Curtis Bunn is the best-selling author and literary conference founder whose writing career was honed as an award-winning newspaper journalist for 25 years. The sportswriter for The Washington Times, New York Newsday, New York Daily News and Atlanta Journal-Constitution  covered the New Jersey Nets for three years, the New York Knicks for eight years, two Olympics (Seoul, Korea in 1988 and Sydney, Australia 200), 17 NBA Finals, five Super Bowls, four NCAA Final Fours, four World Series, championship boxing, college football bowl games, six Masters golf championships and so much more.

In 2001, Curtis crafted his first novel, "Baggage Check" and watched in amazement as it became a word-of-mouth national success. The audacious, moving and funny story of Greg, Larry and Julian blossomed into a must-read for women and book clubs who sought a genuine peak into the psyche of men. Significantly, men embraced the book as an accurate depiction of their mindset, motivations and resolutions.

It debuted as No. 2 on the Essence best-sellers list and It was on the list for five months, including ascending to No. 1 in August of '01.

Meeting with book clubs to discuss "Baggage Check" inspired him to create the National Book Club Conference in 2003. It became such a strong coming together of readers and authors that he was named to the "Power List" by Black Issues Book Review Magazine. Now, it is the must-attend literary event of the year.

"That Was Then This Is Now" is the much-anticipated followup to "Baggage Check" and it is another literary achievement, a virtual tour inside the minds of men.

Amid the realistic and engaging plots and subplots, you discover the motivations of the male characters as they contend with true-life relationship issues; their innermost thoughts about women and how to deal with them; and insightful male personality idiosyncrasies – vantage points that educate and entertain at once.

As you go on this riveting odyssey with Larry, Julian and Greg, you will laugh, you will cry and . . . you will learn. And you will definitely want more.

Just as with its predecessor, this sequel is written with deft prose and and honest, raw insight. It is a triumph that begs for another follow up entry.

Curtis also contributed the short story, "Home Alone" in the anthology, "After Hours: Black Men Writing On Erotica."

Curtis, who lives near Atlanta, has a son, Curt, and a daughter, Gwen (Bunny), www.gwenbunn.com.