A savvy, young music exec for Rockstar Records, Hannah Love has a glamorous apartment and a tight pack of equally fine friends. But luxury and loyalty don't protect her from a broken heart, courtesy of her super-rich fiancé.
To recover from the jolt, Hannah accelerates her already high-octane life by pursuing a fantasy she's had since childhood: to become an NBA cheerleader for the Chicago Diamonds. As she juggles promoting the hottest singer on the rise, dodging advances from Rockstar's ultra-slick VP, and putting her body and her will to the test during cut-throat tryouts for a spot on the Diamond Dolls squad, she receives the rapt attention of the basketball team's star player, Max Knight.
Though the Dolls are strictly forbidden to date any players, the heat between Hannah and Max builds on the sidelines. But as catty cheerleaders plot against her, and as her boss secretly negotiates a merger that could leave her jobless, Hannah discovers that it may take much more than the lust for a hot man to hold this dynamo steady. It may take his love.
Erika J. Kendrick, a Chicago native, rocks out in the middle of Manhattan with her Himalayan hottie, Cody.
She graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Psych and after a few bouts of indentured servitude at Ogilvy PR Worldwide and J Records, Erika completed her MBA and escaped to New York City. She snagged both her luggage and a coveted gig (read: “…and you’ll be sharing office space with the warm sodas in the utility closet…”) at the ultra-chic record label, Island Def Jam.
Kendrick quickly took a first class flight out of her own minstrel mind, clicked her Henri Bendel heels three times, and stubbornly left the music game behind. She switched stilettos and hopped on a publishing plane after inking a 2-book deal in the reputable Random House literary game. Her first born, Confessions of a Rookie Cheerleader: A Novel, drops February 27th, the second, Appetite, in ’08, following cleverly close behind. Erika felt that after cheering with the Chicago Bulls’ Luva-Bulls… well, to not dish would be tres irresponsibly insane!
In addition to working on her second sneak peak read, Kendrick is currently hosting GIRLTALK: “Where Divas Dish”, a weekly online radio show at www.newradiohits.com and is the resident host of “Women Who Jam”, a monthly music showcase at Ashford & Simpson’s Sugar Bar in New York City.
Kendrick is the President of Erika Benjamin Inc. and the President of the New York chapter of NABFEME – the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment (NABFEME.org). Erika is a member of the Stanford Alumni Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Black MBA Association and a recipient of several “Who’s Who” honors. And proudly, her heart perpetually pumps to the oh-so-fabuloso crimson-and-cream stomps of Delta Sigma Theta!
“Confessions of a Rookie Cheerleader’s snappy dialogue and steamy love scenes fuel the buildup to a bombastic ending that will satisfy romance fans.”
– PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY REVIEW
“Former Chicago Bulls cheerleader Erika J. Kendrick covers friendship, romance and undergarment sabotage in this fun, scandalous, behind-the-scenes tale that rings delightfully true.”
– UPSCALE MAGAZINE
“I LOVED YOUR BOOK… fascinating page-turner!”
– BLACK BEAT MAGAZINE
“This new author dispels the myth of cheerleading bimbos.”
– ROMANTIC TIMES MAGAZINE
“After reading Erika Kendrik’s irresistably juicy expose into the life of a professional cheerleader, I’m tempted to invest in a pair of poms and breakout in a herky. Chock full of backstabbing divas, to-die-for couture and sizzling sex, Confessions of a Rookie Cheerleader is chick lit’s newest must-have read. Three cheers for Hannah!”
– TIA WILLIAMS, AUTHOR of The Accidental Diva & It Chicks
“I loved Confessions of a Rookie Cheerleader!! As an ex-wife of an NBA player, it gave me insight into the lives of the cheerleaders – the ‘other’ players on the team; as a woman, I appreciated the fantasy of true love with a smart, handsome, talented and wealthy Prince Charming, and as co-owner of the Hue-Man Bookstore, I can count on a great read for my customers!!”
