Local authors launch socially conscious novel ‘Faded Diamonds’ at the AARLCC for National Mentoring Month
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Co-authors Camille Burke, Stacey Pacouloute, and Mellissa Thomas are hosting a book talk to launch their Faded Diamonds paperback and digital release Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC), 2650 Sistrunk Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. to commemorate National Mentoring Month (NMM).
Faded Diamonds is a disruptive young adult novel following local pregnant misfit Leila Sudders, chronicling the staggering effects of the broken home on the children raised in it: self-loathing, mental illness, abuse, and their need for mentorship. Readers also get an inside look at the rigors of social work through a counselor’s tireless effort to mentor underprivileged young women despite their desperate attempt to be strong in the face of their issues, which embodies the essence of (NMM).
NMM launched in 2002, and President Obama officially as-signed it to January in 2013. Co-authors Camille Burke and Stacey Pacouloute live the legacy daily.
Burke and Pacouloute, both South Florida locals, received their Masters in Social Work (MSW) degrees from Barry University and bring their extensive social work experience to the book. Burke’s company, CFB Solutions, provides training, life coaching, and counseling services. Pacouloute owns Pacouloute Services, Inc., a full social services company. Thomas, author of three other books, is a five-year Navy veteran with a background in film and the entertainment business.
The AARLCC frequently hosts local authors and work-shops. The Center features African-American literary collections, books and artifacts from Africa, the Caribbean, and North and South America, and a Small Business Resource Center.
Contact Mellissa Thomas at mellissa.thomas@gmail.com for more information.
