*Janet Jackson has postponed three more stops on her Rock Witchu tour due to an illness that has put the traveling show on hold since last Monday.

       Her publicist said in an e-mail late Saturday that Jackson was postponing a Saturday show in Greensboro, N.C., one on Sunday in Atlanta and a third on Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale, reports the Associated Press. The scrapped shows follow previously-postponed dates in Boston and Philadelphia on Wednesday and Thursday.

       Jackson, 42, became "suddenly ill" and was hospitalized Monday night in Montreal shortly after she arrived for a show.       

       The singer's brother, Randy Jackson, said his sister was suffering from the effects of vertigo, however, there has been no official word from her camp regarding the exact nature of the illness.      

       On Saturday, her publicist would only say she is "recuperating" and will return home, at her doctor's direction, for further treatment.

       Fans are asked to keep their tickets for the postponed shows, which will be rescheduled to later dates.

*We don't know the exact cause, but a representative for Janet Jackson says the singer has been hospitalized after falling ill shortly before a concert.

      The news comes on the heels of Jackson's boyfriend, Jermaine Dupri, getting ill at this birthday party last week and throwing up on her.

      According to statement released by W&W Public Relations, the singer, 42, canceled her concert in Montreal on Monday after she "got suddenly ill" during her sound check and had to be rushed to the hospital just before show time.

      The statement says Jackson is being monitored at the hospital and hopes to reschedule the show. No further information was given about Jackson's condition.

      A phone call placed to W&W after hours went unanswered, and a representative did not immediately return an e-mail seeking more information.

      Jackson is on a North American tour.

African Americans also are 38 percent to 43 percent more likely to die from colon cancer than are Whites, they add.

But when it comes to whether race alone is a factor in the higher incident and death rates, Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, puts on the breaks.

He said the conclusions the Oregon researchers reached from the data are flawed because the study doesn't take into account socioeconomic factors as well as the fact the Blacks tend to get fewer screenings, and, as a consequence, tend to have more advanced cancers and larger polyps because their cancers are found later.

"We've known for some time that Blacks are less likely to get screened for colorectal cancers than Whites and that their cancers are detected at a later stage," he says. "Studies looking into this have indicated that access to regular screening rather than biology drives much of this difference."

For the Portland study, researchers looked at where polyps (larger than 9 millimeters) were located in African-Americans and Whites who were screened but had no symptoms. They also compared how prevalent those polyps were in both races.

Information from colonoscopy screenings of 5,464 African-Americans and 80,061 Whites from 67 screening centers around the United States revealed that "asymptomatic Black men and women undergoing colonoscopy screening are more likely to have one or more polyps sized more than 9 mm, compared with White individuals," the researchers wrote. "The differences were especially striking among women."

Brawley says, however, that the size of a person's polyps may be affected by a number of things, including when in the person's screening is taken and whether the person had ever been screened before.

"They [the Oregon researchers] conclude that the biology of colorectal cancer in Black Americans may be different than in Whites and that in individuals over the age of 60, current screening methods may be less beneficial in Black Americans than in White Americans," Brawley says. "An accurate assessment of the underlying differences documented by this data demands we correct for socioeconomic status and related polyp risk factors, and for health seeking behaviors when doing Black-White comparisons."

Brawley does, however, agree with the researchers that colon cancer screenings are important for people of all races.  For more on colon cancer to  Cancer.org.

Singer-songwriter Ne-Yo says he harbors no ill will toward R&B singer R. Kelly, despite having just won a lawsuit against him to collect $700,320 in damages for being kicked off of his 2007 tour.

      "I don't hate R. Kelly," he told the New York Daily News. "It wasn't even really a feud. It's all in the past. I think I'm going to use the money and open up a club or a cigar bar in Atlanta."

      Ne-Yo, whose new album "Year of the Gentleman" was released Tuesday, wasn't acting like much of a gentleman when hanging out with Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs recently.

      "We were all in London a while ago, and I ended up doing so many shots of Patrón because I thought everyone else was," he recalled. "But they were just putting them down without drinking! So nine shots later, and I'm hanging out of Jay's Maybach, losing my lunch! He called and joked he was going to send me a cleaning bill for the carpeting."

*Star Jones and her former husband of four years, Al Reynolds, reached a divorce settlement on Wednesday just moments before they were due to appear in a Manhattan court room.      

       Jones' rep released a statement saying the former couple "reached an amicable settlement in their divorce proceeding... Both parties are moving on with their private lives."      

       The New York Post is reporting that Reynolds was allegedly upset with the prenuptial agreement he signed, leaving him "basically nothing," though he gave up the fight in order to avoid higher court costs.

       Jones, 46, filed for divorce on March 26 at Manhattan's Supreme Court in New York, and it was subsequently labeled an "uncontested matrimonial" case by officials.

       As previously reported, she has recently been linked romantically to chef Herb Wilson.

Michelle Obama Visits "The Ellen Degeneres Show" - Sept. 8, 2008 (Part 2)

*Michelle Obama got her groove on with newlywed Ellen Degeneres during Monday's broadcast of the talk show host's sixth season premiere.      

       During her dance to the chair, the wife of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama broke into The Prep and Jay-Z's "Dirt Off Your Shoulders," which her husband did famously before a speech during the primaries.       

      Mrs. Obama agreed with Ellen that she has better dance moves than her husband, who cut a rug with the TV star when he appeared on "The Ellen Degeneres Show" last October.

*A new book by Sandy (Pepa) Denton of the rap duo Salt-n-Pepa reveals details about her personal life highlighted by a number violent episodes where she was both the victim and perpetrator.

       "Let's Talk About Pep," co-written with Karen Hunter, features Denton speaking candidly about her rise from poverty, her hot temper and her string of bad relationships.      

       The rapper was once married to Naughty by Nature front man Treach (Anthony Criss). She also had a child with Tyran (Tah-Tah) Moore, a rapper accused by 50 Cent of having a role in his 2002 shooting. (Tah-Tah was never charged.)       

       Her most turbulent experience came from a decade-long romance with a man she calls "Brad."        

       During one of their apocalyptic fights, she writes, "I had the hot iron in my hand and he had a handful of my hair. He grabbed the hand with the iron in it and was pushing [it] toward my face. ... He ended up pressing that hot iron against my other arm. I heard my flesh sizzling, and the smell was sickening. I started screaming from the pain. He dropped the iron and I turned to run, and his nail swiped across my eyeball and shredded my cornea." The incident left her with deep scars and an eye patch.       

       The couple had another brawl at actor Omar Epps' house, where, she says, "Brad" threw her through a glass coffee table and tried to push her down the stairs.       

       Pepa, meanwhile, had a violent streak of her own. She tells of one night when she had to check Christopher "Play" Martin of the rap duo Kid 'n Play.

       "Play tried to clown me at the table. ... Everyone started laughing. I got up and grabbed him by his collar and dragged him down the whole length of the table, knocking everybody's food and drink onto the floor. Play never made fun of me again," writes Pepa.       

       One rapper who did impress her was Tupac Shakur, whom she met on the set of the "Whatta Man" video. "He was a good guy. I remember him telling me that he had never been in trouble with the law until he got into the music business. [He said,] 'I ain't never had a record until I made a record!'"

*Photographs of Star Jones and her new man kissing in the stands of the U.S. Open last weekend hit the Internet yesterday morning. By the afternoon, People.com had exposed the mystery man as Herb Wilson, the executive chef at Manhattan's Soho and Tribeca Grand hotels.

      "This was one of the first times they were out in public together," a friend of Jones' tells People. "It's a new relationship, and he makes her very happy."

       Jones personal rep would not confirm the relationship after refusing to talk about his client's personal life. However, another source close to the former "View" host said the two are dating.      

       "He's a very nice guy," the source says of Wilson. "She's never been happier."      

       Jones, 46, and her husband of 3 1/2 years, Al Reynolds, 38, filed for divorce in March.

Last night in Denver, Michelle Obama declared "I love this country" as she sought to reassure the nation that she and her husband Barack share Americans' bedrock values and belief in a dream of a better future.

