Create Crown Holders Sisterhood Audio Presentation

Hello,

Come on in, have a seat! I would like to invite you to create an audio presentation for the Crown Holders Sisterhood. 

We are looking for uplifting, motivating stories of over-coming obstacles or lessons that will empower women! We want to learn from 100 women who inspire, motivate and entertain audiences with their stories…their voices!

Your presentation will be posted on the Crown Holders Transmedia website. Also, I will play your podcast on BAN Radio Show. The recordings will become part of our Crown Holders web-series that will be live-streamed to Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

There are NO fees for this service. But, this can not be used solely to promote a product or service. We are truly seeking to pour into and uplift the women in our community.

 

I understand we are all busy women, so I created a simple way to share your story on the webinars. Here’s a way for you to pre-record your message on your own schedule. Email Ella D. Curry at  [ edc_dg@yahoo.com ] with information requested below and a confirmed interview dates will be sent back to you. We look forward to showcasing your service, company or your book.

Read this entire page to answer most of your questions.  This page is long, but I want you to have all of the information to make the process seamless. This email breaks down the process of recording. 

 

 

Authors You Should Know on Pinterest

Authors You Should Know on Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/edcbooktours/authors-you-should-know

The authors on this board have excellent books for reading groups or for the voracious reader!

Please explore all of the Pins and Repin to your favorite lists. We have 625 followers right now. Help us to get 1,500 followers!

We will play games on this board each month. So, leave your comments under the Pins and don’t forget to share!

 

Requesting Book Club Interviews

Interviews for the Black Pearls Magazine Book Club Edition

Hello  All Social Clubs and Readers,

Black Pearls Magazine  is celebrating the rise of  social clubs, book clubs, author circles and literary groups!   We would like to showcase all member, presidents, social club creators, and book reviewers on the front page of Black Pearls Magazine! 

Bi-Monthly, we will publish a printed version of Black Pearls Magazine!  It would be an honor to include you in the next edition.  If you do not belong to a specific group, you can still answer the questions as an avid reader!   We want to hear your story as well! We are dedicated to the promotion of quality literature. 

This email seems long, but it includes the interview questions too.  There is still time to get  you and your club on the front page.   There are no deadlines; submit the interview when  you have the time.  

Please send photos of the group AND of the president alone, so that the readers can really enjoy the organization.  Feel free to share this interview with as many readers or bookclubs that you know!

 

 

Write for Crown Holders

Crown Holders Transmedia Submission Guidelines
Join our team of writers, see details here:
http://crownholderstransmedia.com/write-for-crown-holders


The Crown Holders Transmedia team of contributors are a network of writers who are strong, intelligent and driven! Their mission is to uplift, support, and encourage the Morning Tea and Sankofa Lit community.

They are Believers! With their combined wisdom, they give a perspective on life from all ages and from all walks of life.

If you would like to submit your story or inspiration for the online magazine, monthly newsletter and our blog, please read the entire page and submit your material to Ella D. Curry, the editor.

Crown Holders is now a verified Amazon Influencer! I’m loving the new stores. Check out our new book shelves: www.amazon.com/shop/edc1creations

Check out our influencer store for Kids Lit: https://amzn.to/2OMnHMQ

I’m always looking for beautiful ways to showcase my clients and their amazing books! Have fun exploring our talented writers and poets.

 

Let EDC Creations Join Your Team

If I had to make 4 suggestions to new authors or business owners it would be:

1. Social media profiles are not as good as having your own website. Everyone in business…needs a control center, your website! That website will house the options to purchase your product/services, samples of your work and it should provide visitors with a way to connect with you. Audio and video are a must.
   
   
2. Get a newsletter or an opt-in to capture the email addresses of your followers. Start a newsletter that really pours into your audience! Entertain, educate, empower, and most of all nurture the people you care about. Let your audience inside your world and invite them to be a part of your team. Give, give, give!
   
   
3. You can not do this alone! Create your team as soon as possible. Find those go to people, create a plan and activate it together. The key is having a plan and working it. You will feel lost and un-accomplished if you can’t measure your results and it won’t always be about money.
   
   
4. If you are launching a new product or service, you need to pick up one of our packages today!
   

You can view my current promotional packages here:
https://edc-creations.com

I gotcha on the first 3, you just have to make the first move to add me to your team!

 

Girl Get Up!: 21 Day Devotional and Journal by Temeka Davis

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Girl Get Up is a 21-day devotional and journal that will encourage, inspire and motivate you to Get Up!

Get up and go get everything God has for you! Girl get up and get moving! Get up and pray!

You have dreams, goals and visions that you need to work on. There’s a journal included in the back of the book for you to write down things as God speaks to you.

Get up and start that business. Get up and go back to school. Get up and move!

 

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty: A Novel by Akwaeke Emezi

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A New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and “one of our greatest living writers” (Shondaland) reimagines the love story in this fresh and seductive novel about a young woman seeking joy while healing from loss.

Feyi Adekola wants to learn how to be alive again.

It’s been five years since the accident that killed the love of her life and she’s almost a new person now—an artist with her own studio and sharing a brownstone apartment with her ride-or-die best friend, Joy, who insists it’s time for Feyi to ease back into the dating scene. Feyi isn’t ready for anything serious, but a steamy encounter at a rooftop party cascades into a whirlwind summer she could have never imagined: a luxury trip to a tropical island, decadent meals in the glamorous home of a celebrity chef, and a major curator who wants to launch her art career.

She’s even started dating the perfect guy, but their new relationship might be sabotaged before it has a chance by the overwhelming desire Feyi feels every time she locks eyes with the one person in the house who is most definitely off-limits—his father.

This new life she asked for just got a lot more complicated, and Feyi must begin her search for real answers. Who is she ready to become? Can she release her past and honor her grief while still embracing her future? And, of course, there’s the biggest question of all—how far is she willing to go for a second chance at love?

Akwaeke Emezi’s vivid and passionate writing takes us deep into a world of possibility and healing, and the constant bravery of choosing love against all odds.

 

Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout Book 1) by Lucy Score

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Bearded, bad-boy barber Knox prefers to live his life the way he takes his coffee: Alone. Unless you count his basset hound, Waylon.

Knox doesn’t tolerate drama, even when it comes in the form of a stranded runaway bride.

Naomi wasn’t just running away from her wedding. She was riding to the rescue of her estranged twin to Knockemout, Virginia, a rough-around-the-edges town where disputes are settled the old-fashioned way…with fists and beer. Usually in that order.

Too bad for Naomi her evil twin hasn’t changed at all. After helping herself to Naomi’s car and cash, Tina leaves her with something unexpected. The niece Naomi didn’t know she had. Now she’s stuck in town with no car, no job, no plan, and no home with an 11-year-old going on thirty to take care of.

There’s a reason Knox doesn’t do complications or high-maintenance women, especially not the romantic ones. But since Naomi’s life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help her out of her jam. And just as soon as she stops getting into new trouble he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life.

At least, that’s the plan until the trouble turns to real danger.

 

How Beautiful We Were: A Novel by Imbolo Mbue

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A fearless young woman from a small African village starts a revolution against an American oil company in this sweeping, inspiring novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Behold the Dreamers.

“Mbue reaches for the moon and, by the novel’s end, has it firmly held in her hand.”—NPR

We should have known the end was near. So begins Imbolo Mbue’s powerful second novel, How Beautiful We Were. Set in the fictional African village of Kosawa, it tells of a people living in fear amid environmental degradation wrought by an American oil company. Pipeline spills have rendered farmlands infertile. Children are dying from drinking toxic water. Promises of cleanup and financial reparations to the villagers are made—and ignored. The country’s government, led by a brazen dictator, exists to serve its own interests. Left with few choices, the people of Kosawa decide to fight back. Their struggle will last for decades and come at a steep price.

Told from the perspective of a generation of children and the family of a girl named Thula who grows up to become a revolutionary, How Beautiful We Were is a masterful exploration of what happens when the reckless drive for profit, coupled with the ghost of colonialism, comes up against one community’s determination to hold on to its ancestral land and a young woman’s willingness to sacrifice everything for the sake of her people’s freedom.

“The unforgettable story of a community on the wrong end of Western greed, How Beautiful We Were will enthrall you, appall you, and show you what is possible when a few people stand up and say this is not right. A masterful novel by a spellbinding writer engaged with the most urgent questions of our day.”—David Ebershoff, bestselling author of The Danish Girl

ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, People • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, The Christian Science Monitor, Marie Claire, Ms. magazine, BookPage, Kirkus Reviews

 

Searching for Sylvie Lee: A Novel by Jean Kwok

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“Powerful . . . A twisting tale of love, loss, and dark family secrets.” — Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train and Into the Water

A poignant and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties binding three women—two sisters and their mother—in one Chinese immigrant family and explores what happens when the eldest daughter disappears, and a series of family secrets emerge, from the New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Translation

It begins with a mystery. Sylvie, the beautiful, brilliant, successful older daughter of the Lee family, flies to the Netherlands for one final visit with her dying grandmother—and then vanishes.

Amy, the sheltered baby of the Lee family, is too young to remember a time when her parents were newly immigrated and too poor to keep Sylvie. Seven years older, Sylvie was raised by a distant relative in a faraway, foreign place, and didn’t rejoin her family in America until age nine. Timid and shy, Amy has always looked up to her sister, the fierce and fearless protector who showered her with unconditional love.

But what happened to Sylvie? Amy and her parents are distraught and desperate for answers. Sylvie has always looked out for them. Now, it’s Amy’s turn to help. Terrified yet determined, Amy retraces her sister’s movements, flying to the last place Sylvie was seen. But instead of simple answers, she discovers something much more valuable: the truth. Sylvie, the golden girl, kept painful secrets . . . secrets that will reveal more about Amy’s complicated family—and herself—than she ever could have imagined.

A deeply moving story of family, secrets, identity, and longing, Searching for Sylvie Lee is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive portrait of an immigrant family. It is a profound exploration of the many ways culture and language can divide us and the impossibility of ever truly knowing someone—especially those we love.

“This is a true beach read! You can’t put it down!” – Jenna Bush Hager, Today Show Book Club Pick

 

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

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“This gentle, gorgeously written book may be one of my favorites ever.” —Jenna Bush Hager (A Today show “Read with Jenna” Book Club Selection!)

“A thoughtful, beautiful multigenerational novel about love, God, jealousy, and friendship.” —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

Charles and Lily, James and Nan. They meet in Greenwich Village in 1963 when Charles and James are jointly hired to steward the historic Third Presbyterian Church through turbulent times. Their personal differences however, threaten to tear them apart.

Charles is destined to succeed his father as an esteemed professor of history at Harvard, until an unorthodox lecture about faith leads him to ministry. How then, can he fall in love with Lily—fiercely intellectual, elegantly stern—after she tells him with certainty that she will never believe in God? And yet, how can he not?

James, the youngest son in a hardscrabble Chicago family, spent much of his youth angry at his alcoholic father and avoiding his anxious mother. Nan grew up in Mississippi, the devout and beloved daughter of a minister and a debutante. James’s escape from his desperate circumstances leads him to Nan and, despite his skepticism of hope in all its forms, her gentle, constant faith changes the course of his life.

The Dearly Beloved follows these two couples through decades of love and friendship, jealousy and understanding, forgiveness and commitment. Against the backdrop of turbulent changes facing the city and the church’s congregation, these four forge improbable paths through their evolving relationships, each struggling with uncertainty, heartbreak, and joy. It’s a poignant meditation on faith and reason, marriage and children, and the ways we find meaning in our lives.

 

We Go High: How 30 Women of Colour Achieved Greatness Against all Odds by Nicole Ellis

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Follow the life lessons of 30 remarkable women of color who are making their mark on society and culture.

“When you are struggling and you start thinking about giving up, I want you to remember something … and that is the power of hope.” -Michelle Obama (White House speech, 2017)

We Go High brings together the inspiring stories, motivational quotes, and personal philosophies of 30 influential women of color who have sought to overcome challenges in their lives.

From activists to scientists, artists to sporting icons, each woman’s story is different-but all have in common a deep-seated resilience to fight against the prejudices and barriers to success that women of color face on a daily basis. The book features political powerhouses such as Kamala Harris and Stacey Abrams, as well as businesswomen like Arundhati Bhattacharya and Angelica Ross, and writers Michaela Coel and Amanda Gorman.

With 30 stunning, specially commissioned portraits, We Go High not only celebrates these remarkable women’s achievements, but uncovers the personal beliefs, attitudes, and determination that drive them.

 

Running to Fall: A Novel by Kalisha Buckhanon

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From the award-winning author of Speaking of Summer comes a suspenseful, truthful look into the lives of women who drink to survive or just to cope, with a provocative narrator who carries readers along an emotional journey to acceptance.

Tragedy and Victor Powell have moved to the desirable but dark Grayson Glens enclave of dream homes just outside of Chicago. Stressed urbanites, they’ve got to live large in real life to stay large online. With only a few blacks in their elite gated community, they settle in but never quite feel at home. Then, a missing young black woman floats up in the Grayson River.

Is the spirit of the mysterious scarlet-lettered woman, Raven McCoy, haunting Grayson during the pandemic?

Tragedy, haunted by her own difficult checkered past versus Victor’s sterling history, thinks so. The pressure to manage his image for profit drives her to drink, even when his trying teen daughter visits. But Victor’s ex-wife, the Grayson gossip and a female detective all close in on Tragedy’s unraveling life. Then Tragedy spirals into addiction, past secrets and the local women’s fight for justice for a woman.

 

Standing in the Need of Prayer by Carole Boston Weatherford

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From an award-winning author and critically acclaimed artist comes a stunning and deeply moving picture book based on the popular spiritual “Standing in the Need of Prayer.” The classic lyrics have been reworked to chronicle the milestones, struggles, tragedies, and triumphs of African American history. A perfect gift or timeless keepsake!

This inspirational book encapsulates African American history and invites conversations at all levels. Carole Boston Weatherford’s riveting text and Frank Morrison’s evocative and detailed paintings are informative reminders of yesterday, hopeful images for today, and aspirational dreams of tomorrow.

Starting from 1619 and stretching more than four hundred years, this book features such pivotal moments in history as the arrival of enslaved people in Jamestown, Virginia; Nat Turner’s rebellion; the integration of the US military; the Selma to Montgomery marches; and peaceful present-day protests. It also celebrates the feats of African American musicians and athletes, such as Duke Ellington and Florence Griffith Joyner.

At the end of the book, readers will find descriptions of the people, places, and events that are featured, along with a note from Carole Boston Weatherford.

Visually stunning and incredibly timely, this book reckons with a painful history while serving as a testament to the human spirit’s ability to persevere in even the most hopeless of circumstances. Its universal message of faith, strength, and resilience will resonate with readers of all ages.

 

One Two Three: A Novel by Laurie Frankel

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From Laurie Frankel, the New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is, a Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine Book Pick, comes One Two Three, a timely, topical novel about love and family that will make you laugh and cry…and laugh again.

In a town where nothing ever changes, suddenly everything does…

Everyone knows everyone in the tiny town of Bourne, but the Mitchell triplets are especially beloved. Mirabel is the smartest person anyone knows, and no one doubts it just because she can’t speak. Monday is the town’s purveyor of books now that the library’s closed—tell her the book you think you want, and she’ll pull the one you actually do from the microwave or her sock drawer. Mab’s job is hardest of all: get good grades, get into college, get out of Bourne.

For a few weeks seventeen years ago, Bourne was national news when its water turned green. The girls have come of age watching their mother’s endless fight for justice. But just when it seems life might go on the same forever, the first moving truck anyone’s seen in years pulls up and unloads new residents and old secrets. Soon, the Mitchell sisters are taking on a system stacked against them and uncovering mysteries buried longer than they’ve been alive. Because it’s hard to let go of the past when the past won’t let go of you.

Three unforgettable narrators join together here to tell a spellbinding story with wit, wonder, and deep affection. As she did in This Is How It Always Is, Laurie Frankel has written a laugh-out-loud-on-one-page-grab-a-tissue-the-next novel, as only she can, about how expanding our notions of normal makes the world a better place for everyone and how when days are darkest, it’s our daughters who will save us all.

 

My Government Means to Kill Me: A Novel by Rasheed Newson

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A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITOR’S CHOICE

The debut novel from television WRITER/PRODUCER OF THE CHI, NARCOS, and BEL-AIR tells a fierce and riveting queer coming-of-age story following the personal and political awakening of a young, gay, Black man in 1980s New York City.

“Consistently engrossing.” —New York Times Book Review

“Full of joy and righteous anger, sex and straight talk, brilliant storytelling and humor… A spectacularly researched Dickensian tale with vibrant characters and dozens of famous cameos, it is precisely the book we’ve needed for a long time.” —Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less

Earl “Trey” Singleton III arrives in New York City with only a few dollars in his pocket. Born into a wealthy Black Indianapolis family, at 17, he is ready to leave his overbearing parents and their expectations behind.

In the city, Trey meets up with a cast of characters that changes his life forever. He volunteers at a renegade home hospice for AIDS patients, and after being put to the test by gay rights activists, becomes a member of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP). Along the way Trey attempts to navigate past traumas and searches for ways to maintain familial relationships—all while seeking the meaning of life amid so much death.

Vibrant, humorous, and fraught with entanglements, Rasheed Newson’s My Government Means to Kill Me is an exhilarating, fast-paced coming-of-age story that lends itself to a larger discussion about what it means for a young gay Black man in the mid-1980s to come to terms with his role in the midst of a political and social reckoning.

 

First and Only: What Black Women Say About Thriving at Work and in Life by Jennifer R. Farmer

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“Essential reading.” —Marie Claire

First and Only is a guide for every Black woman who has found herself closing the cover on other business leadership books, convinced that something is missing. We are looking for roadmaps to on-the-job success while also acknowledging the unique barriers that Black women face in the workplace: hostile work environments, being perceived as the Angry Black Woman, being asked to do more for less than our white colleagues. But we can heal, fight for our liberation, and succeed in business and in our lives. In these pages, you will find a love letter to Black women that connects our personal growth and inner healing and the fight for liberation.

Trainer and activist Jennifer R. Farmer offers practical strategies for how to thrive in workplaces that can be ambivalent about Black women’s success, as well as tips and stories from psychologists, activists, and organizational experts that equip us to lead others and heal past wounds. Learn to shed fear and embrace courage and vulnerability. Our path to success includes a commitment to self-care, spiritual growth, and a willingness to push for progress even as we fight for our own liberation.


First and Only is not just about how to lean in, or how to discover the irrefutable laws of leadership. It’s also about healing so that we can sustain work for justice and equity. It’s about finding personal and social redemption—and leading other Black women to it, too.

 

How Y’all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived by Leslie Jordan

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Viral sensation and Emmy Award-winner Leslie Jordan regales fans with entertaining stories about the odd, funny, and unforgettable events in his life in this unmissable essay collection that echoes his droll, irreverent voice.

When actor Leslie Jordan learned he had “gone viral,” he had no idea what that meant or how much his life was about to change. On Instagram, his uproarious videos have entertained millions and have made him a global celebrity. Now, he brings his bon vivance to the page with this collection of intimate and sassy essays.

Bursting with color and life, dripping with his puckish Southern charm, How Y’all Doing? is Leslie doing what Leslie does best: telling stories that make us laugh and lift our spirits even in the darkest days. Whether he’s writing about his brush with a group of ruffians in a West Hollywood Starbucks, or an unexpected phone call from legendary Hollywood start Debbie Reynolds, Leslie infuses each story with his fresh and saucy humor and pure heart.

How Y’all Doing? is an authentic, warm, and joyful portrait of an American Sweetheart— a Southern Baptist celebutante, first-rate raconteur, and keen observer of the odd side of life whose quirky wit rivals the likes of Amy Sedaris, Jenny Lawson, David Rakoff, and Sarah Vowell.

 

Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear by Jinger Vuolo

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Jinger Vuolo, the sixth child in the famous Duggar family of TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, recounts how she began to question the unhealthy ideology of her youth and learned to embrace true freedom in Christ.

When Jinger Duggar Vuolo was growing up, she was convinced that obeying the rules was the key to success and God’s favor. She zealously promoted the Basic Life Principles of Bill Gothard.

Jinger, along with three of her sisters, wrote a New York Times bestseller about their religious convictions. She believed this level of commitment would guarantee God’s blessing, even though in private she felt constant fear that she wasn’t measuring up to the high standards demanded of her.

In Becoming Free Indeed, Jinger shares how in her early twenties, a new family member—a brother-in-law who didn’t grow up in the same tight-knit conservative circle as Jinger—caused her to examine her beliefs. He was committed to the Bible, but he didn’t believe many of the things Jinger had always assumed were true. His influence, along with the help of a pastor named Jeremy Vuolo, caused Jinger to see that her life was built on rules, not God’s Word.

Jinger committed to studying the Bible—truly understanding it—for the first time. What resulted was an earth-shaking realization: much of what she’d always believed about God, obedience to His Word, and personal holiness wasn’t in-line with what the Bible teaches.

Now with a renewed faith of personal conviction, Becoming Free Indeed shares what it was like living under the tenants of Bill Gothard, the Biblical truth that changed her perspective, and how she disentangled her faith with her belief in Jesus intact.

 

The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama

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In an inspiring follow-up to her critically acclaimed, #1 bestselling memoir Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today’s highly uncertain world.

There may be no tidy solutions or pithy answers to life’s big challenges, but Michelle Obama believes that we can all locate and lean on a set of tools to help us better navigate change and remain steady within flux. In The Light We Carry, she opens a frank and honest dialogue with readers, considering the questions many of us wrestle with: How do we build enduring and honest relationships? How can we discover strength and community inside our differences? What tools do we use to address feelings of self-doubt or helplessness? What do we do when it all starts to feel like too much?

Michelle Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress. Drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and First Lady, she shares the habits and principles she has developed to successfully adapt to change and overcome various obstacles—the earned wisdom that helps her continue to “become.”

She details her most valuable practices, like “starting kind,” “going high,” and assembling a “kitchen table” of trusted friends and mentors. With trademark humor, candor, and compassion, she also explores issues connected to race, gender, and visibility, encouraging readers to work through fear, find strength in community, and live with boldness.

“When we are able to recognize our own light, we become empowered to use it,” writes Michelle Obama. A rewarding blend of powerful stories and profound advice that will ignite conversation, The Light We Carry inspires readers to examine their own lives, identify their sources of gladness, and connect meaningfully in a turbulent world.

 

Uphill: A Memoir by Jemele Hill

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One of Oprah Daily’s Best Fall Nonfiction Books of 2022

An empowering, unabashedly bold memoir by the Atlantic journalist and former ESPN SportsCenter co-anchor about overcoming a legacy of pain and forging a new path, no matter how uphill life’s battles might be.

Jemele Hill’s world came crashing down when she called President Trump a “white supremacist”; the White House wanted her fired from ESPN, and she was deluged with death threats. But Hill had faced tougher adversaries growing up in Detroit than a tweeting president. Beneath the exterior of one of the most recognizable journalists in America was a need―a calling―to break her family’s cycle of intergenerational trauma.

Born in the middle of a lively routine Friday night Monopoly game to a teen mother and a heroin-addicted father, Hill constantly adjusted to the harsh realities of not only her own childhood but the inherited generational pain of her mother and grandmother. Her escape was writing.

Hill’s mother was less than impressed with the brassy and bold free expression of her diary, but Hill never stopped discovering and amplifying her voice. Through hard work and a constant willingness to learn, Hill rose from newspaper reporter to columnist to new heights as the coanchor for ESPN’s revered SportsCenter. Soon, she earned respect and support for her fearless opinions and unshakable confidence, as well as a reputation as a trusted journalist who speaks her mind with truth and conviction.

In Jemele Hill’s journey Uphill, she shares the whole story of her work, the women of her family, and her complicated relationship with God in an unapologetic, character-rich, and eloquent memoir.

 

Black Women Will Save the World: An Anthem by April Ryan

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In this long-overdue celebration of Black women’s resilience and unheralded strength, the revered, trailblazing White House correspondent reflects on “The Year That Changed Everything”—2020—and African-American women’s unprecedented role in upholding democracy.

“I am keenly aware that everyone and everything has a story,” April D. Ryan acknowledges. “Also, I have always marveled at Black women and how we work to move mountains and are never really thanked or recognized.” In Black Women Will Save the World, she melds these two truths, creating an inspiring and heart-tugging portrait of one of the momentous years in America, 2020—when America elected its first Black woman Vice President—and celebrates the tenacity, power, and impact of Black women across America.

From the beginning of the nation to today, Black women have transformed their pain into progress and have been at the frontlines of the nation’s political, social, and economic struggles. These “Sheroes” as Ryan calls them, include current political leaders such as Maxine Waters, Valerie Jarrett, and Kamala Harris; LaTosha Brown, and other activists. Combining profiles and in-depth interviews with these influential movers and shakers and many more, Ryan explores the challenges Black women endure, and how the lessons they’ve learned can help us shape our own stories.

Ryan also chronicles her personal journey from working-class Baltimore to the elite echelons of journalism and speaks out about the hurdles she faced in becoming one of the most well-connected members of the Washington press corps—while raising two daughters as a single mother in the aftermath of a messy divorce.

It is time for everyone to acknowledge Black women’s unrivaled contributions to America. Yet our democracy remains in peril, and their work is far from done. Black Women Will Save the World presents a vital kaleidoscopic look at women of different ages and from diverse backgrounds who devote their lives to making the world a better place—even if that means stepping out of their “place.”

 

Embers on the Wind: A Novel by Lisa Williamson Rosenberg

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The past and the present converge in this enthralling, serpentine tale of women connected by motherhood, slavery’s legacy, and histories that span centuries.

In 1850 in Massachusetts, Whittaker House stood as a stop on the Underground Railroad. It’s where two freedom seekers, Little Annie and Clementine, hid and perished. Whittaker House still stands, and Little Annie and Clementine still linger, their dreams of freedom unfulfilled.

Now a fashionably distressed vacation rental in the Berkshires, Whittaker House draws seekers of another kind: Black women who only appear to be free. Among them are Dominique, a single mother following her grand-mère’s stories to Whittaker House in search of an ancestor; Michelle, Dominique’s lover, who has journeyed to the Berkshire Mountains to heal her own traumas; and Kaye, Michelle’s sister, a seer whose visions reveal the past and future secrets of the former safehouse―along with her own.

For each of them, true liberation can come only from uncovering their connection to history―and to the spirits awaiting peace and redemption within the walls of Whittaker House.

 

Cooking from the Spirit by Tabitha Brown

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Cooking from the Spirit: Easy, Delicious, and Joyful Plant-Based Inspirations by Tabitha Brown

Tabitha Brown, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Feeding the Soul, presents her first cookbook—full of easy, family-friendly vegan recipes and stories from the spirit, inspired by her health journey and love of delicious food.

