A Gift that Keeps on Giving by Vanessa Davis Griggs

 A Gift that Keeps on Giving

by Vanessa Davis Griggs

To have a wonderful, loving mother is a blessing indeed. I realize not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to say this. A mother who gives birth to a child gives that child the gift of life. Then there are those mothers who may not physically carry a child in their womb, but through adoption, foster care, becoming a stepmom, or one who just steps up to take on the role without any special title, they carry that child in their hearts. No, mothers don’t always have the right answers nor will she always do every single thing right. But a good mother will strive to do her best.

I have the privilege of being on both ends of the motherhood spectrum. I am the daughter of Josephine Davis and the mother of Jeffery, Jeremy, and Johnathan. As hard as life may have appeared at times growing up, when you become a mother, you quickly learn it’s no cakewalk. But the joy that lay before you, once you give your heart away to that child is worth whatever you may have to do or go through.

From the sixth grade to the eleventh grade, I tried out for cheerleader. Mid-February in my fifth grade year, we (meaning the black children from Village Springs, Alabama and other surrounding black communities) “integrated” into the white schools under the term “busing.” It was a strange term when you consider that prior to that time we were being bused to a black school a greater distance away. In any event, we had now entered into the era of integration. Being a young child, I didn’t know what any of that meant. I never thought of black and white as being separate. I never really thought of black and white in any way. I never realized we were going in through the back door when we visited the local white doctor in Pinson. In truth, I never even knew we were (by the country’s definition) “poor.” I never knew I was supposed to be inferior to anyone else. I never knew there were things I couldn’t or shouldn’t be able to do in life. And I credit a lot of this to my wonderful mother.

You see, my mother made sure that we knew we were rich and could do anything in life if we worked hard for it (I’d also add my father, but we’re talking about mothers here). Growing up with our mother, we felt rich because, in all that ever mattered in life, we were. We had love, a mother who worked hard to be sure we had what we needed; but most of all, a mother who introduced us to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. After the introduction, she guaranteed we continued our relationship, ensuring we not only maintained Sunday visits (and I mean every Sunday, sometimes twice that same day when there were afternoon programs) to deepen our knowledge and give God praise, but to keep every day holy.

I mentioned me trying out for cheerleader because my mother was right there each and every year supporting me. Each year, I really should have made the squad, but I didn’t know (although my mother did) that the color of my skin was what kept me from being chosen. When I look back over those years, I see how each year when those in position saw I’d made it (determined they weren’t going to allow a black person to represent the school), they would take it from me, then change the rules to hopefully not have that problem the next time. 

But the next time, I still prevailed (and they knew it). Still, they never gave it to me. My mother never said or did anything to discourage me from trying out the next year. I remember one white male schoolmate coming to me (when the students were to vote) and telling me that someone said they would have voted for me, but that I was too dark. My beautiful God-given tan was too dark! That would be funny if it wasn’t sad. But my mother stood by me every step of the way. And the last time I was denied and there would be no more times for me to try out, my mother wrote me a beautiful letter telling me how proud she was of me…that I was like Moses who only got to look over into the Promised Land but had made it possible for others to reach it someday. It was true. Pinson did get a few black cheerleaders for both the high school and the middle school. And in the middle school, one of those cheerleaders turned out to be my sister.

So I conclude by saying that I wanted to be a cheerleader. But my mother has always been a cheerleader to and for me. Even today, she cheers me on. So to the mothers out there who cheer your children on, allow me to say: Thank you. It means more than you’ll ever know.  

Meet the Author
Vanessa Davis Griggs is the author of 15 novels (which includes The Blessed Trinity Series) with number 16, The Other Side of Divine, releasing July 30, 2013. She also contributed ten devotional to the Sisters in Faith Holy Bible released by Thomas Nelson. To visit her Web site: http://www.VanessaDavisGriggs.com

Website: http://www.VanessaDavisGriggs.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/vanessadavisgriggs
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/vanessagriggs
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/vanessadavisgriggs

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Life’s Special GIFT A Mother by Jamesina Greene

 Life’s Special GIFT…A Mother

“Her children arise up, and call her blessed.”
Proverbs 31:28

There is NO gift like that of a Mother.  A Mother is the Voice of her children.  She is the pride and honor badge of her husband.  In many communities, a Mother is the celebrated entity that garners immeasurable respect from everyone within.  A Mother’s voice trumpets causes on the behalf of her children, whether she physically birthed them or not.  There is no greater champion than that a Mother.

As children, it is to Mother that we run when our antics have caused us to be hurt.  When we fall off of our bicycles, or tumble out of bed, we scream for our Mother.  When other children make fun of us or push us to the ground, we scream for our Mother.

I have learned first-hand that this “screaming for our Mother” doesn’t end with childhood.  Throughout our lives, we face challenges that may bring us to our knees in submission.  We face obstacles that may place us flat on our backs in pain.  Whatever the case, we want our Mother.  Even when we ourselves became Mothers, we still want our Mothers.  During the most painful experience of my life, childbirth, it was much more bearable because my Mother was present.

A real mother never ceases to protect her children.  No matter what life brings our way, we can rest in knowing that “Mom’s got my back.”  I personally believe that there is an eternal connection between a Mother and her children.  The bond that occurs in the womb continues throughout life’s Journey.  When a child is in pain, so is the Mother.  Wow!  What a precious gift!

As a Mother, I have made many sacrifices to ensure the safety and comfort of my children.  I have gone without to make sure that they did not.  I have cried in secret so that my children would only experience my smile.  I have covered my pain so that my children would not experience the same.  However, I came to understand that I was the first person to teach my children and it is my job to continue teaching them as long as I live.  I will continue to speak “life” into their lives and tell them of God’s unconditional love for them.

My faith in my God has sustained me in those times of uncertainty.  I believe that one of my jobs as a Mother is to show to my children, the God in whom I believe.  Therefore, as my children grew, I allowed them to see and know the times that we struggled and were without.  It is during these times that the God of their Mother showed up.  This allowed them to witness the Hand of God for themselves.

If you do not have a positive relationship with your Mother, you do not have to fret. Our God is so amazing that He will place in your path, women who will “mother” you according to His divine plan.  Make sure that you are open to receiving these women into your life.  They will bring with them nurturing and healing that will touch you in just the right place at the right time.

There is nothing about your life journey that the Father is not aware of.  He knows exactly who and what you need, exactly when you need it.  That includes godly mothering.

This month we have set aside a special day to honor our Mothers.  Children will make passage from all across the globe to pay homage to this phenomenal woman.  Multiple sacrifices will be made to secure her smile.  Today I encourage you not to wait for one special day to saturate your Mother with love.  Every day that you have breath, you must salute and honor this magnificent gift.  You must never allow yourself to de-value this gift and forget to appreciate it.  There is NO gift like that of a Mother.

Meet Jamesina Greene

Jamesina Greene manages more than speaking engagements as the owner of DESTNE Enterprises. Jamesina’s commitment to leading her fan-base with thought-provoking inspiration stems from her experience in helping others in transition.

Jamesina began her journey towards motivation at the age of 17. While most teens made the usual high school memories, Jamesina became an ordained minister, writer and speaker. After building an early foundation, she immediately created  a platform which allowed her to share the gospel to others.  With years of entrepreneurship already under her belt, Jamesina expanded her brand, through singing, songwriting, authoring and other avenues.  A former residential counselor and mentor, Jamesina leverages over 30 years of knowledge of Christianity to bring Destine Enterprises to God’s people throughout the world – as an ordained minister.

It is Jamesina’s literary work which has earned her numerous recognition: she is the author of  Help, I Don’t Like Myself!, the true story of her escape from depression, and A Mother’s Cry: A Mini Book for Mom, for busy mothers who could use a loving nudge.

Born in Delaware and raised in Maryland, Jamesina now resides in Virginia, where she is a devoted mother to two sons and grandmother to four children. She earned a Bachelors Degree in Theological Studies  Christian Counseling from LOGOS Bible Institute.  In addition to praising God through her talents, Jamesina is the founder of A Mother’s Cry in which she hosts an annual conference, “Gathering the Fragments” to  encourage the hurt, wounded and broken.  Her latest publication, My Journey, a daily journal, and her debut novel dedicated to her late father,  will be available this year.

Learn more about how Jamesina is leaving her mark by visiting http://www.jamee2001.wordpress.com, http://www.jamigreeneministries.com, on Facebook and Twitter @msdestne61.  To schedule an interview with Jamesina,  send an email to destne61@gmail.com.

J. E. Greene, President & Founder
Destne Enterprises/A Mother’s Cry
Facebook and Twitter @msdestne61

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Always Love & Respect Your Mama By Brooklen Borne

Always Love & Respect Your Mama

By Brooklen Borne

 The song, ‘I’ll Always Love My Mama’ by The Intruders, is one of my all times favorites.  That song along with other like lyrics, remind me how strong a mother’s love is for her child/children.  Having a daily dose of that unconditional love can get you through the roughest of times and savior the sweetest of times.

On December 24th at the age of eleven, that daily dose of love that I was use to receiving from my mother; came to a screeching halt.  Not because she didn’t want to give it to me, but because she no longer had the capability of doing so.  A capability of hers that I truly didn’t understand how important it was to me until it wasn’t there any longer for me to have.

When my brother who was sixteen at the time, looked in my direction after trying to give our mother mouth-to-mouth resuscitation; in which neither one of us was trained to do, said to me “I think mama’s gone.”  His words confirmed what I already knew, but I still couldn’t believe what was really going on or should I say wanted to accept it.  I remained calm as I told him we need to call family.  My brother leaped from my mother’s bed and ran to the phone; picking up the receiver.  I began to rattle off numbers from memory of family members to call.  As soon as he hung up from one call, I gave him another set of numbers to call. This went on to all the important calls were made.

I stood there saying to myself …mama wake up please. I’m lost without you.  I’m scared; I don’t know what to do without you. Please mama, get up; I need you! I stood there frozen in time wondering what is going to happen to me and my brother. To utter the words mama, mother or mom would never again be the same.  It all seemed surreal.

There are many days I reminisce about my mother; appreciating the many things she had taught me in the eleven short years we had together.  Things like manners, what is right from wrong, how to tie my shoes, how to conduct myself in public, how to treat others with respect, how to hold and eat with a spoon/fork and let me not forget the infamous potty training…LOL. The little things we take for granted; you know what I mean. 

I wrote this piece to remind some people, how precious it is to still have a mother and to enjoy her unconditional gift of love.  Because my brother’s and I will never experience that kind of love again nor did we get the chance to say good-bye to her.  My mother died from the flu she caught on December 22nd and passed away in her sleep two days later on the 24th.  I didn’t know until that Christmas Eve Day, how proficient my brother and I had been taught by her; in case of such an emergency of this magnitude should occur.  She was the greatest teacher in the world.  Lessons she taught that would prepare me for the unknown journey of life; I would embark upon.  I also would like to reiterate that all women that gave birth are not necessarily a mother; she could be just an egg donor.  The same way some women classify men as sperm donors.  It takes a true woman, along with the sacrifice of commitment for her child or children on a biblical scale; to be called a mother.  So you first time mothers-to-be, please take heed to the words in this story.  There are many people that are reading this, wishing they could get a taste of that unconditional love from their mother just one more time.

Please, don’t be disrespectful towards your mother; don’t take your mother presence for granted, because when the Lord calls your mother home, there is no rewind button to press to do over again.  Let’s honor, cherish and love our dear mother’s because like The Intruder’s lyrics say, “I’ll always love my mama, she’s my favorite girl; you only get one, you only get one yeah. I’ll always love my mama; she brought me in this world.  I’m talking about mama……

I dedicate this piece to my mother, also to the women who are exercising a mother’s position, the adoptive mothers, and to all the mothers, around the world. 

Brooklen Borne © 2013

Meet the Author
Brooklen Borne was raised in New York City, where he lived with his mother and four older brothers, in the Van Dyke projects in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn.  He began writing short stories in high school, based on his street experiences.  His high school English teacher enjoyed his stories and advised him that he should enter his writings in the state wide writing contest.  He didn’t follow through with her suggestions, because the streets were more appealing.

After graduating from August Martin High School, in Jamaica, Queens, Mr. Borne entered into the Marine Corps; in the Aviation Supply field.  As a Marine, he served as a Drill Instructor, Anti-Terrorist Instructor, and before retiring from the United States Marine Corps, achieved the rank of Master Sergeant.

Years later a tragic event in Mr. Borne’s life, became a pivotal point, leading him back to embrace his passion for writing.  He has written for Imagine Us Magazine, The Writer’s POV and The Village Groit; they are online magazines.  He’s also collaborated with fellow authors; Savannah Jackson on a short story titled: ‘The Coffee Shop’, Essence Best Selling Author Donna Michele Ramos on a series of novellas titled: ‘ABSORPTION’ and a novel with Anthony Pathfinder titled: ‘5ive Boroughs’.

Brooklen Borne has completed four novellas titled: ‘Savannah’, ‘Interrogators’, ‘Malefactors’ and ‘Being Homeless Is Not an Option.’  From his raw manuscripts, Mr. Borne has created a fan base not only in the United States, but in South Africa, Europe and Japan.  He is currently working on five books to be release later this year.

Mr. Borne holds an Associate’s Degree from Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii in Criminal Law and a Bachelors Degree from National University, in La Jolla, California in Criminal Justice with a minor in Behavioral Science.

Brooklen Borne
“Bringing Thoughts 2 Life”
Website:  http://www.authorbrooklenborne.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/brooklenborne.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brooklen.borne

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Sneak Peek: The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale by J.M. Lominy

The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale
by J.M. Lominy

Pierre-André François is handsome, intelligent, and the greatest soccer player in Haitian history.  He also has a well-kept secret; he is an assassin. In fact, Pierre-André François is the vile and feared Haitian assassin known as The Little Rose.  Like a skilled painter, he kills with style and finesse, bringing death in broad purposeful strokes and sweeps of red.  Signing each piece of work with a fragrant red rose.

The year is 1957 and Haiti is in turmoil. Political wrangling has kept the presidency vacant and the country is ripe with civil unrest and upheaval. Political positions are up for grabs and anyone with power, money and courage are out to claim them.  Turmoil, conflict and distrust, the ideal environment for a skilled assassin to leave his mark!

However, the Little Rose is not alone.  After he assassinates a popular senator, he finds himself hunted by an unknown depraved psychopath.  Ever confident in his deadly skills, the Little Rose is put to the test when he comes face to face with the machete-carrying killer.

Excerpt from CHAPTER TWO

At five minutes after ten, a woman’s scream sounded, one so true and so frightening that neighbors two streets over came out to investigate.  The scream came from the home of Laplace.

Laplace’s great wealth of a house stood sturdy and strong among beautiful homes in the heart of Pétion-Ville, on a hillside off of Rue Louverture.  It faced west, smiling in the direction of the capital, with darling green paint and a grand balcony gracefully overlooking a beautiful front yard garden.  On a clear sunny day, the garden’s colorful collage could be seen from Port-au-Prince, its carpet of roses and lilies planted and maintained by Mr. Laplace himself.  A new seven-foot, decorative, cinder-block wall stood erect, forming a perfect rectangle around the perimeter of the property.  It was the only house in the neighborhood to be so screened-in, a recent security measure undertaken because of the increasing political turmoil.

Minutes before she took claim to her screams, Madame Laplace was sound asleep, serenaded by crickets under a cool, soft, and steady breeze–a paradise she gladly welcomed.  Life could not have been any better.  She was dreadfully awakened by two thundering sounds, wondering if cannons had been fired outside her window.  The sounds put a momentary pause to her heart, then a terrifying gallop.

Afraid to open her eyes, she fumbled over pillows in the dark and found her husband inches away.  “Theodore wake up!  They’re shooting outside,” Madame Laplace said scared and shaken.  Mr. Laplace answered with silence.     Their second floor bedroom faced a courtyard that led to a back entrance.  That same passageway was now crowded with two dead bodies, men who were charged with their safety.

“Theodore didn’t you hear me? They’re shooting outside.”  Madame Laplace repeated as she shook Theodore Laplace by the shoulder, still no answer.

An uncomfortable silence ensued, if only for a second.  To Madame Laplace it seemed an eternity.  Tightness crept up her chest.  Suspicion lingered in the back of her thoughts.  He was never difficult to awaken and rarely silent, even as he slept.  Just minutes ago, it seemed, his snoring was a continuous humming that kept cadence with the crickets.

Gradually she opened her eyes, withdrawing her ivory hand from his broad shoulder.  A thick warm liquid caked her hand.  With controlled panic, she fumbled for the matches.  With shaking hands she struck the box of matches, almost too petrified to look, but knowing she had to.  

The fire took hold of the match with a bang, sending sparks of light everywhere, exposing the red liquid covering her delicate fingers.  Through a haze of fear and the onset of nausea, she saw.  Blood, the life force—as red as it was thick and still warm to the touch—was undeniably present.

Madame Laplace couldn’t believe what she saw, but at the same time it was indisputable.   It must be a trick, a lie, a mirage, she thought.  She blinked as if to clear her vision and wish the blood away.  Her head started to spin out of control like a coconut tumbling down a tree, in a hurry to meet earth.

 “My God,” escaped from her quivering lips.  She turned pale as the meat in the center of a coconut and shook uncontrollably.  She knew before she saw, deep down in her soul, she knew.   Her innards twisted into cramping knots.  Her suspicion was to be proven accurate.  She knew that Theodore Vladimir Laplace had walked through the gates manned by Ghede, the voodoo god of the dead.

She stared at her own fingers caked with the congealed blood, wishing it were the past or a dream or even a crude joke by a malevolent spirit. Her small-reddened lips curled like a slingshot, stretched thin, ready to be released.  With tears already forming in her eyes and her chest aching, she suddenly found it difficult to breathe, to think, when only moments ago it came so easily. 

Time seemed to have slowed as she faced her husband of twenty-five years. Through blurred vision produced by rain-sized tears, she saw, paused, and gasped.  The ghostly portrait of the former Theodore Laplace was smiling at her.  His mouth was stuffed with a dirty rag, causing his already corpulent cheeks to spread out.  His eyes stared up at heaven as if questioning God “Why now? Why me?”  His neck sported a gaping V-shaped smile, the traditional bowtie cut left behind by a taker of souls, a Haitian assassin—the assassin’s baptism, as it was known amongst criminals.  Only the cruelest of assassins can cut a man’s throat, leaving him with a flowing, red grin that mocked the living, as if to say death was not so bad.

( Continued… )

© 2013 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, J.M. Lominy.  This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher’s written permission. Share a link to this page or the author’s website if you really like this promotional excerpt.

Pre-order from the J.M. Lominy website: http://jmlominy.com 
 

The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale
Available on Kindle and Nook
Genre:  Historical Fiction.  Family, Religion, and Politics
ISBN-10: 0988827719 ebook           13: 978-0-9888277-1-4 ebook
ISBN-10: 0988827700 paperback     13: 978-0-9888277-07 paperback

Meet the Author
Life began for J.M. Lominy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  As a husband, father, nurse and veteran Lominy has been making room to write since 2000.  Specializing in Historical Fiction, he is the author of the upcoming book, The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale.

His work, both poetic and determined in voice, places an emphasis on the Haitian experience as witnessed through the life of passionate characters.  Mr. Lominy currently resides in Georgia with his wife and his three sons.  Visit J.M. Lominy at:  http://jmlominy.com 

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Temptation-Proof Your Marriage by Jewell R. Powell

Temptation-Proof. That’s a mouthful!  But it is important for us all to stop and consider whether our marriages are truly protected against the threat of temptation. The recent Tyler Perry movie, “Temptation” brought light to an all-too-common scenario in marriages, even in Christian marriages. When needs aren’t met in a marriage (and I’m not talking about JUST physical), it opens to door to dangerous temptation that can be extremely detrimental.

This  article borrowed from the Happily Ever After newsletter is dedicated to teaching you how to temptation-proof your marriage. It is my prayer that you will grow closer to God and to your spouse as you strive to protect your marital relationship.

Temptation in Marriage:   Bringing a Taboo Topic to Light for a Healthy Marriage

For many couples, the topic of temptation in marriage, which involves discussion of sex, intimacy, attraction, and faithfulness, is not a popular subject. Some feel too embarrassed. Others feel too insecure. Still others think it could never been an issue in “MY marriage,” so they go on their merry, oblivious way until they are faced with the heart-breaking reality that temptation IS indeed an issue for their marriage.   The truth is that temptation is an issue for every marriage and every human being. No human is perfect, except for Jesus Christ, and even HE faced temptation in the dessert! (Matthew 4:1) So what makes us think that we will walk through life without facing it, or without having our spouse face it?   Acknowledge Temptation Exists and Deal with It In order to ensure our marriage relationships are protected and honored, we must bring this taboo topic to light. Ignoring an issue doesn’t make it go away, but discussing an issue can make a big difference, especially if one or both spouses love God and want to honor him with their marriage.   When we think of temptation, we typically think it involves sexual attraction and infidelity. This is true in some cases, but in others it can be an emotional temptation-connecting your heart and emotions intimately with someone other than your spouse.   Being disconnected as a couple, such as living separate social lives, or even being together but not really sharing intimacy emotionally and/or sexually, leaves each spouse vulnerable to both sexual and emotional temptation. Tyler Perry’s recent move “Temptation” addressed this issue in an interesting way-a husband and wife over the years developed a distant relationship, enabling the wife to be tempted and leading to an enormous amount of hurt and destruction. Of course, that was Hollywood’s version, but similar scenarios happen all around us and, at times, right under our noses.     God Gives Us the Tools to Stop Temptation in Its Tracks The good news in all of this is: we are not powerless in these situations. By bringing light to this issue, and removing the feelings of fear and inadequacy, we can all admit that temptation exists in the world, and we can tap into the power of Christ and the truths He gives us in the Bible to strengthen our marriages, reestablishing intimacy and love, so we protect the marital relationship from outside threats all the while experiencing a deeper connection with our spouse and with God.    13 For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), no matter how it comes or where it leads has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear.  But God is faithful to His Word and to His compassionate nature, and He can be trusted not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will always also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently. — 1 Corinthians 10:13 AMP As you move forward to strengthen your marriage and protect it from temptation, here are some resources I recommend to feed your mind and spirit:         “The Language of Sex: Experiencing the Beauty of Sexual Intimacy” by Ted Cunningham “Open Hearts: Renewing Relationships with Recovery, Romance and Reality” by Patrick Carnes “Naked & Unashamed: The Journey Toward Sexual Fulfillment in Christian Marriage” by Dr. Stacy L. Spencer “Marriage 101: Sex & Intimacy” by Jewell R. Powell © 2010 by Jewell R. Powell, Marriage Coach and Author of Marriage 101: Building a Life Together by Faith, visit us at www.marriage101.us.

3 Big Steps to Temptation-Proof Your Marriage

It makes sense that people don’t like to think about temptation from people outside of the marriage relationship. It’s an uncomfortable thought, and it really isn’t something you should dwell upon, but it is important for you to make your marriage a priority so the risk of temptation is eliminated or at least reduced significantly.   Admitting that all people are susceptible to temptation is a great first step. Acknowledging your marriage needs strengthening is also important, but then following through with the steps to protect your marriage is essential. You can do all the talking and thinking in the world, but unless you take action, it is all in vain.   Are you ready to dig your heels into the ground and get down to business to create a marriage that can stand the test of time while bringing greater honor to God? It may not always be easy. You may sometimes feel like you are the one putting in all the effort. But it WILL be worth it in the end, because you are honoring your covenant with your husband and with your God.   Here we go: Step One: Spend time together.    Not doing the bills, or eating a meal with the family, or sitting on the couch with your individual electronic devices. Do something with just the two of you where you can be present, able to listen and communicate while looking at your spouse. Take a walk. Play a game (i.e. strip words with friends) together. Sit on the porch/deck and share your favorite drink/dessert. Pray together. Of course, making sure to have time for sexual intimacy is also incredibly important. This is where the Bible clearly tells us that the enemy will come to destroy a marriage if there is no sexual intimacy.  First Corinthians 7:2-5 tells us:   It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality-the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to “stand up for your rights.” Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it’s for the purposes of prayer and fasting-but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. (MSG)    Schedule it in if necessary. Discuss this part of your relationship together and decide on a number of times each week you should be sexually intimate to meet each others physical needs.  Physically connecting with your spouse is essential to a healthy, happy marriage. Step Two: Pick a hobby to do together.   It is very common for husband and wife to have different interests and hobbies, and that is perfectly healthy and normal. However, determining to share a hobby together will create a deeper intimacy. When you have fun together, this is solidifying your bond. You learn to enjoy time together even more, which goes a long way toward fighting off temptation from the outside world! Whether it is playing a sport together, working toward a fitness goal, listening to music, going to concerts or theater, or cooking up new recipes together, find a hobby you can do to bring some fun into your relationship. This type of togetherness will help you both to stay emotionally connected to one another.   Step Three: Honor one another. Do you respect your spouse? Do you feel honored by your spouse? By taking action to make your spouse feel honored, you can create an atmosphere of love and respect in your relationship. What does this look like? Place value on your spouse…how he feels…what she says…what his hopes and dreams are. Don’t just say he is most important and the #1 priority but then put everything, including children, in your life before him! Take action. Put his needs first, even before your own. Do something he likes to do. Value his opinion. When you dishonor your spouse, you dishonor God. But when you honor your spouse, you bring massive honor to your Heavenly Father. Spiritual intimacy is lacking in most relationships yet is so important because marriage is built on spiritual principles. Follow these three steps in your marriage on purpose and you will be amazed by how God will bring the two of you closer. In Genesis 2:18, we know that God himself said that it is not good for man to be alone. It is for this reason, He created woman. This is the design for your marriage, so focus on building unity and it will be a natural antidote for temptation. © 2010 by Jewell R. Powell, Marriage Coach and Author of Marriage 101: Building a Life Together by Faith, visit us at www.marriage101.us

Nuggets for All Couples

Engaged Couples For couples who are engaged, it is important to begin now, temptation-proofing your future marriage by building a foundation of holiness and purity in your relationship today. It isn’t always easy as an engaged couple, waiting to enjoy sexual intimacy until you are married, but God has created a beautiful thing for you to experience as husband and wife, and it is important not to short-change yourselves by becoming intimate too soon, making your relationship impure. Hebrews 13:4 explains: “Honor marriage, and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between wife and husband. God draws a firm line against casual and illicit sex” (Message). God will give you strength to remain holy and pure and will help you to build a strong foundation for your future marriage if only you ask. Pray together, and seek His strength! It is well worth it.   Newlyweds While the common idea is that newlywed time is a time of bliss, many of us who have been there can attest that it isn’t always blissful! Just because you are newlyweds doesn’t mean that temptations will not touch your relationship. Fight against possible temptations by devoting yourselves to God and to each other, solidifying the union you have on a daily basis. Proverbs 5:15-17 gives advice on establishing a temptation-proof marriage: “Drink water from your own well-share your love only with your wife. Why spill the water of your springs in public, having sex with just anyone? You should reserve it for yourselves. Don’t share it with strangers…”  Couples Being Challenged Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer.”  Hard times inevitably come in your marriage, and this may leave you or your spouse more vulnerable to temptation. What can you do to protect yourselves during these challenging times? Pray, be together even when it is hard, and continue to meet each others needs for intimacy. The world around you may seem to be crumbling, but you can remain a safe place for each other. In 1 Corinthians 7, God gives us clear instructions on what our sexual intimacy should look like and how essential it is to meet each others needs at all times, and this remains true during times of crisis or challenge: “…Each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband…the wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.  Seasoned Couples The Bible provides evidence that in biblical times some couples were sexually active in their later years. For example, we read in Genesis, “Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?'” (Genesis 18:11-12). Communication is so vital to seasoned couples trying to work out sexual intimacy issues. Pray together and discuss what your desires are for sexual intimacy. Continue to temptation-proof your marriage by meeting each other’s needs and maintaining intimacy.

Lewis & Jewell R. Powell You and your spouse are in my prayers as you work together with God to temptation-proof your marriage. Although we live in a world where marriage is devalued and temptation is seemingly at every turn, with God’s help we can keep our marriage bed’s pure by establishing and maintaining true intimacy with our spouses. God will honor our efforts and send the Holy Spirit to guide us and give us strength to do what He has asked of us in our relationships!   In His Service, Jewell R. Powell The Marriage Coach www.marriage101.us   Originally posted in the ‘Happily Ever After’ Newsletter

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I’ll Always Love Momma, Sheila Dodson-Ingram

I’ll Always Love Momma, Sheila Dodson-Ingram

The bible says, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12 NIV”  Therefore, I take this time to honor my mother Sheila Dodson-Ingram.    Therefore, I take this time to honor my mother Sheila Dodson-Ingram.

My mother is a strong black woman who rocks. She is beautiful, hardworking, and possesses a sense of humor that only she finds funny. She instilled in me at a young age the value of hard work. She worked two jobs most of her life. My sister and I didn’t have everything that we wanted, but she always made sure we had what we needed. I have always admired my mother’s strength and determination to succeed. 

When I was a child, I did not understand why she was so hard on me. When, I became a woman it all made sense. I appreciate the tough love. I credit her for helping me to become the woman I am today.  These are a few of the reasons why I will always love you Sheila Dodson-Ingram!

Love you momma,
Shaneisha Dodson, Owner Black Girlz Productions, LLC

S.Dodson is originally from Arkansas and currently resides in Northern Virginia. She is pursuing her doctorate in Education specializing in Adult Learning and Higher Education. She holds a BA in Psychology from Grambling State University and a MA in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University.

S.Dodson is the owner of Mahogney Ink Publications. She is a member of the 2010 Literary Sistahs tour group, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority incorporated, Kappa Delta Pi honor’s society, and the American Management Association. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, cooking and spending time with loved ones.  Website:   http://www.mahogneyinkpublication.com

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Mother’s Day Salute:Her Hands by G.P.A.

Mother’s Salute:  Her Hands by G.P.A.

School just let out, and I did not know where my gloves were.  My hands were freezing, nearing frozen. Whether lost or stolen, my hands were without them, and it was freezing outside.  I was a fourth grader not accustomed to being outside in these temperatures. So in the middle of Bradwell Elementary School’s giant playground, I cried.

Out of nowhere, my mother arrived and immediately placed her arms around me. With her hands, she wiped my tears from my face.  With her hands, she rubbed my shoulders to calm me. My mother then placed one then another glove on my hands.  And as we walked home, I looked over at my mother smiling.  It wasn’t until she asked for them later that I realized the gloves she placed on my hands, were from her hands.

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Ma, Mom, and Momma by Minolta White

Ma, Mom, and Momma
by Minolta White

My momma was eighteen when she had me. Daddy said I almost killed her coming into the world.  As tiny and fragile as a sunflower seed. I lay inside of an incubator prematurely fighting for my life. Daddy said momma never left my side. It was the sound of her voice, the purity of her touch, and sheer presence of God that helped us walk out of that hospital. For three days I was just the baby Walker without a first name. Daddy and Momma compromised and met in the middle. The M in my name would represent my father Marvin and C would represent Connie. From that day forward I would be known as Minolta Cherquita Walker.  School children would mimic my name for years to come and I cry in a pillow with confusion.

For two years I was the only child until my sister and two brothers would come along. Even to this day those were the two best years of my life. Connie, was just MY momma, she belonged only to me and I to her. Yes, first birthdays will always be memorized through photos and year old conversations. However, I’ll always remember the first time my momma straightened my hair with a hot comb on Easter Sunday morning. The first time I scooped the pudding out of the cake bowl as my momma baked me a pink cake for my fifth birthday. I’ll always remember the day I crossed the line and called my momma by her first name and how she hit me so hard that I saw rainbows for days. She forewarned with a firm index finger that I shall never call her anything except momma. That was a lesson I will never forget as long as I live.

Over the years I’ve watched my momma age as gracefully with time as good wine does. She was just a fresh faced young girl with olive skin, big brown eyes, a Kool-Aid smile, womanly hips, and a heart made of gold. In my eyes she was a hero that could conquer any and all things. I only knew her as momma. The world knew more.

Childhood days became vivid memories of progression into the inevitable adolescence and womanhood. I remember my first day of school like it was yesterday. Believing in my heart of hearts that school was only a temporary situation until my momma could spend more time with me. School wasn’t for me. I wanted to be at home with momma eating vanilla wafers, playing go fish, running around in the backyard barefoot, and combing momma’s hair.  Several butt whippings later my hopes of staying at home diminished. Momma went to work and these other people started showing up in our group. First my sister and two boys behind her.  I quickly learned the meaning of sharing. 

The older I became the more I wanted to be like momma. Momma wore her hair down, wore red lipstick, plum red polish, and high heeled shoes and I wanted to too. Well, over the years I quickly learned that I couldn’t do everything momma did and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t beat momma at her own game. I remember momma buying me my first bra and showing me how to put the bra on. You wouldn’t believe how many times I forgot to put a bra on. Momma would yell and I’d give her a look of confusion. After a few slaps against the head I finally figured it out. My body changed, hormones flared, and teenage adolescence became a territorial war between momma and I. Many days I’m sure she rolled her eyes and prayed to God to give her the strength to raise a woman child. Daddy was dead but I’m sure if he wasn’t, momma would’ve killed him dead many days before.  Many boyfriends, headaches, backslap, and curse words later my momma and I are like best friends again. 

In 2005, I gave birth to my first born son. During the delivery my momma held my hand, wiped my tears, and kissed my cheek as I brought my child in the world. I was scared. There was no one else in the world I wanted by my side other than my momma. We’ve laughed argued, exchanged gifts, bonded, and even shared a couple of recipes on keeping a man over the years. I love my momma because she’s a woman of strength, stature, love, resilience, and beauty. There isn’t a day that goes by that she doesn’t get on my nerves. It’s only payback.  I call often and sometimes too much because momma’s got a life too. You only get one momma and I’m glad Connie Mary Walker is mine.

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Mama B – A Time to Speak by Michelle Stimpson

Mama B – A Time to Speak (Book 1)
by Michelle Stimpson

The good folks at Mt. Zion Baptist are doing their best to keep the church flowing smoothly while Pastor Phillips takes time off to be with his wife in her final days. Beatrice “Mama B” Jackson even opens her home so that the women’s groups can continue to meet faithfully after some “rascal” stole the copper from the church’s air conditioning unit. With her semi-estranged granddaughter and great-grandson staying in the guest room, Mama B soon has a full house.

When the interim preacher, Pastor Dukes and his wife start touting messages that don’t line up with the Bible, Mama B wonders how and if she can intervene without causing strife in the congregation or discouraging the young couple.

However, Mama B can only take so much of this foolishness. Though her own faith might be intact, she can’t have her great-grandson believing that God is a Sugar Daddy in the sky. Soon enough, Mama B will realize that there is much more at stake than she or anyone else at Mt. Zion ever imagined. And it’s time to speak.

Mama B – A Time to Speak is a novella (a short novel) full of godly wisdom and humor that will make you take a deep breath after that last page and smile from the inside out.

Purchase your copy here today:
http://www.amazon.com/Mama-Time-Speak-ebook/dp/B0097G7FUG

Mama B – A Time to Dance (Book 2)
by Michelle Stimpson

Mama B thought her life would return to normal, but when her nephew, Derrick, comes knocking on her door, she has to reconsider. Though she’s not known for housing marital fugitives, she realizes Derrick is looking for more than a place to stay; he needs help finding his way back to God.

Of course, help is almost Mama B’s middle name until Henrietta crosses the line with her accusations about Mama B’s intentions with the recently widowed pastor. Mama B isn’t looking for romance with either the pastor or her suitor, Dr. Wilson—but will love come looking for her?

Purchase your copy here today:
http://www.amazon.com/Mama-Time-Dance-Book-ebook/dp/B00C11PGNW

Meet the Author
Michelle Stimpson is a national bestselling author, a speaker, and an educator. She loves the Lord and loves sharing His wisdom through fiction. Listen to an in-depth interview with Michelle and Ella Curry, BAN Radio Show, go.

In addition to her work in the field of education, Michelle Stimpson ministers through writing and public speaking.  Her works include the highly acclaimed Boaz Brown, Divas of Damascus Road (National Bestseller), and Falling Into Grace (which has been optioned for a movie).  She has published several short stories for high school students through her educational publishing company, Right Track Academic Support Services, at http://www.wegottaread.com. 

Michelle Stimpson  is also a “wife coach” through her home church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, TX. She and her husband, Stevie, have raised two wonderful young adults.

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Intimate Conversation with Patricia Anne Phillips

Intimate Conversation with Patricia Anne Phillips

Patricia Anne Phillips resides in Los Angeles, California. She has written nine romance novels. Her first novel Something In Common was self-published. June In Winter, her second novel was published at Kensington Publishing and was featured in Romance Times Magazine as Best Multicultural and best first time Multicultural Romance. As an enthusiastic fan of the romance genre, Patricia was inspired to begin writing her own romance novels.

BPM:  When did you get your first inkling to write, and how did you advance the call for writing?

When I started reading novels I think I always knew that one day I would write a book of my own.  It was just time for me to stop procrastinating and do something about it. Now, I wish I would have years earlier.

BPM:  Introduce us to your book and the primary topics. What makes each one special?

Baldwin Hills Housewives is a story of five women. There is a vast audience that watches OC Housewives, Beverly Hills Housewives, and Atlanta Housewives but there are no housewives in Los Angeles. So I thought it was a good time to write my book.

As for Falling In The Deep, it’s a story that will give readers the real meaning of their marriage vows, a sense of commitment and responsibility.

BPM:  What are you most thankful for right now, today?

I am most thankful that every day when I wake up I can open my eyes and get out of bed.

BPM:  Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book?  When someone finishes your book, what would you like for them to do?

I want readers to be entertained by reading Baldwin Hills Housewives, and for Falling In The Deep, get more knowledge of Multiple Sclerosis and be deeper commented to their marriage and spouse.

BPM:  What are your goals as a writer? Do you set out to educate? Entertain? Illuminate? Inspire?

I write novels that will inspire women so they can understand that whatever problems or unhappiness in their lives, life can be better tomorrow than it is today. 

Baldwin Hills Housewives by Patricia Anne Phillips
ISBN-10: 0989184706;   ISBN-13: 978-0989184700
http://www.amazon.com/Baldwin-Hills-House-Patricia-Phillips/dp/0989184706

Falling In The Deep by Patricia Anne Phillips
Kindle Edition;  ASIN: B00CLVGHOE
http://www.amazon.com/Falling-In-The-Deep-ebook/dp/B00CLVGHOE

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Intimate Conversation with Missy B. Salick

Intimate Conversation with Missy B. Salick

Missy B. Salick is a new author who has written her first novel, Claiming Jeremiah. Her fictional memoir on foster adoption is drawing a hefty buzz around the sensitive topic.  The novel is small in size, but contains a powerful message. “Children in foster care need a place to call home.”  Salick, a foster care advocate, wrote this book based on her personal journey of foster adopting her four-year-old son.

Before self-publishing, Claiming Jeremiah, Salick spent several years as a freelance business writer for Fortune 500 companies such as: Shearman & Sterling, KPMG, Deloitte and many more. She also had a stint with song ghost writing. Salick’s experience in the entertainment industry stems from working with entertainment companies and media including Violator, MBK, Village Voice and more. As the founder of J.J. Autumn Publishing, her publishing company is geared towards highlighting urban fiction dedicated to special causes and community awareness projects.

When Missy is not promoting foster adoption, she can be found volunteering at Junior Achievement, being a Big Sister and counseling young girls through Journal Writing or helping to save the Polar Bears with WWF.

Featured Book: Claiming Jeremiah by Missy B. Salick

On the same night that twenty four-year-old Jordyn Sims has a miscarriage, her sister-in-law Tori Sims conceives a child. Nine months later, Tori, a long term heroin addict, abandons her two-hour-old drug addicted newborn Jeremiah, in a hospital stairwell. Jordyn receives the news and pursues foster adoption.

However, Oscar, Tori’s possessive drug-addicted boyfriend, is not about to give Jeremiah up so easily. While in confrontation with Tori and Oscar, Jordyn seeks help from the Administration of Children Services (ACS), only to discover she is faced with a maze of departments, regulations, legalities and overworked social workers. Jordyn, however, remains strong and continues to push through the uphill battle, even after she discovers she’s pregnant.

With all odds against her adoption of Jeremiah, and her pregnancy at high risk from increasing stress, will Jordyn win this tough battle, or will her world crumble before her?

Book Review by Mary King

Missy really went under cover and described the nitty gritty of dealing with the foster care system in a whole. She has written an intriguing story giving you the facts from A-Z. The story became more personable once I learned she based the story off her own experience. Everything you have wanted to know about the system but afraid to ask is here. From page 1 you are introduced to the realness of the characters. There are no cut cards. You get the real, raw, emotions of two women’s journey. Jordyn tells you the story of how to foster adopt, remain focused and never give up. Then you will follow Tori on her journey of coping with the reality of her child in care and heavy drug use.

With the adoption subject it can often be portrayed as boring, however, Missy does a wonderful job at keeping you entertained with dramatic scenes throughout the book. I am recommending this book to all my family and friends. Its an eye opener!

