Salome Thomas-El
http://authors.aalbc.com/salome_thomas-el.htm

Thomas-El is the author of The Immortality of Influence; a refreshing, common-sense roadmap to helping kids achieve their dreams in which Thomas-EL movingly describes the methods he has used to help his students succeed.  For parents, guardians, educators�anyone who wants the best for kids, this book is an essential, inspirational reference. It�s all about making a difference�not just for today, but forever. Sometimes, it only takes one special person to set a child on the right path, but more often, it does indeed take a village. The Immortality of Influence will inspire you to band together with other caring adults and start making a difference�now.

"if you read this book and did not immediately go out into the community.......you need to read it again." �Will Smith, Actor
 

Steele, holder of a Ph.D. in English from the University of Utah, received the National Book Critic's Circle Award in 1990 in the general nonfiction category for his book The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race in America. He also has written extensively for major publications including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Steele's latest book White Guilt : How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era; will be available for sale May 2nd 2006.
 

Matthew Lynch
http://authors.aalbc.com/matthew_lynch.htm

With the arrival of the No Child Left Behind act, the so-called "Racial Achievement Gap" has attracted more concern and controversy than ever before. According to this timely analysis, the myth of the racial achievement gap has nothing to do with genetics�and everything to do with a host of embarrassing yet reversible social and pedagogical failures, including low teacher expectations, unrealistic timetables for learning goals, irrelevant curricula, ineffective teaching methods, careless administrators, poor parental involvement, negative peer groups, and self-esteem issues. For every problem raised, Lynch's book, Closing the Racial Academic Achievement Gap offers a level-headed solution, culminating in a plan for closing the supposed racial achievement gap for good.
 

Prince Justice is the author of the new book The Blackworld: Evolution to Revolution.  The Blackworld gives a stimulating interwoven account of all the world�s major black communities from creation to 2006, and inspires a total paradigm change through a new empowering perspective that will lead Black people into an era of unparallel cultural and economic ascendancy.
 

Today Arrington is the author of several books including; On The Edge, a gripping tale of secrets, suspense, romance, and mystery of the wealthy set in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

However, in 1992, Arrington was stricken with a neurological disorder that baffled and continues to baffle doctors.  If there was a perfect time to give up, life had handed Arrington a good excuse. Blinding nystagmus, an unstable gait, and dizziness forced her to live within the confines of her Silver Spring, Maryland home. Yet, instead of throwing in the towel, Arrington decided it was time to write...

Chrysalis Theatre Company Reads from Mindscape - Video
http://events.aalbc.com/chrysalis_theatre_company.htm

In Mindscape, code sliding in the tradition of Rappers, African American Baptist Preachers, and West African Griots, Andrea Hairston calls on any language to express what is necessary.  Griots are poets, musicians, oral historians, praise singers, and diplomats negotiating community, conjuring identity.  Griots shake time loose, allowing us to feel beyond our brief moments, beyond our skin. They dance down ego-trips, pour libation to the ancestors, and welcome the unborn. Illuminating the past, invigorating the future, these time-traveling Wordsmiths stand between us and cultural amnesia. Chrysalis performed a music theatre reading of Mindscape in this tradition.
 

Melvin Van Peebles - The How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company Interview

Born in Chicago on August 21, 1932, Melvin Van Peebles is best known as the incendiary iconoclast who financed, wrote, produced, scored, edited, distributed and starred in Sweet Sweetback�s Badass Song (1971) the politically-progressive picture which single-handedly inspired the rise of the blaxploitation genre. What few folks realize, however, is that moviemaking was only a fraction of this Renaissance man�s many talents.

How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (And Enjoy It), a retrospective on the versatile maverick�s entire career, reveals a man who also spent time as a novelist (in French), playwright, composer, painter, astronomer, enlisted man in the Air Force, and as a stock trader with a seat on the American Exchange on Wall Street.  Read the Melvin Van Peebles interview by Kam Williams.
 

