Win a copy of The Devil in Silver

Hat tip to Twitter and author @matjohnson for the news that Victor LaValle is giving away a copy of his upcoming novel The Devil in Silver. I loved Big Machine, which was a little scary. This new one sounds really scary! (Devils are big this summer Devil's Wake, Tananarive Due's and Steven Barnes' zombie novel is out soon too!)

Congratulations and gratitude

Marian is the winner of Panther Baby! Congratulations! You can leave your email in the comments or email me your mailing address through my website.

Thanks so much to everyone for entering! If you didn't win the book you wanted, please consider buying it.

Thanks to authors Bernice McFadden and Trice Hickman for the autographed copies! And thanks to publishers Agate Bolden and Algonquin Books for providing copies.


Next week watch for an interview with Vaunda Nelson, author of No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller.

Giveaway Day 4: Win Panther Baby!

The winner of Keeping Secrets and Telling Lies is As the Page Turns. Congratulations! Thanks everybody for your comments and posts and tweets all week!

We finish up Giveaway Week with Panther Baby by Jamal Joseph, Panther, poet, prisoner, professor and Oscar nominee. (How's that for a curriculum vitae?) It's a memoir about coming of age during the Black Panther movement, which Kirkus called "an inspiring, unapologetic account of his transformation from armed revolutionary to revolutionary artist." For more about the book (supplied by Algonquin), watch the (great!) trailer below.





And read an excerpt here. If you'd like to win a copy, leave a comment below. I'll announce the winner (chosen at random) tomorrow morning...unless power goes out. Denver's getting hit with a monster snowstorm!

Giveaway Day 3: Win Keeping Secrets and Telling Lies!

Congratulations Sidne! You've won Creatures Here Below. Leave your email address in the comments below or email me your snail mail address via my website.

Here's the book trailer for today's giveaway: Keeping Secrets and Telling Lies by Trice Hickman. This one is a re-issue, just out this week. It was self-published and did well enough to garner attention from a traditional publisher. It's a sequel, so if you win it, you might want to pick up Unexpected Interruptions and read it first. Check out this interview with Trice for more about the story.




If you like romance and women's fiction, leave a comment below and you'll have a chance to win! All comments must be left before midnight eastern.

Giveaway Day 2: Win Creatures Here Below!

The winner of Gathering of Waters is Lisa DeNeal. Congratulations! 

Today's book is Creatures Here Below, by O.H. Bennett. The Philadelphia Tribune's review says, "...author O.H. Bennett grabs his readers by the hand and leads them through a house of miscommunication where everybody thinks too much and talks too little. Despite what I thought was a rocky start, Bennett’s characters become likeable in their frailties and failures, and the back-and-forth ripens into a welcome addition. Grab this book, and if you’re willing to be patient for a few pages, you’ll be rewarded by a bold story. In the end, Creatures Here Below is a novel you’ll be talking about."

The publisher is comparing this book to some of Edward P. Jones' work. I think it also bears favorable comparison to another Agate Bolden novel, Before I Forget by Leonard Pitts Jr. From the publisher's synopsis:

This powerful new novel by O.H. Bennett tells the story of a makeshift family struggling to stay together as life wears away at their bonds of blood and love. At the center of the family is Gail Neighbors, the hardworking single mother of two sons, Mason and Tyler. Mason, the older, grew up without knowing his father, Pony Reed, a feckless gambler and womanizer. Tyler, the younger, sings in the church choir and enjoys a close relationship with his father, Dan, who left Gail a few years before but still spends plenty of time at the house. To make ends meet, Gail has taken in two boarders: Annie, an elderly woman with a diminishing grip on reality, and Jackie, the twenty-year-old single mother of baby Cole, who can't fully accept her overwhelming new responsibilities.

To give you a feel for Bennett's writing, this is Mason in the first chapter, after a fight with a boy who made a joke "something about missing fathers and bastards":

"Most of the blood was Mason's. It caused his ripped shirt sleeve to cling to his upper arm. Small drops landed on the white leather toe of his right sneaker. Mason turned the key and pushed the door open. He tried to do everything softly. He held his hand under his elbow to catch the drips and moved silently through the dark house. He slipped into the downstairs bathroom, easing the door shut with his shoulder before pulling the chain on the light over the sink. Instantly a face appeared in front of him, a dark, narrow, and closed face with brooding eyes, and tiny dots of blood sprayed from hairline to chin. That blood would belong to the that brother who grinned too much, who talked too much."

This is Miss Annie, one of the two boarders, in chapter two:

"Miss Annie Gant woke gripped by pain in her left leg. The leg felt as if it was petrifying from her knee, hardening into a crooked column of stone beneath the sheets....She wanted to ask God for relief so she would not wake anyone, but Miss Annie was too afraid even to breathe. She wanted to disturb no one. No one must rush to her in the middle of the night as if she were a baby. Long, tortuous moments passed and she silently struggled in the dark. She could feel blood finally begin to flow back into her limb, feel the relief of veins, once like the twisting hairs through marble, as they swelled again, returning life to her leg. She let out her breath and with lips moving against the fabric of the pillowcase, whispered thanks to God for allowing her to keep quiet. She heard her prayer answered with an inquisitive whine. A wet, black nose shoved toward her face. 'Shh, Sarrie girl, don't wake nobody. I'm all right now Everything's all better. It's going away. I feel it letting go.'"

And Gail, Mason's mother, who runs the boarding house:

"God is elusive. A preacher told Gail when she was still quiet young that to live life right is to search for Him each and every day like a miner in the deepest hold looking for that vein of gold. Gail searches on her knees in her dark closet. She is an old thirty-nine. She has borne three children: the first, the girl, Gail's mother took from her arms right after delivery. Gail could not find God then, though she called for Him. Gail's father, who would not stand for her mother's scheme, came back to help, but he was days late. He patted her hand while she remained bed-ridden and assured her he would find out where the child was sent and bring her back. But two days later he died of a heart attack and no one remained to champion Gail's cause. She called on God then too. But He did not come. A preacher who found Gail in the last pew late one Sunday night told her God would not come when she called, but if she lived a Christian life, she could go to Him and He would always be there for. So Gail began her search for God at every church and every sanctuary she came across. There were sweet, sweet times when she came close or thought she'd found Him, when the music of the choir and the shouted word of the gospel seized her and she swayed and rocked, burned in the divine light. But the moments of communion were brief and rare. Now, when others hopped and flailed in the aisles and professed their love for Jesus, she too clapped hands and gave praise, but eyed them with skepticism."

Right away, you can see this is a story about people in pain and their connection to one another. A connection that may see them through life's pain.

If you'd like a free copy of Creatures Here Below, leave a comment. Winner chosen at random and announced tomorrow. Please leave only one comment per person. Thanks and good luck! Remember, tomorrow, I'm giving away Keeping Secrets and Telling Lies by Trice Hickman.

Giveaway Day 1: Win Gathering of Waters!

Gathering of Waters is the latest from Bernice McFadden. Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River, said of it: "As strange as this may sound, Bernice L. McFadden has created a magical, fantastic novel centered around the notorious tragedy of Emmett Till's murder. This is a startling, beautifully written piece of work."

Bernice has offered to give a signed copy to one lucky blog reader! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below. Using Random.org, I'll pick a winner. One entry per person. All comments left before midnight Eastern will be eligible to win. The winner will be announced tomorrow. If you don't win, you're free to enter the next day. Good luck! Come back tomorrow to enter for a copy of Creatures Here Below by O.H. Bennett.

Bernice's tour kicks off this week. Check out this video of her reading from the first chapter.

Giveaway Week!

The discussions about how books are marketed according to race, gender, genre, etc. continue, but frankly dear reader, I'm tired of talking about it. I believe I've said what I have to say on the matter. I was gratified to see a commenter on a blog post about NPR reviewing more books by men than women mention this blog. To her, I say a big fat thank you! To all of you who keep coming here scouting for new books to read, I say a big fat thank you!

I'll keep doing my best to point you toward good books. This week I'm happy to say I can go one better than just mentioning books. I'm going to give some away! Four to be exact. All the deets are below.

Titles

On Tuesday, January 31st, you could win an autographed copy of Gathering of Waters by Bernice McFadden, which, ironically, was recently glowingly reviewed on NPR.

On Wednesday, February 1st, you could win Creatures Here Below, by O.H. Bennett (supplied by Agate Bolden). Publishers Weekly said, "In his third novel, Bennett (The Lie) brings an African-American community to vivid life with strong and compelling characters and narrative themes to match—growing up, the struggles of parenthood and young adulthood, the responsibilities we all have to each other as people....Bennett handles the multiple plot lines with grace and skill, and readers will appreciate the subtle growth of the characters, as well as the diverse array of experience."

On Thursday, February 2nd, you could win an autographed copy of Keeping Secrets, Telling Lies by Trice Hickman. Originally self-published, it's now being reissued by Kensington. APOOO Book Club said,"Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies, is filled with interesting, three-dimensional characters and a juicy, thought-provoking storyline that explores issues of race, racial identity, class, and fidelity. This book will have you discussing it long after the story ends!"

On Friday, February 3rd, you could win a copy of Panther Baby, a memoir by Jamal Joseph (supplied by Algonquin Books). It'll be released on February 7th. Publishers Weekly called it "spirited," "well-honed" and called Joseph a "fine storyteller." You can read an excerpt here.

Rules

Leave a comment on the post of the day of the book you wish to win. Comments left before 10 p.m. Mountain/9 p.m. Pacific/11 p.m. Central/Midnight Eastern will be considered. Winners will be chosen at random and announced the following day. Only one entry per day, please. A person can only win one book. If you don't win the first day you enter, you are welcome to try on another day for a different book. Questions? Leave them in the comments here.

Meet: Jacqueline Luckett, author of Passing Love

Our first "White Readers Meet" Q&A of 2012 is with Jacqueline Luckett, author of Searching for Tina Turner. She's here to tell us about her new book Passing Love, which getting lots of other good buzz! The glowing Publisher's Weekly review called it "a dreamy and lyrical paean to all things French..."

Contest!

Passing Love hits stores (and e-readers) January 25th. But Jackie is offering WRMBA readers an incentive to pre-order. She's going to send a lovely journal to the first 10 people who pre-order and email proof of receipt to info AT jacquelineluckett DOT com!

Passing Love is a story about a woman who has had a lifelong dream to go to Paris. She goes and discovers more than she imagine. Win one of the free journals and use it to reflect on your own life and dreams.

On to the Q&A with Jackie:

White Readers Meet Black Authors: Tell us about your new book. What's the plot? Who are the characters?

Jacqueline Luckett: The new novel is titled PASSING LOVE. It’s quite different from Searching for Tina Turner, and I hope that readers will enjoy. The story alternates between two very different women. Publisher’s Weekly wrote a lovely review. The novel will be a Good Housekeeping February Book Pick.

Moving back and forth in time between the sparkling Paris of today and the jazz-fueled city filled with expatriates in the 1950s, PASSING LOVE is the story of two women dealing with lost love, secrets, and betrayal and how the City of Light may hold all of the answers.

In the present day, Nichole-Marie Handy has loved all things French since she was a child. After the death of her best friend, determined to get out of her rut, she goes to Paris, leaving behind a marriage proposal. Ruby Mae Garrett lives in rural Mississippi in the late 1940s. Ruby believes that she is destined for a big life, and she’s determined to make sure that happens.

"Without fail, each woman had (or was forced) to decide what came next. The only way to figure that out is to take a journey to self. We have to re-discover ourselves, make choices about what comes next, re-invent who we are, and move forward. A hero’s journey is the crux of a good story. I like to show that an emotional journey is just as interesting as a physical one."

WRMBA: Why France? You wrote about it some in Searching for Tina Turner, and now more in Passing Love. Were you French in a past life?

JL: Good question. I’m not sure where the fascination comes from. It’s been a part of me my whole life. My father was in the Army and spent some time in France. The only thing I recall him telling me about his time in France was that the French treated the black American soldiers better than their own countrymen. Both my sister and I have French names, so I figure that something rubbed off on him.

It wasn’t my intention to write about France in Searching for Tina Turner, but once I discovered that she makes her home in the South of France, my character had to go there.

My original idea for PASSING LOVE was to write about an American woman who wanted to make a change in her life and live abroad. Since I was so familiar with France and had spent time in Paris—I decided to write about what I knew. That’s what all the books tell us to do. So, Paris was my logical choice for an ex-pat.

The story changed, as your readers will find out, but it all takes place in Paris.

I once asked a psychic why she thought I was so fascinated with France. She told me that in a past life I was French royalty. Hmmm. I didn't take much stock in her reading, though it does make sense if you believe that we have past lives. Her theory was that I had unfinished business. You could say that I’m taking care of that business in this life.

I studied French in high school, a couple of years in college and now I take weekly lessons. I can understand and make myself understand when I’m in France. I’ve traveled to France several times, and I feel comfortable there. It’s weird, but I learned long ago to roll with it. And look what it’s done for me!

WRMBA: You seem to write a lot about women finding themselves. Why do you think that is?

JL: I want my characters to mirror real life, and “finding” is what all of us will have to do at some point in our lives.

When I first started writing Searching for Tina Turner, I was lost. I mean that in the emotional sense, of course. I still had a home, friends, and my mother lives in a nearby city. I’d just gotten divorced. After all the “dust” settled, I was determined to make a new life for myself.

It took a while to figure out my direction and it occurred to me that other women were probably on the same emotional roller coaster. I spoke to quite a few women who were divorced or in the middle of one. Most were baby boomers with “empty nests.” They all described this feeling of being lost. Disconnected might be a better word. Some of those feelings came from no longer being grounded by children; some from having to start all over again in midlife. I’ve only known of one woman who supposedly planned out her departure from her marriage, but I’m sure she still had to take this same journey to self.

In most cases, divorce, and the lifestyle change, was unexpected. Without fail, each woman had (or was forced) to decide what came next. The only way to figure that out is to take a journey to self. We have to re-discover ourselves, make choices about what comes next, re-invent who we are, and move forward. A hero’s journey is the crux of a good story. I like to show that an emotional journey is just as interesting as a physical one.

WRMBA: You know a bit about wines, I believe. What type of wine(s) would you recommend to readers to enjoy as they read Passing Love?

JL: This is my all time favorite question!

I enjoy wine and recently took a Wine Tasting class to refresh my skills and expand my interest in European wines. Besides champagne (only the French can use this appellation) and sparkling wines (describes the bubbly from any other country), California wines remain my favorite. Frankly, I’m torn. For white wines, I love robust, creamy Chardonnays with a lot of oak. Full-bodied, fruity cabernets, merlots, and zinfandels are my favorite reds, in that order.

At the beginning of PASSING LOVE, Nicole pulls out a bottle of 100-year-old tequila to celebrate her trip. In Paris, she’s introduced to red wine. Ruby doesn’t drink; she’s in love with strong French coffee with lots of milk.

I suggest a combo. A nice shot of your favorite tequila—and a good one is smooth and worth sipping. Since the first two chapters introduce Ruby and Nicole, tequila works well. Then I’d switch to a nice Chardonnay for the rest of the book. Switch to a cabernet when Nicole does.

Finish with a glass of your favorite bubbly—that’s what I intend to do!

WRMBA: What's next for you?

JL: I’ve got several ideas brewing that I want to turn into reality. Novel number three, for sure. (This book will not even have the word Paris in it, but my fingers are crossed behind my back.) I sketched a lot of scenes in a frenzied month-long NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) writing spree.

A few readers have asked about a sequel to Searching for Tina Turner, but unless there’s a lot of demand, I don’t expect to write one (never say never, right?). I’d like to see the novel turned into a movie or a Broadway musical. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for either one of those dreams to come true.

This past summer, I took a class at Berkeley Repertory Theater and wrote a one-act play. At the end of the class, we staged public readings in front of a small group of my friends. It was exciting to hear my words read out loud. I’m going to look for theaters and try to get the play produced.

I have an idea for a screenplay that I’ll probably outline in 2012.

So, I have a lot of ideas. What’s next? Implementation. And maybe, Paris.

WRMBA: What's the best book (or who’s the best writer) that not enough people know about?

JL: Best is hard to say, because I’ve read so many beautiful books by authors well- and little-known. Dianne McKinney-Whetstone is a writer I love. Though she’s received a lot of awards, few people I speak to seem to know her work. I’ve read four of her five novels and loved them all. She lives in Philadelphia and her novels take place there.

McKinney-Whetstone inspired me. Before I started writing, I read an article of how she worked full-time and managed her family, then wrote in the wee hours at her kitchen table. I’m not sure if the story is true, but as a working mother, it gave me hope.

She may be better known than I think, but I haven't seen anything new from her in a while. I checked her website and I see she teaches at the University of Pennsylvania. I don’t see a new novel listed. I wonder if she’s writing.

If I could mention another author, it would be Emily Raboteau (The Professor’s Daughter).

Thanks, Carleen for this opportunity.

WRMBA: You're very welcome! Thank you for telling my readers a little about you and your work!

The winner of No Ordinary Noel is....

'Cilla, who was chosen using Random.org.

Congratulations 'Cilla! Email me (carleen at carleenbrice dot com) your snail mail info for me to give to Pat so she can send you an autographed copy.


Everyone else: thanks for commenting! No Ordinary Noel is on sale today so if you're interested, please purchase it.

Win a copy of No Ordinary Noel!

It's not too early to start thinking about Christmas and that other holiday that happens in December. Author Pat G'Orge Walker's new one is No Ordinary Noel, a book about a small-town congregation learning the real meaning of the season. It's Christian humor folks. Yes, you heard me right: Christian humor.

To gear up for December, Pat offered to give away a copy of her book to my blog readers. If you'd like to win, all you have to do is leave a comment here before midnight Eastern Daylight Time. Using a random generator, I'll pick the winner and announce it here tomorrow when No Ordinary Noel goes on sale.

Winner, winner chicken dinner!

Congratulations to Beth Anne Mandia and JaPulp! You each won a copy of Snitch by Booker T. Mattison! Email me your snail mail info so Booker's publisher can send you a book.

Another give-away!

Coming in August. Available now for pre-order.

Kimberly Reid, author of the upcoming "Chanti on the Case" series of YA detective novels, is giving away an iPod Shuffle if you can correctly give the answer to her literary trivia question. Go to her blog The Hot Sheet to enter the contest.

Ginormous Book Give Away Winners!

Thank you to all the authors who contributed books for this give away! This is my first blog post with over 100 comments, so I can tell readers really appreciated it.

Everyone please, please, please check out these books! I promise there's something here for every reader.

If you were the only person to request a book, you won it. If more than one person requested the same book, I used the random generator at Random.org. I went through the titles as listed and if you were the first person to request the book, you got the number 1. The second person was number 2, etc.

For people who selected more than one book, if you had already won a book, I didn't include you in other drawings. UNLESS all the people who had requested that book had also already won (which happened a few times).

It's probably not the most scientific method, but I didn't cheat, so please nobody sue me.

Here's the winner's list:

Be Careful What You Pray For and What Doesn't Kill You: Andromeda Jazmon
Big Machine: Denise
Black Water Rising: Kate
Deadly Charm and In Search of Tennessee Sunshine: Shalema
The Devil Don't Lie: Shan
Don't Blame the Devil and When I Get Where I'm Going: Fshirer
First of State: Giovanna
Glorious: Kayla
Huddle With Me Tonight and Perfect Shot: Pinkstuff28
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and Broken Kingdoms: MissAttitude
Like Trees Walking: Mrstdj
Not Quite What It Seems: AS
Playing the Hand You're Dealt and Trouble Down the Road: PatriciaW
Sins of the Mother and Uptown: according2dmarie
Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It: Carmen1
The View From Here: Melissa
Wading Home: Malca_J
War Anthem: Amy (NOT the blogger My Friend Amy-we had 2 Amy's)
Who Fears Death: Shauna
Wounded: ChocolateMom
Zora and Me: Angelia


Please email me your snail mail address at carleenbrice AT gmail DOT com and I will forward to the author.

Ginormous Book Give-Away!

To conclude National Buy a Book By a Black Author and Give It to Somebody Not Black Month, the following 26 authors have offered to give away an autographed copy of the following books. If you want one, leave a comment on this post by December 28th 5 p.m. MST. If you want more than one, please leave each book request in a separate comment. If more than one person requests the same book, the winner will be chosen at random. I'll announce winners on December 29th.

There's something here for everybody! Literary, fantasy, thriller, Christian, romance, you name it! Check out this list of award-winners, best-sellers and sleeper-gems:

Be Careful What You Pray For by Kimberla Lawson Roby (Christian fiction)


Big Machine by Victor LaValle (literary/speculative)


Black Water Rising by Attica Locke (Literary/thriller)


Deadly Charm and Wounded by Claudia Mair Burney (Christian fiction)


The Devil Don’t Lie by ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Christian fiction)


Don’t Blame the Devil by Pat G’orge Walker (Christian fiction)


First of State by Robert Greer (mystery)


Glorious by Bernice McFadden (Literary)


Huddle With Me Tonight by Farrah Rochon (Romance)


The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (Fantasy)


