The African American Literary Award Show
Award Winning Books
First presented in 2004, the African American Literary Award Show is an entertainment event production and marketing company with a focus on writers and authors. It produces an annual Literary Awards Show to recognize, honor, celebrate and promote the outstanding achievements and contributions that African-American authors and writers make to the publishing, arts and entertainment industries.
AALBC.com’s Founder, Troy Johnson was honored by the African American Literary Awards Show in 2012.
10 Books Honored in 2007
Love and Lies(Reverend Curtis Black #4)
List Price: $23.95
William Morrow (Jan 30, 2007)
Fiction, Hardcover, 288 pages
ISBN: 9780060892494Publisher: HarperCollins
Description:
Truth and lies At long last, the Reverend Curtis Black appears to be living the straight life. The all-too-human preacher is a bestselling author now, and he and his wife, Charlotte, are raising two adorable children. But the ever-suspicious Charlotte doesnt trust that Curtis has put his womanizing past behind him. While hes on the road promoting his latest book, she knows that there just needs to beone extra-devoted fan in his flock for him to stray.Secrets and lies Still, Charlotte is no angel herself, and shes been keeping plenty of secrets from Curtis while hes been away. For one thing, their daughter, Marissa, is behaving bizarrely, reminding Charlotte a bit too much of the man with whom she had an affair five years agoan affair Curtis wont let her forget. Then there are the disturbing visits from her so-called brother-in-law, a man once involved with drugs and the law. Curtis has forbidden the family to see him, but the guy simply keeps turning up on Charlottes doorstep no matter how hard she tries to keep him away. Charlotte believes with all her heart that things will be better once Curtis comes home.Love and lies But Charlotte should be careful what she wishes for. She thinks love is enough to untangle the web of lies she and Curtis have woven for themselves. What she doesnt know is that when her husband finally returns, shell have some tough decisions to make if she wants to save her soul and salvage her marriage.
Kimberla Lawson Robys Thoughts on Concluding Her Reverend Curtis Black Series, July 2018 After 15 Books
Truth and lies At long last, the Reverend Curtis Black appears to be living the straight life. The all-too-human preacher is a bestselling author now, and he and his wife, Charlotte, are raising two adorable children. But the ever-suspicious Charlotte doesnt trust that Curtis has put his womanizing past behind him. While hes on the road promoting his latest book, she knows that there just needs to beone extra-devoted fan in his flock for him to stray.Secrets and lies Still, Charlotte is no angel herself, and shes been keeping plenty of secrets from Curtis while hes been away. For one thing, their daughter, Marissa, is behaving bizarrely, reminding Charlotte a bit too much of the man with whom she had an affair five years agoan affair Curtis wont let her forget. Then there are the disturbing visits from her so-called brother-in-law, a man once involved with drugs and the law. Curtis has forbidden the family to see him, but the guy simply keeps turning up on Charlottes doorstep no matter how hard she tries to keep him away. Charlotte believes with all her heart that things will be better once Curtis comes home.Love and lies But Charlotte should be careful what she wishes for. She thinks love is enough to untangle the web of lies she and Curtis have woven for themselves. What she doesnt know is that when her husband finally returns, shell have some tough decisions to make if she wants to save her soul and salvage her marriage.
The Women Who Raised Me: A Memoir
List Price: $14.99
William Morrow (Jan 30, 2007)
Fiction, Paperback, 352 pages
ISBN: 9780061246609Publisher: HarperCollins
Description:
Born as a ward of the state of Maine, the child of an unmarried Yankee blueblood mother and an unknown black father, Victoria Rowell beat the odds. The Women Who Raised Me is the remarkable story of her rise out of the foster care system to attain the American Dreamand of the unlikely series of women who lifted, motivated, and inspired her along the way.From Agatha Armsteada black Bostonian who was Victorias longest-term foster mother and first noticed her spark of creativity and talentto Esther Brooks, a Paris-trained prima ballerina who would become her first mentor at the Cambridge School of BalletThe Women Who Raised Me is a loving, vivid portrait of all the women who would help Victoria transition out of foster care and into New York Citys wild worlds of ballet, acting, and adulthood. Though Victoria would go on to become an accomplished television and film star, she still carried the burden of loneliness and anxiety, particularly common to those "orphans of the living" who are never adopted. Vividly recalled and candidly told, her story is transfixing, redemptive, heartbreaking, and, ultimately, inspiring.
Acolytes: Poems
List Price: $16.99
William Morrow (Jan 30, 2007)
Fiction, Hardcover, 144 pages
ISBN: 9780061231315Publisher: HarperCollins
Description:
A collection of eighty all new poems, Acolytes is distinctly Nikki Giovanni, but different. Not softened, but more inspired by love, celebration, memories and even nostalgia. She aims her intimate and sparing words at family and friends, the deaths of heroes and friends, favorite meals and candy, nature, libraries, and theatre. But in between, the deep and edgy conscience that has defined her for decades shines through when she writes about Rosa Parks, hurricane Katrina, and Emmett Tills disappearance, leaving no doubt that Nikki has not traded one approach for another, but simply made room for both.
