Background
Connie Briscoe was born on December 31, 1952, in Washington, United States. She is the daughter of Leroy Fabian and Alyce Levinia (Redmond) Briscoe.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440735352/?tag=2022091-20
(Beverly, Charmaine, and Evelyn -- three sisters living in...)
Beverly, Charmaine, and Evelyn -- three sisters living in the same Maryland town outside Washington, D.C., each wishing her life were just a little different. Beverly is twenty-nine and single. She's a successful magazine editor who would love to be in love. The problem is, no man can meet her high standards. Charmaine longs to finish her degree, but meanwhile, she has to juggle a thankless job, a beautiful child, and an irresponsible husband she doesn't quite have the nerve to leave. Evelyn seems to have it made. She has a successful psychology practice and her husband is a partner in a prestigious law firm. But there's trouble in paradise, and Evelyn refuses to face the facts. Warm and bittersweet, believable and real, SISTERS & LOVERS is a novel of family and love, heartache and hope, and above all, the triumph of sisterhood. ""Riveting . . . Lively . . . Hilarious . . . Three sisters who are remarkably different except in one respect: their men are driving them crazy." -- Mademoiselle
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1994
("[An] empathetic portrait of a modern woman wrestling wit...)
"[An] empathetic portrait of a modern woman wrestling with issues of love, work, and family obligations." --Publishers Weekly Born into a comfortable Washington, D.C., home, Naomi Jefferson leads a life that is only occasionally marred by racism. As a teenager in the 1960s, her biggest concern centers around virginity. But all that changes when her older brother, Joshua--who seems destined for greatness--is killed in a tragic car accident on his way to a civil rights demonstration. Now the rift between black and white America becomes much too personal, and Naomi embarks on a journey to honor her brother's legacy--and to find herself. This brilliant new novel, from the bestselling author of Sisters & Lovers, traces three decades in the life of a woman readers will not soon forget, as she searches for love and purpose in a harsh often unforgiving world. "Contains an infectious hope and optimism." --Los Angeles Times
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1996
(Spanning more than sixty years, A Long Way from Home is t...)
Spanning more than sixty years, A Long Way from Home is the story of Susie; her daughter, Clara; and her granddaughter, Susan--house slaves born and reared at Montpelier, the Virginia plantation of President James Madison. Proud and intelligent, these women are united by love, fierce devotion, and a desire for freedom that grows stronger year by year. A Long Way from Home vividly re-creates Southern life and the ambivalent, shifting relationships on both sides of the color divide, from the cruelty and insidious benevolence of white owners to the deep yearnings and complex emotions of the slaves themselves. It is an unforgettable story that pays homage to the African-American experience and to the ancestors whose lives and histories are indelibly entwined with our own.
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1999
(In the sprawling homes and upscale townhouses of the excl...)
In the sprawling homes and upscale townhouses of the exclusive, largely African American Prince George’s County, the lives of five women intersect–and the secrets, scandals, loves, and losses that ensue are par for the course where power, beauty, and wealth reside. Barbara is the most influential woman in this swanky neighborhood, but she’s got her hands full–one hand is busy dealing with her husband’s wandering eye, while the other always needs a cocktail glass. Jolene is half of P.G. County’s number-two couple–and she desperately wants what she doesn’t have: namely Barbara’s husband. Pearl owns a hair salon and lives on the outskirts of the posh community with her son, Kenyatta. She’s not only juggling a growing business and a bad divorce, but now she’s has to cope with Kenyatta’s less-than-ideal girlfriend. Candice is white and liberal, but her daughter’s new beau tests her beliefs–and opens a can of worms she never knew existed. Lee is a runaway teen, a girl whose only connection to her father is an old photo and the belief that he’s well-off and waiting for her in . . . P.G. COUNTY
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2002
(The memorable men and women of P.G. County are back in Co...)
The memorable men and women of P.G. County are back in Connie Briscoe’s wickedly funny and deliciously daring novel of romance and betrayal, dangerous choices and seductive second chances. Barbara Bentley, the grand dame of Prince George's County, an elite suburb in Washington D.C., is tentatively embarking on a fresh approach to life. She's abandoning the alcohol that served to soften the edges of her marriage to her bimbo-loving millionaire husband, Bradford, and she’s been sober for nearly a year. Her part-time work as a real estate agent has boosted her self-confidence, and the unexpected attentions of a handsome young colleague have done wonders for her ego. For Jolene, Bradford’s ambitious, conniving ex-mistress, the status she covets remains tantalizingly out of reach. Her decent, hard-working husband, Patrick, has left her for Pearl, a woman proud of her success as a beauty shop owner and eager to create a loving home for Patrick and his two teenage daughters. Meanwhile, royalty comes to Silver Lake in the form of Veronique. She’s rich, fabulous and everyone’s new friend. Or is she? As the characters slip in and out of their Pratesi sheets and stride into mayhem and misdeeds in their Jimmy Choo shoes, Can't Get Enough will hold readers spellbound.
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2004
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2007
(It's fifteen years following Sisters & Lovers, and Beverl...)
It's fifteen years following Sisters & Lovers, and Beverly, now age 39, is engaged to a man her family and friends agree is a great catch. Everyone is happy that Beverly will finally settle down, especially since this is her third engagement in the last five years--having backed out about two weeks before the wedding date for one reason or another. Julian, Beverly's fiancé, is the epitome of a good Black man--gorgeous, loyal, trustworthy, successful and very much in love with Beverly. Nothing could be better in the couple's lives than being in love and planning their wedding. That is, until Beverly's oldest sister's marriage falls apart, dampening the mood for what should have been the happiest time in her life. Now Beverly is forced to wonder if marriage really works, as she begins to second guess her own nuptials. Will Beverly stick it out? Or will her fears cloud her judgment once again?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446534889/?tag=2022091-20
2011
(Photographer Michael Cunningham (coauthor of Crowns) and ...)
