The Top 10 Signs that We are Within a Week of Publication

The first article about us as authors, back when we wrote Exposures as Marie Joyce, appeared in a newspaper called The New York Press. It was generated because WE sent out a press release. We had had a great editor, but there was no publicity or marketing budget for that book. Hell, our entry level—read minute—advance (divided in half, paid out in thirds) was barely enough for dinner out and a cab ride home from the restaurant, so we were left to our own devices to create whatever buzz we could for our freshman effort. Somebody had to know we’d survived four months in an apartment together, living on sugar and caffeine to keep us awake and writing while the rest of New York City enjoyed spring, and that we now had a book to show for it. . . didn’t they? We thought so, and we were proactive even then—or was it that we didn't have sense enough to know better? No matter—occasionally ignorance leads you in the right direction.

In our press packet we included “Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Read Exposures.” It definitely got us newspaper and TV coverage in Buffalo, New York, Virginia’s hometown. They are always welcoming to their hometown daughters (Donna has even been given a proclamation declaring her an official Buffalonian). But amazingly, our PR foray got us some ink in a New York City paper, which for newbie authors with an unheralded, unreviewed, unheard of paperback, was a little like winning an Olympic skating medal while wearing flip flops.

So, as an homage to that first adventure in shameless self-promotion, here are the Top Ten Signs that We are Within a Week of Publication: to continue reading, Click here

Win a copy of ta-da!!! UPTOWN!!! Finally! Deadline NOON Tomorrow 2/19

The New D&G Trivia Contest!

THE WINNER WILL BE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM THE FIRST 20 CORRECT ANSWERS WE RECEIVE.

Answers MUST be EMAILED TO: VIRGINIAANDDONNA@AOL.COM by NOON (12PM) EST 02/19/10. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR FIRST NAME AND YOUR CITY.Today's Prize—a copy of UPTOWN!

Answers to all questions can be found on our website, blog, Amazon, via Google OR in your head!

Remember, we can be tricky and the answers may not be what you first think of!!! We'll announce the WINNER Saturday (02/2010) by 10PM.

Watch for another UPTOWN! giveaway contest on @Bernice McFadden's blog!!

Dwight Dixon is a main character in UPTOWN!. In what previous DeBerry and Grant book did he appear?

Uptown Review-Words of Inspiration Book Club

We're happy!!

In Uptown, a prominent Harlem family is forced to deal with the issues that were done in the dark and have come to the public light. Avery Lyons abandoned New York and her family in an effort to runaway from the skeletons in the family closet. Avery is forced back to New York after twenty years to face the demons of her past. She will be forced to swallow a big girl pill to deal with all of the family drama from the past as well as the new family drama that seems to materialize on a daily basis with her cousin, Dwight Dixon.

Dwight sits atop the Harlem real estate throne is father King carved out years ago. Dwight wants nothing more than to step from the long shadows his father has cast and create a name for himself in the real estate world. But at what cost? Dwight wants to change the façade of Harlem by selling his soul to the devil, throwing folks under the bus and offering sacrificial lambs for slaughtering. Dwight’s “by any means necessary” attitude might cause the empire that he dreams of to come crashing down before it is made a reality.

Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant do not disappoint in this drama filled thriller. DeBerry and Grant clearly illustrate the cutthroat world of Manhattan real estate and the tension and turbulence that this world can bring to families trying to get a slice of that American pie. While Avery searches for her identity, Dwight begins to lose his. DeBerry and Grant do a fine job of artistically crafting these characters and the supporting characters that bring Avery and Dwight to life from the pages. DeBerry and Grant deliver with their usual grace, humor, style and eye to detail. Uptown is a read not to be missed by old fans or new

Guest Blog for Shewrites.com

Countdown to Publication: #16 Days

About 100 years ago, or more accurately in1996, when we were in pre-pub for Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made, which was technically our second book, but the first under our own names, we decided to include a letter to the readers in the back. It was our way of extending what we’ve always viewed as a communication between writer and readers. We wanted to assure that if someone was actually motivated to write back, they had a way to reach us directly. This was a lesson we learned after our first book, Exposures, (written as Marie Joyce, both of our middle names) came out. About nine months after publication we received a large envelope from our publisher. It contained several letters that had been sent to us, in care of them, by readers. Clearly they had been moved around somebody’s desk until, in a fit of organization, this somebody stuck them in an envelope, actually looked up our address and sent them to the mailroom. No matter how purloined our “fanmail” had been we were grateful to receive it and because our mothers had taught us well, we wrote responses to each one. But we also decided that in the future, if indeed we had a publishing future, we wanted a direct line of communication with our readers.