Sometimes people say to Tabitha Brown, “I’ve never eaten vegan before.” As Tab says, “Have you ever eaten an apple?”

After living with a terrible undiagnosed illness for more than a year and a half, Tab was willing to try anything to stop the pain. Inspired by the documentary What the Health, she tried a thirty-day vegan challenge—and never looked back. Wanting to inspire others to make changes that might improve their own lives, she started sharing her favorite plant-based recipes in her signature warm voice with thousands, and now millions, of online fans.

Tab’s recipes are flexible, creative, and filled with encouragement, so you trust yourself to cook food the way it makes you happy. If you’re already a “cooking from the spirit” sort of person, you’ll love how much freedom Tab gives to make these delicious vegan dishes your own. If you’re newer to cooking—or to vegan cooking—Tab will help you get comfortable in the kitchen and, most important, have fun doing it!

In this joyful book, Tab shares personal stories, inspirational “Tabisms,” and more than eighty easy, family-friendly recipes.

Cooking from the Spirit is for anyone interested in plant-based eating and all lovers of food, plus anyone who wants a little warm inspiration in their lives. As Tab says, “Honey, now let’s go on and get to cooking from the spirit. Yes? Very good!”

 

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

The Pulitzer Prize–winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.

Winner of the Carl Sandberg Literary Award • National Book Award Longlist • Dayton Literary Peace Prize Finalist • PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction Finalist • PEN/Jean Stein Book Award Longlist

“As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power—which groups have it and which do not.”

In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched, and beautifully written narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.

Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more.

Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their outcasting of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics.

Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.

Original and revealing, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is an eye-opening story of people and history, and a reexamination of what lies under the surface of ordinary lives and of American life today.

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The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein

This “powerful and disturbing history” exposes how American governments deliberately imposed racial segregation on metropolitan areas nationwide (New York Times Book Review).

Widely heralded as a “masterful” (Washington Post) and “essential” (Slate) history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law offers “the most forceful argument ever published on how federal, state, and local governments gave rise to and reinforced neighborhood segregation” (William Julius Wilson).

Exploding the myth of de facto segregation arising from private prejudice or the unintended consequences of economic forces, Rothstein describes how the American government systematically imposed residential segregation: with undisguised racial zoning; public housing that purposefully segregated previously mixed communities; subsidies for builders to create whites-only suburbs; tax exemptions for institutions that enforced segregation; and support for violent resistance to African Americans in white neighborhoods.

A groundbreaking, “virtually indispensable” study that has already transformed our understanding of twentieth-century urban history (Chicago Daily Observer), The Color of Law forces us to face the obligation to remedy our unconstitutional past. 13 illustrations

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The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones

1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNER • A dramatic expansion of a groundbreaking work of journalism, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story offers a profoundly revealing vision of the American past and present.

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
The Washington Post, NPR, Esquire, Marie Claire, Electric Lit, Ms. magazine, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist

In late August 1619, a ship arrived in the British colony of Virginia bearing a cargo of twenty to thirty enslaved people from Africa. Their arrival led to the barbaric and unprecedented system of American chattel slavery that would last for the next 250 years. This is sometimes referred to as the country’s original sin, but it is more than that: It is the source of so much that still defines the United States.

The New York Times Magazine’s award-winning “1619 Project” issue reframed our understanding of American history by placing slavery and its continuing legacy at the center of our national narrative. This new book substantially expands on that work, weaving together eighteen essays that explore the legacy of slavery in present-day America with thirty-six poems and works of fiction that illuminate key moments of oppression, struggle, and resistance. The essays show how the inheritance of 1619 reaches into every part of contemporary American society, from politics, music, diet, traffic, and citizenship to capitalism, religion, and our democracy itself.

This is a book that speaks directly to our current moment, contextualizing the systems of race and caste within which we operate today. It reveals long-glossed-over truths around our nation’s founding and construction—and the way that the legacy of slavery did not end with emancipation, but continues to shape contemporary American life.

Featuring contributions from: Leslie Alexander • Michelle Alexander • Carol Anderson • Joshua Bennett • Reginald Dwayne Betts • Jamelle Bouie • Anthea Butler • Matthew Desmond • Rita Dove • Camille T. Dungy • Cornelius Eady • Eve L. Ewing • Nikky Finney • Vievee Francis • Yaa Gyasi • Forrest Hamer • Terrance Hayes • Kimberly Annece Henderson • Jeneen Interlandi • Honorée Fanonne Jeffers • Barry Jenkins • Tyehimba Jess • Martha S. Jones • Robert Jones, Jr. • A. Van Jordan • Ibram X. Kendi • Eddie Kendricks • Yusef Komunyakaa • Kevin M. Kruse • Kiese Laymon • Trymaine Lee • Jasmine Mans • Terry McMillan • Tiya Miles • Wesley Morris • Khalil Gibran Muhammad • Lynn Nottage • ZZ Packer • Gregory Pardlo • Darryl Pinckney • Claudia Rankine • Jason Reynolds • Dorothy Roberts • Sonia Sanchez • Tim Seibles • Evie Shockley • Clint Smith • Danez Smith • Patricia Smith • Tracy K. Smith • Bryan Stevenson • Nafissa Thompson-Spires • Natasha Trethewey • Linda Villarosa • Jesmyn Ward

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Just Pursuit: A Black Prosecutor’s Fight for Fairness by Laura Coates

This instant New York Times bestseller offers “a firsthand, eye-opening story of a prosecutor that exposes the devastating criminal punishment system” (Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award–winning author of How to Be an Antiracist) in this “compelling collection of engaging, well-written, keenly observed vignettes from [Laura Coates’s] years as a lawyer with the US Department of Justice” (The New York Times Book Review).

When Laura Coates joined the Department of Justice as a prosecutor, she wanted to advocate for the most vulnerable among us. But she quickly realized that even with the best intentions, “the pursuit of justice creates injustice.”

Coates’s experiences show that no matter how fair you try to fight, being Black, a woman, and a mother are identities often at odds in the justice system. She and her colleagues face seemingly impossible situations as they teeter between what is right and what is just.

On the front lines of our legal system, Coates saw how Black communities are policed differently; Black cases are prosecuted differently; Black defendants are judged differently. How the court system seems to be the one place where minorities are overrepresented, an unrelenting parade of Black and Brown defendants in numbers that belie their percentage in the population and overfill American prisons. She also witnessed how others in the system either abused power or were abused by it—for example, when an undocumented witness was arrested by ICE, when a white colleague taught Coates how to unfairly interrogate a young Black defendant, or when a judge victim-blamed a young sexual assault survivor based on her courtroom attire.

Through these “searing, eye-opening” (People) scenes from the courtroom, Laura Coates explores the tension between the idealism of the law and the reality of working within the parameters of our flawed legal system, exposing the chasm between what is right and what is lawful.

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Explore Books by Author and Poet Janet Autherine

Explore Books by Author and Poet Janet Autherine
https://www.amazon.com/Janet-Autherine/e/B00KXINZJM
Motivational, Self-help, Poetry and Children’s non-fiction books!

Island Mindfulness: How to Use the Transformational Power of Mindfulness to Create an Abundant Life by Janet Autherine, order here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089ZKVYBH

Island Mindfulness creates a path for transformation through self-empowerment, meaningful relationships, spiritual fulfillment and the creation of a purposeful life. Who you become and how you experience the world is a result of how you see everything that exists around you. When mindfulness is practiced, the mind has the ability to ride the waves of life and find calm in the midst of all the sun, wind, and rain that we encounter on our unpredictable journey.Janet invites you to slow your pace, and in the spirit of the islands, mindfully and intentionally embark on a journey to nourish your mind, body, and soul. Her “island mindfulness” journey is filled with heartfelt stories of navigating love, marriage, and divorce, adjusting your sail in the face of financial and career challenges, and having an Irie time raising children. Island Mindfulness is a gift of peace and a treasure box of life lessons. Take a mindful moment to embrace joy — say no to negative news, negative body image and everything that keeps you from living your best life. Island Mindfulness is the peace needed to love and embrace the person that you are today.

The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience by Janet Autherine
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GJVT4H2

The Heart and Soul of Black Women is a celebration of the beauty, vulnerability and humanity of black women. It is the healing, uplifting, heartbreaking stories of all aspects of our human journey, through the art of poetry.

The poems are powerful and boldly address issues, such as: Raising Black Boys, Black Love, Self-Worth, Sisterhood, Raising Special Needs Children, Addiction and Abuse, Single Motherhood, Healthy Dating and standing for Justice and Equality in the face of Racism.

“My sisters, we are precious and vulnerable and resilient and powerful. We are the dream of our ancestors. We deserve to hold our heads high, walk in strength, cry openly, and get angry without being labeled an angry black woman. We are human. Our hearts break and mend. We don’t always bounce back for adversity as fast as we are expected to; we sometimes need therapy and an extra dose of love. As a matter of fact, we need deep and abiding love. I hope that when you read these poems, you see all the beauty and complexity that is inside. I hope that you see your majesty, and the world sees your humanity.” Janet Autherine

Wild Heart, Peaceful Soul: Poems and Inspiration to Live and Love Harmoniously by J. Autherine
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MXPYWQT

J. Autherine’s inaugural collection of poems and inspiration is a love offering to strong, vulnerable, badass women who lead with their hearts, love deeply and sometimes fall hard.

