Historical fiction
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When Black Comedy was King
There was a time when black comedians were king. From Dick Gregory to Godfrey Cambridge, Jackie “Moms” Mabley, to Red Foxx, Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor, the realness and rawness of black comedy took many forms and faces. Whether the jokes touched upon social issues at the time (like inequality), or what it was like to grow up in a diverse neighborhood, the ability to make audiences laugh took a major leap forward during the 1960s.
The Queen of Comedy is about that time period and decades prior to the 1960s. The book was written before I created and released JUKEBOX Volume One. I plan on releasing TQOC shortly, and I’m working on promos for the novel. The story centers on a female comedian’s rise to fame during the late 1930s thru the 1950s, and the complicated relationship she has with a nephew who follows in her footsteps.
I’m really looking forward to seeing director/actor Don Cheadle’s film, Miles Ahead
Don gives some insight on the behind the scenes reality of getting this film financed, here
I love the cinematography on this film, since I’m getting a chance to work on my own color grading skills (for an independent film).
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It’s not just Black History, it’s American History
Since I was already researching the past (The Queen of Comedy, JUKEBOX Volume 1 and JUKEBOX Volume 2) I decided to write a book on African Americans during World War II. Specifically, The African American WAC during wartime.
I’ve also written two books featuring a multi-cultural group of women in today’s military.
- #BlackGirlMagic, E books, Historical fiction, Historical romance, Historical womens fiction, Women's fiction
The Rise of Black Cool and Black Glamour
The beautiful woman with the hourglass figure gracing the cover of author Nichelle Gainer’s book “Vintage Black Glamour” is actress/singer Eartha Kitt.
So don’t let anyone tell you that black people didn’t have a middle class or wealth during segregation and during the swinging 60s, because there are a number of photos and writings that prove otherwise. From Madame C J Walker, to sports heroes, educators, inventors, businessmen and businesswomen and entertainers, African Americans resided in a variety of socio-economic lifestyles.
We were, and still are, not a monolithic group. Whether through education or ambition, undeniable talent or heart stopping beauty, blacks back in the day became successful in spite of obstacles like inequality.
The book Vintage Black Glamour can be purchased on Amazon
Brief bio on Eartha Kitt from The Guardian.com:
” ‘Once called the “most exciting woman in the world” by Orson Welles, Kitt became a singer and dancer whose suggestive and sensuous performances captured the public imagination in the 1950s. Her former lover Charles Revson, the billionaire founder of Revlon cosmetics, even created a lipstick for her, calling it Fire and Ice. In the 1960s she made the role of Catwoman her own when she became the first black woman to achieve mainstream TV success in America with Batman, even breaking racial taboos by flirting on screen with Adam West in the lead role.’ ” – Adam Luck
Read more about Eartha Kitt here
Additional examples of black cool and glamour:
Can you name these famous black celebrities?
Highlight the blanks for the answers: 1. Nat King Cole 2. The Nicholas Brothers 3. Josephine Baker
4. Sammy Davis Jr 5. Dorothy Dandridge 6. Lena Horne
7. Sidney Poitier
Here’s my fictional glamorous heroine from the soon to be released The Queen of Comedy:
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The Black Experience in Comedy
Black History Month starts tomorrow, so I thought I’d start publishing some excerpts from The Queen of Comedy. TQOC is a generational and historical novel about a family of entertainers. Their craft is comedy, and while the book does include romance, the focus is more on the black celebrity during segregation, and what they had to go through.
I use the love/hate relationship between a woman who was cast as a maid in a number of films, and her nephew, a man who becomes a stand up comedian during the 60s.
Brilliant comic. Flawed woman. One legendary career.
Most people recognize the face, if not the name. That apple cheeked, rich brown face with the inviting smile that adorns baking products worldwide. Older movie goers fondly recall her role as the friendly, wise cracking maid in over one hundred films. But to her family and spurned lovers, the tongue of Honi Hawkins was brutally uncompromising and anything but funny, as she fought to become THE QUEEN OF COMEDY. ©Excerpt:
It was like James Brown sang, “This is a Man’s World.” David even did his own grass. He bought one of those riding lawn mowers, and when he wasn’t at the studio he raced around on it like a cowboy sitting tall in the saddle. He started wearing slouchy cardigan sweaters like Bing Crosby always wore, and carrying a pipe like Bob Hope. He even insisted that Contessa have a martini ready for him when he came home from a long hard day at the studio. They were almost happy, almost content. So when David read in the paper about the growing violence in the Negro community, he found himself agreeing with the intellectuals that blamed the unrest on the poor and uneducated. His people became “those” people, because in his mind he was being treated just fine. The race problem didn’t affect him outright. He was living the American Dream. So this was no time to be trippin’. At the studio he found himself hard pressed to explain the actions of other Negroes. The studio even sent a memo, cautioning him against associating with “troublemakers,” reminding him of the morality clause in his contract. So he suffered in silence, unwilling to explode because if he did, he knew his dream world would come crashing down around him.
- Adult Novella, Adult Novellas, Contemporary Romance, E books, Excerpts, Historical fiction, Historical romance, New Adult, Paranormal romance
Waiting in the Wings
Like Imani, a ballet dancer who waited for her chance to shine in the novel HUI, I’ve got a number of other novels in both the adult genre and new adult genre that I’m currently editing in order to release.
One of my earliest novels dealt with females – specifically a fictional group of gritty women on a navy vessel with interconnecting story lines. I’m going to put up an excerpt shortly. Right now I’m focused on getting HUI ready for release.
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If I Were a Boy
His name is Ozzy, and he’s a fictional rapper in my ebook The Player:
Veterinarian and sometime singer Adam Takaura is also introduced in the book. Since I already had Hui’s spot on imitation of Michael Jackson in the ebook HUI, Adam’s passion is for R&B music.
There are a number of Asian singers who can SANGGGG. Check out JiHwan, 지환 He’s South Korean (1/2 of duo called 2BiC). I first saw him on Youtube in these videos: JiHwan covers R&B singer Joe’s “(All The Things) Your Man won’t Do”
JiHwan covers R&B singer Donnie Hathaway’s “A Song for You:
I LOVE his voice.
You can check out his new video here:
Just finished up some new promos for JUKEBOX Volume II, the sequel to JUKEBOX Volume I. Volume II is set in the late 1960s to the 1970s:
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Hey Soul Sista
My Wednesdays will never be the same now that EMPIRE is on hiatus until the fall. I’m so happy for Taraji P. Henson, as well as the other stars of the show.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I need to get back to a few of my older novels in order to take them forward with their sequels. JUKEBOX II is also on that list:
I’m going to include JUKEBOX One in the MARCH MADNESS deals that kick off this week:
- Adult Novella, Adult Novellas, Blog, Contemporary Romance, E books, Excerpts, Historical fiction, Historical womens fiction, New Adult, Paranormal romance
Plan B
Hmmm . . . it was faster to file a copyright and upload my Sampler on Scribd than Amazon.com
So, I’ve gotta go with Plan B. Click the cover and you’ll be re-directed to SCRIBD:**Update** Since its now live on Amazon I’ve taken it off Scribd in accordance with Amazon’s terms of service. Click the cover and it re-directs to the Amazon page:A FREE PDF download is available for a limited time on SCRIBD. Just click the little “Share on social networks icon” to the right of the page:
**UPDATE** So the book is live on Amazon but the wait continues, because the nearest date to list it as free is tomorrow, Sept 30th.