I am featured in the September/October issue of American Libraries Magazine!
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| My Hearts! |
Showing posts with label Adult Street Literature Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adult Street Literature Books. Show all posts
K'Wan Is Coming To Chicago!
K'Wan is coming to Chicago!
- K’wan has been featured in: Vibe, Pages, King, The Library Journal, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Press, and Time Magazine, to name a few.
- K’wan was also the recipient of the 2012 and 13 Street Lit Book Award Medals (SLBAM) in adult fiction for Eviction Notice and Animal.
- His credits also include featured commentary in the award winning Documentary Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp (produced by Ice-T) as well as a reoccurring guest role on TV-One’s Celebrity Crime Files.
- K’wan currently resides in New Jersey where he is working on his next novel.
K'Wan also has appeared on TV One's 'Celebrity Crime Files' along with author Karen Quinones Miller. Below is a direct link to my favorite episode where they both give an ACCURATE account of the life of Bumpy Johnson.
Brooklyn's In the House!
If you are in the Brooklyn area next weekend, be sure to check out this event!
The symposium “Street Literature: Love
it or Loath it” will take place November 15 at the Central Library of the Brooklyn Public Library from 9:30am to 12:30pm.
We will debate the central question whether the genre gives voice to a
sector of society that has been traditionally neglected as proper literature or
does it perpetuate stereotypes and glorify the underbelly of urban living? What is the answer to that age old adage “any
reading is good reading”.
Vanessa Irvin Morris, author of the definitive guide to street literature “The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Street Literature,” will set the table for this symposium
with a comprehensive review of street literature and moderate a panel
discussion of experts to examine the nuances of this genre from a range of
perspectives. The symposium will also feature a panel of prominent street
literature authors, including Wahida Clark and K’Wan to discuss their work,
answer questions, and meet and greet attendees.
Where Are You Murderville 3?
I made the BIG mistake of taking my pre-ordered copy of Murderville 3 by Ashley and JaQuavis to work. I always read the book first, then donate it to my library collection at work. One of my students spotted it in my library bag and the next thing I know, I was entering the book into my circulation system so that she could check it out. All I heard was, "Please-please-please-PLEASE!
That was the second week of September. Needless to say, I have a waiting list for the book, which has been renewed six times, to come back. I guess I'm going to be ordering e-book next weekend....LOL! Check out this suspenseful book trailer. I just can't wait to read this book and see what happens to Dahlia.
That was the second week of September. Needless to say, I have a waiting list for the book, which has been renewed six times, to come back. I guess I'm going to be ordering e-book next weekend....LOL! Check out this suspenseful book trailer. I just can't wait to read this book and see what happens to Dahlia.
#LatePost: Wahida Clark Visits Chicago
Yes it's been a long minute since I've posted. Just check out my other blog, The Audacious Librarian and you will understand why. Moving forward, I'm playing catch up on several posts that should have been up for a long time.
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| Me with the Queen of Street Lit, Wahida Clark |
Honor Thy Thug Video
I just love this interview of author Wahida Clark on the Simon and Schuster website. Clark discusses the characters in her Thug series and her strong fan base of loyal readers. I can truly say this is one down to earth sister and she really does listen to the feedback that her fans give her about her books. That's why they are so good! I know one thing, I can't wait to get my hands on my copy on April 13, 2013. Take a look at the video below and see for yourself.
P.S. Are you looking for another book series to read? Wahida Clark Presents author NeNe Capri's books are REALLY hot and page turners. Trust and believe, you will read her books in ONE sitting. You can buy her books off of the website as well.
P.S. Are you looking for another book series to read? Wahida Clark Presents author NeNe Capri's books are REALLY hot and page turners. Trust and believe, you will read her books in ONE sitting. You can buy her books off of the website as well.
Meet Author J.B. Burrage!
Author JB Burrage is definitely a power to be reckoned with. An extremely talented writer, JB Burrage has written Caught Up, an adult street thriller that is comparable to the juicy story that you might hear going on in the neighborhood; and the sci-fi thriller Secrets Revealed, a story that adds a lot of realism to science fiction. But he is not done showing the world his talent. Author JB is also working on The Forbidden Lounge, the sequel to Caught Up, and a novel that will be better and juicier than Caught Up itself and is due to be released in 2011. He is also working on other projects that he chooses to keep secret, for now.Jacob “JB” Burrage was born in Jackson, Mississippi and raised in Meridian, Mississippi. After leaving Mississippi, JB Burrage served in the US Army from 1999 until 2010. During his time in the Army, he has been to Hawaii, Egypt, Israel, New York State, Maryland, and Texas; as well many other states. While in the Army, he discovered himself and his true talents, and decided to pursue that by founding J. Burrage Publications.
