The Brotha Please Awards, 2007

Where has the time gone? It hardly seems like a year has gone by since we had our last Brotha Please Awards--also know as the “boo, negro, boo” awards--here on Gwyneth’s Blog. But it has been a year. And what a year it has been! With so-oo many folks acting like they have lost their damn minds, it is truly a chore trying to decide who to give the awards to. Last year, we gave out three and we could have easily given out more. In fact folks had some wonderful suggestions for people who were just as worthy of getting called out for their bad behavior. And I’m sure we’ll have more suggestions this year. So without further ado, let’s meet this year’s award winners…

Our first winner gets the year’s top award for buffoonery to the tenth degree. While everyone with one lick of sense was speaking out against Don Imus’s racist, sexist and homophobic attack on the Rutgers University female basketball team, this negro decides he’ll just take his monkey behind on Jay Leno and attack the young women further.



Forget being politically incorrect, this brotha is just dead wrong calling anybody ugly with a face like that. He probably thought he was being funny instead of just being funny looking, but we here at Gwyneth’s Blog think his brand of comedy takes us back further than step and fetch It. This year’s winner of the "Brotha Buffoon Can’t Get Out of Our Face Too Soon" Award goes to D. L. Hughley for showing us that ignorance is alive and well and coming out of his mouth.

The next recipient needs no introduction. We all know him, and many of us have debated his guilt or innocence for several years since he may or may not have gotten away with murder back in the nineties. He had gone from being the poster boy for blacks being able to cross the racial divides to a poster boy for the power of the color green when accused of a crime. One would have thought that getting away with murder would have been enough to satisfy anyone’s penchant for crime. I mean come on, what’s left after that? I know! Petty theft! Let me gather a bunch of my boys and try and rob a hotel room! OJ Simpson step right up and get your “I really want to go to jail and I won’t stop until you put me in there” Award. Since you were unable to steal your, err... property... back and get your other awards we hope our trophy makes you feel special...

The third and final award was a hard one to decide on. In fact, it’s a three-way tie that you all will have to decide on. There were so many deserving people. People like Puffy who told us that he won’t stop and damned if he wasn’t telling the truth. That brotha couldn’t stop showing his behind if you paid him. Between the baby mama drama and the You Tube hype craziness he deserves an award this year. But alas, he got an award last year and we should spread the wealth around shouldn’t we. And then there are folks like Michael Vick… people who make you want to channel Dave Chappell channeling Rick James and scream, “Shoulda neva gave y’all negros money!” He deserves to win a brotha please award for sure, don’t you agree? And then there is the third candidate in the tie... I’m giving him a pass because he recently lost his mother and because he did what I wanted him to do and beat one of last year’s recipients in a battle for record sales. But if anyone deserves a Brotha Please award this year for bad behavior it would have to be Kanye West for his meltdown back stage at the MTV video awards show.



I mean come on… if he were a two year old he would have warranted a spanking for that crap. But since there is a three-way tie for third place and he just lost his mother, I’m going to let this slide. But if he pulls this crap at the Grammy’s this coming year, then he will be number one next year no matter what.

As usual we here at Gwyneth’s Blog realize that you might take issue with our decisions for awardees. You might think we are being too harsh or not harsh enough. Or maybe you have your own award nominees. Feel free to drop a comment and let us know what you think. Until next time…

Much love and peace,

Gwyneth

Da Brat... make that the Dumb Ass

Will someone please tell these femcees to stop doing dumb ish to go to jail and boost their careers? I mean seriously, Da Brat has taken desperation to a whole 'nother level with this ish. And I'm pissed that I have to take a moment from my writing cave to give my fifty 'leven cents on it. But this trend is just too ridiculous not to comment on. First Lil' Kim went to jail. Then Foxy started losing her mind slapping folks and throwing cell phones trying to get into enough trouble to best Lil' Kim and then Remy decides to shoot someone. And now Da Brat decides she wants to hit a young woman in the face with a bottle of rum. Dumb ass. I'm not even gonna front, next to Remy, Da Brat could probably handle herself in the big house with Big Wilma... But I'm just saying... Why go through all that. You were doing fine trying to bring attention to yourself by being on all those wack reality shows. I loved you on Celebrity Fit Club! And your performance on The Surreal Life? Superb. And I'm not even gonna touch your stellar judging on Celebrity Rap Stars... amazing! (Okay, y'all know I'm lying. I didn't watch Celebrity Fit Club or The Surreal Life... and I'm going no comment on Celebrity Rap Stars...) But that's not the point. The point is that the way to rescue your career from obscurity is not to go around hitting folks with bottles, dumb ass. And if one more female MC does something stupid just to get a rep, I am going to scream. Now I have writing to do...

much love and peace,

Gwyneth

Foxy Brown is going to jail... (Inga, Inga, Inga....)