      In the first major address at the Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama described herself as a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother, no different from many women.

      She told a boisterous crowd waving signs reading "Michelle" that she and her husband feel an obligation to "fight for the world as it should be" to ensure the promise of a better life for their daughters and all children.

      Michelle Obama talked about tucking in her daughters Malia and Sasha at night.

      "I think about how one day, they'll have families of their own. And one day, they -- and your sons and daughters -- will tell their own children about what we did together in this election. They'll tell them how this time, we listened to our hopes, instead of our fears. How this time, we decided to stop doubting and to start dreaming," she said.

      Michelle Obama's mission was to humanize her husband and persuade skeptical voters to look past his unusual name and exotic background to envision him as the next president. Barack Obama has repeatedly faced questions about whether he's a real American.

      She also used the address to dismiss questions about her patriotism. Republicans have criticized her comments earlier this year that she was "really proud" of her country for the first time. Her answer at the convention was to express her love of country.

      The Obamas' two daughters joined their mother on stage after the speech as Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" blared from in the convention hall.

*Nearly one year after Shaquille O'Neal filed for divorce, his wife Shaunie says the proceedings will be halted in the coming days and the couple will continue to try and work things out.

       "Neither one of us could probably answer why we were getting one in the first place," Shaunie O'Neal told the Associated Press Thursday at the launch of her new video-sharing Web site.

      "Things have been going so great, that someone actually had to remind us that 'Hey, you do remember those papers are still there.' Literally, it was days ago," said Shaunie. "So, we've agreed that before we leave Florida in a few days we'll make sure that that's gone away."

      Shaquille O'Neal filed for divorce in Miami-Dade Circuit Court on Sept. 4, 2007, after nearly five years of marriage. The petition stated: "The marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken" and Shaunie was "secretive about her assets ... particularly with respect to certain properties owned or titled in either [her] name alone or in other entities." He requested that the court require Shaunie to give a "correct accounting of all money, funds, stocks, bonds, and other securities (including bearer securities)."

       Shaunie told the AP: "The kids and I kind of learned about the divorce at the same time. So that was hard. That was probably the worst part of the whole thing, was being able to deal with how hurt the whole kids were."

       Shaq's divorce attorney, Ira Elegant, did not return a call to Reuters before press time.

       Meanwhile, Shaunie's new video-sharing Web site, launching Sept. 1, is geared to showcase children and their talents in a kid-friendly, safe arena. The entrepreneur said she developed the idea because she wanted to be able to share her own children's activities with her family members.

       "I get the complaint of 'Oh, I wish I could see that,'" she said. "There was nowhere I could find that was just safe, where maybe a slip of the finger would take us somewhere where I don't want the kids to see or hear."

*Isaac Hayes, an Oscar- and Grammy-winning music icon who helped to usher in the disco era, died Sunday afternoon after he collapsed near a treadmill, authorities said. He was 65.

      The entertainer was pronounced dead at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis an hour after his body was found by a family member, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said. The cause of death was not immediately known.

      Sheriff's office spokesman Steve Shular said authorities received a 911 call after Hayes' wife, young son and his wife's cousin returned home from the grocery store and found him collapsed in a downstairs bedroom. A sheriff's deputy administered CPR until paramedics arrived.

       "The treadmill was running but he was unresponsive lying on the floor," Shular said.

       Hayes was preparing to record a new album for Stax, the soul record label he helped build to legendary status. And he had recently finished work on a movie called "Soul Men" in which he played himself, starring Samuel Jackson and Bernie Mac, who died on Saturday.      

       "I am deeply saddened by the loss of Isaac Hayes, a true historic world music figure," said the Reverend Al Sharpton, in a statement to EUR, who was to dedicate his Sunday night radio program to the late artist. "Isaac Hayes was the first African-American to win an Oscar for a music score but never lost sight of his commitment to his community and the betterment of mankind. He was more than an artist he was a trailblazer, He was an innovator. He was a creative genius. I shall never forget how in the height of his career he still had time to work and lend his celebrity to those of us much younger and at that time who were totally unknown. Even in his later years he never hesitated to appear for a cause or endorse something that he felt was for the good of mankind. He will be sorely missed."