Wild Heart, Peaceful Soul is a deep, gritty, raw look at the thrill of loving unconditionally, as well as the mental and physical toll that it takes when peace and harmony are lost in the process. The author draws inspirations from her own journey spanning 30 years, and also dives deeply into the vulnerable hearts of women globally, including her experience growing up in Jamaica. She captures the pain and struggle of women who love deeply and pour into others without first filling their own jars.

A reoccurring theme is reclaiming your heart in order to live and love harmoniously. Chapter 1, Wild Heart, takes the reader on a journey of self discovery — being an empath in a sometimes harsh world, feeling broken after losing love, not feeling good enough to be loved, facing rejection and abandonment, and navigating life with a heart that just wants to love unconditionally. The second chapter, Peaceful Soul, is an empowering meditation on the peace that comes with reclaiming your heart — finding strength in the love and support of sister friends, practicing self-love while responsibly loving others, and finding joy in loving those that are worthy of our love.

Wild Heart, Peaceful Soul is a patchwork of vulnerability, truth and empowerment for everyone who loves deeply.

Growing into Greatness with God: 7 Paths to Greatness for Our Sons & Daughters by Janet Autherine
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0991200047

Every child is created in the image of God, and every child carries this amazing gift of greatness inside himself or herself. But children hear mixed messages on a daily basis—about life, about the world, and about themselves.In Growing into Greatness with God: Seven Paths to Greatness for Our Sons and Daughters, author and mother of three boys Janet Autherine encourages kids to see themselves as unique and amazing—already blessed with what they need to succeed in life and achieve their God-given dreams.Readers learn how to grow in love, faith, courage, leadership, happiness, gratitude, and confidence through the inspiring stories of Bible heroes such as Abraham, Sarah, David, and Hannah. Each chapter includes a brief summary of two Bible stories, with reflections on each, and concludes with three action-oriented suggestions on how to put the lesson into practice. Growing into Greatness with God inspires kids and young adults with wisdom applicable to their daily lives and empowers them to always love themselves and to be their best selves.

About the Author
Janet Autherine has a heart for storytelling and empowering women. She uses her extraordinary immigrant journey from humble beginnings in Jamaica to a respected author and attorney to inspire others to embrace their unique journey, and to be mindful of each moment.

She is the author of four books:

• The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience is a celebration of the beauty, vulnerability and humanity of black women. It is the healing, uplifting, heartbreaking stories of all aspects of our human journey, through the art of poetry.
  
• Island Mindfulness is a gift of peace and a treasure box of life lessons. Take a mindful moment to embrace joy — say no to negative news, negative body image and everything that keeps you from living your best life. Island Mindfulness is the peace needed to love and embrace the person that you are today.
  
• Growing into Greatness with God, 7 Paths to Greatness for our Sons and Daughters is inspired by her own experiences growing up in Jamaica, as well as her experience raising her three sons to recognize and nourish what God has planted within each of them. Her goal, through her writing, is to empower adults and children to see themselves as unique and amazing, already blessed with the ability to succeed in life and achieve their dreams.
  
• Wild Heart, Peaceful Soul, is a beautiful collection of poems that tell the stories of strong, vulnerable, courageous women who love deeply, sometimes fall hard but always lead with their hearts. It is a deep and gritty, fresh and robust look at the thrill of loving unconditionally, as well as the mental and physical toll that it takes when peace and harmony are sometimes lost in the process. Drawing on personal experiences from her own journey of the past 30 years, J Autherine delves into the vulnerable hearts of women from around the world, including from her early years in Jamaica.
  

Janet Autherine is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University, Boston College Law School and Georgetown University School of Law. She is the proud mother of 3 wonderful boys who provide daily inspiration for her writing. Follow her on Instagram @JanetAutherine

 

Wrath: A Novel by Victoria Christopher Murray

Join the Seducing the Pen Book Tour and help spread the word about Wrath: A Novel by Victoria Christopher Murray. This title will be released on January 5, 2021! Explore the books on tour, go here: https://www.smore.com/k32vj

Wrath: A Novel by Victoria Christopher Murray
Book 4 of The Seven Deadly Sins Series
This title will be released on January 5, 2021.

The award-winning author of Lust, Envy, and Greed—soon to be Lifetime movies—delivers a passionate and unforgettable exploration of a marriage caught in the crossroads of rage.

When Chastity Butler and Xavier Owens first meet, they instantly connect over their shared dedication to activism. After all, Xavier is a civil rights attorney and Chastity uses her business degree to work with a local foundation that helps battered women.

Together, they work to make the world a better place and find themselves falling deeper in love. Even though friends and family warn them to slow down, Xavier and Chastity marry within a year.

But their marriage is soon strained by the intense differences between their backgrounds. Chastity, the only child of a prominent popular pastor in Philadelphia, was raised with privilege. Xavier, meanwhile, never knew his father, was abandoned by his mother, and shuffled between houses, leaving him feeling isolated and inadequate. As an adult, he was determined to leave his past behind.

As time goes on, Xavier is slowly overcome with resentment about his past. Soon, Chastity finds herself on the receiving end of his increasing rage. It starts with verbal abuse and escalates until the physical abuse makes Chastity feel like she’s living in a prison. She has built a career on helping women in similar situations, but her religious upbringing, her position at the domestic violence foundation, as well as her family’s high social profile all work to keep her in their home, praying that Xavier will change.

Things only get worse when the local Democratic Party asks Chastity to run for office, and Xavier can’t handle the amount of attention his wife is suddenly getting. When his rage explodes at a level Chastity has never seen, will their marriage survive or is this finally the last straw?

Editorial Review
“In the fourth installment of her Seven Deadly Sins series…Murray delivers another intense morality tale….Offer Murray’s novel to readers who are looking for gritty Christian romantic suspense about love gone wrong.” —Booklist

About the Author
Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of more than twenty five novels including: Greed; Envy; Lust; The Ex Files; Lady Jasmine; The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil; and Stand Your Ground, which was named a Library Journal Best Book of the Year.

Winner of nine African American Literary Awards for Fiction and Author of the Year (Female), Murray is also a four-time NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Fiction. She splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington, DC. See all of her books here:

The Seven Deadly Sins…Coming to TV on Lifetime!
Read the entire Seven Deadly Sins series at: https://amzn.to/2T7BMW7

BOOKS BY VICTORIA CHRISTOPHER MURRAY
Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of more than twenty seven novels including: Greed; Envy; Lust; The Ex Files; Lady Jasmine; The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil; and Stand Your Ground, which was named a Library Journal Best Book of the Year.

Winner of nine African American Literary Awards for Fiction and Author of the Year (Female), Murray is also a four-time NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Fiction. She splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington, DC. See all of her books here:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Victoria-Christopher-Murray/28279517

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Dangerous Consequence AND Surviving the Chase by Lisa Renee Johnson

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Dangerous Consequences by Lisa Renee Johnson

Author Lisa Renee Johnson delivers an edgy, sexy novel about a man who has it all—until one night changes everything . . .

Dubbed the “Sex Doctor” on his local radio show, psychologist Donathan James advises callers on their sexual issues. With his gorgeous and brilliant neurosurgeon wife, Sydney, at home and women flirting with the hot doctor everywhere he goes, Donathan is living the high life. But when he wakes up naked and drugged in a hotel room, with no memory of the evening before, the doctor suddenly has problems of his own.

Soon, Donathan’s sexy stalker is sending him photographic evidence of what they did that night, turning up in his office to rant about her unstable past, and demanding they meet again and again. All Donathan wants is his life back—and for his wife not to find out. But when the relentless stranger goes too far, it leads him to discover his beloved wife has secrets of her own. Now, to save their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. James will have to hold on tight to survive the bumpiest ride of their lives.

Praise for Dangerous Consequences by Lisa Renee Johnson

“An edgy tale eager to be told. The pace is blazing hot!”
—Victor McGlothin

“A fast-paced, suspense-filled, dramatic curve ball that will keep you turning the pages.”
—Sistah Friend Book Club

“An exceptional read . . . fast paced and full of drama.”
—OOSA Book Club

“Layered with enough suspense and drama to send your mind racing.”
—BookReferees.com

Purchase Dangerous Consequences (Book 1) by Lisa Renee Johnson
https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Consequences-Lisa-Renee-Johnson-ebook/dp/B01JEJCA4Q
Available on Audible as audiobook, ebook on Kindle and paperback!

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Surviving the Chase by Lisa Renee Johnson

In this page-turning follow-up to Dangerous Consequences, a serial killer wants revenge—but two surprising people stand in her way . . .

Abandoned by her mother as a kid, Payton Jones wants no reminders of her past and no commitments. She’s beautiful, educated, rich, and gets what she wants—even if her favorite friends-with-benefits, Tony Barnes, is a hot complication. But her life of shopping, spa appointments, and mindless sex is interrupted when the most wanted woman in the Bay area starts hunting for Payton’s estranged mother. Curiosity leads Payton into unfamiliar—and risky—territory.

