Excerpt Tour and Giveaway: Bringing Up Mother by Beverly Johnson

Welcome to my stop on the excerpt tour for Bringing Up Mother by Beverly Johnson. This tour was organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. On my stop, I have an exclusive excerpt from the book. There's also the tour wide giveaway for a chance to win a $15 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour for more exclusive excerpts. Enjoy!

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Title: Bringing Up Mother

Author: Beverly Johnson

Publisher: Tellwell Talent

Publication Date: April 14th 2022

Print Length: 176 pages

Genre: Religious Memoir

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Beverley learns about God in Kindergarten and invites Him to come to Jamaica and give her her own Bible story. She goes home each day and waits at her gate for Him to show up. Will He show up, and will she be ready for her story if and when He does?

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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

My near-death experience didn’t change my focus one bit. I didn’t know what to make of it. Yet I did not run to church or draw closer to God. Instead, I continued to hang out at These Eyes, a nightclub I assumed was named after the popular song, “These Eyes” by The Guess Who. These Eyes, on Pape at Cosburn, not far from the Pape subway, was a social hub for many Black and Caribbean youth in the Greater Toronto Area. Its slogan was “These Eyes, the place to socialize.” And, boy, did we ever socialize.

I also spent Friday and Saturday nights at Mama G’s, Stayin’ Alive with the Bee Gees—and other young people from every racial, cultural, religious, and socio-economic background. Mama G’s was in the heart of Toronto, in the Yonge and Dundas area. Here, Catholics, Jews, and Protestants danced, chatted, ate, drank, and laughed together without a care in the world. That was the life I wanted, not a care in the world.

One night at Mama G’s, I heard a clear voice above the loud music say, “Bev, you don’t belong here. This is not what I brought you to Canada for.” I felt guilty, out of place, and lonely, but I wanted so desperately to fit in with the party crowd and have fun. Try as I did, I just couldn’t rid myself of the voice. But I didn’t leave. I just sat silently with my friends, with my arms folded across my chest.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Beverley Johnson was born and raised in the rural parish of Clarendon, Jamaica, where she attended the Content United Brethren Church and its Basic (Kindergarten) school, better known as Sister Betty's school. Growing up, she attended York Town Primary and Denbigh Junior Secondary school, now Denbigh High School. She migrated to Toronto, Canada, as a young adult. A graduate of the University of Toronto and OISE, she is an Elementary teacher by profession, and also a Sunday school teacher. She enjoys reading, writing, travelling and working with children.

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GIVEAWAY:

Beverly Johnson will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Good luck!

(All the Ups and Downs is not responsible for this giveaway, its entries, or the prize. Goddess Fish Promotions and the author assume all responsibility over this giveaway.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway