Authors you love...all the time.
Introducing A Chapter a Month. The first of its kind website where a team of today's top-selling authors have joined together to give readers the literary ride of their lives. No more waiting a year to hear from a favorite author. Now readers will enjoy fresh, exciting chapters every month as authors unfold their stories one chapter at a time. Readers will travel with the authors on their writing journeys and watch the novels come to life. But A Chapter a Month will take the reader beyond the pages as well...each month the readers will experience their favorite authors in ways they've never been seen before. Whether it's a video of a day-in-the-life of an author or an "interview with a favorite character," A Chapter a Month moves writers from just writing and readers from just reading and takes us all into this brave new world of reading entertainment. And preferred readers will have access to authors through live video streams. There is even something for aspiring writers: "Writers on Writing" one hour workshops each month that can be watched live as well as saved through podcasts. This site allows readers to enjoy the written word, get to know their favorite authors and have a chance to meet a few new scribes as well. A Chapter a Month joins readers and writers together in a way that's beyond the ordinary.
The anticipated launch date is April 4, 2011.
Introducing the A Chapter A Month Sweet Sixteen:
ReShonda Tate Billingsley - The author of twenty-one novels, ReShonda is truly a star. Not only is she one of the Executive Producers for her upcoming movies based on her novels, but she is also currently touring with the stage play, Marriage Material.
Parry "Ebony Satin" Brown - Readers loved her novels, including her first, the Essence best seller, The Shirt Off His Back. Everyone will be thrilled to see Parry back.
Tinesha Davis - is the author of Holler at the Moon which was an amazing debut novel, and a favorite among book clubs.
Virginia DeBerry - Virginia and her partner, Donna Grant were pioneers in the resurgence of Af Am literature in the 1990s with their breakout novel, Trying to Sleep in the Bed You Made. With A Chapter a Month,Virginia is making her "solo" and "non-fiction" debut.
Lolita Files - is the author of the critically acclaimed Child of God. From the sistah girls of Reesy and Misty in her early novels, to the murderer in her last novel, Penn, Lolita Files can write anything and with A Chapter a Month will be penning the first soap opera on paper...the never- ending story of a serial killer....
Trice Hickman - recently signed a multiple book deal with Kensington after having tremendous success as an independent author. Her book, Unexpected Interruptions just received a Starred Review from Publisher's Weekly.
Donna Hill - What is there to say about Donna Hill? There are no words, but her statistics tell the story: started writing in 1987, first book published in 1990, has more than 50 books published. See, no words - except...amazing writer.
Travis Hunter - Many often wonder if Travis is an author or a comedian. But the wonderful thing is that Travis has been able to weave the two together. And though he makes us laugh, he truly has a heart for young men and uses his writing as a way to reach them - through his book for young adult males. At the same time, he has entertained his adult readers for years.
Candy Jackson - is the only one in this group who has never been published. Though she hasn't yet had anything published, she is an avid reader (reading more than 300 books a year) with a dream to become a writer.
RM Johnson - There is only one thing that everyone says about RM's stories - this man can write!!! Even once RM transitioned from the more serious books to the more commercial, he has kept his eye constantly on the craft, penning some of the best written, yet entertaining stories over the years.
Dwayne S. Joseph - Not only is this young man a phenomenal writer, but he has penned some of the most original stories out there. Readers often ask him, "What's going on inside your mind?" An imagination that is only matched by his writing skill.
Bernice McFadden - Critically acclaimed and now an NAACP Image Award nominee, for her amazing book, Glorious, Bernice has been winning awards for years, for Sugar, The Warmest December, Loving Donovan...the list goes on and on....
Stephanie Perry Moore - probably has more young adult books in print than any other African American author. She began writing for young adults more than ten years ago and has published a number of series for middle school, high school, and most recently books for some of our youngest readers. Stephanie is our resident young adult writer.
Victoria Christopher Murray - is the author of ten adult novels, including the popular Jasmine Cox Larson Bush series. Her young adult series, The Divine Divas has been optioned to become a movie.
Pat Tucker - Pat's novel, Daddy By Default was a favorite of many readers in 2010. Not only was it well-written and entertaining, it was amazingly informative and one of those books that everyone in the country would benefit from reading.
Tiffany Warren - The founder of the Faith and Fiction retreat is able to effortlessly write great novels across genres with ease. Not only is she an adult and young adult author, but she has produced the stage play based on one of her novels.
Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Friday, July 23, 2010
Own Your Own Power Conference
If you are ready to step up your game, personally and professionally, if you need direction, resources and support and inspiration that OWN YOUR OWN POWER CONFERENCE is the place to be. Columbia University, New York, NY.
The keynote speaker is Randall Pinkston, the first AA to win the Apprentice. I will be doing a guest appearance as well on getting into and staying in the publishing game.
Check out the link here for information, how to register and how to be a vendor to get your name and product out there.
SAVE THE DATE. SEPTEMBER 18, 2010
The keynote speaker is Randall Pinkston, the first AA to win the Apprentice. I will be doing a guest appearance as well on getting into and staying in the publishing game.
Check out the link here for information, how to register and how to be a vendor to get your name and product out there.
SAVE THE DATE. SEPTEMBER 18, 2010
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Interview with Virginia Deberry & Donna Grant
Hello Ladies! Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me. You have so much going on and I know that readers for this blog are anxious to hear it all. So let's get started!
Q. The novelty of a writing duo will never wear off at least not for me! How long have the two of you written together and how do you make it work?
This probably speaks to some kind of group insanity we have always shared, but even from the beginning writing in tandem never seemed like an unusual idea. Before we wrote novels, we worked on a fashion newsletter and a start-up magazine together. That is where we learned we have an intuitive ability to collaborate and have a great time doing it. That happened 20+ years ago. When the magazine folded, the one thing we knew for sure was that we had to keep working together, because that made sense! Neither of us remembers who came up with the idea of writing a novel. We investigated other possibilities first, but the novel won out, and we've been doing it ever since.
The most challenging part of keeping it going, is managing the time it takes to do it. We really do write together—in the same room, mostly at the same computer. That means we spend a lot of time in the writing cave and away from family and friends, which is hard. We have been working on creating more balance—it’s a work in progress. Fortunately, the ideas are in no short supply and the mutual respect we have for each other’s talent and point of view means we still enjoy sitting down together and seeing what we can cook up.
Q. I've known you both for quite some time, but please share with the readers your individual backgrounds, where you grew up, loves/marriages, and when the writing bug bit you.
DG: I’m a Brooklyn, NY girl (I realize girl is a bit of a stretch), and my husband and I still live there. Brooklyn is a bubbling caldron of life and creativity—people from different backgrounds produce music, dance, art and the written word from a variety of traditions, and there are so many people per square foot that you can’t help but be influenced by each other. Some days it’s exhausting, but never boring.
My husband, Hiram, is an around the way guy—we were born 30 days apart in the same hospital and lived literally around the corner from each other as kids, but we didn’t meet until we were grown. New York can be like that, but after 25 years together, 23 of them married, we’ve made up for lost time.
Reading and writing have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. From Hans Christian Andersen and The Brother’s Grimm, to Dr. Seuss and cereal boxes, I’d read anything as a child. Mom was a big reader—she always had a novel going and when she’d ride the subway she always had her book to read, so I had my storybook too. I get a big charge out of watching someone reading one of our books on the train. I discovered my own facility with words pretty early—I wrote stories and poems, founded a class newspaper in fifth grade (printed on that really smelly mimeograph paper) and have been writing ever since.
VDB: I was born in a tiny town in North Carolina (left when I was a wee tot), grew up in Buffalo, moved to NYC in the early 80’s where I lived until ’92 when Donna and I really buckled down with this writing thing and I realized that being a starving artist in the city was more romantic to read about than actually live. I need to be in a place that was quiet, with grass and trees and parking, so I crossed the border. I’m now a Jersey girl—a transplant who took root in smack in the middle of the Garden State—New York is an hour north and Philly is an hour south. I’m living my life in the ‘burbs and lovin’ it.
I like to say that I am currently “husband free” and have been for a long time. I’ve been married twice, and divorced twice and am utterly at peace in the knowledge that all of us are not meant for matrimonial bliss. I’m not sayin’ “never again”, but I’m single and happy. I date and have wonderful friends and as full a social calendar as I want.
I don’t know if I was bitten by the writing bug or born with some kind of congenital defect that predisposed me to developing the disease—but like Donna, reading and writing have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a child, I always wanted a story and if someone wasn’t telling or reading me one, then I was making up my own. I have an old photograph of my brother and sister and me on Christmas morning—I must be about ten and we’re each holding our favorite Christmas gift. I’m hugging my brand new, bright orange Tom Thumb Typewriter! The die was cast early!
Q. You both are on a whirlwind tour and have been keeping readers abreast of your activities via Twitter, Facebook etc. When we all started out, technology wasn't much help. How have you both learned to make it work effectively for you?