       With his trademark shades, bald head and deep baritone, Isaac Hayes laid the groundwork for not just disco, but also what came to be known as urban contemporary. He co-wrote the Sam and Dave hits "Hold On I'm Coming" and "Soul Man." He reached his commercial peak in 1972 when he won an Academy Award for his No. 1 hit "Theme from 'Shaft."'       

       Younger audiences are more familiar with Hayes as the voice of Chef on Comedy Central's animated series "South Park." But he left the show a few years ago because he disagreed with its attacks on Scientology, the religious movement to which he belonged.      

       Hayes was born in 1942 in a tin shack in Covington, Tenn., about 40 miles north of Memphis. He was raised by his maternal grandparents after his mother died and his father left when he was 1 1/2. The family moved to Memphis when he was 6.       

       Hayes wanted to be a doctor, but those dreams ended and were replaced with musical aspirations after he won a ninth grade talent contest by singing Nat King Cole's "Looking Back."

       He released his debut album, the poor-selling "Presenting Isaac Hayes," in 1968. He broke through the following year with "Hot Buttered Soul," which contained just four songs but sold over a million copies.      

       His work on director Gordon Parks' urban crime drama "Shaft," a project he had hoped to star in, was the first of many forays into movie soundtracks. He got in front of the camera for the 1974 cult classic "Truck Turner" and had kept busy with film work ever since, recently appearing in the hip-hop drama "Hustle & Flow."     

      Community activist Najee Ali says a candlelight vigil for Hayes, as well as Bernie Mac, will be held at 6 p.m. tonight in Los Angeles at 5th Street Dicks coffeehouse in Leimert Park (4305 Degnan Blvd.)

      Meanwhile, in addition to Sharpton, some of Hayes' friends and professional associates have issued statements expressing condolences and shared their memories: 

• Dionne Warwick, a former musical collaborator,  released this statement to Access Hollywood: "I've lost one of my best buddies and it is not easy to reckon with," she wrote. "I know one can never put a question mark where GOD puts a period, so I will not question the Almighty's decision to call him home. We all know when that call comes we all will answer... Personally, my buddy will be missed for many reasons by me. He was 'family.' He will be a part of my musical life each time I sing the song 'Deja vu' as this was a birthday gift to me from him. His renditions of songs that I had recorded especially 'Walk On By,' in my opinion, 'the definitive version' will always be another memory each time I sing it, and the humorous side that he showed few (that I knew so well). My family and I send sincere heart felt condolences to his family for their enormous loss, and we will hold them in continuous prayer."

• African American Film Critics Association president Gil Robertson IV said:     "The loss of Isaac Hayes less than 24-hours after Bernie Mac represents a major double blow to the entire entertainment industry, black Hollywood in particular. The art form and expressions created by Isaac Hayes in particular resonated not only in American pop culture but throughout American life. Both are talents that will be missed but always remembered."

• Neil Portnow, President/CEO, The Recording Academy: "Three-time GRAMMY® winner Isaac Hayes was a true renaissance man -- singer, songwriter, producer, session musician, actor, activist and more. After laying the groundwork for the Memphis soul sound through his work with Stax Records, his groundbreaking theme song and score for the movie 'Shaft' cemented his status as a musical icon. He was actively involved with our Memphis Chapter, sharing his creativity with established professionals and up-and-coming musicians alike. The world has lost a true creative genius and a passionate humanitarian, but his indelible legacy will remain ever present. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends and all who were inspired by the man and his music."

      "He opened his eyes on his own and looked at Rhonda. She called his name, and he opened his eyes and nodded to her," said Rhonda's younger sister, Mary Ann Grossett. "She smiled at him and told him, 'Don't leave me ... 'I'm waiting for you to come back.' He shrugged his shoulders, and she said that's when she knew he was tired. He signaled to her that his body was tired."

      Mac, Grossett revealed, was hospitalized in Chicago on July 24, eight days before the date announced by his publicist. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and immediately placed on a ventilator. He died at 2 a.m. on Saturday.

