Donna Hill

American Visions, June-July, 1996 by Donna Hill

When I think of summer, I see long, sultry nights and steamy days - the perfect combination for romantic getaway reading. During my travels, I will no doubt dig into the array of romance novels being written by so many talented African-American women. Their work is not only changing the hue of the industry, but, more importantly, bringing forth stories that reflect us in positive, affirming images.

On the top of my list is Between the Lines (Pinnacle, 1996), by Angela Benson, a lighthearted love story of two childhood friends who have every intention of getting their grandchildren together, whether they like it or not. I will also reread Gwynne Forster's unforgettable first novel, Sealed With a Kiss (Pinnacle, 1995), while I eagerly await her upcoming title, Against All Odds (Pinnacle, 1996), the story of two lovers who find themselves embroiled in a 75-year-old family feud.

During my summer solstice, I intend to take a trip back to a simpler time in our rich history, with Anita Richmond Bunkley's Wild Embers (Dutton, 1995). As quickly as I finish Anita's book, I will immerse myself in Sandra Kitt's Significant Others (Signet, 1996), a moving story that reveals the intricacies of relationships and the life-altering impact that each of the characters has on the others.

Without fail, I will read one of my favorite authors of romantic suspense, Margie Walker, whose latest title, indiscretions (Pinnacle, 1996), will certainly rival her previous three offerings. The story unveils the dark secrets of the lawyer-client relationship and all the fireworks that go along with it.

To top off my romantic interlude, I will read Shirley Hailstock's White Diamonds (Pinnacle, 1996), which is guaranteed to keep me enthralled, following the twists and turns of the caverns of government secrets that threaten to topple basic American freedoms.

Although I am a romantic at heart, I have a secret penchant for mystery, murder and mayhem! So I must read one of my all-time favorites, James Patterson. His latest tale, Hide and Seek (Little, Brown & Co., 1996), tracks his craftiest serial killer to date. I can't wait to be scared out of my wits,

I was so taken with Bebe Moore Campbell's masterfully written Brothers and Sisters (Putnam, 1995) that I will make it a point to read it again. And I must have a copy of J. California Cooper's Some Love, Some Pain, Sometime (Doubleday, 1995).

However, between falling in love and solving crimes, I must also take a moment to enrich myself with the words of wisdom by some known and unknown African Americans, in Elza Dinwiddie Boyd's much-needed book In Our Own Words: A Treasury of African American Quotations (Avon, Within its pages, I always find just the right words to get me through my day.

In between reading and applauding the work of my peers, I will be researching and getting in shape for publication my first mainstream novel and, of course, collecting books and longing for the moment when I can escape into the richness of the worlds they create.

Donna Hill, a writing instructor at Union County College in New Jersey and the host of the television talk show Interlude, is the author of seven novels. Her most recent is Deception (Pinnacle, 1996).