VIRGINIA DEBERRY and DONNA GRANT
VIRGINIA DEBERRY was a successful plus-size model, former Vice President of BB/LW modeling agency and served as editor-in-chief of Maxima magazine before becoming a novelist. DeBerry attended Fisk University and is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo. She currently resides in central New Jersey.
DONNA GRANT spent more than a decade as a model, represented by the 12+ division of Ford. She has been featured on the pages of Essence, McCalls, Family Circle, and Woman’s Day, as well as appeared on Good Morning America and Live with Regis and Kathy Lee. Grant served as the Managing Editor of Maxima before her writing career. She attended Barnard College and is a graduate of New York University. A Brooklyn native, she still lives in the borough with her husband.
Together, they are the authors of Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made, Far From the Tree, Better Than I Know Myself, Gotta Keep on Tryin’, What Doesn’t Kill You, and Exposures (as Marie Joyce).
UPTOWN
A Novel
Touchstone – March 2, 2010
Uptown…Where Money Rules
Uptown…Where Ambition Trumps Tradition
Uptown…Where Politics Come Before Everything
Uptown…Where a Family’s Secrets Will Bring Them Together—or Down
After twenty years away, Avery Lyons returns to New York when her mother and uncle suffer a serious car accident. The tragedy brings the family together, but Avery is not happy about the impromptu reunion. She no longer recognizes the Harlem of her childhood but the same old family dynamics and secrets are all too familiar…
Heir to a real estate empire, Dwight is willing to do anything to realize his aging and demanding father’s dream: Dixon Plaza, a luxury high-rise development on Central Park North that will change the face of Harlem forever. There’s only one thing in his way: his cousin Avery has inherited a share of the property. She’s more than willing to sell until a reporter uncovers the truth behind the rumored shady dealings…
In Uptown a prominent Harlem family is strained to the breaking point by the high stakes world of the Manhattan real estate industry, and one woman searches for her identity and the will to forgive. Steamy, provocative, and sexy, Uptown is a turbulent and triumphant read…
Praise for UPTOWN
“[A] smart and compelling tale…DeBerry and Grant capture timely and increasingly universal themes with this dramatic, epic and often tragic story of triumph and failure. New York and Harlem come alive…relevant and entertaining.“—Publishers Weekly
WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU
A Novel
Touchstone – January 6, 2009
“I really thought I had a handle on life—then it broke off.”
Straight-talking and witty, Tee is a fly forty-something. Divorced since her daughter was young, Tee has been “handling her business,” and she’s done all right. Organized, responsible and loyal, Tee went from being the first employee of a start-up purveyor of organic lotions to the right-hand of the president of what became a major player in the home and personal fragrance market.
But then everything changes and for he first time in 25 years, Tee doesn’t know who she is or what she’s going to do. She spent her life investing her hopes and dreams in someone else’s. Now it’s her chance to invest in herself. Can she step out on faith and a dream?
Praise for WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU
#1 Dallas Morning News Bestseller
“The anti-pity party: snappy, fun, and inspiring.”—Publishers Weekly
“Longtime writing partners DeBerry and Grant write once again about resilience in the face of adversity. They temper Tee’s almost unbelievable slate of bad luck with well-placed humor for an ultimately uplifting tale.”—Booklist
“In What Doesn’t Kill You, Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant have created a real life protagonist who has the resourcefulness and wit to deal with real world issues. This timely production teaches that though you’re down and out, you can still reach within to succeed in this world; it just may take a little work, a little planning and whole lot of faith to do so. This is my first DeBerry and Grant read and it most definitely will not be my last. I found the characters in this advance reading copy to be engaging, funny and inspirational. I absolutely love the writing style. This is a very good pick-me-up type of read for those who are going through bad economic times right now. RAW Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)”—RAWSISTAZ Literary Group, RAWSISTAZ.com
GOTTA KEEP ON TRYIN’
A Novel
Touchstone – January 8, 2008
Gotta Keep on Tryin’ is the long awaited sequel to the smash hit, Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made. DeBerry and Grant have brought back the heroines who remind you of women everywhere—women who realize the power of friendship is stronger than any trials they face, either apart or together.
Gayle and Pat’s continuing story explores the way lessons not learned from the past can poison the future, the toll professional success can take on personal relationships, and the healing potential of forgiveness. Pat and her husband Marcus must deal with a paternity crisis after a teenager shows up, claiming to be Marcus’s daughter. Gayle has her own family drama, as the ghost of her gambler husband Ramsey continues to cast a shadow over her attempts to start a new life with her daughter Vanessa. Will the new business Pat and Gayle have started together crash and burn as a result? Real, honest and relatable, Gotta Keep on Tryin’ ultimately shows a life-long friendship at its best.
Praise for GOTTA KEEP ON TRYIN’
“A breathtaking read…“—Connie Briscoe, New York Times bestselling author
“DeBerry and Grant are back with another dazzling story of friendship, family, and the ebbs and flows we all face along the journey of life.“—E. Lynn Harris, New York Times bestselling author of I Say a Little Prayer
“A truly inspirational read…. Their writing is timeless.“—Award-winning actress Regina King
“An absolute treat.“—New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe