Today's Date

Thursday, April 18 th, 2019

Absolutely Suzette

Are you ready for Sultry Nights?

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Good day, beautiful people!

For those of you who enjoyed Alonzo and Jeanette’s story in Caliente Nights, I’m back with Teresa Castro’s story. Teresa is Alonzo’s younger sister and is ready to return home despite the pain that caused her to flee two years ago.

In Caliente Nights you got a glimpse of Teresa’s heartbreak and betrayal. In Sultry Nights, I dig deeper into the Castro family background and introduce Pierce Harrington. An incredibly, sexy alpha hero who will prove to Teresa he will go the distance for her love and then some.

Here’s a blurb of Sultry Nights.

Disowned by her parents for loving the wrong man, Fashion Designer, Teresa Castro returns to Philadelphia to fulfill a childhood dream.

Tall, dark, and irresistible, Pierce Harrington is a forbidden temptation she hadn’t planned on encountering. Teresa’s past has taught her love doesn’t play fair. Though she wants to resist Pierce, it’s impossible to ignore the smoldering chemistry between them.

Former Secret Service Agent, Pierce Harrington believed he had found his soulmate until his ex-wife cheated, making him an unbeliever until… Teresa Castro.

For two years, Pierce is hired to shadow the younger sister of professional athlete, Alonzo Castro. Each day his attraction is growing stronger for the Afro Cuban beauty. After his assignment is completed, Pierce makes his move to capture Teresa’s heart.

Will old family traditions, self-doubt, and a spiteful ex-wife spoil the couple’s happy ever after?

Get your copy now!

Amazon: http://bit.ly/SultryNights-NightSeries

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/SultryNights-BN

iBooks: http://bit.ly/SultryNights-iBooks

Kobo: http://bit.ly/SultryNights-KOBO

Until next time,

Suzette

Time to get serious about this weight!

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Hey, Loves!

Let me jump right into this… It all started over ten years ago when I had a hysterectomy for fibroid tumors. My weight was on point, holding steady at around 129 lbs. I was happy at that weight. After my surgery and being out of commission for six weeks I picked up a few pounds. No biggy, I was still able to fit my clothes and felt pretty good, so I went on about my business. Three years ago I went for my yearly physical and stepped on the scale… That hunk-of-junk had a nerve to compute I weighed 151 lbs! Now, before y’all say “Girl, shut up! That’s not that bad!” Let me stop you right there. I’m only five feet tall! Lawd, have mercy! I was even more offended when the doctor had a nerve to put ‘abnormal weight gain’ as a diagnosis in my chart!

I got myself together and went hard at the gym and got down to 136 lbs. I was cruising along until I turned 5o in February. Let me tell you something… I can’t stand peri-menopause whoever the heck she is! Before you ask, “I thought you had a hysterectomy?” I did. Nowadays, doctors will leave your ovaries, cervix and fallopian tubes if they’re healthy. Therefore, my body was still producing female hormones, I just didn’t have a period. Unfortunately, some women as they began to go through “the change” – that’s what my momma and grandmomma called it – weight gain becomes an issue. So, that’s what I’m working with now. 🙁

With peri-menopause rearing her ugly head, the weight is creepy up again. Haven’t gotten back to 151, but I’m pretty doggone close! Thank God I walk an average of 4.5 miles a day! This is helping to keep the weight from getting out of control. As a health professional I knew I needed help. So, the last week of December I met with a nutritionist. Side note: Check with your health insurance because your plan may allow 6 visits a year at no cost to you as part of your benefits.

When I met with the nutritionist, God bless her, she told me I wasn’t “that” overweight. After going over my daily diet with her, she said my diet wasn’t so bad and that I needed to cut back on certain carbs and increase my protein intake. She encouraged me to track my food intake daily using Fitness Pal and developed a food plan for me. What I thought was so cool about Emily – tired of referring her as “she” – is that Emily had a bunch of food props in her office. Healthy stuff that you can buy from Target, Walmart or your local grocery store. Eating healthier doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

My goal is to get back to 129 lbs where I’ll be at my healthiest weight. With added on weight comes health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and so on. I know I’m going to have to put the work in with increased physical activity and following my meal plan. I’ll be checking in and out with my progress.

Until next time,

 

Suzette

Regular Conditioner vs. Deep Conditioner

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Hey, Loves!

In this post I’ll be focusing on conditioning your hair as part of building a hair regimen. In my last post I discussed shampooing. The next step after shampooing is conditioning the hair. If you want healthy, nourished hair this is a step that cannot be skipped.

