attests that it took her ten years to research and write the story.)

But “spoonful of sugar” does not do the story justice, for even without the history lesson, the novel has enough merits to stand on its own.

The heroine, Caesilia Aemilius, was born in a Rome at a time when Rome was not yet the grand and powerful empire that we often see in our mind’s eye. It was not yet a Rome that simply conquered all its neighbors and enemies. It was a Rome that had “negotiation” in its vocabulary.

And negotiate it did. Wanting a truce with Etruria, Rome sends Caecilia to be married to Etruscan nobleman to seal the deal. Thus the young girl, born and raised in a staid and virtuous society, is suddenly thrown into a world where pleasure is the ultimate good. How long will she be able to resist this new world’s temptations? And when her new home comes under attack, to whom will she give her loyalty?

The story that unfolds is a well-written heart-fluttering romance, with an ending most readers will love.

“The Wedding Shroud: A Tale of Ancient Rome,” by Elisabeth Storrs, is a General Fiction category runner-up in the 2012 Sharp Writ Book Awards.