I do not play tennis; I can’t even run but Serena Williams is still an inspiration to me.
I was a teenager when a family member was SUPER excited about the new players to watch — Venus and Serena Williams. The teenage, Black sisters from Compton made the news that reverberated beyond die-hard fans of the sport. I’ve never followed tennis, but since that day, I would take note whenever I heard Venus or Serena’s names.
As time passed, Venus was the best female tennis player in the world, but I remember my family member saying, “Venus is great, but Serena is the one. She will be the greatest of all time.” The authority with which he said that made me pause. I couldn’t understand how he was so sure. The only other athletes that I’d heard referred to as The Greatest of all Time were Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky, and to me, it seemed a near-impossible task to reach such athletic excellence. Interested to see what he saw, I started seeking out interviews with the Williams’ sisters and taking note of the headlines published about Serena Williams’ ascent into greatness.
Though Venus and Serena Williams inspired countless to compete in and follow the sport, their effect on me was different — though profound.
I will never forget watching Venus and Serena in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. I wasn’t able to find the clip, but they spoke about getting their degrees and starting a fashion line in case tennis didn’t work out. What?! They were already the greatest female tennis players in the world (Serena had likely just passed Venus as number one — I can’t remember), and yet they were humble enough to talk about having a backup plan. (I can’t remember hearing another professional in any field — especially people with notoriety — talk about having a backup plan before or since.)
The other thing that struck me was the relationship Venus and Serena have as sisters. Their respect, love, and support of one another were a joy to witness. I always thought that if I ever had children, I would want to raise them to be like them (fortunately, King Richard starring Will Smith provided all of us with a glimpse into their family life and the beginnings of a blueprint that has been proven to work.)
Cheers to Serena Williams and her inspiring career. May her array of achievements continue to awe and motivate athletes, and her and her family’s barrier-breaking mindset, humble words, and humanity continue to inspire all of us.
Here are a couple of clips of Venus and Serena Williams on The Oprah Winfrey Show from OWN’s YouTube page:
Where Venus Williams Got Her Values
Serena Williams on copying her sister Venus:
It’s A Go!
Amber (A.F.S.) Green
*The image of the tennis ball on the court was graciously provided by Todd Trapani on Unsplash.
Whether it’s Happy Valentine’s Day or Happy Galentine’s Day, love is in the air!
While people are preoccupied with love stories and Cupid’s arrow, we’d like to give a special shout-out to those who love us unconditionally year-round — our furry, four-legged family members.
Issue 7 of Second Draft Journals: Love Notes & Paw Prints is the puuurfect journal for pet lovers everywhere. Whether you journal about your day-to-day life and goals, or you keep a record about your fur baby (because there’s just too much to tell if you have to rely on someone else to care for them), we hope that you love the original works of art, the short story, Puppy Love, and the poems about self-care and our four-legged friends. With white and rose-tinted lined pages, this Second Draft Journal is meant to be soothing and sweet long after the Valentine’s Day candy is gone.
Issues Of Second Draft Journals (scroll for links)
Second Draft Journals are created by A.F.S. Green (writer) and Dixie Roach-Foxton (artist), a mother-daughter duo in Ontario, Canada. This series of paperbacks is titled Second Draft Journals because those who will remember the COVID-19 pandemic will likely think of their life in two parts: what happened before the pandemic (our first draft) and what happened after (our second draft).
At the time of writing, the COVID-19 pandemic continues but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Whatever you desire from a journal, I’m confident that we have an issue for you!
Issue 5 of Second Draft Journals: A Dignified Collection
This is a celebratory issue that includes all of the original art and short stories featured in the previous four issues. Printed in vibrant colour, complete with goal-setting and lined pages (white and tinted pages), this journal is perfect for you and your loved ones.
Issue 4 of Second Draft Journals: For The Child In You
Second Draft Journals: For The Child In You (our first black-and-white issue!)
This is our first black-and-white issue. Enjoy the original works of art as printed or colour them in. (Which is great for stress relief!) It has lined pages, goal-setting pages, and blank pages (in case you like to doodle).
Enchanted Outlines (the short story in this issue), explores the secret world of colouring books as the characters in little Easton’s colouring book come to life! It’s for the child in all of us and is great for kids.
Issue 3 of Second Draft Journals: Fly In The Face Of Fear
Second Draft Journals: Fly In The Face Of Fear (our first issue with tinted pages!)
This issue is available in two sizes (8.27″x11.69″ and 6″x 9″). Printed in colour, it is the first one that has both white and tinted lined pages! With lots of lined pages, goal-setting pages, and original works of art throughout this issue, it’s one of our favourites.
Take Flight, the short story offered in this issue follows human and avian characters as they face their fears and an unlikely friendship forms. Fun for kids and adults alike!
The Storytellers’ Compact Size (6″x9″) is available on all marketplaces, including Canada, the USA, Australia, the UK, and Japan as well.
Issue 2 of Second Draft Journals: A New Beginning
Second Draft Journals: A New Beginning (Issue 2)
This issue is available in two sizes (8.27″x11.69″ and 6″x 9″). It is printed in colour with original works of art, goal-setting pages, and lined pages for you to journal, brainstorm, and take notes as you please. It’s perfect for the serious writers in your life!
