The Imani Book Club Presents...An Evening with the Authors
Angela Benson, Avery V. Carter, Dywane D. Birch, Kesha Redmon, Linda Jones, Marc Lacy, Pat L. Simmons,
Shani Greene-Dowdell, Vanessa Davis Griggs, Hazel Mills, Tara
(Mistress of Ceremony) and Mary, Cashana and Sister, Tiffany , Cashana &
Dywane, Tamika & Dywane, Tiffany & Dywane, Atmosphere
Check back next month for author and guest responses...
Here is a recap of the event:
The Imani Book Club Presents…An Evening With Authors was a wonderful success. The members came together to make the event classy and make authors and guests welcome.
The event was free to the public and we were able to get free radio, newspaper and television advertisement for the event. In order for the Imani Book Club to put on this literary event, we had to fundraise. So we sold a lot of fish sandwiches and even had an “All U Can Eat” party. In fact I had to step out of my comfort zone in order to do the party. I personally like to keep the focus of the book club on books and community service where we encourage reading, not a social group where partying is the prerequisite to having a good time. I guess you can say I am more cerebral in my ideas. However, if it wasn’t for that party we could not have had such a wonderful event. Also, we have members donate money, time and find others willing to donate services for the event. I said all that to say we had to work HARD to make this event free to the public.
We did this event to support African-American authors and to give the surrounding area a bit of culture and mostly to encourage folks to read.
I have been asked how do you get the authors to attend. I solicit them through emails to them and their publicists. Although many said no kindly, there were others who wanted to support our event, and we will be forever appreciative. We had authors from St. Louis, New Jersey, Tennessee and Alabama. One thing mentioned was the number of authors scheduled to appear, which was fifteen initially schedule. Since we had done a similar event in 2004, I know folks will have issues that will make them cancel and other life issues may intervene. So when one of my biggest authors cancelled, I wasn’t sad. I knew it could and would happen. By the time of the event I had several authors cancel the week of the event, but I never lost my cool. In fact, I had one who actually cancelled the day of the event and although I was a bit disappointed because of the way it was done, I expected it since I hadn’t heard one thing from the author since I sent my final letter out the same week requesting a response. So in the end I had 14 authors in attendance with 12 on program.
Unfortunately, I did not see the beginning of the program due to issues involving the book vendor my members informed me the author showcase went well. The mistress of ceremony kept the flow going and made the authors feel the love in a room of almost 100 folks. I returned when one of our poets was doing his thing. Nice. My author and friend Dywane D. Birch did a nice speech about what he does and the books he writes and still was gracious about having none of his books there for sale. Kesha Redmon was the last author to speak, because bless her heart she was lost and I had to guide her back to the venue. I understand Angela Benson was also very gracious in saying things happen, since she too, didn’t have any books there for sale. Pat L. Simmons was so sweet and really excited about being in attendance and loving what we did to make this event a success. Shani Greene-Dowdell wrote a great piece about our event on her blog. Marc Lacy was kind in his assessment of the event. Avery Carter I heard was concerned about performing one of his poetry pieces due to the explicit language but he was encouraged by the audience it was okay. (He didn’t hear me outside going off about my book vendor issues.) Vanessa Davis Griggs is from Birmingham, Alabama and she is always on time and ready to do her thing and she is a true believer in letting folks know about her works and I just love her spirit. Seressia Glass and AJ Dawn were two of the authors who were able to attend our Ice Breaking get together and all I’ll say is they found our members down to earth and made the prospects of the next day’s event easier. Hazel Mills had a calming disposition and also appreciative of the opportunity as did Linda Jones. We also had to local published authors and clergymen available to sale their books. The authors were true professionals and very appreciative as well as crowd pleasers. There was something there for everyone.
