Dynamic South Florida Book Festival on July 26 and 27, 2013 at AARLCC

South Florida Book Festival
South Florida Book Festival
South Florida Book Festival

Dynamic South Florida Book Festival on July 26 and 27, 2013 at AARLCC

BROWARD COUNTY, FL – Talented and popular African-American writers and two historic sports celebrities are heading to Fort Lauderdale on Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27, 2013 for the South Florida Book Festival hosted by the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC) and sponsored by the Urban League of Broward County and the Friends of the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center.

Friday’s events begin with noted mystery writer Angela Henry conducting a workshop on how to write mystery stories from 2 to 4 p.m.—there is a $10 donation for her event and only 20 seats available. RSVP with Darcia Scates at (954) 357-6170, dscates@browardlibrary.org.

Then on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m., for a $20 donation, there will be an opportunity to mix and mingle with the county’s most influential and entertaining authors. There will be hors d’oeuvres and wine, of and live jazz, compliments of the Urban League plus the gift of an autographed book from one of the authors. Register at http://eveningwithstars.eventbrite.com or pay in cash or check at the door.

    Saturday, July 27 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., is family day. Former Miami Heat star Tim Hardaway will join the legendary basketball player Earl the Pearl Monroe; who will talk about his book, Earl the Pearl My Story.

The morning session of the book festival will feature Christian fiction authors ReShonda Tate Billingsley, S. James Guitard and Victoria Christopher Murray. The theme of their talk is: “Scandalous: Meet the Villains, Heroes and Heroines of Contemporary African-American Fiction.” ReShonda Tate Billingsley is the national bestselling author of 21 titles (eight adult novels, eight teen novels, one non-fiction, three anthologies and one poetry book). S. James Guitard is the author of four national best-selling books in a row. His first book, Chocolate Thoughts, has consistently been rated one of the nation’s best African-American books and has appeared on numerous bestseller lists. Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of nine Essence bestselling novels. Her first novels in her Christian fiction teen series – The Divine Divas – were published and were optioned to become a television series. She is currently in negotiations for her novel, The Ex Files, to become a movie.

Saturday afternoon of the festival will feature New York Times’ best-selling Urban Fiction authors Wahida Clark and Mary B. Morrison. Their theme is “Make Your Book Your Business.”

Wahida Clark created the Thug Love Fiction sub-genre of street lit. She was the first street lit author to write a series. She spent nine and a half years in prison and was then released into a halfway house. She is now vice president of a non-profit organization called the Prodigal Sons and Daughters Redirection Service, which is a re-entry program for convicts and ex-cons.

In 1999, Mary “HoneyB” Morrison left her job with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to become a writer. She wrote and self-published her first novel, Soul Mates Dissipate which quickly became an Essence national best-seller. Miss Morrison has written more than 50 novels.

Another category of writers featured at the South Florida Book Festival is Women Writers of Haitian Descent featuring authors Marie Ketsia Theodore-Pharel, Mahalia Solages, Michele-Jessica Fievre and Joanne Hyppolite. Marie Ketsia Theodore-Pharel writes children’s books and short stories; Mahalia Solages authors picture books and women’s fiction; Michele-Jessica Fievre writes mystery novels and children’s books in French; and Joanne Hyppolite is a museum curator in Miami and author of children’s novels and short stories.

The serene and gracious A.K. Tosu is an international educator and author. Through his teachings on Transformative Thinking, Tosu helps people confront and connect to constructive solutions to real life issues on culture and diversity, leadership, human relations, and conflict management. His popular book, Proverbs of Alkebu-Lan: A Collection of Wisdom for Generations – Book 1, is a reference guide that helps people learn life-empowering lessons taught through ancestral proverbs.

Also on Saturday, there will be a presentation by Jamaican author, editor and publisher Suzette Farquharson-Morgan, president of FarMor Group, Inc.  A native of Kingston, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Florida and a Master’s in Communication from the University of Central Florida. In 2002, she stepped out on faith to write her first book, Living Testimonies, which she self-published in 2005 through her company, FarMor Publishing. For more information, visit www.farmorgroupinc.com or call (321) 460-8558.

For more information, call the South Florida Book Festival of the AARLCC at (954) 357-6209. The library is located at 2650 Sistrunk Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The general information phone number is (954) 357-6210.

 

About Carma Henry 24481 Articles
Carma Lynn Henry Westside Gazette Newspaper 545 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Office: (954) 525-1489 Fax: (954) 525-1861

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