bestselling author Delorys Welch-Tyson
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The Six Gingersnaps The author of GINGERSNAPS, New York City Aletha Brown: The reigning queen of the talk show has a royal snag in her love life. Desiree Brown-Simon: As a sister-friend Sigmund Freud, many women "lie" on her couch. Veronica McPherson:This TV producer is a master juggler -- until the daddy of her baby takes his act on the road. Debra Parker: The advertsing exec who is pushing forty, and whose mother is pushing her to find a man -- in all the wrong directions. Janeen Davis: This popular interior designer's dreamboat is about to clash with her romantic fantasies big-time. Louise Washington: When this controversial bestselling author promotes her book, it's a riot --literally. They're Gingersnaps -- spicy and hard, brown and bold -- women who refuse to let their cookies crumble when faced with a challenge. From Booklist The author designates her main female characters "gingersnaps--spicy, and hard, brown and bold--women who refuse to let their cookies crumble when faced with a challenge." The six snaps include Aletha, a talk-show host; her sister Desiree, the psychologist; Veronica, the executive director of Aletha's show; Debra, a patient of Desiree's; Janeen, a hot interior-decorator involved with Aletha and Desiree's brother; and Louise, a best-selling author. All of the women have experiences that elicit actions that affect their relationships with each other and the men in their lives. They engage and interact in a world filled with jealousy, ambition, love, and hate, yet each possesses that inner strength to overcome adversity and rebound with style. Another African American fictional tale destined for the best-seller list. Lillian Lewis --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. The Public Library of Charlotte & Meckenburg County: Welch-Tyson’s first novel is actually a collection of stories about the events in the lives of six African-American women. The author weaves an emotional, humorous but realistic tale which mainly focuses on the romantic relationships of these six baby boomers. These six snaps (or so the author calls them) - Aletha, Desiree, Vernonica, Debra, Janeen and Louise - cross each others’ path adding more interesting twists and turns into the story. This novel not only has romance but also has an element of mystery thrown into the story. This is a must for those who enjoy reading about characters who remain strong regardless of the situation or challenges. Reviewed by: Michelle G. S. Branch Readers' Club |
  From Publishers Weekly Less a novel than six character sketches in search of a focus, this breezy, featherweight debut chronicles the loves and ambitions of several fantastically successful black women. Aletha Brown, a 37-year-old Oprah-like talk-show hostess, spends most of her time moping and envying the bliss of her older sister, Desiree, whose existence includes a successful New York psychiatric practice, a Connecticut home and marriage to a bestselling Jewish novelist. By contrast, Aletha has just shot her boyfriend, reporter and aspiring novelist Reggie Pinkney, after finding him in bed with a literary agent. Although the wound wasn't fatal, Aletha is in such a snit over the breakup that she fires Veronica, her producer, for having had a child out of wedlock. Rounding out the histrionic cast are Debra, a PR flak who masks her lesbian leanings with a strong desire to marry the right black man, and Janeen, whose 20-year friendship and hoped-for marriage to Desiree and Aletha's brother Marshall is doomed when he declares his undying love for Veronica's cousin Eric. Finally, there is Louise, who bears no direct relationship to any of the other characters except that she is promoting her how-to-snare-a-black-man self-help book on the Aletha Brown Show. (Oct.) FYI: A sample chapter of Gingersnaps has been distributed to African American beauty parlors across the country. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. |