The turnout was amazing with almost 100 people in attendance. I was impressed with the number of men who came out to support the African-American authors. We had several other book clubs represented as far as Birmingham who came out to give us love. Good looking out In the Company of 12 Book Club, Black Diamonds and others represented. We had a nice spread done by our caterer, pictures donated by the photographers, live flowers from our florist, a colored program, jazz music by our DJ, wine and beer being served by two of our Imani Book Club member’s husbands. The door was managed by several Carver High School students. A special thanks to our mistress of ceremony, Tara Johnson, who took on this role with only a few weeks to prepare and kept things moving when I was not there to conduct the show. A special thanks to all the members for working to make this event a success. Although they want to give me the accolade of this being my vision, it really wasn’t. This was a concertive effort by all the members to make it work and even with the minor glitches it was a success. My vision for this event was what the members wanted, personally my life is too complicated right now to have a vision which requires too much of my time and effort. Real talk.
It was also nice to have my sister there for moral support although now we know she wasn’t in Montgomery just to attend my event, but to spend time with our uncle who died a week and day later.
The only major issue with the event was with the book vendor. The book vendor showed up with only one of the five author’s books I requested. They also showed up without their customer service capes on. I don’t wish to expound more on this, but know the faux pas was embarrassing and quite unprofessional and reflected on me. The vendor has apologized and written a letter of apology and has made an effort to amend the situation. The event is over now and even with my own personal apologies it still doesn’t rectify the fact that at least two of my authors had no books to sign and it was God’s blessings that allowed the other two authors to bring some of their own books.
Overall, the event was a success and reflected our purpose which is to support African-American literature and encourage reading in the community. Thank you to all the authors who supported this event. We will be forever grateful!
Authors who participated:
Dywane D. Birch
Contributor to the 2006 NAACP Image Award Winner , Breaking the Cycle edited by Zane, Imani Book Club Book of the Year...
Dywane D. Birch, a graduate of
http://www.freewebs.com/dywanebirch
Vanessa Davis Griggs
Winner of the 2007 Arts and Letters Award from Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and numerous other awards as a published and self-published author...
Vanessa Davis Griggs is an author and motivational speaker who adores the power of words both written and spoken. At the end of 1996, this former BellSouth employee left 18 years of service stepping out on faith and decided to pursue her purpose and passion--writing. Proving out Proverbs 18:16, A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men, she began her own company (Free To Soar) emphasizing the taking off of limits as she travels around the country inspiring others--young and old--to take flight and do the same.
Vanessa is the recipient of numerous recognitions including: June 2007 recipient of the Arts and Letters Award from Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Birmingham Alumnae Chapter, March 2006 recipient of The Greater Birmingham Millennium Section National Council of Negro Women Inspiration Award, 2004-2005 Jasper Outstanding Achievement Award, finalist for the BWA 2002 Gold Pen Award for Christian Fiction, named Shades of Romance Magazine Reader's Choice Award 2002 for Best All-Time Favorite Multi-Cultural Self-Published Author, Promises Beyond Jordan the winner of The Sistah Circle Book Club 2002 Self-published African American Author Book of the Year Award as well as the self-published version of Promises Beyond Jordan winning Best Christian Fiction. Wings of Grace received a Road to Romance Reviewer's Choice Award.
Vanessa resides in Irondale (home of the Whistle Stop Café and Fried Green Tomatoes), a community just outside of Birmingham, Alabama.
Vanessa is the author of novels: Destiny Unlimited, The Rose of Jericho, Promises Beyond Jordan published by BET Books/New Spirit (now Kimani Press) and Wings of Grace (also published under New Spirit)
May 2007...The Saga Continues...The Blessed Trinity Trilogy...
beginning with Blessed Trinity published by Kensington Books/Dafina.
AJ Dawn
Local Montgomery Author
A.J. Dawn was born in Tuskegee Alabama and raised in Montgomery Alabama where she still resides with her husband Pervis, who she feels God made especially for her and also with their three children Alicea, P. J. and Peyton who are the loves of her life. She has run a home based business for twenty two years. She attended Draughons Junior College where she received a Clerk Typist Degree. She also attended Riley College where she was on the president's list and received a degree in Computer Clerical. She has four brothers and three sisters. She is the seventh child of this eight-pack born to Fedral and Lucille Jones. High-Profile Murderer is her debut novel and she feels very fortunate to have the love and support of her family on this next phase of her life.
