Wednesday, June 22, 2011

National Black Book Festival 2011 Part 2


NUMBER 72 
I am still riding high from my trip to Houston, Texas.  It’s been one week since I returned and I’m still having the most positive and happy thoughts about the National Black Book Festival (NBBF) and Houston itself.  With the walking thru as much of the areas of Houston I could walk, seeing the museums and theatre district, and hanging out with the authors before and after until late at night talking about the book business, their old and current books, their life in general and the opening of a new Urban/Christian book store in Houston! Possible!, I had my fill and then some.  You may think you know an author, but when you get to sit down with them and have drink and talk about every day life, you find how so many of them have been there and done that and how they have taken what they have lived thru and wrote it down.  
Have you ever thought of doing that same thing?  I know I have, but I’m not a writer, I’m just a blogger writing down things that mean the world to me, reading, kids and books.  That’s my life and I have lived and breath books since birth.  Being at the NBBF, I felt like I was in my, “elemental and groovacious world.”  It was moments and days that I felt more alive and happy in a long time.  It wasn’t just meeting and hanging out with the authors, it was Houston itself.  I walked so much, I never got tired or hot and it was hot as hell, from 90 to 100 degrees.  I don’t have a perm in my hair, so I just let it hang out and sweat back.  It was glorious, walking around with my hair out like a “back to Africa, won’t get a comb thru those nappeness naps,” seeing the tall buildings, museums, theatre district, restaurants and a beautiful park to walk, ride your bike or bring your doggy.  I was in HEAVEN!!!! and I’m going back in a few months.  Let’s get to some of the authors I met and got to know at the NBBF and their books:
I hung out the whole time I was there with Tina Brooks McKinney.  She is intelligent, funny and knows the book business and book fairs like the back of her hand.  She offered me good insight on how much an author cherish book clubs and these types of venues.  The NBBF was not all that she expected, probably because the amount of customers was low.   There were over 100 authors selling and signing their books, but you could see so many of the tables and other rooms scheduled did not have as many people as it could had been.  To me, that was a very sad state and one of the reasons I informed the authors at the “Welcome to Houston” dinner how so many people are not aware of you because they don’t see your books in major book stores and there's not enough of your traffic on Facebook, Twitter and blogs.  So I told them when it was my turn, you know I was going to push it, try my blog and tell me if I’m not making enough noise to at least get you out there in the public.  Become friends with as many book clubs as you can, we do love you guys and we want to read more.  I hope it works.  Here’s McKinney’s books:
Snapped - $7.99 - - - It has been a while since I read this, so I will try to remember, if not I will check Amazon to see if I got it right.  Merlin’s father turned his back on him and he has made some changes and married a good woman, but old family drama comes back to haunt him as well as his twin brother, Gina and her “drama” husband with children.  They will eventually “snapped” if they don’t get rid of the demons from the past.  If I remember correctly, this book had me up all night because I had to find out what the big secrets were and how they handled them.  Good and fast read.
All That Drama - $7.99 - - - I got this while at NBBF.  You want a good laugh? You want to get pissed and cry more than you expect too? Then you need to read this, drama after drama after drama.  Sammie Davis was accustomed to chaos in her life and for her, it has always been that way.  Marie Morgan, a single mother of two, is currently separated from her husband. One day on the way to work Marie meets Sammie in an Atlanta subway station. With her short skirts, high heels, and occasional birdcage hairdo, Sammie is everything Marie is not -- fearless, brazen, flamboyant, and completely unselfconscious. A woman who flaunts her wild unconventionality, Sammie exudes self-confidence and dares to laugh at life. Soon Marie is feeling empowered by her new friend; as Marie's "freeway of choice," Sammie is always on hand whenever Marie feels the urge to be a little wild. Yet beneath her facade of bravado and sexual abandon, Sammie conceals her own deep pain and a dark history that gradually comes to light.  Isn’t there always some damn deep dark secret?  Well, I’m still going to read it and see what happens.  I tell you, we woman got some serious issues!!!
Deep Deception - $6.99 Paperback only - - -
LAWD, MO’DRAMA - $10.99 - - - We cannot get enough drama.  I think it’s because we realize when we read some of these books, that we are truly blessed!!! Some of these, well, I should say, many of these books are from real life but with a little bit of fiction in them or maybe lots of fiction.  Sammie, from "ALL THAT DRAMA" is back and survived bad men, bad marriage, murder, bad bosses and more drama.  

Dubious - $9.99 - - - I started reading this on the plane because Tina gave me a copy and I was honor to read it then and there, but half way through, I got a little nervous and wonder like hell how and why.  Felicia Clark finds out why her husband no longer touches her and when she does, it’s not hell, it’s a different hell and I would not wish that on a dog.
FOOL STOP TRIPPING - $10.99 - - - Like I have said, don’t judge a book because of it’s cover or because it appears to be “urban.”  You will be surprised how much the story means to you or to someone you know who needs to see the light and move forward. Give them a try.
When Tarcia finds out the man she's been trying to snag already has a family, she becomes desperate and willing to go to any lengths to get back what she's lost, even when it means tearing up another family to pin this married man down for herself. (Have you seen or heard that before in real life??) Claiming pregnancy is just another move for her, but one that might end her up in jail.

At the same time, Sammie, a familiar character, is battling through her own relationship problems as well, and her insecurities are hijacking any chance she might have for happiness. And while Jasmine, Sammie's half-sister, tries to help her make it through the tough times, she might end up as more of a hindrance to Sammie's emotional well-being.

As the characters search for the perfect life, readers are put in tune with their boiling emotions and learn the cost of basing one's happiness on having a mate. How far should one go in pursuing love, and what happens when all these go-getter's start trippin' over each other in the chase? 

Mr. Robert Moore, author of THE PRESIDENT’S MEN: BLACK UNITED STATES MARSHALS IN AMERICA - Was the author at the "Welcome to Houston Dinner," asked, "You can have this $5.00 in my hand if you tell me who was the first black marshal?  No one could, but it was Frederick Douglass.
Mr. Moore is a retired United States Marshal who was appointed by President Clinton in 1994-2002.  This is his book about the first to the current African American United States Marshals.  Their contributions and achievements.  Mr. Moore has put together a 222 year history of this position, it’s politics, policies, society, race and the Presidents who appointed them.  This is a great book for black history.  You know we do not, repeat, do not have enough African Americans in positions of power.  Let’s get us or our next generation together to fix this now!!!
The book can be brought at Borders (If you can find one still opened) or online at www.blackpoliceresource.com

1 comment:

  1. I continue to enjoy your blog. You are inspiring me to do something other than just read books. Soo many fantastic authors and the word is just not getting out...hmmm.... Yet, I am so thankful for you and your blog.

    ReplyDelete