Congratulations to the following winner and runners-up for the 2008 "Have Dinner with Kimberla Lawson Roby" contest!
Grand Prize Winner:
Journeé Book Club of Columbia, SC
submitted by Michelle Rayford
1st Runner-up:
Black Women Literary League of Augusta, GA
submitted by Shirley Godbee
2nd Runner-up:
Just Between Friends of Lynchburg, VA
submitted by Felicia D. West
3rd Runner-up:
Black Butterflies of Country Club Hills, IL
submitted by Tiffany Taylor
4th Runner-up:
Southern Girls Book Club of Jackson, MS
submitted by LaKeeta Jones
5th Runner-up:
Sistahfriend Book Club/Sistahs in Christ of Shreveport, LA
submitted by Monica A. Johnson
Kimberla sincerely appreciates the amazing response she received from book clubs nationwide and looks forward to hearing from all again of you when her next contest is announced.
Kimberla Lawson Roby was named Female Author of the Year at The 3rd Annual African-American Literary Award Show. The event was held at the Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem where Eric Jerome Dickey, Victoria Christopher Murray and many others were also winners in various categories.
A few of the bestseller lists LOVE & LIES made for Hardcover Fiction:
# 23 on New York Times Bestseller List and remained on the list for four consecutive weeks
- Beginning February 18, 2007
# 4 on Wal*Mart Bestseller List for all hardcover titles, fiction and non-fiction - February 5, 2007
# 1 on Essence Magazine Bestseller List - May, June, & July 2007
# 1 on Karibu Books Bestseller List - February 2007
Kimberla Lawson Roby was named Female Author of the Year at The 2nd Annual African-American Literary Award Show. The event was held at the Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem where other winners such as Walter Mosely and Eric Jerome Dickey were also in attendance.
A few of the bestseller lists CHANGING FACES made for Hardcover Fiction:
#1 on Karibu Bookstore Bestseller List - February 2006
#2 on Black Images Book Bazaar Bestseller List -January 2006
January 2006
A personal note to my readers:
Wow. Where exactly do I begin? I think the reason I’ve been pondering this question so much is because, in all honesty, I don’t know which part of my story gets me more excited. So, maybe it would just be better to go ahead and tell you straight out. On May 14, 2005, I made what has proven to be one of the best decisions in my life…I joined Weight Watchers. And…I’m now a Lifetime Member.
Although, I will admit that I wasn’t completely sure about what I should expect, especially having tried almost every fad diet program in existence, but to my surprise I lost 20 pounds in twelve weeks. Not very many people thought that I needed to lose weight but what most didn’t realize was that my height (I’m 5' 9") and my bone structure are what actually allowed me to hide it so well!
Nonetheless, from January 2002 (thanks to my annual New Year’s resolution) through May 2005, I lost my first 20 pounds, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't seem to stay on track and lose more—not to mention, it took me over three years to accomplish what Weight Watchers ultimately helped me do in three months. My goal was to lose at least an additional 20 but instead, I’d lose five to ten pounds whenever I needed to look presentable, or so I thought, for a certain social event, but then I’d regain every one of those in a matter of days. However, after hearing about a research study and learning that Weight Watchers ranked number one in terms of weight-loss maintenance, I decided to give it a try and my life is so much better because of it. For me, Weight Watchers is not a diet, but instead, it is a lifestyle. By attending the weekly, 30-minute meetings, I've learned so much about nutrition and fitness, and I’ve mastered the art of staying focused on what is good for me and what definitely isn’t. I work out five to seven days per week, even if it's only taking a brisk walk on the treadmill or a bike path for a half hour, and I use weights for toning every other day.
So, because this has worked so well for me, I decided that in my upcoming novel, CHANGING FACES, it would be good to give my character, Whitney, an opportunity to work toward the same success. I finally realized that she needed something a bit more structured the same as I did. Of course, it is true that my final 25 pounds (because I’ve now lost 45 in total) are not the same as the 100 pounds Whitney needed to lose or the 50 she wanted to lose by the date of her class reunion, but still, I'm hoping that my personal story will be an inspiration to readers with any weight-loss goal. I’m hoping that my overall experience will give those who have been struggling with their weight for months and even years a chance to try something that works.
Thanks so much for your continued support and I look forward to seeing all of you during my 2006 national book tour!
CHANGING FACES
William Morrow/An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
On Sale January 24, 2006
ISBN: 0060780770
$23.95 U.S. / $33.95 Can
