Votes for Vixen

Usually on these blog tours, authors talk about themselves and the book. Well, I want to talk about someone else and my book, a woman that when I came across her, inspired me so much, I put her in the book. I made a spot for her! It’s one of these scenes an editor would arch a brow and say, “Is this relevant to the story?”

No, but I wanted this woman in my book. She is a true inspiration.

Her name was Mary Church Terrell.

She was the daughter of slaves and in a time when people of African descent were treated in the cruelest manner, she refused to submit. You know what this lady did? She got a college degree! She attended Oberlin College with all white men! Can you imagine how awkward she must have felt? I mean, I know what it’s like just to be a woman in a building full of men, add racial tension to that…and this was the 1880s.

Nevertheless, she earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree both and went on to teach and run her own school. She spoke at least three languages. She was very active in suffrage, thus her appearance in Votes for Vixens.

Terrell was the first president of National Association of Colored Women. This was an organization that helped many African Americans in need, focusing on education and ending discrimination.

In 1904, she was the only African American woman at a major conference. She wowed the crowd and received a standing ovation for reciting her speech in three different languages.

Her activist movements did not stop with obtaining the right to vote, either. In the 1950s, she was at the helm of the fight to integrate eating places. She participated in picketing and protesting well into her eighties.

This woman was just not taking NO for an answer.

I think we should all fight for what we believe in.

To find out more about Mary Church Terrell:

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/civil/jb_civil_terrell_1.html

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aap/terrell.html

The scene Mary’s fictional character is in was, sadly, a common scene back then. Even though women in general, women of ALL colors and races were being denied the same right, many white women refused to march/work side-by-side with women of non-white heritage. They too often forgot they were all fighting for the same thing. And that is why women like Mary Church Terrell were important. She didn’t back down and continued to fight for African American women everywhere, when others were so eager to deny them a voice—even their own sex.

Is there a woman in history, readers, that inspires YOU? Have you ever just come across a memento, a biography of someone that just hit you somewhere deep inside? Inspired you to keep chugging along? Made you sit on the computer for hours, Googling for more information?

Feel free to comment.

Votes for Vixens is available on Amazon, Smashwords, and All Romance Ebooks.

Blurb: 

Elizabeth is a small-town Kansas girl who has grown up under her domineering father's shadow. When she finds out that her father has denied her hand in marriage to the town's most eligible bachelor--a man she's long secretly desired--she snaps. Her father punches her for the last time. She realizes she has no future and with stories of suffragettes, women's rights, and voting in her head, vows to be free.

She escapes to New York City where she meets Margaret. Margaret believes in the right to vote for women and engages Elizabeth to join in the National Women's Party activities.

Operation: Opera House is underway. In a month's time, President Wilson is due at the Metropolitan Opera House to give a speech. The NWP hopes that a peaceful protest will convince the president to gather congress in order to ratify the 19th Amendment.

As they prepare and plan, Margaret shows Elizabeth how to live and love. Under Margaret's sensual touch, Elizabeth begins to heal from numerous emotional wounds. But on March 4th, 1919, their "peaceful protest" becomes a riot on the streets of New York.

A riot ensues in Elizabeth's heart as well when her former flame shows up in the city…

***

Tara Chevrestt is a deaf woman, former aviation mechanic, writer, and an editor. She is most passionate about planes, motorcycles, dogs, and above all, reading. That led to her love of writing. Between her writing and her editing, which allows her to be home with her little canine kids, she believes she has the greatest job in the world. She is very happily married.

Tara also writes as Sonia Hightower. Sonia writes the racy stuff and argues that she was here first. She just wasn't allowed to be unleashed until the last year.

They both agree, however, that strong is sexy, and they don't write the average, simpering damsel. They write about women who see what they want and obtain it.

While Tara and Sonia continue to fight over the laptop and debate who writes the next book, you can find buy links, blurbs, and other fun bits on their website: http://tarachevrestt.weebly.com/index.html or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tara-Chevrestt-Sonia-Hightower/218383211513877.