Maryanne Johnson (M.D. Johnson) was born in South Carolina to mother and father Ann and Horace Brown. She has a brother, Horace Brown III, who is a music genius. Her husband, Derrick Johnson, is a web developer/designer and she has a beautiful and artistically talented daughter, CC. She traveled extensively at an early age and lived in Germany and Guam. She toured Paris, France; Venice, Italy; London, England; Switzerland; Singapore; Phuket, Thailand; Dubai & the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain; and Cairns, Australia. She considers San Antonio, Texas home, but currently resides in Houston, TX. An African-American author, poet and playwright, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in English with a minor in Communications from Prairie View A & M University and her Masters of Management degree in Business Management from University of Phoenix. In her works she’s honest, liberated, passionate and controversial. Poets who have inspired her include Amari Baraka (LeRoi Jones), Kahlil Gibran, Tupac Shakur, Saul Williams, Black Ice, Alice Walker and her former college instructor Ntozake Shange.
She has been writing poetry since the age of 11. She attributes the discovery of her talent to her 7th grade African-American English teacher of Coke R. Stevenson Middle School, Mr. Evans. Having grown up in the suburbs, upper-middle class, the percentage of African-Americans in her community was minimal. She believes her talents may have been easily disregarded and overlooked due to her minority status and cultural diversity, had it not been for her teacher taking notice and interest. Since, she has had her works published in several school and university based pamphlets and newspapers, including: Young Author’s Conference: “Raindrops”, 1990; Wellspring Literary Magazine: Honorable Mention, “Run Free, Child, Run,” 1993; 2nd Place: “Strong Shades of Soul,” 1994; Honorable Mention: “Ashes to Ashes,” 1995; Fields of Gold: The National Library of Poetry, “Daddy’s Little Girl,” 1996; The Panther: Prairie View A&M University Newspaper (2 Poems), “Souljah,” “In More Than Words,” 1998-1999; Evolution of the Butterfly: Four-Sep Publications/Lockout Press, 2002.
Her first book is entitled “Serpentine Tongue”, a book of 11 books of poetry, plays, collages and sketches. She is an ambassador and activist for the upliftment of African American women through literature and the African American community. Her works encompass the concepts of black history, the perils of love, spirituality, sexuality, and so much more. Her books Food for the Soul and Serpentine Tongue are available through: www.authorhouse.com, Barnes and Noble and www.Amazon.com.
Young Author’s Conference. “Raindrops.” (1990).
Wellspring Literary Magazine:
Honorable Mention. “Run Free, Child, Run.” (1993).
2nd Place. “Strong Shades of Soul.” (1994).
Honorable Mention. “Ashes to Ashes.”(1995).
The Panther. Prairie View A&M University Newspaper (2 Poems):
“Souljah.”
“In More Than Words.” (1998-1999).
Evolution of the Butterfly: Four-Sep Publications/Lockout Press, (2002).
Serpentine Tongue. (2005). (Available: Author House, Barnes & Noble, Amazon)
Food for the Soul. (2008). (Available: Author House, Barnes & Noble, Amazon)
She also has featured poems in the following books, as she has a tremendous love for animals and nature:
Lost Tower Publications:
Hope Springs a Turtle: Messages of Hope from Around the World!; “Turtle Haikus” page 13, (2013)
Purrfect Poetry; “Cat Haiku” page 19, (2014)
Between 2015 to 2023, she has since published over 100 books via Kindle Amazon; however after being cancelled on Amazon for reasons she is still unaware of, out of the blue, other than violating Amazon’s policies somehow, she is now publishing her works elsewhere to include: YouTube, Pay Hip, Barnes & Noble, Teespring & TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers).
Her best takeaways from the experience:
- The comeback is always greater then the setback.
- Never put all your eggs in one basket!
- Her favorite Mexican Proverb: “They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds.”
She is looking forward to the next chapter of her life, where she can push her works further & excel on her own!
You can select the images above to view or purchase books. Please see STORE for all other publications available at this time. More to come in the future. All her children’s books are available and still in the process of being uploaded on YouTube: Maryanne’s Bookshelf
Also check out TPT – Maryanne’s Bookshelf for exclusive educational and entertainment freebies for your children!
Her expansion as a Creative will soon include Crafts & DIY Blogs, Products (T-shirts, Hats, Stickers and More), Music, Fashion, and VLOGs.
Contact: maryannesbookshelf@yahoo.com
What I offer:
If you are looking at add creativity, controversy, depth, clarity, authenticity and a diverse angle to your publications, you have come to the right spot! I value diversity. I believe you should have your own unique voice and freedom of expression, that embodies your brand, mission and meets the needs of your audience, no matter your business endeavor!