Our very first book, Exposures—which we wrote as Marie Joyce—was written on a typewriter that had six pages of memory. When we finished those six pages to our satisfaction, we would print them out on three-part NCR paper (that was smelly too), erase the memory and start again. When we got revisions, we had to type the whole manuscript again. We are truly grateful for technological advances.
When we first included an email address in Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made, our publisher didn’t even have email. At that point we got more snail mail than email, but over time the balance has definitely shifted. We always saw an advantage to having a direct line of communication with our readers and we’re glad they enjoy sharing their thoughts. Fast forward to facebook, myspace, Twitter etc.—it’s still all about ways to share information and have some fun. Social networks have also allowed us to stay in touch with other writers. Virginia is the Techno-wiz of the two of us. She enjoys finding the way to work with each new platform and staying on top of the conversation. The trick here too is finding the balance between online communications, working on our books, and having a life. Not always easy. Sometime you just have to step away from the laptop!
Q. What are some things that you would suggest writers do regarding social networking?
These days it’s undeniable that establishing an online presence is important. It’s the surest, most direct way to reach readers. Blogging, Facebook, Twitter are the ones we utilize most. There are two suggestions we can offer in terms of these networks 1) Engage—don’t be one-sided. As often as possible, have a real exchange with some of the folks who are your “friends” and “followers.” That means asking and answering questions. 2) Variety--post about a range of topics, not just your book(s). Let the folks “out there” see some of your personality, let them get to know you—not the intimate personal details of your life, but enough for them to be able to “see” you as a real person, not just somebody who’s selling books. We’re all trying to “move product” and that’s what the social networking sites facilitate so well, but it’s definitely a case of soft selling. Yes, you can post reviews, reminders and links to purchase your book online, places you’ll be signing. But it’s equally important to post about other things that interest you.
Q. Through your years of publishing, what has been your biggest obstacle? And what are you doing, or what have you been doing to combat it?
The obstacles have come in stages. The first was getting published. We ran into the Toni-Terry problem—our writing was not “literary” in the spirit of Toni Morrison, and it wasn’t in the Terry McMillan mold which were the two prevailing categories for black writers. Editors didn’t know where we fit in, so they would pass on the manuscript. We were fortunate to find an editor who appreciated our writing and encouraged us to go ahead and tell the story, regardless of the category. That, was a very big hurdle, one we’re not sure we’d get over if Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made was being shopped today.
Now, the categories have changed, but the problem is the same. We don’t write urban fiction or erotica, which are the hot categories in African American fiction and now, it’s much harder to get beyond the labels. Publishers are extremely concerned about the bottom line and are most interested in publishing more of what has been successful. It’s like we are all being pressured to write the same book and to compete for the same small piece of the pie instead of being encouraged to find a slice of the bigger pie.
We are looking to find ways to stay in touch with our loyal readers while we also introduce ourselves to audiences who don’t know us yet. We participate in online conversations on sites that are not solely African American and have received many emails that read something like, “I had never heard of you before, but I picked up out one of your books, loved it and will be getting more.” We realize publishing is a numbers game, and that in order to stay in it we have to bring in bigger numbers. The only way we can do that is to make ourselves known to readers across the women’s fiction spectrum. We believe our stories have universal appeal and deserve exposure in the wider marketplace.
Q. There has been countless discussion and debate about how and why black books are segregated in the stores. But even more disturbing the notion that the segregation begins in the publishing houses. Please share your thoughts on this and what can readers do?
All of us who write books with black characters have been made aware of the statistics showing which kinds of our books are selling the most. Along with that knowledge, comes the pressure—subtle or not—to make our books more like those with the biggest bottom lines. Yet, there has been no effort to market our books to a wider audience where we might find additional fans who would appreciate what we do, not what publishers think black authors should do. The basic assumption is that only black audiences will buy and read books by black authors. This is not the assumption with other authors. It is assumed that everyone will read Nora Roberts, James Patterson, etc., including black readers. It is also assumed that not just vampires read Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight series. So, we come out of the gate with a disadvantage.
Also, more and more often novels by African American are shelved in the African American section, not with general fiction. It seems readers are split on this. Some prefer to be able to find the authors they love in a separate section. The consequence of this is that casual book store browsers are unlikely to come across a book by a black writer that they are not looking for specifically, again, limiting our access to the book buying public.
We always tell readers that if there are authors they love, buy their books, otherwise you won’t see their work any longer. None of us are immune from this phenomenon. Also, if you love someone’s work, tell people about it, and not just other African Americans. The more people who know about an author, the better chance she or he will have to stay in the marketplace.
Q. Now let's get to it! Your latest novel UPTOWN hit bookstores March, 2010. What inspired the book?
Real Estate became the national fever in the 2000’s. All of a sudden people were talking about trading up, flipping houses, how much their houses had appreciated and borrowing against the increased value. Developers built luxury housing, often in neighborhoods that had never seen such activity and long-time residents were displaced. When did home go from being the place where you made warm memories with your family, to an actively traded commodity? We chose Harlem as the setting because it has been an iconic African-American community since the early 20th century, but there are communities like Uptown all over the country. We wanted to look at this phenomenon from the perspective of a family whose members were both long time residents of the area, and actively involved in developing the “New Harlem.”
Q. Give us some details about the storyline and why was this story important for you to tell?
The Dixon Group, started by long-time Harlemite and real estate investor King Dixon, and now run by his son, Dwight, owns large parcels of Harlem real estate, some of it bordering Central Park, the gem in the middle of Manhattan. Three of the four sides of the park are lined with luxury residences, hotels, fashionable boutiques and world-renowned museums. Only 110th St., the north side of the park, which was considered the gateway to Harlem, was still lined with tenements, a gas station, a correctional facility—hardly prime properties. But as 110th St began to be called Central Park North, it was clear the game was changing, and the Dixon Group was ready to cash in. What seems like the easiest piece of the puzzle, acquiring a property they need from a family member, turns out to unleash a buried, but long-simmering betrayal that affects Dwight and his cousin, Avery Lyons. They were once as close as brother and sister, but that ended twenty years ago. Now Avery is back in town, and the truth will come out, no matter who it hurts.
Q. Tell us about the characters and the research involved in putting this book together.
This is the first book we’ve started with the male characters, but when we knew the story was about real estate in Harlem, when knew we had already met two of the characters to help us tell it—Dwight Dixon, Jewell Prescott’s fiancé in Better Than I Know Myself, and his overbearing father, King Dixon.
Q. What do you want readers to get from UPTOWN?
We hope they have a read that keeps them wanting to turn the pages and find out what happens next. We also hope to leave readers with some questions to answer. Does success mean that the one with the most money at the end wins, or are there other qualities we expect? What does home really mean? Is it just the building, or is it a feeling we carry with us? If our feelings for home are unsettled, do we ever feel at home, no matter where we go?
Q. What have been some of your marketing strategies for UPTOWN?
We try to keep ourselves available and “out there.” We have been fortunate to still be sent on book tour by our publisher and we try to make the most of the opportunity to travel around the country. With Uptown we were able to visit some cities where we have not been in a long time—like Denver and Dallas, as well as others where we have never been—Augusta, GA, Jackson, MS, Milwaukie, WS and Pittsburgh, PA among them—where it was great talking with fans we had not had the chance to meet previously. In addition to our regular online activities, we have written guest blogs (Thanks Donna!), appeared on blogtalk radio, reached out to book clubs and book bloggers, whatever we can do to get the word out.
Q. Let's talk cover. When I saw the cover, a lot of things went through my head. What are the thoughts behind the cover? What did you want to evoke from the casual browser?
We don’t have final say-so on covers. On our last book, What Doesn’t Kill You, there was another version of the cover that we preferred, but we lost that battle. We actually liked the Uptown cover as soon as we saw it. It feels like a cover that surrounds a big story, one that would make a browser in a bookstore stop and check it out. It also feels like the art director didn’t just find a stock photo and slap it on a page with the title on it. They actually gave it thought and made it reflect the feeling of the book. It also didn’t hurt that our name was above the title—first time that’s happened.
Q. Four Colored Girls. Tell us about it and how it got started.
The full name is 4 Colored Girls Productions. For those of us who remember back when we were called colored girls, the name is meant to pay respect to all that we were taught then about having pride in ourselves and being able to accomplish whatever we set our minds to. We formed the company three years ago, along with partners Tyrha Lindsey and Tracey Kemble, both of who have extensive film production experience. We all met 10 plus years ago, when Tracey, who was an HBO VP at the time, optioned Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made to produce independently. Tyrha, who reached out to us at about the same time, we working for Qwest Entertainment, the production arm for Quincy Jones. She wanted the option, but Tracey already had it. At the time, Hollywood had very different ideas than we all did about what kind of movie to make out of Tryin’ (like on starring Winnona Ryder and Gweneth Paltrow)., and the movie was never made. But years later, we all still believe there is a wonderful movie to be made from the story, and we intend to produce it.
Q. Where do you stand now with the movie?
Regina King attached herself to the project from the beginning—she was a fan of the book. We did the first several passes at the screenplay and have worked with a screenwriter to polish it. Last year was difficult in terms of raising funds, but the outlook this year has been better. Right now we are at a very important and encouraging point regarding a particular financing avenue, so we are hopeful—and saying our prayers. We’ll definitely keep you posted.
Q. What books are on your list to read this summer?
Gee, it would be great to have a summer like when we were kids—two whole months with no assignments—bliss. The reality has been deadline summers which haven’t left much reading time. Glorious by Bernice McFadden is definitely on the list. She waged such a battle to get the book published and it’s exciting to see it receiving great reviews. You know we love a good read about mothers and daughters, so What Mother Never Told Me is definitely on the list. We each have stacks of books to catch up on. Let’s see how far we get!
Q. Where do you see the future of publishing going, specifically for the black author and reader?
Our crystal ball is not so clear at the moment. Storytelling is a time-honored tradition for humans in general and for those of us of African descent in particular, so we know that stories will continue to be written and shared. As far as publishing goes, the whole industry is scrambling to keep pace with developments in e-book publishing that change the entire reader-writer-publisher paradigm. None of us can rest on what used to work, because we are no longer, “back in the day.” That could be scary, but it can also be invigorating. What it definitely requires is that writers and readers stay active, and open-minded and look to stake our claim in the new media landscape.
Q. What is your next book project and can you share the storyline with us?
We have a few ideas on the table and are continuing to brainstorm. As we have mentioned, this is a difficult moment in publishing, and we are not sure what our next steps will be, but we’ll keep you posted.
Q. Where can readers find out more about you?
They can find all kinds of info, our travel schedule, our contact info and whatever else is on our minds at: on:
deberryandgrant.com
facebook.com/deberryandgrant
twitter.com/deberryandgrant
twomindsfull.blogspot.com
Q. The novelty of a writing duo will never wear off at least not for me! How long have the two of you written together and how do you make it work?
This probably speaks to some kind of group insanity we have always shared, but even from the beginning writing in tandem never seemed like an unusual idea. Before we wrote novels, we worked on a fashion newsletter and a start-up magazine together. That is where we learned we have an intuitive ability to collaborate and have a great time doing it. That happened 20+ years ago. When the magazine folded, the one thing we knew for sure was that we had to keep working together, because that made sense! Neither of us remembers who came up with the idea of writing a novel. We investigated other possibilities first, but the novel won out, and we've been doing it ever since.
The most challenging part of keeping it going, is managing the time it takes to do it. We really do write together—in the same room, mostly at the same computer. That means we spend a lot of time in the writing cave and away from family and friends, which is hard. We have been working on creating more balance—it’s a work in progress. Fortunately, the ideas are in no short supply and the mutual respect we have for each other’s talent and point of view means we still enjoy sitting down together and seeing what we can cook up.
Q. I've known you both for quite some time, but please share with the readers your individual backgrounds, where you grew up, loves/marriages, and when the writing bug bit you.
DG: I’m a Brooklyn, NY girl (I realize girl is a bit of a stretch), and my husband and I still live there. Brooklyn is a bubbling caldron of life and creativity—people from different backgrounds produce music, dance, art and the written word from a variety of traditions, and there are so many people per square foot that you can’t help but be influenced by each other. Some days it’s exhausting, but never boring.
My husband, Hiram, is an around the way guy—we were born 30 days apart in the same hospital and lived literally around the corner from each other as kids, but we didn’t meet until we were grown. New York can be like that, but after 25 years together, 23 of them married, we’ve made up for lost time.
Reading and writing have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. From Hans Christian Andersen and The Brother’s Grimm, to Dr. Seuss and cereal boxes, I’d read anything as a child. Mom was a big reader—she always had a novel going and when she’d ride the subway she always had her book to read, so I had my storybook too. I get a big charge out of watching someone reading one of our books on the train. I discovered my own facility with words pretty early—I wrote stories and poems, founded a class newspaper in fifth grade (printed on that really smelly mimeograph paper) and have been writing ever since.
VDB: I was born in a tiny town in North Carolina (left when I was a wee tot), grew up in Buffalo, moved to NYC in the early 80’s where I lived until ’92 when Donna and I really buckled down with this writing thing and I realized that being a starving artist in the city was more romantic to read about than actually live. I need to be in a place that was quiet, with grass and trees and parking, so I crossed the border. I’m now a Jersey girl—a transplant who took root in smack in the middle of the Garden State—New York is an hour north and Philly is an hour south. I’m living my life in the ‘burbs and lovin’ it.
I like to say that I am currently “husband free” and have been for a long time. I’ve been married twice, and divorced twice and am utterly at peace in the knowledge that all of us are not meant for matrimonial bliss. I’m not sayin’ “never again”, but I’m single and happy. I date and have wonderful friends and as full a social calendar as I want.
I don’t know if I was bitten by the writing bug or born with some kind of congenital defect that predisposed me to developing the disease—but like Donna, reading and writing have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a child, I always wanted a story and if someone wasn’t telling or reading me one, then I was making up my own. I have an old photograph of my brother and sister and me on Christmas morning—I must be about ten and we’re each holding our favorite Christmas gift. I’m hugging my brand new, bright orange Tom Thumb Typewriter! The die was cast early!
Q. You both are on a whirlwind tour and have been keeping readers abreast of your activities via Twitter, Facebook etc. When we all started out, technology wasn't much help. How have you both learned to make it work effectively for you?
Our very first book, Exposures—which we wrote as Marie Joyce—was written on a typewriter that had six pages of memory. When we finished those six pages to our satisfaction, we would print them out on three-part NCR paper (that was smelly too), erase the memory and start again. When we got revisions, we had to type the whole manuscript again. We are truly grateful for technological advances.
When we first included an email address in Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made, our publisher didn’t even have email. At that point we got more snail mail than email, but over time the balance has definitely shifted. We always saw an advantage to having a direct line of communication with our readers and we’re glad they enjoy sharing their thoughts. Fast forward to facebook, myspace, Twitter etc.—it’s still all about ways to share information and have some fun. Social networks have also allowed us to stay in touch with other writers. Virginia is the Techno-wiz of the two of us. She enjoys finding the way to work with each new platform and staying on top of the conversation. The trick here too is finding the balance between online communications, working on our books, and having a life. Not always easy. Sometime you just have to step away from the laptop!
Q. What are some things that you would suggest writers do regarding social networking?
These days it’s undeniable that establishing an online presence is important. It’s the surest, most direct way to reach readers. Blogging, Facebook, Twitter are the ones we utilize most. There are two suggestions we can offer in terms of these networks 1) Engage—don’t be one-sided. As often as possible, have a real exchange with some of the folks who are your “friends” and “followers.” That means asking and answering questions. 2) Variety--post about a range of topics, not just your book(s). Let the folks “out there” see some of your personality, let them get to know you—not the intimate personal details of your life, but enough for them to be able to “see” you as a real person, not just somebody who’s selling books. We’re all trying to “move product” and that’s what the social networking sites facilitate so well, but it’s definitely a case of soft selling. Yes, you can post reviews, reminders and links to purchase your book online, places you’ll be signing. But it’s equally important to post about other things that interest you.
Q. Through your years of publishing, what has been your biggest obstacle? And what are you doing, or what have you been doing to combat it?
The obstacles have come in stages. The first was getting published. We ran into the Toni-Terry problem—our writing was not “literary” in the spirit of Toni Morrison, and it wasn’t in the Terry McMillan mold which were the two prevailing categories for black writers. Editors didn’t know where we fit in, so they would pass on the manuscript. We were fortunate to find an editor who appreciated our writing and encouraged us to go ahead and tell the story, regardless of the category. That, was a very big hurdle, one we’re not sure we’d get over if Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made was being shopped today.
Now, the categories have changed, but the problem is the same. We don’t write urban fiction or erotica, which are the hot categories in African American fiction and now, it’s much harder to get beyond the labels. Publishers are extremely concerned about the bottom line and are most interested in publishing more of what has been successful. It’s like we are all being pressured to write the same book and to compete for the same small piece of the pie instead of being encouraged to find a slice of the bigger pie.
We are looking to find ways to stay in touch with our loyal readers while we also introduce ourselves to audiences who don’t know us yet. We participate in online conversations on sites that are not solely African American and have received many emails that read something like, “I had never heard of you before, but I picked up out one of your books, loved it and will be getting more.” We realize publishing is a numbers game, and that in order to stay in it we have to bring in bigger numbers. The only way we can do that is to make ourselves known to readers across the women’s fiction spectrum. We believe our stories have universal appeal and deserve exposure in the wider marketplace.
Q. There has been countless discussion and debate about how and why black books are segregated in the stores. But even more disturbing the notion that the segregation begins in the publishing houses. Please share your thoughts on this and what can readers do?
