A Little Celebration

Hi All,

 

Gail here.  I'm celebrating my birthday this week, and while that alone is cause for celebration and the pleasurable eating of lots of red velvet cake, I want to share the blessing.  Before you call me vain, just know that in my life outside of books, I am a Wellness / Fitness Specialist, and I take the business of health very seriously.  On that note, I want to share the gift of health.  Come join me on Sunday, November 4th at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.  I will be there, participating in the Kiss Diabetes Goodbye event, taking blood pressure readings. 

 

The event will be held in the Multi-purpose Room of the church (directly behind the main sanctuary).   The address is:
 6400 Woodrow Road
 Lithonia, GA 30038
770.696.9600

This event is a wonderful opportunity to get to know not only your b/p, but your cholesterol and Body Mass Index (bmi) numbers.  Other information, like AIDS testing and a wide range of other screenings and support activities including diet and exercise, will also be available.  Free and open to the community, this is a great chance to get to know your numbers.

 

And to say Happy Birthday to me!

 

www.newbirth.com
  

Steppin' Out GA Peach Style!

Today's the day that the GA Peach Authors are stepping out for the Atlanta For Sisters Only event at the Georgia World Congress Center.  We will be taking the FSO stage in the McDonald's  V-103 "Sip and Sign Lounge" from 12-2pm.  We won't be hard to find:  we'll be the ones wearing black because its chic and talking books because we love a good read.

 

Come take a picture with us, get in on the chat, maybe find out what's happening with your favorite characters, and have a good time.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Have You Marked Your Calendar?

Just a quick reminder -- and we're only telling friends and family (you already know which one YOU are)... 

The GA Peach Authors, aka The Housewives of Literature: Atlanta are on the road again in September at FOR SISTERS ONLY.  We're gearing up and getting ready to talk books, plots, drama, and... more drama, just the way you like it!  We're hoping that you've made plans to join us on Sunday, September 16 from 12-2pm in the McDonalds Sip and Sign Lounge at the Georgia World Congress Center. 

Looking for more information?  Visit the event website:  http://v103.cbslocal.com/fso-2012/, tweet the event at #V103FSO21, or visit the GA Peach Authors on Facebook.

But most importantly, show up, say hello, and join us for a GREAT time!

 

We Survived!

The GA Peach Authors are breathing a collective sigh of relief today -- we have just survived our very first Vignette Buffet and Benefit! 

Clamping down on our nerves, we stood tall and proud, tried not to clutch our pearls, and watched our work roll out onto the stage at the Green Room Actors Lounge last night.

Trusting in prayer and the love of our friends, families, and a crew of talented actors, we stood together and watched characters from Hot Girlz, Ace of Hearts, Diary of A Stalker, and Doing BIG Things come to life.  The process of getting to this point has been so much more involved than any of us could have envisioned when we began this journey together.

It would take so much more space and time than we have here to list all of the lessons that we've learned along the way, but like I said, we made it!  All in all, it was a memorable experience for all involved, and we GA Peaches know that we have just taken another HUGE step on the path of our writing journey.

Thanks for all the support!

   

 

Here We Go!

Hard to believe, but TONIGHT's the night!  In the immortal words of Kool and The Gang, "It's ladies night," and the GA Peach Authors are ready to shine.  If you haven't already heard, we hope that you'll consider this your invitation to join us tonight at the Green Room Actors Lounge, here in Atlanta, for the Vignettes Buffet and Benefit. 

We've turned scenes from our novels into stage productions and will also be signing books to benefit Actors for Autism.  Event attendees will also be able to enjoy the cool and sultry ambiance of the Green Room and an amazing buffet supper prepared by Chef Shelia of Cookin' With Flava'.

If you can't make it to the Green Room and want to support our charity or congratulate us, you can now do so via live streaming! Just buy a $5.00 congratulatory message ticket. There's also a $10.00 ticket for businesses that want to run an ad for the evening.  Both will stream live on the Green Room's website and on Facebook. When you buy a streaming ticket, you will be emailed with details on how to proceed.

We're excited, and hope to see YOUR face in the place!

  

  

One of Atlanta's Peaches Heads North!

