I'm Back . . . From Cleveland . . .

I'm still recuperating from the eight days I spent in Cleveland. Given that there was no snow on the ground nor a frigid chill in the air, I had a lovely time (smile). I reunited with a number of old friends, met some new ones and sold plenty of books. Next week, if all goes as planned, I'll share a few of the pictures from my various events.

I'd like to extend a special thanks to all of the folks who came out and supported my efforts as well all of the kind and generous people who hosted my events and assisted with publicity and promotion. The latter list includes the following individuals: Christina Dziak (PR & Events Coordinator, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Legacy Village); Mary Oluonye & Waly Sene (owners of SeneAfrique Trading Company); Elayne Jackson (Public Services Assistant, Cuyahoga County Public Library); Emanuel Carpenter (writer, reviewer and all-around cool guy) and Rhonda Crowder (General Assignment Reporter, Call & Post).

All of my Cleveland events included a discussion segment and in the coming days, I hope to share some of the comments and insights I gained, not only about my novel (After The Dance), but reading, readers and African American Literature in general.

Emanuel Carpenter, who did an excellent job of giving voice to "Carl" at the public library event in Warrensville, posed a question that I don't think I answered properly during the discussion portion of my library event. His question was, "What do you miss the most about Cleveland?" In truth, I could write a book about what I don't miss about living in Cleveland (LOL) and I think I said as much, BUT there a number of things I do sincerely miss about the area. I'll share exactly what those things are in a future post. If anyone cares to guess, feel free to give it a shot. But I doubt if you'll succeed or even come close.

For those with an interest in knowing where I plan to turn up next, check out the sidebar on the right where you'll find a list of my upcoming events.

A Bit Of Love . . . For My Cleveland Crew . . .

I guess I started something with my previous post (smile). Late last week, I received an email from Elayne Jackson, my contact at the Warrensville Branch of the Cuyahoga Public Library. Among other things, she informed me that nearly all of the 50 or so copies of After The Dance owned by the Cuyahoga Public Library had been checked out. This past Saturday I checked CPL's online catalog for myself and discovered a grand total of 53 copies of my book had been checked out.

WOW! I can only hope the apparent interest in After The Dance translates into folks showing up for the reading/discussion/signing of the novel scheduled for Saturday, 2pm, July 26, 2008 at the Warrensville Public Library (call 216-464-5280 for more information) as well as the other two promotional events currently planned for my Cleveland visit (Thursday, 7pm, July 24 at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Legacy Village Shopping Center and Friday, 6pm, July 25 at SeneAfrique).

If you live in the Cleveland area and you're in need of an extra incentive to attend the Warrensville Library event, well, check this out--I won't be reading alone. No, stepping forward to read the part of "Carl" (from After The Dance) is none other than Cleveland native, Emanuel Carpenter.

In addition to being an Air Force Veteran and a Capital University graduate, Mr. Carpenter is a talented author in his own right. Little Brown, The Midwest Book Review, Forest Wade Press and African American Literature Book Club (AALBC) have all featured and/or published his work. Regulars of this blog might also recognize Emanuel Carpenter as someone who drops by the "Old School Mix" every now and then in order to contribute a bit of his wisdom and wit.

Elayne and Emanuel are just a few of the Cleveland folks I'd like to extend a heartfelt thanks for their on-going kindness, generosity of spirit and interest in my work. Equally deserving of props and acknowledgement for their tireless efforts on my (and my novel's) behalf, particularly with regards to my/our upcoming Cleveland visit, are folks like Sharon J., RadioGirl, and Mary Oluonye.

One of the best things about this journey has been the opportunity to join forces and or/reconnect with folks who share my joy, delight and reverence for the beauty and the power of the written word. Yes, it's all good, y'all (smile).