Authors In Color

Early Fall Releases You Should Read

2011-09-21T15:47:00.000-04:00

The weather is cooling down (at least in the NYC) and the idea of curling up with a book and a cup of tea sounds really good to me. Here are a few books on my reading list that I wanted to share with you.

Randall Robinson's new fiction release Makeda has been getting good reviews everywhere. A young man by the name of Grey makes a connection between his grandmother and a biblical African queen.

Martha Southgate's The Taste of Salt tells of a family's struggle with a relatives' addiction while giving you insight into a young woman's rare career path.

Gillian Royes' The Goat Woman of Largo Bay . Set in Jamaica, this book is the first in a detective series. If you like a little mystery along with suspense, this book is for you.

Helen Oyeyemi's Mr. Fox. A man, his wife and his muse become characters in his own writings.

Elizabeth Nunez's Boundaries looks at an immigrant who strives for all the showings of success in order to assimilate yet still feels like an outsider.

Video of Hill Harper Discussing The Wealth Cure

2011-08-27T15:58:00.000-04:00

Hill Harper discusses The Wealth Cure on Morning Joe.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Wealth Cure by Hill Harper

2011-08-23T08:01:00.001-04:00

Hill Harper is on tour promoting his latest book The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in Its Place. Please go out and support Hill in your city and purchase the book which comes out Tuesday, August 23. He has broken down for us the correct way to view money, how wealth is more than just money and the fact that happiness is not the result of having lots of money. In the book, Hill also talks about the cancer diagnosis that helped him define what's most important in life.

Date	Tuesday, Aug 23 2011
Location	Harlem, NY 10027
Event Name	Hue-man Bookstore

Date	Wednesday, Aug 24 2011
Location	Atlanta, GA 30305
Event Name	Barnes & Noble

Date	Thursday, Aug 25 2011
Location	Baltimore, MD 21201
Event Name	Enoch Pratt Library

Date	Saturday, Aug 27 2011
Location	Clifton, NJ 07014
Event Name	Barnes & Noble

Date	Saturday, Sep 17 2011
Location	Boston, MA 02116
Event Name	Boston Public Library

The Comeback

2011-08-06T11:48:00.000-04:00

Very soon Authors In Color will be coming back with fresh content. I hope your as excited as I am. There are some really interesting books coming out this Fall/Winter/Spring and of course, I want each and every one of you to be in the know.

Not only will I continue to profile new books but in a new series called "Flashback" I'll reintroduce books that have been out for a while, but forgotten.

Stay Tuned...

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones

2011-06-01T21:13:00.000-04:00

Tayari Jones is currently promoting the release of her new novel Silver Sparrow. I have my copy and hope you go out and get yours.

If you're in one of the following cities, go out and meet Tayari.

Thursday, June 2, 7:00pm– Iowa City, Iowa
Prairie Lights Live!

Friday, June 3, 4:00pm– Champaign, Illinois
University of Illinois Bookstore

Saturday, June 4– Chicago, Illinois
Printers Row Book Festival

Tuesday, June 7, 7:00pm– Seattle, Washington
Elliot Bay Books

Wednesday, June 8, 7:15pm– Decatur, Georgia
Georgia Center For the Book

Monday, June 13, 7pm– San Francisco, California
The Rumpus Literary Series

NPR has an excerpt of the first chapter from Silver Sparrow on their website along with an interview of Tayari discussing the book.

Hot Finds From Yesteryear

2011-02-03T15:41:00.000-05:00

Recently while traveling in the Bronx, I found myself waiting for the bus in front of a library branch I've never been in. My curiosity got the best of me and I went inside. After taking in the layout, I noticed a cart of books near the entrance with a sign that read "books for sale."

By the time I walked out, I'd found two books by authors I'd never read before. I felt inclined to share with you all because this is often how I find books that I may not have known existed. And while I want to use this blog to promote new releases, I cannot forget the books of yesteryear. After all, a good story is irresistible.

At this point you may be asking yourself, "what did you find Shalema?" And my answer is...

Nouvelle Soul is a collection of twenty-four short stories. Great scenes from everyday life.

Sapphire's Grave tells the "saga of black women in America."

2011 NAACP Image Award Nominees for Literature

2011-01-12T18:24:00.000-05:00

The NAACP Image Award nominations came out today. I want to congratulate all the nominees in the Literature category.

Outstanding Literary Work -Fiction

· "A Taste of Honey" - Jabari Asim

· "Getting to Happy" - Terry McMillan

· "Glorious" - Bernice L. McFadden

· "Till You Hear From Me" - Pearl Cleage

· "Wench" - Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Outstanding Literary Work -Debut Author

· "Wench" - Dolen Perkins-Valdez

· "The Girl Who Fell from the Sky" - Heidi Durrow

· "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" - Isabel Wilkerson

· "Beneath the Lion's Gaze" - Maaza Mengiste

· "Forest Gate" - Peter Akinti

Happy New Year Book Lovers!

2011-01-05T21:26:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone. Wishing you all God's best this year and beyond. And of course, wishing you all good reading.

Please excuse the lack of post as I'm working on some other things. My expectation is to have post resume regularly by the beginning of February.

Shalema

I'm Reading...

2010-12-01T01:28:00.000-05:00

When I Get Where I'm Going by Cheryl Robinson. I picked this book up out of curiosity. It turned out to be a good read.

The book centers around three sisters: Hope, Heaven and Alicia. Each with a story to tell, there is a major divide between them due to a family secret and deceptions. Will these ladies close the gap and savor the joys of sisterhood? Only one way to find out, you have to read the book.

Having Your Say

2010-11-27T00:21:00.001-05:00

If you've ever wanted to have the ear of a major publishing house, now is your chance to express the type of books you want to read. Grand Central Publishing would like to know your reading preference by taking a survey at this link, http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GCPAfricanAmericanBooksandAuthorsSurvey.

Becoming A Woman of Destiny Q&A

2010-11-16T19:47:00.000-05:00

My first introduction to Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook was through an Ebony magazine article back in either 2004 or 2005, right before my move back to NYC. It was exciting to see a spotlight on a female minister who was making an impact.

I thank “Dr. “Sujay” (as she is affectionately known to many) for taking the time to answer a few questions about her latest book, Becoming A Woman of Destiny.

Authors In Color Becoming a Woman of Destiny is a timely book for women who need encouragement and even gives an example of a woman who has held many titles (wife, mother, leader in the workforce, etc.) and succeeded in each capacity. What was the event that sparked this book for you?

Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook As I approached my fifties, I realized that there were many books out there written from a male viewpoint on the second half of life, but very few from a woman’s perspective that really address the change of seasons we undergo. Most of the women around me and with whom I came in contact were beginning to face the same questions as I was myself – the question of how to move forward and navigate this next transition. Some were empty nesters, others on the other side of marriage, as widows or divorcees… So this book is about learning how to turn trials into triumph, making life work for us.

AIC In the book you make this statement “… every challenge is there for your ultimate good.” If I get laid off from my job, how do I find any good in that?

Dr. SJC You can view this – and every challenge really - as a chance to close a chapter as well as a chance to open the door to a new opportunity. If you lose your job, you can choose to view this as a beginning rather than an end—an opportunity to try something you’ve always wanted to do or to realize your true destiny.