Foxy Brown is going to jail for a year. How many ways can I tell these rap chicks that jail is not cute? And Foxy is going to jail behind some dumb stuff. Hitting someone with a cell phone? Just because Naomi Campbell got off with community service for doing that does not mean you can get away with it. I mean really do we have to talk to you like you’re a two year old, Foxy? Okay, here goes… “Foxy, no, no, no. Use your words, sweetie. No hitting.” And trust me you don’t want to be the chick in jail for hitting someone with a cell phone. I mean really, try looking tough in front of Big Wilma talking about, “Yeah, so then I threw my cellie at the chick and told her she must not know ‘bout me. I’m Foxy Brown, B!@#*!” Unh unh. Nope. Not gonna work. Oh well, may be you’ll be able to share a cell with Remy Ma… For now, I’ll just watch this old remix of Total's “No One Else” featuring Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim and Da Brat and remember the days before female rappers thought it was all the rage to go to jail. Who knew orange jail jumpsuits would become so chic…



much love and peace,

Gwyneth

How Bad is Too Bad for the Romance Heroine?

Most romance heroines are syrupy sweet. There's like a romance rule and everything... Thou shall not have a mean or bitchy or otherwise unworthy romance heroine for she does not deserve the love of a HOT, sexy hero. Well, when I wrote my first romance novel, I had no idea that there was a rule. And my first heroine was really bitchy until my editor (I love you Deatri) told me that I had to tone her down and make her likable. So I did (I hope). And that's when I realized that as much as I embrace my inner bitch and encourage others to do the same, I can't have a true bitch... a real bitch... a-sho-nuff-take-no-stuff-bitch as the heroine in my romance novels. Bummer... So no more bitches...

But what about bad girls? Now, I know I could get away with naughty girls in an erotic romance. But I'm talking about bad girls. I'm talking about a chick that might have done wrong in the past and she's a little sorry for it... or at least sorry she got caught. LOL. Or a girl who might break the rules, for a good cause or a good reason of course, but she's a rule breaker nonetheless. She might lie or steal, you know... She's just not the perfect sweet little heroine we're used to seeing in romance. Would this ever work in a romance novel? I'm thinking only if it was a part of her past. What do you all think?

I realized after I finished the first novel in my Hightower series that two of my heroines, the two that will fall in love with my cops, are what some would consider bad girls... Their stories are so much fun to write. Their histories are so rich and they bring all kinds of emotions to the story. I love emotional writing almost as much as I love emotional reading. And after reading countless books where the hero is the one doing the big apology at the end, it is so cool to think that I could flip the script on all that with the right bad girl...

But how bad is too bad? What are the limits? What would turn you off in a heroine? Do you like your heroines a little naughty? Is syrupy sweet more your style? Who are some of your favorite bad girls in fiction? What about real life? I have to say, I enjoyed writing about my first true bad girl. The heroine in Protect and Serve had me on edge. My editor might make me tone her down by the time readers see her... but she was something else for a minute... I just hope readers will still like her... we'll see... What do you all think about bad girls in romance?

much love and peace,

Gwyneth

My Fifty ‘Leven Cents on Remy Ma

Well, there's something about Remy all right. And apparently it isn't all about the rhyme. Female rapper Remy Ma has gone and gotten herself arrested for a shooting. When will they learn...

First of all, girlfriend, femcees going to jail is so-oo two years ago. Lil' Kim has been there and done that even down to the shooting. Second of all, anyone walking around with a two-toned hairstyle a la Josie and the Pussy Cats is not really hard. (How can we take you seriously as a threat with that hair?) You getting arrested is not going to up your street cred in that regard. Third of all, I really hope that you weren't stupid enough to have actually pulled the trigger. And if you didn't I hope you're not on some silly "I won't snitch" tip like Lil' Kim was. Because you will not have access to hair dye in prison and how will you get that little front section of your hair the proper shade of auburn? A girl has to consider these things before she goes out and commits a crime. Now, I really hope that you didn't have anything to do with it. But if you did just know you will more than likely go to jail. If they sent Martha Stewart and Lil' Kim to jail for lying, you know they will get you... And don't expect the same media hype that these other women got when they went to jail. I told you, it's so-oo two years ago... All folks will have for you is "whatever..."

My Fifty ‘Leven Cents on Puffy and Kim's Spilt...

I know I shouldn't be happy that Kim and Puffy (And I know he's Diddy now. But I don't care. He'll always be Puffy to me) broke up. I know that I'm a romance writer and I'm supposed to be all about the love. But if you've read my blog before, you know how I feel about Puffy and Kim. All I can say now is I hope the sista has finally seen the light and leaves his ass for good. I knew when I saw recent gossip that he was running around with some other chick and his twins are barely seven months old, that Kim was in for heartache the likes of J-Lo all over again. But it looks like Miss. Kim ain't having it. Time will only tell... Take my advice girlfriend, run as fast as you can. (But don't forget your child support!) And for the record, I think her silly behind will take him back yet again after the sting of his latest affair wears off. And he still won't marry her... What do you all think? I'm sure you all saw it coming...

much love and peace,

Gwyneth

BITCH Magazine Does Romance

The recent issue of BITCH: FEMINIST RESPONSE TO POP CULTURE has a really insightful essay on the current abundance of Sheikhs in romance land. The essay by Christy McCullough titled, “Desert Hearts: In a New Crop of Romance Novels, It’s Always Midnight at the Oasis,” offers some interesting ideas about why we are seeing so many romance novels featuring men from the Middle East when we are currently at war in that region. I really liked this essay because it problematized race. It deals with race in really nuanced ways. This quote struck me as right on point:

“It seems that an Arab Man can now get on the cover of a romance novel in the United States almost more easily than he can get past airport security: According to the Chicago Tribune, the sales of sheik-themed romance novels have quadrupled in the years since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Up to 20 of these novels per year…”

Given all the recent talk on various blogs about racism in romance land, I thought this article raised some really interesting questions. We have been having this discussion based on the things that most white romance readers won’t read--African American romance novels. But what happens to the conversation when we really interrogate the ever-so popular reads: the sheiks, the Native Americans, the Latin Lovers. What happens when we really interrogate how men of color are objectified and made into the exotic other? What does this tell us about racism in romance? Is it particularly telling that we have so many captive by the savage other stories in romance land? And what does it mean that we seldom see black men in this savage other role, with the exception of perhaps MANDINGO many years ago? McCullough closes with some really hard-hitting observations:

“Given current stereotypes, any media portrayal of Middle Eastern men as sexy and desirable is in some respects a positive step. But when that desirability is predicated on an underlying savagery, it’s worth asking why it appeals to thousands of American readers. We can’t police desires, but we can investigate its cultural roots: If, in our collective imagination, we see even the most attractive and high-ranking Arab men as fundamentally violent and criminal, is it any wonder that we’d rather see them on a book cover than on an airplane?”


I have to say that as a girl who started reading romance novels because she snuck her mother’s Harlequin Presents, I have read my fair share of sheik romances. In fact, one of my all-time favorite books by Brenda Jackson is DELANEY’S DESERT SHEIKH. (That book had me crying and I knew it was a romance and they would end up together. But dang if I wasn't crying anyway.) But Jackson's novel doesn’t play into the captured by the savage sheik stereotypes that a lot of these novels have. It is different and I think the fact that it has a black woman as the lead has a lot to do with that difference. The stereotypes have to be reworked when you change the players. But what do you all think about the topic? Read any good sheik romances lately? Do you have any thoughts about why they seem to be growing in popularity during this time of war and racial profiling? Do you think they offer another way into the racism in romance discussion? What do you think?

My Fifty ‘Leven Cents on The View

The show wasn’t really all that great until Rosie came. Even when they had Star on there, I hardly ever watched. (For some reason, I never really liked Star all that much… Oh well, that’s another post…) The View seemed to be made up of fake chicks, except for maybe Meredith. She seemed real. But she wasn’t really interesting. So I didn’t watch it much. And then Rosie came on and it was suddenly interesting. I found my self tuning in for the hot topics and not even watching the guests they had on. I just wanted to see what Rosie was going to say next. And Rosie’s presence even gave Joy a voice and she became a little interesting too. Who knew? And finally people started checking that annoying Elisabeth! Sheesh. Talk about people who make me wanna holla and throw up both my hands! Elisabeth is the kind of person I try to avoid. And that’s why I knew even last year when Rosie made her first appearance on The View that it wasn’t going to last. It was doomed to fail. I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did. Rosie may be crazy, loud and opinionated, but she was also real. Real folk can’t last long with fake folk all around them. Soon they will have to cuss the fake chick out and there goes the neighborhood. I’m pretty sure Rosie realized that fake chicks were all around her when Barbara played her out in that whole Rosie versus The Donald debacle. The big blow up with Elisabeth was probably just the last straw. And the argument was so silly, really. Rosie didn’t call the troops terrorists… Now… she did sort of imply that the United States government was a terrorist… But that too is another post…

At the end of the day, I blame Rosie for this. That’s what she gets for surrounding herself with fake chicks. And that’s what she gets for trying to have a rational discussion about war and politics with an idiot. That’s why I stay away from fake chicks and idiots. I hope Rosie learns from this. Now what will I do at 11:00 in the morning. I guess I’ll have to write… Oh well… Bye, Rosie. If you get your own show again, I’d watch…

Much love and peace,

Gwyneth

Things that make you ask why... Crazy People

Why do crazy people always seem to latch on to me? Seriously. Do I have a sign on my head that says, "Come here crazy person. I want to be your friend." And why is it that I never realize that the person has issues until I'm knee-deep in the friendship or relationship. I just look up one day and realize, "Hey this person is a nut." Or, to quote an old saying from the south that my mom used to say, "This fool is fool!" Anyway, I'm only bringing it up because I do think that sometimes we can look at patterns in our lives and maybe, just maybe, I'm attracting all these lunatics for a reason. But you guys would let me know if I was crazy right? You wouldn't let your girl walk around here thinking she's sane and she's really got a few screws loose, right? And what about you all? Do you find yourself attracting the same kind of people and not realizing until too late how nuts they are? And how do you get rid of a crazy person? And I realize this post is not PC and it's not cool to make fun of the crazy people. But if they would just leave me alone, I really wouldn't be writing this post. So, I'll have to be un-PC today...