All of us who write books with black characters have been made aware of the statistics showing which kinds of our books are selling the most. Along with that knowledge, comes the pressure—subtle or not—to make our books more like those with the biggest bottom lines. Yet, there has been no effort to market our books to a wider audience where we might find additional fans who would appreciate what we do, not what publishers think black authors should do. The basic assumption is that only black audiences will buy and read books by black authors. This is not the assumption with other authors. It is assumed that everyone will read Nora Roberts, James Patterson, etc., including black readers. It is also assumed that not just vampires read Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight series. So, we come out of the gate with a disadvantage.
Also, more and more often novels by African American are shelved in the African American section, not with general fiction. It seems readers are split on this. Some prefer to be able to find the authors they love in a separate section. The consequence of this is that casual book store browsers are unlikely to come across a book by a black writer that they are not looking for specifically, again, limiting our access to the book buying public.
We always tell readers that if there are authors they love, buy their books, otherwise you won’t see their work any longer. None of us are immune from this phenomenon. Also, if you love someone’s work, tell people about it, and not just other African Americans. The more people who know about an author, the better chance she or he will have to stay in the marketplace.
Q. Now let's get to it! Your latest novel UPTOWN hit bookstores March, 2010. What inspired the book?
Real Estate became the national fever in the 2000’s. All of a sudden people were talking about trading up, flipping houses, how much their houses had appreciated and borrowing against the increased value. Developers built luxury housing, often in neighborhoods that had never seen such activity and long-time residents were displaced. When did home go from being the place where you made warm memories with your family, to an actively traded commodity? We chose Harlem as the setting because it has been an iconic African-American community since the early 20th century, but there are communities like Uptown all over the country. We wanted to look at this phenomenon from the perspective of a family whose members were both long time residents of the area, and actively involved in developing the “New Harlem.”
Q. Give us some details about the storyline and why was this story important for you to tell?
The Dixon Group, started by long-time Harlemite and real estate investor King Dixon, and now run by his son, Dwight, owns large parcels of Harlem real estate, some of it bordering Central Park, the gem in the middle of Manhattan. Three of the four sides of the park are lined with luxury residences, hotels, fashionable boutiques and world-renowned museums. Only 110th St., the north side of the park, which was considered the gateway to Harlem, was still lined with tenements, a gas station, a correctional facility—hardly prime properties. But as 110th St began to be called Central Park North, it was clear the game was changing, and the Dixon Group was ready to cash in. What seems like the easiest piece of the puzzle, acquiring a property they need from a family member, turns out to unleash a buried, but long-simmering betrayal that affects Dwight and his cousin, Avery Lyons. They were once as close as brother and sister, but that ended twenty years ago. Now Avery is back in town, and the truth will come out, no matter who it hurts.
Q. Tell us about the characters and the research involved in putting this book together.
This is the first book we’ve started with the male characters, but when we knew the story was about real estate in Harlem, when knew we had already met two of the characters to help us tell it—Dwight Dixon, Jewell Prescott’s fiancé in Better Than I Know Myself, and his overbearing father, King Dixon.
Q. What do you want readers to get from UPTOWN?
We hope they have a read that keeps them wanting to turn the pages and find out what happens next. We also hope to leave readers with some questions to answer. Does success mean that the one with the most money at the end wins, or are there other qualities we expect? What does home really mean? Is it just the building, or is it a feeling we carry with us? If our feelings for home are unsettled, do we ever feel at home, no matter where we go?
Q. What have been some of your marketing strategies for UPTOWN?
We try to keep ourselves available and “out there.” We have been fortunate to still be sent on book tour by our publisher and we try to make the most of the opportunity to travel around the country. With Uptown we were able to visit some cities where we have not been in a long time—like Denver and Dallas, as well as others where we have never been—Augusta, GA, Jackson, MS, Milwaukie, WS and Pittsburgh, PA among them—where it was great talking with fans we had not had the chance to meet previously. In addition to our regular online activities, we have written guest blogs (Thanks Donna!), appeared on blogtalk radio, reached out to book clubs and book bloggers, whatever we can do to get the word out.
Q. Let's talk cover. When I saw the cover, a lot of things went through my head. What are the thoughts behind the cover? What did you want to evoke from the casual browser?
We don’t have final say-so on covers. On our last book, What Doesn’t Kill You, there was another version of the cover that we preferred, but we lost that battle. We actually liked the Uptown cover as soon as we saw it. It feels like a cover that surrounds a big story, one that would make a browser in a bookstore stop and check it out. It also feels like the art director didn’t just find a stock photo and slap it on a page with the title on it. They actually gave it thought and made it reflect the feeling of the book. It also didn’t hurt that our name was above the title—first time that’s happened.
Q. Four Colored Girls. Tell us about it and how it got started.
The full name is 4 Colored Girls Productions. For those of us who remember back when we were called colored girls, the name is meant to pay respect to all that we were taught then about having pride in ourselves and being able to accomplish whatever we set our minds to. We formed the company three years ago, along with partners Tyrha Lindsey and Tracey Kemble, both of who have extensive film production experience. We all met 10 plus years ago, when Tracey, who was an HBO VP at the time, optioned Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made to produce independently. Tyrha, who reached out to us at about the same time, we working for Qwest Entertainment, the production arm for Quincy Jones. She wanted the option, but Tracey already had it. At the time, Hollywood had very different ideas than we all did about what kind of movie to make out of Tryin’ (like on starring Winnona Ryder and Gweneth Paltrow)., and the movie was never made. But years later, we all still believe there is a wonderful movie to be made from the story, and we intend to produce it.
Q. Where do you stand now with the movie?
Regina King attached herself to the project from the beginning—she was a fan of the book. We did the first several passes at the screenplay and have worked with a screenwriter to polish it. Last year was difficult in terms of raising funds, but the outlook this year has been better. Right now we are at a very important and encouraging point regarding a particular financing avenue, so we are hopeful—and saying our prayers. We’ll definitely keep you posted.
Q. What books are on your list to read this summer?
Gee, it would be great to have a summer like when we were kids—two whole months with no assignments—bliss. The reality has been deadline summers which haven’t left much reading time. Glorious by Bernice McFadden is definitely on the list. She waged such a battle to get the book published and it’s exciting to see it receiving great reviews. You know we love a good read about mothers and daughters, so What Mother Never Told Me is definitely on the list. We each have stacks of books to catch up on. Let’s see how far we get!
Q. Where do you see the future of publishing going, specifically for the black author and reader?
Our crystal ball is not so clear at the moment. Storytelling is a time-honored tradition for humans in general and for those of us of African descent in particular, so we know that stories will continue to be written and shared. As far as publishing goes, the whole industry is scrambling to keep pace with developments in e-book publishing that change the entire reader-writer-publisher paradigm. None of us can rest on what used to work, because we are no longer, “back in the day.” That could be scary, but it can also be invigorating. What it definitely requires is that writers and readers stay active, and open-minded and look to stake our claim in the new media landscape.
Q. What is your next book project and can you share the storyline with us?
We have a few ideas on the table and are continuing to brainstorm. As we have mentioned, this is a difficult moment in publishing, and we are not sure what our next steps will be, but we’ll keep you posted.
Q. Where can readers find out more about you?
They can find all kinds of info, our travel schedule, our contact info and whatever else is on our minds at: on:
deberryandgrant.com
facebook.com/deberryandgrant
twitter.com/deberryandgrant
twomindsfull.blogspot.com
Monday, May 03, 2010
Interview with Trisha Thomas
Hey Trisha. Thanks so much for taking time to answer my very intrusive questions, but I'm sure readers will appreciate your responses.
Q. Readers are always interested in who we are outside of being a writer. Tell us about Trisha, the woman.
Creativity is the first thing that comes to mind. If you ask any of my close friends to describe me, that’s the first word they’d use. My house looks like a big art gallery from my own work. Huge canvases on every wall. I hope to have a showing one-day. Then there’s the gardening which helps me meditate. My husband has caught me talking to the tomato plants and can’t help but ask, “does that really work?” Absolutely. We’re all living things. How would you feel if no one ever talked to you? I’m also considered the comedienne of my group. Always looking for the humor in any situation. Sometimes that’s interpreted as not taking things seriously. But it’s quite the obvious. I see things direct and extremely clear. Too clear sometimes. When you have that perspective it’s best to take things easy or you’d be in a constant state of flux.
Q. The writing bug hits us at different times in our lives. When did you first get bitten and what was the first outcome?
Ever since I could read and write, I have been telling stories. I use to draw out pictures and tape them together, roll them from one end to the other on discarded paper towel centers, cut out the bottom of a box and have my own movie reel. My mother was basically my only audience member, but she loved them, that was good enough for me.