AIC Another statement made in the book is “Challenges make her stronger, brighter and expanded in wisdom.” What is your advice for how a woman can use this statement when in the midst of a storm? It seems so much more inspirational when all is going well.

Dr. SJC A storm is a time to actually be still. When birds fly and a storm comes, they band with the wind. Similarly, when a storm comes into your life, you need to stop, take a moment to think through your options and, if need be, reposition yourself with the wind. That’s what the statement above is all about – knowing how to navigate the transitions and challenges in your life and knowing that these things serve to strengthen us.

AIC When I was reading through Becoming a Woman of Destiny, it seemed geared towards more seasoned women who have experienced full careers? Can women in the early stages of their career (20s and 30s) use this same advice?

Dr. SJC Very much so. It’s for any woman going through transition. The seasoned woman has the benefit of her prior experience to help her choose what step to take next, but women of any age need to learn how to take life’s difficulties and turn them into moments of triumph. We all have a choice as to how the rest of our life can unfold.

AIC You break the book down into four pillars: Intelligence, Spirituality, Action and Community. Can you summarize each pillar?

Dr. SJC The pillars are inspired by the Bible’s Deborah and represent the four essential qualities that made her such a successful, multi-dimensional woman. They are:

Intelligence: The ability to pursue new goals with clarity and thoughtful strategies.

Spirituality: The practice of nurturing your sacred self through prayer and trust in God

Action: The process of moving forward and performing every action with integrity

Community: Knowing how to draw wisdom and support from your Destiny Circle (a special group where women can learn from each other’s life experiences, measure their progress, validate their work and ideas, and find inspiration)

AIC In this book you talk about Deborah from the bible. Why did Deborah’s story interest you? As a pastor do you think there are many more examples we can use in modern times from the bible?

Dr. SJC Certainly there are many figures from the Bible that could be inspirational. However, for this book, I wanted to focus on one woman who has been an inspiration and role model throughout my life. Spiritual foundation is necessary for our centering, so that’s why I chose her. Deborah was a wife, judge and prophetess, and her spiritual life, career identity and family life were in balance. Many women these days can identify with having to wear and balance many hats, and Deborah is the Bible’s best example of a woman who did this and did it well.

AIC You did a great job with this book. Can you give us a sneak peak into your next book?

Dr. SJC I can’t say too much at the moment, as book two is still in the creation stage. However, I can say that it will build on the idea of the Destiny woman and will give women additional tools to empower themselves to reach the next level.

I Love Black Authors

2010-10-13T22:37:00.000-04:00

Loving black authors is not just represented by a button I wear. Hopefully it comes out in this blog and when I'm sharing the details of a book with another book lover in conversation.

I wanted to let authors know that I appreciate you and will support you by purchasing your books and sharing the good news with all I encounter.

Special shout-out to all the authors who take the time to recognize us the readers. For me there is no greater joy than meeting you the writer or having you respond to an email and in some cases a phone call. You make my heart happy.

Carleen Brice

Marsha Haygood and Dhalma Llanos-Fugueroa with GOG! Book Club members

Bernice McFadden

Ernessa Carter

Aliya S. King

Getting To Happy by Terry McMillan

2010-09-08T11:58:00.000-04:00

I was very excited to revisit the lives of Savannah, Robin, Gloria and Bernadine in Getting To Happy. Curious to the way life was treating them 15 years later.

Terry McMillan wrote women who were easily unidentifiable to me. I've seen these women in my family and community struggle with male relationships, have successful careers, while depending on the protectiveness and comfort of a group of sisterfriends.

Before I sat to read the book, I had my own ideas of what could have happen in each of their lives. However, I was surprised to learn that getting to happy was still a journey and not quite a destination point for the women. The title is truly a perfect fit for the story.

I encourage you to take the remaining warm days we have left and go sit in your backyard or a neighborhood park and allow these characters to reintroduce themselves to you.

Terry McMillan at last night's reading & signing in NYC

Also in attendance, William Frederick Cooper, Donna Hill & Bernice McFadden

Literary Events in NYC For September 6-12, 2010

2010-09-02T21:41:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, 9/7/10
Who: Terry McMillan
What: Getting To Happy
Where: Barnes & Noble, Union Square

33 East 17th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 253-0810

Time: 7PM

Friday, 9/10/10
Who: Terry McMillan
What: Getting To Happy
Where: Hueman Bookstore
319 Frederick Douglass Boulevard
New York City, NY 10027
(212) 665-7400
Time: 6-8PM

Who: Danielle Evans, Tayari Jones,Ta-Nehisi Coates and Jeffery Renard Allen
What: ringShout: A Place for Black Literature
Location: Littlefield, 622 Degraw St. (between 3rd and 4th Aves.) Brooklyn
Time: 7–9 PM
Price: $5 (suggested donation)

Sunday, 9/12/10
What: Brooklyn Book Festival
Where: BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL
209 JORALEMON STREET
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11201

10AM: Colson Whitehead (Sag Harbor) participates in It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll (But I Like It).
Where: St. Francis College Auditorium

10AM: Farai Chideya (Kiss the Sky) participates in Youth Is a Foreign Country.
Where: Brooklyn Borough Hall Courtroom

11AM: Marlon James (The Book of Night Women), Elizabeth Nunez (Anna In-Between) participate in Mothers and Daughters.
Where: Brooklyn Borough Hall Courtroom

11AM: Donna Hill (Getting Hers) participates in Wrong Turns.
Where: ST. FRANCIS READING ROOM

11AM: Tanya Wright (Butterfly Rising) participates in Next Texts: Five Debut Novelists.
Where: ST. FRANCIS MCARDLE HALL

12PM: Marlon James (The Book of Night Women) and Bernice L. McFadden (Glorious) participate in Past Is Not Past.
Where: Brooklyn BOROUGH HALL COURTROOM

12PM: Ta-Nehisi Coates (The Beautiful Struggle) participates in Pop Life: Music, Memory, and America’s Coming of Age.
Where: ST. FRANCIS MARONEY SCREENING ROOM

1PM: Thomas Chatterton Williams (Losing My Cool). participates in The Problem with Music.
Where: ST. FRANCIS MARONEY SCREENING ROOM

1PM: Charles Fuller (Snatch) participates in About a Boy.
Where: THE YOUTH STOOP

3PM: Donna Hill (Private Lessons) participates in Romancing the Novel.
Where: ST. FRANCIS MARONEY SCREENING ROOM

4PM: Jabari Asim (A Taste of Honey) participates in The World in Fiction.
Where: BOROUGH HALL COURTROOM

5PM: Venus Williams in conversation.
Where: MAIN STAGE

5PM: Martha Southgate (Third Girl from the Left) participates in NBCC “Name that Author”.

Where: ST FRANCIS MARONEY SCREENING ROOM

5PM: Maaza Mengiste (Beneath the Lion’s Gaze) participates in Border Crossings.

Where: INTERNATIONAL STAGE

Substitute Me by Lori L. Tharps

2010-08-28T19:52:00.000-04:00

Substitute Me tells a modern day story from the perspective of Zora, the nanny and Kate and Brad, the couple that hires Zora to take care of their son Ollie. While Zora ponders what her ultimate career will be, she answers a "Substitute Me" ad that appears in a newspaper. Zora gets the job and soon finds she fits in perfectly with the family. Not only does she care for Ollie, soon she goes all Julia Childs by preparing very extraordinary meals and desserts. Unfortunately the family that appears in the beginning of the story is not the same at the conclusion of the story. But you have to go out and get your copy to find out the details.

