Bernice L. McFadden's Blog, page 11
January 4, 2013
Onward...
Last year, on 12-12-12 , I closed on the sale of my home.
The date was not planned, but it was appropriate because it signaled transition in a BIG way...
Yep, the house that SUGAR bought now belongs to someone else.
Isn't she lovely...........
Digital collage created with Smilebox It was a difficult decision to make but in the end, I believe it was the right thing to do.
It was just li'l ole me in this big, old house...and my guides said: It's time to go!
I put a lot of time, money and love into this brownstone. Over the years it has been host to some fabulous parties as well as haven to friends and family.
In the eleven years I've lived here, I wrote eleven books.
This house has a gentle, peaceful spirit that allowed my creativity to soar...........
I hope the new owners love it as much as I did and I hope the house loves them back, as it did me.
So what are my plans, you ask?
Well, I'm going to take some time for me. I'm going to do a little traveling, catch up on my reading and dive head first into this new novel that has been on the back burner of my life, for far too long.
Where will I live?
No plans for a permanent residence at this time. I'm going to be a gypsy....I'll be here and there and just about every where...so look for me all around you......
**tune in tomorrow for my vlog***
Bernice L. McFadden
The date was not planned, but it was appropriate because it signaled transition in a BIG way...
Yep, the house that SUGAR bought now belongs to someone else.
Isn't she lovely...........
Digital collage created with Smilebox It was a difficult decision to make but in the end, I believe it was the right thing to do.It was just li'l ole me in this big, old house...and my guides said: It's time to go!
I put a lot of time, money and love into this brownstone. Over the years it has been host to some fabulous parties as well as haven to friends and family.
In the eleven years I've lived here, I wrote eleven books.
This house has a gentle, peaceful spirit that allowed my creativity to soar...........
I hope the new owners love it as much as I did and I hope the house loves them back, as it did me.
So what are my plans, you ask?
Well, I'm going to take some time for me. I'm going to do a little traveling, catch up on my reading and dive head first into this new novel that has been on the back burner of my life, for far too long.
Where will I live?
No plans for a permanent residence at this time. I'm going to be a gypsy....I'll be here and there and just about every where...so look for me all around you......
**tune in tomorrow for my vlog***
Bernice L. McFadden
December 26, 2012
Before Rodney King, there was John W. Smith...
This past Christmas was extra special for me. The last time I spent Christmas with my mother and grandmother was in 2009. There is a story attached to the WHY..that I will share in a future post. In any case, I catered our Christmas dinner (I'm so over the cooking) and we friends and family gathered at my mother's house.
A cousin of mine, named James. K. Smith, called to wish everyone a merry xmas and my mom, invited him over to share in the festivities.
I've been in James' company only a hand full of times. He's an interesting man. He's a musician. A trumpeter to me exact. He used to play with the legendary Reggae Singer, Burning Spear, but now he plays with whomever. In fact, on New Year's Eve, he will be performing with The Harlem Renaissance Orchestra at Lincoln Center.
So, as we ate, and conversed, and drank and laughed, he happened to mention, quite casually, that his elder brother, John W. Smith (deceased) was the catalyst for the 1967 Newark Riots. And, he continued, in his laid back way: "He made the cover of TIME magazine."
The room went silent.
What? I squeaked.
"Yeah, man. Look it up."
And so I did.
And guess what? It's totally true!
On July 12, 1967, two white Newark policemen arrested John W. Smith, a black musician and cab driver, for improperly passing them on 15th Avenue. They took him to the 4th Precinct, across the street from Hayes Homes, a large public housing project. The residents there saw what was for them an all too familiar sight — a black man being forcibly dragged into a police precinct by two white officers, and a rumor spread that he had been killed while in police custody.... READ MORE HERE..
As you know, I'm a genealogy junkie. And so, this was the ULTIMATE Christmas gift.
In fact, it came just in time, because I was missing a piece to the new novel I'm working on..and John W. Smith fits perfectly into the story.
Life never ceases to amaze me!!
This is a photo of John W. Smith's brother: James K. Smith with his first cousin, my grandmother, Thelma Nettles.
And the three of us...born in 1925, 1955 & 1965......
FAMILY ROCKS!!!
Bernice L. McFadden
A cousin of mine, named James. K. Smith, called to wish everyone a merry xmas and my mom, invited him over to share in the festivities.
I've been in James' company only a hand full of times. He's an interesting man. He's a musician. A trumpeter to me exact. He used to play with the legendary Reggae Singer, Burning Spear, but now he plays with whomever. In fact, on New Year's Eve, he will be performing with The Harlem Renaissance Orchestra at Lincoln Center.
So, as we ate, and conversed, and drank and laughed, he happened to mention, quite casually, that his elder brother, John W. Smith (deceased) was the catalyst for the 1967 Newark Riots. And, he continued, in his laid back way: "He made the cover of TIME magazine."
The room went silent.
What? I squeaked.
"Yeah, man. Look it up."
And so I did.
And guess what? It's totally true!
On July 12, 1967, two white Newark policemen arrested John W. Smith, a black musician and cab driver, for improperly passing them on 15th Avenue. They took him to the 4th Precinct, across the street from Hayes Homes, a large public housing project. The residents there saw what was for them an all too familiar sight — a black man being forcibly dragged into a police precinct by two white officers, and a rumor spread that he had been killed while in police custody.... READ MORE HERE..
As you know, I'm a genealogy junkie. And so, this was the ULTIMATE Christmas gift.
In fact, it came just in time, because I was missing a piece to the new novel I'm working on..and John W. Smith fits perfectly into the story.
Life never ceases to amaze me!!
This is a photo of John W. Smith's brother: James K. Smith with his first cousin, my grandmother, Thelma Nettles.
And the three of us...born in 1925, 1955 & 1965......
FAMILY ROCKS!!!
Bernice L. McFadden
December 1, 2012
Good News All Around...!!!
Generally, the end of the year is a nail-biting time for authors.
During November and December, magazines, literary publications and major newspapers begin to roll out lists of best/notable books of the year.
Of course, as a writer, you pray and hope that your book will be on at least one of those lists.
I am honored and humbled to announce that my novel, Gathering of Waters - made both the New York Times and Washington Post Notable Books of 2012, lists.
As you can imagine - I was and remain ecstatic about this.
So, if the notable books nods weren't enough, I received word that Amazon had selected Gathering of Waters for a Daily Deal!! So, on Dec. 5th, for 24 hours only, the e-book will be on sale for $1.99.
Additionally, both Glorious and The Warmest December were selected for the Monthly Deal...so for the ENTIRE month of December, both of these ebooks will be available for $2.99!
Please spread the word!!
I love you for reading..........................!
Bernice L. McFadden
During November and December, magazines, literary publications and major newspapers begin to roll out lists of best/notable books of the year.
Of course, as a writer, you pray and hope that your book will be on at least one of those lists.
I am honored and humbled to announce that my novel, Gathering of Waters - made both the New York Times and Washington Post Notable Books of 2012, lists.
As you can imagine - I was and remain ecstatic about this.
So, if the notable books nods weren't enough, I received word that Amazon had selected Gathering of Waters for a Daily Deal!! So, on Dec. 5th, for 24 hours only, the e-book will be on sale for $1.99.
Additionally, both Glorious and The Warmest December were selected for the Monthly Deal...so for the ENTIRE month of December, both of these ebooks will be available for $2.99!
Please spread the word!!
I love you for reading..........................!
Bernice L. McFadden
October 10, 2012
Going home...
Last week, after years of research, years of bumping into walls and posing questions to the universe., after years of combing through documents and spending hours on genealogy and newspaper archive websites....after receiving help from strangers, after thinking that I would never ever find the truth, after reminding myself that these things take time - after all of that I arrived in Macon, Georgia and found myself in the middle of a journey I took up nearly 20 years earlier.
I had visited Macon only once in my life and that was back in 2007 when I took my mother and grandmother on a road trip. We drove from New York down to Sandersville, Georgia where my maternal ancestors once lived. I still have a few cousins there. We spent a day in Macon with some family who live there. At the time, I had no idea that my paternal ancestors had once called Macon home.
In 2010, I received an email from the very wonderful and generous Valerie Beaudralt. She had read my novel: Nowhere is a Place.
Nowhere is a Place came directly out of my yearning to know more about my paternal lineage. At the back of the book I have a page titled: Are we related? Where I list the few ancestral names that I had discovered. Valerie took it upon herself to do a little research of her own and low and behold she found my great-grandmother Chappo's marriage record that listed the name of her parents!
This was a great discovery!!
That bit of information led to other, larger, grander pieces of info and before I knew it - I had a family tree in full bloom.
Well, last week while attending The Crossroads Writers Conference in Macon, Georgia (which was great fun and you all need to mark your calenders to attend next year!) Ms. Sherry Williamson (Professor, Screenwriter and my assigned Shepard during my time in Macon) was gracious enough to take me to the First Baptist Church of Macon - the very church that Reverend T.M. Robinson (my great-great grandfather) had erected, replacing the original board and shingle church on Cotton Avenue that was founded by slaves in 1830.
Sorry, I can't seem to get these photos to roatate left. (sigh)
When I touched the cornerstone that bears his name, I almost burst into tears...
Me - the great-great granddaughter of Rev. T.M. Robinson and Louisa White-Robinson....
Thank you Valerie...thank you ancestors......#thatwasanexceptionalday
Bernice L. McFadden
I had visited Macon only once in my life and that was back in 2007 when I took my mother and grandmother on a road trip. We drove from New York down to Sandersville, Georgia where my maternal ancestors once lived. I still have a few cousins there. We spent a day in Macon with some family who live there. At the time, I had no idea that my paternal ancestors had once called Macon home.
In 2010, I received an email from the very wonderful and generous Valerie Beaudralt. She had read my novel: Nowhere is a Place.
Nowhere is a Place came directly out of my yearning to know more about my paternal lineage. At the back of the book I have a page titled: Are we related? Where I list the few ancestral names that I had discovered. Valerie took it upon herself to do a little research of her own and low and behold she found my great-grandmother Chappo's marriage record that listed the name of her parents!