Who I am:
I have a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a minor in Communications from Prairie View A & M University and a Masters of Management degree in Business Management from University of Phoenix. Since 2000, I have worked in the government and military sector to include: Information Technology, Communications, Clerical and Administration, Small Library Development, Management, Customer Service, Call Center, Security, and Research. Prior, I have worked in Retail, Education, Data Entry, Telemarketing and Surveys. Having been a military brat and sailor, now veteran, I am well travelled. (See About page for more details).
I love giving back and have several projects in the background to do just that, to include the up and coming Author Org to help creatives have more reach, and Maryanne’s Bookshelf YouTube and TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers) to inspire children. My Volunteer endeavors include: Health Care Services, Girl Scouts, Church, Writing & Publication Projects, and Veteran Women’s Associations.
Services:
The services I offer depend on your unique personal, business and publication needs, to include the following:
- Articles
- Blogs
- Book Reviews
- Consultation
- Content Writing
- Creative Writing
- Editing
- Freelance Writing Projects
- Handwritten Documents
- Marketing Strategy
- Poetry
- Publications
- Resume
- Writing Life Coach
I am open to a wide variety of topics, as long as they are researchable and not degrading or derogatory in nature or towards others. However, please note my talents are best suited to creative writing pursuits opposed to technological, political, medical, whitepaper, and personal finance topics, but I am on occasion open to a challenge, as I love to learn new concepts.
Contact: maryannesbookshelf@yahoo.com
Simply CLICK the underlined – hyperlinked site name to view. More Coming Soon.
- Maryanne’s Bookshelf YouTube – Features Children’s Books, Educational Resources & Fitness
- Maryanne’s Bookshelf TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers) – Features Educational Resources for Students and Teacher Resources
- Medium – Features Book Reviews, Artist Interviews and Ads
- Hubpages – Features Articles, Poetry, Book Chapter Previews
- Quora – Features Advice, Questions and Answers
- Prose – Features Prose Poetry, Stories, Writing
- Wattpad – Features Afrocentric, Fantasy and Erotic Poetry and Book Chapters
- PoeticMC’s Blog – Features Ads and Author Interviews
- Inkett – Features Book Chapter Previews
- Flickr – Features Book Covers and Ads
- PayHip – E-book Store
- BlogSpot – Features blogs.
Simply CLICK the underlined – hyperlinked Article title to view. More Coming Soon.
- The Fall – A Poem paralleling the lives of President John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe metaphorically
- Bacon – A mouthwateringly delicious poem
- Burn Victim Haikus – A poem for women who have been victimized
- Relica Enchanted Series, Chapter 183, “Need I Say More” (c) 2019 – Fantasy Novella Book Series Story
- Quora Q&A: As a writer, what makes you decide that an idea, topic or character is compelling enough to make you want to invest your time in writing a book?
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Quora Q&A: Do animals know when someone is trying to help them?
- Quora Q&A: Is it normal to hate being a woman?
- Quora Q&A: Why do people have the wrong impression of me?
- 10 Tips on How to Be a Finisher When It Comes to Writing Your Book
- 11 Reasons Why Procrastination Can Be Beneficial
- Ways We Torment Men… Unaware
- The Unspoken Language of Women
- Book Review: Nassir’s White Coat by Artigua Kilpatrick, Illustrated by Rebecca Fischer
- Book Review: Ivory’s Story by Eugen Bacon
- Interview: FEATURED ARTIST: Millian Glenn
- Interview: Featured Author: Aidan Lucid
- Brace Yourself Michael B. Jordan Fans: For Double Your Pleasure, In The Up And Coming Movie: “Sinners”
- Editing Samples
- Infographic Showcase
I can proudly say all my books and writings have been self written. I believe AI provides creatives, both artists and writers alike, a valuable tool however in streamlining and adding value to what we would like to create. When one is blessed with wit and imagination, utilizing AI is a breeze, far more easier to use for creative ventures when you have certain ideals and unique creative visions in mind. However in its use and in reading AI’s compositions and art works, it clearly lacks a soul, or a spirit specifically. In listening to music AI has created I didn’t get chills down my spine, I wasn’t moved emotionally. I found the stories it told, when prompted specifically on what I needed, weren’t cohesive and didn’t always make sense, and the poetry lacked depth and feeling. I understand there are ongoing projects to make AI greater by integrating the influence of creatives, but in all honestly I doubt AI could ever replace real writers, artists, musicians and creatives because everything real artists produce come from a place of the spirit and the soul, -real raw, emotion, elation and pain and life experience. Something AI will never experience, comprehend nor understand despite all the influence it is given. I say this to say I am not bothered by or threatened by AI and find it useful. I have therefore provided some quick view links of how I have utilized AI below.
Simply CLICK the Images below to view. More Coming Soon.
