Hello Black & Married With Kids! We are the Divas of Literature. Five African American female authors going to 5 cities and 5 malls to share our 5 bestselling books!
We are Renee Daniel Flager, creator of the tour, Jackie Christie, wife of NBA player Doug Christie, Abiola Abrams, who you may know as a BET host as well as an author, Dwan Abrams, Christian fiction author, and Assuanta Collins, ground-breaking writer. Readers can check us out at www.divasofliterature.com or join our 100,000 plus friends on blackplanet.com/divasofliterature. We range in age, location and relationship status, but all of our books are about love in one way or another.
We love the way that you represent African American love on this blog, so we wanted to share with you the love lessons from our books:
Jackie Christie, designer, NBA wife and author says in No Ordinary Love:
We’re not going to compromise our values for the sake of others’ misgivings. If there’s just one message you take from our book, I hope it’s this: it’s better to stand firm on your beliefs than to compromise your values. This is just as true in relationships as it is in work and every other aspect of your life. If the person isn’t the right person and you know this in your heart, maybe it’s time to move on. If your work situation is causing you more pain and grief than any job is worth, then you have to reassess: “Could God have something else or someone else better for me?” On the other hand, I don’t mean this as an excuse to cut and run. Life isn’t about quitting. It’s about making the absolute best of the situation you have at hand, and then really communing with your heart to find out if what you’re doing is in keeping with your truest values.
We talked earlier in the book about how we live in an ea of throwaway marriages. But we also live in an era of thruway values. People just toss their values aside if they think a good opportunity is coming along. I know some people may think that since I “˜m married to Doug , and he’s an NBA player, I don’t have the same problems and issues. Well, I’ll be the first to tell you it’s not the case. My life, more than most, is under a microscope and I am judged unfairly by some in the sports media “... just for being his wife and loving him, and him for loving me.
Abiola Abrams, TV personality, art filmmaker & author of Dare:
My debut novel Dare is about Maya Hope, a woman recovering from a broken heart while simultaneously trying to get revenge on her ex and find her one true love. She goes undercover in the world of hip hop and becomes a drama starter and a crazy maker. The lesson is that we can’t ever find true love unless we love our selves first. Too many of us are looking for a man to complete us. We can’t be a good partner to any one else unless we are first complete within ourselves. A man can’t fill the holes in your soul ““ or your character. We talk about this a lot on my blackplanet online show and I look forward to coming back to discuss this here in your wonderful forum.
As women we also often have issues with deservability. We feel as though we are not good enough to go for the love we need. We settle for puny, inadequate love, often treating ourselves like second class citizens before someone else has a chance to do it for us. You deserve to be loved with all of your need to be met – drama free. www.thegoddessfactory.com
Renee Daniel Flagler, Creator of the tour, publisher and author says
As an author and a black woman who has been happily married for more than 13 years, it’s important for me to shed light on the beauty of black love in all of my books, Mountain High Valley Low, Miss-Guided and In Her Mind in the midst of all of life’s drama. Also, I very purposefully depict images of strong, intelligent, good black men because our society and the media that often governs the images of black males does not show enough examples of all of the great black men in this world nor do they shed light on the many inspiring examples of real black love. www.reneedanielflagler.com
Assuanta Collins, publisher and author also in ATL says:
Until the Next Time and Until the Next Time 2: God’s Plan reveals how dedication and hard work contributes to long lasting relationships. One of the most important things to remember is that your upbringing plays an important role in how you handle situations in life. In Until the Next Time, Sonia and Mark Marlon’s relationship was strained because of their unresolved issues. Sonia suffers from low self-esteem due to her grandmother non-acceptance of her complexion. Mark’s mother was incarcerated when he was young and was forced to take care of his siblings while still in high school. Even though Mark graduated from college and had a one year stint playing professional ball over seas”...his demons caught up with him. www.astapublications.com/
Dwan Abrams, Atlanta resident and author of Divorcing the Devil says:
In my latest novel, Divorcing the Devil, a couple is faced with marital infidelity. Not only did the husband cheat, he had children with the other woman. As the wife of this philandering husband, Gabriella’s decision seemed cut and dry. However, when it comes to affairs of the heart, Gabriella learns that love is not as simple as black or white.
My upcoming release, Married Strangers, will be released in December 2008 and it deals with three different women at different stages of their relationships. One woman is married to a guy who doesn’t make a whole lot of money and has baby momma drama, and she’s trying to honor her vows. Another woman is a newlywed whose husband is not satisfying her physically, and she’s trying not to have an affair. This novel touches on what black women need to thrive in their intimate relationships. www.dwanabrams.com
Come see us on the Divas of Literature Tour 08:
August 16 | Perimeter Mall
4400 Ashford Dunwoody Road Suite 1360
Atlanta, GA 30346
August 23 | Northland Mall
21500 Northwestern Hwy
Southfield, MI 48075
(248) 569-6272
Hosted by Truth Bookstore
After Party and Media Reception:
Beans & Cornbread Soulful Bistro
29508 Northwestern Highway (Sunset Strip)
Southfield, MI
Ph. (248) 208-1680
September 6 | Green Acres Mall
2034 Green Acres Mall
Valley Stream, NY 11581
(516) 561-1157
Hosted by Borders Express