Q. You're name has become synonymous with the "Nappily" series. How did the concept come to you?
No one really knows my name. I’ve read blogs when they say they love the series, or love Venus, but the name of the author eludes them. I’m so okay with that. I think we all want to be appreciated for our body of work. I think even the papparazi swarmed Reality Stars eventually want to be known for something, not just their name and what kind of designer bag they were carrying.
Q. When you started "Nappily" was it your intention to make a series out of it or did it evolve?
I wasn’t anticipating writing a series of books. I wanted to answer the question: Why are we so obsessed with our hair? Why, especially women of color are we willing to pay just about any amount of money to be what we’re not? The reason the question even came up was because my daughter came home crying after being called ‘nappy head’ at school. I was floored. I couldn’t believe after twenty some odd years, the good hair- bad hair war was still going on from when I was growing up. And was it really going to go on for another twenty, thirty, or fifty years? I started paying attention to all the subtle and not so subtle messages. The TV commercials always touted going from frizzy to straight. Even the main talkshows that were supposed to be empowering women focused on taking a woman’s natural hair and straightening it to make her new and beautiful as if that was the only way to feel good about yourself. They never showed straight, over-processed, and damaged, hair being cut to reveal a better look with natural tresses. When would we be happy with our hair? That’s pretty much how the journey began.
Q. I understand that Nappily Ever After was optioned by Halle Berry? Is that right? Where are things now?
The film has been in development for the last seven years. I know that sounds long, but I have the same agent as Dennis Lehane (Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island, Mystic River) and he reassures me, it takes that long, or longer, to be patient and go about the business of writing. I do just that. I try not to focus on the film. Although the good news is that Halle’s production company bought the full rights to the entire series so we’re hoping it will be more than just one movie, an HBO or a Showtime series would be nice.
Q. How many books are in the series and do you plan more of them?
Un-Nappily In Love is the sixth book in the series and will be released in a few weeks. Venus is about to experience The Big One, something I remembered from elementary school. Meaning an earthquake, not the other Big “O” one. LOL! Growing up in California, I think we prepared for earthquakes more than we learned our ABC’s. When Venus is faced with her biggest challenge, I couldn’t help but remember all those years of training and the Big One stuck in my head. Not until I was much older did I realize there’s no way of being prepared for the Big One. When the foundation you’re standing on is crumbling underneath your feet, and the walls around you are shaking, you pretty much have the instinct to run, seek cover, and pray for it to be over.
After it’s over, you survey the damage and rebuild. This is the metaphor for what Jake and Venus are about to experience in Un’Nappily In Love. They’re about to be shaken to their core.
Q. You are a full-time writer. If you had your choice of any other profession what would it be?
I’ve been a teacher, a gown designer, accountant, and marketing consultant for a couple of big food manufacturers (listed not in any order) I’ve experienced the gamut of careers. I have a Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics. I was on the fast track for so long. When I made myself stop and take notice that I was on the wrong track, I asked myself what are you running from? I was afraid of failing at the one thing I actually loved. It didn’t make any sense. Eventually I started two or three novels and they were all commercial and stale. I went to a writer’s conference and the keynote was so real and honest. She lived in the Appalachians and had this sweet southern accent. She said, “Write what you know, that’s it. No other big secret.” I left there with tears in my eyes because I’d been writing about murder and mayhem, honestly, something I knew nothing about. But when my daughter came home crying about her hair. It lit a flame. I remembered all the hurt of growing up, the little black girl with the thick untamed hair. Growing up and being taught, nothing in life will come to you with nappy hair. It’s like being branded underneath your clothes. Hoping no one ever sees what’s really there. Nobody knows the pain and stress we endure worrying about our hair. We run around doing what needs to be done to fit in accordingly. I simply put those memories in Nappily Ever After.
Q. How have you seen the publishing industry change since you got into the business?
I love knowing there’s a freedom there that wasn’t there ten years ago when I started. Self-publishing of books and now E-books gives you the option to not waiting for the approval of the powers-that-be in the industry. I still have the publishing contract, but I can also self-publish. I never considered that as an option ten years ago. I can step off the grid and do something new and risky. It’s an exciting time. Anyone can put their work out there and find a market.
Q. Social networking has "taken over the world" so to speak. How do you utilize the networking tools available to you?
I flow with the times. I think it’s wonderful to talk to so many people at the same time. Especially since most writers are hermits during the year or so it takes to write a book. Then suddenly you’re supposed to put on your stilettos and get out there and show your stuff. Much easier to communicate through networking.
Q. In a sentence, tell us what kind of writer you are?
I’m an involuntary writer. I’m writing every minute of the day. I can be out to dinner and I’m seeing the entire dialogue of the couple next to me.
Q. Do you feel at any time that you have boxed yourself in or have been boxed in simply by the success of the series?
Hell no! I feel lucky to have found a voice that my readers will listen to. There’s one particular reader in Montgomery, Alabama who I see when I tour. She sneers at me after every booksigning, “I’m not reading another Nappily…that’s it. What was Venus thinking?” The next time I come, she’s front and center (no names- Tara) She’s my perfect example. Once you read one, you’re hooked. I certainly wish I could get more people hooked. That would be golden. But I’m so grateful for the readers I have. I’ll take them being snagged by the series over hype any day.
Q. What's your favorite past time?
Cooking. More specifically, baking. I always have homemade cookies in my purse. Always.
Q. If someone were to walk into your house right now, what would totally surprise them?
Nothing. It’s as artsy and eclectic as you would guess. My house was featured on HGTV a few years ago and the producer kept telling me how much she loved it because it was all about us, my family, me as an artist. Everything screamed, The Thomas Family lives here. I have framed art from my kids when they were very young up to high school. I never let a single piece of their hard work go unappreciated. I could care less if my son drew me with three heads, it was going up.
Q. What is your greatest strength? Your greatest weakness?
My greatest strength, laughter. My weakness, I have a bad memory. I forget to be mad. My husband always quotes the Al Pacino character in Scarface in his best Cuban accent…”that’s okay, you’ll love me in the morning.”
Q. If you had the chance to sit down with someone and pick their brain, who would it be and why?
Probably my great-great-great grandmother. I feel like I have missing pieces sometimes. I’d like to get the full-story.
Q. What is one of your quirkiest habits?
I guess the one that stands out is talking to my plants. Better than talking to myself. My kids don’t listen to me. And if start a sentence with, “I was thinking…” my husband exits the room.
Q. What was the single most exciting thing that has happened to you as a writer?
Reaching the ten-year mark as a published author. I thank God everyday.
Q. Okay, give us an inside look at Un-Nappily In Love!
Finally! I love this story, probably more than all the others I’ve written before. Do authors always say that? Anyway, I really mean it. I haven’t had this much excitement over a book since the first one. Venus cutting off her hair in the first book was the first real decision she’d every made based on what she needed and not on someone else’s expectations or societal fears. In the newest installment, she does something else not generally accepted in our society, but because of the love for her husband and his integrity as a father, she steps out and does something bigger than herself, totally relying on faith. I love this story.
Q. Where can readers find out more about you?
I’m everywhere. Punch in those three little words and find out. My mother gets so appalled when we go out and she tells whomever…”this is my daughter. She wrote the book called Nappily Ever After. Have you heard of it?” When they give her the polite smile and shake of their head, ‘no,’ she’s devastated. “How could they never have heard of your book? What are they…living under a rock?” I try to consol her. “Mom, they just haven’t seen the movie yet. When they do, it’ll be a different story.” But in reality, it kind of stings. People use the term Nappily Ever After synonymously with going natural, and accepting themselves through the transition from a relaxer, when the term wasn’t used at all until I wrote the book more than 12 years ago and first published by Random House ten years ago. Now it’s like saying Xerox when you want a copy, when in fact Xerox is the name of a business machine company. Everyone uses the term whether we actually use the product or not, trademarks be damned! Black women use the term whether they’ve read the book or not. It just rings true and right. Surely its a good thing. Whether I’m in the thank you column or not, I want women to accept their natural beauty and teach their daughters to love themselves from the root of their hair to the soles of their feet. If not now, when? It just seems so basic to me to be nappily ever after, and yet I know how truly difficult it is. It took me till I was forty to get there.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Prize of a Lifetime--Coming to a Store Near You
I'm happy to announce that PRIZE OF A LIFETIME my annual Summer contribution to the Arabesque summer series is primed to hit bookstores on September 29. I know seems like a long time but it's not. This new series is part of the Primetime Passion series that got kicked off with Adrianne Byrd's novel Queen of His Heart (Available Now).
My story puts love to the ultimate test when Sasha Carrington spends two sizzling nights on the romantic island of Antigua with sexy Mitchell Davenport, only for the both of them to shortly realize that they will be competitors on television's newest and hottest reality television show Heartbreak Hotel. The prize of a lifetime is one million dollars and your own hotel!
How will the game play out? Who will win? And when they do will they chose love or money and the dream of a lifetime? Hmm, think you know the answer? It's not as simple as you might imagine.
Be sure to add it to your book list and find out for yourself.