Much love and peace,

Gwyneth

Giving New Authors a Try…

This is a topic that has come up often on the web, but I thought it might be interesting to discuss here. Let's face it, some of us don't like to try new things. Or... we find something we like and we just stick to that. Some of us tried something new once and it disappointed us. So, we vowed never to try anything new again. It's a nice safe way to live... And a somewhat sure way to avoid disappointment (until the tried-and-true disappoints us… but that's another post…)

Anyway, when it comes to books, I can see how this method can come in handy. Books are expensive. And--unless you are a true bookaholic and have a book buying habit that defies all reason--it stands to reason that you would stick to what you know. And I do realize that as a bookaholic and a new author my views on this topic are so biased I can't claim anything but biased. However, I am going to try my best to present an unbiased… Aww… forget it…

Let's just change the whole flow of this post… Here's the thing, in my humble opinion, even my favorite authors were new authors to me at one point in time. There was a moment in the bookstore where I picked up a book because the cover looked interesting or I had heard something about this author, whatever... And I took the book home on the slight chance that I might like it. And lo-and-behold I did like it! And I gloomed on to the author, read her back list if she had one, or waited for her next release if it was a first novel. That's how relationships between authors and readers are made. Isn't it beautiful? Ahhh...

So, it's always funny to me when I hear people say they only read author "X" because author "X" never disappoints and they seldom try anyone new. I have my automatic buy authors for sure. But even the most prolific of them can't write fast enough to keep me in book buying and book reading heaven forever. I need to try new authors because my toppling over to-be-read pile demands that I keep it toppling over. It's like that monster plant in Little Shop of Horrors, "Feed me, Gwyneth…"

Anyway, I thought I'd put the question out there to you all. I love trying new authors and it's not just because I am one or I play one on TV. I like feeling like I am discovering new talent and I am one of the first to be in the know about how wonderful this new author is. What about you all? Do you try new authors regularly? Are you more conservative and stick to your tried-and-true? Have you discovered any new or new to you authors that you want to tell us about? What are your thoughts on the topic?

Happy Reading,

Gwyneth

I Learned Everything I Ever Needed to Know About Supporting Characters from Watching Dream Girls

Okay... not really... But... It makes an interesting title; so, I'll keep it. With Jennifer Hudson up for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for the role of Effie White in Dream Girls, which Jennifer Holliday won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for in 1982, it seems only fitting that there be some kind of writing lesson here. So here's the lesson as far as I can piece it together.

You see, I read the article in Jet Magazine where Jennifer Holliday reflects on that moment. And while scholar/professor me would cringe at the thought of using Jet Magazine as a citation source, cultural critic me knows that the old saying "if you didn’t read it in Jet Magazine, it didn't happen in the black community" exists for a reason. And romance writer me, could care less about citation source blah, blah, blah. So, anyway... As the story goes, the character of Effie White may very well indeed have started out a "supporting role," a "side character" so to speak. But by the time Jennifer Holliday got done fighting for her character, the character had extra songs in the musical, more space to shine and most important, the character did not die.

When you add to this the fact that the original play is said to have been created for Nell Carter, and you know she wasn't going to play no Deena Jones... and you know she would have been the star not a supporting character... then the fact that the role of Effie has somehow become a supporting role seems all the more strange… but I digress… Because anyone who has seen the film knows that Jennifer Hudson's performance in this role, like Jennifer Holliday's before it, was not a "supporting character." She was the star of the film. The script and writing dictated it. If you take away the character Effie then you have no story. Adding the song "Listen" does not make Beyonce Knowles's portrayal of Deena Jones become the "lead" in the story. They needed to rewrite the script for that. And since I promised there would be a writing lesson here, I'll add that there is a certain finesse to writing truly supporting characters that Dream Girls, the film becomes the perfect "how not to" template for. In fact, the film breaks key supporting character rules that writers should be mindful of when they create side plots and side characters. First, your supporting characters are there for support. The main action should happen to the leads, your heros and heroines. In the beginning of the play and film, the action happens to the girl group and that is fine. But as we watch the film, where does the drama really unfold? Who do we find ourselves on the edge of our seats caring about, wondering what will happen next to her, damn near crying (okay, I really did cry, but I'll never admit it) for when life dealt her another blow? If you say anyone but Effie White, you're a liar and the truth ain't in ya! This leads me to the second supporting character rule, readers should like the support cast and be interested in them yes. But if the reader starts to like the supporting cast more than the lead… if we become more interested in what happens to the side characters and could care less if the so-called lead is there or not… we have a writing problem. I'm sure we've all read books where we've experienced this. We could care less about the hero or heroine but that spunky friend, that witty comrade, now that's someone we'd like to get to know. As writers, I'm sure we've all had side characters that are just begging for their own books. And most of us know how to give just enough of these characters so that they don't outshine the lead. Which leads me finally back to Dream Girls and the character Effie. She wasn't a supporting character in the play's debut in 1981. And no matter what they billing the film role today--or why they billed it that way--she is not a supporting character now. The play just wasn't written for her to be sidelined. The writing dictates that she's the star. The fighting that Jennifer Holliday did for the role back in the eighties demanded that the she be a star. The performance that both Jennifer's contributed to the role demands that they be awarded "Best Actress," not "Best Supporting Actress." But nevertheless, there are writing lessons to be learned by watching the film. I found one. Now, I can call watching the film writing research. ;-) What do you all think? Do you have any thoughts about supporting characters and side stories? Do you think Jennifer Hudson is being cheated of the rightful nomination of Best Actress? Do tell...

