NEW READ: Animal III: Revelations by K'wan Foye

Amazon.com #1 “Top Rated Fiction” Bestselling Crime Novelist K’WAN FOYE

Set to release
“ANIMAL III: REVELATIONS”
from CASH MONEY CONTENT/ATRIA BOOKS
On November 4, 2014

October 27, 2014 –    K’wan Foye, one of this generations most talented and gritty crime novelists, is set to release Animal III: Revelations on November 4, from Cash Money Content books, the book publishing arm of the iconic record label Cash Money Records.  Animal III: Revelations is Foye’s most anticipated release to date, and is the follow up to his 2013 bestselling novel “Animal II: The Omen.”

Animal is a bestselling urban crime series with strong sales that have not slowed since first hitting shelves in 2012.  Animal, the first in the series, released in 2012, enjoyed unprecedented success with a #1 debut on Amazon.com’s list of “Top Rated Fiction,” while also receiving recognition from Library Journal where it was named one of the “Top 5 Street Lit Novels of 2012,” as well as a Library Journal starred “Pick of the Month” for October 2012.  Additionally, Animal reached #2 on the “Power List” of bestselling books compiled by Black bookstores. Kwan was also named “2008 Author of the Year” by Black Press Radio.

In Animal III, Kwan’s most revered character, Animal, the infamous fugitive from his well known Hood Rat Series, continues his bloody saga.  In the novel, we find Animal breaking the promise that he made to his wife upon his release from prison and picking up his guns once again.  To keep his daughter and her mother safe, Animal sets out on a mission of murder, but it isn’t just any man his ex-lover, Red Sonja, has sent him after, it's one of the most powerful drug dealers in the country…her father.

K’wan Foye’s previous novels include Welfare Wifeys (an African American Literary Award-winner), Section 8, Gutter, Still Hood, Hood Rat, Eve, Hoodlum and Street Dreams. K’wan has sold a total of 520,000 books.

Catch K’wan at the following book signings in the following cities:

Sat, November 8              Detroit, MI, Hood Books
                                                20900 Dequindre Rd Warren, MI - 48091
                                                2:00pm – 6:00pm

Sat, November 15            Washington D.C. William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Neighborhood Library
                                                115 Atlantic Street, SW, Washington DC 20032
                                                12Noon – 1:30pm

Mon, November 17        Los Angeles CA, LA Public Library – Miriam Matthews Branch
                                                2205 W. Florence Street LA, CA 90043
                                                5:30 – 7:30 PM

Sat, November 22            Miami, FL, Miami Book Festival – Miami Dade College –
                                                Wolfson Campus – Bldg. 8, Room 8303
                                                300 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami FL
                                                5:30pm

Praise for K’wan
   “Animal is a masterpiece”
                                         – Ronald “Slim” Williams, Co-CEO Cash Money Records/Cash Money Content
  
 “You don’t get more hood than K’wan”
                                         – Bryan “Birdman” Williams, Co-CEO Cash Money Records/Cash Money Content

  “…the characters become so alive that watching them spin toward their inevitable ends
                  is heartbreaking.”                                                    - Entertainment Weekly on “Street Dreams”

“The big draw here is the electric prose, which is imbued with profane, comic lyricism.”
                                                                                                                         - Publishers Weekly on “Hood Rat”

“K’wan has risen from “just another street lit author” to a writer who produces thrilling plots, and his descriptive prose holds its own against many top-selling authors.”  - Library Journal on “Eviction Notice”

For more info log onto www.kwanfoye.com.  Follow K’wan on twitter @K’Wan141 or @We_R_TeamAnimal and also find him at facebook.com/We Are #TeamAnimal.

For interviews and more information about Animal II or Cash Money Content books, contact:

Donna Torrence
donna@mediasavvyr.com
201.854.7082
About Cash Money Content

Cash Money Content (CMC) is a groundbreaking partnership that pairs the Cash Money Records brand with Atria Books, a division of the publishing powerhouse, Simon & Schuster.  CMC is publishing some of the most original and influential authors of urban fiction, as well as memoirs by some of the most prominent voices of today, and life-changing books on success, motivation, money and health.  Founded by Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams, the brothers who brought you Cash Money Records, home to multi-platinum recording artists like Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Jay Sean, and Bow Wow, comes a whole new concept in book publishing.

For more information on Cash Money Content, log onto www.CashMoneyContent.com, follow on Twitter @CashMoneyBooks and on Facebook @CashMoneyContent.