A collection of eighty all new poems, Acolytes is distinctly Nikki Giovanni, but different. Not softened, but more inspired by love, celebration, memories and even nostalgia. She aims her intimate and sparing words at family and friends, the deaths of heroes and friends, favorite meals and candy, nature, libraries, and theatre. But in between, the deep and edgy conscience that has defined her for decades shines through when she writes about Rosa Parks, hurricane Katrina, and Emmett Tills disappearance, leaving no doubt that Nikki has not traded one approach for another, but simply made room for both.
Friends: A Love Story
by Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance with Hilary Beard
List Price: $24.95
William Morrow (Jan 30, 2007)
Fiction, Hardcover, 404 pages
ISBN: 9780373830589Publisher: Kimani Press
Description:
Courtney B. Vance met Angela Bassett. They ran for years as friends in the same small circles. They had some hits, but mostly misses with other partners, and they shared one spectacularly dreadful first date together. And then, Courtney and Angela connected. Experience the up-close-and-personal, real-life love story of this inspirational African-American celebrity couple. Learn how they navigate the fickle tides of fame, while keeping their relationship fresh and true. See how theyve carved a meaningful life together in spite of humble beginnings, family tragedy and the ups and downs of stardom with love, faith and determination.
Courtney B. Vance met Angela Bassett. They ran for years as friends in the same small circles. They had some hits, but mostly misses with other partners, and they shared one spectacularly dreadful first date together. And then, Courtney and Angela connected. Experience the up-close-and-personal, real-life love story of this inspirational African-American celebrity couple. Learn how they navigate the fickle tides of fame, while keeping their relationship fresh and true. See how theyve carved a meaningful life together in spite of humble beginnings, family tragedy and the ups and downs of stardom with love, faith and determination.
Sleeping with Strangers
List Price: $24.95
William Morrow (Jan 30, 2007)
Fiction, Hardcover, 336 pages
ISBN: 9780525949992Publisher: Penguin Random House
Description:
From Thieves Paradise to Drive Me Crazy to Chasing Destiny (which reached #6 on the New York Times listhis eighth bestseller), Eric Jerome Dickey has captivated audiences with his edgy, steamy books. Dickeys fans will be delighted by this fast-paced, deadly, and sensual read that gives them the chance to catch up with some of their favorite characters while introducing a great new bad-boy narrator: a hit man who goes by the name of Gideon. Hes a man who lives off the grid, drifting along while making love on the run as he works as a hit manenacting the revenge of the broken-hearted for a price. With a supporting cast of grifters and killers, broken-hearted squares and streetwalkers, and three very different women who each want to become Gideons leading lady, this is a world that thrives on the darker passions of revenge and desire. Get ready for another scorching hot read full of twists and surprises from an author who keeps climbing higher on the bestseller lists with each new book.
From Thieves Paradise to Drive Me Crazy to Chasing Destiny (which reached #6 on the New York Times listhis eighth bestseller), Eric Jerome Dickey has captivated audiences with his edgy, steamy books. Dickeys fans will be delighted by this fast-paced, deadly, and sensual read that gives them the chance to catch up with some of their favorite characters while introducing a great new bad-boy narrator: a hit man who goes by the name of Gideon. Hes a man who lives off the grid, drifting along while making love on the run as he works as a hit manenacting the revenge of the broken-hearted for a price. With a supporting cast of grifters and killers, broken-hearted squares and streetwalkers, and three very different women who each want to become Gideons leading lady, this is a world that thrives on the darker passions of revenge and desire. Get ready for another scorching hot read full of twists and surprises from an author who keeps climbing higher on the bestseller lists with each new book.
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
by Barack Obama
List Price: $30.00
William Morrow (Jan 30, 2007)
Fiction, Hardcover, 375 pages
ISBN: 9780307237699Publisher: Penguin Random House
Description:
In July 2004, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Obama called the audacity of hope.
The Audacity of Hope is Barack Obamas call for a different brand of politicsa politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the endless clash of armies we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of our improbable experiment in democracy. He explores those forcesfrom the fear of losing to the perpetual need to raise money to the power of the mediathat can stifle even the best-intentioned politician. He also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating humor, about settling in as a senator, seeking to balance the demands of public service and family life, and his own deepening religious commitment.
