Sankofa Literary Society Holiday Book Fair

New Website Feature
Soon when you go to the website, you will see a link to my WordPress blog. I created this blog instead of relying solely on the MySpace blog feature. I encourage you to visit the blog on a regular basis where you’ll be able to find out the latest news about my book signings and it will also be the place to read the Just Be excerpt after it’s edited in January. 

Do you know those surveys that you get from friends and family members that ask you what color socks you have on, do you prefer croutons or bacon bits, and what is your favorite color and day of the week? Well, the Fab Four of Carter G. Woodson High School are taking that survey and their candid responses will be posted on the blog starting December 10^th. 

I am going to do my best to write an entry at least once a week after the Fab Four Icebreakers are posted. The blogs will be about a gamut of things like my thoughts on the latest Ugly Betty episode, my hope that the Writers Strike ends soon, what movies I am looking forward to seeing in the future, and other fun stuff like contests to win free copies of Freshman Focus during the week of December 17th.

The Brown Bookshelf
Have you been to the Brown Bookshelf lately? Definitely, go check it out! Each of the Brown Bookshelf team has a weekly blog that we post. I post my entries on Fridays. So far I’ve blogged about joining the Brown Bookshelf, A Brown Bookshelf Trailblazer named Charlemae Hill Rollins, and holiday books written and illustrated by African Americans. Occasionally we’ll have book giveaways just for posting a comment on the Brown Bookshelf blog. We’re committed to keeping you in the know about what is going on in the African American children’s literature community.

Sankofa Literary Society Holiday Book Fair
December 1 – 9, 2007

Sankofa means that it is not taboo to go back and retrieve what you forgot.  The primary principle of Sankofa is that we must return to our roots, our past in order to move forward in the future.  As shown above, Sankofa is visually represented by a bird flying forward as he looks back and sometimes depicted with an egg, symbolic for the future, in his mouth.

You’re invited to attend a book fair with just a click of your mouse. Hosted by the Sankofa Literary Society, there will be no need to get dressed and leave the house, you can log on and meet authors from across the country, chat with them about their books and their love of reading and writing, and have a chance to win free books! That’s right, each participating author donated copies of their books for giveaways to those who attend the book fair. So log on, chat with authors and fellow readers, visit the author pages, listen to podcasts by the authors, call in for teleconferences, and possibly win a book or two during the book fair.

I’m sure you’re wondering who some of the authors are that will be featured and participating in the book fair. I am participating! Along with fellow young adult author and Brown Bookshelf member Paula Chase, we’ll be representing children’s literature. Other authors include Sheritha Bowman, Sherryle K. Jackson, Bill Holmes, and Joshua McClure. If any of these authors are unfamiliar to you then you definitely need to stop by the Holiday Book Fair and check them out. Each featured author has a book summary, author bio, and book reviews posted to share with prospective readers.

These are the days and times that I will be in the chat room so if you are able to stop by at these times, you’ll be able to pick my brain.  I won’t just be trying to sell Freshman Focus.  I’m open to talking about my favorite authors, favorite books, what I like most about reading and writing, and other questions thrown my way.  Other authors and readers will be in there as well so the spotlight won’t be just on me.

Chat Schedule
December 1, 2007 ~ 1:00, 4:00, 7:00
December 2, 2007 ~ 2:00, 4:00, 6:00
December 3, 2007 ~ 4:00 – 8:00
December 7, 2007 ~ 3:00 – 5:00
December 8, 2007 ~ 12:00, 2:00, 4:00
December 9, 2007 ~ 2:00, 4:00, 6:00

Give a Little Love or a Book at Christmas
Former editor of McCall’s and Ladies’ Home Journal, Lenore Hershey once advised, “Do give books – religious or otherwise – for Christmas. They’re never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal.”  As you prepare for the Christmas season, Freshman Focus makes a great gift for the young adults in your family to read. 

Happy Holidays to you all!

April and May Save the Dates

April 14, 2007 in Greenville, North Carolina
The Pitt County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta will host a book signing from 2:30 – 4:00 PM at the Greenville Teen Center.  The address is 1703 E. 14th Street in Greenville, NC.