This was a great discovery!!
That bit of information led to other, larger, grander pieces of info and before I knew it - I had a family tree in full bloom.
Well, last week while attending The Crossroads Writers Conference in Macon, Georgia (which was great fun and you all need to mark your calenders to attend next year!) Ms. Sherry Williamson (Professor, Screenwriter and my assigned Shepard during my time in Macon) was gracious enough to take me to the First Baptist Church of Macon - the very church that Reverend T.M. Robinson (my great-great grandfather) had erected, replacing the original board and shingle church on Cotton Avenue that was founded by slaves in 1830.
Sorry, I can't seem to get these photos to roatate left. (sigh)
When I touched the cornerstone that bears his name, I almost burst into tears...
Me - the great-great granddaughter of Rev. T.M. Robinson and Louisa White-Robinson....Thank you Valerie...thank you ancestors......#thatwasanexceptionalday
Bernice L. McFadden
September 19, 2012
47th Birthday, $3.99 books, 13 years of full-time writing...
Hey Ya'll!
Just in time for my 47th birthday and in celebration of my 13th year of being a full-time, working writer I've made two of my out-of-print novels available on KINDLE (coming soon to NOOK)
I'm waiting on fancy covers, but in the meantime here they are...and hey, they're only $3.99 each!!!
(Oh yeah, and please take a moment to share this post with at least one person!)
First published in 2003, Loving Donovan was awarded a Fiction Honor Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. The first section of this unconventional love story belongs to Campbell. Despite being born to a brokenhearted mother and a faithless father, Campbell still believes in the power of love.. .if she can ever find it. Living in the same neighborhood, but unknown to Campbell until a chance meeting brings them together, is Donovan, the "little man” of a shattered home—a family torn apart by anger and bitterness. In the face of these daunting obstacles, Donovan dreams of someday marrying, raising a family, and playing for the NBA. But deep inside, Campbell and Donovan live with the histories that have shaped their lives. What they discover—together and apart—forms the basis of this compelling, sensual, and surprising novel. BUY NOW
Originally published in 2004, this poignant tale of a woman who discovers the fragility of life and the strength of a familys love, from an author praised by Toni Morrison for searing, expertly imagined scenes.
Known for bringing to life a host of endearing characters who reveal tender truths about humanity, Bernice L. McFadden now turns her storytelling talents to an unforgettable and deeply troubled woman named Camilla.
Unfolding in a progression of stirring and powerful chapters, Camillas Roses presents a life haunted by the past. Camillas childhood was immersed in chaos and love, and steeped in the myth of perfection. As an adult, she never looked back, refusing to acknowledge the people and places that had scarred her so many years ago. But a legacy of cancer proves inescapable, forcing Camilla to embrace the pastno matter how painful it may beand to salvage what is left of her love in order to save her daughter. As Camilla discovers the bittersweet limitations of motherhood and reconciliation, she also awakens an inspiring message about the mortality issues we all must face. BUY NOW
And I think you know about my novel: My Name is Butterfly, which was published in April of this year. It's an important story that needed to be written.
Abebe experiences plenty of joy in Ghana as the privileged daughter of a government employee and stay at home mother. The love that her parents and extended family lavish her with knows no bounds.
When the Tsikata’s idyllic life style begins to take a turn for the worse, Abebe's father places a nine-year-old Abebe in a shrine, hoping that the sacrifice of his daughter will serve as religious atonement for the crimes of his ancestors. Unspeakable acts befall Abebe for the fifteen years she is enslaved.
When Abebe is finally released back into the world and finds herself not only dealing with the newness of Ghana, but also the fast-paced world of New York, she is broken—emotionally, mentally, physically, sexually, and spiritually. But to live the rest of her years on earth, she must learn to overcome her past, endure familial secrets, and learn to love herself—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
In the tradition of Chris Cleave's Little Bee - My Name Is Butterfly, is a contemporary story that offers an educational, eye opening account into the practice of ritual servitude in West Africa.
Spanning decades and two continents, My Name Is Butterfly will break and heal your heart BUY NOW FOR KINDLE or
Bernice L. McFadden
Just in time for my 47th birthday and in celebration of my 13th year of being a full-time, working writer I've made two of my out-of-print novels available on KINDLE (coming soon to NOOK)
I'm waiting on fancy covers, but in the meantime here they are...and hey, they're only $3.99 each!!!
(Oh yeah, and please take a moment to share this post with at least one person!)
First published in 2003, Loving Donovan was awarded a Fiction Honor Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. The first section of this unconventional love story belongs to Campbell. Despite being born to a brokenhearted mother and a faithless father, Campbell still believes in the power of love.. .if she can ever find it. Living in the same neighborhood, but unknown to Campbell until a chance meeting brings them together, is Donovan, the "little man” of a shattered home—a family torn apart by anger and bitterness. In the face of these daunting obstacles, Donovan dreams of someday marrying, raising a family, and playing for the NBA. But deep inside, Campbell and Donovan live with the histories that have shaped their lives. What they discover—together and apart—forms the basis of this compelling, sensual, and surprising novel. BUY NOW
Originally published in 2004, this poignant tale of a woman who discovers the fragility of life and the strength of a familys love, from an author praised by Toni Morrison for searing, expertly imagined scenes.