Psychologist and local radio show host Donathan “Sex Doctor” James almost became a victim of the killer, who bared her every twisted thought to him. He knows she won’t stop until she commits the most personal murder of all. But when his wife’s best friend, Payton Jones—who Donathan isn’t quite sure he can trust—uncovers a shattering connection to the killer, they team up to find her.

Now, surviving the chase puts Donathan’s marriage, career, and life on the line while Payton comes face to face with everything she’s been running from for years . . .

Purchase Surviving the Chase (Book 2) by Lisa Renee Johnson
https://www.amazon.com/Lisa-Renee-Johnson/e/B0060LFP08
Available on Audible as audiobook, ebook on Kindle and paperback!

About the Author
Lisa Renee Johnson is a woman with many hats. She’s an author, foodie and closet mixologist, and co-founder of a long-running book club for over 2 decades!

After her debut novel “Dangerous Consequences”, her follow-up novel, “Surviving the Chase”, is in stores now! They are also available on Audible and Barnes & Noble.

Learn more about Lisa Renee Johnson on her website and follow her trail of sunshine on Social Media!
Website: https://buff.ly/37rhcJe
Twitter: @iamlisarjohnson
Linkedin: lisareneejohnson
Facebook and Instagram: @iamlisareneejohnson

 

Things Sasha Learned From Her Dog Winston During The Pandemic by Marian L. Thomas

Things Sasha Learned From Her Dog Winston During The Pandemic by Marian L. Thomas

Sasha is a beautiful brown-eyed young girl with an amazing dog named Winston. By watching him over the years, Sasha discovers that there is so much that she can learn from Winston, including how to overcome the fear of wearing a mask, how to have fun with friends using the Internet, and the importance of washing her hands and staying healthy. Sasha finds out that her best friend is full of valuable lessons! Perfect for ages 5 and Up!

Watch the book trailer for Things Sasha Learned From Her Dog Winston During The Pandemic, go here: https://youtu.be/WvvahtbUazU

Praise for Sasha and Her Dog Winston

Ian Farrell
The bond between Sasha and Winston will warm the hearts of both parents and children, teaching the latter ones the importance of friendship and the benefits of learning.”

IPublishinersNews
Sasha’s dog, Winston, is not just an adorable pet but also, a metaphor; Winston proves that one can learn something from the most unexpected of sources, events, or sentient beings.”

Orsayor Simmons
I gave the book to my boys to read, and they loved it. We discussed the topics of fear, bullying, and being nice to others. I’m 40 years-old and children books still play an important part in my reading experiences. I highly recommend this book.

Order Things Sasha Learned From Her Dog Winston During The Pandemic by Marian L Thomas
Released December 22, 2020! Children’s Book. Available in paperback and hardcover.
https://www.amazon.com/Things-Learned-Winston-During-Pandemic/dp/1732488053
https://www.amazon.com/Things-Learned-Winston-During-Pandemic/dp/1732488045

About the Author
Born in Illinois, Marian L. Thomas wouldn’t say that her first career choice was writing novels. She saw herself working for a local newspaper, reporting news in a journalist fashion. In college, she wrote for the college paper as a sports editor but later became the news editor. Marian’s writing path took a detour when she drafted her first completed manuscript and called it Color Me Jazzmyne. Today, storytelling is Marian’s passion. She has penned six women’s fiction novels and has been featured on television stations such as Fox, NBC, CBS, and many print and online publications such as USA Today and Black Enterprise Magazine. Visit the children’s book website today: https://www.sashaandwinstonbooks.com

 

Your Honor, Your Honor: A Journey Through Grief to Restorative Justice by Judge Leonia J. Lloyd

Your Honor, Your Honor: A Journey Through Grief to Restorative Justice by Judge Leonia J. Lloyd

Listen to the BAN Radio Show with Judge Leonia J. Lloyd – http://tobtr.com/s/11864208

In 1949, twin sisters came into this world surprising everybody including their parents and the doctor because he heard only one heartbeat. On a path ordered by God, the twins touched the lives of many in their roles as teachers, attorneys, and judges. The rocky road the twins followed to achieve these professions was God’s way of preparing them for life.

In Your Honor, Your Honor, author Judge Leonia J. Lloyd tells the story of this dynamic duo whose professional careers led them to become models, schoolteachers, and entertainment lawyers. Eventually, with their unique moniker, Twins for Justice, they became the first identical-twin district court judges to sit on the same bench at the same time in the country.

Focusing on restorative justice, their careers were on a meteoric rise until the unexpected and sudden death of Judge Leona Lloyd put an abrupt halt to their successful lives together. Lost and alone, Leonia was in the storm of her life; despair had an iron clad grip around her. She turned to God for guidance, and her prayers were answered.

Your Honor, Your Honor chronicles her life experiences including her relationship with her twin, her struggles against racism, her account of the grieving process, and her stride toward justice.

Order your copy of Your Honor, Your Honor: A Journey Through Grief to Restorative Justice by Judge Leonia J. Lloyd, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Honor-Journey-Through-Restorative/dp/1663201846

More about Leonia Lloyd, Motivational Speaker, Transformational Coach and Author

Leonia Lloyd is a public speaker and author whose career as a judge, lawyer, and teacher has spanned decades serving the citizens of Detroit.

Having sat on the 36th District Court for more than 20 years, Judge Lloyd has lived a life with many stories to tell which are captured in her new memoir Your Honor, Your Honor: A Journey Through Grief and Restorative Justice. Her award-winning justice programs for drug and prostitution offenders have been featured on the National Geographic Channel, A&E Network, and in the Detroit Free Press. She is a product of Detroit Public Schools and received her bachelor’s and jurist doctorate degrees from Wayne State University. Before becoming a judge, she was a partner in the law firm “Lloyd and Lloyd,” which she shared with her late twin sister, Leona. They were featured in Ebony, Jet, and People magazines along with the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News. Both she and her sister would go on to be elected to serve on the 36th District Court and be the country’s first twin judges to sit on the same District Court bench at the same time. They were affectionately dubbed “Twins for Justice.”

In her spare time, Judge Lloyd enjoys going to concerts, upscale restaurants, and traveling.

Visit Judge Leonia J. Lloyd’s website: http://www.judgeleonia.com

 

Never Close Your Heart by Monica F. Anderson

About the When A Sistah’s Fed Up Series

When A Sistah’s Fed Up (Book 1) by Monica F. Anderson

“…an engaging debut novel with the perfect balance of well-developed characters, honest dialogue, and Dr. Moes’ trademark brand of humor!” –Victoria Christopher Murray, National Bestselling Author

Mayor Faith Henry is beautiful, successful, married to her college sweetheart, and she has “almost perfect” children. So why is she unhappy and who is trying to kill her? When her darkest secret is revealed during her re-election campaign, she drops in the polls and falls into the arms of her handsome assistant. It’s the test of a lifetime with no easy answers. Have you ever been fed up?

Never Close Your Heart (Book 2) by Monica F. Anderson
All Faith Henry wanted was peace. She gave up almost everything to have it. She resigned from her position as mayor, filed for divorce, and sold her dream home, vowing no job or man would ever control her again.

Ten years later, her self-made perfect life is changing directions without her consent. Her popular podcast is bringing unwanted attention from a superfan. Her millennial daughter, Sloane, has returned to the nest with an electronic ankle monitor, a gender-fluid child, a meek husband, and a bad attitude. And, worst of all, her almost perfect manfriend is fed up. Since she won’t marry him, he’s moving on. They’ve become good friends who never cross the line. She hates that line more than anything.

Out of ideas, Faith drags her daughter to group counseling with the seasoned Saints at their church. Can their collective wisdom help this mother and daughter tear down the walls and open their hearts before it’s too late?

In this riveting ten-year anniversary sequel to the Essence Bestseller When A Sistah’s Fed Up, we revisit the Henry family (Faith, Preston, Trey, Sloane, and Junior). The kids are grown and some bridges burned, but the ties that bind this All-American family don’t break–even when they wish they would.

Monica F. Anderson weaves a tale of what happens when relationships are broken and a legacy of unforgiveness is passed from one generation to the next.