When conditioning you can use a regular aka daily conditioner or deep conditioner. Is there a difference between the two? So glad you asked.  Yes, there is a difference. And depending on what your hair needs you might opt to do one over the other.

Regular or daily conditioners are designed to soften the surface of the hair making it easier to detangle. It also helps to lay the cuticle of the hair down taming the frizzes. Think of this conditioning type as a surface treatment.

Deep conditioners are designed to penetrate the hair shaft going beyond the cuticle.  Some folks in the natural hair community will often give silicones a bad name in hair products. But here’s the thing, certain silicones are designed to fill in gaps along the hair shaft that are damaged by the environment, bleached/colored hair, chemically treated hair, or every day styling practices. Silicones can be non-water soluble, meaning that they don’t rinse away with water, or water-soluble rinsing away with water. A nice con of sulfate shampoo is that it’s able to remove non-water soluble silicones from the hair shaft.

The reason I’m bringing up silicones is because just about ALL over the counter, affordable and expensive shampoos and conditioners contain them. Of course, you can purchase products without them, but be prepared to pay some bucks. I purchased this high-end deep conditioning mask from ULTA for $36… And guess what? It has silicones in it! Dimethicone is the third ingredient and amodimethicone is farther done the list. This particular brand is used in hair salons. 

 

So sorry for the poor quality pics! I don’t have one of those fancy cameras…yet. 🙂 But you get what I’m trying to point out. And that would be silicones aren’t evil as once believed. Well…at least for me.

Let’s recap:

After washing your hair, conditioning is a must depending on the state of your hair. Regular/daily conditioners work on the hair’s surface. Deep conditioners penetrates the hair shaft. There are two types of silicones – non-soluble and soluble. A sulfate shampoo will remove silicone buildup. Silicones in general are not bad for your hair.

 

In my next post I’ll be discussing the difference between a moisturizing deep conditioner and a strengthening deep conditioner.

Do you use regular/daily conditioner or deep conditioner? If so, why? If not, why? What benefits have you seen?

Until next time,

 

Suzette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Long Game by JL Campbell

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Hey, Loves!

Do I have a treat for you! My dear sister-author JL Campbell has a new release. She is a wonderful romance author from beautiful Jamaica. Anytime you want to visit just pick up one of her books. I promise you they are so rich in Jamaican culture  you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to the sunny island.

I’m excited to share an excerpt from The Long Game.  Let’s get to it!

EXCERPT

It made me uncomfortable to have my love life discussed this way. At this rate, Ayisha would soon be wearing a halo and I was the one who’d have to do a full-time job of repairing what little reputation I had left.

 

The only positive thing in this situation was that Ayisha knew me, so none of this surprised her. I relaxed because this was one of the good things about being with her like this. Although I wasn’t great relationship material, she accepted me for who I was and was willing work with me as I was right now. That single fact made me love her.

 

I definitely could see myself with her long term. This was a shock for me, since a little over a month ago, I didn’t have any thoughts or plans about my future other than the next female who’d be in my bed.

 

Mama patted Ayisha’s hand before getting up to clear the table. Despite Mama’s protests, Ayisha helped her move the plates and cutlery to the kitchen.

 

When they didn’t come back after their last trip, my father peered at me over his glasses and I knew I was in for more advice. “Mess with that girl and I’ll kill you myself, although you’re my only son. I don’t understand how you treat women this way and you have a sister.”

 

“Donna can take care of herself,” I said in reference to my sister who had been working overseas for several years. “You might not believe me, but I treat my women well.”

 

He shot a glance at the kitchen doorway. “Women?”

 

“You know what I mean. Ayisha is the only one I’m seeing now.”

 

“At your age, you really—”

 

I felt myself getting tense. This scenario was getting old. I was tired of having to defend myself in the place where I usually felt most relaxed. I put up both hands. “Papa, trust me, I’m not about to hurt Ayisha or anything like that.”

 

His gaze didn’t waver as he looked at me. “My only worry is that you won’t be able to live up to her expectations. I’ve never heard of a leopard changing its spots.”

 

“Well, it’s a good thing I don’t have to prove anything to anybody but Ayisha.”

 

My mother’s voice put an end to the conversation. She and Ayisha, plus the dog, came back into the room.

 

As we ate slices of bread pudding laced with raisins and rum, I watched Ayisha. She pulled the cake fork out of her mouth slowly and then licked a crumb off her lip, all while she stared at me. The front of my jeans grew uncomfortably tight and I shifted.

