Held in Chicago of this year, from April 30 to May 4, the Romance Slam Jam is five days of entertainment and comradeship with the brightest black authors of romance. The schedule of events has just been posted, and for aspiring authors, the conference is hosting a contest where a manuscript could win the grand prize: a reading by Hilary Sares of Kensington, with possible publication. So if you’re in the Chicago area and are able, head over this conference.
February 11, 2008
When I first submitted manuscripts to publishers, I was rejected thirty two times due both to excuses that “blacks don’t read books” and to my challenge of the perceptions of the typical romance hero. While “tall, dark and handsome” were the norm, I took the phrase literally, and despite these rejections, I decided to self-publish. My first books were historicals dealing with African-Americans in settings ranging from 1840s Texas to WWII era Alabama. I branched out into contemporaries later, co-headlining a popular anthology, and also took time to publish a work of non-fiction to encourage black women to step out and succeed. I am an NAACP IMAGE AWARD nominee and was voted one of 50 favorite African American authors of the twentieth century. Who am I?
–
You are correct Gayla! The answer is Anita Bunkley!
Her novel retelling the story of the Emily Morgan, the “Yellow Rose of Texas”, entitled Emily, The Yellow Rose launched her career as an author. Her novel, Wild Embers, told the story of one of the first black nurses to be accepted into the army during WWII, who falls for a Tuskegee airman. Nominated for an NAACP Image Award for her contribution in the Sisters anthology, her non-fiction work, Steppin’ Out With Attitude: Sister Sell Your Dream, is described by Bunkley as “a motivational, practical guide targeted to all woman who want to take charge of their future.”
Gayla, email me at readingwhileblack at yahoo dot com for your prize!
February 11, 2008
