Fresh ARCs! Get your fresh, hot ARCs!

NOTE: THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. And the winners are...Anonymous, who gets FREEMAN; Carla, who gets THE MAN WHO TURNED BOTH CHEEKS; Stacy Michelle, who gets SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST; and Tea, who gets BEAUTIFUL, DIRTY, RICH. Winners, please email me your mailing addresses (carleenbrice AT gmail DOT com).

ARCs are advanced readers' copies, and I've received 4 recently from publishers that I want to pass along. So before 10 p.m. MDT Monday, July 9th leave a comment on this post. Tell us the title of a good book you just read or what you're looking forward to reading next and which of the 4 books (Beautiful, Dirty, Rich; Freeman; South by Southeast; or The Man Who Turned Both Cheeks) that you'd like to win. I'll pick names at random using Random.org.

Beautiful, Dirty, Rich by J.D. Mason. On sale tomorrow, July 2nd! First in a new series about Blink, Texas, a tiny town with lots of secrets. If you're psyched because "Dallas" is back on the air, you should know the Ewings have got nothing on Mason's Gatewood clan! From RT Book Reviews: "This is a captivating story with so many twists and turns that readers may feel dizzy. The clues to Desi's mystery are as intriguing as the characters, who all hide deep secrets. Readers will find this one hard to put down."

Freeman by Leonard Pitts, Jr. In stores now! Django Unchained isn't the only story about a former slave on a search to find the love of his life. See post with a Q&A with Pitts here.

South by Southeast by Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes (presented by Blair Underwood). The fourth in the Tennyson Hardwick mystery series is due out in September. If hearing that it could be could be described "as Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins meets Miami Vice" doesn't make you want to buy the book, just watch the video below. Perhaps something about it will get your attention. :) Remember, Barnes and Due also have their zombie novel The Devil's Wake out at the end of this month!




The Man Who Turned Both Cheeks, second in a series by Gillian Royes. This one isn't out until December. Talk about getting an early sneak peek!
From the publisher: "Jamaica is the picturesque background for this explosive novel about love, fear, and intolerance, the second in Gillian Royes’s mystery series featuring charming and charismatic bartender-turned-detective Shad. Hopes for the impoverished village of Largo Bay come alive with the arrival of Joseph, estranged son of bar owner Eric. Janna, who has returned to the island, falls for Joseph’s good looks and charm, but she isn’t the only one with an eye for this mysterious man. As questions about Joseph’s sexuality arise, Shad struggles with protecting the survival of his beloved birthplace amidst the deeply ingrained culture of intolerance that surrounds him. Questions arise about what it means to be a man and a father, and Shad feels pressure to defend what he knows is right. As in the acclaimed The Goat Woman of Largo Bay, the first book in this series, Gillian Royes paints an indelible picture of a beautiful land where religion is strong but life is cheap, and explores what happens when a village must confront its own darkness or lose a bright future."

A good list of new and upcoming releases from Mala Nunn, Stephen Carter, Susan Fales-Hill and more can be found on the APOOO Book Club site. Thanks to APOOO, I found one I'm especially interested in: Elsewhere, California by Dana Johnson. Danzy Senna, author of one of my favorite novels Caucasia, says "Dana Johnson’s extraordinary novel offers an arresting vision of black female identity that transcends color and class even as it reveals its continuing power in our lives. The main character, Avery, is everything at once: struggling and middle-class, black and not-quite-black-enough, sexually invisible and sexually exoticized. Avery is about as complex and compelling a heroine as I’ve read recently, and Elsewhere, California is a luminous, funny, and poignant tale that speaks directly to a whole generation raised in a state of cultural confusion.”

The Go On Girl Book Club has posted a list of the books they're reading between now and the end of the year. Check it out. Maybe you'll see something you like!

In other news, The Bat Segundo Show has some new author podcasts up you might want to check out, including talks with Samuel R. Delany, author of Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, and Jesymn Ward, author of Salvage the Bones.

Note to readers: Full disclosure: I know J.D. Mason, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes. Agate Bolden, publisher of Freeman, will also publish a writing book by me tentatively titled The Not So Fearless Writer. However, I never post about books that I don't believe in. Even if a book is not my particular cup of tea, people who like the genre or type of book may like it and I enjoy letting readers know it's out there.

Hot off the presses!

Get your fresh, hot fiction! It's a popping April and May! A few upcoming or recent releases I'm delighted to tell you about:

The six novels in Gar Anthony Haywood's mystery series featuring Aaron Gunner, a South-Central Los Angeles native and African-American private investigator, are being rereleased by Mysterious Press!

Speaking of mysteries, Robert Greer has a new one in his CJ Floyd series: Astrid a Pink Horse. See my Q&A with Greer here!

Creeping With the Enemy, the second in Kim Reid's Langdon Prep YA mystery series is out April 24th!

Tayari Jones' big hit Silver Sparrow is out in May in paperback!

Leonard Pitts Jr.'s Freeman also comes out in May! A sweeping historical love story about a runaway slave who goes in search of his wife after the Civil War ends.

Speaking of love stories, Sadeqa Johnson's Love in a Carry On Bag is an old-school love story in the Terry McMillan tradition (and the movie Love Jones). If you're in the Black Expressions Book Club, it's an Alternate Selection for May!

Beverly Jenkins just released A Wish and a Prayer, a new one in her Blessings series. This is the fourth one, so you might want to hurry up and get started on the first three!

And if you like Christian fiction, check out Stacy Hawkins Adams' latest, Coming Home!

You probably already know this, but just in case you missed it: Eric Jerome Dickey and Toni Morrison also have new books. Dickey's is out now and Morrison's comes in May.

I'm reading Freeman now. What are you reading? What are you looking forward to?

A review of Living Violet (and more new content coming!)

Watch for giveaways, reviews and interviews in the new year! 2011 was a great year for books by black authors and 2012 also looks promising. I can't wait to read and learn more about them myself.

For example, Jaime Reed is entering the wildly popular YA paranormal field with a series. The first book is Living Violet and (while technically a January release) it debuted this week. If you like YA or have a daughter with a bookstore or e-reader gift certificate burning a hole in her pocket, check out Living Violet.

The synopsis


Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile.

But Caleb’s secrets are drawing Samara into a world where the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life forever … or consume it.

Living Violet is a fresh, funny voice in the paranormal genre, with a strong heroine of color and also explores the world of cambions: the offspring of incubi and humans.

The review

I received an advanced copy and sent it to a middle schooler I know who gobbles up YA paranormal, and this is what Jacque Howard (an aspiring writer herself) had to say:

Living Violet by Jamie Reed is an amazing read that any teenage girl would enjoy. It has romance, fantasy, and a little bit of comedy. When I read this book I couldn’t put it down! The lead female character, Sam, is smart, strong, and sarcastic. She wasn’t really interested in falling in love but she was interested in the boy with the strange violet eyes (Caleb). A little bit of action and an awesome story altogether. I defiantly would recommend this book to anyone who loves these genres. Can’t wait for the next book to be released.

You can read an interview with Jaime about her new series here.

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to more good books in 2012!

The Taste of Salt

Martha Southgate's new novel The Taste of Salt just got a rave review in the San Francisco Chronicle. The reviewer Meredith Maran even shouted out that Martha's website links to this blog. Please read the review and definitely check out Martha's novel. And if you're in Brooklyn, D.C., Cleveland, Miami and a few other places east of the Mississippi, check out her tour schedule. She might be coming to your neck of the woods!

Lori Tharps reviews the book here.

Fall book releases

On shelves now

 NOTE: * Are for titles I added after this post was first published.

Fall in love with books!

Here's a list of new and upcoming releases WRMBA readers might like (I discovered some titles on the APOOO Book Club website).

*Assumption by Percival Everett (H/T to Doret, the Happy Nappy Bookseller!), a literary mystery partially set in Denver? I'm all over that!

The Book of Ephesus by Tarshia Stanley, a novel about a holy woman and a man with a past, the second title from DownSouth Press.

Boundaries by Elizabeth Nunez, which comes with a blurb from Edward P. Jones: "Ms. Nunez has always had the power to get to the essence of what makes human beings take right and wrong turns. With Boundaries, a reader will find that she, again, does not disappoint."

Children of the Street by Kwei Quartey, the 2nd Inspector Darko Dawson mystery is out now! It comes fueled by a starred review in Publishers Weekly and a blurb from Michael Connelly.

*Creatures Here Below by O.H. Bennett. Out in November. The publisher's press release states: "This book is certain to bring [Bennett] a bigger, more diverse, and more appreciative readership. It is exactly the sort of book I am most proud to publish here at Agate’s Bolden imprint—fiction by remarkable African-American writers that reveals deep truths about life in this country through moving, accessible, and absorbing stories. His is the sort of voice that’s not heard from enough: that of a black male novelist writing from the mainstream of African-American experience. In particular, Mr. Bennett’s work merits comparison to Edward P. Jones’s Lost in the City and All Aunt Hagar’s Children."

The Goat Woman of Largo Bay by Gillian Royes, a new mystery series set in Jamaica.

The Loom by Shella Gillus, historical & Christian fiction.

Pub date: August 30th

My Soul To Take by Tananarive Due, the 4th in the African Immortals series. My one-sentence review: An insightful take on global politics and policies hidden in a fast-paced urban fantasy. Dolen Perkins-Valdez said, “The world of My Soul to Take is so enchantingly drawn I could not help but be caught in its spell. From California to Ethiopia to Mexico, Tananarive Due takes you on a nonstop ride that will leave you breathless.”

My Own Worse Frenemy by Kimberly Reid -- first in a new YA detective series featuring Chanti Evans. Kirkus calls it a "clever mystery" and "breath of fresh air." Looking for a strong young woman protagonist? This is the book for you (or your teen reader). 

Makeda by Randall Robinson, called "part coming of age story, part spiritual journey and part love story."

*Nairobi Heat by Mukoma Wa Ngugi (also thanks to Doret!), an international crime novel, which seems like it was out in the U.K. and other countries since 2009, but is hitting American shores in September.

*Nappily About Us by Trisha R. Thomas. Seventh book in the series is out in October! In this one, Venus & her family star in a reality show. Sounds good!

Night Hawk by Beverly Jenkins, a little cowboy romance from this Romantic Times Award-winning author might be in order come October!

Paris Noire by Francine Thomas Howard, a take on post-war Paris featuring a family of immigrants from Martinique. 

On shelves in September

Passing Love by Jacqueline Luckett, another story partially set in the City of Lights. Paris is hot! This one alternates between modern Paris and 1950s Paris. Hits shelves in January; available for pre-order now!

Remember Me by Cheryl Robinson (I'm reading When I Get Where I'm Going now & really enjoying her writing)

Salvage the Bones by Jesymn Ward, a novel about the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina (star review in Publishers Weekly)

The Taste of Salt by Martha Southgate. I read this one too. It's a haunting story about a family struggling to cope with the father's alcoholism. The father is sober, but the adult son is still drinking and using drugs. Told from the point of view of the daughter, Josie, a marine biologist, her brother Tick (short for his knick name Tick Tock), and her father, Mr. Henderson, the reader gets an insight into how families work and don't work. Set in Cleveland, it's also an elegy for a dying city.

Twelve Gates to the City by Daniel Black, author of the wildly popular Perfect Peace.

*When the Only Light Is Fire, the first chapbook by Saeed Jones. His publisher's synopsis: "In his debut chapbook of poetry, Saeed Jones walks on the periphery of the South, those places on the outskirts of town, in bars after midnight, and on dangerous backroads where most people keep their heads down or look the other way. Through Texas and Tennessee, Alabama and the riverbeds of the Mississippi, these poems wrap themselves in cloaks of masks and comfort; garments we learn are flammable if we stand too close to flames." Available for pre-order 10/10.

Zone One by Colson Whitehead, sure to be one of the oddest zombie stories ever (and I mean that in a good way)!

Coming in December

What are you looking forward to reading this fall?

A couple of online events this week


I'm on #blacklitchat, a Twitter book chat, this Sunday 8/21 at 9 pm eastern time. Hope you can join us! We'll be discussing It Might As Well Be Spring the sequel to Orange Mint and Honey I'm releasing a chapter at a time on www.achapteramonth.com. Why a sequel? Why serialize a novel? How is writing the third book different from the first? I'll also be happy to answer your questions about writing, books, the biz or whatever you like!

Terry McMillan will be interviewing Heidi Durrow about The Girl Who Fell From the Sky in a live webcast tomorrow 8/18 at 7 pm eastern.

Congratulations!

Please join me in congratulating....

Victor LaValle, author of Big Machine who recently announced the birth of son Geronimo!

Tayari Jones, who's Silver Sparrow, out NOW, is getting great reviews and is a June Indie Next Pick!

Bernice McFadden because Alfre Woodard won an award for Solo Narration-Female at last night's Audies for reading Glorious!

Who else has happy news to share? Let us know in the comments.

Heads up!

New books and upcoming releases:



Don't forget J. California Cooper's latest Life is Short But Wide is out today!


That Devil's No Friend of Mine by JD Mason just hit!


Finding Me by Darnella Ford looks good.


Other new books and upcoming releases that look good (including the Book of Night Women by Marlon James and Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead).

Blogger Donna Bennett has a good list of 2009 releases too.

APOOO's list of books they're reading this month.


Kiss The Sky by Farai Chideya looks like a winner. Out in May; available for pre-order now. Here's the synopsis:


Sophie Maria Clare Lee doesn't have the résumé of a rock star. She grew up a book-smart black girl in blue-collar Baltimore, then remade herself at Harvard into a hipster with an appetite for self-destructive men. One of them is the mesmerizing Ari Klein, a charismatic and handsome black-biracial trust-fund baby. Ari is her Harvard classmate, the man she toured America with as part of an indie rock band right after college, and -- by the time we meet Sophie at the start of the novel -- her ex-husband.


Ten years after graduation, Sophie has made a career as a music television host in Manhattan. But she's grown restless of interviewing pop culture icons and wannabes enjoying their fifteen minutes of fame. Spurred into a one-night musical reunion with Ari in order to help a friend, Sophie decides it's time to stop playing the good girl and snatch back the mic. She wants to be the next "It girl" in the music media circuit.


Sophie has the talent and drive to take her game to the next level despite the odds. She lands a record deal -- with the help of a new manager and paramour, Leo Masters -- but quickly discovers that her celebrity status brings new risks for her sense of self and even her safety. As she and Ari begin to play music together again, Sophie, Leo, and Ari also enter a complicated love triangle. It puts her in personal jeopardy just as she's beginning to achieve commercial success. With a Greek chorus of advice from her two best girlfriends from Harvard, Sophie tries to figure out how she relates to these two men, the music business, her loving but demanding extended family, and her penchant for alcohol and melancholy. As the band tours America, Europe, and Africa, will Sophie's faith, family, and friendships crumble under the weight of her dogged fight for fame?




And new on my radar screen (even though she was published a while ago), thanks to AALBC.com, is author Nina Revoyr, who has 2 novels about Japanese-American & African-American relationships. Southland really sounds interesting.