Prayer Request: Kristy Aussietigger

Author Kristy Aussietigger's husband drowned on Easter. Please lift her and her family up in prayers. You can speak to her through her blog at South East Country Wife

5 Things to Do at 2008 BEA AA Pavilion in LA

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN PAVILION HEADS TO LOS ANGELES FOR THEIR 5TH RECORD-BREAKING YEAR AT BOOKEXPO AMERICA. May 30 - June 1, 2008.

National BookExpo America, one of the largest book trade exhibits in the world, provides independent African American book publishers, self publishers, authors, Black Interest Imprints at major publishing houses, distributors, literary agents, publicists, librarians and bookstore owners exposure to more than eighty thousand book buyers and booksellers from across the globe. Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA

Here are 5 Things You Should Participate in while there:

1. The African American Pavilion and BookExpo America , Friday, May 30th at 9:00am, beginning with a ribbon cutting, celebrity speakers, and unveiling the art of Synthia SAINT JAMES throughout the pavilion.
   
2. The African American Pavilion Welcoming Reception, Friday, May 30, 3-5pm, In the African American Pavilion Main Staging Area, hosted by Heather Covington of Disilgold.com and speakers including:
   • Keynote Speaker, Terrie Williams, President, The Terrie Williams Agency,
   • Max Rodriguez, Founder, The Harlem Book Fair and Publisher QBR The Black Book Review
   • Melody Guy, Senior Editor, Ballantine Book and Publishing Director for One World,
   • Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes, Founding Artistic Director, the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University (ASU)
   • Synthia SAINT JAMES
     
   • Donna Hill, National Best-Selling Author,
   • Curt Matthews, CEO, Independent Publishers Group (IPG)
   • Cevin Bryerman, Associate Publisher, Publishers Weekly
   • Pam Perry, Chief Visionary, Ministry Marketing Solutions, Inc.
   • Dr. Philip S. Hart, National Best-Selling Author
   • Kevin Wayne Johnson, Publisher, Writing for the Lord Ministries
   • Steve Rosato, Director of Industry Development, BookExpo America.
   • Ms. Denise Nicholas Two Golden Globe Nominations and Two Emmy Awards for the PBS special, Voices of Our People: In Celebration of African American Poetry as well as Four NAACP Image Awards for her embodiment of work. Ms. Nicholas is also the National Best-Selling Author of Freshwater Road.
3. The African American Pavilion Exhibitors Forum (Meet the Exhibitors) Saturday, May 31, 1-3pm hosted by Renee Flagler of ASPICOMM Media and MC'd by Therez Fleetwood, author of The Afro-Centric Bride, featuring author Rachael Vassel, reading from her National Bestselling Book, Daughters of Men: Portraits of African American Woman and Their Fathers
4. The African American Pavilion Reception and Awards Program, Saturday, May 31, 3-5pm, sponsored by Sheridan Books, Inc., Scholastic Inc., Oxford University Press, Amber Communications Group, Inc. and hosted by Heather Covington of Disilgold.com will celebrate the achievements of these African American publishing professionals
   • The "Haki Madhubuti" Independent African American Publisher of the Year
   • Self Publisher of the Year
   • Christian Book Publisher of the Year
   • Bookstore of the Year
   • and Distributor of the Year
   • Sevenn industry professionals will be honored with The Third Annual Glenn Thompson "Lifetime Achievement" Award:
   • Toni Trent Parker "Author of the Year" Award,
     
   • The James Haskins "Pioneer" Award,
     
   • The Audre Lorde "Gamba Adisa" Award,
     
   • The Chester B. Himes "Street Lit" Award,
   • and The Octavia Butler "Distinctive Voice Writer and Publisher" Award.
5. Keynote Speaker for the African American Pavilion Reception and Awards Program will be the tremendous George C. Fraser, National Best-Selling Author, Founder of FraserNet and the PowerNetworking Conference, author of CLICK: Ten Truths for Building Extraordinary Relationships;.............