      The night before, "He struggled for his life. He couldn't breathe," said Grossett. The next day, doctors "were working on him. They tried to resuscitate him two times. One time he came back for about an hour. Then he went into cardiac arrest the second time."

      Grossett said the last communication between Mac and Rhonda took place on July 31, one week after he was admitted to the hospital. "He told his wife [non-verbally] that he could breathe on his own, and he wanted the ventilator out. He motioned that he wanted it out," says Grossett.

      Additionally, Grossett says Mac's inflammatory lung disease contributed to his death. "He had sarcoidosis, but it was in remission," she says. "But because he had it, his immune system was compromised. He had an infection ... He was on a new medication that suppresses the immune system, and that's where the pneumonia came from."       

      She says that doctors kept Mac sedated, although he was conscious at times and he contracted a second strain of pneumonia while in the hospital.       

      Of her widowed sibling Rhonda, Grossett says, "She's devastated. However, she's at peace about his transition because of her faith in God. Her faith is what is sustaining her."       

      A funeral for Mac is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 15, at an undisclosed location. The family requests that donations be made to the Bernie Mac Foundation for Sarcoidosis, 40 E. Ninth St., Suite 601, Chicago IL 60605.       

      Community activist Najee Ali says a candlelight vigil for Mac, as well as Isaac Hayes, will be held at 6 p.m. tonight in Los Angeles at 5th Street Dicks coffeehouse in Leimert Park (4305 Degnan Blvd.)

      Some of Mac's celebrity friends, co-stars and professional associates have issued statements expressing condolences and sharing memories of the comedian:      

• Samuel L. Jackson, his co-star in the upcoming film "Soul Men," says:  "It goes without saying that Bernie was one of the preeminent comedians of our generation. He was also an attentive husband, a great father and loving grandfather. I feel blessed to have shared years of friendship with Bernie Mac, and I'm honored to have finally co-starred with him in what I consider to be his finest cinematic acting achievement. My sincere prayer is that his family will be comforted by the warmth of love from all of us who knew and respected this man."

• Don Cheadle, who starred with Mac in 2001's "Ocean's Eleven" and its two sequels, says: "This is a very sad day for many of us who knew and loved Bernie. He brought so much joy to so many. He will be missed, but heaven just got funnier."

• George Clooney, fellow co-star in "Ocean's" franchise: "The world just got a little less funny. He will be missed dearly."

• Brad Pitt, fellow "Ocean's" colleague, says: "I lament the loss of a ferociously funny and hardcore family man. My thoughts are with Rhonda and their family. Bernie Mac, you are already missed."

• Chris Rock: "Bernie Mac was one of the best and funniest comedians to ever live, but that was the second best thing he did. Bernie was one of the greatest friends a person could have. Losing him is like losing 12 people because he absolutely filled up any room he was in. I'm gonna miss the Mac Man."

• Cedric the Entertainer: "It's hard to put into words just how I feel and what a painful loss this is. Bernie was a brother, a friend and one of the comic masters of our time. Sharing the marquee with him during the phenomenon of the Kings of Comedy tour bonded us like family, and created a unique moment in comic history marking some of the most meaningful, memorable and fun times of our lives. His comedic approach was his own brand and will definitely stand the test of time. The level of his talent always inspired me and other comedians to 'bring their A-game.' I promise you that you never wanted to be the guy who had to follow Bernie's set! As a husband and father, he was THE MAN and my thoughts and prayers are with his family. He will truly be missed, but so well remembered."

• Niecy Nash, who played Mac's sister on 'The Bernie Mac Show,' recalls his knack for making fellow actors feel at home on the set. "When I showed up to work, he said something to me that had never been said to me on a set before. He said, 'Baby girl, the script here is not the Bible. Do you, and I'll follow. I got mine, you get yours.' When he said that, I knew everything was going to be all right. I was happy to have the freedom to make up some funny with him. It was simply delicious. My working experiences with Bernie were so amazing, that from that point on, I wouldn't have cared if he called me in the middle of the night to come and be in a scene where I didn't have anything to do but sit in the background and eat cereal. I would've just done it because I loved him like that."