Harlequin has been on a mission to re-issue many of my early Arabesque titles, which give so many readers a chance to get books they may have missed and introduce new readers to my work. So far they have reissued CHARADE, CHANCES ARE, TEMPTATION, A PRIVATE AFFAIR AND PIECES OF DREAMS.
Well,that's it for now. I'll be back to post my upcoming schedule. Heading to Calfornia, Chicago and Maryland in the coming months. Would love to see your friendly faces.
Author Francis Ray Gets Special Honor
Francis Ray Author
Today, Celebrity Bakery and Cafe, a chain restaurant in the Dallas metroplex, honored me and three other women as local heroes. I was honored due to establishing The Turning Point Legal Defense Fund, a fund that assist battered women with their legal expenses. The fund is managed by the Family Place, a local women's shelter in Dallas. A menu item that I selected, Cranberry Chicken Salad will now be Francis Ray's Cranberry Chicken Salad on the menu board. It was a fun event. I was humbled by the honor, and then totally blown away when several fans who were guests of another honoree promptly went to the Borders bookstore next door and purchased books for me to sign. It was an incredible afternoon.
So, if you're in the North Dallas area and want a great lunch with a fabulous dessert, may I suggest Francis Ray's Cranberry Chicken Salad at Celebrity Cafe at 10720 Preston Rd - Suite 1016 - Dallas, TX 75230 -214-373-0783. Please tell them Francis sent you.
Today, Celebrity Bakery and Cafe, a chain restaurant in the Dallas metroplex, honored me and three other women as local heroes. I was honored due to establishing The Turning Point Legal Defense Fund, a fund that assist battered women with their legal expenses. The fund is managed by the Family Place, a local women's shelter in Dallas. A menu item that I selected, Cranberry Chicken Salad will now be Francis Ray's Cranberry Chicken Salad on the menu board. It was a fun event. I was humbled by the honor, and then totally blown away when several fans who were guests of another honoree promptly went to the Borders bookstore next door and purchased books for me to sign. It was an incredible afternoon.
So, if you're in the North Dallas area and want a great lunch with a fabulous dessert, may I suggest Francis Ray's Cranberry Chicken Salad at Celebrity Cafe at 10720 Preston Rd - Suite 1016 - Dallas, TX 75230 -214-373-0783. Please tell them Francis sent you.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Intimate Monday with Anna Dennis
Anna, thank you so much for taking time to chat with me. I know my readers will enjoy getting to know you.
1. What is a typical writing day like for you? Anything but typical. I seize the opportunity to write whenever I can.
2. Do you need anything special to write? Quiet, music, a special place? Not necessarily, just motivation. Often times, I like to write in long-hand first, though.
3. What is the one thing about you that people would be surprised to know?That I wanted to be a newscaster when I was in high school.
4. What is your writing process? How does a novel begin for you? A lot of mental formulation. I go over the beginning, middle and end, over and over again in my head. Once it is relatively clear, then I begin writing.
5. Where did you grow up and do you think it has impacted/influenced your writing? I grew up in San Francisco, California a place rich in diversity, creativity and expensive rents, (Ha, ha, ha!) But it absolutley had an impact on my writing because half of what we write about is what we see, i.e., our experiences, conversations, etc.
6. Do you have siblings? And if so where do you fit into the mix? I have one sister and I'm the oldest.
7. If you could choose a profession other than writing, what would it be? Something deeper into the entertainment industry...like a radio personality or talk show host.
8. What is your definition of success? Being good at what you do and happy doing it.
9. Who did you share your first kiss with and when? My first real kiss was with my husband, then boyfriend, in 1984. Whew!
10. If you could have dinner with someone living or dead, who would it be with and what would you want to know? I envy those who attended the Last Supper with Jesus. There are so many questions about life, death, pain and suffering that I would ask. But, I would ultimately want to know what kind of job am I doing right now, here on earth.
11. Your favorite past time? Unquestionably, spending time with my husband and children.
12. What is your greatest fear? One day, not being able to spend time with my husband and children.
13. What writers have influenced you and in what way? Mary Morrison, E. Lynn Harris and J. California Cooper. But more than any of them, was Donna Hill. She creates rich characters and develops tasteful love scenes. She is a true romance writer. She is also very real and down-to-earth and always willing to help in any way she can to help writers grow in their craft.
14. What is one book that you would insist that everyone read? (other than your own) And why? The Bible, no other book will edify you the way it will.
15. Your favorite fictional character from someone else's book. My favorite character is Reese Delaware from Donna Hill's Intimate Betrayal. She was a strong, grounded, inspiring character.
16. Who is your favorite character from one of your novels? It is actually Veronica Webb, from the novel I'm currently working on. She's strong, confident and charismatic. I must say that my previous characters have not been as stong.
17. What do you want readers to take away from your work--other than being entertained? A closeness with the characters and a feeling of saying goodbye to a friend at the conclusion of the book.
18. Your favorite saying? When someone shows you who they are...believe them the first time. Oprah Winfrey
19. Your favorite curse word? I don't swear anymore, so I don't have one.
20 What is the best advice you've ever received? It was from my mom, "Friends are great, but don't mind spending time alone...because you will never disappoint yourself."
21. One thing that always pisses you off? Haters!
22. What are you currently working on and when can readers expect to see it? First, there's On The Line, a compilation with you and 17 other authors (I'm so excited!) that will be due out in January 2008. I can't wait to see the final product myself. Then, I'm not sure, it will either be Memories or the sequel to Who Will Hear My Screams. I think it depends on which one I finish first, but I anticipate mid-2008.
23. Where do you see yourself in five years and how do you plan to get there? With a nice book deal and a good relationship with a reputable publishing house. I don't think that's too much to ask.
24. If there was only one thing in the world that you could change what would it be? I would erase the word Cancer and have it be a disease that never existed.
25. If you had the chance to go back and do something over in your life, what would it be? I thought long and hard about this one and the answer truly is...nothing! I am blessed and I believe that it is both the good and the bad that brought to me to where I am today.
Now, tell us a bit about your current book on the shelves and why should readers buy it?
The Purest of Pain is truly a touching and real story that focuses on an upper class, married couple. They are having problems, but then 9/11 happens and that's where the story really takes off. Readers should buy it because 9/11 affected absolutely everyone and with each anniversary, continues to do so as well as remind us of how fragile life can be. That, is what I hope readers can take away from it. The book also serves as a memorium to those who lost their lives and continue to lose their lives as a result of that day.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Santa Baby 2008 Virtual Book Tour for Hopeless Romantics
The Santa Baby 2008 Virtual Book Tour allow hopeless romantics to flex their very vivid imaginations and soar as they hear from ten beloved romance writers just in time for the holidays!
All The Buzz Reviews and The GRITS COM Literary Service have teamed up to host the Santa Baby 2008 Virtual Book Tour headlining some of today’s exciting African American romance writers, December 1-12, 2008!
This exclusive ten-day virtual book tour will give romance readers, and new readers to the genre, a chance to hear from ten popular writers about their new and upcoming book releases just in time for the holidays!
This virtual book tour is inspired by the sultry sex-kitten, Eartha Kitt. Her Christmas song, “Santa Baby,” topped the charts in 1953 making her one of the most popular entertainers in the world. The same sensuous mix that Eartha Kitt brought to this Christmas song many years ago, is the same sensuous mix - Gwyneth Bolton, Niobia Bryant, Dyanne Davis, Gwynne Forster, Bettye Griffin, Donna Hill, Andrea Jackson, Deborah Fletcher Mello, Farrah Rochon, and Stefanie Worth - bring to their work and to this tour!
Romance novels made an astonishing $1.4 billion last year, making the romance genre one of the top sellers in the publishing industry. Though some complain that the formulaic plot and “happily-ever-after” endings in romances aren’t always indicative of real life; the staggering number of romances sold each year is testament to its popularity and staying power!
The Santa Baby 2008 Virtual Book Tour begins Monday, December 1, 2008. So join the tour at AllTheBuzzReviews (www.allthebuzzreviews.com) or TheGRITS.com/virtualbooktour (www.thegrits.com/virtualbooktour)
About All The Buzz Reviews
All The Buzz Reviews is the book reviews and literary event blog of Renee Williams, the CEO & Owner of Literary Signature Service, an event planning business specializing in literary events for authors of every genre.
About The GRITS COM Literary Service
The GRITS COM Literary Service is an online book promotion service that specializes in serving the unique web publicity needs of authors and publishers.
CONTACT:
The GRITS COM Literary Service
526 Kingwood Drive, Suite 404
Kingwood, TX 77339
281-973-6919
The Santa Baby 2008 Virtual Book Tour allow hopeless romantics to flex their very vivid imaginations and soar as they hear from ten beloved romance writers just in time for the holidays!
All The Buzz Reviews and The GRITS COM Literary Service have teamed up to host the Santa Baby 2008 Virtual Book Tour headlining some of today’s exciting African American romance writers, December 1-12, 2008!
