In his gripping memoir The Anatomy of a Corporate Lynching (now updated and available as an audiobook), Charles Ford reveals the retaliation he faced from his job Con Edison after he went to the media and pursued legal action over them pirating his slogan. As one may imagine, things became rocky at work, so much so that he began tape-recording his exchanges. He writes that he felt dissed, disregarded, and … Read the rest
It is not uncommon for people to feel that their college degree is useless. This was how YouTube creator Matt Wade felt about his Film Studies concentration. Before launching the detail., also known as The Michael Jackson Documentary Channel, for six years he started and ran the international fashion label, SHADE London, which garnered the attention of Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Kylie Jenner, and Ellie Goulding, to name a few. He … Read the rest
It took award-winning journalist, writer, and book collaborator Jeannine Amber twenty years to figure out too many details in writing can hurt a project. Journalism writing is no exception. The former Essence senior editor spontaneously sets the scene to provide an example: She’s interviewing someone in their home and upon entering, she sees there are a million things going on. There are books. The color of the sofa stands out. … Read the rest
Award-winning entrepreneur and TheBlackShoppingNetworks.com founder, radio host, journalist, and author, Janice McLean DeLoatch, recalls how a hole in her Nylon stockings led to one of her first companies, Pantyhose Vending Machines. DeLoatch, who had a full-time job in addition to her fashion shows and event-planning businesses, was on her way to a job interview when the material of her pantyhose deteriorated. At that point, she had to decide if … Read the rest
It’s no secret that publishing is full of collaboration, from the authors, agents, editors, and illustrators to the marketers, publicists, salespeople, reviewers, and influencers, etc. Then there are the professionals who help authors tell their stories by way of memoir: book collaborators. Multi-award-winning journalist, writer, and co-author, Jeannine Amber, who recently collaborated on I Tried to Change So You Don’t Have To: True Life Lessons (Hachette Go, June 23, … Read the rest
We discuss some of the latest news in publishing including the late publishing legend Sonny Mehta (Knopf and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group); we also recognize Kobe Bryant and Langston Hughes; we discuss the backlash Barnes and Noble Fifth Avenue and Penguin Random House received for their Diverse Edition initiative; Jessica Simpson’s new, trending memoir; some of our current and anticipated reads, as well as other bookish tidbits. Check it out! … Read the rest
Veteran songwriter and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member, Mr. Layng Martine, Jr., is in a different world now, one that no longer involves music. His book has become his passion and mission. “If I meet someone and they sound in any way interested in my book, if I have one in my car, I give it to them,” the Permission to Fly author tells So Booking Cool… Read the rest
He’s written hits for the likes of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Pointer Sisters, Reba McEntire, and Billy “Crash” Craddock (whose “Rub it In” song inspired the “Plug it In” jingle) to name a few. He wrote an essay about his marriage of 54 years for the New York Times Modern Love column that moved the world. Now, he has written his debut bestseller, Permission to Fly: A Memoir … Read the rest
DIAMOND DORIS: THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST NOTORIOUS JEWEL THIEF, Doris Payne. Amistad, $25.99 (288p) ISBN-13: 9780062917997
Publication date: September 10, 2019
To say that it is amazing that Doris Payne generated a career as a global jewelry thief for six decades is an understatement. When reading about her life, one can’t help but marvel over the level of dedication and precision that she exerted into her unlawful … Read the rest
MORE THAN ENOUGH: CLAIMING SPACE FOR WHO YOU ARE (NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY), Elaine Welteroth. Viking, $26.00 (336p) ISBN-13: 978-0525561583
Publication date: June 11, 2019
More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) is one of those books that reminds you of why you love reading them in the first place. It is the kind of book that prompts you to crack … Read the rest