Avery V. Carter
(Double click for larger view)
Birmingham Poet
Avery attended Charles F. Hard Elementary School where he began writing poetry in the eighth grade. Avery struggled with poetry at first because of the restrictions placed on him by his eighth grade English teacher. She would try to get him to express himself in a manner in which she would express herself, which was difficult because he was a 13-year-old black male from the housing projects, and she was a forty something year old white female from the suburbs. The two inspirations were totally different. Nevertheless, Avery kept on writing poetry, lyrics to songs, and raps. After eighth grade it was time for high school where Avery attended Jess Lanier High School in his hometown of Bessemer. Avery thought that surely now that he was in high school that his writing would progress and be accepted by his teachers there. Well, he was wrong again. Early in his high school tenure Avery had the same type of English teachers as his eighth grade English teacher, restrictive. Nevertheless, Avery kept on writing. Avery was on the Jess Lanier High School football team, which at the time was a nationally known high school football powerhouse. His school colors were purple and white and the school slogan was purple pride, which was posted on a sign above the locker room door. The players, each time out of the locker room, would reach up and hit the sign on the way to the practice field or game field. Avery wrote a poem entitled “Purple Pride” in the 11th grade. It was powerful! After receiving a nice round of applause in class after reading the poem to his classmates, his teacher, which fit the same mold as his eighth grade teacher, said that it was just okay. Crushed, Avery stopped writing poetry during his high school tenure.
After high school Avery attended Alabama A&M in Huntsville, AL his freshmen year and then transferred to Miles College in Fairfield, AL where he graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. Avery wrote some during his college years but nothing he ever took seriously. Most of the poems were for young ladies he would be dating at the time. After giving them the pieces they were out of sight and out of mind.
After graduating from Miles Avery began to teach Science at his Alma Mater of Jess Lanier High School. Avery taught there for three years and was laid off before he received his tenure due to embezzlement of funds by employees and administrators at the Bessemer Board of Education. It was during this time in his life when Avery picked up writing poetry again and expressing himself without any parameters. Avery heard about a spoken word spot in Fairfield, AL called Love Jones Wednesdays at Club Phoenix. Avery went out a couple of times to hear some of the poets spit on the mic. Most of the poets were political and radical and this didn’t fit Avery’s style of writing. Nevertheless, Avery began to perform at the Phoenix. The first night he ever performed there he recited two pieces; The Hope-“less” and The Day You Become Mine (Which was written for his fiancé, Ms. Courtney Rutledge, who was in the audience at the time). The audience loved both pieces and Avery has been performing spoken word every since. Avery has worked the open mic circuit all over Birmingham, The Rose Supper Club in Montgomery, AL, and a few spots in Atlanta. Ms Courtney Rutledge has now become Mrs. Courtney Carter and she and Avery currently reside in Birmingham, AL.
Seressia Glass
2006 Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award Winner , 2006 Emma Award for Best Anthology and a host of other awards...
Seressia has always been a voracious reader, cutting her teeth on comics, cereal boxes–anything at hand. So it came as no surprise to family and teachers when she began creating stories featuring some of her favorite characters. One of her earlier works included the autobiography of a piece of bubble gum, and a short Halloween story was turned into a PTA play in elementary school.
Her proudest writing moment remains winning the first Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday “Living the Dream” essay contest as a high school senior and getting to meet Coretta Scott King. Since then, she’s channeled her belief in the power of the written word by creating rich, emotional stories of diverse people coming together to achieve the universal goals of love and acceptance.
When not working on her next story, Seressia is an instructional designer for an international home improvement company. She spends her free time people-watching, belly dancing, and watching way too much anime.