At the heart of this book is Barack Obamas vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. He examines the growing economic insecurity of American families, the racial and religious tensions within the body politic, and the transnational threatsfrom terrorism to pandemicthat gather beyond our shores. And he grapples with the role that faith plays in a democracywhere it is vital and where it must never intrude. Underlying his stories about family, friends, and members of the Senate is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus.
A public servant and a lawyer, a professor and a father, a Christian and a skeptic, and above all a student of history and human nature, Barack Obama has written a book of transforming power. Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, he says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans. Those Americans are out there, he writeswaiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them.
In July 2004, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Obama called the audacity of hope.
The Audacity of Hope is Barack Obamas call for a different brand of politicsa politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the endless clash of armies we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of our improbable experiment in democracy. He explores those forcesfrom the fear of losing to the perpetual need to raise money to the power of the mediathat can stifle even the best-intentioned politician. He also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating humor, about settling in as a senator, seeking to balance the demands of public service and family life, and his own deepening religious commitment.
At the heart of this book is Barack Obamas vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. He examines the growing economic insecurity of American families, the racial and religious tensions within the body politic, and the transnational threatsfrom terrorism to pandemicthat gather beyond our shores. And he grapples with the role that faith plays in a democracywhere it is vital and where it must never intrude. Underlying his stories about family, friends, and members of the Senate is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus.
A public servant and a lawyer, a professor and a father, a Christian and a skeptic, and above all a student of history and human nature, Barack Obama has written a book of transforming power. Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, he says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans. Those Americans are out there, he writeswaiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them.
Casanegra
by Blair Underwood, Tananarive Due, and Steven Barnes
List Price: $25.00
William Morrow (Jan 30, 2007)
Fiction, Hardcover, 308 pages
ISBN: 9780743287319Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Description:
Casanegra follows the adventures of Tennyson Hardwick, a gorgeous, sexy former actor and gigolo living on the fringes of the good life in Hollywood. This story combines the glamour of Hollywood with the seedy hopelessness of the inner city. In this hot and steamy mystery, Tennyson is an actor struggling to hang on to his career and redeem his sex-for-pay history that estranged him from his familyespecially his father, a decorated LAPD captain who raised Tennyson to call him "Sir." Now, in the wake of his fathers sudden stroke, Tennyson has to save himself from taking the fall for a murder. In the process he discovers his hidden talentsthe hard way. Blair Underwood, a Golden Globe-nominated actor and the author of Before I Got Here, joins bestselling novelists Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes to create a cool, irresistible character in Tennyson Hardwick, and this gritty, provocative mystery will keep readers craving more.
Casanegra follows the adventures of Tennyson Hardwick, a gorgeous, sexy former actor and gigolo living on the fringes of the good life in Hollywood. This story combines the glamour of Hollywood with the seedy hopelessness of the inner city. In this hot and steamy mystery, Tennyson is an actor struggling to hang on to his career and redeem his sex-for-pay history that estranged him from his familyespecially his father, a decorated LAPD captain who raised Tennyson to call him "Sir." Now, in the wake of his fathers sudden stroke, Tennyson has to save himself from taking the fall for a murder. In the process he discovers his hidden talentsthe hard way. Blair Underwood, a Golden Globe-nominated actor and the author of Before I Got Here, joins bestselling novelists Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes to create a cool, irresistible character in Tennyson Hardwick, and this gritty, provocative mystery will keep readers craving more.
Thug Matrimony
by Wahida Clark
William Morrow (Jan 30, 2007)
Fiction, Paperback, 288 pages
ISBN: 9780758212559Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Description:
Angel, Jaz, Tasha, and Kyra are living proof that hope is more than a word. The four girlfriends are pulling themselves out of the ghettoand trying to bring their hearts up to higher ground with them. But sometimes the past aint in no mood to let go
Angel has met the brother of her dreamsafter living through a nightmare with Snake. Believing that pimp is dead, Angel has moved on. Shes starting her own law practice and a new life with Kaylin, a drug dealer whos stepped outta the game to run a recycling business and a hot new record label.
But the past is never far from Kaylin, and when an unwanted guest crashes their wedding, all the rage and bloodlust from the hood comes bustin outand Angels gonna need every prayer in heaven to make it to the altar
Thong on Fire: An Urban Erotic Tale
by Noire
List Price: $16.00
William Morrow (Jan 30, 2007)
Fiction, Paperback, 304 pages
ISBN: 9781416533023Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Description:
I was just a lost little girl forced to make it in a grown womans world. A child turned out by the rulers of the game. When you get thrown into a snakepit you better learn how to wiggle! Its all about survival, baby. And not only did I learn the code of the streets, I made my own damn rules and got paid in the process. So listen close, but watch your pockets. Im a Harlem girl. A scandalous chick. A ruthless mama. Me and this city are just alike. Grimy. And we never, ever sleep
Its a hard knock life for Saucy Sarita Robinson and the rules of the game are clear: get yours or get had. When her father gets popped in an armed robbery and her mother turns to drugs, Saucy is left to scratch out a life for herself on the streets of Harlem, and this city-slick vixen refuses to become a victim.