May 5, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia
On Saturday, May 5th, the Stone Mountain Lithonia Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta will host “A Good Book and A Glass of Wine” from 3 – 6 PM.  A literary event and wine tasting featuring Delta authors, the event is open to the public and there is no admission charge.  “A Good Book and a Glass of Wine” will be held at Vino Libro and the address is 933 Garrett St in Atlanta, Georgia.

May 19, 2007 in Syracuse, New York
The Syracuse Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta will host its 31st annual May Week luncheon on Saturday, May 19, 2007 at 11:30 AM at the Doubletree Hotel located at Carrier Circle in Syracuse, New York.  The luncheon will raise the consciousness of young people about the importance of higher education and scholastic achievement as well as to honor women who make significant contributions in Syracuse.  Also, the luncheon will recognize Delta authors and feature a book signing.

Mark your calendars!  If you are in the area, I hope to see you there.

The Clique & Awareness Magazine

Happy Women’s History Month

Where there is a woman, there is magic. ~ Ntozake Shange

Women have broken through the glass ceiling, and they’re now more and more in the power seats. ~ Aretha Franklin

The Clique

In February, I was interviewed by fellow young adult author Paula Chase, author of So Not the Drama.  Check out the interview in the Clique Lounge.  Find out which character from Freshman Focus enters a Celebrity Death Match with the main character from another book.  Read who I would like to see cast as the main characters in the movie version of Freshman Focus.  Get the inside scoop as to what type of shoe I am.

Awareness Magazine

In February, I was approached by James Lisbon, publisher of Awareness Magazine, to promote my book in the New York City area as well as help the Awareness Magazine Intern Program which is a program that introduces young adults to the magazine industry through a summer intern program.  I agreed and am now an Author Helping Our Youth and it has provided me another promotional opportunity as well as contributing to a program that helps our youth explore career opportunities in the media related fields.

R.A.W. Sistaz

If you are a cyberspace nomad as well as a book lover, you have heard of R.A.W. Sistaz (Reading and Writing Sistaz) which is an online book club started in 2000.  Not only are they a book club, but they are also book reviewers through four different newsletters.  They’ve been featured in Essence magazine as well as Black Expressions catalog. I recently submitted my information to be featured among the spotlighted authors on their website.  Check it out!

Movin’ on Up

In January and February, I contacted many libraries and Upward Bound programs as well as chapters in my sorority to introduce them to Freshman Focus with the hopes that many would be interested enough to read it and consider adding it to their library collections or implementing it within Upward Bound programs or the chapters’ youth mentoring groups.  I am happy to report that several have expressed an interest and are reading it now to decide if Freshman Focus is right for them. 

However, the first library to add Freshman Focus to their shelves is the Cuyahoga County Public Library in Ohio.  If you recall, I spoke at the Warrensville Heights branch in February.  Their staff embraced the book and recommended that it be added to several branches.  For those in Cuyahoga County, look for Freshman Focus on a library shelf near you soon.  Take a picture of it and e-mail it to me please!

The Divine Literary Tour

On Saturday, March 3, 2007, along with three other authors, I traveled to Athens, Georgia to have a panel discussion with the NPHC at the University of Georgia.  We met with approximately fifty college students and addressed issues that relate to fraternity and sorority relationships, effectiveness in the community, and collaboration within the NPHC.  If you are interested in having the Divine Literary Tour speak at your school, please let me know and I can forward your information to the tour coordinator.

Book Reviews

If you’ve read Freshman Focus and feel comfortable writing a review for Amazon or Barnes & Noble, please do so.  The reviews from other readers are critical and attract prospective readers.  Currently, there is one review and it is getting lonely for some company so I would really appreciate it if you would do that for me.

Reminders

Add newsletter@carlasarratt.com to your e-mail address book to insure delivery of the newsletters to your e-mail inbox.

If you are interested in having me do an appearance or book signing in your area, e-mail me.

The previous newsletters as well as recommended reading for teenagers are now available on the website.

Divine Literary Tour Announcement

Happy Black History Month!

You all have been phenonmenal in your support of Freshman Focus.  Many of you have purchased a copy, read it, told me how much you like the book, and told others to buy it as well.  For that, I say thank you!  A thousand thank yous for your support!

