Actors & Celebs Come Out To Support Jamaican Author Nicole Mclaren Campbell At NY Book Launch

An array of New York actors, entertainers and other industry professionals were among those who came out to support Jamaican born author Nicole McLaren Campbell at the launch of her self help book Make It Count at the Jamaican Consulate in Manhattan, last Thursday, March 15.

The launch was presented by Washington Publishing, publishers of the book, and organized by New York based Sure Thing PR. Master of Ceremonies for the evening was actor, playwright and CEO of Sure Thing PR David Heron-shortly to be seen as Lord Montague in The Shakespeare Festival of St Louis production of Romeo and Juliet.

Award winning actress Dianne Dixon - last seen in the Off Broadway premiere of the musical Falling in Love with Mr. Dellamort- kicked off the proceedings with an inspiring performance of Maya Angelou's Phenomenal Woman.

Following Dixon's rendition, Heron -who is also McLaren Campbell's uncle- took the appreciative audience on an often amusing journey through her life and accomplishments. High points included her outstanding academic achievements at the St Hugh's Preparatory and St Andrew High School for Girls in Jamaica, followed by her full scholarship admittance to the prestigious Phillips Academy 'Andover' in Massachusetts and her subsequent college years at Princeton University and the University of London .

Emmy Award winning television producer Linda Schaffer, who featured McLaren Campbell in a Nickelodeon documentary she produced on gifted teenagers entitled Nickelennium in 1998, presented the 20th Anniversary screening of the feature at the event and also read passages from Make It Count.

The other reader for the night was McLaren Campbell's husband, award winning Jamaican reggae artist Jeffrey "Agent Sasco" Campbell. Speaking of his wife's talent for inspiring others and transforming lives, Sasco delighted the gathering with his recollection of their first meeting, when they were introduced by a mutual friend at a screening of the blockbuster film The Transformers, after which, he revealed, "I was myself transformed."

In her own remarks, McLaren Campbell stated that although she had felt the calling from God to be an author, she allowed fear and insecurity to keep her from pursuing this dream.

She told the capacity audience that "To hold myself accountable, I took the bold and really unorthodox step of announcing a date for the release of the book to my instagram followers, even before I had finished writing it-which was how I was able to overcome my fears and complete it. Because people started purchasing pre orders immediately, I had no choice but to complete it."

An Educator, Social Media Influencer and Motivational Speaker, McLaren Campbell founded AIM Educational Services in Jamaica in 2010. She has guided hundreds of students to placement in all of America's Ivy League Universities as well as to the Oxford and Cambridge Universities in Britain, and many others across the globe.

Other industry guests at the event included Ward 21 musical artist Rumblood, actor and Playwright Rafael Moreno, Producer and actress Janel C Scarborough, IRIE Jam radio personality Irwin Clare and Brian Roach of BET Television.

Sponsors for the evening included Fontana Pharmacy, Jamaica National Money, Golden Krust, Voga Wines, Flow Jamaica , Kerry Man Woman Home and Vonessa's Spa.

PHOTO CAPTION:-- From left to right- Sure Thing PR CEO David Heron, author Nicole McLaren Campbell, and playwright and actor Rafael Moreno.