So we headed to the post office and rented ourselves a PO Box. And we got our first email address—back when Prodigy and Comp-u-serve were still prominent. We opted for the upstart AOL. Our editor was mystified. “Why are you including an email address?” To read the rest of this post, please visit:

http://www.shewrites.com/profiles/blogs/countdown-to-publication-16-1

VALENTINE'S DAY DeBerry & Grant TRIVIA CONTEST

!!VALENTINE'S DAY TRIVIA CONTEST!! ( We will accept entries through midnight tomorrow 2/14!)

THE WINNER WILL BE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM THE FIRST 20 CORRECT ANSWERS WE RECEIVE.

Answers MUST be EMAILED TO: VIRGINIAANDDONNA@AOL.COM by midnight EST 02/14/10. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR FIRST NAME AND YOUR CITY.

Today's Prize--another "TWO-FER" autographed paperbacks GOTTA KEEP ON TRYIN' and WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU.

Answers to all questions can be found on our website, blog, Amazon, via Google OR in your head!

Remember, we can be tricky and the answers may not be what you first think of!!! We'll announce the WINNER Monday (02/15/10) by 10PM.

In What Doesn't Kill You, Where does What Doesn't Kill You heroine, Tee, first meet Ron?

Across 110th Street—Harlem is changing, in this latest novel by Virginia Deberry and Donna Grant. A familiar character, former fiancée of Jewel Prescott from Better Than I Know Myself, Dwight Dixon emerges at the center of controversy. With good intentions, but ulterior motives Dwight decides to make his own mark on the landscape of Harlem by building Dixon Plaza--a multi-million dollar commercial/residential skyrise. As in Better Than I Know Myself, Dwight’s actions and those of his family members threaten to destroy his dream.

Again, DeBerry and Grant have written a page-turner that kept me up late nights with a tissue box beside me as I became engrossed in the lives of Avery Lyons, Dwight Dixon, Jazz Christmas and characters I already knew from Better Than I Know Myself. Uptown has all the ingredients that offer ardent readers a satisfying read: relatable characters we either love, or love to hate; contemporary issues that are pertinent to those of us who care about our people and our heritage; and a strong believable plot infused with passionate conflict---ALL set in Harlem, a place which still holds the aroma of Langston Hughes’ dreams: “What happens to a Dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun . . . or does it explode?”

Perhaps Uptown: A Novel is also a tribute to the place where so many Black people realized their dreams during the Harlem Renaissance, to encourage more of us to do the same today.

Angela Reid—President of Imani Literary Group-Metro Atlanta

Trivia Contest Finalists

Our first novel was called EXPOSURES and the first 25 correct answers to yesterday's D&G Trivia Contest came from Donna, Mary, Val, Lora, Joni, Angela, Lena, Chrystal, Lashonda, Carmen, KaToya ,Adrienne, Joyce, Lorraine, Carole, Janice, Pat, Mira, Senta, Liz, Keisha, Mia, Anika, Cerita & Tonika. ONE of them will win What Doesn't Kill on audio later today!

!!! DeBerry & Grant Trivia Contest!!!

We plan to hold several contests between now and next month's release of UPTOWN-so check back here often! THE WINNER WILL BE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM THE FIRST 25 CORRECT ANSWERS.

Today's Prize--an audio edition of 2009's WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU.

Answers to all questions can be found on our website, blog, Amazon, via Google OR in your head!

Today's answer MUST be EMAILED TO: VIRGINIAANDDONNA@AOL.COM by midnight EST 02/02/10. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR FIRST NAME AND YOUR CITY.

We'll announce the 25 correct entries tomorrow (02/03/10) by noon and POST the WINNERby 10PM (02/03/10)

Question: WHAT IS THE TITLE OF OUR FIRST NOVEL?

From Bernice McFadden's Blog

How amazon.com helped me to stop wishing I was a white writer...

The other night I was up watching a re-run of The Dave Chappelle Show and the opening skit resonated with me so much so, that even though I was drifting off to sleep I popped right up to fully take in the message which represented what it is we African American writers have been complaining about.

The skit started with Dave explaining that even though he says some pretty outrageous things on his show, there are many more thoughts swirling in his head that his producers and more importantly his sponsors and white audience members would find offensive - simply because he is black.

So to get around that Dave brought out a beautiful white woman, handed her a set of cue cards where he had written some of his most bizarre thoughts and she proceeded to voice those thoughts through song.

Even though the words that came from her mouth were still Dave’s thoughts and feelings, it was deemed acceptable coming from a white woman.

This is exactly what happened with Kathryn Stockett’s The Help and Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees – publishing decided that they could take these stories that were essentially stories of the Black experience and deem them acceptable titles to be marketed to black, but more importantly to the larger, whiter reading audience and not just because they were written by white women, who were writing from a place of white privilege (outside looking in) but because those white women were able to deliver stories about the black experience minus the “grit and edge” which most often brings about feelings of “white guilt.”

See the rest of this post at http://bit.ly/anXazC