Known for bringing to life a host of endearing characters who reveal tender truths about humanity, Bernice L. McFadden now turns her storytelling talents to an unforgettable and deeply troubled woman named Camilla.
Unfolding in a progression of stirring and powerful chapters, Camillas Roses presents a life haunted by the past. Camillas childhood was immersed in chaos and love, and steeped in the myth of perfection. As an adult, she never looked back, refusing to acknowledge the people and places that had scarred her so many years ago. But a legacy of cancer proves inescapable, forcing Camilla to embrace the pastno matter how painful it may beand to salvage what is left of her love in order to save her daughter. As Camilla discovers the bittersweet limitations of motherhood and reconciliation, she also awakens an inspiring message about the mortality issues we all must face. BUY NOW
And I think you know about my novel: My Name is Butterfly, which was published in April of this year. It's an important story that needed to be written.
Abebe experiences plenty of joy in Ghana as the privileged daughter of a government employee and stay at home mother. The love that her parents and extended family lavish her with knows no bounds.
When the Tsikata’s idyllic life style begins to take a turn for the worse, Abebe's father places a nine-year-old Abebe in a shrine, hoping that the sacrifice of his daughter will serve as religious atonement for the crimes of his ancestors. Unspeakable acts befall Abebe for the fifteen years she is enslaved.
When Abebe is finally released back into the world and finds herself not only dealing with the newness of Ghana, but also the fast-paced world of New York, she is broken—emotionally, mentally, physically, sexually, and spiritually. But to live the rest of her years on earth, she must learn to overcome her past, endure familial secrets, and learn to love herself—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
In the tradition of Chris Cleave's Little Bee - My Name Is Butterfly, is a contemporary story that offers an educational, eye opening account into the practice of ritual servitude in West Africa.
Spanning decades and two continents, My Name Is Butterfly will break and heal your heart BUY NOW FOR KINDLE or
Bernice L. McFadden
August 28, 2012
Green Tree Servicing is Scamming Me, You and Others!
So, I have townhouse in Charlotte, NC. I bought back in 2008, just before the market fell apart. The mortgage holder at the time was Bank of America.
Last year, BOA sold the loan to Green Tree Servicing. I should have know when I opened the very first mortgage statement from Green Tree that something was terribly amiss. The mortgage payment was $200 less than what I had been paying to BOA. I shrugged my shoulders, tossed the statement aside and continued paying what I had since I bought the property.
Back in May I received a call from Green Tree. The agent told me that while they had received my mortgage payment, it was short. I asked how that was possible - I paid what I had been paying for years. The agent advised me that it was short because Green Tree had placed a "forced" insurance payment on the property. I asked why had that happened? I pay my insurance premium to Allstate every month. The agent said they had placed a forced insurance payment on the property because it was under-insured.
Huh???
Well, the women went on to say, you see the exterior of the property is not insured. I said, it's not insured by ME -- but it is insured by the community in which the townhouse sits.
You see these town homes are treated the same way as a condo. I'm responsible for everything from the sheet rock in....
But this woman was adamant that I was responsible for EVERYTHING...
I said if this was the case, why in the 3 1/2 years that the property was with BOA, did BOA not place a forced insurance payment on the property? To that I received silence. In any case, by the end of the conversation the woman realized that she wasn't even looking at the correct insurance policy. She advised me to have a good day and hung up.
A few weeks later, Green Tree called again. This time I was told that they had placed a forced insurance payment on my property because it was not insured between Jan and April of this year.
Huh???
In any case, I contacted my insurance agent with this news, and his weary voice told me that this was not the first call he had received with this information. He advised that the information had been sent to Green Tree, but he would resend it.
I googled Green Tree and found hundreds of complaints about the company. Many of which describing exactly what I'm going through. The complaints range from harassing phone calls, threats of foreclosure, missing escrow money...and so on...
I pulled this from World Free News:
"I’ve also read about missing escrow money, to which Green Tree Servicing LLC will claim that there is no longer insurance on the home and they force an insurance purchase with, you guessed it, their home insurance branch. How do they do this? Law requires that your home be covered by insurance when there is a mortgage or a lien. Green Tree Servicing LLC misplaces insurance letters from actual insurance companies, or doesn’t account for escrow money properly."
I've lodged a complaint with BBB -- but I think that social networking will be the most effective way to get the word out about their unethical business practices. Please, please take a moment to tweet this and/or share on FB...Let's come together to bring attention to this!!!
Bernice L. McFadden
Last year, BOA sold the loan to Green Tree Servicing. I should have know when I opened the very first mortgage statement from Green Tree that something was terribly amiss. The mortgage payment was $200 less than what I had been paying to BOA. I shrugged my shoulders, tossed the statement aside and continued paying what I had since I bought the property.
