MEET MORE READERS

I am happy to introduce a couple more of my blog readers! Vicky and Vanessa both read my blog and chat with me often. I am happy to have so many awesome readers and stay tuned because I still have many more questions and a couple more readers profiles! Thanks for reading! Ooo… and don’t forget to follow me on twitter @ChudneyLRoss!

Reader Profile: Vicky Foulks

I am sorry this has taken my sometime to get to. I know Mark had this great idea a few months ago, in fact before your mother’s tour, which I was very fortunate to be able to attend the show at the Nokia in L.A. and the show at Humphrey's Jazz Concerts By The Sea in San Diego. It was so special and so much fun!!

One day, I was searching for Diana Ross concerts because I wanted to attend one in 2007 and I came across your blog. I read your posts and was quite impressed with what I read. You are such a wonderful writer and it got my attention. One thing about me… if I do not like what I read or it does not get my attention, I will not look for it again. I found you to be very open, honest, down to earth, and not spoiled… all the qualities I look for in a friend. I also admired your ability to work with young children and wanting to give back and help in the community.

I work in the criminal justice system in California as a probation officer. I work with all the at-risk children and all the cultures, which are unique in themselves. I have to teach classes that help people learn life skills. I have an outgoing personality and believe each and every one of us had a gift inside that we need to use to help others or reach out to others. My friends would describe me as assertive, professional, hard working and easy to talk to. I am also told I can be the life of the party. I think I have learned over the years to be able to talk to people and relate to all types of people as that it my job. I know I have helped a lot of people over the years and many contact me later to thank me for believing in them. I think happiness comes from having made a difference in people's lives and being productive. In other words having goals and accomplishing them. You have to always have goals and once you finish one you set more and keep on going.

If I won the lottery (of course you have to play to win) I would help all the people I know in my family and friends that need help in this economy. My proudest moment is when I became a runner and fitness buff and competed in body building contests. I was extremely fit and have continued working out 5 to 6 days a week. Of course, I am not in the fitness level I was 10 years ago. I now do what I like to do spinning 3 days a week, hiking in the canyons in California, and weight training.

My favorite Diana Ross song… Oh, there are so many. I grew up in Chicago over the lake from Detroit. Motown was a fabric of my life as I was about 10 years old when I watched The Supremes on the ED Sullivan Show. I love all the oldies, Baby Love, Where Did Our Love Go, Stop In The Name Of Love, Come See About Me. Then, I love The Boss and Ain't No Mountain High Enough. She is my all time favorite singer and I know where you got your down to earth personality. I think your mom is very warm, caring and genuine, which is the way my friends describe me. I think it is from the mid-west people in general are like that.

I love to travel so when life gets to crazy I go to Cabo San Lucas to my timeshare and just relax. Thank you Chudney for giving me the opportunity to meet you and I really appreciate all you do for the at-risk children and the charity work you do. We need all the help we can get. I work in the Inland Empire Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga. I look forward to reading the comments from other's and yourself.

Reader Profile: Vanessa Brockington

Chudney, you are a great inspiration to me and to us all. I was reading your blog’s for a while now. I came across your blog a few months ago surfing the net. You may not know it, but your words of wisdom are very encouraging to me, but I was too shy to respond to them. I think you remember me from twitter as vanessab28. I just love reading everyone else profiles they are all great. Here is mine…

My name is Vanessa and I was born July 18, which makes me a cancer. I’m from Florida. I love autumn, because it’s not so hot or cold. I grew up in a Christian home. I love God, but we were never crazy religious. That’s a very good thing, considering, my mother is the pastor. Lol. My proudest moments are the little things like…My mother raises me to love everybody. We would have every ethnicity of kids in the neighborhood hanging out in our home. No matter if they were Caucasian American, African American, Latin American, Purple, Blue or Green. We loved them and they loved us. My shyness always was the talk in school or with family members. I guess I got it from my mother because my father is a chatterbox. One thing good came out of my shyness is my friends say, I’m a good listener. They also talked about how skinny I was. It hurt because I couldn’t help the way I was built. The happiest moment in my life is… my writing and being with family. I’m inspiring writer, like my late grandmother, Author Ruth Chandler. As of right now, I have a couple different writing projects that I’ve started.