Watch the video trailer for Never Close Your Heart (Book 2) by Monica F. Anderson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEivTlcAJEs

Download the “When A Sistah’s Fed Up” 2-Book Series
“When A Sistah’s Fed Up” (Book 1) and “Never Close Your Heart” (Book 2)
View the two book series here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PHDZLTV

 

Her Shoes (Volume 1) by CC Fann

Her Shoes (Volume 1) by CC Fann

Her Shoes is a collection of short stories, quotes and poems. Her Shoes is an up-close, personal and intimate look of my fight with darkness; the fight in which Ephesians 6 address in the Holy Bible. We will and/or are fighting against principalities, devil schemes, rulers, against authorities, against the powers of the world’s darkness and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. This battle will continue within ourselves internally and externally. The fight will never be over unless God says it is over. This fight is a series of battles. The battle of one in with that we know, the one that we knew, the one that is unknown, the one we cannot believe, the one we do not believe, and the one we have to believe. Job, David, and Elijah and Jeremiah, who all possessed something magnificent which are examples of these battles. We all possessed something magnificent. While I was tempted, tried and tested I held onto his hands just like Job, David and Elijah to keep my seed, my gift, and my talent. Read a few chapters today: https://a.co/hsVOD0m

Poetry Excerpts from Her Shoes (Volume 1) by CC Fann

YOU COULD NOT BREAK ME

The moment when I looked around and
knew I was not the daughter of 10
You could not break me

The moment when my mother did not see me
through the same eyes she saw my siblings
You could not break me

The moments of no gifts and presents
on my birthdays and Christmases
You could not break me

The moments I went to the mailboxes
hoping for a card
You could not break me

The moments I talked about an imaginary father
to my classmates in elementary
You could not break me

The moments when I often hoped and
looked in the stands and you never showed up
You could not break me

The moments that the men in my lives
mistreated me
You could not break me

The moments that I raised my children
without their father
You could not break me

The moments that you tried to turn everyone
who loved me against me
You could not break me

The moments that I connected with you
only for you to walk away
You could not break me

The moments that I honored
someone else on Father’s Day
You could not break me

The moment when you said
my mother did not know who my father was
You could not break me

The moments you showed my cousins love
and ignored me
You could not break me

The moment you said
you could not give me your phone number
you had to pray about it
You could not break me

The only gift that I received from you
was second hand
You could not break me

The moment I read my sister’s obituary
and you left my name off
You could not break me

The moment you said
all I do is rob people
You could not break me then
you cannot break me now
you will not break me ever

You made me withstand and
overcome the losses
You made me love more
You made me fight harder
You made me to look high
to a Father that will give me all I need

You could not break me then
you cannot break me now
you will not break me ever

 

Strumming My Pain by B. Love

Strumming My Pain by B. Love has 184 Starred Book Reviews! Check out the excerpt: https://a.co/2HW6bqg

Nurse, Elise Waters, has been shaken. After witnessing the murder of the man she loved, anxiety had become her relaxed state and trust is a fair-weather friend. Forced into witness protection while awaiting her moment of testimony at the murderers’ trial, she meets someone who provokes her truth. Her spirit, searching for soothing, cries out. But claiming healing isn’t so easy.

Izeah Moses is a guitarist with a head for business. As owner of an apartment complex, the presence of his new tenant sends his fingers into a melodic frenzy. Easily, she captured his heart, but grief and fear have overtaken her mind. Fulfilling her needs takes more than a serenade.

In this Spiritually Street Romance, will Elise and Izeah become their very own love song? Or will the past forever haunt, leaving them plucked to pieces?

Read more about Strumming My Pain by B. Love
African American Women’s Fiction

https://www.amazon.com/Strumming-My-Pain-B-Love/dp/B08C97X1NF

https://www.amazon.com/Strumming-My-Pain-B-Love-ebook/dp/B08B8Y9679/

 

B. Love’s 5 for 5 Celebration

B. Love, an author who focuses on African American romance, urban romance, and non-fiction genres, is celebrating five years as a published author on November 5, 2020.

Often called the ‘Prolific Pen Pusher,’ B. Love has achieved much in just five years as a published author. She has released more than 110 award-winning novels that have received both critical acclaim as well as financial success. To mark her five years of successful novel-writing, the author is set to release five new books.

Her upcoming titles to be released on November 5th promise to entertain, empower, and enlighten.

B. Love has been writing ever since she was 12, and her stories stand apart from regular love stories in that they focus on self-growth, self-awareness, compassion, and gratitude. Her stories have more to do with transforming the life and approach of the reader, rather than providing them with merely a gripping plot. With a sizable fan following in all parts of the world, her stories are characterized by compelling content that explores the many colors of human emotions such as love, passion, and devotion to life.

B. Love’s books focus on encouraging inner growth and elicit deep inner exploration in her readers. She focuses on continuous learning and self-reflection and encourages her readers to take the same path to unravel a beautiful life that each one of us are bestowed with.

In addition to writing, B. Love is a writing coach, editor, publishing sage and consultant, and has founded a publishing company that helps talented authors publish books. She also provides mentoring for new authors and guidance to current authors as well as story ideas and summaries for those who need inspiration to start writing. Her company has helped publish more than 300 books by about 50 authors.

For more information on the 5 for 5 Celebration go here today: http://bit.ly/5for5BLove

Browse B. Love’s eBooks: https://bit.ly/AmazonBLove

Browse B. Love’s paperbacks: http://bit.ly/BLovePPBK

B. LOVE 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY DETAILS
https://www.authorblove.net/b-love-5-year-anniversary-details

 

Faded Mirrors: A Memphis Love Story by B. Love

Faded Mirrors: A Memphis Love Story by B. Love (Author)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L62VYH3

Mira is a troubled soul living in the sphere of toxicity. With heartbreak and rejection being too heavy of a cocktail to continuously digest, she turns to drug use in order to dull her reality. Unfortunately, her spiral leads to homelessness and a need for rescue. Desperate for cash, she finesses her way into an underground casino. Taken in by the action, it’s clear this is a place she doesn’t belong. However, a meeting with a powerful man causes her to lose her potential marks and gain a path to healing that just may let her heart tag along.

Smoke is suave and charismatic, and he knows his business. As the owner of an underground casino, his eyes and ears are always open. Dollars don’t get played or paid without him knowing about it. Faces become familiar after first glance. When a woman, less made up and more run down, enters his establishment, Smoke instantly recognizes her as out of place. Yet, there’s something about her that draws him in. He wants to care for her… help her reclaim her light. If only the task was that simple.

Will Smoke and Mira find themselves in the mirrors of each other? Or will the truth of circumstances fade the promises of the future?

Faded Mirrors 2: A Memphis Love Story by B. Love (Author)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L6296LM

A connection has been established between Smoke and Mira, but decisions on both their parts create cracks within their foundation.

As Mira’s life spirals out of control, she finds herself in desperate need of an anchor. Smoke’s need to save the damsel in distress causes him to protect and connect with Mira in ways neither thought was possible. The closer they get, the less Mira feels worthy of the love and care Smoke provides, and that only makes him want to pursue her more.

When an enemy threatens both their lives and budding relationship, Smoke realizes just how detrimental they are to one another. Instead of providing one another with reasons to be better, they continuously bring out the worst in each other. One final test has Smoke ready to avoid his reflection in the mirror of Mira… and he can only hope she’s strong enough to handle it.

 

Love is the Byline by B. Love

Love is the Byline: Oakland and Azriel by B. Love (Author)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L61MQQB

Oakland was once the baby sister kept under her brother’s thumb. Now, she’s a woman determined to take care of herself, and that includes licking her own wounds. Fresh off of heartbreak, she’s sure being alone couldn’t get any worse… until she finds herself in jeopardy of losing her job. Reflexes would have her call her big brother to save her, yet she reminds herself that she wanted this independence and she must fight to keep it. Entering a competition with a fellow journalist looks like a plausible solution. However, the nature of the competition, steeped in pretend dates and getting-to-know you questions, puts a lot more than her employment on the line.

Azriel is mighty with words. A talented journalist, he’s no stranger to proving himself. When he’s offered an opportunity to enter a challenge to showcase what he’s made of and stamp his name on the magazine industry, he confidently accepts. His competition not only matches his savvy, but her allure is enough to make the world stop moving. In a romantic whirlwind dubbed as research, he finds discovering her truths shifts his perspectives and steadies his heart. However, with his career on the line, love may have to be left out of the credits.

Will Azriel and Oakland let their hearts narrate the future? Or are they both sentenced to a life without love?

 

Love, Lies & Fight by Terri D and Julie Bellatrix

What do you do when the love is gone? The lies are revealed. You Fight.

Valerie appeared to have the perfect family life while suffering in silence to formulate her escape plan. When a past indiscretion is revealed will she have the courage and strength to move on and what will get in her way? How will she find the ability to trust anyone again?

Joy is a successful therapist who has helped dozens of addicts over the years. When she decides to take on virtual clients including Valerie, she gets a little more than she bargained for including having to learn to face her own past.

Love, Lies & Fight is an emotionally charged story of how helping others through their pain and issues is sometimes exactly what we need.

Book Reviews from Beta Readers

Erin Maiolino states: LOVE LIES & FIGHT is a raw, riveting, and authentic story of two women whose lives are interwoven by chance yet inescapably interrelated.

Rattled by her high-powered husband’s infidelity, Valerie plunges into the darkness of picking up the pieces while discovering who she is. Her aptly named therapist, Joy, must come to terms with the lies, secrets, and tragedies in her own life. The deep pain and suffering that these two women endure are shared by every woman who has ever endured a heart-wrenching loss or betrayal.

This novel deserves your attention—travel with them on their path to rediscover love, triumph over the lies, and fight for their self-worth.

