Ananda's Novel - Love's Troubadours: Karma - Book One

This board features information related to my debut novel Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One (2007). It includes art, articles, books, creativity, culture, fashion, food, healing arts, history, inspirational thoughts, music, musicians, photos, popular culture, venues, web sites, world travel, videos, and yoga. Visit http://amazon.com/author/anandaleeke to learn more about my book.
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Silhouette of a Person practising Yoga and Spirituality
Love's Troubadours characters rely on spiritual practices, positive affirmations, group prayer, yoga, reiki healing touch, meditation, chanting, journaling, ayurveda, therapy, astrology, and Tarot card readings to connect with, honor, and heal their spirits, hearts, minds, and bodies. Most are Baptist, Catholic, Christian, Unitarian, Buddhist, or Kemetian.
The characters in Love's Troubadours struggle with their emotions, choices, experiences, and relationships on some level. After all, they are human! Some choose to be lifelong learners who are committed to healing and accepting themselves by any means necessary. Others are not aware of their power to choose peace over suffering. They end up deeply wounding themselves and others.
Love's Troubadours' female characters are urban fashionistas and wine and martini enthusiasts. They are Soul Food, Thai, Mexican, Indian, and Haitian foodies, and Cake Love dessert lovers. They enjoy spending time with their financial advisors to make sure they are financially responsible; traveling to the Americas, Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Asia; shopping; attending and participating in spoken word events; hosting dinner parties; listening to music; appreciating art; and visiting museums.
Love's Troubadours Heart
I created this drawing based on the Haitian goddess Erzulie. The heart represents her veve. Erzulie and Haitiian art, culture, food, and spirituality. play a major role in my novel, Love's Troubadours. The drawing is included in the book and serves as the Love's Troubadours' logo.
Love's Troubadours main character Karma Francois is a yoga teacher in Washington, D.C., just like author Ananda Leeke (in photo taken in Malcolm X - Meridian Park by Leigh Mosley http://www.leighmosley.com). Karma teaches yoga at the Our Womanist Center and in Malcolm X-Meridian Hill Park. Throughout the novel, Karma uses yoga to manage her emotions and life changes. Her yoga practice is key to her personal healing journey.
Ananda shares her social media strategy@Capital BookFest 09
Watch Ananda discuss how she strategically developed the infrastructure of her characters' lives in her debut novel, Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One by creating links to her sorority, identiy as a Black American Princess (BAP), U Street neighborhood, alma mater Howard University, and artwork created while working as an artist-in-residence at Howard University Hospital on October 3. 2009, at the Capital BookFest's panel discussion on “Everything You Wanted to Know about Getting Published."
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This painting is really special to me. I created in honor of my best friend Deno Moss. We worked on the novel Love's Troubadours for two years before he died. The painting is called A Tribute to Deno, One of Love's Troubadours. It appears on the back cover of the novel. I gave it to his daughter Jordan as a gift.
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Karma: Aham Prema is the name of this painting I created for the cover of Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One. Aham Prema is a Sanskrit mantra that means I am love.
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The name of this painting is Karma: One of Love's Troubadours. I created it for my novel, Love's Troubadours. I sold it during the first book party in November 2007. That was a huge day!
My first novel, Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One tells the story of Karma Francois, a thirtysomething, California-born BoHo BAP (Bohemian Black American Princess) with Louisiana roots and urban debutante flair. Karma's life, relationships, and her museum curator career in NYC have crumbled, leaving no viable options to rebuild. She relocates to DC & confronts her denial, depression, debt, choices, and family secrets. My artwork appears on the front and back cover of the book.
YouTube
In March 2008, I had the honor of appearing on WUSA Channel 9 Morning News with anchor Andrea Roane. During the interview, I discussed Women's History Month, the meaning of art and creativity in women's lives, and the connection my novel Love's Troubadours shares with the Haitian goddess Erzulie and HIV/AIDS awareness. It was a lot of fun!
Check out the Root.com's July 2008 article “Om, Sweet Om” article that features Ananda and her debut novel Love’s Troubadours - Karma: Book One.
Read “Writer’s Block” article (October 2008) published by the Prince George’s Suite Magazine that highlights Ananda’s debut novel Love’s Troubadours - Karma: Book One and its connection to P.G. County, Maryland. The article also mentions Ananda’s childhood in P.G. County and artist-in-residence work with Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts at Howard University Hospital.
Author’s Month on Clutch – A Salute to Scribes: Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke
Read Ananda's November 2008 interview about her debut novel Love's Troubadours on ClutchMagazine.com.
The Women of Love's Troubadours are an eclectic blend of womanhood. They have the capacity to wake you up with their humanity, humor, hostilities, healing journeys, haute couture, and hurricane-like personas. Their energy, egos, expressions, ethnicities, and extracurricular activities offer an inside look into the multidimensional lives of straight and lesbian women of color with ancestral ties to Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe.