If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Romance B(u)y The Book’s host, Michelle Buonfigilio, did a FABULOUS interview with my all time favorite historical romance writer, Beverly Jenkins! Check out Beverly’s interview below and how she “lovingly uses African-American history in her romance novels to give them depth and heart.” So enjoy this Lifetime Video presetation on African-American Romance!

Are you an avid romance reader? Then Michelle Buonfiglio’s Romance B(u)y The Book on Lifetime.com is one of the perfect places online to learn about today’s popular romance writers!

A Conversation With Bestselling Authors,
Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant

By, Ebony Farashuu
Contributing Writer

Miriam Webster defines collaboration as working jointly with others or together, especially in an intellectual endeavor. This will definitely be news to the many young men and women who have been led to believe that a collaboration is merely the appearance of a hip-hop artist on an R&B track, remixed and re-mastered to the point of sounding nothing like the song on the album you purchased after hearing this “collabo” on the radio.

The literary field also provides its fair share of collaborations, from anthologies, to novels ghost written or co-authored either in portions, or in its entirety. While it’s almost always entertainingly obvious, who did what on a track in the music arena, the same can’t be said for a book. Unless you’re reading an anthology or a collection of poetry by various authors, to quote a well-known proverb “to many cooks can spoil the broth”.

Is it possible that two separate personalities can actually come together to convey a single thought that is cleverly written with one distinctive voice? Literary divas Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant would say absolutely, yes!

Ten years ago I read a book called Tryin’ To Sleep in The Bed You Made. I must admit that I hadn’t really paid attention to the name of the author when I picked up the novel, but upon completing it I had to know more about her because I knew this was definitely an author to watch. The book managed to draw me in and hold my attention as I fell in love with the characters and became involved in their lives. I was shocked to learn that this wonderful book had been written by not one, but by two dynamic authors.

Read the rest of this entry »

A conversation with the Queen of “Bling” Fiction, Méta Smith

Beauty and The Streets

By, Ebony Farashuu, Contributing Writer

In a world where mainstream Caucasian authors are selling millions of books based on crime, sex, mystery, and drug addiction, it’s intriguing when we find that books by African-American authors, based on the same subjects, are merely lumped into one single category. “Street” or “Urban” Fiction. While other authors enjoy a variety of genres, African-American authors must fight to survive in a genre that not only singles them out as a race, but sometimes causes their work to be dismissed before it is even read.

Meta Smith, author of Queen of Miami, The Rolexxx Club, Divas Need Love Too, (a novella in the Harper-Collins anthology, These Are My Confessions), and the newly released Heaven’s Fury, was not pleased when her former publisher, Warner Books, introduced her as a Street Lit author.

“I did not want to start my career out on someone hearing that I was a street author and them (the reader) going, ‘here we go’, and then not paying attention to the book.” Méta told me. “I don’t want someone to just dismiss my hard work because it happens to be about black people in the hood. I mean white people write books about white people in the hood all the time. People don’t just wave it off like trash.”

“They call it a ‘coming of age’story,” I suggested.

Read the rest of this entry »

A conversation with Best Selling Author, J.D. Mason

A New Twist for a Literary Original

Ebony Farashuu, contributing writer

When Coca-Cola changed their best-selling formula in 1985, replacing it with what they thought was a new and improved version of the beloved beverage, they had no idea what type of consumer turmoil lay ahead of them. In an instant….the same soda drinkers who had previously shouted “Coke Is It” from the rooftops, were now singing “Coke was it” into the ears of the corporate heads. For Coca-Cola, straying from the original formula proved to be a serious mistake, rectified only by giving the consumers what they wanted…the same soda they’d been drinking for years.

So what happens when an author decides to stray from her original formula? Does she worry about how her product will be perceived? Will it sell? Will it tank? Will her readers accept her literary experimentation or will they rebel like the Coca-Cola drinkers? Is it really worth the risk?

Inspired by an article in Essence Magazine titled, Confessions of the Other Woman, author J.D. Mason’s editor thought the subject matter covered in the article would make a fantastic book. When her editor approached her with the idea, J.D. was thrilled with the prospect of penning a novel that dared contradict the style of writing that had established her as a best seller.

Read the rest of this entry »

A Conversation with Professional Speaker and Certified Life Coach, Ellen Junious

Marlive: Congratulations on your new book, Unleash the Power of Personal Advantage. Please briefly tell us what your new book is about.

Ellen Junious: Unleash the Power of Personal Advantage is an inspiring guide that offers suggestions for achieving personal success by your own definition. I believe that life is to be loved, lived, and enjoyed. Oftentimes people get caught up living someone else’s dream. I encourage my readers to follow their own dreams–not only to dream about what’s possible but to live their best life now.

Marlive: The title of your book is very powerful. How did you come by that title and what personal situations in your own life inspired you to write this book?

Ellen Junious: That is a great question. When I started this journey, I wanted a title that would stand on its own, captivate and motivate my reading audience. When people begin to recognize the beauty and uniqueness they offer the world, I want them to be encouraged to take advantage of every opportunity to reach new heights in every aspect of their lives. For just a moment, let’s think about what sets organizations apart and what differentiates the “A” from the “B” players. We refer to this in the business world as “competitive advantage.” When it comes to individuals, we are born with our gifts, and then we develop our skills and talents that then set us apart from other people. If you are unwilling to live life in a state of complacency, then you can work toward your personal advantages, those things that set you apart from “B” and “C” players.

Let me define what I mean by Personal Advantage. Personal Advantage is the results of actions taken that help you to achieve very favorable and positive outcomes in your life. I call that success. In my book, I encourage people to take practical and decisive steps to achieve their goals. When a person has a vision for their lives and is willing to take charge, they begin to see themselves as not just the person in the driver’s seat, but as the vehicle itself, the physical being that gets them where they’re going.

Read the rest of this entry »

A conversation with award winning author, Omar Tyree

An Intellectual Warrior

Ebony Farashuu, contributing writer

                New York Times best-selling author, Omar Tyree carries himself with the confident swagger of a jock and the mentality of a mastermind.  It is a combination that exudes a certain level of arrogance, but is balanced out by his intellect and the intensity with which he speaks about his passion: writing. 

                I first met Omar Tyree in August of 2006, at the Tulisoma Book Fair in Dallas, Texas.  I’d heard many things about the author, mainly that he was obscenely egotistical, and being an author myself, I wasn’t sure if his showcase was an event that I wanted to attend.  That changed the moment Omar walked into the room and began to speak.  The first thing that impressed me was the enthusiasm that took over his entire persona as he began to talk about his craft.  He felt every word and he brought the audience into his world, allowing us to feel it with him.  He spoke openly about the disappointment he felt when many fans of his best-selling debut novel, “Flyy Girl”, seemingly abandoned the sequel, “For the Love of Money”.  I recently revisited that subject with Mr. Tyree as we spoke over the phone during a break in his busy day. 
                “I feel better about writing a book that I can appreciate and stand up for…than just writing a book for people to read and gossip about.”  He explained.  He made it very clear that he doesn’t write strictly to entertain the masses.  “I want my books to say something.”

Read the rest of this entry »

A conversation with Marcus Mabry, the award winning chief of correspondents for Newsweek, about his new biography, Twice As Good: Condoleezza Rice and Her Path to Power

Q: How did this in-depth book about Condoleezza Rice come about and when did you know that you would be the author of it?

M. Mabry: I was fascinated by Condoleezza Rice since I first saw her speak at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York during the 2000 Presidential campaign. There were only about five black people in the room, and Rice and I were two of them, out of about 500 total. Rice spoke for 40 minutes about the whole range of American foreign policy–with no notes, no “ah”s or “um”s and got a standing ovation. After Bush won, I watched her become more controversial–and more steely–through the first term, with 9/11 and the start of the war in Iraq. Rice was full of contradictions. She grew up in segregated South, at a time when Martin Luther King was leading marches in her hometown, Birmingham; but, she was the most vocal defender of a Republican Party that had gained national power, at least in part, through a “Southern strategy” that exploited white resentment over black civil rights gains. When Bush nominated her to be his secretary of state in November 2004–which would make her, literally, the most powerful African American woman in 230 years of American government–I decided I had to write her biography. I had to understand who this powerful–and very private and complicated–woman was. I didn’t know I’d be the author until a publisher liked the idea and bought the book proposal in January 2005.

” Read the rest of this entry »

A Conversation with new author, Mimi Jefferson

Q: When did the writing bug first hit, and do you have any other published works other than The Single Sister Experiment?

Mimi: The Single Sister Experiment is my first novel. I guess the writing bug was dormant for a while. I used to enjoy writing in high school but completing a novel was not something I had given much thought to. I can remember adults telling me that writing was not a stable profession. I wished I had not listened to that advice now. Being an author may not be the most lucrative profession but sitting at the computer creating stories with higly flawed characters, real life drama, and a forgiving God is where I feel most comfortable.

Q: How did you come by the idea/concept of The Single Sister Experiment?

Mimi : About five years ago I had a conversation with a friend over lunch. Throughout the lunch my friend’s cell phone kept ringing; different women were calling him. After answering the phone one time he looked at me and said something like, “I haven’t spoken to her in weeks, but I bet I could convince her to have sex with me again. She will probably resist at first, asking me where I’ve been and why I haven’t I called. But eventually she’ll give in.” Later on he answered the phone again and after hanging up with yet a different woman he said something to the effect of, “You know, you women don’t know your power. You are selling yourselves too short.”

” Read the rest of this entry »

A Conversation with new author, John T. Wills

Q: Who and/or what have been your biggest influences with regard to your reading and writing?

John: My favorite book would have to be “Roots” by Alex Haley. Mr. Haley eloquently presented the most realistic portrayal of the most horrific chapter in our people’s history. He allows us to see and feel what it was like to experience the worst crime the world has ever known from capture through successive generations of slavery.

Autobiographies and biographies about people who have achieved success, such as the Autobiography of Malcolm X or Dr. Martin Luther King’s biography to include successful entertainers and business titans have always captured my attention. Books of this nature allow me understand how difficult the road to success is and the struggles these people have had to endure in the process of achieving their goals. More importantly, these stories allow you to witness the fortitude and courage within these people making it possible to reach this illusive ideal called success.

I am also a huge fan of daily newspapers, particularly the editorial sections. Each day I visit the Wall Street  Executive Library (http://www.executivelibrary.com), which has links to all of the major daily newspapers in the country and around the world. By doing this I can read, not only, current news articles but read the editorials from newspapers in various regions. This enables me to gain unique insights and different perspectives from writers whose audiences cross a vast demographic section of America .

” Read the rest of this entry »

A Conversation with Voice Over Talent, Educator, and Life-Skill Coach, Veronica Blakely

Q: Who is Veronica Blakely and what do you do professionally?

Veronica: I am a Christian who attends church regularly and I am a High School Teacher. Currently, I am working on my doctorate in Education so that I can continue helping students in the inner city achieve academic excellence.

Q: Congratulations on your book, I Want What Most White Women Got: A Black Man. Your book of poetry is described as a tongue in cheek look at dating relationships in the African American community. So please tell us more about your book and what inspired you to write it.

Veronica: First and foremost, my book is not a male bashing nor racist book. It is a book of poetry which describes the current dating issues in the African American community. The book delves into why some Brothas prefer women who are “light” or white over their dark-skinned Sistahs.

I was compelled to write the book after people kept asking me why I ( a dark-skinned Sistah) was not dating anyone or why I was not married. I in turn would ask them if they noticed that Black men did not seemingly choose dark-skinned Sistahs as dates or mates. In addition, since Brothas would not answer the question, I decided to put my responses in a book which talks about Black business men, athletes, entertainers and the everyday Black man and their dating choices.

” Read the rest of this entry »