Lori Bryant-Woolridge facts for kids

Lori Anne Bryant-Woolridge (born May 25, 1958) is an American author and speaker. She is known for writing popular books for women, a style known as chick-lit. She has a mixed heritage of African-American and Chinese-American backgrounds.

Early Life and Family

Lori was born in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her father, Albert Bryant Sr., was a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army, and her mother, Mable Lun, was a registered nurse. Lori grew up in both California and Silver Spring, Maryland.

She went to Paint Branch High School in Maryland. Later, she graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in Journalism.

Lori's family has a strong connection to the U.S. Military. Her brother, Albert Bryant Jr, is also a Brigadier General in the Army. Her nephew, Benjamin Bryant, worked for the Department of Defense. This family connection inspired her to start a book tour that visited military bases.

Career as a Writer

Lori began her career as a novelist in 1999 with her first book, Read Between the Lies. The book was a big success and became a best-seller. In 2000, it was nominated for a Golden Pen Award.

Her second novel, Hitts & Mrs., came out in 2004. It also became a bestseller, appearing on the Essence magazine list. In 2007, she published her novel Weapons of Mass....

She also wrote a non-fiction self-help book called The Power of WOW: A Guide to Unleashing the Confident You, which was published in 2011. One review from Publishers Weekly said her writing was exciting and had a social message.

Lori has also written stories for collections of books, called anthologies. These include Gumbo: A Celebration of African-American Writing and Brown Sugar 3: Opposites Attract.

In 2005, Lori co-founded the Femme Fantastik Literary Tour. This book tour was created to support and share the books of women writers of color.

Television Career and Emmy Award

Before becoming a famous author, Lori worked in television. She had several jobs in production and management at TV networks like ABC, PBS, and BET.

In 1983, her talent for writing was recognized with a special honor. She won an Emmy Award for Individual Achievement in Writing.

Helping Others and Personal Life

Lori currently lives in Virginia. She has two children. Her son is the founder and CEO of a company called Playerslounge.co, and her daughter is a photographer.

Lori is also the co-founder of a non-profit group called Mothers Off Duty. This organization helps young people make responsible choices and encourages education and good parenting.

She is also a certified life coach and founded Stiletto University. This group helps women build confidence through workshops and retreats. She also started The SOL Innovations Group, LLC, a coaching group that helps people with their confidence and creativity.