I ask Lori a few questions about her first novel, Substitute Me. Read below for her answers.

A.I.C. Substitute Me is an interesting title. The meaning even more intriguing when I read the help wanted ad that appears in the story. How did the title come about?

L.T. I love the title because once you understand where it comes from, you’re like ahhhh. Honestly I don’t remember if the title came first or second. I know with my previous book, Kinky Gazpacho, I came up with the title before I even knew I was writing a book.

A.I.C. Why did you choose to write Zora as a young woman instead of as an older caretaker?

L.T. Oh, good question. I wanted to explore this notion of hiring another woman to perform one’s most intimate tasks. I wanted to play with this idea of what women think about when hiring their own substitute. Obviously the more familiar she is, the more likely you are to relate to her and potentially hire her. In some ways, that’s why Kate hires Zora. Because even though Zora is black, she seems familiar to Kate.

A.I.C. In chapter two it’s revealed that Zora loved reading literary fiction with multicultural characters. That sounds similar to what you’ve written with Substitute Me. Is this your preference also?

L.T. Absolutely! That’s probably the only thing truly autobiographical in the novel. Stolen directly from my own life.

A.I.C. Why this subject matter for your first novel? Was it a current topic in your life?

L.T. As a matter of fact, the idea for Substitute Me was born when I started interviewing women to take care of my newborn son. I got so overwhelmed with the process; I just quit my job instead. Kate Carter is far braver than I.

A.I.C. Is this a cautionary tale? What is your intention with this novel?

L.T. Substitute Me is not a cautionary tale, in that I don’t want people to think all nannies are inherently devious home-wreckers. I wanted to write this book to get people talking about motherhood and childcare and the choices we make and the repercussions we must face for making them. It’s a jumping off place to start talking. But I also just wanted to write a story that would make people say, ‘Hot Damn!’ and then pass it on to their best girlfriend.

A.I.C. Will Zora, Brad or Kate make an appearance in a future novel?

L.T. You’re the second person to ask that question. I think it would be interesting. We shall see.

Self-Published Offerings

2010-08-20T08:53:00.000-04:00

Self-publishing is not new, and many authors have been so successful with it, that it has caused mainstream publishers to take notice, wanting to get in on the action.

For instance, almost two-years ago I came across this book that had a beautiful cover and was self-published. I read the book and though it was a very sad story but a good read. That book has now been re-published under a major publishing house. That book is Color Me Butterfly by L. Y. Marlow.

What I can appreciate about self-publishing is that it's another avenue in which you can get your story out to the world. Especially if a major publisher can't see the value in your story. With that said, I believe if you are going to do it yourself do it well. There are so many resources and so much information available these days that can help with the process of self-publishing.

I've recently come across some self-published titles that had interesting stories to tell.

Snatch by Charles Fuller

Fuller is a playwright known for the success of A Soldier's Play. In Snatch he transports readers to 1838 New York to witness the adventures of two brothers, David and Charles.

Raised By The Mistress by Jamilah B. Creekmur

With honesty and bravery Jamilah B. Creekmur recounts the story of her mother, the other woman. Raised By The Mistress reveals the twenty year secret relationship between a married man and his mistress, and the fall out that was a result of this affair.

Butterfly Rising by Tanya Wright

Fans of Tanya Wright, who plays Kenya on HBO's True Blood, get to see the writer side of her in the newly released Butterfly Rising. We meet Lilah, who seems just a bit odd to the locals and Rose, hungry for men, both taken and free. An unlikely bond forms between these two women when they are forced to flee a small town.

Book Giveaway

2010-08-02T08:39:00.008-04:00

And the winners are...
Jada B. and Allsion. Congratulations and I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

I have two copies of 32 Candles to give away. To enter, just leave your email address in the comments section of this post or send me an email at shalema.mcghee@gmail.com.
This giveaway will close at midnight, Monday, August 16, 2010.

Happy Birthday To Me!

2010-07-30T19:10:00.001-04:00

I'm doing exactly what I enjoy best, lounging with a good book. Since I couldn't get away to a tropical island, I found me a little spot on the island that is Manhattan.

A Celebration for 32 Candles

2010-07-22T20:13:00.000-04:00

At the beginning of this month I posted my take on 32 Candles by Ernessa Carter. It was a really enjoyable read. If you are wondering what your next book should be, search no more, this is the book for you. You can find it at your local bookstore or online retailer.

Yesterday I was able to join Ernessa and a few others in celebrating the release of 32 Candles. Pictures are below.

The party was held at Georgia. Located in SoHo, the boutique offers products for your hair & body.

Display of the book

Me and Ernessa (she is so sweet!).

Ernessa chats up Ron Kavanaugh, Executive Director of Mosaic Magazine

Ernessa's Editor Dawn Davis tells us what she loved about the book.

Ernessa and Dawn Davis

Lori L. Tharps, author of Kinky Gazpacho and the upcoming Substitute Me.

Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum of Harlem.

I really liked this sign. It hangs on the back wall of Georgia. The other half of the sign says loose and straight.

Pictures From The Harlem Book Fair

2010-07-18T21:50:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday Harlem played host to the 2010 Harlem Book Fair. Bernice McFadden and Terry McMillan were in attendance to discuss the future of African American Fiction. I just heart these two.

Terry reads from Glorious.

Terry and Bernice in conversation

Sonia Sanchez, Terry McMillan & Bernice McFadden

Haki Madhubuti speaks during the Q&A

Tracy Smith, member of Go On Girl! Book Club, at the Heart & Soul Magazine booth

Me representing the ladies of GOG! We love our black authors.

A Veteran Returns With A New Release

2010-07-16T23:20:00.000-04:00

Victoria Christopher Murray holds a special place in my literary heart. Mainly because she was one of the first black authors I discovered in a little library I would frequent in Newport News, VA. One of the first books I read authored by Christopher Murray was Joy (2002). Joy told the story of Anya, a successful Christian woman who faces the most horrible of assaults--rape. Anya eventually discovers she's pregnant. Decisions have to be made that will affect Anya for the rest of her life. Will her fiance Braxton still be in the picture when all is said and done? I won't give the ending away became perhaps you'd like to get a copy and read this story for yourself.

Christopher Murray's latest release is Sins of the Mother. If you've been following the storyline of Jasmine Larson, you know she can be a handful. In this latest offering, Jasmine finds herself the victim of a very devastating occurrence. Her oldest child, four-year-old Jacqueline is kidnapped from a mall on Black Friday. The person behind the child's disappearance may be closer to Jasmine then you think. Sins of the Mother is in stores now.

Party for Platinum

2010-07-13T11:46:00.001-04:00

Last night Aliya S. King had a party for the release of Platinum. Held at BoConcepts on Madison Avenue, the party drew a host of well-wishers.

Aliya is so talented. Not only can she write a great story but she also manages to read while standing on a crate in sky-high heels.

Me and Aliya

R&B singer Mashonda (ex-wife of super producer Swizz Beatz) and Tashera Simmons (wife of rapper DMX) came out to support Aliya.

Me and freelance writer and dinner party hostess Bevy Smith

Me and Toccara Castleman, blogger at Diary of a Mad Cool Woman.

