Virginia DeBerry
Author of Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made
About the Author
Virginia DeBerry's first novel, Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made, co-authored with Donna Grant, has been highly acclaimed. The novel is about the friendship of two African-American women and the relationship began when they were young girls and continues throughout the unexpected twists and show more turns their lives take. Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made was a 1998 Fiction Honor Book Winner of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. The book was also honored by the (GOG) Go On Girl! Book Club, Inc., the premier reading group for African-American women. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Photo by Bob Gore
Works by Virginia DeBerry
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- DeBerry, Virginia
- Other names
- Marie Joyce (with Donna Grant)
- Gender
- female
- Education
- State University of New York, Buffalo (BA)
- Occupations
- teacher
magazine editor
model - Agent
- Victoria Sanders & Associates
- Relationships
- Grant, Donna (#1, co-author)
- Short biography
- 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.
Together with Donna Grant (1), she is the author 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, Exposures (as Marie Joyce) and Uptown (2010). - Nationality
- USA
- Places of residence
- Brooklyn, New York, USA
Wadesboro, North Carolina, USA
Buffalo, New York, USA
New York, New York, USA
New Jersey, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- New York, USA
Members
Reviews
At once both hilarious and sobering, What Doesn't Kill You has definitely made me take a look at my own problems through a different lense. Through Tee's longstanding feud with Murphy and the small, subtle gestures of true friendship from unexpected sources, this is a profound look at how an indepentdent woman can get so caught up in her own pride that she inevitably stumbles...all over the place. I love her journey through denial to realization and then finally getting proactive (in show more retrospect) about her finances. And her runaround with Ron is sweet in a just-grow-up-and-admit-you-like-him sort of way. In all, a book I plan to read again and again, every time I start to take my finances for granted. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
I was excited to read a sequel to "Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made" which was. However, "Gotta Keep on Tryin'" was not as suspenseful or as engaging as "Tryin' tp Sleep in the Bed You Made". "Gotta Keep on Tryin'" was a little slow at times. The writing is a bit disjointed and not as unified as "Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made". The story line was disappointedly very predictable.
For the most part I was pleased with the way the characters turned out, but I found the storyline in this show more book getting bogged down as the authors tried to fill readers in with the storyline of the the previous book.
Nonetheless, DeBerry and Grant did a wonderful job of incorporating some timely issues such as eating disorders, infidelity and domestic abuse into this story. As a fan I definitely wouldn't mind reading more about DeJohn and Tiffani with an "i" show less
For the most part I was pleased with the way the characters turned out, but I found the storyline in this show more book getting bogged down as the authors tried to fill readers in with the storyline of the the previous book.
Nonetheless, DeBerry and Grant did a wonderful job of incorporating some timely issues such as eating disorders, infidelity and domestic abuse into this story. As a fan I definitely wouldn't mind reading more about DeJohn and Tiffani with an "i" show less
BFF's for more than 25 years and New York Times bestselling author Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant have graciously brought us another authentic and heart-wrenching novel filled with truth, lies, demons, secrets and family. Uptown, their seventh novel will be available for purchase March 2nd and is sure to be a New York Times bestseller and at the top of many wish lists.
Uptown tells the story of Dwight Dixon, the perfect man for any woman or so she thinks. On first look, Dwight fits the show more bill. He has an Ivy League education, a beautiful wife and daughter, is a former city councilman and U.S. Congressman and is now making a name for himself in the real estate realm as a power broker and heir of The Dixon Group. What many won't see at first sight is his constant battle to Trump his father's legacy, the self-named King, or his struggle to discontinue living in his father's shadow. Unfortunately, Dwight will do anything to get where he deserves to be, at the top, looking down on the Trumps, the Kennedys and King.
Then there is Dwight's cousin, Ms. Avery Lyons and his former BFF. For those on the outside looking in, Avery appears to have it all together and is living the life. She has no children, no husband and her boyfriend Van plays on her terms. Traveling from continent to continent tending to world peace, Avery also thinks she has it all together but when she returns to New York after 20 years she is forced to face the demons and juggle around with truth, forgiveness and love.
After reading this novel all I can say is, "Ladies (Deberry & Grant) take a bow because you have done it again!" The author never fails to bring "real" issues that "real" people can relate to. They also introduce the world to the "new-Harlem." I appreciate how the author strategically uses Harlem and Manhattan as the setting for Uptown, but unfortunately, they address issues facing so many Americans around the country. Again and again, media outlets cover the stories of so many people that have been hit hard by the recession resulting in foreclosures that force many to bring up the g-word, gentrification. Gentrification usually takes place in downtown and uptown areas in cities throughout the country that were once homes of African Americans and other economically disadvantaged people that can no longer afford to live in their homes. This conversation is continually leading to debates in cities all around the country including Harlem, which is known for its rich African American culture and history that opened doors for authors, musicians and artists.
My favorite character:
My favorite character is Dwight. Yea I know what you are going to think and say after you read this novel, "Why Dwight?" Well I will tell you now. In most cases, I always cheer for the underdog. I like Dwight because like so many of us we are our parent's children. No matter whether we love or hate them we want them to acknowledge and love us and most of all be proud of us. In spite of Dwight wanting to out-do his dad, he wanted his dad's love and acceptance. So no matter what you think of Dwight after you read this novel, he is my favorite character, yep, my guy. I must add, we all have that piece of us that wants to succeed by any means necessary and some of us may even be willing to go to the extremes like he did. The only difference between him, you and me is that his transgressions are in black and white for the world to see and ours are hid away in a little box that we hide when company comes. Ha Ha Ha. :) show less
Uptown tells the story of Dwight Dixon, the perfect man for any woman or so she thinks. On first look, Dwight fits the show more bill. He has an Ivy League education, a beautiful wife and daughter, is a former city councilman and U.S. Congressman and is now making a name for himself in the real estate realm as a power broker and heir of The Dixon Group. What many won't see at first sight is his constant battle to Trump his father's legacy, the self-named King, or his struggle to discontinue living in his father's shadow. Unfortunately, Dwight will do anything to get where he deserves to be, at the top, looking down on the Trumps, the Kennedys and King.
Then there is Dwight's cousin, Ms. Avery Lyons and his former BFF. For those on the outside looking in, Avery appears to have it all together and is living the life. She has no children, no husband and her boyfriend Van plays on her terms. Traveling from continent to continent tending to world peace, Avery also thinks she has it all together but when she returns to New York after 20 years she is forced to face the demons and juggle around with truth, forgiveness and love.
After reading this novel all I can say is, "Ladies (Deberry & Grant) take a bow because you have done it again!" The author never fails to bring "real" issues that "real" people can relate to. They also introduce the world to the "new-Harlem." I appreciate how the author strategically uses Harlem and Manhattan as the setting for Uptown, but unfortunately, they address issues facing so many Americans around the country. Again and again, media outlets cover the stories of so many people that have been hit hard by the recession resulting in foreclosures that force many to bring up the g-word, gentrification. Gentrification usually takes place in downtown and uptown areas in cities throughout the country that were once homes of African Americans and other economically disadvantaged people that can no longer afford to live in their homes. This conversation is continually leading to debates in cities all around the country including Harlem, which is known for its rich African American culture and history that opened doors for authors, musicians and artists.
My favorite character:
My favorite character is Dwight. Yea I know what you are going to think and say after you read this novel, "Why Dwight?" Well I will tell you now. In most cases, I always cheer for the underdog. I like Dwight because like so many of us we are our parent's children. No matter whether we love or hate them we want them to acknowledge and love us and most of all be proud of us. In spite of Dwight wanting to out-do his dad, he wanted his dad's love and acceptance. So no matter what you think of Dwight after you read this novel, he is my favorite character, yep, my guy. I must add, we all have that piece of us that wants to succeed by any means necessary and some of us may even be willing to go to the extremes like he did. The only difference between him, you and me is that his transgressions are in black and white for the world to see and ours are hid away in a little box that we hide when company comes. Ha Ha Ha. :) show less
This was a really cute book and I really like the characters in it. It starts out with Tee being at her daughter's wedding. She has way too much champagne and finds herself the next morning in bed with the best man, the groom’s cousin. We learn that Tee was with a company and spent twenty years there and the founder of the company, Olivia dies. Soon thereafter, Olivia’s daughter takes over and Tee is without a job. Tee then has to file for unemployment. It seems that it is one thing show more after another and she goes on a cruise that she had booked when she had a job. Her former husband who she would have brief flings with ends up getting engaged and with her daughter gone, she is in a bad place. Tee is spiraled into a very bad economic crunch and is constantly harassed by bill collectors. Finally she lands a job at Derma-Teq, but by then her financial damage is already done. Through these experiences, she becomes stronger and the reader can see her transformation. It took going thru hell to make her into the person she is today. Each event helped shape her into a more focused and driven person, even starting her own business. I liked this book so much that I want to get the authors upcoming book as well. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
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Statistics
- Works
- 7
- Members
- 739
- Popularity
- #34,364
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 19
- ISBNs
- 69
- Favorited
- 2
