Maaaan… where do I begin? As always, the first stop was Hueman Bookstore in Harlem—where NYC Street Team showed up and showed out! They came with wine and cheese, raffle give-aways… presented Marva Allen with a gorgeous “Thank you” necklace, and they packed the house to standing room only. Had to be 100+ folks up in there.

It was crazy-crowded on a Friday night, despite traffic issues happening around the city at rush hour, and we had a guest VIP come to the event—Jan Harrison of Moontide Pictures—the new production company that has the VHL movie option… and the principle was there answering questions, allaying readers’ fears, explaining that the script would be one that they would be proud of (I haven’t even seen it yet so this was brave of Jan—BIG HUG—because lovers of the series don’t play, smile.) That’s like walking on stage at The Apollo; when you come to Hueman talking about you have the VHL movie rights, folks were all over that like nobody’s business… but she handled it like a superstar, so as they say, it was all good. Manie Barron (my agent) came, cut man in the corner, ha ha ha, in case either of us got beat down—smile. But it was very cool, all good, all love… family.

From there… OMG… Street Team introduced me to Floridas Tapas—a Spanish cuisine restaurant that will make you “smack yo’ Momma,” deep sigh. Appetizers just kept coming… seafood in every imaginable sauce, along with what we dubbed “grown folks juice,” this ridiculous Sangria concoction with fresh fruit in pitchers the color of the Caribbean sea blue… accurately dubbed, blue Sangria… nobody was feeling pain… then one ST member, who shall remain nameless, added Chambord to it all on the next go round, and we had this purple sangria that was OFF THE CHAIN.

I had to remind folks that I still had to get up in the morning to do a tribute to Octavia Butler at Medgar Evers College—but was anybody listening to protests? Not, LOL!

The paella came and I literally experienced a food-gasm… it just didn’t make sense how good this food was. Now mind you, all this is going on while these two fierce Flamenco dancers, an adroit couple, were stomping the hell out of the stage—getting down with the castanets and vibe… Spanish guitar thumping—awesome. What can I say… you will see influences from this in future work, I am so sure

I dragged myself out of there, stuffed to the gills and still had homemade coconut flan, then begged my Street Team, no mas, por favor! LOL

A warm, fluffy bed was calling my name by that time, so I jumped in a cab and headed for Brooklyn, where I crashed and burned for the night at the Marriot and got up to get a 9AM car to Medgar Evers College for their National Black Writer’s Conference. This year was dedicated to Octavia Butler’s contribution to speculative fiction, and honoring her life’s achievements… but that also meant I got a chance to see old friends in sci-fi, as well as connect with new writers in the genre.

Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes brought their wonderfully precocious five-year old son, Jason—a true cutie who asked us all to “feel his muscle,” BIG GRIN. He came armed with superheroes in a knapsack, and I got a chance to see how much he’d grown since a baby—wow! Time flies! Plus I got to give out some live hugs to my two good friends and to personally congratulate them on their NAACP Image Award win—that was awesome.

Met up with my girl, Julia Shaw, Publicist/Event Planner, who organized the event (used to do pub for BET), and my sister-girl, Linda Duggins, (Dir. Multi-cultural Publicity, Hatchet Book group), who introduced me to a crime/thriller/paranormal author—this brother is tight… David Rivera, Jr. He gave me his book, “Playing in the Dark,” with this demon in it set in Israel—scared the beejeebers out of me! I read that mess alone in a hotel room, and then read the other book he gave me, “Street Sweeper,” (non-paranormal crime thriller), on the train… so I cannot wait to see what he does with the latest relationship book he has coming out in April with full-figured heroines (thank God someone tackled the plus-sized sisters!) See below for a synopsis of his work. THANK YOU for the books, David! Remember, we will sage it all out, bro’, smile!

There were so many people and old friends there—authors, filmmakers, publishers, media… dang–good friend Clarence Reynolds from PW (Big Hug), Brother G, Moira Griffin, Asli (Invisible Universe)—if I start naming names, I know I’ll get in trouble by forgetting someone dear (much love, don’t be mad, LOL!), plus I met other breakout authors… like an author new to me, but who is DEEP—that I shared a panel with… this sister is out of Chicago.. Nnedi Okorafor… she does The Shadow Speaker and The Windseeker… which is this awesome blend of African (Nigerian) legend, mythology, and mysticism (the people could fly kind of stuff.) I will be looking for her work, because after hearing her read and listening to her on the panel, I was blown away.