Back in May I received a call from Green Tree. The agent told me that while they had received my mortgage payment, it was short. I asked how that was possible - I paid what I had been paying for years. The agent advised me that it was short because Green Tree had placed a "forced" insurance payment on the property. I asked why had that happened? I pay my insurance premium to Allstate every month. The agent said they had placed a forced insurance payment on the property because it was under-insured.
Huh???
Well, the women went on to say, you see the exterior of the property is not insured. I said, it's not insured by ME -- but it is insured by the community in which the townhouse sits.
You see these town homes are treated the same way as a condo. I'm responsible for everything from the sheet rock in....
But this woman was adamant that I was responsible for EVERYTHING...
I said if this was the case, why in the 3 1/2 years that the property was with BOA, did BOA not place a forced insurance payment on the property? To that I received silence. In any case, by the end of the conversation the woman realized that she wasn't even looking at the correct insurance policy. She advised me to have a good day and hung up.
A few weeks later, Green Tree called again. This time I was told that they had placed a forced insurance payment on my property because it was not insured between Jan and April of this year.
Huh???
In any case, I contacted my insurance agent with this news, and his weary voice told me that this was not the first call he had received with this information. He advised that the information had been sent to Green Tree, but he would resend it.
I googled Green Tree and found hundreds of complaints about the company. Many of which describing exactly what I'm going through. The complaints range from harassing phone calls, threats of foreclosure, missing escrow money...and so on...
I pulled this from World Free News:
"I’ve also read about missing escrow money, to which Green Tree Servicing LLC will claim that there is no longer insurance on the home and they force an insurance purchase with, you guessed it, their home insurance branch. How do they do this? Law requires that your home be covered by insurance when there is a mortgage or a lien. Green Tree Servicing LLC misplaces insurance letters from actual insurance companies, or doesn’t account for escrow money properly."
I've lodged a complaint with BBB -- but I think that social networking will be the most effective way to get the word out about their unethical business practices. Please, please take a moment to tweet this and/or share on FB...Let's come together to bring attention to this!!!
Bernice L. McFadden
August 8, 2012
She's Alive.................!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is the battle cry I heard in my head when I opened a package from Kensington Books.
A few months ago I received a call from a one of my former literary agents (I've had three) advising me that Kensington Books had purchased the mass market paperback rights for Groove and Fever from Broadway Books (Random House).
I wrote Groove, Fever and three other books in the series under my pseudonym: Geneva Holliday and the stories are far and away from what you all are used to me writing under my given name.
The last book I published under my pen name was Lover Man and that was back in 2009. After that, I put Geneva Holliday away (I didn't know if it was for good or not) and continued on in the genre that first found me an audience.
I thought Geneva Holliday was dead....and shunned the emails that I received from folks clamoring for another installment of the wacky, sexy, drama that these lovable characters provided - book in and book out.
So the call from the lit agent was a surprise and now this package of postcards depicting the new cover -- is a a second surprise - because I really like it. It's slick.............
The mass market version of GROOVE will be reissued in February 2013.......... If you haven't read it - I hope you will. And please spread the word!
Bernice L. McFadden
A few months ago I received a call from a one of my former literary agents (I've had three) advising me that Kensington Books had purchased the mass market paperback rights for Groove and Fever from Broadway Books (Random House).
I wrote Groove, Fever and three other books in the series under my pseudonym: Geneva Holliday and the stories are far and away from what you all are used to me writing under my given name.
The last book I published under my pen name was Lover Man and that was back in 2009. After that, I put Geneva Holliday away (I didn't know if it was for good or not) and continued on in the genre that first found me an audience.
I thought Geneva Holliday was dead....and shunned the emails that I received from folks clamoring for another installment of the wacky, sexy, drama that these lovable characters provided - book in and book out.
So the call from the lit agent was a surprise and now this package of postcards depicting the new cover -- is a a second surprise - because I really like it. It's slick.............
The mass market version of GROOVE will be reissued in February 2013.......... If you haven't read it - I hope you will. And please spread the word!
Bernice L. McFadden
August 1, 2012
What I'm Working On..
I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I've posted!!!
I can't say that I've been busy - I think preoccupied is a better word. I have a lot of changes happening in my life. I want to say some are good and some are not so good - but I don't think that would be an accurate statement.
So I'll just say that some of the changes are very scary. Maybe once the cycle is complete I'll look back an ask, "What in the world were you afraid of, this is great!"
My summer has been very quiet. My television has been working overtime and the cushions on my sofa have a permanent impression of my behind pressed into it. Everyday I think about writing - and everyday I turn on the ID channel and wonder about all of the madness in the world.
*smh*
But the end of August will be the end of my slackness, because it's that last hurdle before we move into my season - Autumn!!! All praise to Autumn!!!
Don't get me wrong, I like flip-flop weather, but I suspect I enjoy sunshine and heat when I have a blue ocean as a backdrop. And I won't call any ocean water surrounding NYC, blue!
There is something magical about autumn -- maybe it's because I was born in September - or maybe it's the crispness in the air, the color of the leaves, the sky......who knows - but I love it!