Kimberly Cooper and Syreta Oglesby came out to celebrate. Both ladies have essays in Souls of My Young Sisters

Platinum in stores now.

Platinum by Aliya S. King

2010-07-07T07:44:00.000-04:00

It's hot outside in NYC but Platinum (In stores now) by Aliya S. King is sizzling hot, juicy and a page turner. This is Aliya's first novel and she hit the nail on the head. The novel reads like a tell-all confession. From page one you are ushered behind the scenes to witness the lives of the women who are the girlfriends or wives of rappers and music producers. The content blew my mind and I had to keep reminding myself that it's a work of fiction. Yet, I knew it could very well be the truth of someone's life. We've all read the headlines on blogs and entertainment sites.

Platinum was my guilty pleasure this summer. A great summer beach read, however, those who read it while commuting to work, beware that reading this book might cause you to miss your stop.

32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter

2010-07-03T13:42:00.000-04:00

I love this book! I just finished reading it a little before 3 a.m. this morning. Ernessa your talent for telling a story is appreciated and welcomed. You are now inducted into my circle of writers and that is not an easy slot to fill.

Thank you Carleen Brice for turning a light on this book. I must admit I had an advanced copy of this book and was sitting on it, not realizing it would be so good. Davie is my hero. She's brave, bold and free. For that, you can't help but love her.

So everyone, you MUST go out and get a copy of 32 Candles, I'm certain you will not be disappointed.

Winner!

2010-06-30T11:04:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Doris who has won a copy of The Blueprint by Kirk Franklin.

I'm Reading...

2010-06-19T06:57:00.000-04:00

Daughters of the Stone by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa. It's a story about five generations of Afro-Puerto Rican women who must confront the harsh realities of slavery (the book starts in the mid-1800s) and ends with the last daughter journeying to Lagos, Nigeria, a free and educated woman with stories to tell. The book puts the tradition of storytelling on a pedestal, capturing a time when rich stories were the strength and heart of who African people were when forced into captivity in the new world. Through the course of the story, a stone plays a critical role. But you have to read the book to learn how.

Books That Inspire/Giveaway

2010-06-10T13:27:00.002-04:00

With current events being more troubling then they are uplifting, I thought I'd put together a list of book titles that can serve as motivation and inspiration. Maybe you're in the mist of a career or personal change, maybe you know of someone who just graduated from school. Any one of these books can be helpful to you.

And to make things even sweeter, any book title below that has a * next to it can be yours. Just submit your name and email address along with the title you want to win, to shalema.mcghee@gmail.com or leave it in the comments section and you will be entered to win. Winners will be announced at the end of the month.

*A Game of Character by Craig Robinson (In stores now)
In A Game of Character, Robinson takes readers behind the scenes to meet his most important influences in his understanding of the winning traits that are part of his playbook for success. Central to his story are his parents, Marian and Fraser, two indefatigable individuals who showed their children how to believe in themselves and live their lives with conviction through love, discipline and respect. With insights into this exemplary family, we relive memories of how Marian sacrificed a career to be a full-time mom, how Fraser got up and went to work every day while confronting the challenges of multiple sclerosis, how Craig and Michelle strengthened their bond as they journeyed out of the Southside to Princeton University and eventually, the national stage.

*The Blueprint by Kirk Franklin (In stores now)
In The Blueprint, Franklin will explain how by communicating with life's architect, God, he learned to see hardships as necessary life propellants and moved on to become the bestselling gospel musician in recent history, as well as a devoted husband and loving father.

*A Boy Should Know How to Tie a Tie by Antwone Fisher (In stores now)
Filled with inspiring stories, wisdom, and practical know-how, A Boy Should Know How to Tie a Tie teaches:
- Basics of personal style and hygiene: why cleaning, trimming, and polishing are essential daily habits
- Key components of self-improvement: how to develop a routine for success and organize your personal space
- The importance of identity: why reinventing oneself is a necessary part of growing up

Come to Win by Venus Williams (June 29)
With Come to Win, Venus Williams, the multiple Grand Slam tennis champion and entrepreneur, along with an esteemed group of business leaders, politicians, and acclaimed artists, serves up a book of wisdom that shows how to turn a competitive spirit and athletic background into success off the playing field.

* A Question of Freedom by R. Dwayne Betts (In stores now)
A Question of Freedom chronicles Betts's years in prison, reflecting back on his crime and looking ahead to how his experiences and the books he discovered while incarcerated would define him. Utterly alone, Betts confronts profound questions about violence, freedom, crime, race, and the justice system. Confined by cinder-block walls and barbed wire, he discovers the power of language through books, poetry, and his own pen.

Book descriptions are from the publisher.

Curly Like Me by Teri LaFlesh

2010-06-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Teri LaFlesh spent thirty years of her life trying to understand her hair. From relaxers to texturizers to weaves—she tried everything. Finally, she discovered that her hair was most happy in its natural state. With hair now reaching past her waist, Teri gifts us natural girls with Curly Like Me: How to Grow Your Hair Healthy, Long, and Strong. This is an excellent guide to helping you understand your curls structure and what works best when caring for your hair.

Curly Like Me hit the shelves yesterday (June 3). I encourage you to go get a copy and tell anyone with natural hair that this is the book for them. You can check Teri out at her website, TightlyCurly.com.

Read below to view my Q&A with Teri.

AIC: How did you become so knowledgeable about hair? Do you work in the hair care industry?

TL: It was actually not working in the hair care industry that made me so knowledgeable about hair care. Growing up, I was isolated from others who might know how to care for my hair, and I wasn’t able to afford a hairdresser even during the rare times I might have known one. So I had to learn about my hair, and how to take care of it, on my own. Also, I’m totally uncoordinated, so blow-drying my hair straight, using chemicals on it, flat ironing it, setting it in curlers, braids, extensions, or creating elaborate styles on my own was totally beyond me. Because of this I had to learn simple, easy techniques that worked with my hair, and most importantly, that I could actually do by myself.

AIC: What made you decide to write Curly Like Me? Were people asking you about your hair?

TL: People were frequently asking me about how I did my hair, and there was so much to tell them! Additionally, in many ways I wrote Curly Like Me for the lost and uncoordinated child I once was, left alone with my seemingly crazy hair. I wish so much I’d known then what I know now. It would have saved me a world of suffering and feeling terrible about my hair and me. Especially when I discovered how much I love my hair once I understood it. I didn’t have to suffer like that, and spend all those years hating my poor hair. If only I’d simply known how to take care of it! Therefore, I wrote the book so no other little girl with hair like mine would ever have to feel the way I did about her hair.

Also, I wrote the book because I used to be obsessed with trying to figure out my hair. I spent nearly all my free time and money searching for what was “wrong” with it, and trying to “cure” it. I was operating under so much misinformation! And when I figured out my hair, suddenly I had all this time and energy that had once been devoted to struggling with it. And one day I was at work, and I hadn’t thought much about my hair in years. And I realized it was hanging down my back, and it had grown that long almost effortlessly. That was when I knew I wanted to share what I’d found out.

AIC: Your hair has grown exceptionally long. Do you think this is achievable for all or most?