Hooray for Hollywood...On the Real!

Well, Dream Girls didn't get the Screen Actor's Guild Award for Best Ensemble Cast in a Film... But they did show the sistas some love this evening. The cast of Grey's Anatomy won for Best Ensemble Cast on a TV Drama. So, yay for Shonda Rhimes! I love that show!

My girl, Chandra Wilson won an award for her portrayal of Dr. Miranda Bailey on Grey's Anatomy. And her speech was a hoot. She even gave a shout out to the brotha in rehab. LOL. And she even made mention of the fact that she was going home to show her award to her daughters so that they can see what is possible even with her skin, nose, height and weight. Really positive!

And Jennifer Hudson won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Effie in Dream Girls. In my opinion, she should have been in the running for best actress. There wasn't anything supporting about that role. There wouldn't be a movie without Effie and Jennifer Hudson steals the show from everyone. Heck, she's the star. They're supporting her... but that's another post. Anyway, it looks like Hollywood is finally showing thicker sista some love. And they didn't have to play maids or prostitutes to get the statue. We'll see what happens at the Oscars... But, dare I start to feel a little hopeful... Probably not wise... I'll just bask in the fact that tonight three thicker sistas got some well-deserved props and hope that it continues. In any case, congratulations to Chandra Wilson and Jennifer Hudson! Well done ladies! Well done!

Two birds with one stone... (Because Elle tagged me again and I have something to say about Isaiah)

He opened his mouth and hate spilled.



So, Elle tagged me to tell a story in six words. And I wanted to say something about the Isaiah Washington situation. So, I'm killing two birds with one stone in this post. Above is my attempt at the story in six words. And although the tag didn't say I could use visuals, I found this image and it seemed to fit. At first, I thought 'this brother really needs to think before he starts spewing.' But then I thought no, that's not the problem. The problem is his homophobia. The problem is he has issues that he needs to deal with. The problem is not that he should think before he speaks, but that he should deal with his hatred. There is enough hate in the world. He should take a hint from this image of himself and shut up. And then he should do some soul searching and get some help.

That's my two cents. What do you all think?

(Oh and for those who don't know he is one of the stars of the show Grey's Anatomy and he used a homophobic slur to refer to one of his co-stars. It's been all over the news.)

Much love and peace,

Gwyneth

Deadlines: My Enemy... My Friend...

I need them. I hate them. They motivate me. They rule my life. They keep me focused. They… Well you get the point. You see, for the most part, a person with a tendency to be distracted by things that seem far more interesting than sitting in front of the computer needs deadlines. Before the days of contracts and deadlines, a sister wrote when she was inspired, when the mood struck. Structure? Timelines? Whatever! I was an artist. Punching the clock was for the day job. You couldn't force the muse. And, hey, I was no hack. That was then… Now, inspiration takes her sweet time showing up, especially when work is busy and life is hectic and all my favorite shows are finally back to airing all new episodes. And truth be told if inspiration does try and strike during these times it would be so easy and oh so tempting to put her on hold. It would be that is, if it weren't for those deadlines…

I'm Blogging in Black today. Read the rest of this post here:

Blogging in Black

Romance. Suspense. Intrigue. Drama...

Confession number one: I used to be one of those genre purists. Way back in the day, I would cringe at the thought of a paranormal romance or romantic suspense. I certainly wouldn't deign to read one of those "mixed books." I read widely across genres. But I was like one of those kids who didn't like their food to touch on the plate. So I wouldn't even have picked up a book that proclaimed itself a romantic suspense novel. (And I certainly couldn't have imagined writing a paranormal erotic romance.) Thank goodness my quirky reading habits have changed! I recently went on romantic suspense reading spree and read three really great novels that I want to tell you all about. So, take a minute and go on a little journey with me.


The first novel on my trip was Deatri King-Bey's Beauty and the Beast. Some of you might remember that Deatri stopped by my blog in December for an author interview. Check it out in the archives if you’d like to find out a little more about her. Anyway, I enjoyed Beauty and the Beast immensely. At its heart the novel is a retelling of the wonderful fairy-tale. But it is also action-packed and has enough suspense and intrigue to keep you turning the pages. I loved both the hero and the heroine in this novel. But the hero really made me fall in love. He was a different kind of hero in that he suffered from bipolar disorder. However, Deatri does an excellent job showing how the relationship between Bruce Maxwell and Nefertiti Townes grows, how they learn to heal themselves and each other. And on top of that we get some bad guys and mystery thrown into the mix. The novel has several twists and turns and a few surprises. I would definitely recommend this book!


Then I read Patricia Sargeant's new novel You Belong to Me. This is Patricia's first novel and it was really good! It was the perfect mix of romance and suspense. I loved several things about this novel. First, it had one of my favorite romance plots at its core, the lovers reunited plot. I love it when folks give love a second chance. (I guess that's why two of favorite love songs are Shalimar's "Second Time Around" and Peaches and Herb's "Reunited.") Anyway, Nicole Collins is a science fiction writer who finds that her ex-husband Malcolm Bryant owns a film company and he wants to buy the rights to her series. Add a crazed fan to the mix that doesn't want to see the "family" that he/she loves destroyed by Hollywood and you get a novel jam packed with intrigue and drama. I loved trying to figure out who the crazed fan and possible murderer was. And I loved all the twists and turns Patricia put in along the way. The love story and the mystery are equally strong in this one. Pick this one up today!


