January 2022 Notable Author: Connie Briscoe

“Maybe it comes to light in a dream… or a nightmare. And then the real work begins.” – Connie Briscoe

Connie Briscoe, the New York Times bestselling author of P. G. County, Sisters & Lovers, A Long Way from Home, and Can’t Get Enough, was born in Washington, DC and discovered to have a mild hearing impairment. In adulthood, she progressively lost much of her hearing and finally had a cochlear implant which restored much of what she had lost. Her career and hearing loss led to her becoming the managing editor of the American Annals of the Deaf at Gallaudet University.

Then, in 1994, HarperCollins published her first novel Sisters & Lovers, which sold 500,000 copies and resulted in a contract for two more novels.  Briscoe waved goodbye to her managing editor’s job and started writing fulltime. She evenually moved to a large house on an estate in Ellicott City, MD.

Briscoe's rapid rise in the publishing world took her own breath away. "I thought I would have to build up some fans before it really took off," she said. Turns out that African-American women were hungry for fiction that reflected their lives, and Connie Briscoe was providing it. She didn't have to build up fans; they came flocking to her.

Briscoe’s books focus on middle-class African-American life and as she says it, “Sisters & Lovers, almost wrote itself.” The story takes place in Silver Spring and revolves around three very different sisters, their relationships with one another and the men in their lives. It is very biographical, like a lot of first novels. Big Girls Don't Cry required greater efffort. It begins with a girl growing up in Washington during the '60s and follows her through relationships, racial politics in the workplace, child rearing, and more relationships. With P.G. County, Briscoe focused an elite community of wealthy African Americans because they are rarely represented in print and PG County has a reputation for crime and mismanagement as well as for the kind of beautiful million-dollar homes and lavish lifestyles depicted in her novel. The combination makes for great reading.

Genre: Romance IN High Society

Novels of this type place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.

Sample Reading List: Sisters and Lovers; Big Girls Don’t Cry; A Long Way From Home; P.G. County.

Writer's Prompt - Fun With Words

Maryland Writers’ Association (MWA) invites you to have fun writing High Society Romance like Connie Briscoe. With just 100 words, create a high society character (s) and reveal the dilemma they are facing.

Title your High Society Romance response and submit to: https://marylandwriters.org/Notable_Maryland_Authors  by the 22nd of the month and receive an MWA Fun With Words submission certificate.  Selected responses will be published with next month’s article as well as posted on the MWA website.

Submit Your FUN WITH WORDS Prompt

The MWA is a 33-year-old state-wide association (501c3) dedicated to encouraging and mentoring Maryland writers, poets, playwrights, and authors. Go to:  www.MarylandWriters.org for more info.

Reader Responses: 

Doris Brady – Cumberland - Allegany

Danny and Ella
It used to be that the only path to the highest echelons of society was through old money.
Now, the only entrée is the size of your fortune, not the generational construct. Danny and Ella
learned early on that, old money or new, there was always someone who wanted to take it away.
The latest embezzlement attempt was foiled, but today, violence was the method. Danny was on
the wrong end of a sizeable firearm, wielded by a masked behemoth, demanding the combination
to their home safe. Ella, watching on security cameras, decided to release the Dobermans, Zeus
and Crusher. No one threatens the love of her life!

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Steve Baker – Hughesville - Charles
The Perfect Counter Fit
Buffy and Bob were arguing again. This time about dinner. Decades of
"togetherness" had caused the couple to realize they were complete opposites.
She was late. He was punctual. He was sloppy. She was neat. Then, at once,
our couple remembered the night they met 30 years before. She was eating
sushi. He was eating a corn dog. They nodded at one another. Bob grabbed a
tie. Buffy dolled-up with a tight sweater and daring skirt. Moments later they
headed off to the place where it all began: The Mall Food Court. Another first
date of sorts. Opposites really do attract