Meet New York Times Bestselling Author Mary Monroe
The UPPER ROOM continues with MAMA RUBY
Mama Ruby - Coming May 31, 2011! How did Ruby and Othella Mae come to be who they are today? Find out in the exciting prequel to The Upper Room. There’s a fine line between best friend and worst nightmare…but there will be a reckoning....
Mary Monroe is the author of Mama Ruby, The Upper Room and the God Don't Like Ugly series. When The Upper Room was published, Monroe had this to say: "This is my story -- these characters are people I know, it's my life!"
Mary Monroe laughs when asked what her inspiration was for the novel. "I took inspiration from the people in my life. They were so colorful, it was a shame that the world didn't know about them." A storyteller since she was a child, writing came easy to Mary Monroe. So 17 years ago, when the images of her aunts, uncles and friends from childhood would not leave her mind, she sat down to write The Upper Room. "It wasn't the time for me or my book," the author admits. Although the book garnered strong reviews, publishing for African Americans was sporadic at that time.
In the interim, Monroe continued to write. "I have about two thousand rejection letters. When the market changed, it made it all worthwhile." Now the time is ripe with the renaissance of African- American novels and Monroe believes that she adds to the incredible mix with her unforgettable characters. "I enjoy the books that are on the shelves now, but those stories do not have my voice. They don't represent me and those I know. Everyone's experience needs to be heard. I know my characters are kind of quirky, but that's my experience. The reading public is now ready for my voice. I've been ready a long time! I hope readers will enjoy my latest novel, Mama Ruby. The readers will get a peek into the making of Ruby in her earlier years. You won't be disappointed!" Visit Mary's website to view her tour schedule and to find more details on her books: http://www.marymonroe.org/
Introduction to Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe
Prequel to The Upper Room
New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe presents an unforgettable tale featuring Mama Ruby, the indomitable heroine of her acclaimed novel The Upper Room. Now readers will get a peek into Ruby’s early years, as she transforms from a spoiled small-town girl into one of the South’s most notorious and volatile women…
Originally published in 1985, Mary Monroe's engaging debut novel, The Upper Room, features Ruby Montgomery, an obese, indomitable character who steals her best friend's baby daughter and flees to rural Florida, where she establishes herself as an almost mythical figure. The dialogue and setting are reminiscent of Zora Neale Hurston, but the story has a bizarre, violent edge … la Stephen King. The Upper Room by Mary Monroe is a candid portrayal of the cold-blooded yet fascinating Mama Ruby.
Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Ruby Jean Upshaw is the kind of girl who knows what she wants and knows how to get it. By the time she’s fifteen, Ruby has developed a taste for fast men and cheap liquor, and not even her preacher daddy can set her straight. Most everyone in the neighborhood knows you don’t cross Ruby. Only Othella Mae Cartier, daughter of the town tramp, understands what makes Ruby tick.
When Ruby discovers she’s in the family way, she’s scared for the first time in her life. After hiding her growing belly with baggy dresses, Ruby secretly gives birth to a baby girl at Othella’s house. With few choices, Othella talks Ruby into giving the child away-and with the help of a shocking revelation, convinces Ruby to run off with her to New Orleans.
But nothing can erase Ruby’s memories of the child she lost-or quell her simmering rage at Othella for persuading her to let her precious baby go. If there’s a fine line between best friend and worst nightmare, Ruby is surely treading it. Because someday, there will be a reckoning. And when it comes, Othella will learn the hard way that no one knows how to exact revenge quite like Ruby Jean Upshaw…
The Upper Room by Mary Monroe
Originally published in 1985, Mary Monroe's engaging debut novel, The Upper Room, features Ruby Montgomery, an obese, indomitable character who steals her best friend's baby daughter and flees to rural Florida, where she establishes herself as an almost mythical figure. The dialogue and setting are reminiscent of Zora Neale Hurston, but the story has a bizarre, violent edge … la Stephen King. Fantastic and exaggerated, The Upper Room by Mary Monroe is a candid portrayal of the cold-blooded yet fascinating Mama Ruby.
Mama Ruby is the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, with healing hands and an inconceivably vengeful spirit. After successfully bringing her best friend's stillborn baby to life, she claims the child as her own and runs away to a migrant settlement in the Everglades. Mama Ruby's ever-increasing girth and unhealthy dependence on her daughter, Maureen, cause her to make choices and decisions that are both troubling and foolish.
Mama Ruby makes sure that Maureen is treated special by giving her the upper room of the house. It becomes Maureen's special place and is off-limits to most people, especially men. As Maureen grows into a beautiful woman, she begins to have desires of a life outside of Mama Ruby's watchful eye and of a city far away. It takes an unthinkable series of events for Maureen and Mama Ruby to accept the other's ways and needs. A chilling story that is bound to astound Monroe's fans!
Mary Monroe created fabulous books such as: Mama Ruby, The Upper Room and the God Don't Like Ugly series for readers with a sense of humor and adventure! Meet author Mary Monroe as she travels across the nation discussing Mama Ruby and her literary journey: http://www.marymonroe.org/tour2011.html
Join the Mary Monroe Yahoo Discussion Group
BUY THE FEATURED BOOKS NOW!
The Upper Room by Mary Monroe
ISBN-10: 0758267347
ISBN-13: 978-0758267344
Download The Upper Room to Kindle Today!
Purchase The Upper Room from Amazon Now!
Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe
Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0758238614
ISBN-13: 978-0758238610
Purchase Mama Ruby from Amazon Now!
Download Mama Ruby to Kindle Today!
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