Finally, I read Beverly Jenkin's Sexy/Dangerous. This book was great! So far I have really enjoyed all of her romantic suspense novels. She normally writes historical romances. And I don't usually read a lot of historical romances. So, when she started writing these contemporary romantic suspense novels I automatically picked them up. Sexy/Dangerous is my favorite of her romantic suspense novels so far because the heroine, Maxine "Max" Blake is a bad girl! And I'm talking bad like Shaft--I'll kick your butt kind of bad! She's an ex-marine, an ex-cop and secret agent. And she is in charge of protecting the hero, Dr. Adam Gary. He's discovered a product that can revolutionize the world and some people want it and are willing to kill him to get it. But they have to go through Max first, and that ain't easy! Did I already say that I loved this book? I really did love it. Funny how just that simple switch, having the woman protect the man, can make for such a thrilling and page-turning read! If you want to read a book with a super-bad sister kicking butt and taking names, this one is a must!

So what about you? Have you read any good books lately? Are you a genre purist or do you like to mix it up? Have you read any of these books and have a different take? Also, I should let you all know that next month's author on Gwyneth’s Blog, Katherine D. Jones is making a name for herself as the queen of African-American romantic suspense. She has written a series of books that perfectly marry romance and suspense. So be sure to check out her interview next month. Until next time…

Happy reading,

Gwyneth

Stupid Stuff in the News and My Two Cents

The Donald vs. Rosie with Barbara in the Middle

With everything going on in the world, you would think that the media wouldn't be taking so much time to focus on this so-called feud. But they are. It's on every channel. So now they have forced me to add my two cents. I didn't want to. They made me do it. I swear... But anyway, the funniest thing to me about this feud and the most newsworthy part of it is Barbara Walters and her serious blunder. (Because I don't care what she is saying, I have a gut feeling that she said exactly what the Donald said she said about Rosie) See, here's what I think happened... Barbara tried to clear up the beef by doing the old two-faced shuffle (some people might see it as being diplomatic or politically savvy. I think it's just classic school-yard two-facedness) I think Barbara called up her boy and was all commiserating with him in hopes that he would just calm down and forget about his public beef. But he pulled the ultimate no-no and repeated everything she said to him in the media. And if she wasn't such a proper white lady, you know she would have been like, 'you motherf*&%@#!' But she just went on air and denied, denied, denied. I just don't understand how the Donald can call his girl out like that. And I know Star is somewhere laughing the rest of her butt off at this mess. As for my two cents, the fact that the Donald let the little drunk/high girl keep her crown is not the only wrong thing he did. His playing Barbara Walters and telling what she probably told him in confidence is just wrong! But it is funny as all get out too. I bet she'll watch who she talks about and to whom now. I'm telling you Barbara you should not talk about people behind their backs unless you are prepared to back it up. That's the first thing us little girls in the hood learn. Doing so is the quickest way to get caught up in some he-said/she-said mess…Umm…

Oprah Winfrey and the School in South Africa

So it seems that some people are mad at Oprah because she didn't build a school in an inner city in the United States instead of building one in South Africa. I have to say first and foremost, Oprah can build a school wherever she wants to build a school with her money. Would it be nice if she built a school in the inner-city here? Yes. Would it have been nice if she hadn't had a Bill Cosby moment and started mouthing off in the media about how inner-city (read black) kids in the United States don't want to learn and only want expensive stuff? Hell yeah! (You wrong for that O. Keep it up and you're gonna have more than ignorant behind 50 after ya) But none of that changes the fact that it is her cash and she can spend it how she wants. The girl children in South Africa need that school. It will provide a safe haven and a way out for so many young women. In a country where some men are still raping virgins and girl babies in misguided hope of 'curing' themselves from HIV/AIDS, are we really begrudging these young women a school? I don't understand how people can fix their mouths to complain about this. Truth be told, the United States is a rich country that could do more to help the kids in the inner cities than Oprah could even with all her money. Like Pac said, "they got money for wars, but can't feed the poor." How we can see our way clear to spend billions every day to bomb and kill when little Tyrone, Johnny, Dick, Jane, and Shaqueeta can't read is beyond my comprehension. But I'll tell you what… I won't be calling Oprah out on this one, not when she's trying to do good work in the world.

But hey, I could be wrong. What do you all think about these two divas of talk and interview and the recent media attention they've been getting? Until next time...

Much love and peace,

Gwyneth

A Tale of Two Writers: Some Thoughts on My Double Life

Normally, I detest dichotomies. I firmly believe that things are never either/or, black or white, this way and never that way. I'd be the first person to argue that things are "more complicated" and there are always more than two sides to any story. So it seems only fitting in an entirely too ironic way that my life seems to have broken down into weird dualities that seem to be in constant opposition with one another.