Book Review by Toni Mar’

This novel is amazing. I was looking for a story that would tell me more about the foster care system. This book not only gave me all the resource information but also helped me understand the birth parents perspective. I always wandered who were the parents behind the children in care. Why do they end up there? Why do the parents leave them behind? This books gives you great answers to the what ifs? It also gives you true facts behind the children awaiting adoption. I can’t wait for the sequel.

BPM:    What inspired you to write your first book?

I was inspired to write Claiming Jeremiah after dealing with experiences in my foster adoption. During, my journey there were limited resources that included a how-to-guide full of facts, along with a story line giving you the – who, what, why? There are a lot of different terms and avenues you will face and may not clearly understand while dealing with a foster agency. This book was important to me, to not only to share the story, but to give (potential) foster parents fundamental facts about the process.

BPM:    Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes. There are over 400,000 children in care today needing a place to call home. More than 60,000 are free to be adopted. While foster adoption is not for everyone – please take the time to research, find out information and if you can, open your heart and home. Also, I wanted to give readers a glimpse of the birth parents side, whose children end up in care from substance abuse parents. 

BPM:    Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

The most challenging for me with writing, is finding a “designated time.”  I tend to only write when I have a million other things happening. In the midst of my kids playing with their toys and screaming to the top of their lungs or while I’m out and about running errands – the urge to write will consume me and I have to stop where I am and write.

BPM:    What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The hardest part of writing this book was dealing with the aftermath of a lot of emotions I had buried long ago. Claiming Jeremiah was birthed from several journals I had kept over the course of a few years. After I wrote down certain feelings in my journals they were forgotten, lost in the pages. Until I decided to write this book and the feelings resurfaced. 

BPM:     Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

The learning experience was incredible and I learned so much that I would be here all day if I told you everything. The most important I learned was patience. For me I was very use to writing articles, interviews or other short pieces. Writing a full length book is very time consuming and tedious. Patience is the key to finishing the book and having a successful outcome.

BPM:    If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

For your first novel, I think there is always something you would want to change or would have done differently. However, unless you want it to stay saved on your hard drive, you have to get to a comfortable place and learn to “let it go”. 

BPM:    Can you share a little of your current work with us?

My current piece is a romantic comedy novella, Untitled, about a young woman who has been married to her high school boyfriend for the past ten years. Tired of feeling neglected and unappreciated, she moves his stuff into the basement and decides to start over by dating him.

Connect with Missy B. Salick
Website:  http://www.meetmissy.com
Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/meetmissy24
Instagram:  http://instagram.com/meetmissy24/#
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/meetmissy24

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Intimate Conversation with J.M. Lominy

Intimate Conversation with J.M. Lominy

Life began for J.M. Lominy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  As a husband, father, nurse and veteran Lominy has been making room to write since 2000.  Specializing in Historical Fiction, he is the author of the upcoming book, The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale.  His work, both poetic and determined in voice, places an emphasis on the Haitian experience as witnessed through the life of passionate characters. Mr. Lominy currently resides in Georgia with his wife and his three sons.  Visit J.M. Lominy at:  http://jmlominy.com 

BPM:  When did you get your first inkling to write, and how did you advance the call for writing?

I got my first inkling to write during my first year of college.  It was an emotional time and my life was full of turmoil.  After being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps, my finances were stretched thin, I did not fit in with my peers, and at twenty-two years old I was a husband and father of two.

It was during that time, 1993, poetry came to me as if a flood bursting through a dam.  The enormity of it was so strong I had to put it on paper. I always had stories coming to me even as a child and I had difficulty staying focus with all the colorful stories floating around in my mind but they never made it to paper. This continued into adulthood.

At the age of thirty-two I went to Haiti for the funeral of my maternal uncle, who was like a father to me.  It was at that time, I realized how disconnected I was with my country of birth.  I had limited knowledge of my history.  I started to read books on Haitian history and that stimulated a barrage of story ideas.  From that time on, I attended writer’s conferences, read books on the art of writing and more than anything else, I wrote.

BPM:  Do you have anyone in your life that was heavily influential in your deciding to become an author?

My wife, has always been that voice to keep me on a straight path.  Telling me to stay focus.  She was my first critic, a harsh one at that.  She also pushed me to pursue what made me happy.

BPM:  Introduce us to your book and the main characters. What makes each one special? Do you have any favorites?

In 1957 Haiti was in turmoil.  The former president is in exile and his seat is up for grabs.  A popular Haitian senator is assassinated and the assassin escapes to find himself hunted by an unknown psychopathic killer.

Pierre-André François is twenty-six years old, a handsome star soccer player.  He is pleasant, approachable and adored by thousands of fans.  He is sometimes a jokester with witty intelligence.  He has a secret; he is the vile and feared assassin known as The Little Rose.

Marie-Anne Savoire, is a young energetic and stylish beauty that dates wealthy men or those in position of power.  She has that ability to make a man pause in mid-sentence once she enters a room.  She is a close friend of Pierre-André.

Marcel St. Louis is a twenty-four years old medical student with direct lineage from France.  He is the son of an influential retired army general.  He and Pierre-André have been friends since childhood.  Their friendship has developed into something more than friendship.

Frank Gaston, is one of the three leaders in the largest criminal organizations in Haiti.  He is a ruthless strategist.  He is Pierre-André’s maternal uncle and surrogate father.

My favorite character amongst them all is Marie-Anne.   She is full of life and colorful.  I consider her sweet and sour; just as she starts to taste good in your mouth she drops you from boredom.

BPM:  Which character or topic in the book can you identify with the most? Why?

One of the topics in the book I identify with is family.  My main character, Pierre-André is an efficient killer, but deep down in his mind and spirit, he is family centered; that is his core, his Achilles heel.  I can identify with that, family is important to me.

BPM:  What inspired you to write this book?  Does your faith or education inspire your writing?

The inspiration for this book came from the vestibules of knowledge flowing through my mind.  It just came to me, like many other ideas that will morph into books.  I have a constant flow of thoughts that resonate in my mind while I do my daily activities.  Some of them end up on paper.  It has always been that way with me.

Faith and education does inspire my writing.  It can be found throughout my writing.  It is intertwined within my story as though a dash of spice that you know is there but you could barely taste it.

BPM:  Is this the book you intended on writing or did the story take on a life of its own as you were writing? How do you stay focused?

What I call the book fairies took over the story and it turned out better than I anticipated.  On many occasions I had to take a conscious pause and weight the pros and cons of going with the story in a certain direction.  I kept focus by sequestering myself in my office while listening to jazz. Visualizing my book on the shelves of the big bookstores or the retailer’s was also a motivator.  I arise daily at 4am to write.

BPM:  Share with us a quote  from one of the most powerful chapters.

“If a man muddies his shoe, does he not clean it, or should he buy another.”

BPM:  Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book?

I want readers to gain knowledge of Haiti, its people and the core that binds us all; family, religion and politics.

BPM:  What are your goals as a writer? Did you set out to educate? Entertain? Illuminate? Inspire?

My goals as a writer is to educate, entertain and illuminate about the Haitian experience.  An experience that is no different than any other human struggle.  What makes it unique is that Haiti is rich with colors.

When you’re in Haiti, the air feels alive the stars twinkle hinting at the secrets they keep.  Haitians smile no matter their condition.  I bring those feelings in my story; a historical fiction that you will want to be true.

BPM:  What would you like to accomplish as you continue to write?

I would like to develop a brand that resonates with readers through laughter, excitement, and gratification.  Overall, I want readers to know that every time they open a J.M. Lominy novel, they will be entertained in a different and unsuspecting kind of way.

BPM:  A Legacy is something that is handed down from one period of time to another period of time. Finish this sentence- “My writing offers the following legacy to future readers… ”

My writing offers the following legacy, a look into the past that brings clarity to the present.

BPM:  We are here to shine the spotlight on your new book, but what’s next?  How may our readers follow you online?

I am writing the sequel to the current book.  In addition, I’m starting another book line under another name and genre.  Readers can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and they can sign up for my newsletter at WWW.JMLOMINY.COM.

The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale by J.M. Lominy, chapter one is available for immediate reading:   http://jmlominy.com/books/chapter-1

J.M. Lominy website: http://jmlominy.com 
Pinterest:   http://pinterest.com/jmlominy
Twitter:   https://twitter.com/JMLOMINY
Twitter:  https://www.facebook.com/JmLominy

 Pre-order your copy today from the J.M. Lominy website:  http://jmlominy.com 

The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale
Available on Kindle and Nook

Genre:  Historical Fiction.  Family, Religion, and Politics
ISBN-10: 0988827719 ebook           13: 978-0-9888277-1-4 ebook
ISBN-10: 0988827700 paperback     13: 978-0-9888277-07 paperback

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Intimate Conversation with Cerece Rennie Murphy

Intimate Conversation with Cerece Rennie Murphy

Cerece Rennie Murphy lives and writes just outside of her hometown of Washington, DC. In addition to completing the Order of the Seers trilogy, Ms. Murphy is also developing a children’s book series titled Enchanted: 5 Tales of Magic in the Everyday and a book on understanding marriage/relationship advice for single women entitled More than the Ring.  To learn more about the author and her upcoming projects, visit her website at http://www.crmurphybooks.com.

BPM:  When did you get your first inkling to write science fiction/speculative fiction, and how did you advance the call for writing in this genre?

I am as surprised as anyone that I am a sci-fi/speculative fiction writer.  I have loved the genre from since I was a little girl watching Star Wars on the big screen, but I never thought I could be a writer, much less a science fiction writer.  But one day, while washing the dishes I got this vision of a man walking towards me.  He had a cataract-like film over his eyes with ash blonde hair and dark skin.  Immediately, I knew his name was Marcus and that he was a Seer.  Literally within minutes I had this whole world running through my mind and I just knew I wouldn’t let it go.  I didn’t even know if I could write the story that was in my head, but I never doubted that I would try.  To me, the story of the Seers is a gift.  One I am privileged to tell.

As far as advancing the call for writing in this genre, I don’t know that I have done that.  There are a ton of talented authors in this genre and I am happy to be among them.  But if seeing my work and hearing my story can convince someone who is wavering in their own desire to write to jump in the ring then I am even more honored to be in the position that I am.

BPM:  Do you have anyone in your life that was heavily influential in your deciding to become an author?

My sister Monica and my friend Trice Hickman.  From since I was a teenager, my oldest sister, Monica, has been telling me that I could write.  She was the first person that I ever let read my poems and I know her encouragement helped me believe that somewhere in me was the ability to write these stories.  My other big influence was and continues to be Trice Hickman.  When I called Trice and told her about this story idea that I had, she was so excited.  Immediately, she said “You’re writing a book!”  I told her that I hadn’t even written down the first word and she said “Oh, that doesn’t matter.  You’re going to write a book!” Watching the sheer determination and professionalism with which she has approached the artistry and business of becoming an author is truly awe-inspiring.

BPM:  Introduce us to your book and the main characters. What makes each one special? Do you have any favorites?

The first book in the Order of the Seers trilogy is about a group of people who can see the future and are enslaved for that ability.  The story takes you on the journey of how they escape the organization that seeks to exploit them, regain their strength and ultimately fight back.  The characters in Order of the Seers are struggling to understand who they are given the extraordinary gifts and situations that they have been forced into.  And you see them make some incredible discoveries about life and love as they grow to accept themselves and their abilities.

With the sequel, The Red Order, they take that knowledge further.  Now that they understand who they are, the Seers really show you what they can do with that awareness.  And all your favorites from the first book are back, Liam and Alessandra, Lilli and Joel, Maura, Tess, Katia and Eric.  I think you get to know them a lot better in this book and watch them come together as family with a mission.  But unlike in the first book, when they were just fighting for their own survival, each of them understands that they are playing a vital role in something far greater than themselves.   You also get to know our villains a lot better in The Red Order, which I think is really fun.  If you thought Crane was despicable in Order of the Seers, just wait!  His true colors come out in full force in The Red Order.

As for favorites, I have to say that I love the Seers.  Liam and Joel are my favorites in this book because their sacrifices are so profound, but I think that is true of almost every character in these books.

BPM:  Which character or topic in the book can you identify with the most? Why?

I think at its core, these books are about discovering and realizing your own potential and it’s interesting because I didn’t know that when I started writing the books.  It was only later that I could see my own struggle to understand myself written between the lines of the page.  I think all of us are told who we are – by our parents, our bosses, our communities.  Sometimes those opinions are right, but not often.  I think it is our work as human beings to find out who we truly are and distinguish between our true selves and who people say we are.  Often we are limited by other people’s perceptions of us.  Their perspective defines what we believe we can and cannot do.  But the real question is always who are you, purely, truly.  I think the answer to that question opens up infinite potential in each of us.  Answering that question for myself has been a decade long journey and I am still on that path.  But I have noticed that the clearer I am about the answer, the more I am capable of.

BPM:  Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your books?

First and foremost, I would like them to enjoy the story.  I hope that it provides whatever escape or entertainment they are seeking from it.  But ultimately, I hope they close these books, look in the mirror and ask themselves, what am I capable of?  I would love for the readers of the Order of the Seers trilogy to become really curious about the difference between what they believe about themselves and what is actually true.  I hope they begin to rattle the lock of their own perception.

BPM:  What are your goals as a writer? Do you set out to educate? Entertain? Illuminate? Inspire?

As a writer, my goal is very simple – to be true to the story that I am trying to tell.  What that means for me is keeping in the mindset that allows me to override my own baggage about what I want to say, or am afraid to say and just tell the story.  With all of the stories I have in my head, I don’t feel like the originator.  I feel like each story line is a gift given to me for the purpose of telling.  I chose each word in hopes of being worthy enough to tell the story as it needs to be told.  If I have done that, then it is a success.  If I do that, I believe the story will do the rest – reach who it needs to reach, inspire who it needs to inspire.  For me, the story itself is illuminating, inspiring, educational and entertaining.  My part is simply to write the story so that its essence can shine through to the heart that needs it.

BPM:  Share with us your latest news. How may our readers follow you online?

I am very excited about the June 18, 2013 release of The Red Order.  The book will be available on Amazon and BN.com as well as your local bookstore (though they may have to order it for you J) in both paperback and ebook format.  Then, starting at the end of May, I will be attending a number of sci-fi/comic conventions in Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York, so please visit my website at http://www.crmurphybooks.com to find out the latest information on my appearances and upcoming projects.  Links to the Order of the Seers Facebook page can be accessed from my website.  I am also on Twitter at @cerecermurphy or you can always email me at cerecemurphy@gmail.com

BPM:  Thank you for sharing a little bit about yourself, your journey and your book with our readers!

Thank you, Ella and all the Black Pearl Magazine readers.  It has been a pleasure!

Twitter:  @cerecermurphy
Author website:  http://www.crmurphybooks.com
FB page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Order-Of-The-Seers/205753729546299

The Red Order by Cerece Rennie Murphy
Science Fiction;   ISBN-10: 0985621028;    ISBN-13: 978-0985621025
Topics: Supernatural powers, conspiracy, spiritual development and romantic love
Available book formats:  Paperback, Kindle, Nook, iTunes, and Sony Kobo

Purchase Books by Cerece Rennie Murphy

The Red Order – http://www.amazon.com/Red-Order-Cerece-Rennie-Murphy/dp/0985621028

Order of the Seers – http://www.amazon.com/Order-Seers-Cerece-Rennie-Murphy/dp/0985621001

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Sneak Peek: Have No Shame by Melissa Foster

HAVE NO SHAME; Where civil rights and forbidden love collide, will resonate with readers who enjoyed Kathryn Stockett’s, THE HELP, Julie Kibler’s, CALLING ME HOME, John Grisham’s, A TIME TO KILL, Sue Monk Kidd’s, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, and Kathleen Grissom’s, THE KITCHEN HOUSE.

Hagerstown Magazine calls HAVE NO SHAME a, “A gripping and poignant novel dealing with a subject once taboo in American society.”   When a secretive friendship with a young black man takes an unexpected romantic turn, Alison is forced to choose between her predetermined future, and the dangerous path that her heart yearns for.

HAVE NO SHAME is an emotionally compelling coming of age novel featuring a young woman who cannot reconcile the life she wants with the one she’s been brought up to live.  Have No Shame will resonate with anyone who has ever fallen in love, and those who have been forced to choose between what they know in their hearts to be true, and what others would like them to believe.

Chapter Excerpt from Have No Shame by Melissa Foster

It was the end of winter 1967, my father was preparin’ the fields for plantin’, the Vietnam War was in full swing, and spring was peekin’ its pretty head around the corner. The cypress trees stood tall and bare, like sentinels watchin’ over the St. Francis River. The bugs arrived early, thick and hungry, circlin’ my head like it was a big juicy vein as I walked across the rocks toward the water.

My legs pled with me to jump from rock to rock, like I used to do with my older sister, Maggie, who’s now away at college. I hummed my new favorite song, Penny Lane, and continued walkin’ instead of jumpin’ because that’s what’s expected of me. I could just hear Daddy admonishin’ me, “You’re eighteen now, a grown up. Grown ups don’t jump across rocks.” Even if no one’s watchin’ me at the moment, I wouldn’t want to disappoint Daddy. If Maggie were here, she’d jump. She might even get me to jump. But alone? No way.

The river usually smelled of sulfur and fish, with an underlyin’ hint of desperation, but today it smelled like somethin’ else all together. The rancid smell hit me like an invisible billow of smog. I covered my mouth and turned away, walkin’ a little faster. I tried to get around the stench, thinkin’ it was a dead animal carcass hidin’ beneath the rocks. I couldn’t outrun the smell, and before I knew it I was crouched five feet above the river on an outcroppin’ of rocks, and my hummin’ was replaced by retchin’ and dry heavin’ as the stench infiltrated my throat. I peered over the edge and fear singed my nerves like thousands of needles pokin’ me all at once. Floatin’ beneath me was the bloated and badly beaten body of a colored man. A scream escaped my lips. I stumbled backward and fell to my knees. My entire body began to shake. I covered my mouth to keep from throwin’ up. I knew I should turn away, run, get help, but I could not go back the way I’d come. I was paralyzed with fear, and yet, I was strangely drawn to the bloated and ghastly figure.

I stood back up, then stumbled in my gray midi-skirt and saddle shoes as I made my way over the rocks and toward the riverbank. The silt-laden river was still beneath the floatin’ body. A branch stretched across the river like a boney finger, snaggin’ the bruised and beaten body by the torn trousers that clung to its waist. His bare chest and arms were so bloated that it looked as if they might pop. Tremblin’ and gaspin’ for breath, I lowered myself to the ground, warm tears streamin’ down my cheeks.

While fear sucked my breath away, an underlyin’ curiousity poked its way through to my consciousness. I covered my eyes then, tellin’ myself to look away. The reality that I was seein’ a dead man settled into my bones like ice. Shivers rattled my body. Whose father, brother, uncle, or friend was this man? I opened my eyes again and looked at him. It’s a him, I told myself. I didn’t want to see him as just an anonymous, dead colored man. He was someone, and he mattered. My heart pounded against my ribcage with an insistence—I needed to know who he was. I’d never seen a dead man before, and even though I could barely breathe, even though I could feel his image imprintin’ into my brain, I would not look away. I wanted to know who had beaten him, and why. I wanted to tell his family I was sorry for their loss.

An uncontrollable urgency brought me to my feet and drew me closer, on rubber legs, to where I could see what was left of his face. A gruesome mass of flesh protruded from his mouth. His tongue had bloated and completely filled the openin’, like a flesh-sock had been stuffed in the hole, stretchin’ his lips until they tore and the raw pulp poked out. Chunks of skin were torn or bitten away from his eyes.

I don’t know how long I stood there, my legs quakin’, unable to speak or turn back the way I had come. I don’t know how I got home that night, or what I said to anyone along the way. What I do know is that hearin’ of a colored man’s death was bad enough—I’d heard the rumors of whites beatin’ colored men to death before—but actually seein’ the man who had died, and witnessin’ the awful remains of the beatin’, now that terrified me to my core. A feelin’ of shame bubbled within me. For the first time ever, I was embarrassed to be white, because in Forrest Town, Arkansas, you could be fairly certain it was my people who were the cause of his death. And as a young southern woman, I knew that the expectation was for me to get married, have children, and perpetuate the hate that had been bred in our lives. My children, they’d be born into the same hateful society. That realization brought me to my knees.

( Continued… )

© 2013 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Melissa Foster.  This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher’s written permission. Share a link to this page or the author’s website if you really like this promotional excerpt.