On February 2, 2007, I was fortunate to speak at my alma mater, Warrensville Heights High School.  It was great to see so many of my former teachers and thank them for their years of service as well as speak to the present students and encourage them to work hard in school.  On February 3, 2007, I participated in  the Black Family Literacy Day at the Warrensville Heights Public Library which is the library that I visited many times as a child and one day soon my own book could be on the library’s shelves.  Thanks to all who braved the freezing cold temperatures and came out to hear me speak and purchase a copy of the book!

In preparation for my appearances at the high school, I created a list of recommended reading for teenagers.  It is not meant to be a definitive list and I will add to it every so often, but I thought it would be helpful for our young adults and those who enjoy young adult fiction to have as a guide when they go to the library and/or bookstores.  If you are interested in the list, e-mail me and I will send you the list as a Microsoft Word attachment.

I have some fabulous news to share with you all and then it is back to writing the second book of the series.

As many of you know, I am a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  I was initiated on April 5, 1997 and joined the ranks of phenomenal women like Shirley Chisholm, Dr. Dorothy I. Height, Lena Horne, Nikki Giovanni, Patricia Roberts Harris, Frankie Freeman, and the list goes on and on.

In December 2006, I saw an e-mail mentioning The Divine Literary Tour which is a tour for authors who are members of the Divine 9.  The Divine 9 is the nickname for the NPHC fraternities and sororities:  Alpha Phi Alpha (1906), Alpha Kappa Alpha (1908), Kappa Alpha Psi (1911), Omega Psi Phi (1911), Delta Sigma Theta (1913), Phi Beta Sigma (1914), Zeta Phi Beta (1920), Sigma Gamma Rho (1922), and Iota Phi Theta (1963).

I applied in December and was accepted to be a part of The Divine Literary Tour.   As authors, we travel the country promoting our books and doing community service together in the cities that we visit.  We’ll be on college campuses, at middle and high schools, fraternity and sorority conferences and conventions, and a host of other places.

So look for me in your city one day soon!  I’ll post the tour engagements that I will be at, but I encourage you to support the Divine Literary Tour as much as you can.  Visit the site and meet the other authors who will be on tour.  Each of us has a website that you can explore and learn more about our endeavors.

Expressions of Blackness

As a reminder, on Saturday, February 17, 2007, I will be speaking at the East 131st St. branch library in Cleveland, Ohio at 2:00PM. 

Today’s Black Facts

For those of you who have read the book, you know that each chapter starts with the Black History facts for the respective day.  Everyday I receive the Black History facts for the respective day as well. 

Today in Black History – February 10
1868 – Republican conservatives draft new constitution which concentrates political power in the hands of the governor and limits the impact of the Black vote.  This is made possible by Conservatives, aided by military forces, who seize the convention hall and establish control over the reconstruction process in Florida.

1927 – Mary Leontyne Violet Price (a member of Delta Sigma Theta), who will be acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest operatic talents, is born in Laurel, Mississippi.  She will amass many operatic firsts, being the first African American to sing opera on network television and the first African American to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  Among her honors will be the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal, three Emmys, and Kennedy Center Honors.

1939 – Roberta Flack (a member of Delta Sigma Theta) is born in Black Mountain (Asheville), North Carolina. She will begin her professional singing career in Washington, DC. She will go on to win Grammys for “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” “Where Is the Love,” and  ”Killing Me Softly with His Song.”

1942 – Mary Lovelace O’Neal is born in Jackson, Mississippi.  Educated at Howard and Columbia universities, she will become a professor of fine arts and a painter who will exhibit her work in museums in the United States, Morocco, and Chile.

1943 – Eta Phi Beta, the national business and professional sorority, is incorporated in Detroit, Michigan.  It will have chapters throughout the United States and number among its members civil rights activist Daisy Bates and artist Margaret T. Burroughs.

1945 – The United States, Russia, Great Britain, and France approve a peace treaty with Italy, under which Italy renounces all rights and claims to Ethiopia and Eritrea.

1945 – The Chicago Defender reports that over a quarter of a million African Americans migrated to California during the years 1942 and 1943.  As the percentage of African Americans in California increases from 1 1/2% to more than 10% of the total population, so does the practice of racial segregation.

1971 – Bill White becomes the first African American major league baseball announcer when he begins announcing for the New York Yankees.

1989 – Ronald H. Brown, who had served as Jesse Jackson’s campaign manager, becomes chairman of the Democratic National Committee, the first African American to hold the position in either party.