Normally a science fiction writer, Caught Up was written in an attempt to express himself through other genres. With the release of Caught Up, JB Burrage is now focused on the publication of Secrets Revealed by the beginning of 2011 and the development of The Forbidden Lounge. He also has a blog series, The Chronicles, at The JBP Chronicles blog at www.jbpublications.com/blog.
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| Author J.B. Burrage |
Interview with the Author/Publisher:
1. What is the mission of your publishing company?
My overall mission/goal for J. Burrage Publications, LLC (JBP) is to publish, distribute, and promote quality books, as well as establish a foothold in the publishing world as a company to be respected and reckoned with. This is especially the case for novels that could really make an impact but haven't been given the chance by other publishing houses. Once JBP is ready to publish other writers, the selection for novels will be very difficult due to the fact that we do not want to just put any type of work out there. Our two mottos basically say it all, “Read into my Dimension, 3-B”, and “Taking over the industry, one book at a time”.
2. What year was J. Burrage Publications founded?
2. What year was J. Burrage Publications founded?
In the spring of 2007.
3. What is the website address for J. Burrage Publications?
www.jbpublications.com, currently has hundreds of unique visitors that view the site on a monthly basis.
4. What inspired you to start a publishing company for self-publishers/new authors?
4. What inspired you to start a publishing company for self-publishers/new authors?
I am the type of person who likes to have control over his own work, goals, etc. I started JBP after my first attempt with going with a publisher. When I realized I rushed into the project (a sci-fi novel called The Journal of John Baker, (which is what Secrets Revealed is based off of) and wrote Caught Up, I decided it would be best if I handled my own projects. I have made attempts to reach out to a few publishers and agents, which I can't even remember who they are now, but were rejected or didn't get replies back. This further helped me decide that I should just publish my own work. Plus I felt like a mainstream publisher would not understand my work and take away most of its effects. So, instead of dealing with that, I just simply did my research on the industry and started JBP.
5. What other publications are on the horizon for J. Burrage Publications?
5. What other publications are on the horizon for J. Burrage Publications?
Secrets Revealed is in the pre-publishing phase with an anticipated release date of on or about January 2, 2011. The Forbidden Lounge is currently being written.
6. Are there any other services offered by J. Burrage Publications?
6. Are there any other services offered by J. Burrage Publications?
Currently, there is J. Burrage Creative Services, which will be a network of writers and graphic designers. JBCS will provide affordable editing and designing services to self-publishers, businesses, and individuals just requiring certain projects. Website is for JBCS is www.jbcreativeservices.com. Also, JBP is launching its own online bookstore, called The Book Store. The Book Store will carry JBP titles and will be another outreach to our reader base in addition to Amazon, whom we work closely with. Also, JBP will start publishing other authors within a year to a year and a half.
7. What’s the future of J. Burrage Publications?
I have a very ambitious goal for JBP within the next 5 years. I want JBP to eventually become a full media entertainment business, publishing books, magazines, stage play productions, and even screenplay productions.
Jacob L. Burrage (JB) can be reached by:
Email: jb39301@jbpublications.com
Telephone: (800) 940-5604
Social Networks:
Facebook: Jacob L. Burrage and Caught Up Book Club
Twitter: JBBurrage
Website: www.jbpublications.com
Email: info@jbpublications.com
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Damaged by Kia DuPree
Damaged by Kia DuPree is an unapologetic view of Washington D.C. street life that many teens fall victim to. The story is told through the eyes of Camille Logan, a young girl who is abandoned by her mother and placed in the foster care system. On the outside the Brinkley’s, her foster parents, provide a normal and loving home. Behind closed doors, Mr. Brinkley mentally and sexually abuses Camille leaving her to suffer in silence.
The fifteen year old's prayers are answered when she meets Chu, a local teenage drug dealer. Camille feels that she has finally found true love and security. When Chu is murdered in a drug deal gone wrong, her world falls apart. Desperate to survive on the streets and stay out of the foster care system, Camille reluctantly connects with Nut, the sadistic pimp. Nut physically abuses Camille and inflicts fear to keep her scared and loyal. Camille becomes numb and learns to rely on her street smarts to survive. Finally one day, she makes a tough decision: become a victim of the streets or work toward making a better life for herself.
Damaged is a not an easy read. Like PUSH by Sapphire, Damaged tackles the subjects of molestation, desperation and the spirit of survival. It’s graphic and gives the reader a look into the lives of characters that one may not normally cross paths with. Though this book has an adult classification, it can be circulated to 11th-12th grade students in high school libraries for the following reasons:
- Some of the teens serviced in schools across this country quietly experience the same abuse and struggle of the protagonist Camille.
