Single. Professional. Good looking. What gives?

So I have a lot of friends who are college graduates, professionals working in their chosen fields, some own homes, all have their own cars, and I think all are pretty cool, fun, and take care of themselves physically and mentally.

The one thing they all have in common is they're all single. The other thing they all have in common is when they're not single, they tend to date people who are, uh, how shall I put this? Let's say they're not equally-paired relationships.

Nice people want mean people. Loud people seek quiet people. People without issues end up with people who have major ones. Those over 30 want someone closer to 20. Everyone's looking over their shoulder for the Becky's and Bryce's of the world who seem to weasel their way into the lives of the Shaquan's and Sherece's of the world... or the other way around. And let's not go there with the skin color and tone thing. A couple of my friends in NYC still adhere to a Y2K version of the paper bag test when it comes to dating. Bless their hearts, but I thought that all ended with the 1950s era... or with the 50 Cent era of loving things dark.

So why is it that all the seemingly good people are perpetually single? Or can never find someone they consider their equal? Is there a such thing as an equal? Or are we all just searching for ideals and fantasies that occur only in the movies?
fs

Detroit Pistons Rock!!!

OK. I'm a Detroit Pistons fan. A Detroit fan living in L.A. Go figure.

But in order to appease those of you who don't feel me on this, I've placed this picture of Carlos Arroyo, Detroit Pistons guard, for your viewing pleasure. For more viewing pleasure, visit his website.

Go Pistons!!!
fs

Hard, Dark, Sexy, Down For Whatever...

Uh-hem, now that I have your attention...

These little hotties, err..., I mean cards have been floating around L.A. and in cyberspace.

Apparently I have a "fan" who made these and has been passing them out at clubs and on e-mail. Another friend got this in his e-mail box today and e-mailed me. It's hot. Imagine if this was my book cover. They say sex sells, and well... this would light the flames under most demographics, huh?

So who are you, mystery fan? Are you friend or more-than-friend wannabe? I bet you're cool. Well, whoever you are... I love it... and I hope you are doing this for free, and with no expectation of a payback. That you're just a supporter.

All I wanna know is which one is Rafael? Keith? Tommie? Marco Antonio? Those are the main characters in Down For Whatever.
fs

Fresh Fruit, Minneapolis radio show

For those of you in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area, I'll be on the radio this Thursday, June 9 from 7 - 8 pm Central Time.

I'll be a guest on the Fresh Fruit radio show, hosted by the fabulous Leigh Combs, on KFAI-FM (90.3 and 106.7). We will discuss a number of topics: black and latino boys, life in L.A., the beauty myth we sometimes try too hard to live up to, the upcoming Pride season, the role of ethnicity and class in the LGBT community, dating, and of course writing, publishing, and Down For Whatever.

If you're around, hope you listen. If you know someone there, tell them to listen. Thanks!
fs

Let The Bootlegs Begin...

Darn bootleggers.

Only two days out of Book Expo America, and what do I find??? Some "fan" has put one of the signed copies of my book on sale on half.com... a good month before the due date. Isn't that special?

I learned really quickly to be weary of folks, "collecters," who don't want books personally signed to them. My preference is to sign it to the person receiving it and leave a personal greeting. However, with several hundreds of folks waiting in line(s) over the weekend, I didn't have time to discuss my issues with folks not wanting a personalized copy. Everyone's out for a quick buck. Everyone's out for freebies. Hmmm...

So, if you want a bootleg copy of my book, you know where to go, but maybe you can ask the culprit why they are selling something they got for free at Book Expo America. I'm assuming it's a BEA freebie. I could be wrong. Either way, they got it for free from somewhere... because the book isn't for sale anywhere yet. My preference... and most authors prefer... that you purchase your book in a bookstore. That makes our work and careers go further, so that we can continue to provide entertaining reads for you. My writing colleague and friend, Tayari Jones, wrote about a similar experience with her new novel.

To my lovely bootlegger: If you didn't want it, why did you take it just because it's free at BEA? Are you planning to do a review or tell people about it? Would you like to create some great karma for yourself by just GIVING it to someone, rather than SELLING it? (After all, you received it for free, and I'm sure there's someone out there who'd love a nice, new, autographed novel about black and Latino boys in L.A.). How many other freebies from BEA are you planning to sell? Or was my book just not your cup of tea? It's okay, but there were people at BEA who really wanted it and couldn't get it because we gave them all away. Just a few questions to reflect on.

Have a nice day!
fs

Back in L.A.

