I have successfully published over ten books. Sad but true, I am the Author, Illustrator,and Publisher of my books since 2016. I haven't had the time to seek an agent, but I would love for one to reach out to me. I am working on three books now and unfortunately my mind is all over the place. I have a passion to help the children when the weather changes, to put the homeless and sheltered children in nice new shirts with a book in their hands. After I have accomplished this, I am working on my books.

I feel like I have a lot to say and not enough time to say it. The world has a big bandaid wrapped around it and it needs healing immediately.

So how would it feel to be published, extraordinary.

My books are even in China. But royalty pays nothing if you are not well known. So I haven't reaped the rewards from them yet, but I enjoy hearing Google when I ask them "Hey Google, what is Sharonda Briggs Books?"

Our educations began early where I am from. There is no point in pretense. As children we were instructed that Truth is the remedy, and so we believe it still. All people are not inherently good, only some of them, usually those raised under the inclination. Evil is a fact. It is all around us, biding it’s time, like a mildew seeking out sickly environments for growth. The certainties of it are in the stories handed down to us by our grandparents and parents, our friends, and our communities; that we must be on the look-out from our earliest ages, and we take those lessons to heart. You seem like a nice sort, your challenge innocent enough, so I am going to teach you as I was taught about the worst of all the evils. Sit straight young one, and listen up. This is no game. Listen as though your life (and afterlife) depends upon what I say, for indeed it does.

There is a parade of evils which circles buzzard-like ’or this land, tacking on dark wings down the Valleys, kiting ’or the Cumberlands, and flushing back through the Deltas to begin all over again. These evils have many names, but the one you need know today is, “The Snake-oil Salesman”. This medicine-show man is ever-so-conniving, opportunistic, greasy; and sooner or later he accosts us all, so look sharp! Caution must be the rule as our paths and his cross. His game is deceit, his trophy a soul. As our years pass we will witness him in many forms, selling varying goods, but his chicanery is always the same. I sense your doubt, but this is no bedtime fable. The Snake-oil salesman is close by right now, his eyes open for the unwary… and he is very, very real!

“You will know him when you see him,“ I was taught. And so I always have. The Snake-oil Salesman is easy to spot. He wears fancy clothes and drives big cars. He shines white teeth and idolatry, and is prone to giving small bits of favor away (when there are fish in the pond, of course), pleasing us poor people ever-so-grandly. But as with any other devil of the gospels it is his forked words that pull us into his game; familiar words used creatively, and given new lives. He sells the same old lies, but in newer ways, enchanting ways, probing our depths with gentle, meaningless words. He reminds us that we are unhappy, and why, and he always hits the mark. We wonder at this intuitiveness, at how he could know us so well, and we listen on. He then gives us reason for our unhappiness, a target for our ire… the iniquitous "scapegoat". The Snake-oil Salesman explains to us how this Scapegoat holds us down, denies our rights, bars our success, all while expertly tickling our vanities against our insecurities. “You are as good as him, aren’t you? Better even? And smarter? And as deserving of everything nice?“ The hollow cadence of The Snake-oil Salesman's words quicken as his revivalist-like excitement grows, their timber rising as he lambasts “those people” (be they preachers, teachers, or governors) who are exploiting us, are using us, are holding us down for their own gain, and for every intent and purpose enslaving us under their money, rules and law. The Snake-oil Saleman warms to this topic, his enthusiasm growing until the penultimate exclamation which orgasmically escapes him of, "Damn those (insert slur here) straight to Hell!" The words flush from his twisted lips in a final howl, dropping him from his inebriated heights and landing him almost tragically back down upon the Good Earth before us in a sad heap.

"But not to worry, folks." Exhausted, The Snake-oil Salesman’s words soften, dripping thick from his lips like honey. "There is a magic elixir,” he says. (There is always an elixir.) “Buy this bottle from me, drink it down quick, and all will be well. Why… look here on the label. It even removes stains!”

The Snake Oil Salesman circles and sells, touting his wares, which could be yours (for a fee); be it bottle, Bible, banknote, or ballot… and we can now add body to the list. It is not until much later that the unwary understands the trick that was played, how the snake-oil cured nothing, but that you are now the proud owner of an empty, vitriolic vial (on long-term loan, of course) at the expense of all that was held-to so dearly before.