Rodney Daniels Tells Us About His Latest Novel - Video
http://authors.aalbc.com/rodney.htm

Rodney E. Daniels, enters the literary scene with his debut novel, Only God Can Create A Woman. This quick witted tale takes readers on an engaging journey in a story about one man who instead of finding his Mrs. Right decides to find a woman and transform her into the perfect mate. Inevitably he comes to find out that only God is capable of creating a woman.
 

To the press, Iron Mike once said, �I wish that you guys had children so I  could kick them in the f*cking head or stomp their testicles so you could feel my pain because that�s the pain I have waking up every day.� On another occasion, he addressed a female reporter with, �I normally don�t do interviews with women unless I fornicate with them. So, you shouldn�t talk anymore� unless you want to, you know.�
 

10 Tips for Becoming an Excellent Talk Radio Guest by Marsha Friedman, President EMSI

http://writers.aalbc.com/great_radio_interview.htm

For nearly two decades, we�ve been telling you about the value of talk radio as a means for promoting your book to the masses.  As one of the country�s top providers of radio shows around the country, we schedule anywhere from 50 to 100 interviews week in and week out.  As a result of our close working relationship with the media, we know what works and what doesn�t.  Because we want you to succeed with talk radio, here are ten new �inside� tips to help you become the kind of guest every host wants to have on his or her show:
 

Breasts - A Documentary (1996) - DVD Review by Kam Wiliams

Excellent (4 stars) - Despite the incessant parade of pectorals, the movie is not at all salacious in tone, primarily because the interviewees, invariably, take the task at hand so seriously. Consequently, Breasts offers an eye-opening peek, pardon the expression, for anyone interested in appreciating the totality of a woman�s experiences associated with this part of her anatomy.
 

Private Dicks: Men Exposed (1999) - DVD Review by Kam Wiliams

Excellent (4 stars) - How do men feel about their genitals? You might learn more than you ever wanted to know about the subject in Private Dicks: Men Exposed, a revealing documentary in which 25 guys representing every age, ethnicity and walk of life not only get naked, but also answer a variety of very personal questions about their penises.
 

ATL - Film Review by Kam Williams

Excellent (3.5 stars) - Be forewarned, despite this critic�s stamp of approval, this film does trade in misogyny, profanity, the N-word, violence and drug use. So this is not exactly appropriate for impressionable young minds, despite the kid-friendly PG-13 rating.  The dialogue is laced with which language reflects the region�s inclination to turn a colorful phrase. For instance, one woman�s rounded rump is referred to as being �an ass better than a swamp possum with the mumps.�

Also check out the interview of ATL's star; Clifford Joseph �T.I.� Harris: http://reviews.aalbc.com/tip_harris.htm

With more than 2,000 exhibits, 500 authors, over 60 conference sessions as well as a special area for rights business, you'll see all the latest titles across genres, uncover hidden gems, network, and meet the industry contacts to put you instantly on top of what you need to know for your business and job.

BEA is for; Booksellers & Retailers, Librarians and Educators, Rights and International Professionals, Publishers and other Industry Professionals.   Please visit AALBC.com (http://events.aalbc.com/aap_bea_2006.htm) for information on activities of interest to African American industry professionals.  AALBC.com will be an exhibitor at BEA please visit us at Booth #4945

North Country Institute for Writers of Color - June 11-16, 2006 - Plattsburgh, New York
http://www.plattsburgh.edu/offices/academic/writersofcolor/valcourretreat.php

The North Country Institute for Writers of Color provides emerging writers of color (poets, fiction writers, and creative non fiction writers) in urban areas with an opportunity to attend a six day writing retreat where they will receive writing instruction and conference with writing faculty and workshop leaders in a facility overlooking Lake Champlain in northeastern New York.

Resident writers will compose, read, perform, and share their writing at the retreat center, the Valcour Conference Center. Selection will be a competitive process and will be based on a manuscript and application detailing the applicant's reason for wanting to attend the retreat.  The Application Deadline is May 12th 2006.

National Book Club Conference - August 4 to 6, 2006 - Atlanta, GA

National Book Club Conference is the world's largest book club meeting, and all the charm, learning, fun and fellowship that come with conventional meetings are the hallmarks of the '06 occasion. What distinguishes the NBCC from any other literary event is the access to authors.