• Jenifer Lewis: "Bernie's style of comedy was bold, courageous and revolutionary--I never knew anyone who loved to be funny as much as Bernie. He will most definitely be very missed."

• George Lopez: "He was one of those comics that was unique because of his approach, his look, his voice [and] the content of his material. Bernie fell into that category of people who were inherently different like when you saw them, you knew they were different and when they spoke, you knew they were different. As comics, we're all brothers. and I'll miss him a lot. He was a good friend of mine."

• Luke Wilson, Mac's costar in 'Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle,' told People: "He couldn't have been a nicer guy. He just seemed like a real family man and just a nice guy on the set, just very kind of normal guy."

• Carl Reiner, "Ocean's Eleven" costar, says: "It's a tremendous loss because of his age and the fact that he was such a vital, original human being. When I use the word 'original' I really mean it. He was like no other person I knew. He lived his life to the fullest, even when we were on the set of Ocean's. He had his own little apartment and he cooked and invited people to lunch every day and he had food that was for everybody. He made very exotic things. His conversations were always different than any conversations I had with anyone else. They were very family-oriented; he talked about his wife and children with such love and it's very hard to believe that he's not with us anymore."

• Kelly Preston and John Travolta: "We are heartbroken. He will be deeply missed. He was a wonderful, kind and gentle man."

• Fox Broadcasting Company and 20th Century Fox Television, home of "The Bernie Mac Show," stated: "Bernie Mac was a gifted talent whose comedy came from an authentic and highly personal place. He was a tremendous live performer and a wonderful actor. Fox was proud to be the home of The Bernie Mac Show, and all of us at Fox and 20th Century Fox Television extend our deepest sympathies to his wife, Rhonda, and daughter, JeNiece."

• J.D. Hall, voice over actor who worked with Mac on an episode of Moesha, says: "He was a genuinely funny and nice guy. I say this because prior to working with him on the show, I had no knowledge of who he was and how well known of a comedian he was. But, unlike a lot of people at his level, he was very friendly, down to earth and accommodating. When our paths accidentally crossed about a week later at LAX airport, he greeted me as if I had been a life-long friend and I could feel the genuine warmth and sincerity of that greeting. May God have mercy on his soul."

• Irene Mama Stokes: Bernie Mac will be remembered. I met him on the set of Bébé's Kids, his words of encouragement helped me to continue to pursue my career in comedy. His comedy had an impact on our community and the world. He will truely be missed."            

• African American Film Critics Association's Wilson Morales: "Bernie Mac had the ability to effortlessly make people laugh. He was an incredible talent with whom my colleagues and I in AAFCA always looked forward to covering. Bernie had a big heart and he will certainly be missed by the members of our organization."

JL KING PART 2: 'Down Low' author/activist launches new book series

*Author JL King created a firestorm of controversy with his 2005 book "On the Down Low - A Journey into the Lives of Straight Black Men Who Sleep With Men."

      Upon giving the low down on the down low, King became the poster boy of such behavior, but he's since given up the life and now he's now even taken a different direction with his latest tome.

      King's new novel, "Love on a Two-Way Street," is the first in a series that promises to have readers wondering if it might be more than just a work of fiction.

      "So many people wonder if gay writing is fiction or non-fiction," King observed. "And since I've had the opportunity to move in a lot of celebrity circles, I've met a lot of men who have lived double lives. In the world of sports, in the world of politics, and in the world of religion, [there are] a lot of powerful men who live double lives, but because of their money and their status, they are never looked at as men who live on the DL."

      So King decided to take a little of his inside knowledge and wrote a story about a very powerful entertainer that goes by the name of Juice.

      "I talk about his climb to [the top] by using his looks, his power, and his money to have both men and women and to use all that to develop a group of other men who have secrets and how he controls their lives by using what they really want out of life and to have them sexually."

      King told EUR's Lee Bailey that the book still down-low themed because his name has become synonymous, to his dismay, with the DL.