Shani Greene-Dowdell
Shani Greene-Dowdell is the author of Keepin' It Tight, a wife and mother of three. Born and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama, Shani was fascinated by creative writing and writing plays as a child. She attended Troy State University at Montgomery and Southern Union Community College in Opelika, Alabama with the goal of becoming a nurse, but motherhood changed her career path to becoming a work-from-home medical transcriptionist. Shani found very little time for writing while raising her children until 2005. With her children older and her determination to change the dynamics of her career, Shani started writing Keepin' It Tight and she hasn't put her pen down since. Keepin' It Tight (released May 28, 2007 through www.lulu.com) is a poignant tale about a black woman's search for love and one white woman's quest to tear down the relationship that the sistah finds. It's racy, it's daring, it pushes the envelope - It's Shani!!
Shani's first love for literature is reading. She is a reviewer for Strive Magazine (online publication) and Big Time Publishing Magazine (print publication). She is a contributing author in Jessica Tiles' spicy erotic anthology, Erogenous Zone: A Sexual Voyage, and has her very own erotic anthology Mocha Chocolate: Taste a Piece of Ecstasy coming in March 2008. Whether Shani is writing poetry, blogging, or working on one of her several writing projects, she is determined to follow her heart and become a best-selling author. "To be able to write full time one day," Shani says, "that is my dream!"
Angela Benson
Best Selling author of Christian Fiction and Romance
Angela Benson has an unusual background for a writer: She majored in mathematics at Spelman College and Industrial Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), and worked for fifteen years as an engineer in the telecommunications industry. She received two Masters degrees, not in the liberal arts, but in operations research and human resources development. She recently completed a doctorate in instructional technology at the University of Georgia and now works as an assistant professor at a major research institution.
Since her first book was published in 1994, Angela has published nine novels, one novella, and a nonfiction writing book. Her books have appeared on regional and local bestseller lists, and she has won several writing awards, including Best Multicultural Romance from Romantic Times magazine, and Best Contemporary Ethnic Romance from Affaire de Coeur magazine. She was a finalist for the 2000 Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award in Multicultural Romance.
Awakening Mercy, the first book in her Genesis House series from Tyndale House Publishers, represented a change in career direction for Angela. “This book is close to my heart,” Angela says. “First, because I consider it an honor to write for the Christian market. Second, in many ways, CeCe’s story—about living with the consequences of our bad choices, and finding forgiveness—is my story, too.” Awakening Mercy was a finalist for the RITA Award given by Romance Writers of America (RWA) and the Christy Award given by the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA).
The second book in the Genesis House series, Abiding Hope, was published in September 2001. Abiding Hope was awarded the 2002 Emma Award presented by the Romance Slam Jam. The third book, Enduring Love, is not yet scheduled.
BET Books, now Harlequin’s Kimani Press purchased the mass market rights to Awakening Mercy and Abiding Hope in 2000 and released mass market editions of the titles in June 2002 and June 2003, respectively.
Angela’s first hardcover title, The Amen Sisters, was released in September 2005 by Walk Worthy Press. The Essence bestselling title is now in its third printing.
Kesha Redmon
First time Author of On My Own
Memphis author Kesha Redmon's first novel On My Own is about After a terrible breakup, Kalondria "Kaye" Parker enters a state of self-discovery. It is during this period that she is introduced to Atlanta Panthers running back, Jalen Matthews. After sharing more that a passionate kiss when they are left alone for a weekend, Kaye is left to make a crucial choice: should she choose an unsure future with Jalen or should she make a decision that will forever change her life?
Marc Lacy
Alabama Poet/Spoken Word Artist
Mr. Lacy is a Cum Laude Mechanical Engineering graduate of Alabama A&M University (AAMU). While matriculating through AAMU, he was a starting forward for the Men’s Varsity Basketball Team. Also when Marc was on “the yard”, he was often sought for various speaking engagements and to deliver presentations as a means of enhancing student life and morale on campus.