OK. I'm in L.A. again. Feel great to drive again. Been walking like I'm on the underground railroad or something all week in NYC. Wait, the subways are underground. Vindicated.

Picked up a nasty little bug in NYC. Not one of those bugs. A cold. Feel like it's the middle of winter or something, the way I'm sneezing and coughing and sniffling. Tough week and month ahead. Graduations. Book stuff. No rest for the weary. But joy comes in the morning.

Missed you L.A. Can't wait to get in the thick of things again... and things will be real THICK very soon. Kinda like me feeling real SpongeBob after no gym for the past week. Walking does only so much when you're used to an hour a day on the stairmaster. Anyways... missed my bed, my car, my friends, my laptop... oh, how I love your firm keyboard.

New York City is great. For those of you who live there (shout out to my Brooklyn peeps!) you know how much you love it there. For those of you who haven't visited, you gotta go (but avoid Times Square... tourist trap, too crowded, slow walkers, and who goes to NYC to eat at Fridays or Applebees??? Except people from the midwe.... err, won't go there. I need books to sell in that part of the country, lol).

Next week is Puerto Rican Pride. After that, pretty much every week is another Pride... Dominican, Jamaican, Jewish, Black... festival city. Just find someone you can stay with so you won't have to fork out over a grand PLUS for a week's PLUS accommodations. That's just accommodations. It's all cool, though.

Love New York City. Love L.A. And loving my Detroit Pistons right now too. Keeping that Detroiter spirit going!

Pics, name dropping, NYC thank you's, etc... to come soon! OK. One name. Iman. Saw her at the Blackboard Opening Reception of Book Expo America. Promoting a new book for young women she worked on. More soon...
fs

NYC kids... Cute enough to move here...

So I've been clubbing too. In between work. Krash. Escuelita. Roswell in Brooklyn. G. XL. The black bars on Christoph street Hanger. Chi Chiz. Promoting the book, handing out postcards, and having a cocktail in between. Cool people. Cute people. There's a hot nerdy type from Bronx ... a Dominican. A writer of a fiction book I just bought, and who was at BEA today promoting the book. Another writer, who just got married supposedly, but is rather fascinating. Calls me Fred with a "Ph". Funny.

My agent, Nicholas, is so cool. Met me at G. Introduced me to another writer client, the bartender, Achilles. A is cool. PR boy.

Loving the scene in NYC. Can't imagine being here in the winter, though. How do you do it? One thing that seems different. No one seems to "hook up". They dance a LOT. Hang with friends. Go home with friends. Different from what I observe in L.A. Hmmm....

What's up with all the kids hanging out at the Christopher Street pier? Skipping school? Homeless? Kicked out by homophobic parents? So sad. The hanging. The hustling. What do they do all day? Made me sad to see. I guess it's the same everywhere.

OK. Eric's calling now. Time for drinks at Preston's and David's.
fs

NYC... book stuff

So it's no secret I came to NYC to do some pre-buzz and promotion work at Book Expo America on my novel Down For Whatever, which is coming in about a month.

What BEA is all about is tons of booksellers, publishers, agents, some writers, etc... get together to see what's hot that's coming out the upcoming book season. They are promoting mostly their late summer, but fall and winter books.

The sad part about books is that after about three months of the release date, you can consider the "buzz" and excitement over for your project. So I anticipate that book high to be over by September. It's cool and the nature of the game. You move aside for the next new thing until your next new thing.

It's interesting observing the industry for the first time. Everyone's smiling, selling, comparing, looking for the next hot thing. I'm so grateful for Kensington and my editorial director, John, and Kensington's other fabulous editorial director, Karen (a wonderful sister diva!), for giving my book a promotional boost at BEA. It means a lot to have signed so many copies for booksellers, reviewers, book club presidents, and account managers for the major chains. Some really cool people I met. This is one major difference between self-publishing and getting picked up by a label. You have access to distribution when you get picked up.

Anyway, there are ups and downs to the business. It's a business, that's something I have to keep in mind. My L.A. friendliness is kinda weird to some people. I ask questions, wanna know where people are from, ask them to e-mail me when they're done reading. Then, after it was all over, I'd be back alone at my hotel room. Those few moments in the spotlight are fleeting, then you're alone. I can see why some people go crazy in some industries. I'm grounded, so you won't be reading about me doing something crazy to myself.

I'm so excited. And for those folks who met me at the Blackboard Books table on Saturday, I apologize for my "sweating like Whitney" moment. :-) I'm not on anything... so don't go to the book blogs with that gossip. Thanks!
fs