Purchase HAVE NO SHAME by Melissa Foster
ASIN (Kindle) B00CC34O1E
ISBN (Paperback) 978-0989050845

(Paperback) http://www.amazon.com/Have-No-Shame-Melissa-Foster/dp/098905084X

(Kindle) http://www.amazon.com/Shame-rights-forbidden-collide-ebook/dp/B00CC34O1E

 

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Sneak Peek: A HOUSE DIVIDED by Kimberla Lawson Roby

A House Divided  by  Kimberla Lawson Roby

Life is close to perfect for the Reverend Curtis Black and his wife, Charlotte—except their son Matthew and his girlfriend, Racquel, are about to become parents at the tender age of eighteen. Even though Curtis and Charlotte wish Matthew could focus on Harvard instead of fatherhood, they are determined to welcome their new grandson with open arms. But for Charlotte, welcoming her future in-laws is another story. Try as she might, Charlotte can’t stand Racquel’s mother, Vanessa—and the feeling appears to be mutual.

When the tension between Charlotte and Vanessa finally erupts, the stress sends an already-fragile Racquel into early labor. Everyone is quick to blame Charlotte, including Matthew and Curtis. Of course, this infuriates Charlotte—the idea that her husband would side with someone else—and it strains the relationship she and Curtis have only recently been able to repair. Her one ally, though, is Racquel’s father, but that brings problems of its own.

While Charlotte schemes against Vanessa, Curtis is consumed with his own concerns about Deliverance Outreach. A mysterious figure from his past has been sending Curtis cryptic messages threatening to take away Curtis’s coveted position as senior pastor and destroy everything he has worked so hard for. But who could hate Curtis that much? And how can he fight an enemy he can’t even name?

Times of trouble are descending upon the Black family in more ways than one. Will they be able to overcome their challenges and stand together against someone who could take it all away? Or is the Black family finally out of miracles?

A HOUSE DIVIDED by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Chapter 2

As soon as the automatic ER doors opened, Curtis, who was dressed casually in a black turtleneck, black pants and a black leather jacket—perfect for the mild January temperatures they were having—quickly strutted through them.  Charlotte left everyone in the waiting area, rushing toward him.  She hugged him as though her life depended on it, and wished she never had to let him ago—she prayed this nightmare wasn’t actually happening.

“So is there any news?” Curtis asked.  “I got here as fast as I could, and I called Matt while I was driving.  He’s worried to death.”

“I can only imagine, and no, so far we haven’t heard a thing.  Vanessa and Neil are in with Racquel, though.”

“Well, we may as well have a seat,” he said.

Charlotte really didn’t want to, not with some of Racquel’s relatives and her mother’s friends still there.  They’d been gawking at her and whispering the whole half an hour they’d been there, and not one person had tried to console her.  She could tell they blamed her and not Vanessa, and that they didn’t care how she was feeling.  They acted as though they hated her.

But since there was nowhere else to go, at least not where they’d be able to receive in-person updates about Racquel and the baby, she went along with Curtis and sat back down in the waiting area.  Curtis said hello to a few of the women, and Charlotte wanted to slap two of these Jezebels because of the way they were staring at him.  Women.  They knew full well who Curtis was and that he was very married, but that certainly hadn’t stopped them from smiling at him like teenage school girls.  Charlotte almost laughed out loud, though, because neither of them could hold a candle to her in the looks or class department, and what she wanted to tell them was that Curtis would never have either one of them; not even if he was single and desperate.

Another half hour passed, and Curtis’s phone rang.  It was Matthew.

“Hey son,” he said.  “No, not yet…I know, but everything is going to be fine.  I’ve been praying like never before, and I already called some of my staff members.  They’re praying and they’re going to ask for everyone else’s prayers.  It’s Saturday, and no one is working this afternoon at the church, but Lana is going to ask one of our administrative assistants to post it on our Facebook and Twitter feeds.  A lot of the members follow them, and I know everyone will be praying for Racquel and the baby.”

Charlotte looked on as Curtis tried to calm their son and reassure him that everything was going to be okay and while she loved Matthew, she was hoping he didn’t want to speak to her.  She didn’t want to have to answer the kind of questions she knew he would ask.

“Your mom?” Curtis said, looking at her, and Charlotte swallowed the lump in her throat.  “She’s right here.  Hold on.”

Charlotte hesitated but then took the phone.  “Hi son, how are you?”

“Not good, Mom.  What happened?  Why did Racquel go into labor?  I’ve been trying to call you.”

Charlotte knew he’d been trying to call, but she’d pressed IGNORE each time his number had displayed.  She’d wanted so badly to hear his voice, but she just hadn’t been able to do it.

“Honey, I don’t know,” she lied.  “One minute Racquel was opening her gifts, and the next she was screaming out in pain and her water had broken.  It’s all a mystery, and I’m so sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too, and if I don’t hear something soon, I’m taking the last flight out of here.”

Charlotte had known this was coming, and she had to talk him out of it.  “Sweetie, I don’t think that’s a good idea.  I mean, I know how worried you are, but you just started your second semester.  You really don’t need to miss any classes this week.”

“But what about Racquel and the baby?  They really need me, Mom.  They need me to be there.”

“Your dad and I are here, and your grandparents will be, too.  Plus, we may be worrying for nothing because there’s a chance that Racquel and the baby will be fine.  Babies come early all the time with no problems.”

“Still, I really need to be there.  I’ll bet Racquel is terrified.”

“Why don’t you just wait until we hear more,” she said, trying to appease him.  “Then, if you still think you need to come, we’ll make a reservation for you.”

“Whatever, mom,” he said.  “I just don’t understand this, though.  Because with the exception of Racquel’s blood pressure being a little high, she’d been doing fine, and so was the baby.  I just don’t get what went wrong.”

Charlotte didn’t say anything.

“Can I speak back to Dad?”

“Of course, and honey, I love you.”

 “I love you, too.”

Charlotte handed the phone over to Curtis.

“Son, don’t worry,” he said.  “We just have to trust and believe that God is going to protect Racquel and the baby.  We have to stay prayerful.”

Curtis chatted with Matthew for a few more minutes and then told him he’d call him back as soon as they knew something.  Charlotte phoned her mom and dad, her friend, Janine, and then her Aunt Emma to let them know what was going on.  Curtis had dropped their daughter, Curtina, off at Aunt Emma’s before heading to the hospital, so Charlotte had wanted to check on her, too.

Finally, after another twenty minutes or so, a thirty-something nurse walked into the waiting area.  “Hi, I’m looking for the Anderson family.”

Racquel’s Aunt Laura spoke up.  “We’re the Anderson family.”

“And the Black family, too.  We’re the baby’s other grandparents,” Charlotte said matter-of-factly, but when Curtis glanced at her disapprovingly, she regretted it.

“It’s good to meet all of you,” the nurse said.  “I’m here because Racquel wanted me to let you know that she’s fine, and that she just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.”

Everyone blew a sigh of relief, and tears streamed down Charlotte’s face.  Everyone hugged the person sitting next to them, and Charlotte squeezed Curtis as tightly as she could. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord,” she said.

The nurse smiled at everyone.  “Okay, well, I just wanted to give you the great news, and Dr. and Mrs. Anderson will be out shortly.”

“Thank you for the update,” Curtis said.

“No problem.  We all love Dr. Anderson here, so we sort of feel like little Baby Anderson is our baby, too.”

You mean little Matthew Curtis Black the Second.  Charlotte wished she could yell those words out loud for the whole world to hear, but she knew Curtis wouldn’t like it, and that it would likely infuriate Vanessa’s friends and family members, so she didn’t.

“We really do appreciate everything you’ve done for my great niece and great-great nephew,” Aunt Laura added.

“You’re quite welcome.  You all take care now,” the nurse said, turning and leaving.

Curtis pulled out his iPhone, preparing to dial Matthew.  “Wow, God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.”

“One of Vanessa’s friends—one of the “ugly teenage school girls” who’d spoken to Curtis when he’d first walked in—said, “You are so right, Pastor, and I just know it helped having a true man of God like yourself praying the way you were.  A man like you must have the absolute best relationship with Jesus, and I’m sure that’s why He answered your prayers so quickly.

Curtis smiled, and Charlotte was glad Matthew had answered his phone on the first ring because had this woman continued her flirtatious looks and comments, Charlotte would have had to set her straight and the scenario would have been worse than it had been between her and Vanessa.  Charlotte hated feeling this way, but she just couldn’t stand it when women blatantly came on to her husband, letting him know they wanted him and that they didn’t care whether he had a wife or not.  This woman acted as though, Charlotte wasn’t even sitting there.

“Hey, son,” Curtis said.  “Great news.  You have beautiful little boy, and Racquel is fine, too….yes, they’re both doing well.  We’re just waiting for Racquel’s parents to come out to give us more details…no, I really don’t think you need to come, unless you maybe just want to fly in tonight and then right back out tomorrow.  That way you won’t miss your classes on Monday…yeah, that would work, too, so just let me know what you decide once you speak to Racquel.  I’m sure you’ll be able to talk to her soon…Okay, I love you, too, son.”

What did he say?” Charlotte said.  “And why did you say, ‘that would work, too’?”

“Matt was saying that since Racquel and the baby are fine, maybe he’ll just wait and miss class on Friday only.  That way, he can fly home Thursday night and stay until Sunday.”

“He really shouldn’t miss any classes at all.”

“I know, baby, but he has a new son, and I totally understand why he wants to see him.  He’s a father now and if I were him, I’d want to get here right away, too.”

“I realize that, but Matt worked hard to get straight As all the way through high school.  I just don’t wanna see him ruin his scholarship.  It’s not every day that any child receives a four-year academic scholarship to Harvard University, and the last thing he needs is to be missing classes.  Not to mention jeopardizing his grades.”

Charlotte looked over at Aunt Laura, along with the hussy who was still gawking at Curtis, and wished they’d mind their own business.  They’d been listening to her and Curtis’s entire conversation, and there was no doubt they would take every bit of it back to Vanessa.  They’d twist and exaggerate Charlotte’s words and have Vanessa thinking Charlotte didn’t want her own son to fly home to see his new baby, when in reality, all Charlotte wanted was what was best for Matthew and her grandchild.

After an hour had passed everyone started to get worried, and finally Vanessa and Neil came out to the waiting area and led them all to a large executive conference room.  Charlotte assumed since Neil was on staff there, he could use whichever room he wanted.

“Everyone, please have a seat,” he told them.  “Overall, Racquel and little MJ are fine.  But I figured it would be better to speak to everyone in private instead of disturbing the other families.”

Little MJ?  Charlotte kept her mouth shut, but if she’d said it once, she’d said it a thousand times.  Her grandson’s name wasn’t Matthew Jr., it was Matthew II.  Matthew…the…Second.  Matthew…Curtis…Black…the…Second.

“The reason it took us a while to come out here,” Neil continued, “is because little MJ stopped breathing two different times, and they had to intubate him, start and I.V. and place him in an incubator.”

Charlotte covered her mouth with both hands.  “Oh no.”

Curtis shook his head with sadness, and everyone else’s spirits dropped dramatically.

 

( Continued… )

© 2013 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Kimberla Lawson Roby.  This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher’s written permission. Share a link to this page or the author’s website if you really like this promotional excerpt.

To order your copy of A HOUSE DIVIDED from Amazon.com
AMAZON.com – A HOUSE DIVIDED by Kimberla Lawson Roby
http://www.amazon.com/House-Divided-Reverend-Curtis-Black/dp/1455526061

To order your copy of A HOUSE DIVIDED from Barnesandnoble.com
BARNES & NOBLE – A HOUSE DIVIDED by Kimberla Lawson Roby
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-house-divided-kimberla-lawson-roby/1112412053

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Sneak Peek: The Red Order by Cerece Rennie Murphy

The Red Order by Cerece Rennie Murphy

After a surprise defeat in Chicago, the Guild creates The Red Order, unleashing a new weapon against those who dare to challenge their authority.  To survive, a band of renegade Seers, led by Joel Akida and Lilli Knight, must fight against their own kind to protect a truth so powerful that it will destroy the very foundation upon which the Guild is built.  The Red Order continues the epic battle for freedom which began in Order of the Seers, revealing the secret motives behind an organization that exists to exploit and a movement that seeks to usher in the next phase in human evolution.  

Chapter 1 Excerpt: The Defeated

The fact that Crane Le Dieu had barely escaped with his life intact less than ten hours ago did nothing to humble his demeanor as he stormed out of the steel-glass elevator, as bold and arrogant as always. 

“You!” Crane shouted, pointing his finger at the middle-aged Asian woman who sat at the far side of the room. “Did you hear what happened?  How could you let this happen?”

As he cut across the sea of cluttered work stations that made up the office level of the Guild’s lead research facility in Geneva, Dr. Ming Jhu seemed all but oblivious to Crane’s approach.  In contrast to the crackling tension in the room, Ming looked utterly detached as she took a long draw from her cigarette and stared at the email message on her laptop.  As head of Research and Development, it was bad form for her to just be sitting there, so indifferent to her superior while the other scientists around her froze in terror at Crane’s presence.  But she’d been like this for at least an hour.  Even with the Guild’s lockdown protocol, which had them sequestered in their offices at 11 o’clock at night, Crane bursting into their facility yelling demands at her was nothing new.  What felt refreshing was that for the first time, Ming didn’t give a damn. 

It would have been nice, she thought, to have had this objectivity twenty years ago, before she had bartered her life away while most of her colleagues were being killed.  In the early days of the International Science Team’s research on Seers, Eli Tanner, Gerard Morrow, Willem Knight, Neeva Patel, Hasaam Al Attar, and the other lead scientists had been such good mentors to her that she had considered them family, or so she thought, before she choose self-preservation and advancement over them.  By the time the Guild had asked for her allegiance, she knew Willem Knight and Gerard Morrow were dead because of their refusal to cooperate with the Guild’s new agenda to catalog and harness new Seers against their will.  Back then, she was just another eager, twenty-nine year old junior researcher, but she had shown tremendous promise, and the Guild made their interest in her known as soon as it was clear that most of the Seer Project’s lead scientists would need to be replaced.  With the gift of hindsight and twenty-three years of experience behind her, Ming could almost laugh now at the fact that she had been naïve enough to be more flattered than frightened when Crane came to her apartment to recruit her.  It was only later that she learned how much blind ambition and stupidity had in common. 

But Ming’s desire for advancement wasn’t the only thing that kept her with the Guild.  She had also just met Thea Case and was only starting to learn what it meant to find the one person you would do anything for.  In the years that followed, Thea made most of the despicable things Ming had done bearable, if not quite worth it. The irony of what Ming now knew made the rims of her weary eyes burn with the need to cry, but she refused to do that here.  Instead, she squinted at her computer screen while flicking the ash from her unfiltered Dunhill on the floor before taking another long deep drag.  And it’s all for nothing now. It’s all for nothing, she thought as she exhaled the smoke from her cigarette and read the email in front of her for the 47th time.

M – Got your message and saw the news about the lockdown.  Wish I could have told you this in person, but since I don’t know when you’ll be home, I think it’s better to get this out now.  Just came from Dr. William’s office.  I’ve gone into stage four of my cancer.  There’s nothing left to do.  I think it’s time to start letting go.
Love,
Thea

“Do you hear me talking to you?  Are you suddenly deaf?  I know you’ve heard what happened in Chicago.  Andreas and I were lucky to escape with our lives!”  Though Crane was now standing directly behind Ming, his voice had not descended one octave from when he began screaming at her from across the room. 

“Pity,” he heard Ming say softly.

“Excuse me?”  Crane sneered.  He wasn’t sure which part of what he said made her respond so inappropriately, but the insinuation of indifference only made him angrier.

He reached for the back of her chair and spun her around with such force she would have made a complete 360-degree turn if she hadn’t jammed the left 3” heel of her boot into his foot.

When she finally looked up to meet his gaze, she noted that he looked more surprised than in pain, as if he really thought that she had, for a moment, gone deaf.

Disgusted, Ming flicked her ash in Crane’s direction before taking another drag.  Though she had heard about the events in Chicago, she had received the news shortly after Thea’s email and as a result, it fell into the same category as Crane’s presence – nothing she cared about anymore. The calmness she felt now was in sharp contrast to her demeanor two hours ago when she’d first received Thea’s email.

No one, including Crane, moved a muscle as she exhaled her smoke and finally responded to his question.

“I said, what a pity you escaped with your life.”

Watching the shock flash-freeze Crane’s entire expression was the best present she’d received all year. Ming settled back in her chair to enjoy it, letting a satisfied smirk spread across her full, heart-shaped face. 

Recovering slowly from Ming’s brazenness, Crane could not help but smile as he saw the hate Ming had always tried to hide from him on full display.  While he preferred fear, hate from those he considered to be truly powerless was also something he enjoyed, and his mood lightened at the thought of watching Ming attempt to spar with him.  Clearing his throat, Crane rearranged his amusement into a stern expression. 

“You failed,” he began.  “You should have known about their true potential.  It was your job.”

“Oooh,” Ming responded, as her eyes went wide with mock curiosity, “Now you want to know about potential.  That’s funny.  I don’t even know what you’re talking about.  We don’t do science here,” she explained calmly with a wave of her hand around the room.  “We only do what you tell us.  So what can I say?  I guess we’re all just as limited as your imagination.”

Crane hadn’t expected her to cut to the chase so quickly, to turn the tables and blame him for what happened.  His enjoyment was gone as quickly as it came and Ming knew it.  She arched her brow in anticipation of his response. 

“What’s gotten into you? You know better than to test me.” Crane bent down toward her slightly and lowered his voice to a hiss before adding, “I will have her ki-“

“Yeah, see, that’s the thing,” she interrupted.  “I hear you.  I really do.”

Ming turned from him and put out her cigarette on the edge of her desk while keeping her heel firmly dug into what she believed was his big toe.  Why isn’t this hurting him, she wondered in passing as she turned back to Crane with a new cigarette dangling from her lips and a matchbook in her hand. 

“Except, you’re a little late – which is unusual for you, I’ll admit,” she began while looking down to light her cigarette.  “This just hasn’t been your week.”

The corners of Crane’s eyes trembled with the effort it took for him to refrain from reaching out and strangling her where she sat. Though she was focused on lighting up her new-old habit, Ming didn’t miss the twitching of his hands as he waited for her to finish.  It made her proud to see him so out of control.  It had been a long time since she’d had this much power over anything.

Nodding her understanding of his restraint, she continued.  “You see, Thea is dying. I got the email two hours ago,” she paused to fully exhale before adding, “So there literally is no one left for you to kill except me, and as you can see, I’m suddenly feeling up for a fight.”

Crane responded with a loud and mirthless laugh.  Ming fought to keep her back straight as the ice-cold sound made its way down her spine.  There is nothing more he can take from me, she reminded herself as she continued to smoke her cigarette with a slightly less than steady hand.

When his laughter finally died down, Crane returned his gaze to Ming and smiled at her, almost lovingly.  “Ming,” he cooed, “You’re always so articulate.   It’s one of the things I like about you.”

And in less time than it took for Ming to pull the cigarette she had just inhaled from her lips, Crane was over her like the pitch black cover of night as he grabbed the hand that held her cigarette.  Though he was not a particularly large man, Ming was shocked that he still managed to block out all the light from the overhead flood lamps and ceiling-to-wall reflective windows that were meant to inspire greatness from the scientists that worked there.  But Ming couldn’t see any of her colleagues as they stood by passively, couldn’t see anything beyond the charcoal of his herringbone suit as he pushed her chair against the edge of her desk while his face, smooth and pallid, hovered close enough for her to smell the 100 year-old scotch he’d consumed an hour ago. 

“And I do like you, Ming, but not enough to keep you alive if you’re not willing to cooperate,” he said softly.  The dulcet tones of his voice contrasted sharply with his vise grip on her left wrist and hand.  Ming turned slightly toward her twisted fingers to see her cigarette drop red ash on the backside of his hand.  He didn’t flinch.

Even through the pain in her hand, her inquisitive mind could not shut down.  Something is wrong here, she thought.  Her heel was still buried in the fine leather of his shoe and the flesh of his big toe and he had yet to react to it. 

By the way he shifted the bones in her hand, she knew he wanted her to scream.  But as frightened as she was, she knew she was stronger than the breaking of her wrist.  Though her courage had waned, her resolve held firm.  Not trusting her voice to remain steady, Ming did the only thing she could as she forced her gaze upwards to meet Crane’s and exhaled the smoke she’d been holding in her lungs into his face.

If she could have predicted what would happen next, she would have tried to hold her breath forever.  But by the time Crane leaned in closer, it was too late.  She watched in growing horror as Crane’s eyes fluttered closed just before he leaned into the smoke she’d exhaled, and breathed in as if savoring a lover’s caress.  The intimacy of the gesture made her stomach spasm with revulsion.  When Crane opened his eyes to meet hers, he was pleased to find the fear he’d been waiting for.  He finally had her attention.