      "Once you write a book as powerful as my first book, it's hard to get out of that genre," he said. "It's the only thing that people want from you."

      King revealed that his fan base of the women seem incredibly intrigued by men on the down low.

      "Women are so turned on about two men having sex," he said. "They don't like it, they hate it, and they don't want to hear it, but at the same time they can't get enough of it. So I decided to write a very drama-filled book that will take the reader on a journey into a life of power, money, and sex."

      Still, as intrigued as his readers and audiences have been, King said that the book has very few DL elements. However, the author and AIDS activist said that he is well aware that in general, the book will come across as being about just that.

      "The DL part is very small. It's probably less than 5 percent of the total book, even though the readers will make it 95 percent," he said. "Because of everybody's interest in that behavior, it will come across as being a book about that."

      Nevertheless, no matter what you call it, King promises that his latest is a real page-turner.  

        "It is a book that will have you captured," he said. "I've always been a story teller. I knew back in the day that one day I would be able to write a very good story. So I took everything I had in me and put it on the pages of this book - from the characters to the storyline."

      Speaking of characters, King also said that his main character might remind readers of an actual music star. The author won't say whether or not his character is based on a chart topper, but he did not deny that people might be inclined to make some assumptions.

      "If you could imagine Puffy, Jay-Z, Jermaine Dupri, Suge Knight, and Usher and everybody you can imagine that's big and put them in one individual, that is who my main character would be. And the love of his life would be Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, and Rihanna all combined together," he suggested.

      Is it fact or fiction? That's just what King wants you to decide, and to keep wondering. "Love on a Two-Way Street" is available in stores now, and the second installment is expected next year. In the meantime, King has headed out on a book tour in support of the new novel, but, in King's modus operandi, he's put a little twist on it. Instead of just discussing the book and signing copies, King's book tour is more about talking to his audience about relationships.          

      "The book is about love. It's about relationships," he explained. "We're inviting women to come out and meet me," he planned. "We'll have a conversation about relationships. We talk about why men do what they do; we talk about why men and women don't come together; we talk about the fantasy love that turns out to be the devil himself. That's why my character, Juice, looks like he could be the perfect catch for any woman, but in reality, behind all the beauty and the body and the money - he is truly evil."

       Additionally, King will talk with audiences about the number one question he's asked whenever he's on tour or at speaking engagements - What are the tell-tell signs of a man on the down low? King has even released a DVD called "The Top 10 Signs of Down Low Behavior."

      "If I don't say anything about sexuality, if I don't say anything about the DL, 99.9 percent of the time, the first question is, 'What are the signs?' So I'm going to bring that information on the tour."

      However, the most important thing, according to King, is that he'll be talking about HIV/AIDS awareness and making responsible choices.

      "I just want people to know that we live in a time that HIV is taking its toll on the African American community in a huge way," he said. "We all need to be more responsible, we all need to know our status, and we all need to join this fight so we don't continue to impact this deadly disease to the next generation."

      For more on JL King, his new novel, his new DVD, and his book tour, go to his website at www.jlking.net.

CHRIS ROCK'S EX WRITING TELL-ALL: Kali Bowyer still insists son is actor's seed, despite DNA tests proving otherwise.

*Although DNA tests have showed that Chris Rock is not the father of her 14-year-old son, Kali Bowyer still claims the teen is the product of a fling she had with the comic several years before his marriage to Malaak Compton-Rock.

       In the press release for her book "Hollywood Child," Bowyer claims her past included "a hot affair with racy comedian Chris Rock." Her life, according to the release, "started crashing down all around her," until "getting pregnant with Chris' son saved her life."        

       Rock's attorney John Mayone reminded MSNBC.com that the Georgia court has already concluded that his client and Bowyer's son have no biological ties. "There is a final judgment. This is not Chris Rock's child. It's been fully litigated, and that includes DNA testing."       

       Bowyer, however, says she is moving forward with her allegations in the book because she wants to continue fighting the paternity question in California. Mayone dismisses that possibility.       

       "The time for appeal has long since passed," he says.       

       No book publisher was named in the press release.