WALTER MOSLEY is the prolific and award-winning author whose latest book, "The Long Fall," is another gripping read. Walter introduces another magnetic character, Leonid McGill, a New York private detective who captures the imagination and touches all the emotions. The creator of the Easy Rawlins series that included "Devil In A Blue Dress," "A Red Death," "Black Betty" and on and on. . . is set up for another spellbinding series. www.waltermosley.com

KIMBERLA LAWSON ROBY is the wonderful author of a series of best-selling, interesting and fun books, including her latest fantastic offering, "The Best of Everything". A repeat NY Times best-seller. Kim is also the author of "The Best Kept Secret," "Too Much Of A Good Thing," "A Taste Of Reality," "It's A Thin Line," "Casting The First Stone" and "Behind Closed Doors."
www.kimroby.com

GREGALAN WILLIAMS is the Emmy Award-winning actor who has penned his first novel, "Heart of A Woman," which it took him eight years to complete. He's also written non-fiction books A Gathering of Heroes, Boys To Men - Maps for the Journey, a powerful parenting resource" for African-American mothers bringing sons to manhood. On January 29th, GregAlan stars a Bishop Earnest King, in Warner Bros movie, Preacher's Kid. See trailer: www.preacherskidmovie.com and click on his photo to visit his website, www.gregalanwilliams.com.

DR. BERTICE BERRY is the spectaular author with a list best-selling books that range from smart to funny to learning to entertaining. Her novel, "Redemption's Song," is a special work. Her new novel, "Ties That Bind," is a must-read. A wonderful speaker and humorist, Dr. Berry received the 2009 Bebe Moore Campbell Memorial Award. www.berticeberry.com

PEARL CLEAGE is the dynamic and beloved author of multiple bestselling novels and renown plays. In April, her new novel, "Til You Hear From Me," will be released. It promises to be another stellar read, just like her other hits "I Wish I Had A Red Dress," "Baby Brother Blues" and "What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day," among others. www.pearcleage.net.

Former television news reporter PAT TUCKER has crafted several outstanding books, including  (anthology), Proceed With Caution, Led Astray, Infidelity, The Hook Up, Summer BreezeAround the Way Girls 3 (anthology), Caramel Flava (anthology). Under PL Wilson, she crafted the Black Expressions bestseller, Holy Hustler.

Additionally, Pat is the co-host with ReShonda Tate Billingsley of the popular literary radio show, From Cover To Cover. Click on Pat's photo to visit www.fromcovertocover.com and learn more about their show and www.authorpattucker.com to learn more about Pat.

ReSHONDA TATE BILLINGSLEY is the Essence bestselling author and co-radio talk show host whose latest book, "The Devil Is A Lie," is a fantastic page-turner. She and author Pat Tucker hosts Cover To Cover, a wildly popular literary radio show out of Houston. ReShonda has also penned "Can I Get A Witness," "The Pastor's Wife" and "Let The Church Say Amen," among other titles. www.reshondatatebillingsley.com

VIRGINIA DEBERRY and DONNA GRANT are the best-selling writing tandem that has produced myriad wonderful works, including the 2009 "What Doesn't Kill You." They also penned "Gotta Keep On Tryin'," "Trying To Sleep In The Bed You Made" and "Far From The Tree," among other hits. www.deberryandgrant.com

VICTORIA ROWELL is the New York Times best-selling author of "The Women Who Raised Me," a moving and insightful look at the former Young and the Restless actress' childhood in foster care. She is currently at work on a new book, "Confessions of a Sopa Opera Diva."

VICTORIA CHRISTOPHER MURRAY is the dynamic and energetic author of a list of best-selling and engaging books, including "Lady Jasmine," "Too Little Too Late," "A Sin and A Shame," "The Ex-Files," among others. Victoria also holds writing workshops for aspiring authors. www.victoriachristophermurray.com

LYAH BETH LEFLORE is the best-selling author of several outstanding books, including "Wildflowers," which will be released in September. She also coauthored, Cosmopolitan Girls; the Essence Bestseller Last Night A DJ Saved My Life; and the NY Times Bestseller and Essence Bestseller, I Got Your Back: A Father and Son Keep It Real About Love, Fatherhood, Family, and Friendship -- the non-fiction collaboration with Grammy Award father and son, Eddie and Gerald Levert. I Got Your Back was a 2008 Nominee/Finalist for the Essence Literary Awards and the NAACP Image Awards. www.lyahbethleflore.com

TRICE HICKMAN debut novel, "Unexpected Interruptions" received critical acclaim from reviewers and readers alike, and was featured as a “Dynamic Debut” Editor’s Pick by Black Expressions Book Club. In addition, Trice is the recipient of the 2008 Afr’ Am Literary Award for Best New African American Voice, and winner of the Best Romance Novel Award at the 2008 African American Literary Awards Show. Her sophomore novel, "Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies," was released June 2009, to rave reviews. Her third novel will be released summer 2010, along with her collaboration on the anthology, "Bedtime Stories 3," which will be released in June 2010. www.tricehickman.com

TRISHA R. THOMAS is one of the most beloved best-selling authors around is Trisha R. Thomas, whose new book, Nappily In Bloom, is another wonderful read. It is the third in the "Nappily" series, the first of which, Nappily Ever After, was optioned by Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry. Trisha also penned best-selling Nappily Married, Nappily Faithful and Would I Lie To You - all fantastic book club books. Trisha is a great addition to our Featured Author roster for next year.

