Amazing Opportunity at Barnes and Noble!

As many of you know, I published my first edition of my urban romance novel, Broken Vows, on Lulu in October 2005. When I first began , I created my own cover using Microsoft Paint, and took my own author pic for the back of the book with my camera phone. To say the least, it was very amateurish.

I didn't think my book would go far. I just wanted to test the waters, and see what all the hype was about regarding Print on Demand internet selfpublishing. Sistas With Stories bookclub decided to select the book for the monthly meeting, and I presented it at a high end Cigar Bar and Restaurant in our town of Baton Rouge.

Hearing a large group of women argue and debate over the characters in my book, speaking about them as though they were real, gave me such joy and elation. I couldn't believe it took me this long to get this far. I decided to get serious. I hired a professional photographer and two models to create my vision for my new book cover.

In the meantime, my daughter had mentioned to her summer camp teacher at Athletes in Motion Gym that her mother was an author. The director of the summer camp activities contacted me and asked me to come to their gym to speak to the Book Club workshop about publishing my book. I mentioned to her that my book was comprised of adult themes and material, and she asked that I not let the kids thumb through it or hold it, but just speak to them about the process and not a lot about the contents. I decided to let them see the old "safe" cover, and spoke to them about living out their dreams and not fearing rejection when it came to writing. I stressed that if you want to be a good writer, you must be an excellent READER.




When the hour was over, and I had taken a number of very good questions, the children fell to the ground and began to bow to me, yelling, "ALL HAIL THE AUTHOR!!! ALL HAIL THE AUTHOR!!" No kidding. I have proof!




My book cover was finally done, and my second revised edition of my book was ready for mass consumption. I finally decided to buy the global distribution option. Awesome choice for me. I set a "Google Alert" to let me know if my name popped up on the internet anywhere new. Suddenly, I was being featured in websites in the UK, on Barnes and Noble.com, on Amazon.com, etc. Great!

Shicola Deal, an amazingly supportive woman in my book club mentioned it to the CRM at a Barnes and Noble in Lafayette, LA (an hours drive away from my city!). "Thank you girl!" The CRM contacted me, telling me that he would be interested in featuring me as one of the local authors in his 2006 Summer Book Fest! Would I be interested? Hmmm... let me think about it!!



These are a few pictures of my props that I brought to Barnes and Noble while I was still at home, thinking about the big day. I printed up a three page excerpt of a steamy scene in my book. My thoughts were that some people would be intimidated about coming up to the table and looking at the book because they would feel pressured to buy. How could I approach them and give them a teaser? Why not the excerpt!? This is my number one tip in book signings! Print up a short excerpt and GET OUT FROM BEHIND YOUR TABLE. Approach people and give them a copy. Then leave them alone. They will inevitably go off in a corner and read the handout, and if they are your customer, they will come and approach your table because you have already made friendly conversation with them.







We finally made it to Barnes and Noble. My husband help me set up my display.






There was a decent group of people in the store today, but definitely not a large group of my target audience - black women within the age range of 18-55. I didn't let that stop me. I purposefully made my display so that I would have a hard time sitting down behind my books. I noticed that the other five authors that were there were pretty much stationed behind their tables for most of the day. I worked the store, passing out my excerpt and business cards.







This was my first signing, and like I said, the store did not hold a large portion of my target audience, but I sold five books today, and I am happy. Walking around the store engaging people really sold my books for me, and many people said they didn't have money with them right then, but would but it online with the info from my card.

The CRM, Mr. Gregory Mouton, was awesome to deal with. I intend to send him a care package (a gift basket of some sort) next week to say thank you for the opportunity. He told me that he will put in a good word for me with the CRM in Baton Rouge (where I KNOW I will sell a ton of books - that is my audience!), and he was impressed by my professionalism, my outgoing nature, and my preparedness with my props.

I also met an amazing local author by the name of Jeff LeJeune, who is the author of THE FINAL CHASE. He sold a number of books today. He writes about fantasy, and was very popular. Check him out at www.sterlinghousepublisher.com .





Today was amazing for me, and I can not WAIT for my next signing in Baton Rouge. I will keep you updated. If you have any questions for me, let me know!

Naiomi Pitre

5th Meeting of SWS!

Book Choice: This Bitter Earth

Author: Bernice McFadden

Date: To Be Determined

Early June

Hostess: Ms. Erica Crawford

Thank you, and see you there!

• Click here to buy the paperback version of the book starting at $11.20!!

4th Official Sistas With Stories Book Club Meeting!

Hostess: Tara Mars-Lorraine

Book Choice for May 2006: Sugar by Bernice McFadden



From Publishers Weekly- With her eponymous anti-heroine, debut novelist McFadden breaks the mold of a venerable stereotype. Here, the hooker with a heart of gold is instead a hooker with a past so tarnished no amount of polishing can change her fate. As a baby, Sugar is abandoned by her mother and raised by a trio of prostitutes who run an Arkansas bordello. Turning tricks at age 12, and leaving town four years later to try her luck in St. Louis and then Detroit, brings more degradation, along with an ever-hardening heart. Upon her mother's death in 1955, Sugar is willed a modest home in Bigelow, Ark., but when she moves into town, and supports herself the only way she knows, the female population rises in wrath against her. All except Pearl, Sugar's next-door neighbor, who more than a decade ago lost her beloved daughter, Jude, to a vicious rapist/murderer. Pearl is struck by Sugar's uncanny likeness to Jude, and is determined to become Sugar's friend in spite of vocal disapproval. Although the two women are opposites in nearly every way, they bring out the best in each other: Sugar convinces Pearl to loosen up and accompany her to a Saturday night juke joint, and Sugar promises to go to church for two months of Sundays. Hypocritical gossip spreads among the townsfolk and tension grows when it turns out that nearly every married man in Bigelow pays a visit to Sugar, leaving the apparently frigid wives planning to run Sugar out of town. Pearl gives it her best shot to transform Sugar, but both women's painful pasts come back to haunt them in a crescendo of violent reenactments, betrayals and surprising revelations leading to a poignant, bittersweet ending. While hampered by a forced and compressed backstory, a surfeit of maudlin moments and some overwriting that is inadvertently funny, this ambitious first novel will appeal to readers who can appreciate Sugar's determination to come to terms with her past and fashion a viable future. Agent, James Vines. (Feb.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The Food: The Outback Steakhouse







The event was held at Outback Steakhouse on Acadian Thruway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals, which included ribs, coconut shrimp, baked sweet potatoes, and salad.

Once our meals were ordered, we began to discuss this month's selection. Everyone was in total agreement that this book was an amazing read. We discussed how much we each loved Joe, Pearl's husband, and that his character seemed to be like the good old time ideal husband from back in the day. One of the truly good men left in the world. We laughed as we recalled the moment when Joe came home from his trip to find the "new and improved Pearl". All of us were anxious, anticipating that Joe would be angry and perhaps even strike out at Pearl. We were relieved when he embraced her and laughed. We discused how Sugar seemed to be living self-fulfilled prophecy. It was as if she didn't believe that she deserved more, so she never tried to excel to more in life. Many of us were eager to read the sequel, This Bitter Earth, so that we could answer some unanswered questions about Joe's past.

Some of SWS' favorite moments in the book:(WARNING! If you have not read this book, the following comments are spoilers, so do not read on if you do not want to know key points of the story.)* Joe's return home to find Pearl made up ala' Sugar!* Sugar walking in front of her windows naked.* The moment when Sugar walked to the front of the church and could have really let the congregation know about what their preacher was doing outside of the church doors!* When Joe discovered the picture and realized Sugar was his child after all. * Seth screaming for Sugar outside of her door, then seeing Lappy Clayton come over and Sugar open the door to him.* Pearl going with Sugar to the blues club, dressed up with baby powder on her face!* The graphic depiction of the horrible crime Lappy committed against June.
This was definitely a book that kept us talking, laughing, and pondering during our meeting. Do we relate to any of the characters? Were we once "Sugar's" ourselves in our lives? Yes! Did we think Pearl should have been friends with Sugar in the beginning, bringing this wild woman into her home? How in the world did Joe last, living years without sex from his wife? Why didn't Sugar stay with Mary and Mercy when she had the chance? Why didn't Sugar tell Lappy to leave her alone, and run off with Seth? Yes, he had threatened the rest of the family, but she could have let Joe know. Joe would have protected her. Would we really want to know all of our friends and families dirty secrets? Once Pearl knew about the many men who visited Sugar nightly, she looked at everyone differently. Would we rather not know? Probably.

Our next meeting will be hosted in July by Ms. Erica Crawford -the book will be the sequel to Sugar, This Bitter Earth.The exact day and time for our meeting is to be determined.

4th Meeting of SWS

Book Choice: Sugar

Author: Bernice McFadden

Date: Saturday, May 27th, 2006

Hostess: Tara Mars-Lorraine

The hostess was originally choosing This Bitter Earth by Bernice McFadden, but seeing as how that is the sequel to Sugar, she decided to have the book club read Sugar first.

Thank you, and see you there!

• Click here to buy the paperback version of the book starting at $10.78!!

3rd Official Meeting of Sistas With Stories Book Club!