I've received emails and tweets from folk asking if I'm writing and when I will be publishing a new book. Well, for those of you who have asked and for those of you who haven't asked, here is the deal:
I've been piecing this story together in my head and my soul for a few years now. I have a few chapters that I've actually put on paper - but now I feel like I'm ready to burst! This is how it always is for me. I'm all filled up with characters, story lines, scents and visions -- so full that I'm sure I waddle when I walk!
So, I know that the time is coming when I will close myself away and begin to write.
In any case, here is a little bit of information about the new book. More to come as things progress.
Working Title: The Curious Life of Harlen Elliott
Opening Line: "We will begin here, behind the closed lids of his eyes."
Publication Date: 2014 (God Willing)
Bernice L. McFadden
I can't say that I've been busy - I think preoccupied is a better word. I have a lot of changes happening in my life. I want to say some are good and some are not so good - but I don't think that would be an accurate statement.
So I'll just say that some of the changes are very scary. Maybe once the cycle is complete I'll look back an ask, "What in the world were you afraid of, this is great!"
My summer has been very quiet. My television has been working overtime and the cushions on my sofa have a permanent impression of my behind pressed into it. Everyday I think about writing - and everyday I turn on the ID channel and wonder about all of the madness in the world.
*smh*
But the end of August will be the end of my slackness, because it's that last hurdle before we move into my season - Autumn!!! All praise to Autumn!!!
Don't get me wrong, I like flip-flop weather, but I suspect I enjoy sunshine and heat when I have a blue ocean as a backdrop. And I won't call any ocean water surrounding NYC, blue!
There is something magical about autumn -- maybe it's because I was born in September - or maybe it's the crispness in the air, the color of the leaves, the sky......who knows - but I love it!
I've received emails and tweets from folk asking if I'm writing and when I will be publishing a new book. Well, for those of you who have asked and for those of you who haven't asked, here is the deal:
I've been piecing this story together in my head and my soul for a few years now. I have a few chapters that I've actually put on paper - but now I feel like I'm ready to burst! This is how it always is for me. I'm all filled up with characters, story lines, scents and visions -- so full that I'm sure I waddle when I walk!
So, I know that the time is coming when I will close myself away and begin to write.
In any case, here is a little bit of information about the new book. More to come as things progress.
Working Title: The Curious Life of Harlen Elliott
Opening Line: "We will begin here, behind the closed lids of his eyes."
Publication Date: 2014 (God Willing)
Bernice L. McFadden
July 5, 2012
Cross Literary Pollination - It's a GOOD THING!!!
A few days ago, I received an email totting Karen Q. Miller's newest novel: An Angry As Black Woman..
To be honest, the title didn't grab me..in fact, it screamed "Ghetto-Lit" - which is a genre I am not a fan of. But because Karen's name was on the cover, I did not hit delete. Instead I went on to investigate and was pleased at what I found.
If you're unfamiliar with Karen Q. Miller let me bring you up to speed:
KQM is an Essence best selling and NAACP Literary Award Nominee, Karen E. Quinones Miller was born and raised in Harlem in 1958. Miller dropped out of school during the eighth grade, and spent the majority of her teenage years experiencing street life first-hand. After getting a job as a police attendant in New York City's Midtown North police precinct, Miller became friends with a number of police officers who persuaded her that the life she was living could lead to an early death.
So at age 22, Miller joined the Navy and after spending five years in the Navy, Miller married, had a child and divorced all within a two-year period. At age 29, she got a secretarial job with The Philadelphia Daily News, but after three years complaining about the paper's coverage of people living below the poverty level she quit and started taking journalism classes at Temple University.
After graduation she became a newspaper reporter, and worked for the Associated Press, The Norfolk Virginian Pilot, and lastly for The Philadelphia Inquirer where she was employed for nine years. She also worked as a correspondent for People Magazine from 1996 to 1999.
Miller wrote Satin Doll in 1999, and after many unsuccessful attempts at finding a publisher, decided to publish it herself. She sold 28,000 copies on her own, and Satin Doll wound up on the Essence Bestsellers List for two months. Publishing rights were sold to Simon & Schuster (via auction) for six figures.Miller went on to write five other Essence Bestselling novels for Simon & Schuster, Warner Books, and Grand Central Books: I'm Telling, Using What You Got (both were main selections for Black Expressions Book Club), Ida B. (which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Fiction.), Satin Nights and Passin'.
KQM newest offering: An Angry Ass Black Woman is a sassy, shocking autobiographical novel captures the racial tensions, the hardships, and the bonds that formed between families and neighbors growing up poor in Harlem.
I know KQM personally and our often brief but intense conversations have revealed much about the scribe. So, I'm excited and rooting for this, her fictional autobiography.
But what this post is REALLY about is this:
KQM garnered a blurb from NYT Bestselling (White Author) of In Her Shoes ..and other novels..- Jennifer Weiner.
Ok, now the reason why I had to specify that JW was white is because it is far and few between occurance that a white author blurbs a black author and vice-versa.
Of course it happens - I mean I have a number of blurbs from respected and celebrated white writers as does Persia Walker, Tayari Jones and others...but it does not happen as often as you might think.