In Search of Tennessee Sunshine by Margaret Johnson-Hodge (domestic)

Like Trees Walking by Ravi Howard (Literary)


Not Quite What It Seems by Mari Walker (domestic fiction)


Perfect Shot by Debbie Rigaud (YA) (see book trailer below)



Playing the Hand You’re Dealt by Trice Hickman (domestic fiction)


Sins of the Mother by Victoria Christopher Murray (Christian fiction)


Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It by J.D. Mason (domestic fiction)


Trouble Down the Road by Bettye Griffin (domestic fiction)

Uptown and What Doesn’t Kill You by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant (domestic fiction)


The View From Here by Rachel Howzell Hall (domestic fiction)


Wading Home by Rosalyn Story (domestic fiction)


War Anthem by Keith Andrew Perry (Thriller)


When I Get Where I’m Going by Cheryl Robinson (domestic fiction)


Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor (fantasy)

Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon (children’s)

Our first winners are....

First, a big fat thank you to all the guest bloggers for this holiday series: Andrea King Collier, Martha Southgate, Ernessa T. Carter, Donna Hill, Tina McElroy Ansa, Heidi Durrow, Tara Betts, Cheri Paris Edwards and Denene Millner. Please check out their books and the books they recommended as gifts.

Second, thanks to everyone who left a comment, shared of Facebook or tweeted about this contest! I'm so grateful for your support.


And, finally, the winners are generated by Random.org:

Still With Me by Andrea King Collier: Tracey
Third Girl From the Left by Martha Southgate: Pamala Knight
32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter: Lifelearner
What Mother Never Told Me by Donna Hill: Amy
Taking After Mudear by Tina McElroy Ansa: Shirin Dubbin
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow: Anita
Arc & Hue by Tara Betts: Dusky Literati
The Other Sister by Cheri Paris Edwards: Tea
Miss You, Mina; My Brother Charlie and March On by Denene Millner: Campbele

Congratulations! Email me at carleenbrice AT gmail DOT com your snail mail and I will send it to the author to put your signed copy in the mail.

If you heart black authors...

...now you can wear your heart on your sleeve...and your lapel. I just ordered a bunch of I HEART BLACK AUTHORS buttons to take with me to Book Expo America and to the American Library Association annual meeting.

And I'm going to send a free button to 25 people who holla back that they heart black authors too!

Rules: Post on your blog, send a Tweet or write on your Facebook page the title of the most recent book you read by a black author, and include a link to this blog post. Let me know in the comments you've done it (with a link to your blog). I'll randomly pick 25 lucky winners to receive a free I HEART BLACK AUTHORS button. Contest runs May 12-June 9. Winners will be announced June 16.

Heather Miller at the blog Experience Reading recently sent me this photo of herself with the book, Black Baby, White Hands by Jaiya John. She's putting her money where her mouth is. Are you?

What's next?

Is anybody thinking of anything else today? I know I'm not.

But I have been thinking about what comes next with this blog and our writer-in-chief President Obama's successes make me hopeful about the possibilities. Buy a Book by Somebody Black and Give it to Somebody Not Black Month is over (though, still free to buy and give) for this year. But I want to continue to call people's attention to black authors. Of course, Black History Month is just around the corner. That takes care of February, but what about the other 11 months of the year?

There will be more reviews, more guest bloggers, most suggested reads. But what else can we do?

One idea: a monthly contest!
Every month this blog will announce a "Welcome Read Pick of the Month," a book by a black author (never me) that I think people ought to know about. I'll blog a little about the book and pick names from a hat from all the commenters on that post and that person will get a free copy of the book. If I can get one from the publisher, I will, if not I'll buy it with my own $.

Speaking of contests, Shauna Roberts is the winner of the free, signed copy of GOING DOWN SOUTH. Congrats, Shauna!

Another idea: in-store events!
Some writers and I are hoping to put together a day of events in various cities across the country in which black authors do readings and/or book-signings. Stay tuned for deets. If you have suggestions or want to participate (either as an author or book-seller or librarian or book-club), let us know.

Another idea: bringing white and black readers together!
Book Maven Tee C. Royal, Ali from the blog Diversity Rocks! and I are working on a way to bring black and white readers together to read books that aren't based on race, but feature a diversity of authors. Interested in participating? Let me know.

Other ideas? Let me hear them.

In the meantime, Happy Inauguration Day and cheers to the audacity of hope!