TL: One of the most powerful things I found out is what had kept my hair so short in the first place: the damage I was doing to it trying to force it to conform. For most all my life I thought having long hair was impossible for very curly hair. All the books I read made it sound almost as if curly hair is flawed by its very nature. That every twist and turn was a weak spot, and it was basically designed to break. To my relief, I discovered this is not true. What keeps our hair short and broken is the way we have been taught to care for it. If you can eliminate all sources of damage, your hair will grow. So I do think length is absolutely achievable for anyone who is willing to take the time to treat their hair as gently as needed. Like fine silk, very curly hair is special, and must be treated as such. When it’s treated in the way it needs to be treated, and assuming the person is in good health, their hair will grow very long.

AIC: What I like about your book is that it serves to educate me about my hair. Do you find that people are surprised to learn how "deep" hair is?

TL: I wanted to empower people to make good decisions on behalf of their hair. In order to do this, you may often have to go against conventional wisdom, marketing, and even professionals. I think people with naturally straighter hair can take for granted their hair care, and are often surprised at how deep hair can be to those of us whose can’t take it for granted. For many of us, hair truly can be more than just hair. I mean, if by wearing the hair you are born with can be considered a political statement, or you could potentially be denied employment because of it, then by that alone, hair is more than just hair.

If you have hair that takes a minimum of two hours just to comb it, while those around you can comb theirs in less than a minute or two, hair is different for you. If at summer camp everyone turns around and stares in shocked bewilderment at your hair after a swim, and if afterwards you can’t get ready in the same amount of time as the people around you; if you are singled out, laughed at, feel like something is wrong with you, or that you are an outsider because of how your hair looks, then hair can be quite significant. My hair did become a symbol to me of how I did not fit in to the community in which I lived. I felt like something was truly wrong with me because it simply didn’t act “normal” (like the hair of the people around me, who were all naturally straight-haired). I walked around feeling ashamed because of it, having low self-esteem because of it. Even when I read advice in magazines that said it was meant for “kinky, curly, frizzy” hair, the advice still was not for my hair. I felt like I had mutant hair, and that I was flawed because of it. But once I learned how to care for my hair, that all changed, and now I feel it’s my very best feature. So knowledge truly is powerful.

AIC: You have a website, tightlycurly.com. What are your hopes for the site?

TL: Since my goal is to see that no other person ever has to go through with their hair what I did with mine, I wanted to make sure no one is denied the information I struggled for nearly thirty years to get. I wanted it easily accessible. I once walked around with my shoulders hunched and feeling like I had a monster on my head simply because I didn’t know how to take care of my hair, and neither did anyone else around me. And it could have so easily been prevented! Our natural curls are so beautiful. However, we need more images out there showing not only how beautiful they are, but that they can also grow long.

I’ve gotten so many letters from moms who said their little curly-haired daughters were begging to get their hair straightened to look like the naturally straight hair of their classmates. And after the moms showed their daughters my curls, their daughters no longer wanted straight hair, but wanted instead to learn to love their own curls. That makes me so happy the site could give these girls back their own hair. Or I get letters from moms who say they want their daughters to wear their hair natural, but have no idea what to do with it.

In the media we are constantly shown images of models with straight hair, as if this is the ultimate mark of beauty. So the site has two main purposes for me: to show anyone who wanted to wear their own lovely natural curls how to do it in the easiest, least expensive and least gimmicky way possible, and also to show that our curls do grow long, and when natural, are spectacular.

For too long I wanted my hair to be an imitation of everyone else’s straight hair. But all that leads you to is imitation hair. What I wanted to put out into the world is how beautiful our true, genuine, stunning curls are, and how full of joy they are when simply allowed to be themselves.

From Cape Town With Love Trailer

2010-05-14T08:03:00.000-04:00

This trailer is smoking hot. I'm looking forward to reading this book. From Cape Town With Love is in stores May 18.

Solution for a Cloudy Day, Get the Knight Life

2010-05-12T12:34:00.002-04:00

It's raining outside here in NYC. Its cloudy and the middle of the work week. So I needed a good laugh and wanted to share with you this great comic book called the The Knight Life that did wonders to brighten this day. Written and Illustrated by cartoonist Keith Knight, you will get a major kick out of this book.

It comes out on June 9th. The stories are hilarious and semi-autobiographical. Like when Keith does a comic stripe about his wife Kerstin who is German and the way she always manages to use slang but incorrectly. For example, instead of saying "no biggie," she says "no baggie." Or when everyone else says "take a chill pill," Kerstin says "take a freeze tablet."

Here is video of Keith discussing with KQED the creative process of the comic strip.

NYC Author Events for May 4-7

2010-05-03T09:11:00.000-04:00

If you are in the NYC area I encourage you to venture out to this week's book events and bring a friend or two with you. The weather is going to be beautiful and I'm sure the authors will appreciate your support.

If you know of any other author events going on in the NYC or a different city, please post in comments to share with everyone.

Tuesday May 4th-

Who: Victoria Rowell
What: Secrets of A Soap Opera Diva
Where: Hueman Bookstore. 2319 Frederick Douglass Blvd. Harlem, NY. (212) 665-7400
Time: 6 pm

Wednesday May 5th-

Who: Pam Grier
What: Foxy: My Life In Three Acts
Where: Gospel Uptown. 2110 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. Harlem, NY. (212) 280-2110
Time: 12 noon

Who: Damon Wayans
What: Red Hats
Where: Hueman Bookstore. 2319 Frederick Douglass Blvd. Harlem, NY. (212) 665-7400
Time: 7:30 pm

Thursday May 6th-

Who: Tayari Jones
What: The Silver Girl (Tayari reads while an actor interprets)
Where: Three Cups. 83 First Avenue at 5th Street. New York, NY.
(212) 388-0059
Time: 7:30 pm

Friday May 7th-

Who: Bernice L. McFadden
What: Glorious
Where: Barnes & Nobles. 97 Warren Street. New York, NY. (212) 587-5389
Time: 7 pm

April 2010 Fiction Releases

2010-04-20T09:50:00.000-04:00

Three titles I thought worthy of your attention.

Powder Necklace (April 6) by Nana Ekua Brew tells the story of Lila, a young girl sent off to school in Ghana by her mother, in hopes that she will avoid the bad influence of London. When Lila arrives in Ghana she gets an education in a whole new way. An experience unlike what she has known in her first 15 years of living. Then after six years of calling Ghana home, Lila's mother summons her back to London with some surprises to follow.

Till You Hear From Me (April 20) by Pearl Cleage Is a modern day story that includes our current president. Ida Dunbar, an ambitious young woman worked tirelessly for the Obama campaign. Her reward would be a position in the new administration. Getting in the way of that happening is drama coming from all directions. Including Ida's very outspoken father, the Reverend; a civil-rights icon and a scheming republican by the name of Wes Harper.

The Long Song (April 27) by Andrea Levy is set in Jamaica in the early nineteenth century. July (as an adult) recounts her life with the help of her son Thomas. As a child July lives with her mother until an English widow, Mrs. Mortimer arrives and moves July into the big house with her. July soon learns to read and write all for the purpose of helping to run Mrs. Mortimer's business. With yet another arrival of a young overseer, dramatic changes begin to happen.

