New Work!!! (A Short Story In Black Magnolias: A Literary Journal)

I’m pleased and proud to announce that my short story “Sunday Best” appears in the spring 2013 issue of Black Magnolias: A LiteraryJournal.

In addition to my short story, “Sunday Best,” the scholarly and creative offerings of professors, playwrights, filmmakers and talented poets, like my friend Margie Shaheed, also grace the pages of  the spring 2013 issue of Black Magnolias.

If you’re interested in reading my story, Margie’s poems, checking out some of the other work in the journal or simply showing support for a worthy literary endeavor, please consider purchasing the spring 2013 issue of Black Magnolias: A Literary Journal.  

Also, at some point, I will post an excerpt from my story, “Sunday Best.”  So, check back in later if you’re interested . . .

Treasure Vs. Clutter: A Battle & A Balancing Act

The other day, I watched a cute clip of Anderson Cooper teasing his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, about the storage unit she rents. He obviously thinks the rental is a waste of money and full of useless junk. I know a little something about that. Last weekend, I stopped by my own rental storage unit. I’m determined to empty it, but it’s a struggle.

I don’t think I’m a packrat (or God-forbid, a hoarder) as much as I am a frugal, overly sentimental “curator.” LOL. I mean really, who keeps old Sears Roebuck catalogs? Well, I have a couple, including the Holiday Wish Book from 1998. I also have a collection of Rolling Stone, Spin and other such mags with my boy Prince on the cover. Hey, I had it bad for Prince, back in the day. When the hubby suggested we trash the old microwave we’d packed away 5 years ago, my first thought was, well, maybe we could use it upstairs for popcorn and to heat water for coffee. In the end, I conceded it was probably time to let it go.

My books, I simply can’t trash, even though I know I’ll never read some of them ever again. Truly, it breaks my heart to see a book (even one I found less than enjoyable) in the garbage. I either have to find a place for them in the house or give them away.

What’s really been difficult is letting go of my son’s old toys, baby clothes, school projects, etc, but I’m starting to make a bit of progress in that area. Some items, specifically, anything torn, broken, stained, full of glitter, feathers, etc. or that makes me say, “What the heck is this?” I’ve actually thrown away. Also, after years of talking about it, I’ve finally completed one scrapbook and hope to start and finish a few more. But scrapbooking is a hobby I have to pursue with caution because it can easily become another source of clutter that requires, yikes, additional storage!

As much as my husband doesn’t want to hear this, there are a few things I doubt I’ll ever part with willingly. My grandmother’s old porch glider, for instance. No, it doesn’t glide any more. Yes, it’s rusted in some areas and no, we don’t even own a front porch big enough for it. But I’m keeping it. I’ll happily scrape the rust, slap on a coat of paint and find a nice spot for it some place in the backyard.

That glider was one of the first things I’d see when we’d pull up to my grandparents' house. I’d dare say, most of my aunts and uncles and all of my first cousins on my dad’s side of the family have, at some point, sat in that glider. The times that I sat there, laughing and joking with relatives, chatting with my M'Deah or just rocking and day-dreaming all by myself are too numerous to count. Call it hokey, or overly sentimental, if you want, but the truth is, whenever I look at the glider, I can’t help but smile and think happy thoughts. The last time I checked, happiness didn’t have a price or an expiration date. So, as long as my tendency to “curate” doesn’t earn me a visit from the health department or an invitation to star on a reality series, I think I’m good . . .

My Knotty Truths

If you're interested in learning more about my natural hair journey, do stop by Michele George's blog "The Knotty Truth." Recently, she asked me a series of hair related questions and posted my responses. So, if you'd like to know how I answered any of the following:

Where are you from and what is the natural scene like where you are from?

Did you transition to natural hair? If so, what were your experiences?

Did you have any support?

Has there been any differences in your life after going natural?

If you were stranded on a deserted island and had to choose three items for yourhair, what are three things you would have to have for your hair and why?

How do you maintain your hair?

What advice would you give someone who was thinking of going natural?

Has being natural inspired you to write?

Please visit Michele's blog

"The Knotty Truth"

for my responses.

A YouTube Review of After The Dance (by Lori Johnson)

Wow, a reader was kind enough to send me a YouTube clip of her review of my debut novel, After The Dance. Of course, she just earned herself a free, signed copy of my next novel, LOL!

YouTube Review of author Lori Johnson's debut novel

After The Dance

Listen Up! The audio version of A Natural Woman . . . is now available!

I'm happy to announce that the audio version of my 2nd novel, A Natural Woman, is now available via Griot Audio. I'm looking forward to hearing seasoned actress, Patricia R. Floyd, narrate Professor Aliesha Eaton and Dante's story. Ms. Floyd's acting credits include a part in Drumline and a reoccuring role in Law & Order, among others . . .

Want additional information?

SEE HERE!

(A Natural Woman is entry #12)

Black Women with Natural Hair - A Conversation with Denise Bolds on Blog Talk Radio

At 1pm (ET) on Wednesday, 2/10/10, I'm scheduled to speak with Denise Bolds about natural hair, Black women and my latest novel, A NATURAL WOMAN.

The conversation will occur on BlogTalkRadio. If you'd like to listen, please visit the following link . . .

A Natural Queen Black Women with Natural Hair Black Women Empowered 2/10/2010 - Denise Bolds on Blog Talk Radio

If you'd like to join the conversation or ask questions, the call in number is (347) 857-2381.

Staying Busy . . . Behind The Scenes

No, as of late, I haven't been blogging much. However, I am staying busy. I've started a new writing project and I spend the bulk of my free "online" time on Facebook (facebook.com/lori.johnson1).

Recently, I learned A Natural Woman was profiled in the December 2009 issue of BLACDetroit Magazine (see page 15 / BLACdetroit.com). It was both an honor and a thrill to see my novel featured on the same "Hot On The Shelf" page as the 35th Anniversary Edition of The Black Book and Amiri Baraka's latest--Razor.

I'm in the process of scheduling another blog radio interview and hope to share a few more of the details in the coming days. Also, I'm still taking submissions for the "Natural Woman: Our Hair, Our Stories" series. So, contact me if you're interested and please spread the word.

Give It Up For The Fellas!

If you listen to people they will attempt to convince you that men (African American men, in particular) don't read, buy books or attend book signings. I know better, if only because I've seen and experienced otherwise. The pictures below don't even capture all of the men who attended or stopped by my Memphis booksignings in December.

Johnnie Blue

Memphis, TN / December 2009

From Lori's Picture Collection

The gentleman dressed in red (Johnnie Blue) is someone I met last year at one of my signings for After The Dance. Even though he already had a copy of A Natural Woman, he made it his business to show up at my Waldenbooks signing just to chat. He's also a member of an all African American male book club, which is based in Memphis and meets regularly at the public library.

A young man buying a book for his girl.

Waldenbooks (Wolf-Chase Galleria)

Memphis, TN /December 2009

The gentleman dressed in yellow in the second picture was among the first that evening to stop and purchase a copy of A Natural Woman. He told me he was buying it for "his girl." I laughed and told him he must really be into this girl if he's still buying her gifts after Christmas. He smiled and told me he routinely bought her books as gifts and he got a lot of pleasure from doing so.

The earnestness I heard in his voice truly warmed my heart.

Lori & Mike

Waldenbooks (Wolf-Chase Galleria) / December 2009/ Memphis, TN

From Lori's Picture Collection

Lori & Eric's Crew

Waldenbooks (Wolf-Chase Galleria)

Memphis, TN / December 2009

From Lori's Picture Collection

Now, I will say, I do seem to be able to get more men to buy books in Memphis, TN than anywhere else. At this particular signing, I even had a gentleman of Asian descent stop and look at the cover of my book for a couple of seconds before disappearing. When he reappeared, he had his wife and their two adorable little girls with him. The gentleman not only wanted to buy a book, he also wanted me to take pictures with his girls. I think I know why. Interestingly enough, the Asian gentleman and his African American wife had produced two beautiful daughters who bore an uncanny resemble to the woman depicted on A Natural Woman's cover, thick, black head of hair and all.

Just An Overview . . . From My 2009 Mid-South December Book Signings

Yes, I'm back in Charlotte. Brought a cold back with me. But I wanted to post a few pics from my Memphis & Southaven events. I'll have to fill you in on the details later . . .

Damika is one of my favorite fans from the Mid-South Area.

From Lori's Picture Collection

Memphis / Dec. 2009

Me & my homegirl, Charlotte. We attended LeMoyne-Owen College together back in the day and we've been the best of friends ever since! From Lori's Picture Collection Books-A-Million / Southaven, MS / Dec. 2009 Stan is another one of my LeMoyne-Owen buds. He helped me read an excerpt from my debut novel, AFTER THE DANCE. He read Carl & I read Faye. Um, I'm not sure why I'm holding my mouth that way . . . Perhaps I'm still in "Faye" mode . . . From Lori's Picture Collection Books-A-Million /Southaven, MS / Dec. 2009

One of the readings Stan and I did together took place at his house.

We had a great time with the Page Turner's Book Club! From Lori's Picture Collection

Memphis, TN / Dec. 2009

Just in case you're wondering, my hair in these pic is unstraightened and chemical free. Thanks to Angela at Jazz It Up hair salon in Memphis, my hair is pulled back into flat-twists. So you see, I am still very much A Natural Woman . . .

HAPPY HOLIDAYS . . . I'M OFF HAVING A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Online Chat About A NATURAL WOMAN

One of my online buddies, Pamella Robinson, has generously offered to host an online discussion of my lastest novel, A NATURAL WOMAN.