But not to worry. Given time Mr. Snake-oil will be around again, changed in appearance and ware’s, but exactly the same (if you know what to look for, that is). And those who do not know what to look for, those without values or purpose? They will stare in again with innocuous eyes and swallow his bitter pill while screaming louder yet at those who miraculously seem happy without it.

Yes, they are sinister tricks. He is sinister. But the apostles of 'ol Scratch teach hard, if necessary lessons. Take heart though, once identified and thwarted the Snake-oil Salesman is never so frightening again! His next time 'round we see easily through his slicked hair and glittering stickpin. This time we can walk straight through his big tent with it's divisive, deflating words, passing by his mirage of silvery arches, golden parachutes and crystal balls to find the greater reward of our own honestly earned achievements, rather than blaming others for our short-falls. It is a novel podium to rest upon, standing upon one’s merit.

It is why we don’t succumb so easily down South. It is why and how we remain red in this blue world. By burdening us with consciouses’, our mothers have raised skeptics. But even we are not immune from deceit. We have been tricked before into believing that we were better, smarter; that we were “right," that we were “favored” above others. But we were not better then, and we are not now. We determine our worths by providing for our own with outward benevolence. Humility gained is a blessing; to be the best that we can be, and to accept what that is as being enough.

We are born unwittingly into this dog-eat-dog world, but can still live and let live. There will always be bigger dogs, more ruthless dogs, more beautiful, and more hypoallergenic dogs. It is easy to feel frail, to crave the protection of the pack. Those big dogs must eat, but their supper needn’t be you. Do not fear them. Know what is right, what is written. Live not by the law of the jungle, but by the law of the land. Stay true to yourself. Stay humble, sharp, and wary when The Snake-oil Salesman comes your way. Ignore the crowd’s voice and listen to your own. Have pillars in your Faith that there are rewards for hard work and goodness. Do that Child, and and you may walk unhindered through this land, no matter who tries to sell you a bill of goods along the way.

Proser’s have their own holiday set aside.

Tell your friends.

Some of you may have missed this last year, while others see this for the first time. I created this a year ago today as my way of saying we are all in this together regardless of any differences we may have. We all need “our day” to single us out for what we do. Hence, I bring this back as our reminder.

Just hit this link: prosersunited.mailchimpsites.com then click where you see Proser’s United and read. It won’t take long, and you won’t have to give it a like or repost from there. And if you care to, save it to your favorites to come back to now and then.

And if you ever need to be reminded of what you do, go back, and read it again and again and again. Believe in what you do and believe in who you are.

It’s as simple as that.

Losing and falling into the flames,

Trying to smile when life plays mind games,

Famine, wars, and destruction

How did it get like this?

The harder I try, the less it makes sense,

Closing my eyes, I wish this was a fantasy,

But, reality can be a lot more twisted than fiction,

Maybe, the sins of our ancestors,

They are finally coming for us,

Death seems to be in every corner,

Like the weeds you pull out but they keep growing back stronger,

I wish I could see blue skies, a bit clearer,

Right now, all I see are storm clouds covered in blood,

The world is chaotic, is there any hope for us?

If it's the rapture, please show mercy upon our children,

They didn't ask to be put in a world filled with angry adults,

Greed, selfishness, it's all just a spiral into Hell,

God, please don't punish the innocent of our people.

I know this is a touchy subject, but it's really been on my mind the last several days. So first, for a little bit of background as to why I am even posting something like this...

I never agreed with the thought of abortion, but I didn't know why I didn't. I had no "logical" response when someone asked me why I didn't support it. So I did a bit of a search online and found Bible verses, and then went through my Bible and checked that they matched with the Word. And they did. So, for anyone out there interested what the Bible says about protecting life, or the unborn, or the innocent, here are eight verses from my King James Version Bible.

Jeremiah 1:5

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;

(God knew who we were before we came into this world. Makes me think an unborn child matters greatly to God)

Exodus 21:22

If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished according as the husband sit upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

23 And if any mischief follow, then though shalt give life for life.

(If a child is murdered before it's birth, the murder is to be killed. A life for a life)

Exodus 20:13

Thou shalt not kill.

