Author Cheryl Brown-Avery

Biography

My name is Cheryl Brown-Avery. I was born on January 4, 1959 in Newark, New Jersey. I am the daughter of Anita W. Brown (Retired School Teacher), Kittrell, North Carolina. Harry H. Brown, Jr., father (deceased) New Hanover County School teacher, Wilmington, North Carolina, and Step-father Lieutenant Harold D. Brown (Retired Fire Inspector), Wilmington Fire Department.  I am the eldest of two sisters, Harriet Brown-Thomas (Franklin County School Teacher) and Angela E. Brown (1995 Reebok Human Rights Award Recipient), Atlanta, Georgia. I graduated from New Hanover High School, Class of 1977, Wilmington, North Carolina.  I furthered my educational endeavors by attending Sacred Heart College, Belmont, North Carolina (BS Sociology). I attended Louisburg College, Louisburg, North Carolina where I received honor of Phi Theta Kappa. I’m the mother of one daughter, 23 year old Cyndel Avery and grandmother of 3 year old Matthew Alexander Avery. I’m the North Carolina Author of Summers to Remember (published 2004) and recently Where it all Began (published 2008).

What genre do you consider yourself?

Nonfiction  

Give us a synopsis of your most recent book in 3 paragraphs or less.

Where  It All Began is a continuation of Summers to Remember. It was published in 2008.  I take my readers through history beginning with my great-great-grandfather, Charlie Jurallus Applewhite White.  My great-great grandmother, Mary Kearney Daye, was the property owner of the White family farm, where I and my sisters resided those summers long ago.

I’m a native of Wilmington, North Carolina.  I depict the early 1960s, a time when racial prejudice and segregation of public schools were enforced.  It was a time when children respected their elders. We worked in cucumber and tobacco fields during our summer vacations on the farm.  The farm had no running water, so we filled buckets from the old well.  Grandma cooked on a pot-bellied wood stove.  We had fresh eggs, milk, and churned butter daily. The book features more accounts of Annie the Mule along with the fun my sisters and I shared during those early years.  I take my readers on an historical journey in time to where it all began, revealing how these adventures have made us strong African-American women today.

Titles of all of your books.

Summers to Remember (Published 2004)

Where It All Began (Published 2008)

What made you decide to become an author?

I began writing Poetry at age 6 years old. Mother and father noticed I had a flair for writing.  In middle and high school I took lots of Creative Writing classes and my teachers noted I was a great storyteller. I am an avid reader.  Mark Twain is one of my favorite authors.  His stories always capture my heart. I’m also into Greek Mythology. One of my favorites is Odysseus’s Travels. I’m also into Shakespeare, especially his tragedies such as Romeo and Juliet.  I have lots of reading and literature history. All of these led me today to be a successful author of two books. My goals are to continue my travels across the United States to schools speaking to our youth on the dangers of gangs, drugs, etc., hoping to save as many youth as I can.  The amazing moments of some of my travels, is the children listen and ask intelligent questions.  They get excited when I talk about picking cucumbers or planting a garden.  Our youth need to hear these things and understand how times were back in the early years of our nation.  Hopefully they will become more responsible and more compassionate for others as well as themselves.

What do you enjoy most about being an author?

I mostly enjoy seeing the faces of our youth as I discuss my writing and give them positive hope of themselves having a great career.  I enjoy my fans that send me thousands of emails thanking me for giving them a historical glance through time.  Mostly, I love writing. I love making people laugh or feel good about them.  Writing is my destiny and my passion.

If you could meet one author, who would it be?

If I could meet one author, it would be Dr. Stephen Covey, author of “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and its all Small Stuff. His books give the readers insight on day to day things which are small in general but we tend to blow things out of proportion. When I reflect on some of his daily messages, somehow I always tend to find reflections of my life somewhere in several of his chapters. His books have had a tremendous impact on my life.  I find myself casually opening his book daily just to get inspiration.

How are you giving back to the literary community?

I give back to the literary community by devoted my life as a youth advocate. I used my books, “Summers to Remember,” and “Where it All Began,” as educational tools teaching our youth about life and giving them hope for a brighter future.  Some of our youth are in turmoil, murdering each other, addicted to drugs, and hanging in gangs.  I offer through my lectures a historical look at how youth during the early 1960s were more family oriented than some of our youth today. I discuss with our youth, other great authors works and how these people paved a way for great literature of today.

Give me one tip you would give new authors?

The best tip I can give new author is to BEWARE of Vanity Presses and some Self-Publishing Companies.  Do online research or go in person to speak with the publishing company acquisition departments. Please do not sign anything without having your Attorney check it out.  If you sign a contract without investigation, you can end up with hundreds of dollars of legal fees and cause yourself financial stress.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned since becoming an author?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned, is research your publishing company before you sign a contract.

What is the one thing that irks you about the literary industry?

The one thing that irks me about the literary industry is the difficulty in finding replicable publishers who pay authors decent royalties.  Sometimes when an author can’t get their books read and critiqued by publishing companies who’ve been in business for many years, they resort to Vanity Presses who take their books, sell for profit, and leave the author with a few dollars on books which the authors put their hopes and dreams into.  The larger companies do not take unsolicited manuscripts.  They prefer the authors are represented by literary agents. Even getting a literary agent may be difficult because they only work with clients who are the best among the best.

Who, What, When and Where is your next event? 

This is one of my past events I’m including under this question.  July 4, 2010, I had a book signing at the Barnes & Noble Book Store, Macarthur Mall in Norfolk, Virginia from 3pm – until.  It was a huge success. On March 6, 2010, I’m invited to attend the Cape Fear Literary Council Fundraiser. It will be held on Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 6:30pm in Wilmington, North Carolina at the Screen Gems Movie Studio. They will be auctioning both my books “Summers to Remember and Where It All Began.” The event is black-tie. On Friday, April 9, 2010, I’m the guest speaker at the Rotary Club in Wilmington, North Carolina I will be presenting a motivational speech to 30 teenagers. On Saturday, April 10, 2010, I’m in the 63^rd Annual Azalea Festival Parade in Wilmington, North Carolina. I’m in the Azalea Festival Queen’s Court.

Suggest a preferred literary service. 

EMSI Public Relations Firm. Kirby Jones is one of several Public Relations Managers who has been working with me for a while. His firm is totally legitimate, top in their field. I had his firm checked out thoroughly. If they sign you, you get great service. I highly recommend his publicity agency to everyone. The contact information is below.

EMSI Public Relations Firm
Mr. Kirby Jones, New Business Development Manager
1127 Grove Street
Clearwater, Florida  33755
(727) 443-7115, Ext. 232
(727) 443-0835 FAXkirby@emsincorporated.com
www.emsincorporated.com

Kirby is a terrific person to work with. He's very smart in the fields of Media exposure, and marketing your books.

Where can readers find your work?

My books can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million and online stores across the world. They are foreign editions and now in audio. They can be purchased in hardcover as well as soft cover.

Contact Information

Cheryl Brown-Avery

1611 Dyking Road

Kittrell, North Carolina 27544

(919) 496-6632 (Home)

(919) 497-6674 (Cellular)