I can’t wait to share with you my new book deal news. But like a true child of Haitian immigrants, I don’t want to jinx things by speaking before the contract is signed. So suffice it to say, it’s exciting and it’s slated to come out in the Fall of 2009. 
What I am at liberty to gush about is my 15-minute stage play that has been selected as a finalist in the Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society’s annual “Famous for 15 Minutes” playwright contest. My play is titled “All in the Same Boat” and it’s a comedy about four guys living on a house boat.
That cartoon lightbulb floated over my big hair when my friend Karen told me that her sons live with two other guys on a house boat. I commented that their offbeat lifestyle sounded like fodder for a sitcom. Karen encouraged me to go with that thought. A week later, Karen drove me to said house boat. Her cool sons Christian and Nigel welcomed me aboard and gave me a tour of their floating digs. A few days later, I submitted the play to the BMDS, right before their deadline (in true just-in-time Debbie fashion). My play, along with that five other finalists (out of 26 entrants) were selected to be performed on stage!
Tonight is night #2 of the audition process. There’s so much stage talent in Bermuda–including director Nicole who has been assigned to take on “All in the Same Boat.” Despite the fabulous production, it is only the original script that stands to be judged by an anonymous US/UK/Canada theater professional. But I’m so not in it to win the grand prize. I’m just super thrilled to get to see the play performed in the theater. It’ll be amazing to watch the story come to life on stage! Yay!
June 2008
Wed 18 Jun 2008
Fri 6 Jun 2008
I’m back from Los Angeles, where this year’s Book Expo America (BEA) was held. I was excited to head out to see how the West coast worked their hosting game. Yes, our kind descended on La La land–authors, agents, publishers, librarians, book sellers, and book club members. Needless to say, with the NBA finals going on at the Lakers’ Staples Center home (across the street from the Convention Center, where the Expo was held), there were much hotter things a-poppin’ in downtown LA.
But whateva. We worked that.
This BEA, I had more time to take in the workshops, get a few autographed books, and browse the maze of exhibitors’ booths. I had my camera handy to snap those must-post-on-blog moments, like Magic Johnson’s keynote address at the African American Pavillion (Good speech re: his upcoming book about entrepeneurs revitalizing urban America.). But–horrors of all horrors–all my digital shots were deleted form my camera!! The airport security scanners must’ve zapped my 40+ photos into oblivion. As we say in old-skool East Orange, NJ-ese, I am so swoll!
Anyhow, I’ll try to paint a vivid enough picture for you:
First I must brag about my fabulous agent, Adrienne Ingrum. Not only does she turn heads with her natural sense of style, Adrienne makes things happen behind the scenes for the African-American publishing community. Back in 2004, she co-founded the BookExpo’s African-American Pavillion. She’s an amazing, compassionate woman. I’m proud of all her efforts and feel truly blessed to be her client. Here’s a shot we HALLWAY DIARIES co-authors took with Adrienne at last year’s BookExpo.
I hauled my heavy bag-full of books for what felt like a mile in search of exhibitors JUST US BOOKS. I simply had to meet the East Orange, NJ-based children’s publishing company. I truly admire that the company–headed by husband and wife team Wade and Cheryl Hudson–launched 20 years ago to offer African-American children a diversity of picture/chapter books, historical/non-fiction titles and novels. It was great meeting Mr. and Mrs. Hudson, who smiled pleasantly as I rambled on about our East Orange connection. I hung around to browse their books on display and found out that they’re publishing best-selling author Omar Tyree’s debut into children’s lit. The book is titled 12 BROWN BOYS and it’ll be out this Fall.
As if that wasn’t enough excitement in one booth, N. Joy, author of THE SECRET OLIVIA TOLD ME was on hand signing posters for passers by. Ms. Joy said that she wrote this story 14 years ago and was delighted with the book’s sweet success. In absence of her photo (which was also deleted), here is the shot of the book cover and its Coretta Scott King Book Award-recognized illustration by Nancy Devard.
On the YA front, Paul Ruditis was in da house autographing the next book in his DRAMA! series; Kwame Alexander signed off on CRUSH: LOVE POEMS; Alexie Sherman was on hand with copies of THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN; and Jay Asher was signing away copies of THIRTEEN REASONS WHY. I managed to get a signed copy of Alexa Young’s FRENEMIES. I also picked up advanced copies of Elizabeth Scott’s LIVING DEAD GIRL. In the way of celebrity authors with YA/young readers offerings, I snagged “Freaks and Geeks” creator Paul Feig’s IGNATIUS MACFARLAND: FREQUENAUT! and Whoopi Goldberg’s SUGAR PLUM BALLERINAS.
Last year’s BEA was a time of firsts for me—my first time attending the huge publishing event, and my first book signing of my first book (HALLWAY DIARIES). Another first for me with this BEA–my first time in Los Angeles. My ace gurlfriend Sophie flew in from London to explore LA with me. She works in media and, with her connections, we got to tour the Disney offices and back lot. Very cool. My favorite, though, was hanging out in Crenshaw. Sophie and I were told to check out artsy, boho-licious Leimert Park and its surroundings. LOVED it there. No photos/proof to share, but believe me–at the park, I really did make my way to the center of the drummer’s cypher and shake my hips to the rhythms.
Ask Sophie; she’ll tell you! (pout)