“I love the taste of something burning,” he whispered, just before Andreas Menten interrupted them.

( Continued… )

© 2013 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Cerece Rennie Murphy.  This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher’s written permission. Share a link to this page or the author’s website if you really like this promotional excerpt.

Purchase Books by Cerece Rennie Murphy

The Red Order – http://www.amazon.com/Red-Order-Cerece-Rennie-Murphy/dp/0985621028
ISBN-10: 0985621028
ISBN-13: 978-0985621025

Order of the Seers – http://www.amazon.com/Order-Seers-Cerece-Rennie-Murphy/dp/0985621001
ISBN-10: 0985621001
ISBN-13: 978-0985621001

About the Author

Cerece Rennie Murphy lives and writes just outside of her hometown of Washington, DC. In addition to completing the Order of the Seers trilogy, Ms. Murphy is also developing a children’s book series titled Enchanted: 5 Tales of Magic in the Everyday and a book on understanding marriage/relationship advice for single women entitled More than the Ring.  To learn more about the author and her upcoming projects, visit her website at http://www.crmurphybooks.com. 

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Sneak Peek: Betrayed by Patricia Haley

Sneak Peek:  Betrayed  by Patricia Haley

Dave Mitchell’s family is shaken to its core when his illicit affair with his secretary, a woman twenty years his junior, results in a pregnancy. Dave has fervently sought redemption from God, but his troubles are far from over. His wife, Madeline, vows never to forgive him or his mistress for selfishly destroying her family. Constant images of betrayal shove Madeline into divorce court, where the division of property ignites a nasty battle over the controlling interest in the family business. She wants more than Dave can give and refuses to settle for less than thirteen years of marriage warrants. Madeline is determined not to lose again.

Once the dust settles and the divorce is finalized, Dave accepts the consequences of his decision as irrevocable. His family is gone, but he remains certain that God has a plan for him. He proposes to Sherry, prepared to move on with his life.

Madeline is enraged by Dave’s persistent sense of peace and his upcoming union with the woman who ruined their lives. She becomes unhinged, obsessed with creating havoc for them.

In the midst of all this chaos, Dave and Madeline’s children are suffering. When an unspeakable tragedy occurs, Madeline refuses to take any responsibility for her part in all the drama. Unless the Mitchell family learns the true meaning of unconditional love, the power of forgiveness, and God’s amazing grace, they could be stuck on this tragic path for years to come.

Betrayed  by Patricia Haley – Chapter 2

“Good morning, Mr. Mitchell,” the security guard called as Dave strolled through the lobby of DMI.

Dave replied with a pleasant greeting. Indeed it was a good morning. For the first time in over a year, he’d slept at home, in his own bed, instead of in the leased unit. Night after night of lying down and getting up in the leased penthouse suite had been agonizing, more than he’d realized until this morning. Waking up and setting his feet on the rug he and Madeline had purchased in Spain many years ago, had given him an extra charge. He was reminded of how happy they once were as a couple.

Rising at 5:00 a.m. to be in the office by 6:00 a.m. didn’t feel as daunting, not today. He was alive. Now that he was at DMI, his place of refuge, he experienced a renewed sense of purpose, which strengthened with each step.

“You have a good day, sir,” Dave told the guard as he approached the elevators. On second thought, he had enough energy to climb the stairs to the sixth floor. He could use the time to clear out any lingering thoughts of the fiasco that had happened with Madeline and the kids when they left the estate yesterday. His feelings wanted to be heavy, but his mind wouldn’t take the guilt trip. He knew better. Fretting over areas that he couldn’t control was dangerous. One thought would lead to regret, with the next stops sure to be guilt and resentment, ending at bitterness and unforgiveness. That wasn’t a path he chose to travel. He’d repented for his infidelity, and as much as failure wanted to press him, there was no regressing. He’d keep stepping.

Dave took two stairs at a time, reaching the executive floor rather quickly. He didn’t want to spend an extra second dwelling on the past if there was nothing to be gained. He went into his office, mentally preparing his agenda for the day. The photo with former President Jimmy Carter and current President Ronald Reagan was prominently displayed on his wall. It was taken a few years ago during the 1980 election campaign and served as the only greeting he got this morning.

Dave prayed for direction and strength as he shunned the negative thoughts. Separation from his kids and divorce from his wife could have killed his spirit, but he’d fought hard not to let despair take residency. He delved into the handful of contracts on his desk prepared to submerge his energy and loneliness into his work.

Time slipped by. By 8:30 a.m. his secretary, Sharon, was poking her head inside his office. The door was open. “Mr. Mitchell. I just wanted to let you know that I’m in.”

“Good. Can you do me a favor and have Frank come up to my office? I need to see him.”

Dave returned his attention to the Eastern Lutheran Group contract after she left. Something wasn’t right. The numbers weren’t adding up. He tapped at the calculator for a while, each time netting the same results.

The eldest Mitchell brother walked in. “You looking for me?” Frank asked.

“Have a seat,” Dave said, pointing to one of the chairs at his conference table. He got up from the desk and went to the table too. “I can’t figure out what’s going on with the Eastern Lutheran Group (ELG) account,” he said, sliding the stapled cluster of papers toward Frank. “This should be four hundred fifty thousand. Based on this quote, all I can come up with is two hundred seventy-five thousand. There’s a mistake somewhere, but for the life of me, I don’t see it.”

Frank breathed a sigh and exhaled loudly. “There’s no mistake,” he said, leaning on the table. Dave looked perplexed. “The numbers don’t lie.”

“Well, somebody’s lying if you’re telling me this is correct. What changed?” Dave asked. “Did they decide to cut down on the number of people they had originally registered to take our leadership training program?”

“Nope. No changes with the assumptions.”

“Then what’s going on?” Dave said emphatically. Frank knew something. Dave could tell. He wasn’t up for games. He needed his brother to start talking. “What is it?”

“We had to give ELG a sizable cut.”

“Why? I’m okay with giving discounts to make a deal work for a client, but this is about forty percent off. That’s steep, especially this early into the East Coast expansion project. At this rate, we’ll burn through our surplus and have little to no funds left to subsidize other churches that need financial support.”

“Had no choice.”

“Of course we had a choice.”

“Trust me, we didn’t.”

“What’s so special about the Eastern Lutheran Group that they need this kind of a break? You know I’ve dealt with the group before. They’re always looking for a ridiculous discount, which we don’t give.” Dave trusted his brother with managing the corporate finances and running the operation, but no deal was fully complete unless he had some level of involvement and gave his blessing. That was Dave’s strength, being able to influence clients and get them to understand why they needed the same financial and leadership services that DMI provided to a long list of satisfied churches and religious organizations.

“It’s different in this case. We have no option based on the situation you’ve put us in.”

“Me?” Dave said raising his voice slightly.

“Yes, you.”

Dave heard the tone in Frank’s response but didn’t comment.

“I told you last year that your indiscretion was going to affect all of us, including your beloved DMI. Now it has.” Dave was silent. He let Frank continue. His tone became increasingly agitated. “I told you that the relationship with your former secretary was going to ruin your reputation along with the company,” Frank said, slapping his hand on the tabletop.

“We can’t blame Sherry for this.”

“Maybe you can’t, but I sure can. You better blame somebody, unless you’re prepared to keep seeing the kind of numbers you have here,” Frank said, poking his finger at the page.

“It’s not that bad.”

“Look at the numbers, man. We have to give the services away in order to keep the doors open. The pathetic part is that we had to twist their arms to keep the deal going, period.”

“I don’t know why. This is their second contract expansion. Obviously, they’re pleased with our services,” Dave said.

“They can read the newspaper like the rest of us. Face it. You left Madeline and your kids for a secretary young enough to be your daughter. Nobody, except a fool, is going to pay you to give them lessons on integrity and leadership. Who’s giving you lessons?” Frank’s fury appeared to ease slightly. “Take my advice. Go back to your wife if you want better numbers.”

Dave’s gaze slumped as he toyed with a pen. “I can’t. It’s over. Madeline and the children moved out of the estate yesterday. There’s no chance of reconciling now. She’s made it clear that we’re history.” The reality rolled off his tongue, refusing to be delayed by wishful thinking.

“Wow,” Frank said, shaking his head. “You really blew it, little brother. How could you mess up in such a major way? And you’re supposed to be the godly one in the bunch.” Frank snickered.

“I’m not proud of what I did, but I honestly believe in my spirit that God’s plan for my life hasn’t vanished because of my big mistake.”

“Oh, come on. Cut the crap, Dave. It’s me, Frank, your brother, your chief financial officer,” he said, poking his index finger in his chest. “I’m your chief operations manager, your right-hand man, the one who knows everything around here.”

“What’s done is done.” Dave didn’t bother telling his brother how hard he’d tried reconciling with Madeline, how much he yearned to be with his family. He didn’t bother telling Frank, because it wouldn’t make a difference. There were times when people didn’t want to know the truth. Sitting in the seat of judgment was sometimes preferred. “I can choose to dwell on what I can’t change, or I can opt to direct my energy toward the future.” Dave had chosen to move on. Frank had to get over it too.

“You can lay that cavalier mumbo jumbo on someone who’s willing to listen. That’s not for me. Two years ago you were someone who seemed to practice what you preached, but this is a new day,” Frank said, staring at Dave. “Now it sounds like a bunch of self-righteous hogwash. Brother, things have definitely changed.”

“Not between us,” Dave said.

Frank shrugged his shoulders. “Everything has changed. I’ve backed you all this time because you were different. You were for real. I honestly thought you were an honorable man who knew how to keep his eye on the prize. Now I see you’re common like the rest of us who sit at home on Sundays instead of running up in the church.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way, but I don’t need to justify myself to you. I can apologize for how my actions have affected you, but what else can I do to make this right with you? I’m at a loss here.”

“Then I guess there’s nothing left to say,” Frank said.

“I guess not.”

The meeting ended abruptly with neither willing to continue with the conversation. Dave sat numb, fumbling with his pen, while guilt hovered. Frank wasn’t budging on his position. Dave didn’t plan to grovel for his brother’s validation, but the undeniable fact was that they had to work together. They had to figure out how to get past their discord so that DMI didn’t suffer a double dose of failure.

( Continued… )

© 2013 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Patricia Haley.  This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher’s written permission. Share a link to this page or the author’s website if you really like this promotional excerpt.

Purchase your copy today: Betrayed  by Patricia Haley

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Sneak Peek: When Memories Fade by Tyora Moody

Victory Gospel Series

When Memories Fade by Tyora Moody 

Angel Roberts has embraced her new faith, but past memories remain fresh. When her beloved grandmother suffers a stroke, Angel sets out to investigate a mystery that has created family tensions and lingered since she was five years old. What happened to her mother?

She teams up with investigative reporter, Wes Cade, a man obsessed with his Alzheimer stricken grandfather’s remaining memories. As Angel lets her guard down with Wes, his determination to get the story could push her to the edge. Is his interest in her or the story?

Angel must conquer her fears to find the truth. Unknown to her someone close is working feverishly to stop Angel from unlocking the truth of what really happened to her mother. Who will win?

 
When Memories Fade (Excerpt)

PROLOGUE

She gripped the steering wheel in fear as she calculated every move he made.  For the last hour, he held the gun in her direction. What if she jerked the car off the road? No.  She wanted to live. Still the car accident had to be better than what he would do to her. She had no idea where they were going.

“Pull over, right up here.” He turned his hot breath on her. “Do it now.”

With as much ease as her trembling body allowed, she slowed the car and pulled to the side of the road. There hadn’t been another car for miles on this back road.  The sun had disappeared as cloudy, dark gray skies loomed ahead.

He cocked the gun towards her chest. “Get out.”

Her hands felt ice-cold as she struggled to grasp the door handle.

“Come on,” he growled.

She yanked the door handle and scrambled out of the car to face her abductor.

The man waved the gun and yelled, “Start walking.”

Sticks and leaves crunched as they walked into the mass of trees. From a distance, she saw lightning streak across the sky. A cool breeze whipped through the trees but it brought no comfort.  Her heart raced as if she had just run a marathon.  She choked back a sob. He was going to kill her.

To think how much she had trusted him.  It never would have crossed her mind that he would hurt her.  More lightning split the sky followed by an intense rumble of thunder. The trees shook their limbs as if taunting her for being so naïve.

 “Stop.”

She turned and noticed he’d cocked his head like he heard something. Was someone else out here?

He swung the gun an inch from her temple. “Get down.”

“What?”

“Get on your knees,” he snarled.

She fell on her knees, feeling the earth beneath her.  Her heart lurched as the thunder roared like an angry lion above their heads. Big drops of rain began to crash around them. She shut her eyes tight not believing this was her fate. “Please, God help me,” she prayed fervently.

When she opened her eyes an answer laid near her, barely covered by leaves.  She glanced up at him. His eyes had grown wilder as he paced around her. He seemed to be having a conversation, but she couldn’t understand a word he was saying. The rain was falling harder now, soaking her clothes. She peered down at the ground again. Why not? What did she have to lose? She had to do something.

She scooped the smooth rock from the muddy ground. Her dormant softball skills kicked in as she zoned in on his hand.  Not waiting another second, she swung the rock with all her might.

The rock smacked him square on the hand and he dropped the gun. “No, you …”

She leapt forward like a track runner and headed into the trees. As she ran, the oddest memory of a Sunday School lesson entered her mind. The one about Lot’s wife. God told her not to look back, but she did and lost her life.    

His voice bellowed behind her.

“Don’t look back,” She told herself as she ran. “Don’t. Look. Back.”

 (  Story Continues…  )

Copyright © 2013 by Tyora Moody. All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Tyora Moody.  This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher’s written permission. Copyright infringement is a serious offense. Share a link to this page or the author’s website if you really like this promotional excerpt.

Purchase When Memories Fade by Tyora Moody  
Romantic Suspense; Released April 2013
ISBN-10:  160162753X    |   ISBN-13:  978-1601627537
http://www.amazon.com/When-Memories-Fade-Victory-Gospel/dp/160162753X

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Sneak Peek: God Don’t Make No Mistakes by Mary Monroe

Excerpt from God Don’t Make No Mistakes by Mary Monroe

Chapter One  Eight Months Earlier

MY MOTHER HAD TOLD ME YEARS AGO THAT IF I EVER GOT married, I’d better keep a parachute nearby, because I was probably going to have to jump out of the relationship sooner or later. A parachute wouldn’t have done me much good. A trampoline was what I needed. I did a lot of bouncing back and forth with Pee Wee, my estranged husband. Despite our bitter breakup several months ago, he still spent a lot of time in bed with me.

“I guess I still got it, huh?” Pee Wee asked with an anxious look on his dark, still-handsome face. Except for his receding hairline and that spare tire around his waist, he was still attractive for a man of forty-eight.

“Still got what?” I asked, with my eyes on the five crisp $100 bills that he had dropped onto the nightstand next to my bed, just before he dropped his pants. Even though I had a high-paying job and we didn’t have a financial arrangement, he gave me a couple thousand dollars a month for me to spend on myself and our daughter, Charlotte.

Pee Wee’s eyes got wide. “Don’t mess with me, woman. You know what I’m talkin’ about. Judging from the way you was whoopin’ and hollerin’ in that damn bed a few minutes ago, I know I’m still handlin’ my manly job well for a man my age,” he teased.

I rolled my eyes and gave him an exasperated look. “So it’s a job to you now,” I pouted. The last thing I wanted to hear was the implication that sex with me was a “job,” because that’s exactly what it had been to me at one time. I had made my money working as a prostitute during my teens. When my husband pulled out the $500 a few minutes ago, it brought back some painful memories. “You make me feel like a prostitute….”

Pee Wee shook his head, rolled his eyes, and glanced at his watch. “Look, I got to get to my shop and open up. I got a lot of hair to cut today. So if you are tryin’ to tell me somethin’, hurry up and tell me.”

“I did tell you something.”

“So what if I do make you feel like a prostitute? Whores need love too.”

I threw up my hands. “If I were you, I’d stop while I was ahead,” I warned. I rubbed the back of my neck and sucked in some air. We had had conversations similar to this one so many times that I felt like I was rehearsing for a play. “Look, I think we can still work things out and not do … this,” I told him, patting the bed and hoping that he wouldn’t agree with my last statement. “Every time you come over here now, we end up in bed. You don’t have to sleep with me, and you don’t have to pay me to do it. That’s why I suggested we still date other people, until we can decide if we want to reconcile or not.”

Pee Wee gave me a confused look. “Don’t you enjoy these little get-togethers as much as I do?”

“I do, but I don’t want you to think that we have to do it.”

He gave me another confused look, this time blinking so hard and fast I thought something had got caught in his eye. “Why? Do you not want to make love with me? You don’t find me attractive anymore?” he asked.

“Don’t be so sensitive,” I scolded. “You know I enjoy making love with you. I always have.”

“Then why we talkin’ all this crap, baby? You know that the money I give to you is for my daughter. I ain’t payin’ you to make love with me. I ain’t never paid for no pussy before in my life, and I never will. Not even with you.”

I didn’t see any reason to remind Pee Wee about the times he’d told me that when he was in the army, he and every other member of his platoon had paid Vietnamese prostitutes for sex.

“You don’t need to make our situation no messier than it already is,” he reminded.

“I know, I know. It’s just that every time you come over here, we … uh … we end up in bed and you hand me some money. Just like I was still a . . .” Pee Wee knew that I had once worked as a prostitute. Even though that dark episode had occurred more than thirty years ago, I knew that he probably still thought about it as much as I did.

“Let’s not bring up the past. We already have enough to deal with in the present. My mechanic is comin’ by the house next week to take a look under the hood of your car to see why you keep hearin’ that buzzin’ noise. Do you need any yard work or anything else done around the house, baby?”

“No, I don’t need anything like that,” I told him.

“Well,” he yawned as he rubbed his chest and licked his lips. “I’m feelin’ real good. Even better than the last time I was here. Thank you very much!” he exclaimed with a wink. “Is there anything else we need to discuss before I leave?”

“Since you asked, there is just this one other thing.” I locked eyes with Pee Wee. Then the words rolled out of my mouth like marbles. “Will you tell your whore to stop calling my house?”

His jaw dropped so fast I was surprised it didn’t lock in place. “What? I—I ain’t got no whore! You know you are the only woman that I’m involved with these days!” he yelled.

I gasped. “Is that right?” I asked, patting the side of my head. I usually wore my medium-length hair in braids, but lately I’d been getting by with a mild perm and a French twist. It had come undone during my ten-minute romp with Pee Wee. I could feel clumps of my hair standing up on my head, pointing in all directions. I must have looked like Don King.

“But … but … I … I,” Pee Wee stuttered.

“Well, the woman I’m talking about is a straight-up whore! Your whore!”

I could see that my outburst had surprised Pee Wee. It had been a while since I had mentioned the woman whom he left me for last March. He folded his arms and a frightened look appeared on his face. He knew that he had to be careful about what he said to me, unless he wanted to deal with my wrath. The day that he had brought his mistress to my house to tell me that he was leaving me and moving in with her, I’d knocked out one of his teeth. And I had given his mistress a thorough, well-deserved ass whupping with my rolling pin.

“Are you talkin’ about Lizzie Stovall?” he asked dumbly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

“Who else would I be talking about?” I hollered, giving him an incredulous look. “Lizzie is the only one that I am aware of! Was there another one?”

“No! No, there was no other woman other than Lizzie. You know better. You know I don’t lie to you.”

My eyes got as big as saucers and I gasped. “You’re lying now.”

“Aw, Annette, you know what I mean.”

“Do I?” I barked, giving him a critical look. “Whether I do or not, it doesn’t matter. The thing is, that woman called here last week—several times—and she called again yesterday.”

“She did? Uh, what did she want?”

“She was trying to catch up with you, fool! She claims she’s been trying to reach you for days.”

“Oh. Well, it’s over between me and her, and has been since she left me and moved in with Peabo Boykin. If she calls here again, just hang up on her. That ought to stop her.”

“Don’t you think I’ve already tried that?” I snapped. “But until you talk to her, she’s going to keep calling here.”

“I … I … I’ll look into it,” Pee Wee stammered, waving his hands in the air. I could see that he was nervous and anxious to get away from me now. His hands were shaking so hard that when he squatted down to put his shoes back on, he put them on the wrong feet.

Chapter Two

PEE WEE GAVE ME A DRY LOOK AND SHOOK HIS HEAD. THEN with a jerk, he turned and scurried across the floor like a frightened rat. He tripped on the area rug on the floor at the foot of my bed. He didn’t like it when I brought up Lizzie’s name.

“You don’t have anything else to say to me?” I wanted to know, looking at him from the corner of my eye as he was about to flee.