Deanna Malfregeot states: LOVE LIES & FIGHT was a compelling and absorbing read from start to finish. It was two cleverly interwoven stories depicting the two main character’s struggles, journeys of healing, and eventually moving on with their lives. I would find myself rushing through each part to get to the other character’s progress. The fact that Joy, the therapist, and Valerie, the patient, were only professionally attached and never met in person made it even more interesting in this day and age of video calls, teleconferencing, virtual meetings, etc. I found it to be the same to my own work and personal relationships. As for each of their stories, they were different enough to keep me invested as they were from different backgrounds and had come through different traumas, but the common ground each found with one another was relatable and rewarding.

This book offered two separate great stories into one that showed how trauma impacts people differently but how healing draws each character together and forward. Without giving too much away, the first-person narrator got the storytelling aspect down and had me wanting to know how she would move on with her life and I enjoyed the richly drawn characters surrounding her. What was more nuanced but every bit as interesting was Valerie, who had told her story and made me want to hear more. For Valerie, it really was a voyeuristic view into one woman’s nightmare and fight back to some sense of normalcy during a crisis. I read this book over the course of two evenings since I couldn’t wait to see what happened next and was happy with the ending.

I’d like to see a continuation of each of their respective stories! It was a sliver of their lives during a time of transition and it leaves the reader wanting more after the book is over. Isn’t that what all great books do? I’d love to see a sequel as I felt uplifted by the ending and still curious as to how their stories continue to play out as I felt a connection with the characters. I would recommend this book to everyone as it evokes powerful emotions and relatable situations. It was very well done.

 

Intimate Conversation with Julie Bellatrix and Terri D a.k.a Terri Martinez

Julie Bellatrix – Love, Lies and Fight is her debut novel which is co-written with author Terri D. Julie cannot thank her enough for mentoring her through this experience since it truly helped her to positively move forward with life. Julie was never much of a fan of writing until recently when dealing with a challenging series of circumstances. Having made it through as a much stronger and self-confident woman she desired to write a book that would inspire other women. Visit Julie Bellatrix’s website: https://juliebellatrix.com

Terri D a.k.a Terri Martinez – Terri is a blogger and author who writes under the pen name Terri D. She published her debut novel titled Yesterday’s Lies in 2011. Terri has since released four more novels, a memoir titled Passport Wife, has published articles, poems and Terri’s most recent release titled, Journaling for Self-Care for Young Adults was inspired by and dedicated to the young women of Chatham.

Terri is happily married again since 2017. She has three children and four grandchildren. Terri is a member of Beulah Baptist Church where she has written and produced stage plays and she is an active member in the Choir. Terri is also a trained Chaplain assistant, Certified Recovery Specialist and Certified Life Coach.

Terri is the founder and President of TDUB Publishing. Visit the TDUB Publishing website is https://tdubpublishing.com

BPM: Introduce us to your most recent work. Available on Nook and Kindle?
Love, Lies & Fight is available on all major outlets in paperback and ebook formats. It is a fictional drama that focuses on the lives of the two main characters, Joy who is a therapist and Valerie who is one of her clients. It’s a story about how sometimes while helping others you ultimately end up getting the help you need. It delves into the stigma of therapy in the black community especially the church community. It shows how having closure and resolving issues in our own way and time help us to heal and move on.

BPM: Who were your favorite characters to write? Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
Terri D – My favorite character to write was Joy. I’m not a therapist but I’ve been to several in my lifetime. It was fun and at times challenging to come up with what a therapist might say in certain situations.

BPM: Do you set out to educate or inspire, entertain or illuminate a particular subject?
Terri D – Yes I’ve always tried to focus on relationships and how to work through challenges. For this book I really wanted to focus on therapy and how helpful it can be. I guess the message is that therapy is a form of self-care and we all need to do whatever is needed to care for ourselves.

Julie – I wanted to establish awareness of what can happen in an unfortunate situation and showing strength by picking yourself back up and moving on.

BPM: What was the most powerful chapter in the book?
Julie – I think Chapter 21 is the most powerful when Valerie finally gets the courage to describe her experience in the hospital.

BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing your book?
Julie – I can now see the benefit of writing as a way of healing.

BPM: Tell us a little about your creative process. Do you use a computer or write out the story by hand?
Terri D – When I am in the middle of a writing project I don’t read books by other authors. I’m an avid reader but once I start a writing project I have shut all of that down. I love using my computer to type my books but when I journal I prefer to write it out on paper. I often listen to classical music while I write. It is very soothing and relaxing for me. It allows my creative juices to flow freely.

BPM: Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips on self-care for creative folks?
Julie – Re-visit looking at what is written the next day after a good night’s rest for making revisions. If not in the mindset to write when you start, take a break until you the words start flowing at a good pace. After writing something look at it again to see if it is a critical piece to the story or if it is just something that is personal that may not need to be included.

Terri D – There’s a thin line between connecting with your characters to the point of taking on some of their traits. That can be both good and bad. It’s good to maintain a healthy balance between your creative thoughts and feelings and reality. The best way to do that in my opinion is to take breaks, step away from the fiction and go back to your reality.

BPM: Share one specific point in your book that resonated with your present situation or journey.
Terri D – At one point Joy states that she believes God sent clients to her to help bring the issues that she needed to work through to the surface. That resonated with me because I feel that God brings us to things in our lives to help us learn and grow through the process of getting through those things. I have spent the past two years waiting but my time spent waiting has been intentional because I needed this time to grow spiritually.

BPM: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from reading your book?
Julie – I want the readers to feel that it is possible to feel empowered and strong even through life’s struggles.

Terri D – Everyone struggles at some point in their life. There is no shame in seeking professional help to get through. It is possible to learn and grow through even the most painful experiences.

BPM: Do you have a Goodreads, LibraryThing, BookBub™ or Facebook community?
Terri D – Here is our publisher’s website https://tdubpublishing.com and I am on Facebook, Goodreads and BookBub as Author Terri D.

Love, Lies & Fight can be found at our Amazon page in paperback and Kindle ebook – https://www.amazon.com/Love-Lies-Fight-Terri-D/dp/0983188769

Connect with Terri D Today!
Website: https://authorterrid.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorTerriD
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_terri_d

Connect with Julie Today!
Website: https://juliebellatrix.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/juliebellatrix
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulieBellatrix
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliebtdub

 

This Time Always by Suzette D. Harrison

She’s 53. He’s 46. Your point is?

Vivacious Niyana Nichols isn’t looking for love. Between the demands of work as a Wellness Clinic Administrator, recent widowhood, and being there for her two beautiful daughters, love has taken a back seat for the fifty-three-year-old. To complicate matters, she’s also suffering from Alopecia. Yet, when Niyana meets her daughter’s handsome professor, she is faced with emotions she thought she’d buried with her husband.

Divorced single father and African-American Studies professor, Omari Josef, is devoted to his career. When the forty-six-year-old grandfather meets the gorgeous and spirited Niyana, he’s forced to rethink his own happiness. Their age difference doesn’t matter to him. What does is making sure she realizes that she’s a woman worth cherishing. Will the sudden reappearance of Omari’s ex-wife wreak havoc in his life? Or will their undeniable attraction grow into something solid and abiding?

SNEAK PEEK INTO THIS TIME ALWAYS
Hey Readers, meet Niyana & Omari from the new novel This Time Always by Suzette D. Harrison!

Lifting his head out of the water, he glanced in her direction. “Niy.”

“Hmm?”

“If you fall asleep I’m not carrying you. I will leave you there.”

Her drowsy smile was her only response.

He flicked water at her. “‘Ey, wake up.”

“No, and leave me alone.”

Scooping a handful of water, he mischievously tossed it.

“God of Zion, please get this man.”

He repeated the torment.

“Sir, I’ma need you to quit.”

“Not until you dip a toe in.” True to his threat, he played the role of pest, splashing her and smack-talking until she finally vacated the chaise and stomped towards him.

Lifting the hem of the spaghetti strap maxi dress flowing about her sensuous frame, she grudgingly complied with his wishes. “There. Happy?”

“Maybe.” Standing in the shallows, he grabbed her ankle before she could turn away.

“Omari…stop misbehaving.”

“Come on, baby, sit with me.”

She stood a moment faux-glaring before advising, “Five seconds and I’m finished.”

“Fair.” He offered a stabilizing hand as she lowered herself to the pool’s edge. “How’d you get wet?” He feigned innocence.

She tucked her dress about her thighs with a smile. “This pool has obviously gotten to you.”

“Maybe it’s you.” Hands at her waist, he granted her a kiss that was sweet, quick before latching his legs about her and floating onto his back again, keeping his ears above water in order to hear. “Enjoy the day?”

“The day. Tonight. Dinner. Maestro Marsalis and that jazz. Absolutely, and yes. But I’m especially appreciating my Dr. Delicious in these swim trunks.”

His laugh caught in his throat, his abdominal muscles quivered as she slowly ran pedicured and polished toes up and down his naked torso.

“I’ll like these trunks even more when they’re off.”

He lifted his head and stared long and hard, finding nothing but pure desire in her eyes. Still, he was disinterested in a replay of last night. “Woman, don’t play with me.” His voice was gruff, unintentionally.

“I never play this way, Omari.”

THIS TIME ALWAYS by Suzette D. Harrison
Available in ebook & paperback: https://amzn.to/2DCgPP5

Purchase This Time Always by Suzette D. Harrison
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