 

As if she knew what was happening to me, Ayisha smiled. She dragged her teeth over her bottom lip as her eyes lit up. The woman knew exactly what she was doing to me. Under the table, something nudged my foot. I thought it might be Cookie, until I looked across at Ayisha and a mischievous grin greeted me.

Click here to get your copy now on Amazon! To learn more about JL Campbell and her books click here to visit her website.

Until next time,

Suzette

 

 

The Pantene Curl Perfection Challenge

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Hey, Loves!

I decided to start a 3 month challenge today using the Curl Perfection Dream Care Shampoo an Conditioner along with the 3 Minute Miracle Moisture Renewal Deep Conditioner. The reason I want to do this challenge is to see how my hair will respond to a sulfate shampoo, which I haven’t used in forever. Although this shampoo contains sulfates, in conjunction with the conditioner, the pair is supposed to moisturize and define curls. I must admit after using both my curls were more defined than using my normal sulfate-free shampoo. The shampoo cleansed my scalp and hair without leaving it super dry. The conditioner moisturized my hair nicely. But, baaaaby, that 3 Minute Miracle had my hair feeling like silk.

After my washing and conditioning routine was done, I loved up on my hair with Camille Rose Moisture Love and Obia Naturals Twist Whip Butter to put six flat twists in my hair. After the twist were in for about 4 hours or so, I oiled my parts with my special hair oil that I make myself. 🙂

 

 

Another reason I want to do this challenge is to see how much growth I’ll get with using this line by Pantene specifically created for curly hair. Because curly hair tends to be dry it’s prone to breakage. This line promises to define and hydrate curls.

Here’s a pic of my hair length on day 1 of the challenge. After the challenge is over I will post comparison pictures to see how much growth I’ve gained over the 3 months.

DISCLAIMER: I will continue to practice healthy hair care practices throughout this challenge. AND if this new line damages my hair in ANY way this challenge is OVER! LOL!

I will keep y’all frequently posted on how the challenge is going and if I’ve come up against any bumps in the road.

Until next time,

Suzette 

Co-washing vs. Shampooing

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Hey, Loves!

I’m going to jump right into the difference between co-washing and shampooing. Co-washing is cleansing the hair and scalp with conditioner. Conditioner? Does it work? It does! I went through a period where I strictly co-washed my hair. Only shampooing once a month with a sulfate shampoo to remove product buildup from my scalp and hair.

Some might ask, “Can regular conditioner be used to cleanse the scalp and hair?” Some people will use this method and swear by it. Personally, I prefer using co-washes such as Wen and Pantene Natural that’s formulated to clean and condition the hair. What I like most about co-washing is it doesn’t strip the hair of all its oils. And it’s super moisturizing to the hair. 

Shampooing strips the hair of dirt and oils leaving the hair squeaky clean. Sulfate shampoos are designed to do this exceptionally well. The only problem is the moisture is sucked from the hair and the scalp leaving it dry and itchy. Dry hair will lead to breakage. Think of a strand of hair as uncooked and cooked spaghetti. The dry spaghetti is easily broken, whereas the cooked spaghetti hydrated by water is unbreakable. An itchy scalp is just plain uncomfortable. That’s why it’s ALWAYS necessary to follow up with a moisturizing conditioner and oil your scalp. Massaging the scalp with your finger tips will stimulate natural oil production.

I’m not saying sulfates are bad because there are women with beautiful, healthy hair who regularly use sulfate shampoos. Back in the day when I was relaxed I used Pantene shampoo and conditioner and my hair thrived. Whenever I would go to the salon my stylist swore I was using high-end hair products. Pantene has a curl line I’ve been wanting to try for some time. I will definitely blog about my experience.

Nowadays, there are loads of sulfate-free shampoos. These shampoos still gives you the bubbles, cleanse the scalp and hair without zapping all the moisture from your tresses. Though this is true, still follow up with a conditioner or better yet, a deep conditioner.

These days I’m washing with a sulfate-free shampoo. Mostly because it’s cost effective. I love Wen. My hair loves Wen. But Wen is a tiny fortune! With thick and long hair, I have to use a lot of product. I reserve co-washing for when I’m on vacation. I enjoy splashing in the pool and ocean, but the chlorine and salt water is harsh on my hair. Co-washing every time I come out of the pool or ocean isn’t going to strip my hair the way shampooing would.