But overall it was an honor to be called to the joyful task of reading “for Octavia” and participating on panels for the purpose of moving this genre forward. Dr. Brenda Greene did an amazing job (along with her fabulous staff-Candice Newberry in particular) of pulling together diverse talent and scholars in the field to give Octavia her due, as well as facilitating our giving back to the community.

Street Team came out and represented all the way through the reception—which had wonderful Caribbean food and a jazz quartet. From there we jumped in cabs and I connected with my sister… who has a project out as well—for those of you in NYC, give Liza Jessie Peterson some love April 25th where she’ll be performing live in NYC: American Keloids: A Love Sonata in Three Movements. See Liza’s powerful medicine magic at work in an excerpt from her new play “Down The Rabbit Hole” showcasing at the the Triad Theatre on April 25th. Directed by Stacy Waring.

Can you tell I had fun? BIG SMILE Yeah…

I dragged myself on Amtrak home, but was all into the books I’d collected along the way. Had my nose in Rivera’s book, too mad that I didn’t get a chance to get Nnedi’s before I left (dang!) Then I stayed up like a nut last night to watch a sci-fi movie that Ann-Marie from SFSNNJ sent me, “Teeth,” OMG—it was CRAZY! I laughed so hard… corny, cheesy, great fun! You must see this outrageous flick, LOL!

However, it is time for me to get back to writing… I have a short anthology submission to do for “Death Takes a Vacation” (Charlaine Harris is lead on that one), working on non-VHL-related shape-shifters and second-sighters, smile… must be in before I jump on a plane to Houston tomorrow to head to the Texas Library Association event, but still have to give a talk tonight at my alma mater (U of P, Wharton School.) Whew… there are just NOT enough hours in the dag-gone day, smile.

Be well, y’all… that’s my two cents for the day. Stay blessed and Stay in the Light!

Hugs, Leslie

Here’s info below on Rivera’s work…
THE LAST PREJUDICE
by David Rivera, Jr.
Strebor/ATRIA Books
Original Trade Paperback
Publication Date: April 14, 2009
ISBN 1-59309-235-0
288 pages

David Rivera, Jr. burst on to the literary scene with his series of erotic thrillers—Harlem’s Dragon, The Street Sweeper, and Playing in the Dark. The series was truly a first of its kind, marrying spellbinding erotica with captivating detective stories that left readers at the edge of their seats and wanting more. Now with David’s latest literary venture, THE LAST PREJUDICE (Strebor/Atria Books; 1-59309-235-0; Original Trade Paperback; April 14, 2009; $15.00/$19.99 Can.) he continues to thrill readers in a fresh new way, proving his versatility and solidifying his position in the ever evolving publishing landscape.

In THE LAST PREJUDICE, readers are invited to meet a complex and beautiful set of characters that are guaranteed to intrigue and challenge their views on what is considered beautiful and sexy.

At first glance, the three plus-sized women in David Rivera, Jr.’s THE LAST PREJUDICE go through the same relationship trials and tribulations that many women go through. But when forced to deal with the added social stereotypes, and sometimes personal insecurities of being a full-figured woman, their true personalities come to surface.

On one hand, there’s Noreen Klein, the empowered diva who gets – and often takes – what she wants out of life, including sexy men. She knows what she wants and is confidant in her curvy size-24 figure. However, Dahlia Ortega, who recently has removed herself from an abusive relationship, is a pretty but self conscious full-figured woman with a new found thirst for dominating men. Finally, there’s Kat Davis. Kat once had a stellar body, but as a result of a pregnancy that added 60 pounds to her frame, she now must contend with a new body and voracious sexual appetite. As the three women bond and support one another in the ups and downs of their juicy romances and chaotic lives, the characters bring to surface how cultural biases against voluptuous women can create dissension and mayhem when lust is in the air.

David Rivera, Jr., has been writing short stories for his own entertainment since high school. He’s inspired by the writings of contemporary black male writers that have emerged in the past few years. His first book, Harlem’s Dragon, has been met with great enthusiasm by other writers – most notably by Zane, as well as literary critics. He holds a Bachelors degree in Sociology and a Master of Science degree in Public Administration. Visit his website at: www.DavidRiveraJr.com.