(I never read, Thou shalt not kill, except for the unborn. It clearly states, Thou shalt not kill)

Exodus 23:7

Keep the far from false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thee not: for I will not justify the wicked.

(Slay not the innocent. The unborn at any stage of growth is innocent)

Deuteronomy 30:19

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

(Choose life. That simple)

Psalm 127:3

Lo, children are the heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

(We are God's heritage. And before we are born we are his reward)

Proverbs 31:8

Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

(Dumb means those who can't speak. We are to speak for those who can't speak for themselves, in the moment when they are to be sentenced to die)

A lot of people who try to justify abortions go to Numbers 5, so I thought I'd add that too, and explain my thoughts on it.

Numbers 5:27-28 (for full context read verses 12-31)

And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have trespassed against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.

28 And if the woman be not defiled, but clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.

(So, lots of people think this means God is totally cool with abortions. But you have to remember, this was ALL before Jesus was crucified. Only after He died could He forgive sins with His blood. But before that, they had to give sacrifices and offerings constantly. The water wasn't what would've killed the child, it was the curse and an oath. (Read full chapter for more context))

Finding these verses helped me stand stronger in my belief as to why I don't support abortions, and if you are a fellow Christian who was wondering the same thing I was, I hope these help :)

(I do understand some circumstances are different than others and that some pregnancies have complications and that in order to save the mother's life the baby must be aborted)

God bless you.

So Fire Me

Big Day Today

Drove Me Nuts

You Were Mean

Nasty OLE Person

I Told You

To Stop Nagging

I Was Hurt

So Fire Me

If You Want

Did I Care

I Was Exhausted

So Fire Me

Was Never Hired

Would've Left Job

Without Any References

So Fire Me

Bee In Butt

You Hornet Head

You Were Mean

So Fire Me

Mean Mouth You

Finally Not Taking

The Mouthy Words

So Fire Me

You Laughed Nasty

Witch Cackles You

I Knew Better

So Fire Me

You're In Past

This Is Now

Sad But True

So Fire Me

You Are Lost

That Is Sad

Sometimes You Know

So Fire Me

Today Is Dying

You Feel It

Past Is Rewinding

So Fire Me

I Will Stay

As You Lose

Your Cognitive Skills

So Fire Me

Getting Worn Out

I Will Stay

Until I'm Unknown

So Fire Me

©Julia A Knaake

The rain poured down the windows. I stared out at the muddy yard. It had been raining for two weeks straight. The flowers were wilted and the tree branches droop.

I sighed, and murmured, "Oh, John! I miss you so much! When will you come back to me?"

A single tear ran down my cheek, and I brushed it away with the back of my hand.

"The world," I whispered, "Is hopeless! If this goes on, I may cast myself off of a cliff, to perish."

Drawing my shawl closer around my shoulders, I placed my palms against the cool, wet glass of the window.

"John? Will you ever return to me?" I exclaimed softly, "I love you, John! I was wrong! I shouldn't have said those wicked, wicked things!"

A few more tears coursed down my cheeks. My lip quivered as my unseeing eyes stared out at the rain. Suddenly, desperation set in:

"JOHN!!!" I screamed wildly, "COME BACK!"

The door behind me opened slowly, and a girl's young face appeared.

"Anna? Why are you yelling? Mom wants you to wash the dishes after you finish your homework."

I flung of the shawl in a hurry and complained with a frown, "Tracy! You interrupted me!"

"Yeah? Whatever. Who's John?"

"He's my lover, and he has left me."

Tracy's eyebrows shot up as she stared at me.

"Okay...anyway, Mom wants you to do the dishes."

As Tracy closed the door she finished with, "Maybe you shouldn't read so many romance novels..."

"Ugh," I said grumpily, as I dropped onto my bed, "What else is there to do with all this rain, anyway?"

