I Tweet, Therefore I Won

I have a confession:

I stopped reading ‘Urban Fiction’ because it was all beginning to become the same story. Either a drug dealer with a heart of gold who wanted to change his life, the single woman who was looking for love in all the wrong places, or the ballers who had it all seemed to be central to every plot.

Some will argue that most books are the same recycled story, but I know that when I dive into a book, I want to escape and at the same time feel like I was challenged and made to think.

I just wasn’t feeling that with books written by African Americans.

My bibliophile buddy Nakea Murray of The Literary Group had her annual Christmas party and introduced me to voices I had never heard before.

Tinesha Davis, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Victoria Christopher Murray, Allison Hobbs and Wahida Clark were the authors who presented their work to a group of women nibbling on snacks and sipping cider.

I was amazed that I had neglected such talent in my snobbishness. Excited by the fresh talent and with a plethora of books to read, I tried to make up for lost time.

The next book I devoured was Straight From Your Beat Gay Friend by Terrance Dean. This was another book I pooh-poohed because I was sucked into the Steve Harvey wave of women self help.

Mr Terrance Dean is no Steve Harvey! His writing is raw, honest, and reading his book it did feel like I had a gay best friend telling me to get my sh*t together.

Soon I followed him on Twitter and watched him promote his newest novel, Mogul.

I downloaded the book during a long meeting (shifty side eye) and was soon engrossed in the antics of Big A.T. and his rise to the top of the music game.

I like the convenience of reading from my mobile device, but it’s something about holding a traditional bound book and soaking in the tub, not worrying if my battery is dying, and just the way a new book smells and feels in my hands.

To make a long post shorter, I won an autographed copy of Mogul from a Twitter contest hosted by Dean and Bossip.com.

I’ll update once I have the book (meaning a picture of me grinning like crazy holding the book!).

Until then, I’m just tickled that I won!

~ Posted on the fly by Mrsrkfj