The chat is scheduled for Saturday, December 12 at 5 pm eastern time ( 4 pm central). If you'd like to participate in the discussion, ask questions or make comments, all you need is an AOL account with a screen name (or an AIM account). To sign up for an account or to join the discussion, click on the following link:

A Natural Woman / Sat., Dec. 12, 5 pm est/ Online Discussion.

More Questions & Answers

Not long ago, author and playwright Vanessa Richardson participated in the Old School Mix's "Natural Women: Our Hair, Our Stories" series. Last week she invited me over to her spot, "The Certains One," for a bit of Q & A about A Natural Woman and my on-going journey as an author.

You can find the interview here.

If all goes as planned, tomorrow (Wed/Nov. 4) at 3pm central time, I will be hanging out with Pearl, The Hair Deva and doing a blogradio spot on her show Kinky Konversation.

New Interview

Hey, I'm off visiting with Katrina Spencer. Ms. Spencer is the author of Six O'Clock and she was kind enough to invite me over to her blog for a little Q &A. If you have a moment, why not join us? Katrina's spot is called

Curl Up & Write.

I hope to see you there!

Thursday Thirteen #46 . . . 13 People Who Share My Name

Have you ever “Googled” your name and been surprised by what you found? Chances are there’s at least one other person in the world who shares your name. I’ve stumbled upon a number of different Lori Johnsons in my online searches, many of them bright and talented individuals, like myself, and others I’d truly hate to be mistaken for (LOL). The following are some of the Lori Johnsons I’ve discovered online.

1) There’s at least one Lori Johnson who plays football. (Trust me, that’s not me. My running and tackling days are long behind me. Now, if you give me a good head start, I might be able to grab you and sit on you.)

2) From the looks of things, there’s an “outlaw” Lori Johnson who ran into some kind of legal trouble in the Dakotas. (Again, that’s not me. Even though, bizarrely enough, I did live in North Dakota as a teen and graduated from HS there. But my law-breaking days didn’t start until I got older and moved South.)

3) Evidently, there’s a Lori J. who starred in a $ex tape. (Or perhaps, that’s just wishful thinking on the part of someone aiming to blackmail me, LOL. If there is such a tape out there, I promise you Mom, I don’t know anything about it.)

4) There’s an Asian Lori Johnson who lives in my old hometown of Memphis and either sings in some choir or teaches Kindergarten. I can’t remember which. Possibly both.

5) Several of the Lori Johnsons out there are also authors. One of them writes paranormal fantasy about bears. (No, I’m not making this stuff up.)

6) Another Lori Johnson lives right here in Charlotte and works in banking. (I wonder if she’s ever Googled her name and wondered about some of the other Lori J.s, including me.)

7) There’s a Lori Johnson who not only shares my middle initial, but her middle name is very close to my own. (Equally as odd, I once met a woman named Lori whose brother has the same first name as my brother.)

8) One of the Lori Johnson’s out there is a musician. (One of these days I’m going to check out some of her tunes.)

9) A couple of the Lori Johnsons are real estate agents.

10) At least one lucky Lori Johnson knows a thing or two about cars and teaches other women how to handle themselves under the hood.

11) The Lori Johnson who works as an attorney holds the honor of being the first Lori Johnson I discovered online.

12) Another Lori Johnson works as an image consultant

13) Last, but not least, there’s an animal-loving (or perhaps slightly disturbed) Lori Johnson out there who is raising a monkey as a child.

In case you’re in doubt, I’m the Lori Johnson who writes oddball love stories for Kensington/Dafina. My second novel, A Natural Woman, is scheduled for publication in November.

Okay, now it's your turn. What are some of the stranger or funnier things you've discovered upon "Googling" your own name?

If you'd like to visit other

Thursday 13 Participants

BE MY GUEST!

Drum Roll Please . . . An excerpt of A Natural Woman by Lori Johnson

In A Natural Woman (scheduled for publication by Kensington/Dafina in November), a young professor's infatuation with the man who cuts and styles her hair sends her world spinning out of control.

A NATURAL WOMAN

by Lori Johnson

CHAPTER 1

Aliesha sucked in a deep breath and pushed open the door. A bell tinkled over her head and seven pairs of male eyes swiveled in her direction. As if on cue, the rhythmic licks and beats of a guitar and a pair of sticks on a set of drums suddenly filled the air. Not more than a second or two later, Johnnie Taylor screamed and launched into the first verse of "Who's Makin' Love?" Aliesha exhaled, smiled, and strutted forward. Beneath the surface of her brave mask lurked the hope that she hadn't made an incredibly egregious misstep. Today, rather than drive past Wally's Cool Cuts like she had for close to six months now, she'd decided to stop.

Don't You Want To Know What Happens Next?