Vote for Carleen Brice

2010-04-13T14:28:00.000-04:00

If like me you've enjoyed a Carleen Brice book (Orange Mint & Honey and Children of the Waters) and read her blogs: White Readers Meet Black Authors and The Pajama Gardener, you'll be logging on to cast your vote for Carleen for the Author Blog Awards. The nominated blog is White Readers Meet Black Authors

An incentive for you to vote would be a chance to win prizes. However, the win for Carleen would be an honor well deserved.

Glorious by Bernice McFadden

2010-04-01T11:23:00.000-04:00

Glorious made the Harlem Renaissance come alive for me in such an exciting way. After all, I live in Sugar Hill and often when I walk down the streets I feel the history in the air. Unfortunately, the life of Glorious' main character Easter a.k.a. E.V Gibbs is the story of many named and unnamed writers during that era. Glorious is a great story and Bernice has told the story well.

Reading this book I began to think of stories that never came to the light of day because of the racism at the time or in the case of Easter, stolen and published with someone else's name on it. It is a treat when works are "discovered" and published. A wrong finally righted.

What black writers do you know of whose work published years after they were gone?

Award News

2010-03-27T00:41:00.000-04:00

Congrats! to Jamaica Kincaid, 2010 recipient of the Clifton Fadiman Medal, a $5000 prize awarded by the Center for Fiction to "a living American author in recognition of a work of fiction published more than ten years ago that deserves renewed notice and introduction to a new generation of readers." Jane Smiley, who selected the winner, chose Kincaid for her 1985 novel Annie John, and the prize will be awarded on April 14.

An adored only child, Annie has until recently lived an idyllic life. She is inseparable from her beautiful mother, a powerful presence, who is the very center of the little girl’s existence. Loved and cherished, Annie grows and thrives within her mother’s benign shadow. Looking back on her childhood, she reflects, “It was in such a paradise that I lived.” When she turns twelve, however, Annie’s life changes, in ways that are often mysterious to her. She begins to question the cultural assumptions of her island world; at school she instinctively rebels against authority; and most frighteningly, her mother, seeing Annie as a “young lady,” ceases to be the source of unconditional adoration and takes on the new and unfamiliar guise of adversary. At the end of her school years, Annie decides to leave Antigua and her family, but not without a measure of sorrow, especially for the mother she once knew and never ceases to mourn. “For I could not be sure,” she reflects, “whether for the rest of my life I would be able to tell when it was really my mother and when it was really her shadow standing between me and the rest of the world."

Article in NYT Spotlights Black Writers

2010-03-24T12:41:00.000-04:00

FYI- This article appeared in the New York Times Monday. It talks about the role black writers play in the publishing industry and garnering attention across the color spectrum.

Reminder- This Thursday is the beginning of the National Black Writer's Conference in Brooklyn at Medgar Evers College. For details on how to attend, click here.

Terry McMillan Reads from Getting to Happy

2010-03-21T21:51:00.000-04:00

You've probably already heard some buzz about Terry McMillan's follow-up book to Waiting to Exhale called Getting to Happy (September 7, 2010). Bernadine, Savannah, Gloria and Robin will all make an appearance in the new novel. I'm excited to see where each lady is in their respective lives. I recently came across a reading that Terry gave in February 2009 at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Check the video out below. She starts reading at the 2:58 mark.

Terry McMillan reads from her newest novel "Getting to Happy" from Gary Bartholomew on Vimeo.

A Team of Three Gets It Right

2010-03-14T22:45:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a great writing team comes along and just gets it right. Two minds become one to tell a great story. Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant are a great example of this.

Well, when three minds come together (Blair Underwood, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes) what you end up with is a handsome male character, lots of action, and some romance thrown-in to show Tennyson Hardwick's softer side. He is a fighter; trained in martial arts, an actor, caregiver to his father, father to a teenage girl and a lover.

Hitting bookshelves May 18th is From Cape Town With Love, the third installment in the Tennyson Harwick series.

Tananarive gives a sneak peek of the prologue and first chapter from this new novel on her blog.

Before From Cape Town With Love comes out I suggest you catch up on the first two novels:
Casanegra (totally hot cover. If this character is to come alive on the big screen, I guess we know the obvious actor to play Ten) and In the Night of the Heat.

Casanegra follows the adventures of Tennyson Hardwick, a gorgeous, sexy actor and former gigolo, living on the fringes of the good life in Hollywood. This story, which chronicles the redemption of a prodigal son, combines the glamour of Hollywood with the seedy hopelessness of the inner city.
In this hot and steamy mystery, Tennyson struggles to hang on to his acting career and redeem his sex-for-pay history, which estranged him from his family -- especially his father, a decorated LAPD captain who raised Tennyson to call him "sir." Now, in the wake of his father's sudden stroke, Tennyson has to save himself from taking the fall for the first murder of a female rapper. In the process he discovers his hidden talents -- the hard way.

Threatened with death after acquittal for murder, football superstar T. D. Jackson asks struggling actor and former gigolo Tennyson Hardwick for protection. Tennyson has a reputation in Hollywood after solving the murder of rapper Afrodite, but politely turns Jackson down: His acting career is taking off with a new series, and he's trying to work out his personal life after a series of wrong turns.
But Tennyson's life is upturned when his seedy past catches up to him on the set of his TV series. Then T. D. Jackson is found dead in his home, the victim of an apparent suicide.
T.D.'s gorgeous cousin, Melanie, is sure the superstar was murdered, and Jackson's family offers Tennyson an irresistible fee to discover the truth. But prying into T. D. Jackson's death means answering the question that divided a nation and destroyed a film star and a football icon's life and career: Did T. D. Jackson kill his wife?
When the investigation takes an unexpected turn toward the governor's mansion and a long-forgotten football game in the segregated South of the 1960s, Tennyson uncovers secrets tearing at the heart of two dynasties and must rely on all of his assets -- his actor's heart, deadly hands, profiler's mind, and every other part of his body -- to keep from dying next.

Uptown by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant

2010-03-05T09:14:00.000-05:00

Uptown has arrived. It's official arrival was Monday. Lets go out and get it and support Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant. They tell great stories with characters that never disappoint. After you've read the book send them your feedback at their blog Two Minds Full.

Last Minute News: Live Chat Tonight

2010-03-03T18:19:00.000-05:00

Go On Girl! Book Club Co-Founder Lynda M. Johnson and Author Attica Locke (Black Water Rising) will be featured guests of Ella Curry, host of Black Author Network on Blog Talk Radio tonight from 8pm-9pm EST.

Tune in and hear the discussion here.

I'm Reading...

2010-02-24T09:48:00.000-05:00

Searching For Tina Turner by Jacqueline E. Luckett. The main character Lena is a mother and a wife. She is surrounded by all the material things a person could want, yet she feels like something is missing. Stumbling on Tina Turner's autobiography I Tina, helps Lena get back to the joy she once had, even if that means cutting away from the life she now lives.

I'm thankful for this new voice and I look forward to other offerings from Jacqueline.

Searching For Tina Turner is out in stores now.

Award Announcement from Go On Girl! Book Club/GOG! On the Radio

2010-02-13T01:57:00.000-05:00

I have the privilege of being a member of and chapter facilitator for Go On Girl! Book Club. I have been a member since 2005 and facilitator of the founding chapter, NY1 for a little over a year.