Photographer Michael Cunningham (coauthor of Crowns) and author Connie Briscoe, a New York Times bestselling novelist, profile 50 women over the age of 50 who have been remarkably successful--whether in reaching the top of the corporate ladder, finding fame in politics or the arts, or raising a son to be proud of a single mother--and reveal the ways that they have prevailed despite daunting obstacles. Their stories are paired with Cunningham's intimate portraits of the women. JEWELS includes well-known and little-known women alike, from teachers and executives to artists, authors, and entertainers. Among the celebrities profiled in the book are Ruby Dee, Eleanor Holmes Norton, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Marion Wright Edelman. Coauthor Connie Briscoe also appears here as one of the featured Jewels, telling her inspiring personal story. World-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator Nikki Giovanni contributes an original poem to the book. JEWELS includes well-known and little-known women alike, from teachers and executives to artists, authors, and entertainers. Among the celebrities profiled in the book are Ruby Dee, Eleanor Holmes Norton, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Marion Wright Edelman. Coauthor Connie Briscoe also appears here as one of the featured Jewels, telling her inspiring personal story. World-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator Nikki Giovanni contributes an original poem to the book.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316113042/?tag=2022091-20
(Lenora Stone used to say if she didn't have bad luck, she...)
Lenora Stone used to say if she didn't have bad luck, she wouldn't have any luck at all. At age thirty-eight, instead of socializing with Baltimore's A-list, she photographs them for Baltimore Scene, a glossy magazine filled with beautiful people who, unlike Lenora, never have to worry about car trouble and overdue bills. As much as she'd love to slam the door on her overbearing boss, quitting isn't an option. She's barely making her mortgage payments and, though her condo might not be a palace, it's hers. Lately even things with her boyfriend Gerald haven't been right. They've been together for three years but he can't seem to ask the one question she's been waiting for. But what Lenora doesn't know is that her luck is about to change... Just when she thinks things can't get worse, Lenora wins the jackpot in the Maryland lottery. In a heartbeat, all her dreams become possible. She quits her job and indulges her every desire-starting with a shiny, silver BMW and a million-dollar mansion. Gerald is finally ready to put a ring on her finger and the city's most exclusive women's group is dying for her to join, officially moving Lenora from behind the lens, into the limelight. But in Lenora's lavish new world, all that glitters definitely isn't gold. Her old friend's are concerned about her sudden changes, and Ray, a sexy, young landscaper Lenora covered for the magazine is looking for more than a purely professional relationship. As her life starts to come together, the things Lenora holds dear begin to fall apart. Has her world really changed for the better, or does fortune come with a heavy price?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446534838/?tag=2022091-20
Connie Briscoe was born on December 31, 1952, in Washington, United States. She is the daughter of Leroy Fabian and Alyce Levinia (Redmond) Briscoe.
Briscoe graduated from the Hampton University with a Bachelor of Science degree, in 1974. She also earned her Master of Public Administration degree from the American University, 4 years later.
Briscoe's career began, when she was appointed to the Analytic Services Inc., Arlington, to the position of a research analyst, from 1976 till 1980.
A year later she moved to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, in Washington, and served as an associate editor, till 1990.
Briscoe was a managing editor at the American Annals of the Deaf, in the Gallaudet University, in Washington, from 1990 to 1994.
She became a novelist in 1994, with the publication of her debut novel, Sisters and Lovers. It centers on three African American women, each of whom has to resolve difficulties in their personal life.
Big Girls Don't Cry, Briscoe’s second novel, treats major issues of contemporary African American history through the story of Naomi Jefferson, who is a middle-class, Washington, adolescent as the novel opens in the early 1960s.
She also published the story of her ancestors - A Long Way From Home.
Briscoe's first novel, Sisters and Lovers (1994), sold nearly 500,000 copies in cloth and paperback combined in its first two years.
Connie Briscoe is a 3-time AALBC.com Bestselling Author. She was also Voted the #23 Favorite Author of the 20th Century.
Her book A Long Way From Home was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.
(Photographer Michael Cunningham (coauthor of Crowns) and ...)
(In the sprawling homes and upscale townhouses of the excl...)
2002(Spanning more than sixty years, A Long Way from Home is t...)
1999(It's fifteen years following Sisters & Lovers, and Beverl...)
2011("[An] empathetic portrait of a modern woman wrestling wit...)
1996(Beverly, Charmaine, and Evelyn -- three sisters living in...)
1994(Lenora Stone used to say if she didn't have bad luck, she...)
(The memorable men and women of P.G. County are back in Co...)
2004"Big Girls Don’t Cry was a little bit harder to write because I had to dig deeper... Sisters was sort of out there on the surface. It almost wrote itself. It has a lot of me and some of my friends in it.”
The only thing unusual about Briscoe's life was that she was born with a hearing loss, inherited from her father’s side of the family. From childhood through her twenties, it was a moderate loss and Connie was able to attend public schools and to go on to college with few problems. When she was in her mid-twenties the loss worsened and by graduate school she needed a hearing aid. Briscoe eventually took a job at Gallaudet University and began to learn sign language. She never let her hearing loss hold her back from doing the things Connie wanted to do. She just adapted and plowed on.
A couple of years ago, Briscoe had a cochlear implant and most of her hearing has been restored. She is now doing things she hadn’t done in years, like going to the movies, enjoying music and using the telephone.
Quotes from others about the person
"Briscoe is among the better writers to emerge in and benefit from the strong wave of interest in African American fiction that arose in the early 1990s after the publication of Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale (1992)." - Darryl Dickson-Carr