I love the color black. All my friends and I would always walk around in black shirts and jeans. I look great in black. I am a rocker. I grew up on artists like Tina Turner and Bon Jovi. I’m a sucker for a good western show, like The Big Valley. It’s family thing, again. I love Xena Warrior Princess (She kicks ass). I also love football. Go Colts! But, I also had some kind of imagination growing up. I thought the number on back there shirt was how much the football players weighed. I had a huge crush on Jonathan Taylor Thomas. I wanted to marry Michael Jackson. I thought I was Tina Turner and Diana Ross and I wanted to fly with Christopher Reeve (Superman). Crazy huh? Yep, thank god I grew out of it. Lol

I really love traveling cruise style, which is something Chudney and I have in common. We must cruise together Chudney, kidding! Anyways, I’ve cruise to few different parts of the world. I love cruising. I try to cruise every year if I have the time to do it. I’ve been to Nassau, Bahamas, Cozumel, Mexico. So, Italy and London your next… If anything were possible? I would fly. I have a huge fear of flying in planes. I had this fear since I was little. To this day, I don’t fly. One day, I’ll get the courage and do it though.

Favorite Food: Baked Fish and Garden Salad.

Favorite Diana Ross song: Reach out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand), Amazing Grace (I‘ve heard so many people sang this song but, Diana sing’s it with such passion and feeling I cry every time she sing it.) And Chain Reaction (love the video)

If anybody wants to know where I am online, my twitter is… www.twitter.com/vanessab28

MORE OF YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Here are some more answers to your questions. I still have a lot to get to, but I will try to get to as many as I can! I hope you enjoy asking questions and getting to know me better this way. I think it has been a lot of fun. Thank you for all the great questions! Keep reading for more reader profiles and answers soon... and follow me on twitter if you don't already!

Questions from Terry Wilson from Seattle:

What do you consider to be your proudest accomplishment?

I would have to say my proudest accomplishment in my life so far was getting my book deal with Harper Collins. I sort of fell into writing and created this character that I loved and when other people loved her too, I was very proud. Now, that I have been stuck in re-write hell for so long I have lost some of that excitement and passion for my writing, but I am still proud of the accomplishment. I am also extremely proud to be making this business idea into reality. My friend and partner Mary and I had talked about it for a long time and I just decided to dig deep inside me and find the courage to go for it. Now, that it is coming together, I am really proud of myself. It is scary and at times overwhelming, but I’m going for it and I’m proud of that!

Questions from Mark Connolly:

What was it like growing up in New York City and then moving to Greenwich, CT? (If it isn’t too personal, I would love to hear a little bit about what it was like growing up at your family estate in CT. It sounds like a really cool place with a very rich history.)

I am very lucky and happy that my mother raised us on the East Coast. I love LA, but I think for celebrity children it is so important to grow up and build a foundation outside of Hollywood. We lived in NYC and Europe most of my youth and both are full of culture, which I feel fortunate to have been exposed to. I was able to experience the world at a young age and grow into an independent, strong woman with my own identity separate from being Diana Ross’s daughter. We moved around a lot when I was young, but eventually settled in Connecticut where I finished high school. The town is snooty and exactly what you would think about a gated community in an affluent community, but I was able to find my niche and I still keep in touch with those friends today. All of my greatest family memories are from that CT house, it was a great home to be a kid and perfect for family!

It has a big yard, tennis court, trampoline, pool and yes the rumors are true… a bowling alley in the basement. What was really so great about it though was it was safe and so we were able to have more freedom then we did in NYC and Europe. No security followed me to the movies with friends. I could just be me… and that was so important. I worry about celeb kids today with all the media attention. It’s almost impossible to avoid now and I just am not sure how these kids will be able to just have a normal upbringing when the paporazzi is standing outside their schools and following their every step, trip and fall. I wish they could all be so lucky to have grown up away from it all like me.

Have you ever vacationed on the Jersey Shore?

First of all, I am obsessed with Snookie, The Situation and the gang! The show is so fantastically terrible that I am so excited to watch on MTV every Thursday! Yes, I visited the Jersey Shore once during college, but no it was NOTHING like the show. I wonder if I was in the wrong part, but oh well :) My trip to the Jersey Shore was FABULOUS anyway even if there was no fist pumping or hair poofs!

Questions from Lena:

Do you have any plans to travel around when your books comes out to meet all types of children of this world? I ask this so you can learn the different life stories of these kids so you can write a book that can help them overcome any issue they might be having.

Yes, I do plan on traveling to read and do book signings when my book finally comes out. I think it would be great to be able to share my book with different kids from different areas because I think it will be relatable to kids from all walks of life. Once Books and Cookies is open, I do plan on getting back to focusing on writing, so stay tuned!

Do you have a copy of your aunt Rita's children album she came out with in 2000? If so when you go out to help children in your community have you played any of the songs for them to hear?

I do have a copy of my Aunt Rita’s children’s album and I LOVE it! Growing up, Aunt Rita used to always lead loud, rousing sing along sessions with my sisters, my cousins and I. All of the songs I cherish from my childhood are on that CD. I plan on having one on hand at Books and Cookies. Also Lena, what a great idea to share it with the kids I do charity work with. Those songs bring me great joy and I’m sure it would bring them happiness as well!