Life is a basket and then you die....

Publishing comes to a grinding halt during the last sweltering weeks of summer. The powers that be take the month of August off - leaving us authors twiddling our thumbs until the day after Labor Day when editors and agents schlep back into the office, right their glasses on the bridges of their noses, and begin to make their way through the hundreds of emails that most probably include book proposals from authors like myself.

In the meantime I pass the time by distracting myself with all sorts of things. One particularly pleasant distraction is the cover art for my novel Glorious. Currently I am infatuated with these two:






I'm a Libra and we tend to have difficulty making decisions, so please take the time to look right and cast your vote for jacket #1 or #2. Your opinion is important to me!

Last night I went to see RUINED for the second time this year. And it was just as wonderful as the first time. Condola Rashaad - daughter of Phylicia Rashaad, plays the "ruined" Sophie in the story.

Condola will not remember this, she was barely two years old when we first kinda-sort-met in the elevator of the "30 Rock" building. This was when her mother was the reigning Queen of television on the hit series The Cosby Show. Anyway, I was in the elevator and Phyllicia Rashaad stepped on. She was carrying a sleepy Condola in her arms. I was standing at the back of the elevator when Condola's eyes rolled open and she peered at me for a moment before offering me a little smile, which I responded to with my own smile and wave.

Fast forward to 2000 and I receive an email from Debbie Allen (Condola's Aunt). Lydia Grant wanted to meet me?!!! Who didn't love Debbie's character as the dance instructor from the popular television series FAME!

Debbie had recently read SUGAR and was interested in acquiring the film rights. We met and had a divine time together. The deal never came to fruition - but that's Hollywood, right?

Fast forward to 2009 and I am sitting in the theater watching Condola Rashaad wow us with her singing and acting abilities.

*shaking my head at this wonderous life*

Our lives are woven baskets, the roads we take, mere reeds that continuously intersect, overlap, drawing us closer together.

If you haven't already had the pleasure of experiencing RUINED -- you've got just 4 days left to try and do so. But if you miss it - you can purchase a copy of the play online or at your local bookstore.



And for those Kindle users out there - my novella Keeper of Keys is now available for your reading pleasure.......