– RITA EWING, Author of Brickhouse & Homecourt Advantage & Co-Owner, Hue-Man Bookstore
“Erika Kendrick brings her A Game to Confessions of a Rookie Cheerleader! This funny, sexy story is a delicious dish on the life of a record label marketing exec, making her own mark on the Diamond Doll's half time court – and finding a real gem on the home team. This one is a winner!”
– EMILY GIFFIN , Author of Something Borrowed, Something Blue, & Baby Proof
“Funny, hip and unexpectedly moving – three cheers for Erika Kendrick!”
– REBECCA CAMPBELL, Author of The Marriage Diaries
“From the time you open Confessions of a Rookie Cheerleader, it will be impossible to put down. A titillating novel, Confessions will do in exposing the lives of cheerleaders and the players they encounter as ESPN’s provocative television series Playmakers did for revealing the outside-the-lines world of professional football. Erika Kendrick demonstrates herself as a talented writer in this deliciously written first effort.”
– JERRY BEMBRY, ESPN The Magazine
Hear my Recorded Interview on AOL Black Voices: Click here
New York
April 17 :: Stanford NY Reception and Signing
Philadelphia
April 14 :: Signing & Reading @ Café 3801
Chicago
April 10 :: Borders Hyde Park, Signing & Reading
New York
April 7 :: Borders Express Green Acres Mall // 6-8pm
April 4 :: The N Harlem Boutique // Signing & BELVEDERE Cocktail Reception
March 30 :: Wendy Williams In-studio Radio Interview
March 15 :: Hue-Man Bookstore
March 14 :: AOL Black Voices & Black Diamond Signature Group’s Author Cocktails & Conversation // Negril Rhum Lounge // 6-8pm
February 28 :: Release Party // Opus 22 // 6pm-Midnite
Atlanta
March 10 :: Medu Bookstore
March 9 :: Shrine of the Black Madonna
Chicago
March 8 :: Author Reading & Signing // Spoken Word Café // 6-9pm
March 8 :: Barnes & Noble // DePaul University // 12:30pm
Detroit
March 7 :: Shrine of the Black Madonna
March 7 :: Borders Express Renaissance Center
RADIO ROUNDS
V103 Atlanta, The Ryan Cameron Show
WWDM South Carolina
WCBQ North Carolina
WBLS The Wendy Williams Experience
Brooklyn College Radio 1090
WBHK Birmingham, Alabama
WORT Madison, Wisconsin
AOL More Than Words
The Boob Box
My Two Cents BETJ
The Conn Jackson Show
Blok TV
Out & About in New York
Vibe.com
Magazine Mouthfuls
Ebony
Upscale (Feb)
Upscale (April)
Romantic Times
Black Beat
Jolie Magazine
Rolling Out Magazine
Nia Online Magazine
The Industry Cosign
Strive Magazine
7 Magazine
Black Athlete Sports Network
Women in Entertainment
Crème Magazine
Erika
Kate Blum Random House Publicist
Diana Franco Random House Publicist
Imprint Agency
Erika Benjamin, Inc.
561 10th Avenue, Suite 42F
New York, NY 10036
MySpace: Erika J. Kendrick
www.myspace.com/erikabenjamin
National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment (NABFEME)
www.nabfeme.org
Women Who Jam!
www.womenwhojam.com
Tia Williams
www.tiawilliams.net
New Radio Hits
www.newradiohits.com
Epiphany Blue
http://www.epiphanybluellc.com
Hip Hop 4 Life
http://www.hiphop4lifeonline.com
Clive Goodinson Web Developer
www.goodinson.com
Dirk I. Tiede Illustrator
www.dirktiede.com
Excerpt from Chapter 25
I put the car in park and waited. Both my hands were wrapped around the steering wheel, and I didn’t know what to think about first.
What am I doing? This could get really dangerous; he was a judge for crying out loud! But we’re only going to Harold’s Chicken Shack. It’s not like anything could happen there; just going for some friendly fried chicken. I gripped the steering wheel and watched him pull his silver Mercedes SL500 convertible out of the underground garage.