This exclusive ten-day virtual book tour will give romance readers, and new readers to the genre, a chance to hear from ten popular writers about their new and upcoming book releases just in time for the holidays!
This virtual book tour is inspired by the sultry sex-kitten, Eartha Kitt. Her Christmas song, “Santa Baby,” topped the charts in 1953 making her one of the most popular entertainers in the world. The same sensuous mix that Eartha Kitt brought to this Christmas song many years ago, is the same sensuous mix - Gwyneth Bolton, Niobia Bryant, Dyanne Davis, Gwynne Forster, Bettye Griffin, Donna Hill, Andrea Jackson, Deborah Fletcher Mello, Farrah Rochon, and Stefanie Worth - bring to their work and to this tour!
Romance novels made an astonishing $1.4 billion last year, making the romance genre one of the top sellers in the publishing industry. Though some complain that the formulaic plot and “happily-ever-after” endings in romances aren’t always indicative of real life; the staggering number of romances sold each year is testament to its popularity and staying power!
The Santa Baby 2008 Virtual Book Tour begins Monday, December 1, 2008. So join the tour at AllTheBuzzReviews (www.allthebuzzreviews.com) or TheGRITS.com/virtualbooktour (www.thegrits.com/virtualbooktour)
About All The Buzz Reviews
All The Buzz Reviews is the book reviews and literary event blog of Renee Williams, the CEO & Owner of Literary Signature Service, an event planning business specializing in literary events for authors of every genre.
About The GRITS COM Literary Service
The GRITS COM Literary Service is an online book promotion service that specializes in serving the unique web publicity needs of authors and publishers.
CONTACT:
The GRITS COM Literary Service
526 Kingwood Drive, Suite 404
Kingwood, TX 77339
281-973-6919
Monday, August 04, 2008
HOTLanta--National Book Club Conference
Hey Fam!
Just landed on solid ground after my return flight from Atlanta for the Sixth Annual National Book Club Conference at the fabulous Marriott Marquis Hotel. I had a fabulous time and got to see sooooo many folks from all over the place! Want to give a shout out to Judi and Alicia and the sisters from Sugar and Spice Book Club and Pamela and Angela from Imani Book Club that hung out with me and Debra Owsley(Simply Said Reading Accessories).Hey Anya! Some of everybody was up in the place. Curtis Bunn did a fabulous job. We have pictures posted on my fanclub site. Take a look when you have a minute.
My girl Debra put together a Slideshow of the event.
I got to sit next to Terri McMillian all night during the banquet. And of course all of the author's shining moment was the walk down the red carpet. Yes, we felt like stars!! LOL.
Well, that's it from the road. I'll be heading out on Wednesday (my birthday) for the Soul Expressions Bus Tour which kicks off in Indianapolis and concludes in Chicago on Sunday. I do hope to see many of you out there as we hit the Wal-Mart stores.
Here are the dates and locations
Thursday, August 7th
10:00am--Lawrence, IN 10735 Pendleton Pike/ Lawrence, IN 46236
2:00 pm-- Fishers, IN 8300 E. 96th Street/ Fishers, IN 46038
4:45pm-- Indianapolis, IN 3221 West 86th Street/ Indianapolis,IN 46268
# Soul Expressions Author Tour in Fort Wayne >
Soul Expressions Author Tour
August 8, 2008
7502 Southtown Crossing Blvd
Fort Wayne, IN 46816
# Soul Expressions Author Tour in South Bend >
Soul Expressions Author Tour
August 8, 2008
3701 Portage Road
South Bend, IN 46628
# Soul Expressions Author Tour in Hammond >
Soul Expressions Author Tour
August 8, 2008
1828 165th Street
Hammond, IN 46320
# Soul Expressions Author Tour in Chicago >
Soul Expressions Author Tour
August 9, 2008
Saturday, August 9th
10:00am -- Country Club Hills, IL 4005 West 167th Street/ Country Club Hills, IL 60478
2:30pm-- Evergreen Park, IL 2500 W. 95th Street/ Evergreen Park, IL 60805
Sunday, August 10th
11:00am-- Crestwood, IL 4700 W. 135th Street/ Crestwood, IL 60445
3:00pm-- Lansing, IL 16771 Torrence Avenue/ Lansing, IL 60438
Hope to see you on the road and be sure to tell your friends!!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sistahs On the Reading Edge
Hey All,
Just had to bring everyone up to date on my recent visit to the left coast to visit my Sistahs On the Reading Edge in Anticoh, California for their annual Summer Sizzle. The event was fantastic and the hospitality even better.
I got to meet one of my own writing idols JD Mason! Who is simply wonderful. The actual event was a blast and the turnout was fantastic. I got to see so many folks that I know from flying back and forth out there as well as from conferences and booksigning events.
Dera Williams was there. She always comes out and supports. And I gotta give a shout out to my girl Deborah Burton from Turning Pages Bookclub for coming out. And to all the readers and bookclub members that came out to support me and JD, we love and thank you!!!
And big hugs to Lisa and Jackie co-founders of Sistahs on the Reading Edge for doing such a phenomenal job. I know I'll be seeing ya'll soon!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Harlem Book Fair --updated information
On Saturday, July 20 at 1:15 p.m. at the Thurgood Marshall Academy on 135th in Harlem, I will be facilitating a panel discuss titled: Heroes and Heroines: The Impact of the Romance Genre on Commercial Black Fiction.
Panelists include: Gwynne Forster, Sandra Kitt, Leslie Esdaile (L.A. Banks) & Nathasha Brooks Harris.
Sandra Kitt a long-time veteran of the genre will give the audience a perspective of the history of the genre and the reasons for its longevity.
Gwynne Forster trained in sociology and demography will discuss the human condition and how even book characters are products of their environment.
Nathasha Brooks-Harris a romance author and editor will discuss the mechanics of a romance, what makes it successful and the difference between a romance and a relationship novel
Leslie Esdaile who has garnered enormous success in several genres began in romance and will discuss how that foundation and the depiction of hero and heroine translates into all of the genres in which she writes.
This discussion will provide insight into the genre's longevity and popularity and how its basic structure has provided an "acceptable" medium to mass produce stories about African Americans, build an audience and a marketplace thus providing the platform for the current surge in black fiction. Find out why the genre has remained unshakable, how it has retained and developed its fan base and how black romances, street fiction and commercial black fiction all tell of the black experience by reflecting the environment from which their heroes and protagonists emerge.
We do hope that you will join us for what is sure to be an engaging, challenging and insightful discussion.
Please forward to your reading friends.
Panelists include: Gwynne Forster, Sandra Kitt, Leslie Esdaile (L.A. Banks) & Nathasha Brooks Harris.
Sandra Kitt a long-time veteran of the genre will give the audience a perspective of the history of the genre and the reasons for its longevity.
Gwynne Forster trained in sociology and demography will discuss the human condition and how even book characters are products of their environment.
Nathasha Brooks-Harris a romance author and editor will discuss the mechanics of a romance, what makes it successful and the difference between a romance and a relationship novel
Leslie Esdaile who has garnered enormous success in several genres began in romance and will discuss how that foundation and the depiction of hero and heroine translates into all of the genres in which she writes.
This discussion will provide insight into the genre's longevity and popularity and how its basic structure has provided an "acceptable" medium to mass produce stories about African Americans, build an audience and a marketplace thus providing the platform for the current surge in black fiction. Find out why the genre has remained unshakable, how it has retained and developed its fan base and how black romances, street fiction and commercial black fiction all tell of the black experience by reflecting the environment from which their heroes and protagonists emerge.
We do hope that you will join us for what is sure to be an engaging, challenging and insightful discussion.
Please forward to your reading friends.
Friday, January 04, 2008
We're Back with Part Two
Visit Us ONLINE AND ENTER TO WIN!!!
We had a GREAT TIME last week...we hope to have an AWESOME time this week...so come out and join us this Sunday as we chat with the rest of the authors from On the Line!
"On the Line" Telephone Chat
with Donna Hill and Friends
January 6, 2008
Sunday, 8PM - 9PM EST
Call-In Number: 1-712-580-1800
Access Code: 961958
Tell a friend and enter to win a gift certificate along with FREE BOOKS!
Yasmin
www.apooo.org
Subscribe to APOOO News Today!
We had a GREAT TIME last week...we hope to have an AWESOME time this week...so come out and join us this Sunday as we chat with the rest of the authors from On the Line!
"On the Line" Telephone Chat
with Donna Hill and Friends
January 6, 2008
Sunday, 8PM - 9PM EST
Call-In Number: 1-712-580-1800
Access Code: 961958
Tell a friend and enter to win a gift certificate along with FREE BOOKS!