• Cheryl D. Woodruff, President and Associate Publisher of SmileyBooks, the publishing co-venture between Tavis Smiley and Hay House, Founder and Former Associate Publisher of One World, Random House's multi-cultural imprint where Ms. Woodruff published such authors as Bebe Moore Campbell, Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., and Connie Briscoe, upcoming authors being published this fall on SmileyBooks will be Iyanla Vanzant, Dr. Cornell West and Tavis Smiley; AND ............Judith Curr, Executive Vice President, Publisher and Founder of Atria Books a division of Simon and Schuster, Ms. Curr to date has published over 105 New York Times Best-Sellers, incuding THE SECRET by Rhonda Byrne, the number one overall bestselling book in the United States;........ALSO

• Dawn Davis, Vice President, Editorial Director, Armisted Press/Harper Collins and Pulitzer Prize Winning Editor, The Known World; Wade Hudson, President/CEO, Just Us Books, The nations largest African American Children's Book Publisher; Darrell Miller, Miller and Pliakas, LLP, client list includes Angela Bassett, Courtney Vance, Outkast and Ludacris; Tonya Evans-Walls, Publisher, Legal Write Publications, author, Literary Law Guide For Authors; Dr. Kenneth Edelin, Publisher, Pond View Press, author of Broken Justice: A True Story of Race, Sex and Revenge In A Boston Courtroom. More speakers and performers TBA.

This year The 2008 African American Pavilion at BookExpo America Glenn Thompson "Lifetime Achievement " Award is being presented to two of America's greatest literary and media giants:

• Lerone Bennett Jr., the former Executive Editor now Executive Editor Emeritus of Ebony Magazine".
• Tavis Smiley, the author of eleven books, including: The Covenant with Black America

Three Deadly Words of this Book Reviewer

Stephanie Klose at Romantic Times Magazine sent me the link of a funny, informative compelling article the New York Times wrote about book reviewing called Seven Deadly Words of Book Reviewing.

For those who read my reviews I would love to know what words out of that group and more you've read in my reviews to the point you have dulled to my conversation. :) Here are a few words I know I say far too much are with my definitions for them:

1. compelling-a story that has depth and expounds upon our culture in a deeper way than commercial fiction. good examples are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun
   
2. balance-I use this word a lot. I mean I'm searching for a story that has a cast of characters that buttress the theme
3. buttress- to hold up, to hold up the foundation of the story, usually the theme.
   
4. ghost- the plot disappeared before the ending
5. captivating-fascinating. few books captivate me, but i do use a lot
6. lost its fizzle- story has lost its focus before it reaches the end
7. stilted dialogue- the dialogue doesn't seem natural
   
8. what others?
   

Prince Caspian Church Leader Event

Are you a Youth Church leader or a member of the youth laity concerned? Then attend Family Christian Bookstore's Leader Event Series on Disney's Prince Caspian(Chronicles of Narnia,) the Movie. The movie opens in May. Many church groups will be attending and talking about the movie through summer. Click here to learn more.

OT: Billy Jean 08

I know this is off topic, but I haven't been a fan of American Idol this year, but last night I flipped to it and saw this:



And I have to say I enjoyed Cook's take on Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. So I did a little online sleuthing and found a similar version from Sweden's Chris Cornell's 2007 Acoustic Live performance. Have anyone seen this one? What do you think? I'll throw in MJ's version, too for good measure...

Harry Potter. A Christian Theology Course

Harry Potter taught in a Christian theology course?

Danielle Tumminio, a Yale Divinity School graduate student and the instructor for Yale's Harry Potter course "Christian Theology and Harry Potter," said her academic background in literature and theology, combined with her personal interest in the books, inspired her to design the course.

The course uses all seven Potter books and the students examine Christian themes such as sin, evil and resurrection. - CNNU campus correspondent Patrick Lee

There have been debates over the past decade about Harry Potter's influence. Does it promote Witchcraft or does it contain Christian elements? Apparently the debate continues. My question is do you think Harry Potter, the series is worthy of literary analysis? Advise: Don't comment unless you've read the books. It wouldn't be a fair debate.

Harry Potter Reading Map courtesy of Round Lake Library

Trailer Park Tuesday: Divine Divas

Every Tuesday Christian Fiction Blog spotlights a new movie, book or running stage play. Our pick for this week is Victoria Christopher Murray's Divine Divas, Young Adult Novel Series. I am so glad to see Victoria, Claudia, Jacquelin, Stephanie and other AA Women Writers write in this market, because I cringe every time I see a teen reading a Zane novel. This is a great response to that challenge. Watch and enjoy. Not for nothing I am concerned with the cover. Your thoughts? Click here to see the trailer.