If so, visit my website

www.lorijohnsonbooks.com

and read

Chapters 1 & 2.

You can also *pre-order* a copy of

A Natural Woman

via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and most of the major book carriers and outlets.

Praise For A Natural Woman (by Lori Johnson)

Essence bestselling author, Lonnice Brittenum Bonner was kind enough to make the following remarks about my soon-to-be released novel, A Natural Woman:

"A Natural Woman is not your staid, tired 'message novel' about the righteousness of Afrocentricity--

this is a juicy read with sexual intrigue, dish and a smart, chocolate-skinned heroine with coily, napptural hair that men can't seem to keep their hands out of . . . ."

Lonnnice Brittenum Bonner, author of Good Hair: For Colored Girls Who've Considered Weaves When The Chemicals Became Too Ruff and Nice Dreads.

Natural Women: Our Hair, Our Stories (Lori)

My Story

I'm a 40 some year old Black woman and like most in that particular demographic, I spent a large portion of my childhood wearing my hair like you see in the picture above--pressed and pig-tailed and on special occasions, pressed and curled.

Age 13 (or thereabouts) marked my first experience with a chemical relaxer. Hate to point a finger, but it was my mother's idea (smile). She had the best of intentions and put me in the hands of a capable beautician. Even so, I remember both the burn of the relaxer and my hair breaking off in the weeks thereafter.

Me, my cousins and our M'Deah.

I'm the tall one with the lipstick and earrings (smile).

High School is when I first started wearing my hair in a natural or what some call an "afro." I'm not sure why, but I've never liked the term "afro." My preference for describing my hair when it is unrelaxed, unchemically altered or unstraightened is "natural."

I like wearing my hair natural--always have and I've never viewed it as any sort of fashion or overt political statement. To be honest, it's just who I am and how I've long viewed myself--as a natural woman.

Yes, since becoming an adult, I have worn my hair straightened and relaxed. Versatility and change make life all the more interesting is my personal philosophy. In the picture above, I'm rocking a curl . . Uh-huh, as in Jheri, thank you every much. Mine, I'd like to think, was kinda cute. In any case, it was a phase and those were the days.

In the picture below, I'm sporting a short, relaxed look, not unlike the style I wore until my family's relocation from Memphis to the Cleveland area in 2001.

After a series of less then positive experiences with hairstylists, hard water and rough winter weather in the Cleveland area, I decided the time had come for me to revert to what I know and manage best--my natural roots.

Me and my twists.

Even after moving back down South to Charlotte, North Carolina, where I currently reside, I stayed natural. Typically, I'm a twists (see above), twist-outs or a full out 'fro kind of girl.

On occasion, I will flat-iron or press

my hair (see pic on right) but I haven't

chemically altered my hair in years and I don't foresee doing so any time soon.

(Believe it or not, my hair in the

picture on the right is shorter than

the picture above. I got it flat-ironed

in order to get my ends cut.)

Why fear it or fight it? It's natural . . .

Just a bit untwisted . . .

Look for me to share a little bit more about my natural hair journey in the coming days, but in the meantime, I'll be sharing the stories of some friends and aquaintances--all of whom, like me, consider themselves "natural women."

A Natural Woman by Lori Johnson . . . Coming Soon!

Dr. Aliesha Eaton is a young anthropology professor who seemingly has it all--a nice teaching gig, a respected role in her church and an adoring boyfriend. However, while searching for the right someone to cut and style her natural hair, she finds herself drawn to a dark, handsome, mysterious barber, named Dante. Unfortunately, Dante's complete disappearance within hours of their first night together leaves Aliesha wondering if he'd been out to play her from the start, or if he's become a victim of foul play at the hands of either her spruned boyfriend, or . . . . yet another man from her recent past.

A Natural Woman contains a hint of mystery and a touch of the paranormal, and is scheduled for release by Kensington/Dafina in November of 2009.

Feel free to preorder a copy via Amazon today!

Preorder via Amazon

Check This Out . . .

The following is a link to my most recent interview . . .

An EDC Creations Interview with Lori Johnson

Hold Up, Wait A Minute! A FREE Audio Sample of After The Dance . . .

I guess I started tooting my horn a little too soon (see previous post) because today I discovered the audio version of After The Dance is now available via Amazon.com.

The actors (Caroline Clay & Ezra Knight) who read the work do an EXCELLENT job. If you'd like to listen, a FREE audio sample is available HERE. (Just press the listen button and you'll hear both Carl & Faye at no charge).

Now, if you're interested in purchasing the download, Amazon is runing a promotional special for only $29.79!

Wow! I've never been a big fan of audio books, but now that I've heard a sample, you know I can't wait to listen to mine (LOL). Oh, and I absolutely LOVE the cover on the audio version. No, it's not how I picture the characters, but it conveys so much warmth and tenderness. Beautiful! Job well done!