2D
A & EAE(ie Charlotte $os!t
Thursday, July 13. 2006
African American romance novels
Continued from page 1D
ber Love,” was released in
2003 and next nxoniJi, she
will release her eighth*”In
The Midst of Passion,” the
story of a prominent..Char
lotte newspaper publisher
strc^Ung to distance himself
fix)m his former life as a vio
lent member of the criminal
imderworld. When publisher
Alexander Rice meets ravish
ing garage owner Tbpaz
Emerson, who has drawn Ihe
attention of every man in
town and the ire of most
women, he’s hooked- Their
relationship bums slowly as
Alex tries to protect Tbpaz
from an aggressive real
estate magnate who is using
brute force to buy up busi
nesses on Tbpaz’s block.
When their relationship
heats up, Alex’s secrets drive
him to keep Tbpaz at a dis
tance. Pushing toward a dan
gerous confrontation with the
crooked men behind Lock-
hurst Properties, Alex finds
he must spill his secrets and
face his past head on, risking
the love he and Tbpaz share
in order to protect her.
'When I started writing,
the African American
romance market was scant-
just in the baby stages,”
Washington said. She
believes the interest of the
readers has pushed the
industry along.
“Sharing my work with
th^e women and men has
been a wonderful experi
ence,” she said.
For literary agents who sell
manuscripts to publishers,
their jobs have become easier.
Sha-Shana Crichton, presi
dent of Crichton and Associ
ates Literary Agency said
“The market has really
opened up. The publishers
are looking for great well
wiitten romance books.”
The current, trend, she
added, is for contemporary
novels that are similar to the
TV program “Girlfiiends.”
But in many areas of the
romance market, the door is
stiH dosed to black writers,
she said.
“The market is still dosed
to historical romances, xmless
you’re'^verly Jenkins. We
could'use some help in that
department,” Crichton said.
Like most aspects of the
industry, Publishers don’t
print what^- won’t make
money and Cebqrah Schu-
maker, execiMve editor at
Genesis Press, said black
romance novels are prof
itable. This year. Genesis
released more than 30 novels,
she said.
“Next year we’re going into
mass market ad we’re going
to reissue some titles,” she
said-
Schumaker said Genesis
and Harlequin will both ben
efit finm the attmtion being
paid to African American
romances.
®l)e ^isitorit
Cxteitfior Club
921 Beatties Ford Rd: • 704-334-5709
Clui ,1/
/h
• THE,SPAY... “FISH FRY" - Only $5
Doors Open at 5, Fish Fry at pm * Disco at Ppm
Don’t forget, come try your hand at a game of “Whist”
• WEDNESDAY “Wi!>v Not Wednesdav?”l
Martinis and Live Music with
“Linda Straite”
Join the fun, Guest Artist Welcome
July 19th, 8pm, Doors Open at 6pm
“An all adult environment, 30 and above.”
• THURSDAY “DIRTY THIRTY THURSDAY’
Lets get this party started right note!
• FRIDAY & SATURDAY The Best “DISCO” In Town •
SUNDAY.....fOiB US for
an evening of soft music,
and fellowshipping with friends!
Tennessee touts state for new movie projects
TH£ ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHATTANOOGA, Tbnn.-
State offidals hope to attract
more filmmakers to Ten
nessee by offering them $10
million in rebates and other
incentives.
Tbnnessee has lost movie
and television projects to
Canada, Romania and south
ern states such as Louisiana
and North Carolina because
it hasn’t been able to match
the perks the other areas
offer, said David Bemiett,
executive director of the Ten
nessee Film, Entertainment
and Mxisic Commission
“We’re going to be good
stewai*ds of the money” Ben
nett said. ‘T’m certain we’re
goir^ to be able to bring a lot
of projects here quickly with
it.”
The $10 million, nonrecur
ring fund—part of Gov. Phil
Bredesen’s $26.1 biUion fiscal
2007 budget—will allow state
officials to offer rebates on
money spent in-state on pro
duction above a threshold, not
including producers’ and
stars’ salaries. That threshold
and the amount of the rebate
are yet to be determined
though Bennett said it will be
in the 13 percent to 15 percent
range, comparable to North
Carolina’s. Plus, additional
credits may be earned for hir
ing Tbnnessee cast and crew.