Organizational involvement has always been a part of Marc’s life as he has held an office in the following organizations: Twenty Distinguished Young Men of Huntsville; National Society of Black Engineers; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated; and ArtNSoul Society of Expression. Marc is a current member of Church Street Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America.
Often referred to as a “left and right brain” type of guy, Marc’s Gemini-esque character is highlighted by the fact that he is a Government Contractor by day and disc-jockey/audio specialist by night. He is also the CEO of AVO Publishing (A Division of AVO Communications, Inc.), under which his literary works and audio recordings have been published and produced.
Marc is most noted for his smooth flowing lyrics and creative mind which are exuded in his eloquently written poetry. But also a beast is awoken within as he delivers his often-charged and thought provoking spoken word performances. By offering a wide range of subject matter in his work, Marc has been able to cover a lot of ground within his craft.
The energy within Marc’s work can certainly be attributed to his strong faith in God.
Marc has a robust literary resume to go along with his unique background. The following are just a few of the numerous attributes which are entailed within:
• Co-Founded the legendary ArtNSoul Society of Expression • Founded Marc Lacy Poetry Online Poetry Group • Hosted/Emceed numerous open mics, literary forums, and pageants • Facilitated several youth/adult poetry - spoken word workshops, charity events • Performed at many church events, anniversaries, and birthday functions • Self-published “The Looking Heart” – Poetic Expressions from Within • Teamed with Charles Owens to produce “REFlux” (poetry/spoken word cd) • Performed in cities like Los Angeles, New York, Louisville, Charlotte, New Orleans, Birmingham, Montgomery, Atlanta, Memphis, Dallas, Nashville, and Greensboro to name a few… • Has written many noteworthy odes to/for famous people such as Maya Angelou and Sonja Sanchez • Recorded/performed several poetic radio spots for a variety of radio stations
Pat L. Simmons
New Christian Fiction Author of Guilty of Love recently released
Pat Simmons has been a baptized believer
in the name of Jesus for more than twenty-five years. She received the Gift of
Holy Ghost by evidence of speaking in other tongues in August of 1977. She is a
television news writer and assignment editor for the past eight years in
Missouri. Prior to that, Pat worked as a talk show host, board operator, and
news reporter for various radio stations for almost ten years.
Pat Simmons is the co-publicist at Midwest Publicity, a two-woman team, handling
the media publicity for the Romantic Times BOOKlovers’ yearly conventions, and
securing interviews for national bestselling authors such as L.A. Banks, Bobbi
Smith, Christina Skye, and Heather Graham.
Pat Simmons holds a B.S. in Mass Communications from Emerson College in Boston,
Massachusetts. She is married and has a daughter and son attending college. Her
hobbies/interests include conversations with dead people, whether it’s her own
genealogy, or an incredible tale weaved by a stranger on a park bench. To Pat,
both are equally captivating. Pat prides herself on dressing in the latest
fashions created with her twenty year-old Kenmore sewing machine.
Pat Simmons is nosy by nature. She makes friends whenever she goes. She’s the
life of every party as long as it’s less than four people. A connoisseur of
board games, Pat collects off-brand games that nobody wants to play so she
bribes them with her tetrazzini. She praises God for the inspiration to write,
and the “village people” for helping her get the job done.
Her novels include Guilty of Love (September 2007) and Talk To Me
(November 2008).
Hazel Mills
New Self-Publish author of erotica
Author Hazel Mills' short erotic fiction has been published in the January 2007 issue of Playgirl Magazine's Erotic Encounters and in Best Lesbian Love Stories: New York City, edited by Simone Thorne. Her latest creation can be found in Jolie Dupre's series in The Blushing Ladies Journal. Hazel lives with her husband and three sons in Birmingham, Alabama. Her debut anthology, bare necessities: sensuous tales of passion, is expected to be released in March 2008.