Yasmin
www.apooo.org
Subscribe to APOOO News Today!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Join Francis Ray And Friends
Celebrate the New Year
with nationally bestselling author
Francis Ray and Friends
Donna Hill
Gwynne Forster
Evelyn Palfrey
Beverly Jenkins
Speak with the authors; ask the things you want to know about their characters; share how much you love their books; find out what each of the authors have coming out for 2008.
This very special New Years chat with 5 fantastic authors, is sure to be a treat for the Romance Lovers of the world!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
8pm CST / 9pm EST
Call in number (1-605-475-6000) enter the pin (942943)
Join us as we discuss a new author's journey, the publishing industry, book promotions, allow readers to ask questions about the books and celebrate the coming of 2008--the year of African-American Literary Excellence.
Authors on the Conference call Sunday Night
Francis Ray--Only You and Not Even If You Begged
Donna Hill--On The Line
Gwynne Forster--Getting Some of Her Own
Evelyn Palfrey--Price of Passion by Evelyn Palfrey
Beverly Jenkins--Deadly Sexy
Don't miss an evening with Francis Ray and Friends!
with nationally bestselling author
Francis Ray and Friends
Donna Hill
Gwynne Forster
Evelyn Palfrey
Beverly Jenkins
Speak with the authors; ask the things you want to know about their characters; share how much you love their books; find out what each of the authors have coming out for 2008.
This very special New Years chat with 5 fantastic authors, is sure to be a treat for the Romance Lovers of the world!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
8pm CST / 9pm EST
Call in number (1-605-475-6000) enter the pin (942943)
Join us as we discuss a new author's journey, the publishing industry, book promotions, allow readers to ask questions about the books and celebrate the coming of 2008--the year of African-American Literary Excellence.
Authors on the Conference call Sunday Night
Francis Ray--Only You and Not Even If You Begged
Donna Hill--On The Line
Gwynne Forster--Getting Some of Her Own
Evelyn Palfrey--Price of Passion by Evelyn Palfrey
Beverly Jenkins--Deadly Sexy
Don't miss an evening with Francis Ray and Friends!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Intimate Mondays
Hey All,
It's been a while since I've posted. I do apologize. But I have some plans that I hope will keep you coming back each week. Beginning on the first Monday in December and every Monday thereafter, you will get to meet some of your favorite authors and be introduced to new ones in an up close and personal interview--with some out of the box questions just to make it interested. To date the line up includes:
L. A. Banks
Francis Ray
Gloria Mallette
Earl Sewell
Victor McGlothin
Linda Hudson Smith
Gwynne Forster
Suzetta Perkins
Taressa Stovall
Just to name a few
So stay tuned!
It's been a while since I've posted. I do apologize. But I have some plans that I hope will keep you coming back each week. Beginning on the first Monday in December and every Monday thereafter, you will get to meet some of your favorite authors and be introduced to new ones in an up close and personal interview--with some out of the box questions just to make it interested. To date the line up includes:
L. A. Banks
Francis Ray
Gloria Mallette
Earl Sewell
Victor McGlothin
Linda Hudson Smith
Gwynne Forster
Suzetta Perkins
Taressa Stovall
Just to name a few
So stay tuned!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Soul Expressions Bus Tour
History was made when 19 African American Authors embarked on the first ever bus tour sponsored by Levy Home Entertainment.
The authors, all selected by their publishing houses to participate when on a whirlwind bus ride through Indiana and Chicago stopping at the Wal-Mart outlets.
The crowds were incredible. I was so thrilled to be a part of it all! We were treated like rock stars with cameras flashing and fans screaming our names.
The authors included:
Donna Hill
Francis Ray
Rochelle Alers
Brenda Jackson
Trisha Thomas
Naleighna Kai
Nikki Turner
Nina Fox
Terri Woods
Stephanie Perry Moore
Lori Woodbridge
Selena Montgomery
Traci Howard
Beverly Jenkins
Crystal Hubbard
Earl Sewell
Rashonda Tate Billingsly
Grace Akallo
To say that we were treated like royalty would be an understatement: receiving door to door pick up service, wonderful accommodations, more food than we could ever eat and the biggest treat of all was a private session with the one and only Billie Dee Williams.
I will be glowing from this trip for a long time. I made new friends and connected with old ones. I can never thank Pam Nelson of Levy for putting the wonderful project together and making it happen in stellar fashion!!!
The authors, all selected by their publishing houses to participate when on a whirlwind bus ride through Indiana and Chicago stopping at the Wal-Mart outlets.
The crowds were incredible. I was so thrilled to be a part of it all! We were treated like rock stars with cameras flashing and fans screaming our names.
The authors included:
Donna Hill
Francis Ray
Rochelle Alers
Brenda Jackson
Trisha Thomas
Naleighna Kai
Nikki Turner
Nina Fox
Terri Woods
Stephanie Perry Moore
Lori Woodbridge
Selena Montgomery
Traci Howard
Beverly Jenkins
Crystal Hubbard
Earl Sewell
Rashonda Tate Billingsly
Grace Akallo
To say that we were treated like royalty would be an understatement: receiving door to door pick up service, wonderful accommodations, more food than we could ever eat and the biggest treat of all was a private session with the one and only Billie Dee Williams.
I will be glowing from this trip for a long time. I made new friends and connected with old ones. I can never thank Pam Nelson of Levy for putting the wonderful project together and making it happen in stellar fashion!!!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Divas Have Dilemmas Too Now Available
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
DONNAHILLPROMOTIONS.COM
DONNAHILLPROMO@AOL.COM
Waldorf, MD, June 2007: “Divas Have Dilemmas Too," a new book by novelist Asia, speaks directly to the struggles and motivations of self-made African-American women.
“This book was written partly out of the experience of the birth of my son, and also out of the numerous very inspiring women that I’ve met,” says Asia. “So many of those women moved forward in spite of huge troubles and obstacles. That gave me the courage to continue striving and achieving whatever it was I wanted.”
In “Divas Have Dilemmas Too,” Bianca is a self-proclaimed diva out to make some changes in her life. She quits her highly regarded law firm, breaks up with her long-time boyfriend, and changes friendship dynamics. Slowly, though, she learns to communicate, to stop being judged by others, and to battle her personal demons that have dogged her from childhood.
Even talented, high-profile women, Asia points out in her novel, have their share of life’s problems to overcome. “It’s visible even in today’s entertainment world,” says Asia. “Women like Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, divas in anybody’s book, face their share of rough patches and personal problems.”
Asia, who graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1998 with a B.S. in Materials Science, received an ROTC scholarship and was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force after graduation. She traveled all over the world – China, Turkey, Germany, France, England, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg, Czech Republic, Mexico and Italy – and her international experience helped her receive an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Oklahoma in 2002. She is currently an engineer based in Maryland.
“This book has allowed me to shine a light upon women who seemed to have it all and yet battled their internal demons,” says Asia. “I write for the women battling life’s issues who don’t necessarily have a voice.”
For more information on Asia visit her on the web at Asia
CONTACT:
DONNAHILLPROMOTIONS.COM
DONNAHILLPROMO@AOL.COM
An intriguing dialogue between reader and author reflects Hollywood celebrity culture in the real world.
The unique narrative style of “Divas Have Dilemmas Too,” as well as its inspiring content, makes authoress Asia’s novel a voyage of self-discovery.
The unique narrative style of “Divas Have Dilemmas Too,” as well as its inspiring content, makes authoress Asia’s novel a voyage of self-discovery.
Waldorf, MD, June 2007: “Divas Have Dilemmas Too," a new book by novelist Asia, speaks directly to the struggles and motivations of self-made African-American women.
“This book was written partly out of the experience of the birth of my son, and also out of the numerous very inspiring women that I’ve met,” says Asia. “So many of those women moved forward in spite of huge troubles and obstacles. That gave me the courage to continue striving and achieving whatever it was I wanted.”
In “Divas Have Dilemmas Too,” Bianca is a self-proclaimed diva out to make some changes in her life. She quits her highly regarded law firm, breaks up with her long-time boyfriend, and changes friendship dynamics. Slowly, though, she learns to communicate, to stop being judged by others, and to battle her personal demons that have dogged her from childhood.
Even talented, high-profile women, Asia points out in her novel, have their share of life’s problems to overcome. “It’s visible even in today’s entertainment world,” says Asia. “Women like Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, divas in anybody’s book, face their share of rough patches and personal problems.”
Asia, who graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1998 with a B.S. in Materials Science, received an ROTC scholarship and was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force after graduation. She traveled all over the world – China, Turkey, Germany, France, England, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg, Czech Republic, Mexico and Italy – and her international experience helped her receive an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Oklahoma in 2002. She is currently an engineer based in Maryland.
“This book has allowed me to shine a light upon women who seemed to have it all and yet battled their internal demons,” says Asia. “I write for the women battling life’s issues who don’t necessarily have a voice.”
For more information on Asia visit her on the web at Asia
Donna Hill Promotions is a small, independent publicity and marketing service dedicated to new and established authors. For more information visit us on the web at DHP
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