Young, hot, and hungry for the spotlight, Saucy has a full package and uses her assets to get whatever she wants: 128th Street has its own rules, and she knows them well. With sex as her weapon of choice, Saucy hustles her way straight into the heart of the hip-hop underworld, preying upon any man or woman who might help her get ahead. But Hottt Saucy just cant get enough. Her calculating nature and insatiable appetite for power and prestige tempt her into dangerous waters, and before long she finds herself in too deep. The shot callers of the hip-hop world have a few tricks for Saucy a gutter plan to force her back onto the very streets that she came from.
But Saucy refuses to go down easy. She plots her revenge against some of the most powerful playas in the music industry, never suspecting that her enemies will fight backand fight back hard.
I was just a lost little girl forced to make it in a grown womans world. A child turned out by the rulers of the game. When you get thrown into a snakepit you better learn how to wiggle! Its all about survival, baby. And not only did I learn the code of the streets, I made my own damn rules and got paid in the process. So listen close, but watch your pockets. Im a Harlem girl. A scandalous chick. A ruthless mama. Me and this city are just alike. Grimy. And we never, ever sleep
Its a hard knock life for Saucy Sarita Robinson and the rules of the game are clear: get yours or get had. When her father gets popped in an armed robbery and her mother turns to drugs, Saucy is left to scratch out a life for herself on the streets of Harlem, and this city-slick vixen refuses to become a victim.
Young, hot, and hungry for the spotlight, Saucy has a full package and uses her assets to get whatever she wants: 128th Street has its own rules, and she knows them well. With sex as her weapon of choice, Saucy hustles her way straight into the heart of the hip-hop underworld, preying upon any man or woman who might help her get ahead. But Hottt Saucy just cant get enough. Her calculating nature and insatiable appetite for power and prestige tempt her into dangerous waters, and before long she finds herself in too deep. The shot callers of the hip-hop world have a few tricks for Saucy a gutter plan to force her back onto the very streets that she came from.
But Saucy refuses to go down easy. She plots her revenge against some of the most powerful playas in the music industry, never suspecting that her enemies will fight backand fight back hard.
The Ex Files: A Novel About Four Women and Faith
by Victoria Christopher Murray
List Price: $15.00
William Morrow (Jan 30, 2007)
Fiction, Paperback, 388 pages
ISBN: 9781416535515Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Description:
There are four ways a woman can handle heartbreak. She can fall apart, seek revenge, turn cold, or move on. The Ex Files is the story of these four women:
When Kendall Stewart finds her husband and her sister in bed together, she vows to never let anyone get that close again. But when she is faced with saving the life of the woman who destroyed hers, will she be able to forgive?
When an NBA superstar tells his mistress, Asia Ingrum, that hes decided to honor his marriage vows, her shock quickly gives way to revengebut her decision may come back to haunt their five-year-old daughter.
Every night Vanessa Martin wonders why her husband committed suicide. Even worse, she contemplates joining him in eternity. Will Vanessa be able to gather the strength to live again?
Sheridan Hart is finally finding her way after a lie destroyed her seventeen-year marriage. Her new love is ready to get married, but will she commit to this younger man or is her ex-husband taking up too much space in her heart?
When their pastor asks Kendall, Asia, Vanessa, and Sheridan to meet weekly for prayer, they cant imagine they will have anything in common. But then a devastating tragedy strikes and these strangers are forced to reexamine their choices. Will they find true friendship, or will prayer and their union fail them?
There are four ways a woman can handle heartbreak. She can fall apart, seek revenge, turn cold, or move on. The Ex Files is the story of these four women:
When Kendall Stewart finds her husband and her sister in bed together, she vows to never let anyone get that close again. But when she is faced with saving the life of the woman who destroyed hers, will she be able to forgive?
When an NBA superstar tells his mistress, Asia Ingrum, that hes decided to honor his marriage vows, her shock quickly gives way to revengebut her decision may come back to haunt their five-year-old daughter.
Every night Vanessa Martin wonders why her husband committed suicide. Even worse, she contemplates joining him in eternity. Will Vanessa be able to gather the strength to live again?
Sheridan Hart is finally finding her way after a lie destroyed her seventeen-year marriage. Her new love is ready to get married, but will she commit to this younger man or is her ex-husband taking up too much space in her heart?
When their pastor asks Kendall, Asia, Vanessa, and Sheridan to meet weekly for prayer, they cant imagine they will have anything in common. But then a devastating tragedy strikes and these strangers are forced to reexamine their choices. Will they find true friendship, or will prayer and their union fail them?