Pee Wee’s hand was on the doorknob, clutching it like it was trying to escape. He didn’t even bother to turn around and look at me. He shook his head again. “I’ll call you,” he yelled over his shoulder, literally running out of my upstairs bedroom. He clip-clopped down the hardwood stairs so fast and hard, you would have thought that the cops were chasing him. This was the first time that he had left without kissing me good-bye.

As soon as I heard Pee Wee shut my front door, I got up and went to the window with the sheet wrapped around me. I raked my fingers through my hair, holding several strands away from my eyes so I could see him better. I watched him scramble into his red Firebird.

It was only seven-thirty. It had rained a few hours earlier, so it was a chilly day for July. Because of the low, dark gray clouds hovering in the sky, it felt and looked like it was much later.

I released a loud breath and eased back down on the bed. I didn’t need to be at work until nine, but I usually went in earlier just so I could be prepared for any unexpected issues. You could expect just about anything to happen at Mizelle’s Collection Agency. A couple of weeks ago, I got caught up in a ruckus between two of the women who reported to me as bill collectors. The night before, Rita Lockett had discovered that Beverly Hawkins was dating her fiancé. Rita had come to work early to confront Beverly. It didn’t take long for things to escalate into a violent physical altercation between the two angry women. They had hurled staplers, paperweights, and other desktop items at one another. I got scared when Beverly picked up a letter opener, but I quickly wrestled it from her hand. Had I not been present at the time, there was no telling how much damage they might have done. I had no choice but to fire both employees. I had been going in an hour early all this week, but two days ago, the temp agency that we worked with sent me a young Asian man. Not only was he extremely personable, he was so efficient that he got us all caught up before noon on his first day. It was because of Daniel Hong that I didn’t think it would be a problem if I took my time going in today.

I was even thinking about taking the day off. I needed to get my nails done, I needed a facial, and I wanted to run a few errands that I had been putting off. I also wanted to treat myself to a nice lunch and a movie. Afterward, I could come back home, put on my robe, and kick back on my couch with a large margarita. I couldn’t get that comfortable at home on the weekend or in the evening because that was when most people dropped in on me unannounced. Another inducement for me to take the day off was that I would not have to rush home to cook dinner today like I usually did. I still had some of the barbecue in the freezer left over from the Fourth of July cookout that I had hosted a couple of weeks ago.

I already regretted the harsh way that I had jumped on Pee Wee about Lizzie calling my house. It wasn’t his fault that she was such a bold-ass bitch. As a matter of fact, I was even thinking about calling him up and offering to take him out to dinner as my way of apologizing. In spite of our separation, we still had one of the strongest relationships in town. I knew people who had never been separated who didn’t have a relationship as strong and hopeful as ours. I couldn’t deny the fact that Pee Wee was the best thing that had ever happened to me, as far as men were concerned. One reason I thought it was in my best interest to get back with him was because despite his cheating, he was still a good man. He was dependable, successful, generous, hardworking, smart, and family oriented. I was all of those same things myself, so I felt that I was just as good of a catch as he was.

I decided that it would be smart for me to wait a couple of hours before I called him. I didn’t want to seem too eager. And I wanted him to cool off a little so that when he heard my voice, he wouldn’t get defensive. In the meantime, I planned to relax in my bed for a few more minutes.

Before I could get comfortable and finish reading the latest edition of Jet magazine, the telephone on the nightstand rang. I looked at the clock next to the telephone. “Now who in the world is calling my house this time of morning?” I asked myself out loud. Unless it was my mother or my best friend Rhoda, the only time my phone rang this early was when somebody dialed my number by mistake.

The telephone in my bedroom didn’t have caller ID, so I had no idea who was calling me at this ungodly hour. It was none of the above. To my everlasting horror, it was Lizzie Stovall again, the woman who had broken up my home.

I was so taken aback, there was only one thing I could think to say. “Well, speak of the devil!” I shrieked.

“Whatever!” Lizzie hissed. She sucked on her teeth before continuing. I didn’t know if that was because she was tuning up her mouth to say something I didn’t want to hear, which would be anything that slid out of her mouth, or because she was nervous. “Annette, I advise you not to hang up on me like you did the last time I called.” This woman had no shame whatsoever!

“What the hell—” I almost choked on my words just as she cut me off.

“Let me speak to Pee Wee. And don’t fix your lips to lie to me like you usually do and tell me he’s not there. I just passed your house a little while ago and I saw his car parked out front,” Lizzie snarled, her words striking my ears like rocks. “Like I told you the last time I called, I’ve been trying to get a hold of him for several days! I am not going to stop until I reach him. You can tell him that. The sooner he talks to me, the sooner I can stop bothering you.”

“Bothering me? Woman, as long as you live in this town you will be bothering me. You didn’t care about bothering me when you were fucking my husband! Well, I’ve got news for you. Just hearing your name bothers me these days!”

Something that I didn’t know and didn’t want to know was the details of Lizzie’s affair with my husband—like exactly when it started or which one of them initiated the affair. But the one thing that I really didn’t want to know was where they’d slept together the first time. The thought of her sleazy ass stretched out in my bed was unbearable. If I ever found out that they had been tacky enough to fuck in my bed, I would not be responsible for my actions. There was just no telling what I would do to Lizzie—and Pee Wee—even though their relationship was over.

Or was it?

“Are you still fucking my husband?” Even if she was, I didn’t expect her to admit it. But I had to ask anyway.

“Annette, you’ve got some nerve asking me that. How dare you!” Lizzie erupted.

I could not believe how calm I managed to sound. “Well, are you?”

“No, I am not still fucking your husband! I wouldn’t let that man touch me again even if he had healing hands!”

My pulse was racing and my eyes were burning. I had balled my free hand into a fist. “Why did you call my house again? Why do you keep calling here? Don’t you have anything better to do with your time these days? Can’t you find another innocent woman to torture?” I jeered.

“You innocent? That’s a joke! You’ve got a lot of nerve to even think of yourself as innocent—”

“Get your ass off this phone, bitch!” I hollered. “You’re about to make my bowels move!”

“I will hang up when I am good and ready. Look, I know you’re still jealous of me, but I can’t help that. It is what it is. I gave your man something that you weren’t giving him, and probably never did. That was some good loving. The very first time he was with me, he realized what he’d been missing.”

These were the last words that a scorned woman—especially a scorned black woman—wanted to hear. If Lizzie had been standing in my room saying that shit to my face, she would be stretched out on the floor by now with my fist mauling the side of her head. I couldn’t imagine what Pee Wee had said to her for her to think that I didn’t give him what he needed in the bedroom before she slid into our lives. I didn’t believe what she had just said for one minute—at least not her version.

“Hmmm. Then tell me, why is he not still with you? Why is he coming over here to be with me whenever I let him? And I can assure you that we do a lot more than just talk when he’s here. Does that sound like I don’t know how to give him what he needs?” I taunted.

“Whatever, Annette. I just need to talk to Pee Wee.”

“Pee Wee is not here, goddammit!” I roared. “And let me tell you again—”

“You’re a damn liar! He is there! Now, you look, girl! I am not in the mood for any of your shit this early in the morning!”

I hated profanity. It was crude. I didn’t like it when people cussed in my presence, and I didn’t like to cuss myself. But under the present circumstances, there was no reason for me to act like a “lady” with Lizzie.

(  Continues…  )

© 2013 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author.  This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher’s written permission. Copyright infringement is a serious offense. Share a link to this page or the author’s website if you really like this promotional excerpt.

Mary Monroe is the national bestselling author of twelve books, some of which include: God Don’t Like Ugly, God Still Don’t Like Ugly, and The Upper Room.   Website:  http://www.marymonroe.org

https://twitter.com/MaryMonroeBooks 

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http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/god-dont-make-no-mistakes-mary-monroe/1106235092 

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A Farmer’s Seed by J.M. Lominy

A Farmer’s Seed by J.M. Lominy

A farmer awoke startled and nearly choked.

The clock had struck twelve.

He came out of his bed not wanting to dwell.

Lead by the shinning light of the moon.

He went into the night with a shovel in hand.

He walked on to his land.

All year he waited for this very moment in time.

Digging with excitement for his seed was just ripe.

What he dug up no one could have guest.

And when he was done.

Out came a blossom of LOVE.

It was Valentine day.

Meet the Author
Life began for J.M. Lominy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  As a husband, father, nurse and veteran Lominy has been making room to write since 2000.  Specializing in Historical Fiction, he is the author of the upcoming book, The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale.

His work, both poetic and determined in voice, places an emphasis on the Haitian experience as witnessed through the life of passionate characters.  Mr. Lominy currently resides in Georgia with his wife and his three sons.  Visit J.M. Lominy at:  http://jmlominy.com 

The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale by J.M. Lominy, chapter one is available for immediate reading:   http://jmlominy.com/books/chapter-1/

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King Shoulda Coulda Woulda by J.M. Lominy

King Shoulda Coulda Woulda
by J.M. Lominy

On a sunny June day, the seventh day to be exact.  King Shoulda rode on his big horse heading down the king’s highway and came upon Lady Cherish.  She also went by the name of Lady Beautiful, Lady Lovely, and Lady Sexy. 

King Shoulda was clumsy and his horse was more mule than steed.  When the good king tried to stop, the horse would gallop and when he wanted to gallop, the horse would stop.  With Lady Cherish on the side of King’s highway, the intractable horse stopped abruptly and sent the good king head long into the muddied dirt landing at the foot of the good lady.

“Oh, me lady, it seems I have fallen head over heels for you,” said the king as he dusted dirt off of his head.

“So it seems my lord,” said the beautiful lady sitting with her legs crossed as she awaited the stage bus.  Her legs would tempt any creature with eyes.

“Why my fair lady, it is not the first time I have fallen for you.  But I must say, this was the most painful and memorable,” Said the king with his not so pump up chest sticking out.

“I did hear some rumors,” said the lady with a shy smirk.

“Well I shoulda, coulda, woulda made it known, but you see,” and the king looked about with a shyness that should not come from a king,  “I was betrothed to my current queen and and,” the king stuttered.

Blushing with a sly but beautiful smile, the lady asked, “what did your heart sing?”

With these words, the king straightened himself and smiled looking at the laced powdered pink dress of the good Lady Cherish.  He looked at her beautiful face and the gleaming white teeth that showed behind cherry lips of a noble.

“I feel a fool,” said the king.  “ I shoulda, coulda, and woulda.”

“My dear king, shoulda, coulda, woulda would not do, you should have listened to your heart, I would have been yours if you wanted me.”

 
Meet the Author

Life began for J.M. Lominy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  As a husband, father, nurse and veteran Lominy has been making room to write since 2000.  Specializing in Historical Fiction, he is the author of the upcoming book, The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale.  His work, both poetic and determined in voice, places an emphasis on the Haitian experience as witnessed through the life of passionate characters.  Mr. Lominy currently resides in Georgia with his wife and his three sons.  Visit J.M. Lominy at:  http://jmlominy.com 

The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale by J.M. Lominy, chapter one is available for immediate reading:   http://jmlominy.com/books/chapter-1/

Pinterest:   http://pinterest.com/jmlominy
Twitter:   https://twitter.com/JMLOMINY
Twitter:  https://www.facebook.com/JmLominy

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Why I Do What I Do! by author J.M. Lominy

Why I Do What I Do!
Written by J.M. Lominy

Writing is my passion, my lover and my air.  She is my mistress who keeps me from home with jealous intent.  She does not care that I have obligations.   With joyous indulgence I cling to her snare.  I write or else I will drown.  It is my favorite form of expression.  I communicate clearly with my writing where my verbal expression is not as forthcoming.  Writing is the air that fills my lungs; populating every alveolus with a passionate expression of self.

My journey to writing started with reading.  In grade school I didn’t have an appreciation for the written word.  As a young adult I discovered the joy of a good read.  It allowed me to travel into different realms, countries and times while physically remaining at my desk.

I enjoyed reading so much, I became a recluse; preferring the company of books over human contact.  My home library is full of books from different authors – some who I feel are outright geniuses.  They have the ability to make a grown man sniffle with threats of tearful eyes.   One particular author brought me so close to tears after the first two pages, I set the book down. I have yet to complete it given my male ego.

I read all genres.  A good book is a good book, so why should I limit my reading experience?  I do have a favorite genre, but I will give any author a chance to snare my attention.

Like reading, writing is an addiction that clings tight to my psyche.  I often find myself staring at a blank sheet of paper – no matter the size – with a desire to add the written word.  It’s as if I can hear the paper beckoning me to come and write…so I write.

Meet the Author

Life began for J.M. Lominy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  As a husband, father, nurse and veteran Lominy has been making room to write since 2000.  Specializing in Historical Fiction, he is the author of the upcoming book, The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale.

His work, both poetic and determined in voice, places an emphasis on the Haitian experience as witnessed through the life of passionate characters. Mr. Lominy currently resides in Georgia with his wife and his three sons.  Visit J.M. Lominy at:  http://jmlominy.com 

The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale by J.M. Lominy, chapter one is available for immediate reading:   http://jmlominy.com/books/chapter-1/

J.M. Lominy website: http://jmlominy.com 
Pinterest:   http://pinterest.com/jmlominy
Twitter:   https://twitter.com/JMLOMINY
Twitter:  https://www.facebook.com/JmLominy

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Intimate Conversation with the Friends & Foes Authors

Intimate Conversation with the Friends & Foes Authors

Victoria Christopher Murray  and  ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Sequel to Sinners & Saints
by Victoria Christopher Murray  and  ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Jasmine Cox Larson Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams are at it once again.  With the election for the president of the American Baptist Coalition over, both First Ladies have returned home to live their lives.  But then the Oprah show, and then, a cat fight, and then…a murder….the enemies have to become frienemies in order to stay alive.

BPM:  Introduce us to Friends and Foes and the main characters. What makes each one special? Do you have any favorites?

The novel, Friends and Foes is the second collaboration between us.  It’s the follow up to Sinners and Saints.  Both novels are about Jasmine Cox Larson Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams.  These are characters that we created on our own but brought together when the publisher suggested it. They are the perfect characters to go up against each other.  Jasmine is a little older, Rachel is younger.  Jasmine is from the North, Rachel is from the South, Jasmine can be a little bit bougie, Rachel can be a little bit country…but then, they have so much in common, too.

In this novel, Friends and Foes, the two previous enemies, have to become frenemies to get out of a sticky situation they’ve gotten themselves into…the murder of a prominent pastor.

BPM:  Which character or topic in the book can you identify with the most? Why?

Both of us identify with the two First Ladies.  We created them and they appear in a total of nine books, either together or separately.  So we know these characters better than we know our previous characters.

BPM:  What drew you to tackle the questions or topics in Friends and Foes?

When we started the second novel, we knew we wanted to deliver a story that was very different from the first story.  The first novel had the characters going back and forth, so in this novel we focused on them working together.  But, we had to have an issue where we could bring them together.  And nothing does that better than murder.

BPM:  Does your faith or education inspire your writing?

That’s a good question.  We are both Christians who are writers, so of course, our faith will always be part of what we do. That’s why I think we often write stories that focus around the church — though we write many other things, too.  But our education is just as important.  Both of our careers have shown up in our novels, and our education has helped in our discipline to write every day, and the other things we need to promote and package our books.

BPM:  Can you outline some areas where your characters agreed? Disagreed?

Now, that’s a funny question.  Our characters always disagree, that’s what our readers love.  Because Rachel and Jasmine are so different, they see life through totally different lenses. But when it came down to it in Friends and Foes, when they had to stick together, they did!  That’s what made this book so much fun for us to write.  Rachel and Jasmine didn’t know if they loved or hated each other.

BPM:  Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book?

You know, we’re both entertainers and we never forget that.  We want our readers to read books that will make them laugh, make them think, and then make them want to go tell somebody.  LOL.  But our books have messages, not because we set out to write a message, but because the stories we write are so relatable that people see themselves in the characters, and then they learn something.

BPM:  What are your goals as a writer? Do you set out to educate? Entertain? Illuminate? Inspire?

Our primary goal is to entertain.  But the gift that God has given us allows us to educate and just by doing what we’re doing, we’ve been blessed to inspire readers, too.

BPM:  What do you think the effect has been of the media attention focus on African-American literature and the arts? 

We think that the fact that the media doesn’t focus on AfAm literature is what affects us the most. It is hard for the media to be interested in just a normal, drama-filled story written by African-American authors because the media doesn’t see what we write as stories that can cut across all racial-gender-spiritual lines.  Just a little bit of media attention could go a long way.

BPM:  A Legacy is something that is handed down from one period of time to another. Finish this sentence – “My writing offers the following legacy to future readers… ”

Our writing offers the following legacy to future readers: they will be able to see the issues that were important to us in this time and how we merged serious topics in an entertaining, humorous and informative way.  And readers will be able to see how serious we were about the craft of writing.  It is important to be able to tell a good story, but it is equally important that it is written well.

BPM:  Share with us your latest news. How may our readers follow you online?

ReShonda:  My last two books were nominated for NAACP Image Awards in Outstanding Literature and Everybody Say Amen won in 2011.  And my next novel, A Family Affair will be published in July, 2013.

Readers can follow me online on Facebook at:   https://www.facebook.com/reshondatbillingsley and Twitter @ReshondaT.  My website is  http://www.reshondatatebillingsley.com

Victoria: The news for me is that The Ex Files has been optioned to become a movie and the producers are interested in making it into a television series.  I’ve been asked for more “Ex Files” material, so I have a novella coming out this Christmas called, Merry Ex-Mas and then my 2014 book will also be an Ex Files follow up. 

My last novel, Destiny’s Divas was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and I was proud that it was my second nomination.  My next novel, Never Say Never will be out in June, 2013.  It is my first “interracial” novel.

Readers can follow me on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/victoriachristophermurray and Twitter @VictoriaECM.  My website is   http://www.victoriachristophermurray.com

ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s FB links:
https://www.facebook.com/reshondatbillingsley
https://www.facebook.com/ReshondaTateBillingsley
Twitter: ReShondaT

Victoria Christopher Murray’s FB links:http://www.victoriachristophermurray.com
Twitter: VictoriaECM

https://www.facebook.com/victoriachristophermurray
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fans-of-Victoria-Christopher-Murray-official-site/261094908413

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A Place at the Table: A Novel by Susan Rebecca White

Reviews for A Place at the Table

“No writer should be able to write smoothly and cleanly from three very different perspectives about lost love, betrayal, pound cake, fear, family ties, racism, Baptists, “the other,” Episcopalians, the south, and New York. But Susan Rebecca White has–and without a false note nor a single sentimental pink bow. All this in her new and best novel yet: A Place at the Table. The story is suspenseful, surprising in the best way, and ultimately resounding. It’s so good I wish I could tell you more about it. The story will bring you face to face with all sorts of demons and lovely things–and with some very real people whom you just may recognize as family.”
(Clyde Edgerton author of The Night Train )

“A Place at the Table reads like a master chef’s five course meal: each section makes its own delicious sense, but taken all together the intertwining stories in this novel create something uniquely magical. Susan Rebecca White made me think, made me cry, made my jaw drop, made me laugh out loud. A story of outsiders in this world, this fantastic book defies convention in plot, characterization, and even narrative structure, to forge something amazing in its pages: new identities, relationships you have not seen before, new stories, characters you will never forget. Like a brilliant new recipe: it works! Savor this confident storytelling — you’ll know you’re in good hands from the first page. A book you’ll devour quickly and then want to share with friends!”

(Lydia Netzer, author of Shine Shine Shine )

A PLACE AT THE TABLE  promises to be the break-out book for a writer whose work has already received the highest praise from renowned Southern authors including Kathyrn Stockett, Lee Smith, and Clyde Edgerton. 

Taking a bold leap of the imagination, Susan Rebecca White narrates this book from three points of view: Alice Stone, a famous African-American chef whose past is a mystery to those who know her; Bobby Banks, a gay Southern man looking for acceptance in New York City; and Amelia Brighton, a newly-divorced Connecticut woman whose life will be upended by a family secret. Sweeping from North Carolina in the 1920s through New York’s mid-century café society and the devastating AIDs epidemic of the 1980s to the mansions of Old Greenwich Connecticut, A PLACE AT THE TABLE connects these characters to each other as they come together in the understanding that when you embrace the thing that makes you different, you become whole.

While A PLACE AT THE TABLE is a work of fiction, White’s imagination was sparked by reading about Edna Lewis, the legendary African-American chef and author of the classic A Taste of Country Cooking. Further research of Ms. Lewis led White to read of New York’s real-life Café Nicholson, the Sutton Place salon Edna opened with Johnny Nicholson in 1949. During those glorious post-war years, Café Nicholson was the epicenter of Manhattan’s culinary and literary elite and a favorite haunt of luminaries such as Truman Capote, William Faulkner, Marlon Brando, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Tennessee Williams.

