Okay, I’m finally getting some of the pics of our events up. I told you I would. I just needed to regroup, grab some zzz’s, have a light saber battle with a case of the flu that refused to back off, and travel (of course).
On the day of our event, Tuesday, February 21st, I got a chance to connect with loyal Lo Zone reader, Lance…
He’d already mentioned them to me in one of the comments he made on a post I did a couple weeks back, and he backed up his recommendation by giving me one in the flesh plastic. He was right. It rocked. Quite tasty.
Now these next pics are from our event that same evening at the Borders Books & Music at the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle, which I’ve been told is not just a couple of spectacular buildings, but a “Vertical Retail Experience.”
Yeah, folks, that’s how you should be referring to it. Not, “Hey girl, I’m about to run to the mall,” or, “Yo, let’s check out them new stores up the street.” Oh no, people. You should be saying, “I’m on my way to The Vertical Retail Experience. You want I should get you something?”
Yeah. That’s how you should be saying it. Keep in mind, though, that if you do, EVERYBODY but the businesses in the Time Warner Center are going to look at you like you’re crazy. But at least you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you are addressing the place according to its proper nomenclature. (Because being right is really important!!!)
We arrived at The Vertical Retail Experience (which I will henceforth refer to as The VRE) earlier that afternoon to spec it out (after a blazin’ interview over at MTV Radio with our shoetastic new friend, and my soror, Bridget Bland).
…she gives a small-bottomed girl like myself junk-in-trunk envy.
This is the Borders.
These are the displays of us they had at the entrance (and all over the store).
This is Silena posing in front of the store.
This is both of us posing in front of the store.
This is a display in the store.
And another one.
And another one.
And another one.
And another one.
And another one.
And another one.
And another one.
And another one.
Anyone who came into the store was treated to a full-on assault by our images, the books, and the soundtrack. They probably saw Sex.Lies.Murder.Fame. all in their sleep.
Devoted, determined fan Corliss was waiting for us when we arrived.
She got there early because she had to leave, but she made sure she had her book and got me to sign it. We love it when readers are as loyal as her!!!
…and Ms. Silena doing what she does best: SANGIN’.
(notice the wall of my books just to her left)
Us doing Q & A…
The scrump-licious actor/producer Mel Jackson (here with me and Silena).
(notice the display right next to us)
Gorgeous multi-talented artist Q.
Mel and Q designed these fantastic Sex.Lies.Murder.Fame. t-shirts, which were the hit of HarperCollins. Even the CEO wants to rock one.
Here’s Mel with my fabulous publicist and longtime sistah-friend, Yvette Hayward (aka, Lo Zoner “Ettevy“)…
One mo’ ‘gin…
Mel, me, Silena, and the beautiful ladies of Jolie magazine (including editor Alicia Marie Rivers).
Me, my dear, dear friend, Carol Mackey, Editor-in-Chief of Black Expressions Book Club, and the awesomely-talented author, Bernice McFadden.
My superfantastic, ride-or-die, (she should have a cape on because she’s a super-hero) publicist at Amistad, Gilda Squire (on the left); Amistad Publisher Extraordinaire, Dawn Davis (on the right); and Dawn’s trouper of an assistant (center), who plays my character Penn in the Sex.Lies.Murder.Fame. video.
More of the Amistad/HarperCollins crew (in addition to Dawn Davis and Gilda Squire, who are also pictured), includes the wonderful woman who played my character Beryl in the video (second from the left); the most excellent Yona Deshommes (third from the left), Michelle (third from the right); my amazing, amazing, awesome editor, the famous “Anonymous” from the Lo Zone, Jennifer Pooley (second from the right); and the other Lo Zone-posting “Anonymous,” the rock star herself, Amistad’s Associate Publisher, Rockelle Henderson (far right).
And others who came out to show us love, like him…
The whole spanking lot of us, including bestselling author/publisher and my dear friend Nancey Flowers (on the far left, in the cap and shades), and bestselling author/one of my best friends, Victoria Christopher Murray (on the far right, in the fuh).
We had a blast, y’all. And the fun kept on going. More details in the next few posts.
The Lo Zone 
>We're vertically challenged here in DC so all we get is malls but they laid it on for you in NYC. Kudos, lil sis.
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>Hey Cuzin'What happened to you Saturday nite in 'Lanta??!!## Left a msg on your v-mail. Stayed up 'til 3:40 am waiting for your call.Considering that your cuz Shar's visual acuiety is yet in healing phase, Shamar & I wanted to "see ya"!Thanks for the track & book which is "off the chain!" Not to mention the t-shirt in your blog could start its own "Lo-line."Remember to "Praise the Lord" in all things. Desire nothing but the "BEST FOR YOU" as I can only chase after my desires. Yet I understand that visual perception is learning to "see" where God is at work in the world thru Jesus.HindsightATL
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>thanks for postin' my pic on the blog, sorry i couldn't immerse myself into the "lolena experience" that night. looks like y'all had a lotta fun. cheers!!!
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>C'mon now, Lance…how could I NOT post your picture. The readers of The Lo Zone needed a face to put to all that intense, fun commentary. Now it's got one!!!
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>dayuuuum lo. that's a woman's ass? i thought it was a statue in the building's lobby!!!!i got sum cousins down south that would drool over her… ;-P~~
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>lol….it's all good. hmmm, will there be a sequel to s.l.m.f?you can tell me…it'll be OUR secret..heh, heh, heh.
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>ROFL!!!! It's a statue's ass, Lance, but there's an ass on a sistah dancing in a cage in my post about us partying in New York that gives that statue's ass a run for its money.
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>LOL. "Our secret," huh? Just me, you, and the entire internet will know.
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>How can I get a T-shirt?
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>lo, my cousins will still drool over that statue's ass and over those gurls in dem postszs..;-P~~~it like dat n da durty-durty!!!
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