GOG recently announced their 2009 Winning Authors. Author of the Year goes to Lawrence Hill (Someone Knows My Name) and New Author of the Year goes to Jennifer Baszile (The Black Girl Next Door). Sonia Sanchez will be receiving the Life Achievement Award. They will all be present to pick up their awards in Alabama (GOG's 18th Annual Award Weekend).

I personally have raved to lots of people, about Someone Knows My Name. Aminata Diallo is such a well-rounded and fantastic character and I loved being present for her journey across three continents.

If you are interested in being present for the Author Award Weekend, visit here for more details.

Check out GOG's reading list both past and present for great reading suggestions.

Go On Girl! Book Club will be featured in a special two-hour showcase on Black Talk Radio, Monday, February 15th from 8pm-10pm EST. Just log-on to www.blogtalkradio.com/Black-Author-Network.

Along with members and officers of GOG! talking about this year's author award weekend, as-well-as GOG's past, present and future; speaking about their GOG! experiences will be Carleen Brice (Children of the Waters), Ravi Howard (Like Trees Walking), Sonia Sanchez (Morning Haiku), Kwei Quartery (Wife of the Gods) and Attica Lock (Black Water Rising).

Venus Johnston

2010-02-06T00:25:00.000-05:00

There are authors that create a character who offers up adventures that span multiple books. Trisha R. Thomas is such an author. She first introduced us to Venus Johnston in December 2000 with Nappily Ever After and six books later Venus is just as fascinating a character today as she was then. May 25, is the release of the sixth book in the series, Un-Nappily in Love. Click here to get the author's take on Venus and what the new book is all about.

By the way, Nappily Ever After is being made into a film by Halle Berry.

All the books in the Nappily series starting with the new release:

April Release from Pearl Cleage

2010-01-31T00:41:00.001-05:00

Just in time to be added to my spring reading list is the release (April 20, 2010) of Till You Hear From Me by Pearl Cleage.

The novel takes place in Washington, D.C. and the West End, Atlanta neighborhood that has become a character in all Pearl's books. Offering romance, scandal and politics, Till You Hear From Me sounds like a sure thing.

Television Debut of Sins of the Mother

2010-01-28T00:11:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, February 21, Lifetime Movie Network will air Sins of the Mother based on the book Orange Mint and Honey written by Carleen Brice. Please mark your calendar and share this info with your friends and family. I am hoping for large viewer numbers so that Lifetime and other cable channels will see that there is an audience hungry for good, well-written, and diverse stories. If you make them we will watch.

View the trailer for Sins of the Mother.

Upcoming Literary Events in D.C. and NYC

2010-01-12T10:20:00.000-05:00

January 28, 2010 - 6:00PM
The Hurston/Wright Foundation
The Black Book Coalition New Year Mixer!

Join us as we kick off the new year and hit the literary ground running in 2010! Meet a host of diverse literary players from around the Washington DC metro area including: authors, publicists, publishers, graphic artists and more!

Ulah Bistro
1214 U Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009

February 13, 2010 - 3:00PM

The Hurston/Wright Foundation
A Love For All Seasons: Book Party

Join us for an afternoon with acclaimed authors reading excerpts from

love stories that have sustained Black people during the worst of times and the best of times.
Borders Books
931 A Capital Centre Blvd.
Largo, MD 20774

February 27, 2010 - 3:00PM
The Hurston/Wright Foundation
Literary/Jazz Soiree

Join us for an afternoon of readings, book signings, and music to honor the 2008 and 2009 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award Winners and finalists.

Borders Books
931 A Capital Centre Blvd.
Largo, MD 20774

March 25-28, 2010
The Tenth National Black Writers' Conference
Panels, Roundtables, Conversations, Talkshops, Readings and Storytelling
Honorary Chair, Toni Morrison
Medgar Evers College, CUNY
Founders Auditorium
1650 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
Tel. (718) 270-4811
www.mec.cuny.edu/nbwc

Sugar Turns Ten!

2010-01-08T17:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being in the company of a great author, Bernice McFadden. She celebrated the tenth anniversary of Sugar at Brownstone Books in Brooklyn.

Bernice read the opening chapter of Sugar by request of another author Pat G'Orge-Walker (who commented to all in the room that she has yet to pick up a book with the clarity and brilliance that Sugar delivers in the first 100 words of the novel), followed by a reading from her upcoming book Glorious (I won an advanced reader copy), which will arrive in bookstores May 1.

We celebrated with words, hugs, chocolate-covered strawberries and wine. You can join the celebration by picking up a copy of the newly released Sugar for yourself or as a gift to someone else.

Thanks Trevor for the photo.

2010 NAACP Image Awards Nominations in Literature

2010-01-06T14:37:00.001-05:00

The nominations just came in for The 41st NAACP Image Awards. The program will air on FOX on Friday, February 26. The literary categories aren't broadcast on television but check the website after the telecast to see who wins and send your congratulations to the winning authors via their website, Facebook or twitter.

LITERATURE CATEGORIES

Outstanding Literary Work - Fiction

"Basketball Jones" - E. Lynn Harris (deceased) (Doubleday)
"Before I Forget" - Leonard Pitts, Jr. (Agate Bolden)
"Life is Short But Wide" - J. California Cooper (Doubleday)
"The Book of Night Women" - Marlon James Riverhead Books)
"The Long Fall" - Walter Mosley (Riverhead Books)

Outstanding Literary Work - Non-Fiction

"Brain Surgeon": A Doctor's Inspiring Encounters With Mortality and Miracles - Arnold Mann with Keith Black, MD (Grand Central Publishing)
"Family Affair: What It Means to be African American Today" - Gil L. Robertson, IV (Agate Bolden)
"Freedom in My Heart: Voices From the United States National Slavery Museum" - Cynthia Jacobs Carter (National Geographic Books)
"In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past" - Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Crown)
"Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis" - Al Gore (Rodale Inc.)

Outstanding Literary Work - Debut Author

"3^rd Generation Country" - BeNeca Ward (Xlibris Corporation)
"A Question of Freedom" - R. Dwayne Betts (Avery Books)
"Black Water Rising" - Attica Locke (Harper)
"Kiss the Sky: A Novel" - Farai Chideya (Atria Books)
"Lime Tree Can't Bear Orange" - Amanda Smyth (Three Rivers Press)

Outstanding Literary Work - Children

"Child of the Civil Rights Movement" - Paula Young Shelton (Random House Children's Books)
"Negro Speaks of Rivers" - Langston Hughes (Author), E.B. Lewis (Illustrator) (Disney-Jump at the Sun/Disney Book Group)
"Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change" - Michelle Cook (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
"Peeny Butter Fudge" - Toni Morrison and Slade Morrison (Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)
"Sugar Plum Ballerinas: Toeshoe Trouble" - Whoopi Goldberg (Disney-Jump at the Sun/Disney Book Group)

Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens

"Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice" - Phillip Hoose (Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Farrar Straus and Giroux)
"Just Another Hero" - Sharon Draper (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)
"Mare's War" - Tanita S. Davis (Random House Children's Books)
"Michelle Obama: Meet the First Lady" - David Bergen Brophy (Collins-An Imprint of HarperCollins Children's Books)
"Rock and the River" - Kekla Magoon (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)

I'm Reading...

2009-12-28T09:41:00.000-05:00

The List by Sherri Lewis. I received this book from a relative at Christmas time (though it was a belated birthday gift). I started reading it almost immediately because the cover was attractive (a brown girl who favored me). So with the opening sentence on the backcover asking "SIngle and satisfied? I had to open the book and see what The List was all about.