Edna left her indelible mark on the café’s culture and cuisine. Is it any wonder that she would continue to lead a fascinating life that defied convention, including her late-life friendship with chef Scott Peacock, a young, gay, white man? Scott and Edna’s connection, spanning age, race, and sexual orientation, inspired White in her creation of the friendship between Bobby Banks and Alice Stone, which also crosses racial and generational borders.

We are all familiar with stories of lost souls gravitating to New York, but in A PLACE AT THE TABLE, White’s beautiful and brilliant food writing conveys each character’s longing for a home that doesn’t love them back.  As a boy growing up in small town Georgia, Bobby loved nothing more than cooking with his mother and grandmother.  But once he reaches puberty, his burgeoning sexuality makes him unsafe in his own home. He flees.  In New York, Bobby spends hours in the kitchen meticulously preparing Southern food from scratch.  It is the only way he can create a home for himself.  The same is true for Alice who grew up living off the land and eating with the seasons, a practice she continues in New York because it is her only link to the world she was forced to leave behind. 

Amelia, reeling from her sudden and shocking divorce, also finds comfort in cooking, which leads her to Home Grown, a cookbook by Alice Stone.  Within its pages she finds a picture that explodes her world.  The mystery of her life is inextricably linked with Bobby Banks and Alice Stone.

Purchase  A Place at the Table: A Novel  
http://www.amazon.com/Place-Table-Susan-Rebecca-White/dp/145160887X

    Hardcover: 336 pages
    Publisher: Touchstone (June 4, 2013)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 145160887X
    ISBN-13: 978-1451608878

About the Author
Susan Rebecca White is the author of the critically acclaimed novels A Soft Place to Land and Bound South. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia and teaches creative writing at Emory University. Visit her online at SusanRebeccaWhite.com.

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HAVE NO SHAME by Melissa Foster

HAVE NO SHAME

by Melissa Foster

The racially-charged prejudice of the deep South forces eighteen-year-old Alison Tillman to confront societal norms—and her own beliefs—when she discovers the body of a hate crime victim, and the specter of forbidden love turns her safe, comfortable world upside down.

Alison has called Forrest Town, Arkansas home for the past eighteen years. Her mother’s Blue Bonnet meetings, her father toiling night and day on the family farm, and the division of life between the whites and the blacks are all Alison knows. The winter of 1967, just a few months before marrying her high school sweetheart, Alison finds the body of a black man floating in the river, and she begins to view her existence with new perspective. The oppression and hate of the south, the ugliness she once was able to avert her eyes from, now demands her attention.

When a secretive friendship with a young black man takes an unexpected romantic turn, Alison is forced to choose between her predetermined future, and the dangerous path that her heart yearns for.

HAVE NO SHAME is an emotionally compelling coming of age novel featuring a young woman who cannot reconcile the life she wants with the one she’s been brought up to live.  Have No Shame will resonate with anyone who has ever fallen in love, and those who have been forced to choose between what they know in their hearts to be true, and what others would like them to believe.

“Have No Shame is a powerful testimony to love and the progressive, logical evolution of social consciousness, with an outcome that readers will find engrossing, unexpected, and ultimately eye-opening.” -Midwest Book Review

Meet the Author

Melissa Foster is the award-winning, International bestselling author of five novels. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa is also a community builder for the Alliance for Independent Authors. She has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on The Women’s Nest, Fostering Success, or World Lit Cafe. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Website: http://www.melissafoster.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Melissa_F
FB: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor

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Me and Mr. Wrong by Terri D

Me and Mr. Wrong by Terri D 

Toni is faced with an impossible choice.  Give Andrew the man who deceived her a second chance or continue to explore how to take a friendship onto the next level with her childhood friend Clarence.  Toni’s choice takes her on an emotional roller coaster ride. 

Who did she chose and how will it end?

Does Toni finally find what she has been looking for?

Purchase Me and Mr. Wrong by Terri D  
Sequel to Me and Mr. Right Now 
http://www.amazon.com/Me-and-Mr-Wrong-ebook/dp/B00CGRQJXW

VIDEO ON TERRI D.
http://authorterrid.com/Media.html

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My Fleshy Needs by Rachel L. Smith

My Fleshy Needs  by Rachel L. Smith

There have been times,
when I needed the company of a man,
so bad;
but the timing is not right;
that the only thing;
that brings me relief;
is praying to God.

So, I pray to God;
asking him to curb these feelings;
of the flesh,
from me until the time is right.

I also ask him,
to bless me with a man;
whose back can not only handle,
the pressure of being the head of a house hold;
but also can bear the release of all my;
pent up energy and emotions.

Rachel L. Smith
Salisbury, NC 28145

About the Author
Rachel lives in North Carolina with her nine year old son.  She enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her son.  You can email a comment to her at clevrachels@aol.com.

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The Red Order by Cerece Rennie Murphy

The Red Order by Cerece Rennie Murphy
Order of the Seers Series – Book 2

The quest to control the power of the Seers continues.  After successfully destroying the Guild’s Purification Center in Chicago, The Lost Seers, led by Joel Akida and Lilli Knight, embark upon a world-wide mission to save their kind from the tyranny of the Guild and unveil their greatest weapon – The Restoration Project.  Developed in secret, The Restoration Project has the potential to awaken the supernatural ability within every man, woman, and child on earth and bring down the very foundation of the Guild’s power and authority. 

But the Guild has other plans.  Driven by the necessity for control, Crane Le Dieu creates The Red Order, a new league of clairvoyants whose sole purpose is to hunt down and annihilate the Lost Seers.  Without the Guild’s mind-controlling drugs, The Red Order is able to develop its gifts far beyond the capacity to see the future, honing their skills to become the ultimate threat against the Lost Seers.  But the question remains – will the power of The Red Order be enough to defeat them?

The Red Order continues the epic battle for freedom which began in Order of the Seers, revealing the secret motives behind an organization that exists to exploit and a renegade movement that seeks to usher in the next phase in human evolution.  

Purchase Books by Cerece Rennie Murphy

The Red Order – http://www.amazon.com/Red-Order-Cerece-Rennie-Murphy/dp/0985621028

Order of the Seers – http://www.amazon.com/Order-Seers-Cerece-Rennie-Murphy/dp/0985621001

About the Author
Cerece Rennie Murphy lives and writes just outside of her hometown of Washington, DC. In addition to completing the Order of the Seers trilogy, Ms. Murphy is also developing a children’s book series titled Enchanted: 5 Tales of Magic in the Everyday and a book on understanding marriage/relationship advice for single women entitled More than the Ring.  To learn more about the author and her upcoming projects, visit her website at http://www.crmurphybooks.com.  

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Never Say Never: A Novel by Victoria Christopher Murray

Never Say Never: A Novel 
by Victoria Christopher Murray

In this emotionally charged and inspiring novel about a love triangle, secrets between best friends threaten to blow up friendships and a marriage and change lives forever.

When Miriam’s fireman husband, Chauncey, dies while rescuing students from a school fire, Miriam feels like her life is over. How is she going to raise her three children all by herself? How will she survive without the love of her life? Luckily, Miriam’s sister-friend Emily and Emily’s husband, Jamal, are there to comfort her.

Jamal and Chauncey grew up together and were best friends; Jamal and Emily know they will do all they can to support Miriam through her grief. Jamal steps in and helps Miriam with the funeral arrangements and with her children, plus he gives her hope that she has a future. But all the time that they spend together—grieving, sharing, and reminiscing—brings the two closer in ways they never planned. . . .

Never Say Never: A Novel  by Victoria Christopher Murray 
ISBN-13:   9781451695779
Available on Nook  and  Kindle
Purchase:  http://amzn.com/1451695772

Meet the Author
Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of nine Essence bestselling novels, including Too Little, Too Late and Lady Jasmine. Winner of the African American Literary Award for Fiction and Author of the Year, she splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Visit her website at VictoriaChristopherMurray.com.

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Book Review for A House Divided by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Book Review for A House Divided
by Kimberla Lawson Roby

5-Stars  written by Debra Owsley, Simply Said Reading Accessories

Great Job Kimberla!

Curtis and Charlotte Black’s son Matthew, has just had a baby boy with his girlfriend Racquel. Little MJ arrives early because of a blow up at Racquel’s baby shower, between Racquels mother, Vanessa and Charlotte. They are determined to not let the control freak Charlotte, manipulate them or MJ.

Once the baby is home at Vanessa’s home with his mother, Charlotte is feeling slighted and is not happy that she can’t see MJ on her terms. The narcissist that she is devises plans to not only see her grandson on her own terms, but to keep him for good.

Curtis Black keeps having skeletons fall out of closets. This latest one he has no idea where it could be coming from, but from the details in a letter sent to the church, he knows are true and could ruin everything.

The ladder they both have used to reach for what they wanted, is about to go down and they are going down with it.

As always Kimberla has given us another fantastic tale that is so believable that you get the impression she’s telling somebody’s true story.

Purchase A House Divided by Kimberla Lawson Roby
Website:  http://www.kimroby.com;   ISBN-13: 978-1455526062
http://www.amazon.com/House-Divided-Reverend-Curtis-Black/dp/1455526061

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Picking Up His Pieces by Nikole Morgan

Picking Up His Pieces by Nikole Morgan

In suburban Richmond, Virginia, three generations of up-and-coming African American families strive to overcome inherited weaknesses while establishing a legacy on which to build their faith and futures.

Pastor Ivan (Ivy) James, whose father’s life was destroyed by sexual deviance, must come to terms with his own imbalanced view of marital romance with beloved wife Yolanda. Learning to express emotional as well as physical intimacy, Ivy simultaneously struggles to father the six children borne by various women during his wild youth. A unique challenge is Ivy’s troubled twelve-year-old son Dominic who comes to live with Ivy and Yolanda when his crack-addicted mother cannot provide for him. Ivy’s sex addiction faces the ultimate test in Satan’s efforts to destroy his ministry.

Malcolm Stewart is distrait when lovely wife Telese begins divorce proceedings following yet another bout with his violent temper. Making the decision to change his life permanently, Malcolm enrolls in anger management classes and graduates with honors in hopes of winning back Telese and their two bright children.  Stress sends him over the edge in a dangerous emotional  spiral. But new friend Steven Hill, security guard who ministers to the homeless and hopeless on the streets, teaches Malcolm to channel his anger positively – by punching the boxing bag to release pain and frustration.

Raymond Durrant’s career path in the business world is clear and smooth as long he remains in the clutches of supervisor Amanda who will stop at nothing to break up Ray’s marriage. When he is tricked into making a terrible mistake, Ray searches for the right answers to his problem and finally makes a stand to choose God over personal success. Amanda tries everything in her power to destroy what he and wife Donae have, risking her reputation and career in an all-out quest to snare Ray for herself. Ray learns to allow God to make his name great, as promised in Scripture. He joins Malcolm and Steven to form a three-cord strand of faith that helps each man fulfill God’s purpose for his life.

These dynamic young couples build relationships on solid ground to rise above the sin natures of their fathers and mothers and the weaknesses of their own flesh to sow seeds of faith and rebirth.

Purchase Picking Up His Pieces by Nikole Morgan
Website:   http://www.nikolemorgan.com 
Books can be ordered through Amazon and Barnes&Noble.com
http://www.amazon.com/Picking-His-Pieces-Nikole-Morgan/dp/1467545341
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/picking-up-his-pieces-nikole-morgan/1113879821

Meet Author Nikole Morgan

Nikole Morgan was born and raised in Greenville, S.C. where she currently resides with her husband and children.  After obtaining a Cosmetology License as well as years working in Manufacturing she realized her gifts and talents didn’t rest there.  Her passion for writing was a desire from within that would never die, no matter how much she attempted to surpress it.  She began writing as a way to escape painful memories of life’s misfortunes and allowed her own words to minister strength to her soul. 

As God worked through her she faced her fears of doubting herself, no longer believing the lie that the enemy planted in her mind of not being good enough.  She trusted God and courageously embarked upon a journey to fulfill a lifetime dream of bringing words to life.  She’s proven through her heart felt writing that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things.  Picking Up His Pieces is her first novel. 

Readers are encouraged to visit her website, http://www.nikolemorgan.com or e-mail her at nikolemorgan612@gmail.com.  Please contact her for speaking engagements, book clubs visits or readings.

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Falling In The Deep by Patricia Anne Phillips

Falling In The Deep by Patricia Anne Phillips

Sabrina Chapman has the perfect life, a loving, trusting husband, and two gorgeous children. They live in Mill Valley, a middle-class neighborhood near the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge.

When a severe fall injures her throat, and a car accident that totals her car, Sabrina is referred to a Neurologist. After series of tests, regretfully, she is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and her world is utterly shattered. As a result of the car accident, Sabrina is experiencing more extreme symptoms such as numbness, tingling throughout her limbs, and walks with a cane. The essence of life she had taken for granted no longer exists.

When it comes to Sabrina having MS, Jason Chapman, her husband is in denial. His initial reaction to the diagnosis is blame, anger, shock and fear. When the Beta Nurse demonstrates how Sabrina will give herself an injection every other night, Jason finally faces reality. Her illness is so overwhelming, he moves out of the house. Sabrina is slammed with symptoms that take days for her to walk again. She files for a divorce, but having MS and on total disability; she needs a lawyer that will fight for her. In the end she finds financial stability, a way to live with MS, and a MS doctor who adores her.

Readers will get a close-up look at what commitment and marriage really means.

Meet the Author
As an enthusiastic fan of the romance genre, Patricia Anne Phillips was inspired to begin writing her own novels. Her novel June In Winter was featured in Romantic Times as Best Multicultural and Best First Multicultural Romance. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California and is now working on her new novel.

Falling In The Deep by Patricia Anne Phillips
Kindle Edition;  ASIN: B00CLVGHOE
http://www.amazon.com/Falling-In-The-Deep-ebook/dp/B00CLVGHOE

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Baldwin Hills Housewives by Patricia Anne Phillips

Published Author Debut New Novel
Baldwin Hills Housewives

BALDWIN HILLS HOUSEWIVES is entertaining, gripping, and at the end of the book readers will want more. The TV sitcom doesn’t have any African American housewives in Los Angeles, California, and Baldwin Hills Housewives will be the first novel in Los Angeles that will relate to all the surroundings in the city. There are five professional housewives living with everyday problems, loss, and disappointments.

Shonna Dupree practices Family Law, and fight to win cases as she is struggling through her divorce. Her husband is a doctor, and has been living a lie that causes Shonna doubts about herself as a woman.

Robin Flanigan seems to have problems selecting the right man. She has a void in her life until she takes in her cousin eight year old child. Later a stranger rings her doorbell and stir up another problem that changes her life.

Karla St. James is a bestselling writer, she and her husband are financially secured, but Karla has a secret that her husband doesn’t know about, Karla shoplifts in stores.

Sky Landers husband Monte, has his own construction company and takes a job in Las Vegas. He stops at a florist to buy flowers and is caught up in a dangerous robbery.

Candace Brown and her husband is a religious family. The housewives depend on her for advice and wisdom.

Baldwin Hills Housewives can be purchased on Amazon for books and Kindle, and various book stores.     

Baldwin Hills Housewives by Patricia Anne Phillips
ISBN-10: 0989184706;   ISBN-13: 978-0989184700
http://www.amazon.com/Baldwin-Hills-House-Patricia-Phillips/dp/0989184706

Meet the Author
As an enthusiastic fan of the romance genre, Patricia Anne Phillips was inspired to begin writing her own novels. Her novel June In Winter was featured in Romantic Times as Best Multicultural and Best First Multicultural Romance. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California and is now working on her new novel.

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Claiming Jeremiah by Missy B. Salick

Claiming Jeremiah by Missy B. Salick

 

On the same night that twenty four-year-old Jordyn Sims has a miscarriage, her sister-in-law Tori Sims conceives a child. Nine months later, Tori, a long term heroin addict, abandons her two-hour-old drug addicted newborn Jeremiah, in a hospital stairwell. Jordyn receives the news and pursues foster adoption. However, Oscar, Tori’s possessive drug-addicted boyfriend, is not about to give Jeremiah up so easily. While in confrontation with Tori and Oscar, Jordyn seeks help from the Administration of Children Services (ACS), only to discover she is faced with a maze of departments, regulations, legalities and overworked social workers. Jordyn, however, remains strong and continues to push through the uphill battle, even after she discovers she’s pregnant.  With all odds against her adoption of Jeremiah, and her pregnancy at high risk from increasing stress, will Jordyn win this tough battle, or will her world crumble before her?

Excerpt from Claiming Jeremiah by Missy B. Salick

The Sunn was a hazy silver ball swathed in clouds in a pale sky. Restless waves foamed and rippled along the surface of the dark brown ocean. A light mist hung in the air. Seagulls glided overhead.

The sand was like powder and felt gritty under her feet. Her daughter, her curls bouncing as she ran on ahead, chased a flock of birds that had landed in search of food. Pretty, she thought.

People huddling on chairs and towels looked at the girl and smiled. She had taken a piece of bread from her mother’s picnic basket and was crumbling it into pieces in her tiny hands, sprinkling it along the sand as she ran, a picture of joy and uninhibited freedom. The birds that had fluttered nervously into the air as she ran past floated cautiously back down to the sand to pick at the breadcrumbs.

She turned toward the ocean and closed her eyes, allowing the frigid breeze to graze her body.

“Mommy?”

She turned to face her daughter, who was waving and smiling happily. She waved back.

“Come here! Come here Mommy!”

Then the waves halted on their way to the shore. People on the sand froze in the middle of what they were doing. The wind stopped blowing. Her daughter stood with her hand outstretched, her happy smile frozen on her face.

What the . . . ?

A raindrop hit her face and rolled down her cheek. Another splashed against her shoulder. She looked up. A spray of raindrops was cascading from the pale gray clouds.

Terrified, she tried to run toward her little girl, but her feet sank deep into the soft sand, which sucked her down.

“Mommy! Come here!” Her daughter’s lips were still frozen in that achingly sweet smile.

“I’m coming!” Her voice was trapped in her mouth. In a flash of light, her daughter was gone.

The pain came in suffocating waves that squeezed great jagged groans out of her. Blood streamed down her legs. She fell to her knees, frantically clawed at the sand, sinking deeper.

“Jordyn?” Her husband’s voice came from beyond the clouds.

“Julian . . .” She tried to push the words through paralyzed lips.

“Jordyn, baby! Jordyn, baby! Wake up!”

The pain slashed through her womb. She couldn’t breathe. His voice seemed to pull her closer to the surface.

“Oh God, Jordyn!”

She opened her eyes and saw the top of her husband’s head, his mass of unruly curls. His face was nestled against her breast as he tried to hear her heartbeat.

“Are you alive?” she heard him whisper, his voice laced with fear. “Baby, it’s gonna be all right. It’s gonna be all right. I’m gonna call the ambulance. Don’t move. Don’t move, honey.”

The bed jerked roughly as Julian sprang from the mattress onto the floor, knocking something off the bedside table in a spray of splinters. Just before she was sucked into the darkness again, she heard him yell into the phone, “My wife’s pregnant . . . ! Yes . . . ! Yes! You gotta get here now! She’s lost a lotta blood!”

I’m too modern . . . too modern for him . . . I don’t cook . . . don’t do laundry . . .

She was pulled to the surface when the bed jerked again. Julian had climbed on top of her, his knees straddling her body, the phone cradled between his ear and his shoulder.

“No . . . she’s still bleeding . . . even worse than before . . .”

Too modern . . . too freaking modern . . . can’t cook . . . can’t bear him a child . . . What good am I to him?

Raw fear gripped her. She wanted to bawl like a child, but that would only scare Julian more than he already was. She held out her hand to him, and he grabbed it, as if holding on to her for dear life. His eyes stared wildly into hers.

“I’m okay, baby,” she whispered. But she wasn’t okay.

I can’t do this again. Not again.

A piercing siren wailed up the street. Red lights flashed outside the window. The ambulance had arrived. She kept her eyes on her husband.

“I’m sorry . . .” she said, her words trailing off as she sank into darkness.

(  Continues…  )

Copyright © 2013 by Missy B. Salick.  All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author.  This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher’s written permission. Share a link to this page or the author’s website if you really like this promotional excerpt.

Purchase Claiming Jeremiah by Missy B. Salick

http://www.amazon.com/Claiming-Jeremiah-ebook/dp/B00C8PKAIC

Meet the Author
Missy B. Salick is a new author who has written her first novel, Claiming Jeremiah. Her fictional memoir on foster adoption is drawing a hefty buzz around the sensitive topic.  The novel is small in size, but contains a powerful message. “Children in foster care need a place to call home.”  Salick, a foster care advocate, wrote this book based on her personal journey of foster adopting her four-year-old son.