The short story included in this issue reminds readers that Looks Can Be Deceiving (which is its title), as a group of friends examine the snap judgments that they make when they see an elderly lady sitting at a bus stop in their community. Heartfelt and hopeful, you’re sure to enjoy Looks Can Be Deceiving.
Issue 1 of Second Draft Journals: A Time Capsule For Hospitality
Second Draft Journals: A Time Capsule For Hospitality (Issue 1)
This issue is available in two sizes (8.27″x11.69″ and 6″x 9″). Published in the spring of 2021, our first Second Draft Journal was inspired by the plight of small-business owners (restaurateurs, in particular) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If These Walls Could Talk (the short story in this issue) follows a restaurateur and his group of friends that is narrated by the very walls of a restaurant itself.
Second Draft Journals: A Time Capsule For Hospitality is printed in colour, with original works of art, goal-setting pages, and plenty of lined pages to use as you please.
Life is a work in progress. Enjoy your second draft!
A.F.S. Green
Staycation For The Soul: A Collection Of Short Stories
Staycation For The Soul: A Collection Of Short Stories by A.F.S. Green
Female reindeer fight for equality and respect in the North Pole after a multi-generational cover-up is discovered. A masterpiece narrates its journey through time. An atheist talks to God. A premature baby decided when to be born. A mature dog finds a new life after the death of her beloved owner.
In Staycation for the Soul: A Collection of Short Stories, each story is imaginative and heartfelt. A.F.S. Green’s first collection is for anyone looking for a short break from their day-to-day life with messages of hope that are sure to reverberate long after the last page is read.
*Intended for readers who are 8-years-old and up (at the discretion of their parent or guardian).
Available on all Amazon marketplaces, including Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia.
The Ties That Bind
The Ties That Bind by A.F.S. Green (18+)
It was unfathomable that Angel would lose her twin sister, Eve, to an underground community in early 2009, but after Eve was attacked, things started to change — quickly.
The Ties that Bind is the premiere novel in a series about sisterhood and friendship, lust and affluence, and control and loss. When a seductive woman and a man with smouldering good looks present the twins with the keys to a world where lines are blurred between tradition and an alternative culture, professionalism and desire, and loyalty and a sexy, taboo lifestyle, which path will each sister choose?
*Intended for a mature audience, 18+.
Available on all Amazon marketplaces, including Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia.
I’ve started publishing under the pen name, A.F.S. Green (formerly, ‘Amber Green’) and I’m excited to do everything in my power to ‘make it’ as an author (because if not now, when?).
Pre-pandemic, I thought that signing a deal with a major publishing company was my only ticket to literary success, so I started publishing short stories in hopes that I would attract their attention and build an audience while I focused on my freelance writing business. Then COVID-19 hit.
All of a sudden, publishing my own full-length novels was a better idea than to wait for professionals to take notice of my work, so I started writing a novel I thought would be enjoyed by a mature audience (likely adult women).
I turned the short story that started my foray into publishing, Musings of a Masterpiece (which is available in Staycation for the Soul: A Collection of Short Stories) into a screenplay and my work has been sold and enjoyed by people in Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia, and Japan. (Which is incredible! Thank you to everyone who has read and purchased my work.)
What’s on the Horizon?
Throughout 2020, my focus has shifted from merely wanting to attract attention from people in the industry to a desire to become a respected professional in publishing as time goes on. (I would like to help other writers as I progress and grow, so I am starting a writers’ group in 2021.)
Though The Ties That Bindis the first novel I published, it’s not the first novel I wrote. I completed my first novel (an untitled work of fantasy intended for readers 16+) in the summer of 2019.
Since we’re in a 28-day lockdown in Ontario, I am focusing on editing and publishing it as soon as possible.
If you’d like to receive updates and special offers as I continue on my journey, please join my mailing list.
My heartbeat would race and my whole body would shake. I would be out of breath and I’d speed through whatever I had to say so I could sit back down and escape the front of the room. This would happen every time I presented. (And once in a while, it still does.)
I’ve always been a better writer than a speaker. I was aware of this from an early age and actively avoided public speaking opportunities.
In order to combat this, I joined Toastmasters (a non-profit organization intended to develop public speaking and leadership skills) in my early twenties. I loved my original Toastmasters group in downtown Toronto, but life got in the way.
After a hiatus, I rejoined Toastmasters and I have been a member of my club for the past two years.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic has existed as an end to ‘the way things used to be’, it also serves as the beginning of a new chapter. In addition to publishing my first novel this month, I will be starting my podcast.
I look forward to providing you with updates on my blogs (The Write Results and It’s A Go!) by the end of the month.
I saw this painting many times throughout my childhood; the black person’s eye is open and the white person’s eyes remain closed.
I thought, if she painted it today, the white person’s eyes would be open too; bearing witness to the reality our black friends face.
So I asked her: If she painted this design today, would she change it?
She surprised me by saying that she would’ve painted both sets of eyes closed — hopeful that the day that black people can shut their eyes and enjoy a moment of peace and relaxation is on the horizon.
Art may be subjective but — whether you imagine Dixie Foxton’s design with eyes open or closed — I hope that humanity stands together until both interpretations are realized and become commonplace.
Thanks for letting me share your work, Mom.
Amber Green is a self-published Canadian author and freelance writer. Her short stories can be found here: www.amazon.com/author/ambergreen