The fund will be available
for use nert year and it’s in
addition to sales tax rebates
for expenditures above
$500,000 that already are in
effect for out-of-state produc
tion companies.
The Memphis-made Johnny
Cash biopic, “Walk the Line,”
was almost made in
Louisiana because of better
incentives.
Producers for the Oscar-
winning film shot over 45
days in Nashville and Mem
phis in 2004, spent about $10
miUion in the state and creat
ed an economic impact of
nearly $20 million, according
to the film commission.
Bredesen formed a commit
tee last year to study other
states’ incentive programs,
and it recommended a pro-'
gram similar to Louisiana’s,
which offk^ a 25 percent tax
break for films—one of the
hipest in the country But
Bredesen rejected the propos
al.
‘Tt was hard to determine
how much that tax incentive
would ultimately cost, and
that unknown was some
thing we didn’t want to deal
with,” said Robert Gowan, a
senior advisor to Bredesen.
Instead, the legislators
passed the 2006 \Tsual Con
tent Act, creating the $ 10 mil
lion fund in the budget, which
Bredesen signed into law last
month
U.S. album sales down 4.2 percent in first half
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES-U.S.
album sales were down 4.2
percent in the first half of the
year, but sales ofmxisic down
loaded online soared 77 per
cent, accordir^ to industry
figures.
Tbtal sales of albums across
different formats—CDs, digi
tal albums, cassettes and oth
ers—stood at 270,6 million
between Jan. 2 and July 2,
compared to 282.6 million in
the same period last year,
according to Nielsen Soxmd-
Scan figures released Friday
The country music genre
saw a 17.7 percent increase
in sales over the first half of
2005, the highest percentage
of all.
The top-selling album so far
this year is a soxmdtrack
inspired by the Disney Chan
nel movie "High School
Musical,” which has sold
more than 2.6 million units.
Albums by Rascal Platts,
James Blxmt, Mary J. BHge
and Carrie Underwood round
out the top five.
The decline reflects in part
a dearth of big hits compared
to the same period in 2005,
which saw Mariah Carey and
rapper 50 Cent each release
multi-platinum s^ers.
“Considering that you
haven’t had a 50 Cent to be
the Pied Piper durii^ the
first half of the year or a
Norah Jones the year before
that, being behind 4 percent
in album sales is really not
that bad,” said Geoff May-
field, director of charts for
music tracker Billboard
The R&B genre accounted
for the biggest slice of all
albums sold so far this year
with 53,806, but also repre
sented the bi^est percentage
drop — 22.4 percent —in
units sold by genre fiom the
same period last year.
While the CD remains the
dominant album format
despite a sales decline in all
but one of the last five years,
music fans have been
increasingly buying digital
downloads of single tracks
and full albums
Nearly 281 million digital
singles were pxirchased
through July 2, compared to
158,8 million in the time
frame last year. More than 14
million fuU-album downloads
were purchased in the first
six months of this year, more
than doiible the 6.5 million
bought in the first half of
2005.
The growth of online music
purchases is a mixed blessing
for recording companies,
however. Such sales often
come at the expense of more
profitable album sales as
music fans opt to cherry pick
a few songs online instead of
purchasing a whole album.
‘Digital distribution is an
answer to the consumer
who’s been throwing up that
complaint,” Mayfield said.
‘Tt’s a charging dynamic that
the industry still needs to get
its arms around.”
FROM THE GUYS
WHO BROUGHT YOU WWfE CHOCKS
marionWAYANS shawnWAYANS
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"THE WILDEST, FUNNIEST
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STARTS FRIDAY, JULY 14
AND AT A THEATER NEAR YOU
‘Gee’s Bend’ blankets the senses
Continued from page 1D
stitching which is delightful
as it looks hke joyous ants are
running across this patriotic
field of red and blue and white
material with green accents.
The prints inspired by the
quilts equate to the work of
other noted fine artists.