R.M. JOHNSON is the best-selling author of a number of outstanding works. His latest offering, "Why Men Fear Marriage," is a thought-provoking and sure to spark interesting conversation. R.M. also has crafted best-sellers "The Million Dollar Deception" and "The Million Dollar Demise," which is released in September. www.rmnovels.com

JAMES JIMASON is a dynamic speaker and teacher with six published books, including "Dante's Destiny" and the upcoming "For Adults Only: It's Not What You Think.". His works are both insightful and thought provoking. He has been writing for over nine years and has done public speaking for over ten years. www.myspace.com/dantesdestiny

ESUAREN PHYER is the author of the inspiring new book, "Tahitian Pearl (From The Gritty Dune To An Oasis In The Sun)." It is the story that follows Stanford University senior Naiyah Harland and the parallel lives of her family as they emerge from the grit of life (infidelity, deceit, an unwed pregnancy, drugs and much more) to a place of refreshing liberation. Esuaren Phyer is the pen name for Gloria Hartwell, a loyal NBCC participant who has fulfilled her ambition to become an author.

J.D. MASON is the author of several bestselling novels including, And On The Eighth Day She Rested, This Fire Down In My Soul, and You Gotta Sin To Get Saved, which has been selected as one of the best books of 2008 by Black Expressions and the RAWSISTAZ Online Bookclub. Her upcoming novel, That Devil's No Friend of Mine, will be released in March 2009 from St. Martin's Press and will be featured in the March 2009 edition of Essence Magazine. Also, look for a new release from Mason in Fall 2009, called Hot Flashes - a feisty coming of age story for the mature woman. www.officiallyjd.com

SEKOU WRITES is a self-described "slasher," meaning he is a writer/editor/actor. The editor in chief of Uptown magazine's website, also is the author of the erotic short stories, "The Sounds of Silk at Midnight." He has been featured on The Today Show and Nightline, among other national media outlets. His provocative columns on a number of subjects can be read on www.uptownlife.net. Sekou has also edited or contributed to several anthologies, including "When Butterflies Kiss." www.sekouwrites.com

CAROL MACKEY, the editor of Black Expressions. Carol's new book, "Sistergirl Devotion: Keeping Jesus In The Mix On The Job" is, finally, a book of meditations for African American centering on the lessons God teaches us at work, at church and in relationships. Using Scripture, conventional wisdom and stories from the African American community, each devotional will show women how their faith can empower them to have success on the job (and in life). Each devotion ends with a "power move" - a practical affirmation that moves readers toward success at work. Carol's inspiring and much-anticipated book will be available in 2010.

TANANARIVE DUE (pronounced tah-nah-nah-REEVE doo)- is the American Book Award-winning and NAACP Image Award-winning author of novels, screenplays and a civil rights memoir.  Her newest novel, "Blood Colony," is the sequel to her 2001 thriller "The Living Blood" and 1997's "My Soul to Keep." She also collaborates with her husband, Steven Barnes. They published their first mystery, Casanegra: A Tennyson Hardwick Novel (2007), in collaboration with actor Blair Underwood. The series continued with "In the Night of the Heat" (2008), which won an NAACP Image Award. The third novel in the Tennyson Hardwick series, "From Cape Town with Love," will be published in May, 2010. Due and Barnes sold their screenplay adaptation of her novel The Good House to Fox Searchlight. Due also co-authored a memoir with her mother, civil rights activist Patricia Stephen Due:  Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights. (Patricia Stephens Due took part in the nation's first "Jail-In" in 1960, spending 49 days in jail in Tallahassee, Florida, after a sit-in at a Woolworth lunch counter). Visit www.tananarivedue.com.

JILL NELSON is the renown author and editor who has been a force on the literary scene for years. Her whose paperback edition of Let's Get It On comes out in mid-May 2010. It is the spicy, raucous follow-up to her bestselling novel, Sexual Healing, and was named an Essence Book Club Pick in hardcover. Jill, who also penned the poignant Straight No Chaser, is a former professor of Journalism at the City College of New York (from 1998 to 2003). She also lectures widely on race, gender, politics, media, writing and other topics. To browse inside Let's Get It On, click on Jill's photo. www.jillnelson.com

SHAWN GINWRIGHT, an Associate Professor of Education in the Africana Studies Department and Senior Research Associate at the Cesar Chavez Institute for Public Policy at San Francisco State University, is the author of the important book, Black Youth Rising, Activism and Radical Healing in Urban America . He received his Ph.D. from the University of California Berkeley in 1999. His research examines the ways in which youth in urban communities navigate through the constraints of poverty and struggle to create equality and justice in their schools. He also is the author of and Black in School- Afrocentric Reform, Black Youth and the Promise of Hip-Hop Culture."

PAMELA M. McBRIDE is the co-author of The Mocha Manual to Military Life. She has served military families personally and professionally for 20years, and she currently serves as a Well-Being Program Specialist for the Department of the Army. She has written for Essence, Upscale, Black Enterprise and Army Times, among others, including the Internet's www.homefrontonline.com. Visit www.pamelamcbride.net.