Animal III: Revelations
by K'wan
Cash Money Content/Original
Pub Date: November 4, 2014
ISBN:  978 1 936399 932
eBook: 978-1-936399-949
Trim Size: 5 5/16 x 8 1/4
Price US: $14.99, Price CDN: $16.99
Format: Paperback
240 Pages
# # #

donna torrence
mediasavvy pr, inc.
e: donna@mediasavvypr.com
o:  201.854.7082
c:  201.417.8596
t:  @donnatorrence
www.mediasavvypr.com

Guy Reads! Featuring H.N.I.C., Pure Bronx, Undisputed Truth, & Coming Home

Johnson, A. "Prodigy" & Savile, S. (2013). H.N.I.C.: An infamous novel. NY: Akashic/Infamous Books.
ISBN-13: 978-1-61775-232-2 | Paperback | 126 pages | $11.95 USD

If you don't have this novella in your library collection already, please be on the lookout for this 2013 release, H.N.I.C., penned by Hip Hop artist Prodigy of the group, Mobb Deep.

H.N.I.C. is sure to attract young adult male readers because of its snappy length as a novella, and its relatable characters, particularly the protagonist, Pappy, a hustler who happens to be a computer geek. Pappy wants to get out of the game but his best friend, Black, won't let him go. On the fake promise of a "one last heist", Pappy gets away with just his life, having to leave behind his past to strategically create his future, without Black. Black eventually catches up to Pappy, but time has moved on and the tables are turned as they fight to reign as the H.N.I.C. 

This novella is the launching release of the new publishing imprint, Infamous Books, in collaboration with the renowned independent publishing house, Akashic Books. H.N.I.C. is a good addition to a 16+ young adult collection in your school, public, or community-based library collection. The strong and thoughtful characterization of Pappy alongside the dark, pathologic antics of Black, provide a balanced lens to gaining an understanding of young manhood. The tension of good vs. evil between Pappy and Black will appeal to many male readers. There's also a romantic angle in the story that helps to soften the plot's edges. A nice, solid contribution to the hip hop / urban literature / street lit tradition, H.N.I.C. will circulate.

The Fall 2013 publishing season had quite a few important releases. Here are a few more titles that will be good "guy read" additions to your collections:

ISBN-13: 9781935883418 (A/YA)

ISBN-13: 9780399161285 (A/YA)

ISBN-13: 9781622500512 (YA)

Lastly, be sure to stock up on K'wan Foye's recently released, Animal 2: The Omen. StreetLiterature.com will be posting a full review of this read in the coming weeks.

NEW READ! Animal II: The Omen, by K'wan Foye

For interviews and more information on K'wan Foye

please contact:

Donna Torrence

donna@mediasavvypr.com

201.854.7082

Amazon.com #1 “Top Rated Fiction” Bestselling Author

K’WAN FOYE

Set to release

“ANIMAL II: THE OMEN”

from CASH MONEY CONTENT/ATRIA BOOKS

On November 19, 2013

K'wan to Kick off Book Tour

November 8, 2013 –    K’wan Foye, one of this generations most talented and gritty writers, is set to release Animal II: The Omen on November 19, from Cash Money Content books, the book publishing arm of the iconic record label Cash Money Records.  Animal II: The Omen, Foye’s most anticipated release yet, is the follow up to last year’s #1 bestselling urban crime thriller, Animal.

Animal is Urban Lit’s newest hit series, with strong sales that have not slowed since its 2012 release.  The novel enjoyed unprecedented success with a #1 debut on Amazon.com’s list of “Top Rated Fiction,” and recognition by Library Journal as one of the “Top 5 Street Lit Novels of 2012,” along with a Library Journal starred “Pick of the Month” for October 2012.  Additionally, Animal is currently #2 on the Power List Best-Selling Books List compiled by Black bookstores.

With Animal II, Black Press Radio’s 2008 “Author of the Year,” K’wan Foye, continues the bloody saga of Animal, the infamous fugitive from K’wan’s well‑known Hood Rat Series, as he sets out on a complex and tragic quest in search of the truth. 

K’wan Foye’s previous novels include the bestsellers Welfare Wifeys (an African American Literary Award-winner), Section 8, Gutter, Still Hood, Hood Rat,Eve, Hoodlum and Street Dreams, all released by St. Martin’s Press.  K’wan has sold a cumulative total of 500,000 books.

Praise for K’wan

   “Animal is a masterpiece” – Ronald “Slim” Williams, Co-CEO Cash Money Records/

                    Cash Money Content

  

 “You don’t get more hood than K’wan” – Bryan “Birdman” Williams, Co-CEO Cash Money

                   Records/Cash Money Content

  “…the characters become so alive that watching them spin toward their inevitable ends

                  is heartbreaking.”  - Entertainment Weekly on “Street Dreams”

“The big draw here is the electric prose, which is imbued with profane, comic lyricism.”

                         - Publishers Weekly on “Hood Rat”

“K’wan ... produces thrilling plots, and his descriptive prose holds its own against many top-selling authors.”