Hostess: Naiomi Pitre



Book Choice for March 2006: Broken Vows by Naiomi Pitre

Review by Chris Williams of Weekly AA News in Mandeville, LA -
In a refreshing novel who's story is rarely told, we meet your average African-American Christian couple, Dominic and Yvonne Long. Dominic's underlying self-loathing because of his unemployed status causes tensions to run high in the Long household. Jealousy runs rampant, and after an argument becomes physical, the couple experiences a short separation - two weeks to be exact. During this time, Dominic commits adultery with Yvonne's envious receptionist, Sandra, while Yvonne runs to the comfort of her close friend (and secretary) Julie, who happens to be white. Yvonne and Julie have their first lesbian encounter, and everyone's emotions spiral out of control. Once they have reconciled, things seem to calm down - until Sandra reveals that she is expecting, and it is Dominic's child! Yvonne reacts as any wife would - spitting in Sandra's face and keying her car. By the end of the book, Yvonne seems to be coming to terms with the situation, and resolves to save her marriage by being the bigger person. Her secret rendevous with Julie is never revealed. The supporting characters to this unconventional dramatic novel include, but are not limited to, an old grade school friend of Yvonne's, Jamal, who is not only gorgeous but is also a successful criminal lawyer as well, and has obvious designs on Yvonne; Julie's weed smoking, club hopping, gay male friends, Kendall and Dietrick; and Sharon Coldstone, the attractive advertising agent who would love to help Dominic with his entrepreneurial dreams to open his own Christian clothing store. You won't want to miss this page turner. I read the book in three days - no small feat for me! I was so enraptured by the storyline, and when I read the final page, I found myself wanting to phone the author to ask when part two would be finished! I anxiously anticipate our next adventure with these endearing characters. Ms. Pitre manages to speak with such a genuine, real voice, that the characters leap from the page and seem to become your closest friends and most hated enemies. You will probably find at least one character with traits similiar to someone in your own life. Three words of advice for you that you would be wise to heed:

"READ THIS BOOK!".

-Copyright 2006, Chris Williams. All rights reserved.

The Food: Delicious and Decadent Appetizers, Dessert, and Wine

The event was held at Churchill's Restaurant and Cigar Bar at 6:00pm in Downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

We all met and enjoyed the wonderful spread. While everyone indulged in oysters, crepes, chicken wings, and more, Debbie Knatt-Jones introduced everyone to eachother and explained her connection to everyone in attendance.

Once everyone was introduced, Naiomi Pitre read the first chapter of the next book in this series.

Soon, the heated discussion was underway. General consesus was that everyone loved the book. Many people mentioned that they had read the book in just a few days.

There were plenty of debates. Some hot issues were:

* Should Yvonne have ended her friendship with Jamal, knowing how uncomfortable her husband felt about it? Is it fair to expect her to end such a long friendship? Should she have shown her husband more respect for his feelings?

* Why was Dominic so insecure? Should he have found other work while he was building his business, so that he wouldn't feel so worthless and self-pitying?

* Would Dominic have cheated with Sharon Coldstone eventually, if given the chance? Had Dominic cheated before?

* Was either Yvonne or Dominic more wrong in their infidelity? Why was it that Dominic was "found out" but Yvonne wasn't? Do women hide their "dirt" better than men?

* How realistic is it that Yvonne would forgive Dominic and accept his child, let alone befriend the woman who had slept with her husband? Did we know anyone personally who had dealt with this same situation? Would you give up your man, your livelihood, your life, everything you worked for together, due to your husband's cheating ways? Would you stay? Would you treat his illegitimate child badly?

* Is Yvonne now considered "gay"? What about Julie? What makes Julie "more gay" than Yvonne? Would Yvonne probably have another sexual relationship with a woman? Would Julie?

* Would you ever consider sleeping with another woman? Why does it seem like in the African-American community, the lesbian story is not told? Why is the topic still taboo, or is it? Where are the "lipstick lesbians", and why do we see more Black
"butch" lesbians in the media, when we do see any gay representation?

* Should Sandra have named the baby something besides Dominic Jr.? Should she have reserved that name for the child Yvonne and Dominic could have had?

Naiomi revealed that a lot of the novel was drawn from personal experience, along with experiences that she has been privy to within her close circle of friends and family. She mentioned that her ex-husband and members of her family had gone through many of the situations in the book. The second part of Broken Vows will be released soon, thanks to many suggestions of possible storylines - given by members of Sistas With Stories. A few examples of ways to continue the story were as follows:

* Sandra's new boyfriend, Malcolm, should be a drug dealer. Yvonne and Malcolm should end up together.

* Julie and Dominic's cousin should begin dating, and she should reveal Yvonne and her own secret relationship to him. He would then disclose this revelation to Dominic.

* Yvonne should go back into the hospital, where Sandra just gave birth, and beat the hell out of her right there, saying, "Since you were in this same position when you were with my husband, I'm gonna take care of you while you're still in this position!"

Final comments to SWS from Naiomi Pitre -

"I really need to thank all of you who came to this book club meeting. I was honored and privledged to hear a large group of Black women discussing my book as though the characters were real, and their situations were truly happening. This meeting was the culmination of my lifelong dream to be a successful writer. When I published the book, that was a wonderful moment. But it pales in comparison to knowing that people have read your book and sincerely enjoyed it. The fact that we were able to have one of our most heated discussions ever, over my own story, just blew me away. My heart grew so large in my chest as you all were debating different points, I didn't know if I'd be able to bear it. You have no idea how important this was to me, and you all made it amazing. It couldn't have gone any better if I could have planned it all myself, and again, thank you, and be on the lookout for the next book, continuing the story of Dominic and Yvonne Long. You asked for it - and you're going to get it!"

Our next meeting will be held in May, and will be hosted by Ms. Tara Mars-Lorraine.

Her book choice is Sugar by Bernice McFadden.