PEACE & LOVE to Pamela Artis who is still hanging in there and helping me to organize and edit new and improved material. She’s like the Energizer Bunny; keeps reading and reading (smile). Let’s outlast all of the competition, Pam. I have about eight more books waiting in the wings for you. To Tierney Davis and Walter “Rap” Pearson for my St. Louis research. And to Sister Jamilah Nasheed for inviting me out to St. Louis in 1997 when I first came up with the idea.
Peace & Love to my uncle Joseph McLaurin, the creative force and passionate Web master behind www.OmarTyree.com. Two thousand hits per month ain’t too shabby for an author who’s never been on many national television shows. What will happen to our #1 author’s Web site if I do hit national TV? BOOM! We blow up! So keep the new ideas rolling out strong, Joe.
Peace & Love to my aunts: Shelly, Gina, Tu ta, Dee Dee, Shirley, Hazel, Florence, Stella (RIP), Anita, Burlie, Eltie, Jaycina, Greta, Bert, Sharon, Linda, Rudy, and Eassie (RIP). My sisters: Dee Dee, Darlene, Cydnee, Paula, and Kate. My cousins: Donna Jean, Claranell, Mamie, Estelle, Hodgie, Theresa, Cassandra, Liz, June, Adrienne, Priscilla, Nettie, Penny, Hellen, Jackie, Judy, Ashley, Quanie, Sabrina, Diane, Robin, Paula, Lauri, Sherri, Dawn, Sebrena, Angel, Lisa, Tina, Tiffany B., Tiffany F., Monique, Rasheeda, Kieara, Sharisse, Shanae, Squirt, Ki-Ki, and Boo-Boo. My nieces: Deanna, Dominique, and Amani. Also family: Joy, Bernadette, Evelyn, and Helena. And my wife’s girls: Dawn, Nadeje, Kai, Ashleigh, Monique, Pascha, Octavia, Toby, and the twins, Amina and Ayesha.
My grandmothers: Mert (RIP), Betty (RIP), Gerri, Dorothy, and Frances Clarke. My mother-in-law Donna. And my six godmothers: Peaches, Linda, Donna, Ruth, Mariam, and Ellen. Keep looking after me for my mom, you guys. Much respect!
Peace & Love to my agent, Denise Stinson. We have a big contract year coming up. Let ‘em know, Denise, “Omar Tyree is loaded with new book ideas and definitely here to stay! But he wants people to know that he’s here! So put the cheese on the table and switch on the high beams!”
R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Assertive marketing is the key to the castle! Let’s just DO IT!
Peace & Love to my fourth new editor at Simon Œ Schuster, Geoffrey Kloske. Thanks a million for introducing me to the head honchos up at the office on Sixth Avenue. Now they can place my face of charm, intelligence, determination, and commitment to my name. I’m no spoiled artist over here. I’m a thinker and a doer! So support the man with the plans and commit to a golden future.
Peace & Love to Georgia’s Brown Restaurant in Washington, D.C., for letting me snap that handsome back jacket photo at your place on 17th and K Streets, Northwest. And thanks to my main man Daniel McNeill for all of the photo shots you continue to snap of me.
Peace Œ Love to new friends: Bernard Love for turning up the heat in Kansas City (MO) with “The Breakfast Brothers.” Anthony Weatherly in Chester (PA). Brother Malik and “The Home Team” in Los Angeles (CA) for turning me on to the West Side. Teresa and Antoine for making me feel at home in St. Louis (MO). Traci L. McKinley and Sister Garbo in Little Rock (AR). Melissa Lee for hooking me up in Trenton (NJ) through Wendy “What” Williams and crew. Lisa Evers for hooking me up on the “Street Soldiers” of New York (NY) side of things. And Sherry McGee for blowing up the book market in Detroit (MI). Also to Raynelle Wiggins (DE), Deborah Ramcheran (PA), Tanya Moss (NY), and “Zee” (GA)—keep writing your hearts out, sisters. Sweet St. Louis is for all of you who search for love! Maybe us hardheaded men will finally understand one day that love is a blessing and not a curse.
To Tulsa University, Temple, NYU, Lincoln, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Bowie State, Del. State, Del. Tech., College of Staten Island, and Wesley College for inviting me to educate your campus population on the issues of my novels. Or at least those who came out to hear my loud behind speak (smile). Ask them what they learned. Ask them if Omar knows what he’s talking about. Ask them if they’d invite me back again…. Definitely!
To the magazines and newspapers that gave me love: News Dimensions (DC), The News Journal (DE), The New York Daily News (NY), Black Issues Book Review (VA), Dialogue (DC), Mosaic (NY), Grace (TN), Upscale (GA), Philadelphia Tribune, (PA), Philadelphia Daily News (PA), Rap Pages (CA), The Daily Press (VA), The Oakland Press (CA), The Black Suburban Journal (DE), Harlem Overheard (NY), and San Francisco Bay View (GA).
Last but not least, and in alphabetical order—DRUM ROLL PLEASE—I’d like to give a special thanks to all of the book clubs and literary groups who have supported my mission to uplift the mind state of the people: African-American Literary Book Club (NC), African-American Literary Forum (GA), African-American Sisters Club (NY), Afro-American Reading Book Club (SC), Agape Reading Club (NY), The African-American Authors’ Network (OH), The AKAs (USA), Baltimore Reads (MD), Black Author’s Literary Cruise Konnection (NC & GA), Black Expressions Book Club (KS), Black Literary Sisters (VA), Black Men Advocating Reading (GA), Black Women’s Literary Guild (MA), Books For Us (GA), Borders Reading Group (NJ), The Black Bookworms (TX), Brain Storm, The Book Club (GA), The Black Library (MA), The Busara Nayo Bookclub (PA), Campbell’s Theories Book Club (MD), DeBose Music, Film & Books (PA), Diva’s Book Club (DC), Doubleday Book Club (IN), Drum & Spear Books (DC), The Deltas (USA) EZ Street Online Book Club (DC), Go On Girl #3 (NJ), Houston African-American Writers’ Society (TX), The Imani Book Club (CA), Kindred Spirits Book Club (CA), Literary Expressions (FPO, AP), Literary Speaking Book Club (MD), Mahogany Cafe Book Club (OH), Moonstone Inc. (PA), Msichana Rafiki Literary Club (NJ), The Next Phase African-American Women Book Club (TX), Onyx Book Club (GA), Page Turners Book Club (MD), Phyre & Eyce (PA), A Reading Circle of Friends (DC), Sibanye, Inc. (MD), Sistahs With a Vision (NJ), Sisterhood Book Club (TX), Sister 2 Sister (MA), Sister Circle Book Club (CA), Sister Friends Book Club (DC), Sisters & Brothers of Hotlanta (GA & DE), Sisters Searching For Knowledge (TN), Sisters With Books (WI), Soul Sisters Book Club (TX), The Saturday Afternoon Book Club (MD), The Shaw Literary Group (NY), Tenaj’s Books (FL), Tennessee State Book Club (TN), Thee Writa’s Block (PA), United Brothers & Sisters Communications Network (VA), and all other supporters that I’m unaware of. Let me know for next time!
“I’m still standing, Mom! The well is drying up in the industry, just like I knew it would, but your boy is just getting started. So stay tuned and watch me continue to shine! Whoooweee! Look out above!”