There are three questions that I get asked all the time that I never really know how to answer. The first question has to do with the amount of reading I do. People always ask, how do you read so much and still find time to write anything? The second question has to do with writing? People want to know how do you move between fiction and nonfiction? The third question is related, but more focused on the career aspect. People want to know how do I navigate being a college professor and a romance writer? Since my first novel was published this past March and I've only been a published romance writer with books on the shelves a little under a year, I haven't been asked these questions a whole lot. (I mean, let's not get it twisted. A sister realizes that she hasn't had tons of interviews and media coverage. LOL.) But these questions have come up enough and the issues they bring up are starting to represent these seeming points of confliction in my life.

Check out the rest of this post on Blogging in Black:

http://blogginginblack.com/

Kiss and Tell

But first, a word from some hip-hop femcees:

"And you? I ain't mad you a ho. I'm mad you trying to teach my babies how to be a ho. When I ain't home. Taking that video to the dome. While you trying to clone bitches. I'm trying to raise queens…” – Medusa, rapping in Rachel Raimist's film Nobody Know My Name

"What's going on in ya mind, is what I ask ya… But like Yo-Yo, ya don't hear me though…" Queen Latifah, "UNITY"

"And dudes quick to take these groupies to bed. Betta watch out for they write a book about ya like Superhead…" Lil' Kim, "Slippin"


Yes, if we're honest, we can all point to instances where we may not have made the smartest decisions about men. Every girl has her stories. (Or has a stupid girlfriend who never ever seems to learn that self-respect is worth more than having a man between the sheets.) We could probably swap all kinds of stories about being young and dumb. But most of us know better than to put our stupidity on blast. Not so for Karrine "Superhead" Steffans and Carmen Bryan… By now I'm sure you've all heard of Karrine Steffans's book, Confessions of a Video Vixen. It was the hot tell-all book a couple of summers ago in which a former video girl names all the names of all the rappers and basketball stars she's slept with. Now we have Carmen Bryan's book, It's No Secret: From Jay Z to Nas, From Seduction to Scandal--A Hip-Hop Helen of Troy Tells All. In it, she tells all about her love affairs with famous rappers and basketball players. Are ya sensing a trend here…

Now I write erotic romance, so these women's sexual exploits really don't bother me. I'm all for sexual freedom, especially for women since we've been told for so long that boys can and we can't. And, if their books were just about a sista getting her swerve on, that might be different. But the phrase "sucker for love" comes to mind… The claims of love abound in these so-called cautionary tales. These women claimed to love each and every guy that used them and abused them. All of them... For real... Love… In theory, I get it... As much as our community is concerned about little black boys, little black girls are going through some stuff too. I won't go into statistics here. Because we all know that the rising prison rates and HIV/AIDS rates for women of color are kicking our behinds. And as I think of Karrine and Carmen, I can't help but think that we need to do something to help little black girls find the love in themselves so that they don't fall victim to all the bullshit.


As much as Karrine and Carmen paint their stories as cautionary tales, they don't work that way. Let's be real, if you give these books to a young sister thinking you are providing her with a cautionary tale, you will be making a grave mistake. Karrine's book could aptly be re-titled, "How to be a Video-Ho." The critical self-reflection that is a requirement for caution is not present in her book. And Carmen's book could be a connecting book to "How to Sex a Baller Out of His Mind and Money," if they were written by the same author… and if Carmen would have had to have been a little bit more successful at what she tried to do... Come to think of it, would be a kind of crappy how-to book for the way she constantly gets played. (And on a side-note, but totally in theme with my biggest gripe this month, guess which magazine is doing a feature on Carmen Bryan in their new issue… just guess… that's right Essence… anyway…) Neither of these women seemed to have learned anything. They are just recounting their stupid repetitive mistakes. And they are irritating for that reason… (The same reason that the character Robin in Waiting to Exhale got on everyone's nerves until she got some self-respect and a backbone. But at least Robin had a career and a life outside of her quest for a man…)

To hear Superhead tell it, she loved every single guy she screwed. It was like a mantra, "I rea—lly lo-ved Gotti, Ja-Rule… fill-in the blank." Carmen would have us believe that she re-ally lo-ved Jay Z and Nas and Allen Iverson. I posit that these women don't know what love is. And that is really sad. Carmen claims that the whole battle between Nas and Jay Z was because of her. That Jay Z made the diss song "Is That Your Chick" because she accepted Nas's proposal and he was hurt. (But those of us that listen to rap know what Jigga sounds like on wax when his feelings are hurt over a woman. See "Song Cry" and the recent verse in "Lost One" in which he mourns the fact that Beyonce is choosing her career over their relationship. None of these are the scathing and misogynist lyrics we find in "Is That Your Chick." But, I digress…) The point is the men she claims loved her so much that they went to war on wax have both moved on and she is left telling a story that is all too familiar.

So at the end of the day, what do I really think about the "Kiss and Tell" frenzy that we seem to be moving in? I really think that these books tell us things that go far beyond the gossip and the sex. They tell us a lot about the traps waiting for our little sisters and baby girls if we don't start showing them and teaching them what love really is. What do you think? Until next time...

