Riverview High: Circumstances

Letter To The Reader

12/24/14

What's up Wattpad fam! :) This is an extended preview of my eShort "Riverview High: Circumstances". Make sure you go and get the full version from Amazon! 

Letter To The Reader

“Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything.”

-Muhammad Ali

Wow! My first official book release! I remember just back last year I was working on proofreading my first novel The Diary of Aaliyah Anderson, getting ready to shop it to publishers and live out a dream that I’ve had since I was a little kid. I’d like to thank DC Bookdiva and the whole entire DC Bookdiva Publications family for making my dreams come true in so short of a time! I also would like to thank authors LaNina King, Benjamin Janey, Brittney Holmes and Allison Randall (Honey) for taking me under their wing and showing me the ropes of the publishing industry.

Whenever I write, I try to get a certain point or message across. Every story, article or any other piece of written work you see from me has a deeper motivation to it. In this story, I wanted to explore how relationships help or hinder your success. I also wanted to affirm that you should always have a positive viewpoint on life, no matter how tough your circumstances may be.

I always thought I had a good group of friends and associates around me that would support my dreams and aspirations. However, how could they support me as I chase success when they don’t aim for anything sustainable for themselves? Sadly, this is the story for many teenagers in the black community. The break-up of the family unit and a lack of positive role models are two reasons for this dismal mindset from my millennial generation.

It wasn’t until I realized that, outside of my family, I was alone in my fight to create better for myself in my life that I started to see true success. I stopped looking towards other people for validation. I stopped trying to conform and fit in a box with everyone else. In a sense, I became a rebel to what was perceived as safe and normal for a teenager to do. I made it my life purpose to become what I call a BMB (Business Minded Brother)!

A BMB is the modern day version of a renaissance man.  Not only are we intelligent, well-spoken and well-read, we’re also well-dressed and charismatic. We’re not lacking in any area! In my various stories and novels, I look to document the struggles and triumphs of BMB’s in today’s current society.

I noticed once I started to accept that I was a BMB and chase success by any means, positive people started associating themselves with me. In December of last year, I connected with my author mentor Benjamin Janey through a Facebook message that eventually turned into me getting a multi-book deal with DC Bookdiva Publications. Soon I started working with the Urban Intellectuals organization, writing for them and their sister website called Courting Her. Now the sky is the limit for me!

My story has proven that maturing in your views on life and associating with the right people equals massive amounts of success, abundance and prosperity. As young people, we’re bound to make mistakes and take missteps on our road to finding ourselves. However, it’s our responsibility to pull ourselves up and keep moving on. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Brianna, the main character of this story, definitely needs to heed this message. After discovering a dark, deep secret about her family, she hits rock bottom. She then starts to boast a cynical view on life, causing negativity to attack her at every turn. Will she be able to make her way out of her depressing slump? You have to read to find out!

Thank you for viewing this book and joining me in my publishing journey. I’m looking to change lives and make history!

Sincerely

Randall Barnes

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