As part of your hair journey, whether you’re co-washing or shampooing stay consistent with how often you cleanse your scalp and hair.  For instance, if you’re going to wash your hair weekly, don’t stretch your wash day to 2 or 3 weeks. And remember, for hair to grow it needs a clean, healthy scalp free of buildup and dirt.

Let’s recap:

Co-washing doesn’t strip the hair of all it’s natural oils, whereas, a sulfate shampoo will. Sulfate-free shampoos cleanses without over stripping the hair and scalp.

Sulfate is a detergent used in household cleaners and is drying to the scalp and hair.

Always condition or deep condition after washing.

Make sure salty ocean water and chlorine is washed from your hair to avoid damage.

And stay consistent with your wash day schedule. And if you’re co-washing make sure to use a sulfate shampoo at least every 4 to 6 weeks to get rid of buildup on the scalp and hair. And follow up with a moisturizing deep conditioner.

I hope this post helped. Stay tuned for deep conditioning and the difference between a moisturizing and strengthening conditioner.

Until next time,

Suzette

 

Natural Healthy Hair Journey

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Hey, Loves!

In order to have healthy hair, whether you’re relaxed or natural, it’s a journey. If you want to see your hair grow and thrive you have to be willing to pack your bags and take the journey. Now this isn’t an easy-breezy journey. It’s going to take dedication and work.

I’m not trying to discourage you. I just don’t want you to think you can slap some oils on your hair or take a bunch of vitamins and your hair will grow down your back. That’s. Not. Going. To. Happen. Anything worth having you have to work for. And this includes beautiful, healthy hair.

One of the most important things to having healthy hair is building a hair regimen. And to be consistent with the regimen. For instance, every Friday night I wash and deep condition my hair. In the winter months when the air is cold and drying to the hair I’ll do a pre-poo with conditioner and oils. I don’t use heat on my hair, with exception of about 2-3 times a year. I trim my ends 2-3 times a year. Sometimes I get it done professionally and other times I’ll do it myself. And I wear my hair 90% of the time in low manipulation hairstyles like a washing n go, twist out or braid out, to avoid daily tugging and pulling on my hair. This is a very basic regimen that worked for me. I’m sure it will work for you, too.

As mentioned earlier, this is a journey that takes time. And I’m going to be here to help you. Therefore, I will be breaking down this journey in to several post.  So let’s do a quick recap:

  1. This isn’t an overnight journey
  2. Build a hair regimen consisting of:
    1. Weekly washing your hair to clean the scalp of oil and product build-up. It’s difficult for hair to grow through blocked follicles.
    2. Deep condition weekly. This will restore moisture and strength to the hair. **I’ll do a post next week on the difference between moisturizing and protein deep conditioners.
    3. Regular trims to get rid of split ends.
    4. No heat or limited heat. CAUTION- if you’re going to use help use a heat protector!
    5. Low manipulation style to avoid/cut down on hair breakage.

I hope this post was helpfully. I’m not a license hairstylist, however, I’ve grown my hair to mid-back length without the help of one. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will try to help you the best I can.

Stay tuned for the the difference between co-washing and shampooing.

Until next time,

Suzette

Summer Smell Goods

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Hey, Loves!

Are you enjoying your summer? I know I am! If any of you follow me on social media you will know this is my favorite season. There are so many things I love about it. One of them is all the beautiful floral scents. As a girlie-girl, I love smelling pretty.  Every summer I like to add new fragrances to my smell goods collection.

This summer I am  soooo out of control! So much so, I begged my hubby to stop me from buying another thing! Of course, he gave me the side eye as if to say, “Yeah, right!” I tried y’all! It’s not my fault these stores know how to seduce me!

Enough of that… Here’s some new scents I’ve added to my collection.

Lavender and Sandlewood by Bath and Body Works – I like this scent because it’s very light and not over powering. The lavender and sandlewood is also very calming. And the body cream is very moisturizing without a greasy after-film on the skin. It melts nicely into the skin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arlesienne by L’Occitane – The scent of roses is a smell I’ve loved since I was a little girl. I can remember as a child walking to school on a spring morning and picking roses from bushes so I could inhale their sweet scent. Now as an adult woman, the scent of roses on my skin make me feel ultra feminine and dainty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a confession… These are not the only smell goods I’ve purchased this summer. I like to keep my post short and sweet, therefore, I didn’t include them. Stay tuned. I’ll post them at another time. 🙂

What are some of your favorite summer smell good? 🙂

Until next time,

Suzette

Natural Hair Anniersary

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Congratulations to me! I’m proud to say that I’ve been natural for 10 years. After getting my first relaxer at the age of 13, I never thought I’d be free from the creamy crack. You see, I believed my hair to be thick, coarse, and unruly. To sum it up… I had nappy hair! Black girls and women have been conditioned to believe this is a bad thing. No way did I want to walk around with a nappy head! Nor did I see anything beautiful about it!