                         - Library Journal on “Eviction Notice”

Catch K’wan at the following book signings in the following cities:

11/20                     Source of Knowledge bookstore, 867 Broad Street, Newark NJ, 5pm – 7pm

11/21                     TLJ Bookstore, New Location 4921 Suitland Rd, Suitland MD, 20747, 5:30 pm – 7:30pm

11/22                     Books A Million, 144 S. Clark St (Galleria Mall), Chicago, IL, 12Noon

                                Da Book Joint, 2311 East 71st St, Chicago, IL, 7:00pm – 9:00pm

11/23                     Dock Shop event, Location TBA, Dallas, TX, 3:00pm

                                The Dock Book Shop, Book Club hosted event, 6637 Meadowbrook Dr, Dallas TX, 7:00pm

11/29                     Books A Million, 901 East Market St, Suite 1285, Philadelphia, PA, 12Noon – 2:00pm

                                Black and Nobel, 1409 W. Erie Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 5:00pm – 7:00pm

11/30                     Medu Bookstore, Greenbriar Mall Atlanta, GA, 2:00-4:00pm

For more info log onto www.kwanfoye.com.  Follow K’wan on twitter @K’Wan141 or @We_R_TeamAnimal and also find him at facebook.com/We Are #TeamAnimal.

For interviews and more information about Animal II or Cash Money Content books, contact:

Donna Torrence, mediasavvypr.com

email: donna@mediasavvyr.com, phone: 201.854.7082

About Cash Money Content

Cash Money Content (CMC) is a groundbreaking partnership that pairs the Cash Money Records brand with Atria Books, a division of the publishing powerhouse, Simon & Schuster.  CMC is publishing some of the most original and influential authors of urban fiction as well as life-changing books on success, motivation, money, health, and memoirs by some of the most prominent voices alive today.  Founded  by brothers Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams, from the label that is home to multi-platinum recording artists like Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Jay Sean, and Bow Wow, comes a whole new concept in book publishing.

For more information on Cash Money Content, log onto www.CashMoneyContent.com, follow on Twitter @CashMoneyBooks and on Facebook @CashMoneyContent.

About Cash Money Records

Cash Money Records is a legendary record company founded by brothers Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams.  The record label has grown from the housing projects of New Orleans into a multi-million dollar urban empire and is considered the most successful independent record label in America as well as an enduring global street brand. Cash Money is home to chart-topping, multi-platinum recording artists like Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Jay Sean, and Bow Wow.  Today, Cash Money operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company.

Animal II: The Omen

Ani                            by K'wan

Cash Money Content/Original

Pub Date: November 19, 2013

ISBN:  978‑1‑936399‑29‑1

eBook: 978-1-936399-30-7

Trim Size: 5 5/16 x 8 1/4

Price US: $14.99, Price CDN: $16.99

Format: Paperback

336 Pages

Checkin: Vanessa Irvin Morris quoted in Salon.com!

Please check out the newly released article, "I write street lit because that's the life I lived" via Sunday's issue of Salon.com (date: July 28, 2013). It is a very good interview with street lit author and publisher, Deborah Cardona, who has penned a few novels (under the name, Sexy) such as A Better Touch, Twofold, Chained, Butterfly and Butterfly II. Cardona is Latina American and sets her novels in Spanish Harlem. She is also CEO of the urban fiction publishing label, Deja Vu Publications. Salon.com highlights Cardona's contributions to the urban literature genre, and also provides some literary context within which the genre thrives (that's where my quotes come in - yay!). Please enjoy this article, it is very informative. :-)

For more information on Deborah Cardona, you can visit her on social media via Facebook and Twitter.
A special thank you to Marlisse Silver Sweeney for her work on this piece.

2013 SLBAM Winners and Honorees

The Street Lit Book Award Medal (SLBAM) Committee is proud to announce the award winners for 2012 publications. The following winners and honorees were nominated based on popularity of books as read by the public in school, academic, and public library settings. In other words, the SLBAM honors what street lit readers are reading and deeming as the best authors and titles for the 2012 publication year.

ADULT NON-FICTION WINNER: THE NEW JIM CROW BY MICHELLE ALEXANDER (reprint, 2012)

Honorees: 
1) A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball by Dwayne Wade
2) Empire State of Mind:  How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office by Zack O'Malley Greenburg
3) Purpose: An Immigrant's Story by Wyclef Jean

SLBAM Feedback:
-- “The New Jim Crow has seen an amazing resurgence in its reprint edition, becoming an important read for many.”
-- "People won't stop asking for The New Jim Crow."
-- "My students enjoy A Father First … learning how Wade, a homeboy from Chicago, juggles fatherhood and the NBA."

