Sistahs Shop Talk – 3/13/16 – A Diversity Haiku

Sistahs Shop Talk is random ramblings from yours truly about books, news, and views that captivate me.

One Thought…

Diversity – a Haiku
(to Non-POC Authors)

some things ain’t for you
if you do it, do it right
we gon’ be all right

News Snippets…

2016 Lambda Literary Award Finalists Announced:  Finalists for the 28th Annual Lambda Literary Awards (“Lammys”) were announced last week. The Lambda Literary Awards celebrate achievement in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender writing. The awards ceremony will be held on June 6, 2016 at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. For more information and to buy tickets, please visit www.lambdaliterary.org/awards.

Below are the finalists in the Lesbian categories:

Lesbian Fiction
Apocalypse Baby, Virginie Despentes, The Feminist Press
Blue Talk and Love, Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Riverdale Avenue Books
The Cherokee Rose, Tiya Miles, John F. Blair
The First Bad Man, Miranda July, Scribner
Jam on the Vine: A Novel, LaShonda Katrice Barnett, Grove Press
Like a Woman, Debra Busman, Dzanc Books
Thérèse and Isabelle, Violette Leduc, The Feminist Press
Under the Udala Trees, Chinelo Okparanta, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Lesbian Memoir/Biography
Cooking as Fast as I Can: A Chef’s Story of Family, Food, and Forgiveness, Cat Cora, Scribner
Dirty River, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Arsenal Pulp Press
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, Carrie Brownstein, Riverhead Books/Penguin Random House
Objects in the Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear, Kate Carroll de Gutes, Ovenbird Books
You’re Not Edith, Allison Gruber, George Braziller

Lesbian Romance
Autumn Spring, Shelley Thrasher, Bold Strokes Books
The Chameleon’s Tale, Andrea Bramhall, Bold Strokes Books
Full Circle, Dillon Watson, Bella Books
Heart of the Game, Rachel Spangler, Bold Strokes Books
Infiltration, Jackie D, Bold Strokes Books
Making A Comeback, Julie Blair, Bold Strokes Books
My Best Friend’s Girl, Blythe H. Warren, Bella Books
The Renegade, Amy Dunne, Bold Strokes Books

Lesbian Erotica
Desire Behind Bars: Lesbian Prison Erotica, Salome Wilde and Talon Rihai (editors), Hillside Press
The Muse, Meghan O’Brien, Bold Strokes Books
Sweet & Rough: Queer Kink Erotica, Sinclair Sexsmith, Maverick Press

To see the complete Award list, visit the Lambda Literary website. 

What I’m Reading Now…

Walking the Tightrope edited by Abayomi Animashaun, Irwin Iradukunda, Timothy Kimutai, Tatenda Muranda, Spectra Speaks: Walk the Tightrope: Poetry and Prose by LGBTQ Writers from Africa is an anthology featuring writers from different parts of Sub-Saharan Africa portraying gay and lesbian life. So far it is touchingly honest.


Book Quote…

I sometimes forget how well you know my heart.

If ever I get lost in the woods of pain I feel, you’d find me.

If I ever drown in the seas of sadness that often lap over me, you’d pull me out.

You know the world’s burdens weigh me down, so often you hold me up.

But even more often I forget I love you.

And you remind me.

You remind me in soft subtle hints.

I sometimes forget how well you know my heart.

How well you understand the song this broken instrument plays.

Then I remember you’re my composer.

You wrote the notes that make this song.

You know it well.

So you fill in the missing notes.

When I falter, you stand strong.

When I forget how it goes, you sing my parts.

When I forget, you remind me how well you know this heart of mine.

– a sample of “Broken Instrument” by Tsepho Jamillah Moyo
From Walking the Tightrope

Trolling for New Books…

Turn Me Out – T. Ariez
Amazon Digital Services LLC
Release Date: March 15, 2016 (pre-orders available now)

Angel and Ace are best friends who happen to both be studs. When Angel realizes that she has developed feelings for Ace, she devises a plan that will go against everything she’s ever known and believed in. She is tired of the traditions and rules that make her feelings taboo and decides to risk everything. When she finally decides that she can’t take it anymore and throws caution in the wind, will it all be worth the risk?

This is the full version of the novella previously published by T. Ariez. Read the Interview and Review Chat for Turn Me Out (the 2013 novella).

Fistful of Love – Renee Cronin
Release Date: April 1, 2016 (pre-orders available now)

At the age of 23, social worker, Jeya Wellington was pretty much on her own. The devastating loss of her parents left her bereft and alone. Her best friend, Roman and his family have been like surrogates, but they could never replace what she lost. She needed a different connection. Shortly after losing her parents, she finds love and comfort in the arms of Rayne Watson, a correctional officer.

Rayne was exactly what she needed at the time, but now, two years later, Jeya wants out. She never expected love to come with bruises. She didn’t anticipate losing friends and living in fear. This was not her idea of true love. With the support of Roman, Jeya finds a way to leave. But Rayne isn’t letting go that easily. They made a commitment to each, and she has the tattoo to prove it – ‘Til Death Do Us Part.

Torn between the love she has for Rayne and the instinct to protect herself, is Jeya’s will stronger than her vow?

She’s Just Not That Into You – Aryka Randall
Dragon Fruit
Release Date:  April 5, 2016

As Editor-in-Chief at TheFabFemme.com, Aryka Randall has become the authority on Girl+Girl love, especially for women of color. Now in her first book, She’s Just Not That Into You, Randall tells her story and gets the conversation heated up on queer dating, relationships, open commitments, living arrangements, work, money, love, sex and lust.

She’s Just Not That Into You covers everything from reality checks your friends won’t give you and learning to love yourself to avoiding toxic relationships and why serial dating often leads to disaster – the kind of advice any young woman in love or looking for love needs.

Enter a giveaway for Aryka Randall’s She’s Just Not That Into You at The Fab Femme website.

Visit This Website…

WOC In Romance
http://www.wocinromance.com/

WOC In Romance celebrates and promotes Women of Color who write romance novels. Operated by author Rebekah Weatherspoon, this blog features new release and backlist promotions, as well as weekly recaps. The site is a beautiful mélange of colorful book selections, and is trans inclusive and open to gender fluid and non-binary authors of color as well. Follow WOC In Romance on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook.

One thought to “Sistahs Shop Talk – 3/13/16 – A Diversity Haiku”

  1. Thank you so much for posting this smorgasbord of 2016 Lambda nominees! It’s a great reminder for me to add some more books to my Goodreads to-read pile 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.