Throwing caution to the wind, I shrugged and took off for a 4 piece mild chicken dinner with salt, pepper and extra barbeque sauce.
When we pulled up in front of the chicken joint, Maximillien stepped out of his car and was immediately mobbed by two men who’d been stalking him park. “Hey Max, what’s up, man? Can we get an autograph from you? Man, my son would love that.”
After signing various scraps of paper, Max jogged across the street to meet me. “I’ve gotta go, guys. My friend will kill me if I don’t feed her soon,” he yelled, over his shoulder.
“Thanks, man. Kick ass this season. You’re the best,” they buzzed, still staring at him in complete reverence as he led me down the street.
“Sorry about that. They get mad if you blow them off. They feel like they know me. You know, they read about us all the time and watch us in their living rooms. It can’t really get any more intimate than that when you think about it, you know?”
“Makes sense. So are you really that good?” I asked, as we walked the few steps to the take out joint.
“Well, I like to think I’m that good, and I’ve been playing for the team long enough for everyone here to know me - well, almost everyone.” He looked down at me and laughed.
“Look, let’s get this straight right now,” I posed, grabbing his arm and turning him toward me. “I’ve heard your name before, who hasn’t? But I wouldn’t have been able to put a face with it; I haven’t seen a basketball game since college. And I don’t know about you, but since I got my first job out of college, I’ve religiously put in twelve hour work days. Then when I moved to New York to work at Tru Records I slept on the floor in my cubicle slash closet on more than one occasion to get the job done. And for the year and a half I squeezed in night school full time, I didn’t even know where my remote control was. So if your picture wasn’t in The Fundamental Elements of Marketing or Introduction to Microeconomics, please forgive me for not recognizing your infamous face.” I shoved my hands into my hoodie.
Max took a step back. “I didn’t mean-”
“Now, because not all tall Black men are ball players, I’d never assume. So, if I would’ve known who you were - you know, introducing yourself on the elevator or maybe telling me that you were going to the Stadium too - it’s quite possible that I wouldn’t have made a complete ass of myself out there today. I mean, they were one heave away from calling the paramedics. Did you see Coach’s face?”
“Again, Hannah, I’m really sorry about that. But just for one minute, try and put yourself in my shoes. What was I supposed to do? I mean really? I didn’t know you either and, well, what if you would’ve sucked?”
I thought carefully about that scenario. “Ok, I’ll give you that, but it was still shady,” I argued, as he put his arm on my shoulder and directed me to the door that he was holding open.
“You actually slept on the floor?”
“What? You didn’t?”
After standing in line for what seemed like forever, I got to the counter and could feel my stomach coiling. I was unsure if it was from the hunger pains or this 6-foot-5 phenom pleading with me for forgiveness. I gave the woman in the black hairnet my order before realizing that she hadn’t heard a word I’d said. She was mesmerized by Maximillien; along with everyone else in the restaurant who’d crowded around him, vying for autographs. This really wasn’t the best plan after all.
After he’d Hancocked several pieces of paper torn from the chicken menus and made small talk with them all, our food was finally ready. He paid for it and grabbed my hand, leading me out the front door.
“Truce?” he offered, looking down at my hand in his.
“Why fight it? I’m sure you get whatever you want anyway.”
I struggled to ignore the fact that my hand had settled into his and my goddamn fingers had gone numb – again!
“Sorry about that in there. I thought it’d be better if we got this to go.”
“And go where, exactly?”
“It’s such a beautiful night. Get in, I know the perfect spot.”
I stood in the middle of the street next to his car and eyed him suspiciously with one hand on my hip and the other on my chin.
“I promise, I’ll bring you back to your car as soon as we’re done eating. Trust me; I don’t wanna get in any more trouble with you - not tonight, or any other night for that matter. Get in. Take a chance on me,” he said smoothly.
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)