I decided to go natural after reading an article in Essence magazine. I can’t remember the entire content of the article, however, what stood out to me most was how over time relaxers can thin the hair. Unfortunately, the women on my maternal side, as they age have a problem with thinning hair. Genetics is something we cannot manipulate. I had a choice to make. Either continue to have silky, smooth tresses or a visible scalp before my time. Later for that!

After reading the article I was challenged by my friend Kia – who just happened to be a natural with gorgeous locs – to go natural. Kia is my girl and everything, but Lord have mercy that child would taunt me. One minute she’d be encouraging me that I could do it. And then the next, “You’re not ready to go natural.” Now, me being me, I had to show Miss Kia that I meant business. Sooooo, I presented her with the ultimate challenge. 😉 “I tell you what. I’m going to go an entire year without relaxing. If I cave in, I’ll take you to dinner. And if I make it, you’ll take me to dinner.”

Umm…from the title of this post I guess you can tell who won the bet. 🙂  Although I’ve struggled at times with being natural, I have never once regretted my decision.

I was committed to going chemical free, but I hadn’t fully embraced my natural hair. I was still a slave to silky hair blowing in the wind. Weekly appointments at the salon getting my hair flat ironed was my best friend! Well, it was more like that chick you thought was your friend, only to find out she’d been talking about you behind your back. Mmm-hmm, y’all know what I’m saying. I’ll touch on that in another post. It wasn’t until five years after being natural that I began my journey to having healthy hair and fully embracing what God had blessed me with. Yes, my thick, kinky, nappy, hair is a blessing! My favorite Psalm tells me “I am fearfully and wonderfully made!” Psalm 139:14.

Here are some pics in my various stages.

 

I’m natural as can be!

Although I was natural for 5 years, my hair was severally heat damaged. So I big chopped in March 2012.

Restored healthy hair! I think this pic was taken late 2016 or early 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re thinking about going natural I would encourage you to do it! And if you stumble along the way, it’s okay. We’ve all been there. 🙂

Stay tuned for how I began my journey in the quest for healthier hair.

Until next time,
Suzette

Journey to Baby, I’m For Real

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Hey, Loves!

I didn’t realize it until a couple months ago that Baby, I’m For Real is my 10th (well..really 11th, but that’s a different post for another time) published work as a romance author! Yay, me!

Reba Harris is the mother of my heroine, Roxanna ‘Roxy’ Harris in The Sweetest Love. Readers were contacting me asking for Reba’s story. Frank Bass is a background character from my debut novel, A Special Summer. He also pops up here and there in other stories. I thought he would some day make one sexy hero.

While writing this particular story I was going through a lot of changes emotionally. I was mourning the loss of a very special friendship. I put my trust where I shouldn’t have. And I was still struggling to shake my former pen name, Victoria Wells. There were so many times when I wanted to give up. Thank God for my literary sisters holding me up, encouraging, and praying for me during such a turbulent time in my writing life.

I took a chance with this story by stepping outside the lines of traditional romance characters. Oh, wait a second, I did it with It’s My Turn, too!  🙂

Reba and Frank aren’t in their late 20’s or early 30’s in hot pursuit of chasing down their happily ever after. They are in their 40’s rediscovering the powerful connection of passion. Neither one of them are looking for love.

In Reba’s case, her first go around with a married man left a lot to be desired. Now wait a minute…before you go jumping on Reba’s case. The eighteen year old didn’t know her older lover was married. Frank is a heartbroken man who’s lost his faith after the death of his child and his wife succumbs to breast cancer. He has no desire to ever love again. But when the two meet there’s a crazy, can’t get you off my mind, kind of attraction.

Writing about older characters again was taking a gamble. Self-doubt weighed heavy on me a few days before the release date. Thank God for my literary sister and twin, Suzette Harrison. She told me, “Twin, it’s going to be alright.” She ain’t neva lie! Within the first week, Baby, I’m For Real made it to #95 in Amazon Best Sellers Rank Top 100 of African American Romance! As an indie author I’ve never achieved that status. God is good!

While I have this opportunity, I’d like to thank all the readers who supported me and asked for Reba’s story. 🙂

Until Next Time,

Suzette

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