Self-published novel on list with works by Ernest Hemingway and Maya Angelou
LOS ANGELES - The usual literary classics like Toni Morrison's "Beloved," Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and Ernest Hemingway's
"The Sun Also Rises" appeared on Miami-Dade school district's suggested reading
list (http://virtuallibrary.dadeschools.net). So too did a new self-published novel,
"Lit Up," by Clymel E. Thomas.
"I am humbled to appear on a list with these great authors," said Thomas, who is currently self-publishing "Lit Up" through his DarkStreetLit.com and BodyOfSin.com websites.
"Lit Up" is ultimately a cautionary tale of a young man's decision to try to leave behind a violent city that seethes in sin and lost innocence.
According to e-mails and letters received by Darkstreet Lit/Body of Sin Book Publishing, whether readers are in their 20s or are over 60, and regardless of race, the novel's effect has been lasting, visceral and spiritual.
"It is probably the lasting effect on many readers that caused 'Lit Up' to be placed on the reading list with those iconic novels," said Thomas. "'Lit Up' is a slice of American life that people want to see, even if the story alternates from terrifying to inspirational... sometimes all on the same page."
