Guess what!?  My book, OUTSIDE CHILD: A Novel of Murder and New Orleans, has won an award.  Yeah! It was awarded the IPPY Silver Medal for Best Regional Fiction.  And it was a Finalist in the Mystery/Suspense category as well as the Best Regional Fiction (South) category in the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards contest.

As a black writer, too often our books are placed in the African-American category only.  Nothing wrong with that except it limits exposure.  That's why I'm so pleased for this recognition.  Particularly because this award and the Indie acknowlegements make the case that OUTSIDE CHILD is more than an "urban" title.  That it also fits in the Fiction and/or the Mystery shelves in bookstores, libraries etc. 

It also indicates to readers that OUTSIDE CHILD represents a fresh southern voice.  And considering the rich, colorful literary history of New Orleans, I'm hopeful that because of this recognition, my contemporary story can be added to that mix.