Soul Pitt Media Presents
"MEET THE AUTHORS"
Saturday, April 28, 2012
@ Hill House Kaufmann Center

If you are a published author, editor, publisher or other literary professional and would like to participate
or submit book promotional items email bonita penn at
soulpitte2@gmail.com

Now in its 4th year, Soul Pitt’s
"Meet the Authors" event promises to be an intellectually stimulating networking affair!

Featuring authors, publishers and editors and to celebrate National Poetry Month there will be a group of talented Pittsburgh poets there to share their poetry. Light refreshments will be served.

Come and enjoy the readings and then stick around
to meet authors and purchase their books.

--- Get Inspired to Write Your Book! ---

---Get Tips from the Professionals! ---

---Connect with local publishers & book coaches! ---

-- Learn ways to promote your book online --

FEATURED AUTHOR:

D.L. SPARKS

Soul Pitt Media's 4th "Meet the Authors" EventDate: Saturday, April 28, 2012
Time: 3:00 PM until 6:00 PM - Tickets $15.00

Hill House Kaufmann Center1825 Centre Avenue | Pittsburgh, PA 15219

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3111230775

Save the Date - July 28, 2012

Terri Vaughn’s Green Room Actors’ Lounge and the Georgia Peach Authors are proud to present The Vignettes Buffet.

Local readers, actors, artists and authors are invited to come out and meet celebrity guests. You will share an evening of good food and great live performances based on the writings of the Real Housewives of Literature: Atlanta

Raffles, a silent auction and more will round out the evening. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Take Wings Foundation and Color My Mind.

The Georgia Peach Authors novels will be on sale.

We're excited and as soon as we have more details, we'll let you know.

6 Reasons Atlanta Made Amazon.com Top 20 Most Well Read Cities in America List

This summer Amazon.com announced its list of the Top 20 Most Well-Read Cities in America. Atlanta placed 20.

Why did Atlanta make the list?

1.  Vibrant Book Club Culture

Atlanta has a vibrant reading culture. In every county you can find bookclubs meeting in libraries, coffee shops, winebars and hosting their own events. RAWSISTAZ Book Club has its annual RAW Affair in September, the National Book Club Conference meets here every year in July, and many more.

 

2.  Book Events Galore!

a. The AJC Decatur Book Festival is the  largest independent book festival in the country. Last year some of the most popular authors in the country were there like Jonathan Franzen and Emily Giffin. (Shameless plug. You can meet me[Miranda Parker] there this year. The DBF doesn’t just work the 3 day Book Festival it hosts year round literary events. This month they hosted a dinner with NYT Bestseller Kim Severson.

b. The Georgia Center of the Book is the state affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Dekalb County Library is its host and sponsor. It funds some of the best literary events in the city. June is going to be an incredible month with Tayari Jones and  Mary Doria Russell visiting.

3. Reading and Reader Hot Spots.

I’ve spent many date nights at Barnes & Noble Peachtree Starbucks.  The Grounds Coffeehouse is a nice place to listen to author readings.  The now gone Vino Libro (Wines and Books) was a great hot spot for readers and wine connoisseurs. There are also nice spots for poetry reading and spoken word artists like Hank Stewart’s White Linen Affair.

4. Popular Authors in Resident

• Emily Giffin
• Pearl Cleage
• Kathryn Stockett
• Joshilyn Jackson
• W. Dale Cramer
• Natasha Trethewey
• Karen White
• Karin Slaughter
• Jelani Cobb

5. Independent Bookstore Haven

Atlanta also houses nationally recognized independent bookstores like:

• Foxtale Bookshoppe
• Blue Elephant
• Outwrite
• Charis
• Medu
• Little Shop of Horrors
• Eagle Eye
• Acapella,
• to name a few

6. Strong Reading Initiatives

a. Atlanta’s R.E.A.L. Men Read is a great organization and mentoring program for Atlanta Public Schools

b. Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta is an organization that assists with adults with learning to read.

I’m sure other cities have a great reading culture. These are just my reasons why Atlanta made the list. What should I add?

To Read More  about Amazon’s Top 20 Most Read American Cities list Click  here.