This is such a wonderful thing -- because we writers are taking control away from the publisher and placing it squarely in our laps. I don't know how KQM obtained a blurb from JW -- but I'll tell you that back in the day (when I first came on the scene) editor's and marketing folk were working off of an old and dated system that kept black writer's in a box - so they only approached black writers to blurb books written by black people - and vice-versa - unless of course you were a National Book, Pulitzer or Nobel prize winner...
But things, they are a changing (as they naturally do) and it warms my heart in such a way that I can't stop smiling....
I say, bravo Jennifer Weiner!!
A few years ago I reached out to a very, popular white, female author explaining the plight of Af-Am writers in this white owned, controlled and driven industry known as publishing. I asked if she would post my Sugar's 10th Anniversary Letter on her blog (if she had one) in order to introduce my works to her readers.
Unfortunately, the writer could not see the forest for the trees. Even though she continues to be a mainstay on the NYT Bestsellers List and her books have been translated into more languages than I am familiar with and she has had a number of her novels turned into movies -- and while I don't like to count other peoples money - I suspect that she is a millionar a few times over - this is the response I received to my inquiry:
*Shrugging Shoulders and Moving On...*
I hope this cross literary pollination becomes the norm and not the exception in the writing community. And what I REALLY look forward to in the near, near future is publishing houses touring black and white writers TOGETHER!! Integrating and introducing audiences this instead of segregating writers based on some antiquated belief that literature has to be...needs to be....MUST BE seperated first by race and then genre.
Viva La Literary Cross Pollination!!!!!
To be honest, the title didn't grab me..in fact, it screamed "Ghetto-Lit" - which is a genre I am not a fan of. But because Karen's name was on the cover, I did not hit delete. Instead I went on to investigate and was pleased at what I found.
If you're unfamiliar with Karen Q. Miller let me bring you up to speed:
KQM is an Essence best selling and NAACP Literary Award Nominee, Karen E. Quinones Miller was born and raised in Harlem in 1958. Miller dropped out of school during the eighth grade, and spent the majority of her teenage years experiencing street life first-hand. After getting a job as a police attendant in New York City's Midtown North police precinct, Miller became friends with a number of police officers who persuaded her that the life she was living could lead to an early death.
So at age 22, Miller joined the Navy and after spending five years in the Navy, Miller married, had a child and divorced all within a two-year period. At age 29, she got a secretarial job with The Philadelphia Daily News, but after three years complaining about the paper's coverage of people living below the poverty level she quit and started taking journalism classes at Temple University.
After graduation she became a newspaper reporter, and worked for the Associated Press, The Norfolk Virginian Pilot, and lastly for The Philadelphia Inquirer where she was employed for nine years. She also worked as a correspondent for People Magazine from 1996 to 1999.
Miller wrote Satin Doll in 1999, and after many unsuccessful attempts at finding a publisher, decided to publish it herself. She sold 28,000 copies on her own, and Satin Doll wound up on the Essence Bestsellers List for two months. Publishing rights were sold to Simon & Schuster (via auction) for six figures.Miller went on to write five other Essence Bestselling novels for Simon & Schuster, Warner Books, and Grand Central Books: I'm Telling, Using What You Got (both were main selections for Black Expressions Book Club), Ida B. (which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Fiction.), Satin Nights and Passin'.
KQM newest offering: An Angry Ass Black Woman is a sassy, shocking autobiographical novel captures the racial tensions, the hardships, and the bonds that formed between families and neighbors growing up poor in Harlem.
I know KQM personally and our often brief but intense conversations have revealed much about the scribe. So, I'm excited and rooting for this, her fictional autobiography.
But what this post is REALLY about is this:
KQM garnered a blurb from NYT Bestselling (White Author) of In Her Shoes ..and other novels..- Jennifer Weiner.
Ok, now the reason why I had to specify that JW was white is because it is far and few between occurance that a white author blurbs a black author and vice-versa.
Of course it happens - I mean I have a number of blurbs from respected and celebrated white writers as does Persia Walker, Tayari Jones and others...but it does not happen as often as you might think.
This is such a wonderful thing -- because we writers are taking control away from the publisher and placing it squarely in our laps. I don't know how KQM obtained a blurb from JW -- but I'll tell you that back in the day (when I first came on the scene) editor's and marketing folk were working off of an old and dated system that kept black writer's in a box - so they only approached black writers to blurb books written by black people - and vice-versa - unless of course you were a National Book, Pulitzer or Nobel prize winner...
But things, they are a changing (as they naturally do) and it warms my heart in such a way that I can't stop smiling....
I say, bravo Jennifer Weiner!!
A few years ago I reached out to a very, popular white, female author explaining the plight of Af-Am writers in this white owned, controlled and driven industry known as publishing. I asked if she would post my Sugar's 10th Anniversary Letter on her blog (if she had one) in order to introduce my works to her readers.
