'THE COLDEST WINTER EVER' SEQUEL 'MIDNIGHT' TO HIT BOOKSTORES ON OCTOBER 14, 2008.

I meant to post this 2 weeks ago, so pardon my lateness on the news. Author, activist and the very first lady of urban fiction, Sister Souljah, has announced on her website that after years of "writing, thinking, traveling and creating," in 2008, she will release Midnight, the sequel to her national best-selling (over 1 million copies sold) urban fiction novel of all time, The Coldest Winter Ever. And although I find myself hyperventilating whenever I think about just how dumb I was to let someone 'borrow' my personalized autographed copy of my precious hardback book which I haven't seen in over five years (I'M LOOKING FOR YOU KELLY!), I'm still anticipating this long-awaited sequel like a mug! It's been over nine years! Sister Souljah says, "The sequel I have written will be quite a surprise I think. My readers will have to get their intellectual weight up! I have worked extremely hard to bring this one to the public. I love it. I was completely dedicated to making sure I didn't cheat my million of readers from hoods, burbs, and villages around the world. I am giving you something you can feel, remember, and use in your own lives. All credit goes to God for gracing me with the talent and the insight. I truly believe God is the greatest author of all times."

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The Coldest Winter Ever, a gritty tale about the tumultuous street-ridden life of the daughter of a notorious drug dealer, is usually regarded as the predecessor of the urban lit genre. Atria Books VP Emily Bestler credits the book’s success to Souljah’s raw, yet message-driven storytelling and said that Midnight follows in this tradition. “People who love The Coldest Winter Ever,” she adds, “will devour the story.” The sequel centers on Midnight, a secondary but intriguing character from The Coldest Winter Ever. For this book, Souljah conducted extensive research and traveled to three continents, a fact that Bestler said accounts for the long break between the two books.

I swear to yall I was the first person to read The Coldest Winter Ever! No, really, I was. I just happen to be strolling the aisles of Barnes and Noble one night while saying to myself, 'would it kill them to to designate an area for black novels?! I mean, really!' To this day, it's a bitch having to have to hang your head to the side while walking down damn near each and every aisle trying to find books written by Black authors. But I digress. Anyway, lucky for me I happened to be in the right aisle at the exact time a store employee were putting the books on display. Needless to say, I read the book in ONE night. Trust.

Midnight hits bookstores on October 14, 2008. Pre-order your copy now! Oh, and as for that movie that Jada Pinkett Smith gained the copyrights for, yall may want to stop hoping and wishing on that one. Too much stalling and procrastinating. I'm just happy that the sequel has finally come to fruition. I can't wait to see what Winter Santiaga will have up her sleeve.

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RIHANNA TO MAKE BIG SCREEN DEBUT IN THE LATE ICEBERG SLIM'S 'MAMA BLACK WIDOW' FILM.

R&B superstar Rihanna is breaking into the acting world with her big screen debut in the upcoming Iceberg Slim adaptation, Mama Black Widow. The Caribbean singer will be star alongside Mos Def, Macy Gray, Anthony Anderson and Kerry Washington in the flick, following one family's journey from the red dirt of racially divided Mississippi to the Chicago ghetto in the 1930s. The story centers around the main character, Otis Tilson - played by Stomp The Yard actor Brian J. White - who struggles to maintain his family in the underworld of Chicago; wading through alcoholism, pimping, sexual deviation and racial degradation. Rihanna will play a character named Carol, Tilson's sister. According to IMDB.com the script, adapted from the novel of the same name by the iconic author and pimp, Iceberg Slim, is said to stay true to the original writer's voice. The movie is currently in production with no in-theater date set as of yet.

Don't get it twisted though. This won't be Rihanna first time on the big screen. The singer has made plenty of appearances on videos and films such as Bring It On: All or Nothing, where she hosts the cheerleading competition at the end of the movie as herself.

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BLACK OWNED BOOK STORE IN OAKLAND, CALI. REFUSES TO SELL TERRY McMILLAN'S GAY EX-HUSBAND'S NEW NOVEL

Wow, this is really...um...what's the word or phrase I'm looking for? Oh! I got it! This is straight up on the bullsh!t level! Read the rest for yourselves. I'm too through.
A bookstore in Oakland that caters to the African American community is refusing to sell the new book by gay author Jonathan Plummer. Plummer is the ex-husband of author Terry McMillan. McMillan's bestselling novel How Stella Got Her Groove Back was based on her relationship with Plummer, whom she met in Jamaica, and was turned into a blockbuster movie. After a very bitter divorce in 2005, McMillan publicly accused Plummer of concealing his homosexuality from her in order to get her money and a green card. Plummer denied the charges.

Plummer's novel, called Balancing Act (Simon and Schuster), is the story of a young man who meets and forms a romantic relationship with an older rich woman, but eventually realizes he is gay. Still, Plummer insists the novel is not autobiographical. "It's fiction," he said. "The best way possible to tell the [coming out] story was to do fiction, where we can elaborate on characters and embellish on their lives."

Marcus Books in Oakland has refused to stock the novel. When contacted by the Bay Area Reporter store employees declined to comment on the issue. However, a Marcus Books employee has been quoted as saying that the decision not to stock the book was merely "a personal preference." The store's decision may be sending the wrong message to the LGBT community, some of whom are viewing it as motivated by homophobia. Berkeley City Council member Darryl Moore, who is African American and openly gay, said, "It's unfortunate that Marcus Books, which has stood for change and been progressive, would deny a man who's openly gay to have his book [sold]. It speaks to the homophobia in the African American community. The whole incident is tragic between [McMillan and Plummer], but this gentleman has written a book to express his side, and to have it banned because he's openly gay is just outrageous to me."

Without openly accusing the store of homophobia, Plummer also expressed disappointment over its decision. "It's unfortunate that an African American bookstore is banning my book," he said. "We need a lot more compassion for this book, especially with this story being the story of the Bay Area."

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