At the '05 NBCC, Terry McMillan not only received the Walter Mosley Author of Distinction Award, but she attended the "book club meetings" of Trisha R. Thomas and Bebe Moore Campbell, among others. She also was a panelist on the Past, Present and Future of Black Literature discussion.

Queens Book Festival 2006 - August 19, 2006 - Jamaica, New York

Queens Book Fair 2006 Announces Author sign-up for 2nd Annual Queens Book Fair. This year's book fair will be held on August 19, 2006, at Rufus King Park in Jamaica, New York, from 11 am - 7 pm.

To be placed on the email list for the 2006 Queens Book Fair or to join C&B Books authors club you may log on to C&B Books web site at www.cbbooksdistribution.com or you may email them at cbbookdist@aol.com.

Over the years, AALBC.com visitors have purchased a ton of titles by Eric and E. Lynn and have voted both authors as one of the "Top 15" authors of the 20th century http://books.aalbc.com/thebestauthors.htm.  As I've maintained their AALBC.com web pages, over the years, they have achieved such a familiarity that Eric and E. Lynn both become like "friends in my head" �as I'm sure it is the case with their legion of fans.   I applaud their accomplishments and am pleased to recommend their most recently published books." �Troy Johnson, Founder AALBC.com

Eric Jerome Dickey AALBC.com Page from 1999
http://web.archive.org/web/19991004165254/aalbc.com/eric.htm

I Say a Little Prayer: A Novel by E. Lynn Harris
http://aalbc.com/authors/e.htm

Bestselling author E. Lynn Harris is back with another sexy, shocking, and immensely satisfying novel that explores some of today's toughest and most timely issues.

Chauncey Greer is the owner of Cute Boy Card Company, a thriving company in Atlanta. As a teenager, he was a member of a popular boy band, but left in disgrace when word got out that he and his band mate D were more than good friends. Chauncey is a free spirit, on the brink of forty with a body admired by both men and women. Not into being categorized, Chauncey's been known to hook up with men and women, but now in the age of the 'down low,' he's found that women ask too many questions, so he's just focusing on the fellas.

After one too many bad dates, Chauncey finds himself in church where the minister's message inspires him to follow his dream of a singing career once again. Although he's lost touch with D, as he starts writing songs his thoughts inevitably turn to his former lover. Chauncey's powerful performance at the church earns him a standing ovation and an invitation to participate in an upcoming revival. But Chauncey soon discovers that an ambitious fundamentalist preacher plans to use the revival to speak out against gays and gay marriage. Feeling angry and betrayed, Chauncey and other gay members of the church decide to take a stand against the church's homophobia by staging a 'Day of Absence' when all of the gay members and their friends and family stay home. Everything is going as planned ...until D appears on the scene and Chauncey has to confront his past and make some hard decisions about his future

E. Lynn Harris AALBC.com Page from 1999
http://web.archive.org/web/19991103230246/aalbc.com/e.htm
 

AMAG/Awareness Magazine For The Conscious Professional
http://www.awarenessmagazine.net

Founded by James Lisbon, almost 5 years ago, AMAG's mission (in part) is to raise the entrepreneurial spirit in all, while recognizing the accomplishments of individuals and businesses who are concerned with our community.

�Our magazine was developed to support the entrepreneurial spirit by having individuals read about their peers. We cover film, poetry, literature, the Internet and designers. I think what makes us different is that we�re not only looking for success stories, we look for folks who are giving back to the community and helping other folks along. Big names like Omar Tyree and Judge Mathis are community orientated and genuinely care about our youth. It makes no sense to me to promote someone who is helping to destroy our communities. Rest assured we select our features very carefully. �
�James Lisbon, Founder AMAG Magazine

Also check out their online newsletter � same flavor, but features different slightly different content from the print version of the magazine. Anyone can subscribe for free by emailing our editor Yolanda M. Johnson at Yolanda@awarenessmagazine.net