Much love and peace,

Gwyneth

I Puffy Heart Lo-ve Anthologies

I love anthologies. It's not so much that I like shorter reads, but more that I like being able to read something and finish it even when I have a bunch of stuff going on in my life. I can read a novella and finish it without the same amount of guilt that I feel when I take the time to read a full novel. The other thing I love about anthologies is usually you get at least two of your favorite authors in one book, sometimes more. And it's just heaven when you get three or four of your favorite authors in the same book. The other thing I love is that in addition to getting your favorite author, sometimes you get introduced to a new author. I love being introduced to new authors. And I love acquiring new favorite writers.

I just finished reading the anthology, Takin' Chances for the Holidays. It features novellas by three amazing best selling authors, Adrianne Byrd, Donna Hill, and Monica Jackson. The stories are H-O-T! They offer three quick reads by these three very talented writers. The stories were fresh and had a bit of an edge to them. They had a sassiness to them that I loved.



I also finished the novellas in the anthology Vegas Bites: A Werewolf Romance Anthology. And all I can say to this is, YES! I finally got my Black weres! I am so happy that more sisters are writing paranormals. I really loved this anthology. I'd read vampire paranormals by two of the authors, L. A. Banks and J. M. Jeffries and contemporary romances by the other two authors, Seressia Glass and Natalie Dunbar. But what these women did with those Black werewolf packs... Lawd. Have. Mercy.



I have lots of favorite anthologies and I'll be adding these to the list. Do you like anthologies? Or do shorter reads not have enough meat for you? Do you have favorites? What are you reading now? Any suggestions for a good read? Let me know. Until next time...

Happy Reading,

Gwyneth

The Brotha Please Awards, 2006

Welcome and thank you for tuning in to the first annual Brotha Please Awards also known as the "boo, negro boo awards." I'm your host for this evening, Gwyneth Bolton, and tonight we'll be honoring three brothas who need to sit their behinds down and shut up. Now, I know that we shouldn't reward bad behavior. But we should have a way to call attention to these brothas in a way that serves to curb that kind of behavior in the future.

So without further ado, the first award of the evening goes to a young man who has been writing for a while. He built his career off of the hard earned dollars of loyal female readers and a few years back had the nerve to stand in front of an audience of women book club members and complain about having majority female readers. You see he wants men to read his books. And he even went as far as to chastise the women for not doing more to make sure their husbands and boyfriends read so that he can have men read his masculine books. Then he wrote and essay in a major black women's magazine (Essence 2/06—I told y'all they have fallen off…) going on and on about how he is such a successful alpha male with so many women adoring him that when his wife is too tired for sex or has a headache it makes it hard for him to keep wanting to be faithful. Brotha Please! Omar Tyree gets the Most Sexist Brotha of the Year Award.

The second award goes to a rapper who began his rap career talking about how many times he'd been shot and also started a war with another popular rapper at the time. Now, there is nothing wrong with attacking the guy on top in order to take his place. Law of the jungle, kill or be kill, whatever… But this rapper went a little crazy with it and couldn’t seem to stop starting trouble with other rappers and just stirring up all kinds of mess. Every new album he releases he has a new beef with yet another rapper. One would think that he wanted to get shot again… But now the brotha has really lost his ever-loving mind. He is going to war with Oprah Winfrey! He's complaining to everyone who will listen (White Media…) that Oprah doesn't like black men and she is no longer black identified, etc… whatever… And he is doing this because he feels that Oprah doesn't have enough rap artists on her show. Hmmm… let me see… last time I checked it was the Oprah Winfrey Show. She can have whoever or whatever she wants on her show. When you get a show then you can have what you want on your show. See how that works? You still don't get it do you? Are you slow? No, you just like starting shit, huh? Brotha Please! 50 Cent, please step up and take your two awards: The Whiniest Brotha of the Year Award and the special So, You Wanna Be Starting Somethin' Certificate.

The third award of the evening goes to my friend and yours… we've talked about him on this blog before. He is also an… entertainer… (The hip-hop purist in me won't allow me to call him a rapper…) He just released an album and he has been seen everywhere promoting it. Luckily he and his long-term girlfriend are expecting twins just in time to help build the hype around his new album. And luckily his momma is a long time friend of Essence Magazine's former editor and iconic presence Susan L. Taylor… (How else can one explain the many covers devoted to this fool over the years, especially the most recent one?) Anyway, there are so many reasons why he should get the Brotha Please Award. But this year he gets it for using his girlfriend's pregnancy to sell records. That's just tacky, tacky, tacky. Pimping your children before they even get here is so not cool. All I can say is Brotha Please! Puffy or Diddy or whatever you are calling yourself these days, come on up and get your Tackiest Brotha of the Year Award.

Now I realize that you might take issue with this year's awardees. You might think we here at Gwyneth's Blog have been too harsh. Or you might think that there are others far more deserving of this award. So, please feel free to voice your opinion and share your thoughts. Also feel free to nominate and even give out your own awards. And before you say I'm picking on the brothas, let the record show that I fully intend to have a Sista Please Award Show soon. Because some of y'all have lost your minds as well… Kim Porter… Essence Magazine… Superhead… Carmen Bryan… New York from the Flavor of Love… all the sistas on Flavor of Love…

So, let us know what you think. Until next time…

Much love and peace,

Gwyneth