From Mediabistro:

Hip-hop artist Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson will write a semi-autobiographical novel called Playground. The young-adult book stars "a thirteen-year-old schoolyard bully who finds redemption as he faces what he's done."

From the Hollywood Reporter:

Add author to Jennifer Hudson's resume.

The Academy Award-winning actress and singer has inked a deal with Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Group, to pen a memoir detailing her struggles with weight.

From NewsOne:

The African-American presence in the technology space has been enhanced with the recent release of the first digital storybook for kids, "A Song for Miles." Written by Dr. Tiffany S. Russell, "A Song for Miles" uses black musical history to teach children important life lessons. Launched to coincide with the start of Black Music Month, "A Song for Miles" was conceived and produced by a 100% African-American team. Here's more:

From Philly.com:

If you've read anything by best-selling author J. California Cooper, you know that she would quickly tell you that basking in the spotlight is like making a direct call to the devil. Humans are their most foolish, she says, when they aren't humble.

Extolling these simple truths has made the 79-year-old California native a favorite among generations of readers. Her books, which include seven short-story collections and five novels, are all about learning life's obvious lessons.

Cooper's latest novel, 'Life Is Short but Wide' (Anchor Books, 2009), was on the New York Times best-seller list for weeks. Philadelphia singer Jill Scott refers to Cooper as "brilliant. One of the best writers of all times." She's also a favorite of Nikki Giovanni, Halle Berry, and former first lady Laura Bush. She has earned scores of accolades and literary awards including the American Book Award in 1989.

On Thursday, Cooper will add one more honor to her prestigious collection: a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Philadelphia-based Art Sanctuary's 27th Annual Celebration of Black Writing. Past recipients include poet Sonia Sanchez and novelists Walter Mosley and Terry McMillan.

Read more here.