Unfortunately, the writer could not see the forest for the trees. Even though she continues to be a mainstay on the NYT Bestsellers List and her books have been translated into more languages than I am familiar with and she has had a number of her novels turned into movies -- and while I don't like to count other peoples money - I suspect that she is a millionar a few times over - this is the response I received to my inquiry:
Hi Bernice,
Thanks for writing to me. I know that my publisher very actively recruits, promotes and markets African-American authors - which in my opinion means it's doing something quite right :) I do not have a blog but if you write up a piece about my books, I am happy to tweet it to my followers on Twitter. Frankly, when it comes to literary authors, it's not just women of color. It's ANY women.The market has been overrun with white boys from Brooklyn.
*Shrugging Shoulders and Moving On...*
I hope this cross literary pollination becomes the norm and not the exception in the writing community. And what I REALLY look forward to in the near, near future is publishing houses touring black and white writers TOGETHER!! Integrating and introducing audiences this instead of segregating writers based on some antiquated belief that literature has to be...needs to be....MUST BE seperated first by race and then genre.
Viva La Literary Cross Pollination!!!!!
June 15, 2012
A Black Writer Asks: Where's the Love?
Last year I was thrilled to have been nominated for an NAACP IMAGE AWARD. It was one of the highlights of my literary career.
But there was one thing that did put a damper on the experience - the literary portion of the show was not aired on national television. It was "just" streamed live on the Internet.
In fact, the literary portion of the awards is part of the pre-show and so we folks have to show up an hour or so earlier than the other folks.
Sidebar: (We writers were seated in one are of the theater - out and away from the "real"celebrities - I gotta say it felt kind of leper-colony-ish.)
Now, I know all the major awards shows have a pre-show - cause if they aired every single category the show would be ten hours long!
But I think not making the literary category apart of the main show sends the message that we writers are less important in the African-American Community than our acting and singing counterparts.
During slavery times, slaves who could read and write were esteemed members of the slave community. Laws were put in place in most of the slaveholding states prohibiting the education of slaves. The slave masters understood that knowledge is power and worked hard to keep our ancestors powerless.
I've said it here a number of times: Writers are the keepers of our history - you must celebrate them.
If we black writers all just threw our hands up into the air and said the hell with it, I ain't writing no more! Then one of two things will happen - black life will cease to be chronicled or it will be chronicled by people on the outside looking in.
Now the other thing that has been a source of contention for me is this: When was the last time an African-American author was featured on the COVER of a national magazine?
Help me out here, please. I know Toni Morrison was on the cover of Time Magazine in 1998. I couldn't find an Essence magazine cover depicting the great one. Really? Tell me that ain't so..
Which brings me to my next question: When was the last time Essence and Ebony Magazine featured an author on it's cover???
Listen, I get it. It's an economic thing. Non-African-American magazines say they sell less newsstand copies when they feature black people on their covers. Essence and Ebony magazine may suggest that they sell less newsstand copies if they don't have Beyonce, Jill, Jada or Halle on the cover.
Can I make a suggestion, Essence and Ebony? How about if you feature one of those glamorous cover girls/guys alongside one of their favorite black authors?????
That would be some kind of cool, don't you think?
I mean this all makes sense to me because I don't just buy these magazines for the photos - I buy them for the articles that are written by....uhm...writers...so yeah.....
Bernice L. McFadden
But there was one thing that did put a damper on the experience - the literary portion of the show was not aired on national television. It was "just" streamed live on the Internet.
In fact, the literary portion of the awards is part of the pre-show and so we folks have to show up an hour or so earlier than the other folks.
Sidebar: (We writers were seated in one are of the theater - out and away from the "real"celebrities - I gotta say it felt kind of leper-colony-ish.)
Now, I know all the major awards shows have a pre-show - cause if they aired every single category the show would be ten hours long!
But I think not making the literary category apart of the main show sends the message that we writers are less important in the African-American Community than our acting and singing counterparts.
During slavery times, slaves who could read and write were esteemed members of the slave community. Laws were put in place in most of the slaveholding states prohibiting the education of slaves. The slave masters understood that knowledge is power and worked hard to keep our ancestors powerless.
I've said it here a number of times: Writers are the keepers of our history - you must celebrate them.
If we black writers all just threw our hands up into the air and said the hell with it, I ain't writing no more! Then one of two things will happen - black life will cease to be chronicled or it will be chronicled by people on the outside looking in.
Now the other thing that has been a source of contention for me is this: When was the last time an African-American author was featured on the COVER of a national magazine?
Help me out here, please. I know Toni Morrison was on the cover of Time Magazine in 1998. I couldn't find an Essence magazine cover depicting the great one. Really? Tell me that ain't so..
Which brings me to my next question: When was the last time Essence and Ebony Magazine featured an author on it's cover???
Listen, I get it. It's an economic thing. Non-African-American magazines say they sell less newsstand copies when they feature black people on their covers. Essence and Ebony magazine may suggest that they sell less newsstand copies if they don't have Beyonce, Jill, Jada or Halle on the cover.
Can I make a suggestion, Essence and Ebony? How about if you feature one of those glamorous cover girls/guys alongside one of their favorite black authors?????
That would be some kind of cool, don't you think?
I mean this all makes sense to me because I don't just buy these magazines for the photos - I buy them for the articles that are written by....uhm...writers...so yeah.....
Bernice L. McFadden