1990 – South African President, Frederik Willem de Klerk announces that Nelson Mandela will be set free on February 11th after 27 years in prison.

1992 – Alex Haley, author of “Roots,” and “Autobiography of Malcolm X,” joins the ancestors while on a lecture tour in Seattle, Washington at the age of 70.
1992 – Mike Tyson is convicted in Indianapolis, Indiana of raping a contestant in the Miss Black America competition and sentenced to six years in an Indiana prison.

1998 – Dr. David Satcher (a member of Omega Psi Phi) is confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become Surgeon General.

Today in Black History – February 11  
1783 – The first woman to preach in an AME church, at Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia, Jarena Lee, is born in Cape May, New Jersey.  She will chronicle her life’s work in her book, ”Religious Experiences and Journal of Mrs. Jarena Lee : A Preachin’ Woman” (1849).  Jarena Lee will be one of first African American women to speak out publicly against slavery.

1790 – The Society of Friends (Quakers) presents a petition to Congress calling for the abolition of slavery.

1933 – Lois Gardella becomes the original “Aunt Jemima.”

1958 – Mohawk Airlines schedules Ruth Carol Taylor on her initial flight from Ithaca, New York to New York City.  She becomes the first African American flight attendant for a United States-based air carrier.

1961 – Robert Weaver (a member of Omega Psi Phi) becomes the highest-ranking African American in the federal government as he is sworn in as administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency.
1966 – Willie Mays signs with the San Francisco Giants for $ 130,000 a year.  At the time, this is one of the highest salaries in professional baseball.
1977 – Clifford Alexander, Jr. (a member of Omega Psi Phi) is confirmed as the first African American Secretary of the Army.  He will hold the position until the end of President Jimmy Carter’s term.
1977 – Lieutenant Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam is named head of state in Ethiopia.  He will rule Ethiopia and be backed by the Soviet government until he loses the civil war in 1991 to the forces supporting Meles Zenawi.
1989 – Rev. Barbara Clementine Harris becomes the first woman consecrated as a bishop in the Episcopal Church, in a ceremony held in Boston.
1990 – Nelson Mandela is released from prison after being held for nearly 27 years without trial by the South African government.  The founder and unofficial leader of the African National Congress,  Mandela became, during his imprisonment, a symbol for the struggle of black South Africans to overcome apartheid.

1990 – James “Buster” Douglas defeats Mike Tyson in a stunning upset in Tokyo to win the heavyweight boxing championship. Almost two years later to the day, Tyson will be convicted of rape and two related charges filed by a Miss Black America contestant in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Reminders

Add newsletter@carlasarratt.com to your address book to insure it is delivered to your e-mail inbox.

If you have missed any of the previous newsletters, you can read the archives on the website under the Contact Carla section.

Visit me at my MySpace page.  You will find a lot of authors, especially fellow young adult authors on my friends list.

Newsletter 2.5

Greetings Everyone! 

It has been a wonderful week celebrating the release of my book Freshman Focus.  Thanks to all of you for your encouraging e-mails, phone calls, and guestbook messages! 

This week I also confirmed that I will be speaking to English classes at Warrensville Heights High School which is my alma mater, and Glenville High School on February 2, 2007.

I am writing this newsletter because the newsletter sent on Saturday, January 6, 2007 has not been received by many of the mailing list subscribers.  For many of you, it was delivered to your SPAM or Bulk folders instead of your Inbox.  To avoid that happening, I ask that you add newsletter@carlasarratt.com to your e-mail address book so that it can be properly delivered to your e-mail inbox.  From now on all newsletters will be titled Carla Sarratt Newsletter and the date.

For those who have not received the two newsletters sent so far, I have provided the links for you to read:

November Newsletter sent Sunday, November 26, 2006 http://forward-to-friend.com/tell_friend.phtml?cid=mmIBGfWb6e

January Newsletter sent Saturday, January 6, 2007 http://forward-to-friend.com/tell_friend.phtml?cid=YyOnPNLI1I

If at any time you no longer wish to be on the mailing list anymore and therefore not receive any of the newsletters, please use the unsubscribe link at  the bottom of the respective e-mails.

I sincerely thank you for your support and encouragement and look forward to meeting many of you as I travel the country promoting the book.