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I’m promoting sales of my new novel with an eBook giveaway. If you purchase a paperback or eBook copy of Brambleman, I’ll give you the eBook version of my novel, Chain Gang Elementary (retail value $4.99, now “back to school” priced at $2.99). This offer includes bookstore sales as well as purchases at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble online, Smashwords.com, and all other digital booksellers. Here’s a helpful link to direct you to your retailer of choice. And if you live in Forsyth County, Macon, Alpharetta, Norcross, Georgia, local Barnes and Noble stores have signed copies of Brambleman available. Just buy the book and send an email to info@thornbriarpress.com. We’ll send you a question about the book; when you answer it, we’ll send you a coupon for…

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This most interesting Amazon.com review of Brambleman comes from Meg Gerrish under the heading “Welcome to Cumming”: As my grandfather brought me from the airport to the new home where he and my grandmother would live out their retirement years, on a hilltop overlooking Lake Lanier, he said with much scorn, “Welcome to Cumming. This is where they hung two Negroes for still being in town when the sun went down.” When the murders occurred, I don’t know, I was just 13. He stated that welcome in 1966. So when I heard about this book and that Forsyth County had a grave history of ethnic cleansing beyond the murder of those two men, I was interested. The writer does a great job…

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If you’re trying to be sly about it, don’t burn a cross at the end of the meeting.  I hate that these Kristians now use the word “haters” to describe others. From Raw Story: A group of pastors in Alabama says that they are not racist even though only “white Christians” were invited to their three-day conference, which will include a cross burning and be attended by Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members. Residents in Guin, Alabama became outraged earlier this week after they noticed flyers posted around the town that read, “Annual Pastors Conference All White Christians Invited.” The groups Christian Identity Ministries and the Church of God’s Chosen told WIAT that they just didn’t have the “facilities” to accommodate non-whites. “We’re…

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On July 4, the comedian tweeted: “Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren’t free but I’m sure they enjoyed fireworks.” Not Chris Rock’s funniest tweet, but he’s got a point. After all, black Americans’ Independence Day came nearly 90 years later.  The celebration of Juneteenth commemorates the belated announcement of freedom given to  some Texas slaves. Anyway, some people are in a tizzy. You can take a poll on what it all means. Responses are all over the map. If Rock’s tweet upsets you, my advice would be to get over it. Read more.  

After he was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman was freed on $150,000 bond. However, the judge revoked the bond after learning that Zimmerman and his wife lied about how much money they had. (More than $100,000 had been donated to Zimmerman through a website he had set up for his defense fund.) It was also revealed that Zimmerman had a second passport that he did not surrended to the court, as required under the terms of his bond. The judge ordered Zimmerman back to jail. A new bond proceeding was held, with a different result. From Associated Press: A Florida judge ruled Thursday that George Zimmerman can be released from jail a second time on $1 million bond, saying…

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This story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is brogught to you by the Atlanta Police Deparemtn and the Fulton County Jail. This is how the justice system can play out for you when you’re poor and black. It didn’t matter that none of the facts lined up, or that the victim repeatedly told authorities they had the wrong woman. In fact, it didn’t matter that Teresa Culpepper was cleared of the charges in court–SHE STAYED IN JAIL! When she got out, she found that her belongings had been stolen and her vehicle had been sold for parts to pay the towing company’s charge. And she had to refund  disability payments from the federal government she received while in jail–the rules don’t differentiate between…

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