It's published by Urban Christian (I've never read anything published by them before) and it is well-written and well-developed. It centers on five women (three that have never been married, one divorced and one widowed) trying to figure out why they are still single though they desire to be married. And thought this subject has been beaten with a stick, I think Sherri is presenting it in a different light, that has gotten my attention.

Gotta get back to the book, what are you reading?

Wounded by Claudia Mair Burney

2009-12-09T23:04:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of reading Wounded earlier this year, and found it to be a lovely story. A love story in two forms: a romantic love (between a man and a woman) and a supernatural love (between a woman and her God). This great book is written by Claudia Mair Burney. This is the second book I've read by Claudia and I haven't been disappointed yet.

I'll get a chance to discuss Wounded this Saturday with my book club members. It's the Go On Girl! Book Club's December book.

And what a beautiful cover. The cover really catches the eye.

Children of the Waters by Carleen Brice

2009-12-03T11:33:00.000-05:00

Children of the Waters by Carleen Brice is a story of discovery of oneself and the defining of a family, as well as the reality of loss and how to make peace with it. The two main characters, Billie and Trish find out that they are sisters. Trish is white and Billie is black. They soon begin travel on the road called journey, crossing joy, pain, and trust. What they find at their destination is understanding and sisterhood.

Get yourself a copy and create a space that is quiet with no interruptions and let Billie and Trish share their story with you.

I Also recommend Orange Mint and Honey by Carleen Brice. This book is being made into a movie starring Jill Scott.

Book Give-A-Way

2009-12-02T10:01:00.000-05:00

Bernice McFadden is giving away a signed copy of her book Loving Donovan. To enter visit her blog here.

Despite being born to a broken-hearted mother and a faithless father, Campbell still believes in the power of love…if she can ever find it. Living in the same neighborhood, but unknown to Campbell until a chance meeting brings them together, is Donovan, the "little man" of a shattered home—a family torn apart by anger and bitterness. In the face of these daunting obstacles, Donovan dreams of someday marrying, raising a family, and playing for the NBA. But, deep inside Campbell and Donovan live the histories that have shaped their lives. What they discover—together and apart—forms the basis of this compelling, sensual, and surprising novel.

Listen In

2009-12-01T10:10:00.000-05:00

If you missed yesterdays conversation on Black Authors Network, take a listen here. I'm a guest on the program.

Live Chat Tonight

2009-11-30T17:45:00.001-05:00

I will be a guest along with other Go On Girl! Book Club members, a Rawsistaz Literary Group member and an author on Black Authors Network Radio Show, hosted by Ella Curry of EDC Creations. The chat will go live tonight from 6:00-7:00 P.M. EST. To tune in just click here.

The discussion will be about books, book clubs and the publishing industry.

Mark Your Calendar

2009-11-17T18:13:00.000-05:00

A reader of the blog (wdjenkins1) informed me that Pearl Cleage mentioned the title of her upcoming book, Till You Hear From Me, on her Facebook page. Its release date is April 20, 2010. She's also working on another book for a 2011 release.

I wish you could see me do my happy dance.

Buy Black Authored Book, Give to White Reader

2009-11-17T10:17:00.000-05:00

Over on Carleen Brice's blog, she is celebrating the anniversary of her blog and National Buy a Book by a Black Author, and Give to Somebody Not Black Month.

I'm sure you have a book in mind whose story is universally understood by all.

Mine would be:

Sugar and it's follow-up This Bitter Earth by Bernice McFadden, Project Girl by Janet McDonald, Zora and Nicky by Claudia Mair Burney, Someone Knows My Name by Lawerence Hill and Some Love Some Pain Sometime by J. California Cooper.

Ten Year Anniversary

2009-11-17T00:40:00.001-05:00

Have you ever read a book that was so good that ten years later you could pick it up and the story satisfies your reading jones as if you never laid eyes on it before? Well that is how I feel about Bernice McFadden's Sugar.

Bernice is trying to get at least 10,000 copies of the tenth anniversary edition (released on January 9, 2010) of Sugar sold to let publishers know that " we readers desire ...crave and DEMAND a variety of literature from our AA writers because our stories are just as riveting, thought-provoking and universally appealing as the stories coming from our non-African-American counterparts." Words in quotes belong to Bernice.

So if you've never read the book or if you have, I'm certain you will enjoy the story very much. Bernice is posting pictures of readers with copies of Sugar on her blog Naki.

Tenth Anniversary edition cover:

January Release

2009-11-15T11:47:00.000-05:00

If you have a weakness for short stories by different authors, then you'll be happy to know that a new book is coming to a bookstore near you in January. Best African American Fiction 2010. This is the second volume in the series. Volume one was edited by Gerald Early and E. Lynn Harris. There is also a Best African American Essays: 2009 available for your reading pleasure.

Best African American Fiction 2010 Edited by Gerald Early and Nikki Giovanni. Ballantine/One World, $25 (320p).

Series editor, culture critic and essayist Early and guest editor Giovanni, the noted poet and children's author (Hip Hop Speaks to Children), do an outstanding job of choosing important and stirring short stories and novel excerpts from outstanding authors for this second volume in the series. Ranging from historical to contemporary pieces that cover African and multicultural issues, the standouts are many: Maria Eliza Hamilton Abegunde's “The Ariran's Last Life,” the reflections of a former African slave; Desiree Cooper's tale of a pregnant Detroit wife who fears a terrifying “Night Coming”; Edwidge Danticat's inspired story “Ghosts,” which evokes life in Haiti; Glenville Lovell's “Out of Body,” about the brutal awakening of an undertaker's son; Jewell Parker Rhodes's African vampire-haunted “Yellow Moon,” a novel excerpt about Dr. Marie Levant, descendant of voodoo queen Marie Laveau; Colson Whitehead's wonderfully rueful BB gun memory, “The Gangsters”; and Dorothy Sterling's poignant YA novel excerpt, “Mary Jane.” The collection gives a glorious overview of black literature published in 2010 in a volume that's not to be missed. (Jan.)

- Publishers Weekly

Keeping Both Eyes Open

2009-11-12T22:55:00.000-05:00

Two new books are in the pipeline: Bernice McFadden's Glorious (Akashic Books) and Tayari Jones' The Silver Girl (Algonquin Books).

I am so excited . Now I wait eagerly for announcements from Diane McKinney-Whetstone, Pearl Cleage, J. California Cooper, and Terry McMillan.

BTW, reading a good book right now, Mama's Girl by Veronica Chambers. I will discuss more once I finish.

New Kid on the Block

2009-10-03T22:39:00.004-04:00

Today is the birth date of Authors In Color. I am hoping to resuscitate the energy and excitement that once existed about black authors, male and female, fiction and nonfiction.

I have always loved a good book but the last year (maybe longer) has been a desert climate in terms of books authored by blacks. It seems that well-written books by authors like Bernice McFadden (Sugar), and Diane McKinney-Whetstone (Leaving Cecil Street) slowed down then faded away.

So with this blog, I am hoping to rally the troops (other book lovers) and challenge the publishing industry to give us books worthy of shelf space. To rekindle the enthusiasm that once existed for all parties--writer, agent, editor, publisher and reader.