- The book can be used by school Librarians, Counselors and Social Workers to spark discussion and better service at-risk students that are in crisis. The author provides a readers group guide for discussion at the end of the story.
- The themes presented in Damaged are universal and affect teens in urban city dwellings and rural America. Please note: although sexual victimizations may be unspoken and unreported, it does not mean that they are not occurring in rural America. (1)
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| Author, Kia DuPree |
DuPree's gift as a writer is displayed through her effective use of dialogue. Her ability to describe the raw emotions of the characters as they try to survive grimy street life is described vividly. I felt the most heartbreaking part of the story was when Camille sees her mother for the first time in several years. The exchange between mother and child is painful. Though unspoken through dialogue, DuPree effectively describes to the reader how street life can capture and destroy lives.
This past summer, I had the opportunity to serve on an Urban Fiction panel discussion with DuPree. I found her to be insightful and committed to the Street Lit. genre by providing stories that accurately reflect the lives of young people in neighborhoods we have forgotten. (2) Though the story ended abruptly, I hope DuPree will write a sequel to Damaged. It would be very interesting to see how Camille continues to work toward making a better life for herself and help prevent other girls from falling victim to life in the street.
References:
(1) Lewis, Sharon, Unspoken Crimes: Sexual assault in rural America. National Sexual Violence Resource Center A Project of the Pennsylvania Coalition against Rape. 2003. http://www.nsvrc.org/_cms/fileUpload/rural.pdf
(2) PHAT Fiction Panel Audio. Public Library Association, July, 2010.
The Golden Hustla by Wahida Clark
Sometimes I’m so busy reading Young Adult books for my students, I don’t have time to read adult Street Literature. About a month ago, I was able to get a galley (advance book release) of ‘The Golden Hustla’ written by ‘The Queen of Thug Love Fiction,’ Wahida Clark. When I first heard that she was releasing a book that was not a direct connection to the Thug Series, I thought how can she do this to me! I've been waiting for the sequel to her 2009 release, ‘Thug Lovin.’ I just need to know who is the father of Tasha’s baby and after all of the drama, would Tasha and Trae would reconcile. Despite Clark keeping me on pins and needles, I read The Golden Hustla over a period of two days-two sittings....I just couldn't put the book down.The protagonist, Nina Coles flees New Jersey and leaves her children, bloodshed, and pain behind to begin a new life in Atlanta. When she runs into her ex-boyfriend, Cream a*k*a – Akil, things begin to go downhill. Akil convinces Nina to leave her dead end telemarketing job selling magazines, and move to the lucrative WMM (We Make Millionaires) Agency. In the beginning, life is good – a new job, 5 figure salary a week and a means to support her children back home. After some time, Nina learns that she has gotten herself in a position where she is being controlled.
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| Author, Wahida Clark |
Her boss Rinaldo is shady and his main goal is to have his Platinum Team to persuade the rich and elderly to spend thousands of dollars on American Gold Eagle Coins and get rich sweepstakes. Things also begin to become more complicated as Nina and Akil’s attraction to each other becomes so tense that they pick up where they had left off years ago. Akil also blackmails and physically abuses Nina into giving him inside information about WMM. Now realizing that she’s in over her head, Nina is faced with walking away from WMM and starting over again or stay.
The story kicks into high gear when Nina becomes suspicious of Rinaldo when the nephew of a wealthy client is mysteriously killed. To make matters worse, the FBI indicts WMM for mail/wire fraud and money laundering. Using her hustling instincts and skills, Nina goes into survival mode to save herself and reunite with her kids.
‘The Golden Hustla’ is a page turner with believable characters and plot twists. I especially enjoyed how Clark cleverly brought Kyron and Tasha (Thug Lovin) into the story for a brief cameo. She educates the reader about the inside world of high end telephone sales, the thirst for American Gold Eagle Coins and corporate greed. Whenever I read a good book, I always envision how this book would play out on the big screen and who would be casted as the characters in the story. If you aren’t familiar with some of these actors/actresses, I suggest you Google their images….believe me, the brothers on the list are definitely eye candy!:
Nina - Zoe Saldina
Rick - Ryan Gentles
Alkil - Ezra "Budha" Masters
Rinaldo - Ryan Phillipe
Reese – Keston Karter
Nina's Mama - Jenifer Lewis
Nina's Mama - Jenifer Lewis
Tasha - Naturi Naughton
Kyron - Lance Gross
Check out Wahida Clark’s publishing house trailer below! “The Golden Hustla” is a book that is not to be missed by adult Street Literature fans this fall.
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