In-laws, out-laws seem the same. My monster-in-law has chosen not to spend anytime with our little family of 4 for the last 2.5 years. Yes partly because of Covid-1, partly because my husband works in a large retail store. In the beginning we were really cautious about everything to the point we even put our outside help in hold. My husband worked and I took care of our 2 kids with multiple disabilities And did virtual schooling for 1 of our kids. Even though we were not around anyone else my in-laws, spoken from my mother-in-law’s mouth, she wasn’t coming around because her son, my husband, worked in the large retail. My parents are both gone. My mom passed away 10 years ago this October and my dad’s been gone 5 years ago yesterday. This Lack of contact has made holidays & birthdays interesting and hard. When you have kids with disabilities holidays can be hard anyway. But now factor in the fact that there’s no family. Our kids miss out on so much, so many experiences, and so much family. So fast forward many months to 2 weeks ago, my in-laws have guests from out of state staying at their home spending 4 days with them. We live maybe 20 minutes from them. Then comes this weekend and they plan to have a house full of people for Easter. But guess who they never even asked? Me and the kids were home like every other day of the year. My husband worked all day like he does routinely weekly. Am I bitter? Maybe. Do I now want to chat with her right now? Definitely not. does she ever think she says or does anything wrong? Never. I’ve always said the people that are closest to you, you expect more from Those are the ones that knock the wind out of your sail. Strangers don’t have that power. Yet we give those closest that power. If you’re a lucky one that have marvelous in-laws you can count your blessings.

on cold nights, curled in our blankets and huddled together: our shoulders pressed together and laughter ringing out, ears tinged with red. i take your hand, carefully, secretly, my heart pounding so surely i think you must hear it. starting with a finger against yours. a brush of skin; something could be written accidental. my heart pounds harder. a second try: this time, more sure, with purpose, the back of my hand bumping against yours. something that can’t be explained away and my heart is so loud. i close my eyes. but i can still hear my heart. i think you might reject me, and i can’t make the leap, the back of my hand just rests against yours, but then — you complete it. you clasp my hand completely, so tightly, i startle. you make it so easy that i feel so silly for ever feeling nerves.

you’re grinning. cheeks squished; eyes like crescent moons. “what was that?” you ask, and i feel so ridiculous. we are already so close, crushed in this small space of our bed and yet, i was hesitating if i could hold your hand. i laugh.

“I don’t know,” i say.

you shake your head and i laugh harder. i draw my face closer, and still: despite the ridiculous, the knowledge i can cross this distant and you won’t turn your head, despite the knowledge i am allowed, i hesitate. and like before, you make the last move. you close the distance, and press your lips against yours. warmth. a pleasant feeling spreads all over me and it feels like my heart burst.

you’re grinning when i move back.

“what was that?” you ask.

this time, i feel more shy. “um,” I say. “i am not good at this type of thing.”

“I can see. so what type of thing are you good at?”

….this, perhaps, i think. loving you.

being right here: next to you, feeling the skin of your hand in mine and the heart of mine feeling like it might burst out of my ribs. seeing your face, hearing your voice and every part of my body loving you. loving you, the same thing as sitting next to you. the easiest thing. i couldn’t not love you, if i tried, i think.

you turn, suddenly, into a bright flush. all of your confidence and grin disappearing so quick into a flustered and i’m confused. then, oh — i realise. i turn into the same flustered mess as you. oh god, i can’t believe myself. i just said that out of loud, didn’t i?”

“….did you hear all of that?” my voice is a whisper: unable to bear the truth of that thought.

you nod, and damn. that’s really embarrassing. i duck my head. i am sure i look like I’ve been dunked in red paint. my hand is staring to sweat. so embarrassing, i think, again. “well,” I say, barely a murmur, “there. what I can do.” i can’t muster the strength to lift my head to look at you. i grip your hand tighter. i’m so curious of what expression you are making but still, i can’t lift my head.

i think maybe you’ll gently touch my chin and force it up. i hope. you don’t. so i have to make the last leap, this time: slowly, i lift my head and peak up and… oh, what a delight, i think. what a sight. how beautiful.

you’re still wearing that flustered expression, red all over and it feels like there’s confidence surging in me: I catch your eye and draw closer, closing what distance is there between us and kiss and kiss and kiss you. once, I am content, I pull back and smile brightly.

“I love you.” I say, confidently.

“….I love you, too,” you grumble back, a little later, voice a mumble that it’s hard to pick exactly what you said, but I hear it clear. my smile widens. I laugh.

“I love you,” I repeat and surely, I think, right now, at any moment, my heart is going to burst out of my chest for real.