Author, Journalist. She left a teaching career to pursue writing and her first novel “Two-Career Marriage” was published in 1986. Her work was based on real-life stories that explored racial and social issues in the perspective of various ethnic groups. She was best known for several best-sellers including “Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine,” “Brothers and Sisters'” and “What You Owe Me.”.She also wrote children’s books, including “Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry” and “I’m So Hungry.” As a journalist, her articles appeared in Times Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Essence and Ebony. She has been awarded the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Literature Award, NAACP Image Award for literature and National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Outstanding Literature Award. She died of cancer. (bio by: John “J-Cat” Griffith) Cause of death: Brain Cancer