In our lives our paths cross with many people. Sometimes our paths join. “Tale of the Tigers” is a beautifully written love story with a very contemporary social message. Tigers tells the story of Felice LeCroix and Kevin Hart, two student[s] at New Mexico University whose such paths have crossed. Felice is a young black girl who comes from a good family but has a troubled past. Kevin, the son of a lawyer, is the starting quarterback for the NMU football team and white. Each comes from lives that are worlds apart, yet they are drawn together by those inexplicable forces which can only be the seeds of true love. This tale really spoke to my heart as one whose family is of very rich and diverse ethnic backgrounds. I see vignettes of my wife and me in Juliette’s book.

(Read the rest…)

The first autograph-able copies are due to arrive at my house today. Cross all digits.

*****

Nashville Red Cross

ORIGINAL POST: Those of you who bought my book—promised to be autographed–before it was on sale with the big online booksellers know that there has been a huge delay in getting those books into your hands. The day before yesterday, I sent out an email informing each of you that the books would be here at my house today. Well, early this morning, my publisher sent me an email saying that the delivery date is now the 10^th.

Normally, I’d be feeling pretty frustrated about now. But ever since my publisher told me that the printers were located in Tennessee, the urge to look deeper at the disaster there has been stronger than my need to smack my fist on a table for not getting what I want when I want it. So, I looked and I am flabbergasted.

People are dead and another American city rich with history—Nashville–is under water. It is Katrina minus the demagogy of the Left.

From Newsbusters:

And instead of waiting for a handout or a symbolic gesture from the federal government, Country Music stars have already begun the process of rebuilding Music City.

Radio fundraisers are taking place, and star-studded benefits are in the works after 19 people died in weekend storms in Tennessee.

Among the events is a telethon Thursday with Vince Gill for NBC affiliate WSMV-TV to benefit the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Second Harvest Food Bank.

“Nashville is a community of great spirit,” country superstar Keith Urban told CNN’s Rick Sanchez via Skype from the Nashville-area home he shares with his wife, Nicole Kidman, and their daughter.

Michelle Malkin has a list of those who are making it easy to donate and/or assist in other ways.

And Ed Morrissey calls this The Disaster America Ignored.

I cannot point fingers, for I am guilty of feeling only vaguely sorry for these people until their plight affected me personally. But this isn’t about my mea culpa while sitting here in my nice, dry home office with my nice, dry worldly possessions. It’s about the little and big taps on the shoulder which the Almighty gives Christians all the time to remind us of the second of Jesus the Christ’s two commandments: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

As was so when Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast (which is having contemporary problems again of its own; discussed in a bit), a philanthropy link for Tennessee flood victims will appear at the end of each blog post for at least two weeks.

Let’s start by lifting one from Michelle. I’m sure she won’t mind.

Hands on Nashville

(Thanks to Anita Moncrief; cross-posted at baldilocks and at The Professional Black Writer)