BET Books Visits Historic Black Beaches With Sizzling
Sands Tour In Honor of 10th Anniversary
Arabesque Authors Featured in Summer Series of Book
Signings, Literary Cafés
Washington, DC - BET's ARABESQUE Books launches a special summer tour
in celebration of 10 years of award-winning African American-themed
romance novels. The tour will feature popular Arabesque authors in a
series of book signings and literary cafés basking in the sun
and sand of historically African-American beach resorts in the
Northeast and Midwest.
"What better way to mark this historic achievement for Arabesque Books
than with the authors and loyal readers who have contributed to that
success," said Linda Gill, Vice President and Publisher for BET Books.
"The beaches we have selected hold a special place in the cultural
landscape of African Americans. They are all icons of pleasure and
relaxation, and are the perfect backdrop for summertime fun."
The Sizzling Sands tour will run from July through September with stops
at the beaches and metropolitan areas that African Americans enjoy and
frequent. From Martha's Vineyard and Oak Bluffs off the Massachusetts
coast to Sag Harbor on Long Island, the events are sure to draw crowds
to meet the authors and mingle in an atmosphere infused with music, art
and more. Book signing events will be held at major retail outlets such
as Barnes & Noble and Waldenbooks stores along with a number of
independently owned African-American retail outlets. Additional events
will be held at select cultural venues such as art galleries, museums
and book fairs.
MARTHA'S VINEYARD / BOSTON - CAMBRIDGE
The tour launches June 30 in the Boston and Martha's Vineyard areas
with a special event held in the Oak Bluffs community of Martha's
Vineyard on July 3 at the Cousen Rose Art Gallery. Hosted by owner Zita
Cousens, the gathering will feature author Deirdre Savoy and the
release of her latest novel Lady In Red which is set against the
backdrop of Oak Bluffs, one of the largest African-American resorts, in
the United States.
HIGHLAND BEACH / DC METRO AREA
In July, the tour shifts to the Maryland and Washington, DC market with
a stop at Highland Beach, a historically Black resort built by the son
of Fredrick Douglass in 1893, as an incorporated community. The
Highland Beach stop features Sandra Kitt, author of the forthcoming
novel Southern Comfort. The Douglass Museum opens their doors for a
special event hosted by Jean Langston with a literary café
showcasing a sculpture bust of Fredrick Douglass seated in a chair by
artist Ms. Vinnie Bagwell.
IDLEWILD / DETROIT AREA
In August, the tour travels to Detroit and Idlewild, Michigan to a
resort area inspired by the Harlem Renaissance and frequented by such
African-American luminaries as Madame C.J. Walker, Langston Hughes,
Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Zora Neale Hurston. BET Books will
use this setting to spotlight the works of best-selling author Gwynne
Forster and her new novel Last Chance At Love.
Forster will be featured in a book singing at Morton's Motel as part of
the annual Idlewild Week celebration on August 7. The event is also in
conjunction with the Idlewild African-American Chamber of Commerce
celebration of the community's Black culture founded after the Civil
War. Idlewild has served for more than a century as one of the most
popular beach resorts and gathering places for African Americans.
SAG HARBOR / NEW YORK METRO AREA
In August and September, the tour concludes with events in the Sag
Harbor and New York areas featuring the works of award-winning author
Donna Hill and her latest offering Dare To Dream. A signature literary
café event will be held at the B. Smith's Sag Harbor Restaurant
on August 21.
Lady In Red will be published in June 2004 in trade paperback format
(ISBN #1-58314-533-8. $6.99 U.S. / $9.99 Canada).
Southern Comfort will be published in July 2004 in trade paperback
format (ISBN #1-58314-548-6. $6.99 U.S. / $9.99 Canada).
Last Chance At Love will be published in July 2004 in trade paperback
format (ISBN #1-58314-534-6. $6.99 U.S. / $9.99 Canada).
Dare To Dream will be published in July 2004 in trade paperback format
(ISBN #1-58314-530-3. $6.99 U.S. / $9.99 Canada).
The retail floor display ships with the September release of Dare To
Dream and features all of the books in the series.
ABOUT BET BOOKS
BET Books was formed in 1998, with the purchase of the Arabesque
romance line. Arabesque remains the first line of original
African-American romance novels from a major publishing house. BET
Books has published over 250 titles, including novels from such veteran
romance authors as Francis Ray, Donna Hill, Rochelle Alers, and Gwynne
Forster. Thirteen of these captivating romance novels have been brought
to the screen, as made-for-television movies airing on BET. Sepia and
New Spirit, are new imprints featuring exceptional authors targeting
the growing African American fiction marketplace. All imprints from BET
Books are represented to the Trade by Kensington Publishing Corp.
ABOUT BET
BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), is the
nation's leading television network providing quality entertainment,
music, news and public affairs programming for the African-American
audience. The BET Network reaches more than 79 million households
according to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United
States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET is a dominant consumer brand in
the urban marketplace with a diverse group of branded businesses:
BET.com, the Number 1. Internet portal for African-Americans; BET
Digital Networks - BET Jazz, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive
alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event
Productions, specializing in a full range of event production services,
including event management, venue selection, talent recruitment, sound,
lighting and stage production; and BET Books, the nation's leading
publisher of African-American themed romance novels under the Arabesque
Books label, and publisher of new imprints Sepia and New Spirit.
PRESS CONTACT: Angela Harris, 202-608-2747, angela.harris@bet.net
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