ADULT FICTION WINNER: ANIMAL BY K'WAN
Honorees:
1) Get It Girls by Treasure Blue
2) Murder Was the Case by Kiki Swinson
3) Coca Kola by Nisa Santiago

SLBAM Feedback:
-- "For a second year in a row, K'wan keeps readers flocking to the library looking for his latest release."
-- "It always boils down to K'wan and Treasure Blue. This year, the battle between K'wan and Treasure Blue can be compared to Holyfield and Tyson."  

YOUNG ADULT FICTION WINNER: ON THE FLIP SIDE: A FAB LIFE NOVEL by NIKKI CARTER
Honorees:
1) How to Get Out of Your Own Way by Tyrese Gibson
2) Shattered by Kia Dupree
3) Back to Me by Earl Sewell

SLBAM Feedback:
-- "Many of my students began their pre-teen years reading Nikki Carter’s So For Real series and now have graduated to her Fab Life series. It's great to see Nikki Carter honored."
-- "My young library patrons love Nikki Carter."
-- "Tyrese Gibson's book is the talk among teens at my school."
-- "DuPree does it again and takes her readers on an emotional rollercoaster ride."
-- "My teens can't get enough of books written by Sewell."

EMERGING CLASSIC: ANIMAL BY K'WAN

SLBAM Committee Feedback:

-- "Readers are voraciously enjoying Animal!"

-- "The character Animal is one of the most ruthless yet misunderstood characters in modern day Street Literature."

-- "Animal is a masterpiece... a continuation of setting the high standard for Street Lit..."

AUTHOR OF THE YEAR: K'WAN

For 2013, the SLBAM Committee honors Essence (magazine) bestselling author K'wan, for his continuous commitment to raising the bar for the literary quality of Street Lit. K'wan approaches his stories with a Dickens-esque quality, paying deep attention to social ills that motivate his characters to live the lives they live in his stories. K'wan is also cited for his prolific writing career with having authored 20 very popular novels, plus two novellas, and has been featured in three anthologies, all within the past decade, offering a solid foundation upon which contemporary Street Lit continues to evolve. Readers love K'wan. Case in point, one SLBAM Committee member shared: "After an intense debate, my book discussion group picked K'wan."

------------------------------------------------------

Methodology: The SLBAM Committee conducted three nomination rounds where they reported on field research of patron readership and reader response to street lit in libraries. The committee discussed all nominated titles. The "Emerging Classic" category recognizes a street lit-plotted or -themed book that was published during or before the year of nomination but continues to be in popular demand by the reading public. Another special category, "Author(s) of the Year", recognizes an author or writing team whose publications were particularly well-received by the reading public during the nomination year. Aside from the "Emerging Classic" category, books eligible for SLBAM nomination were required to be published between January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012.

For more information about the Street Lit Book Award Medal (SLBAM) or if you are interested in participating on the committee, contact: vanirvimorris@gmail.com. For a historical listing of SLBAM Awards, visit: http://www.streetliterature.com/p/slbam.html.

2013 SLBAM Committee Members:

K.C. Boyd, M.Ed., M.L.S., is the Library Media Specialist at the acclaimed Wendell Phillips Academy High School in Chicago, IL. Boyd is a nationally sought-out lecturer on street lit, and she blogs about young adult street lit/urban fiction at http://theaudaciouslibrarian.blogspot.com/.

Marvin DeBose, Sr., M.L.S., is an Adult/Teen Librarian with the Free Library of Philadelphia (PA). An often sought-out panelist for discussing street lit in libraries, Marvin manages the largest street lit public library collection in Philadelphia, and also runs a teen street lit book club where they discuss their readings at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/277733218945733/.

Connie Farley is Reference Technician for St. Louis (MO) Public Library where she runs an Urban Lit Discussion Group that boasts a diverse membership coming from several African and Caribbean nations.

D.L. Grant, Jr., M.L.S., is an Assistant Branch Manager with the San Antonio Public Library System. Grant is studying for his doctorate's degree in English studies.

Patrice Grimball-Smith is a Librarian Assistant in Young Adult Services for the Charleston County Public Library System in Charleston, South Carolina.  She is also President of the Readers in Motion Bookclub, http://facebook.com/ReadersInMotion.

Takiyah Jemison, M.L.S., is currently Head of the Cataloging Department at Fayetteville State University. She has a B.A in History and she received her Master in Library Science from North Carolina Central University. She is an avid reader of different genres such as psychological thrillers, urban literature, and true crimes.

Vanessa Irvin Morris, M.L.S., Ed.D., is the convener of the Street Lit Book Award Medal (SLBAM) Committee. She is the author of the Street Literature blog at http://www.streetliterature.com, and the award-winning publication, The Readers Advisory Guide to Street Literature (2011). Vanessa teaches library and information science at a private research university in Northeast USA.