The etching and aquatint,
“Going Home,” by Louisa
Bendolph featmres small
crimson, dark blue, and yel
low rectan^es on a paler yel
low background. There is a
visual lightness and a mdodic
rhythm in this image that is
similar to the work of Henri
Matisee.
Another etching and
aquatint, “American House
tops (For the Arnetts),” by
Louisiana Bendolph features
angular red shapes that
remind me of an artist whose
News you
can get
your
hands on
every
week
C^attlotte
704 376 0496
work is not seen enough,
American painter and print-
maker Jack Youngerman.
The exhibit continues at
Jerald Melberg Gallery
through September 2. Sum
mer hours are Mondays
through Fridays fiom 10 a.m.-
6 p.m. and Saturdays by
appointment. For additional
information, call the gallery
at (704) 365-3000
“MayDay”
I Have you ever been trapped in a place
I where you felt tackled by the issues of’
I life? .4 place where j'ou could iftt light
land find your way out if only you
1 could climb up? Well, jump oo to
I thecomedy drama of the IJons’ Deal
I \ on will laugh and dance again, when
a counselor decides to cbas^yrHic aftk
I tudes in a {»mniunity by offerraf free
I counseling ses.sions to unthinkable
I euslomers at the Lions* l)en. This fire
I flaming counselor pulls theeo'v^.hff
I of love, hate, set. worry , hypocrisy,
I and all kinds of pain, while dealb^
I w ith a love struck waiti-css and a
i dow n home, fire baptized preariier
who walks softly and carries a (
McGotonTheatr^
StSNMOaemStrm
OmfQttmm
Ikims SSOJJO 70^372-1000
samrdav. July 29. ax>6. SPM
COCA-COLA “CITIZEN” OF THE MONTH
“Leroy Fields”
Mc(>orey YMCA
Board Member
Quote:
“/ believe in the YMCA, not only because
of the Christian formation, but because I
love to see our youth being nurtured
and groomed properly.
- Leroy Fields
Since 1991,our '^Citizen of the Month,” Leroy Fields, found
a place in his heart for McCrorey YMCA. His first visit to the
facility was a company assignment to repair HVAC problems. Hi
soon noticed not only were there extensive technical problems,'
McCrorey was missing the level of volunteers other area YMCAs were enjoying. As
Leroy and then executive Howard Jones developed a friendship, Jones invited him to
join the board. Pegged as a soft but pushy Yankee in his first involvement with a cap
ital campaign. Fields brought in five new annual coiporate contributors. Realizing his
level of commitment, the board soon deemed him a lifetime member. Leroy contin
ues to be a member of the facility committee which he formerly chaired. You can find
Leroy each Wednesday canvassing the property at McCrorey just to make sure the
site is “up to snuff.”
A native of Alberta, VA, Leroy graduated from James Solomon Russell High
School in Lawrenceville, VA, joined the Army in 1955, and completed his tour of
duty in 1957. After working in factories for five years, Leroy entered Apex Technical
School in New York, earning an HVAC degree. This accomplishment landed him sev
eral managerial and supervisory positions. Still not quite satisfied, Leroy entered
NYU to earn a degree in engineering and design. A country boy at heart, in 1984
when his daughter graduated from Howard University, Leroy relocated to Charlotte
to join the Padgett Company, and retired in 2003. Still possessing the desire to
improve the quality of life in Chailotte, Leroy opened a small technical service com
pany, Leroy Fields HVAC Service Company in 2004.
Leroy’s community involvement does not stop with the YMCA. He prides him
self in being a dedicated block captain for the Lake Forest homeowners association.
Leroy is married to Allen Tale Realtor/Broker Jean Fields. He has three grown
children; Jocelyn Fields Carter and Brian Fields in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., and Arlene
Fields Billingsley of Atlanta, eight grandchildren and three great-grand-daughters.
Leroy is a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, where he is very active
singing on the men’s choir, and a member of the security and culinary teams.
Best Wishes “Leroy” from
%
Coca Cola Bottling Company Consolidated of Charlotte
Coca CoCa fReaC