Before self-publishing, Claiming Jeremiah, Salick spent several years as a freelance business writer for Fortune 500 companies such as: Shearman & Sterling, KPMG, Deloitte and many more. She also had a stint with song ghost writing. Salick’s experience in the entertainment industry stems from working with entertainment companies and media including Violator, MBK, Village Voice and more. As the founder of J.J. Autumn Publishing, her publishing company is geared towards highlighting urban fiction dedicated to special causes and community awareness projects.

When Missy is not promoting foster adoption, she can be found volunteering at Junior Achievement, being a Big Sister and counseling young girls through Journal Writing or helping to save the Polar Bears with WWF.

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Excerpt for Game Over by Winter Ramos

Game Over by Winter Ramos

Winter Ramos, one of the new faces of VH1’s hit reality television show, Love and Hip Hop New York Season 3 delivers a brazen and unabashed memoir of her life in the world of hip hop. In Game Over Winter puts all of her emotions on the page—leaving no experience, emotional abuse, or former lover uncovered. From her days as assistant to Fabolous and “friend” to Jada Kiss, to appearing on Love and Hip Hop and being Creative Costume Designer for Flavor unit Films, Winter delivers “a tell-all book on her roster of famous ex-boyfriends and her life in the music industry (MadameNoire.com).”

As the chick that was always in the mix and “cool” with everyone, Winter was privy to the cray beyond the videos, private flights, and limos that the cameras caught for us. Her reality and theirs was no game. Game Over is Winter’s cautionary tale for the next generation of young women who believe that the fabulous lives of celebrities unveiled in blogs and on reality television shows are all FIRE! Brace yourself, because this GAME is about to get real.

Meet the Author
Winter Ramos hails from Brooklyn New York where she was born and raised. Introduced to the world of Hip Hop at an early age she has worked behind the scenes in the Hip Hop industry for more than 10 years and has consulted as a wardrobe stylist for labels such as Ruff Ryders, Murder Inc. Full Surface, and Def Jam.     

She is mostly known for her position as executive assistant to platinum recording artist Fabolous and executive assistant to the CEO of Slip-N-Slide Records Ted Lucas. Currently Winter holds the title of Creative Costume Designer for Flavor Unit Films and is a cast member on Season 3 of Love & Hip Hop- New York. Her tell-all book, titled “Game Over” about her experiences in the world of Hip Hop has both rappers and industry executives shaking in their boots. In her spare time Winter enjoys speaking to youth about their life choices.

Excerpt for Game Over by Winter Ramos

Once again the words passion, excitement, desire and joy all filled my gut the moment my plane landed. That’s what I’d always read love was supposed to feel like. This was it. He was the one. The man who’d swept me off my feet….in private of course. Our relationship had been kept hush hush to both the public and his fans, and only a select few knew of our rendezvous. So the Vegas trip was well needed. One potential problem faced us though; it was All Star weekend and both of our schedules were jam packed.

Rushing through the airport tons of onlookers gawked at us from afar, pointing, grinning, snapping pictures, and some scantily dressed females even rushed up on us. Clearly, my job as Fabolous’ assistant didn’t involve muscle, so I moved to the side to let his bodyguard do his job, fighting off the groupies.  Traveling with Fab and the other Def Jam heavyweights always proved to be exciting, this trip would be no different. Before I knew it car service arrived, and I commenced to secretly dialing my man’s cell number. My intent was to get Fab and the other guys checked in then flock over to my dudes’ hotel room. As the phone rang that strong desire to be with him filled me again. The thought of hearing his raspy voice sent chills through up and down my spine while the loud chatter around me continued.

It didn’t take long for me to realize he wasn’t answering, but I’d been determined my entire life. I hung up, called again, and paid attention to the fast pace of my heart beat. Again, no answer. That incident got brushed under the rug quickly, since my duties began as soon as we pulled up to the hotel. Within an hour, we were all checked in, and the entourage headed to Fab’s first radio interview. Since this was some type of Def Jam takeover, I was certain he would be there. He and Fab had the same sort of celebrity status, and my sources had previously told me they were both scheduled to do the interview.

It seemed as if the radio interview began and ended before I even realized we were all being ushered back out the door. The fact that my boo never showed up hit me like a ton of bricks. I stood for minutes with my mouth hung open. If his interview had been cancelled or postponed, where in the hell was my phone call? My insides boiled. I was pissed. What about all those words he’d spoken to me late night during pillow talk? I was his homie, his ride or die chick, and now I couldn’t get a fucking phone call? Next thing I knew, my fingers were attacking the key pad on my phone. 

It rang.

No answer.

I hung up and called again.

It rang.

And rang.

And rang.

I did the repeat thing again becoming a borderline stalker. Strangely, this time he answered. Even though steam flowed from my head, I still wanted to be in his presence and loved the sound of his confident voice. It was same range most fans noticed when they listened to his music. I needed to get with him, fast.

“What up? Where you at,” I quickly rolled off my tongue.

“Out,” he told me.

 His voice sounded so nonchalant. My first thought was to bust off on him, but my sentiment changed all too fast. I peeped to my right and left to see if anyone was listening to my call as we stepped back into the ride. The coast seemed to be clear with no one paying me any attention so I asked boldly, “Where you staying at, so I can come over?”

He paused, then hit me with, “I don’t know.”

Lies, I told myself. But why?

Faster than I could even blink, he man-handled me off the phone. He was a fast talker, sweet talker, and so much more when it came to women, so I knew smoke was being blown up my skirt. I took the snub like a big girl and went back to planning for Fab’s appearance at a local club  which was scheduled for midnight. I sorta wondered if Fab ever suspected anything since my mood had gone from sweet to sour in less than an hour. He never said much, only shot me a few looks since I took care of my job like a real woman was supposed to. I put love aside momentarily, attended the party that night, only to have my boo not show up there either. When would the light bulb go off? Obviously, I was being played.

The next morning reality struck, an insider, one I’d like to call an informant unloaded what felt like a ton of bricks. When the words, “Your man showed up after you left,” escaped his lips, I froze. Then he hit me with,” He was with her.”    I became ecstatic.  Who was her? Who was my baby with, I wondered? “Who was it?” I blasted. My source was clearly afraid of what my next reaction would be. His voice cracked. Afterwards, his throat cleared a few times. “The R&B chick that we’ve all heard the rumors about.”

My eyes blurred a bit. I could only see red. I knew who my informant was talking about. I was ready to fight. It was time to whip them both on contact.  It took hours for my homies to calm me down.  Tears flowed like the Nile, and nothing could stop me from my rage throughout the day. Soon, nighttime fell again, and the Def Jam family had yet another event. I showed up, did my duties for Fab, and attempted to settle my nerves. That’s when things spiraled out of control. My multi- platinum selling dude walked in the door with the woman I suspected he was with. They were arm and arm like a real couple….like I didn’t exist.

Within seconds, I charged toward them both. My hands shook, and my mental shifted to something similar to a mass attack. I didn’t care that she was famous, or if any pictures of me going wild would be posted on the blogs. I just refused to get treated badly when he was the one stringing me along. I could’ve handed the truth, but not the humiliation.  Clearly, I was being fucked with no Vaseline. That was it…the end to our relationship as far as I was concerned.   My heart may have been crushed but I held my head high, refusing to let yet another negative situation with a man ruin my job. I was able to take care of myself and used that set back as another opportunity to make myself stronger. As usual, I told myself….you win in the end, Winter.  You win!

( Continues… )

Copyright © 2013 by Winter Ramos. All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author.  This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher’s written permission. Copyright infringement is a serious offense. Share a link to this page or the author’s website if you really like this promotional excerpt.

Purchase Game Over by Winter Ramos
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1934230642

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Intimate Conversation with Pamela Samuels Young

Intimate Conversation with  Pamela Samuels Young

Pamela Samuels Young is an author and practicing attorney who’s taken a brief hiatus from crafting her fast-paced mystery novels to write about her newest passion: natural hair care. In her first non-fiction book, Kinky Coily: A Resource Guide to Going Natural, Pamela chronicles her transition to natural hair. Kinky Coily also provides tips and resources for other women who want to begin their own natural hair journey. A bona fide natural hair enthusiast, Pamela is excited about sharing her new found knowledge in the hope of helping other women learn the beauty and versatility of their kinky coils. You can visit Pamela’s YouTube channel, KinkyCurlyPamela, and her website, http://www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com,  for more hair care tips and videos.

Have you been thinking about transitioning to natural hair, but don’t know where to start? Then Kinky Coily: A Resource Guide for Going Natural is for you. A literal treasure trove of information, Kinky Coily is a road map for anyone interested in beginning a natural hair journey. You’ll find the best bloggers, the best books and magazines, as well as recommendations on how to select the right hair care tools and products.

Better yet, you’ll learn how to begin your natural hair journey, how to develop a weekly hair care regime and how to track your progress. Whether you’re transitioning from a relaxer, ready to give up your weave or flat iron, or already rocking your natural locs, Kinky Coily: A Resource Guide for Going Natural will open your eyes to the true beauty and versatility of your naturally kinky coils.

BPM: Why did you go natural? How did you start the journey from permed hair to natural hair?
I decided to go natural after my hair started falling out from a relaxer. One day I had a head full of hair and only a few months later, I had patches of bald spots. My hair was shedding at an alarming rate every single day and neither I nor the hair stylist I was seeing knew how to stop it. A friend of mind had recently gone natural and introduced me to her natural hair mentor, Deanie. Deanie met me at the beauty supply, told me about sulfates and moisturizing, recommended conditioners and protein treatment, and gave me a list of do’s and don’ts. After the very first treatment, my hair stopped falling out—immediately. That’s when I became a believer and set out on a journey to take charge of my own hair care.

BPM: Did you go for the “big chop” or did you transition to natural hair with braids or a wig?
Initially, I refused to do the big chop. I just didn’t want to sport a teeny weenie after. So I hid my damaged hair underneath a wig. But after about three months, I got tired of putting on a wig every morning and taking it off every night. So I did it. I chopped it all off and I’m so glad I did.

BPM: How did your husband feel about your new hair styles? Was his input a major concern?

My husband does not like my natural hair!  But I do!  He prefers my hair straightened. But I know that once it grows longer, he’ll love it.

BPM: We saw your YouTube videos. Amazing!  You are so brave to share your story with millions, what inspired you?

I’ve learned so much about my natural hair. For example, I had no idea my hair had a natural wave pattern. So many people see my hair and say, “My hair would never do that.” I would’ve said the same thing. That’s because we don’t know our hair! I’m on a mission to change that. Your readers can view all of the videos here, go.

BPM: What three tips would you offer women who are thinking about going natural?

My top three tips are:  1) No sulfates! Either wash with a conditioner (co-wash) or find a sulfate free shampoo;  2) stay away from the heat, that means flat irons as well as blow dryers; and 3) moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Kinky hair needs moisture!  I deep condition at least twice a week and moisturize and seal nightly.

BPM: What products do you use? Share with us your favorite products.

Unfortunately, the same products don’t work for every hair texture. You’ll need to experiment to find out what works best for you. I have kinky, tightly coiled hair. So if you have a looser curl pattern or if your hair isn’t as coarse as mine, the products I love won’t work for you.

That said, my can’t-do-without products are:  Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic, Kinky Curly Knot Today conditioner, Organic Roots Stimulator’s Temple Balm and Curl Refresher, and Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Conditioner. I love Herbal Essence for co-washing. I also love mixing my own oils. My favorites are amla oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, castor oil, olive oil and peppermint oil.

BPM: How long did it take for your hair become more healthy in your opinion?

It took about three months before I noticed my bald spots growing in. Within about six months, I really saw a change. My hair grew back much thicker and healthier.

BPM: How did you wear your hair to work during the transition?

I hid my damaged hair underneath a wig, until I finally broke down and did the big chop. I have to say, though, my Mommy wig was quite cute. I still plan to wear it sometime.

BPM: Do you think our hair has a lot to do with our body Image and self-esteem?

Absolutely! I don’t care what I’m wearing. If my hair isn’t right, I don’t feel good about myself.

BPM: Research helps us learn to embrace our beautiful hair. Did you do a lot of research on hair care?

Tons of research. I recommend that everybody read The Science of Black Hair: A Comprehensive Guide to Textured Hair Care by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy. That book is an encyclopedia on kinky hair.  I learned so much from that book. And I lived on the internet and YouTube. My favorite bloggers are Curly Nikki, Naptural 85, KimmayTube, Mahogany Curls and African Export. I owe those sistas a debt of gratitude for everything they taught me.

BPM: What was the most rewarding part of this experience?

All the compliments I get about my hair. Women always come up to me to ask about the products I use and I’m always glad to share.

BPM: How will your book Kinky Coily motivate women to consider moving toward natural hair care?

I think when they see other women taking charge of their own hair, they will feel free to do the same.

BPM: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book and your how-to-videos?

I want them to have the confidence to take charge of their own hair care. I’m not trying to put hair stylists out of business. But I want women to know they can remedy their own hair care problems. If I’d known everything I know now when my hair started falling out, I could have stopped my shedding. My hair was damaged from the heat and badly needed moisture. I was also getting touch ups too often. But I didn’t that because I knew nothing about the care of my hair. Now I do!

BPM: What advice would you give a person who wants to tell their hair care story?

Take good notes during your hair care journey. I keep a journal and took pictures every three months.  After you finish your book, ask for constructive feedback from family and friends.

BPM: Share with us your latest news or upcoming book releases.

I’m working on a books and beauty showcase called Natural Born Writers. Several fiction authors who just happen to be natural, are going to gather to talk about books and being natural. A popular natural hair blogger will also join us. We hope to hit several cities. So stay tuned!

Read an excerpts from the books at http://www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com

Follow Pamela Samuels Young  on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/pamsamuelsyoung

Follow Pamela Samuels Young on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pamelasamuelsyoung

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Intimate Conversation with BlaQue

Intimate Conversation with BlaQue

The author BlaQue, nicknamed the BlaQue Angel because of the twisted and dark stories she weaves, was born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area where she currently resides with her son.  BlaQue began writing after reading several Donald Goines books and decided she would love to pen stories in the same gritty, fast-paced manner. After writing her first novel Dirty DNA and allowing several of her peers to read and critique her work, she decided to submit it to G Street Chronicles where she joined the ranks of some of the heaviest hitting authors in Urban Literature.

BPM: When did you get your first inkling to write, and how did you advance the call for writing? 
I first began to write after reading several Donald Goines novels and thinking to myself, I can do that! I wanted to bring that realness back to the Urban Fiction genre. I did not want to write the stereotypical hustler’s tale.

BPM: Do you have anyone in your life that was heavily influential in your deciding to become an author? 
My father was my biggest influence to write. He told me at a young age with all the paper I used writing I should put my talent to use. When he passed away I made a promise to write a book in his honor. His unconditional love for his daughters made me push to complete my first novel.  That is how Dirty DNA was born.

BPM: Introduce us to your series and the main characters. What makes each one special? Do you have any favorites? 
Dirty DNA is an Urban Fiction novel that shows that all that glitters is NOT gold and that blood should be thicker than water! There is a message hidden within the pages of this gritty story. It was not written just to shock the reader, but to show them why being involved in every aspect of your child’s life is important.

YaSheema ‘Ya Ya’ Clayton, is the spoiled daughter of famed drug lord Darnell Clayton. She is the apple of her father’s eye and in his eyes she can do no wrong. She is ill tempered and misguided to say the least and those are her good traits!

ShaNiqua ‘NiQue’ Watkins, is the best friend of Ya Ya. They were bred to rule the streets with a ruthless hand, however NiQue has her own issues and is on her own mission to find love in the Capital City. Somehow her looking for love may cause problems with the long time friends.

Neko Reynolds, is the long lost brother or Ya Ya Clayton who gets pulled into deep, dark family secrets that he never knew existed. The question is will he escape the family drama with his life?

BPM: Tell us about the sequel, Dirty DNA 2. Which topic in the book can you identify with the most? Why?
One of the biggest messages in this book is that a parent’s love is the most important to a child no matter how old they are. Every child deserves to have the love and guidance of their parents no matter what the child’s issues may be.

Dirty DNA 2: ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Washington, D.C. has never seen rage like that of ShaniQua “NiQue” Watkins. After taking out her entire family she has decided to settle in on being a mother to her newborn daughter, YaSheema Nicole, and soon-to-be wife to her rapper fiancé’, Ronald “Dread” Evans.  Just when she thought her life was headed in the right direction, the demon Pajay who lives within her resurfaces to wreak havoc on the remaining family members of the Clayton-Reynolds clan.

NiQue tries desperately to suppress the darkness from taking hold of not only her last surviving sibling, Neko Reynolds, and his girlfriend Pinky York but any and everyone who won’t cooperate.  NiQue battles with her own past while trying to survive long enough to have a future worth living for. Will she be able to tame the beast that lies in the darkest part of her soul? Or will Pajay reign supreme and demolish the rest of the surviving members of the notorious Reynolds-Clayton family once and for all?

READ MORE HERE

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Intimate Conversation with Tonia Askins & Victor Kwegyir

Intimate Conversation with
Tonia Askins & Victor Kwegyir

“You’ve Been Fired! Now What?” helps anyone transform a job seeking challenge into wealth creation opportunities. In this collaborative project, two international business consultants walk you through identifying enterprising possibilities and opportunities around you to create a secured future. Not only that, for the existing business owner seeking to implement vital systems and standards, it serves as a practical, insightful and experience packed guide for success.

Primary topics include:
* 16 benefits of starting your own business
* 16 advantages economic downturn present for start-ups
* 33 proven principles for building a successful business
* 40 researched businesses you can start Now

Each chapter has been written to help the reader easily understand the process of transitioning with steps and practical guides in turning around the seemingly negative situation into an opportunity for success and growth. With highlights of great advantages the current economy presents for those willing to take the leap to create a successful future. Great examples of how others made it, having been inspired by differing ideas, prove how ideas and opportunities can be inspired by anything, especially when we are at varying crossroads in life. Also included are chapters that spotlight well-researched ideas for the reader, as well as the best principles and systems necessary to ensure an excellent start.

Meet Tonia Askins:  Entrepreneur and international business consultant, has serviced individuals, emerging entrepreneurs, existing small business owners and corporations for over fifteen years. Her client list ranging from Fine Artists to Computer Application Developers is just as diverse as her experience. Right from LSU Tonia’s management and executive career took-off, gaining industry experience within – mortgage finance, law, real estate and hospitality. Tonia has also successfully managed and administered an international non-profits human resources department overseeing more than 100 employees, operating within – group benefits, employee relations, recruitment, and non-profit law. An entrepreneur at heart, she founded the US based firms, Virtual Live Assistant and Northstar Pathways Consulting and Coaching, offering various executive, management and administrative business support services globally.

Her other experience includes owning and managing a restaurant. Tonia is also the founder of Louisiana Love, a special events photography company which provides photography for a national publisher as well as covers major events by request for arts, entertainment and humanitarian efforts within Louisiana. Service through volunteering to non-profits and individuals through mentoring and coaching has provided some of her most rewarding efforts. Truly, a no limits mind-set, diverse experience and passion for people are her main driving force.

Meet Victor Kwegyir:  Is an international business consultant, business motivational speaker, author, the founder and CEO of Vike Invest (UK) Ltd, a growing International Business Consultancy firm in London, UK. He has over fifteen years experience in business, and holds a Masters degree (MSc in International Financial Systems) with other qualifications. He speaks internationally at seminars, challenging and equipping people with the knowledge and practical tools in starting and growing a successful business. Victor is a regular guest speaker and contributor to entrepreneurial development and business growth & profitability radio shows (over 50 guest appearances).

He also has his own blog as well as contributes to other blogs and business finance and management websites around the world. In addition to this book, Victor has also authored such books as “The Business You Can Start – Spotting the greatest opportunities in the economic downturn” – available on Amazon, Kindle (eBook edition), Barnes and Nobles, Vikebusinessservices.com and book stores near you on request. Victor’s other upcoming books include, “Creating The Compelling Business Plan” and “Wealth creation as God intended.”

For more information visit: http://www.21cecgc.com  
Follow on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/21CECGC
Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YouveBeenFiredNowWhat

BPM: Do you feel as if you are a role model for new business owners and other authors?
Yes we are. Our aim has been to offer our readers an insight into what we have accomplished and how we transitioned successfully to where we are as entrepreneurs and authors.

BPM: What inspired you to write this book? Does your faith or education inspire your writing?
As consultants, irrespective of our practice in different continents and countries, we both have solution focused mind-sets as we daily help our clients grow their businesses. The state of the current global economy, has placed a lot of individuals in positions that they have never faced before with no solution or direction for the way forward. That is primarily what gave us all the motivation we needed to write the book as a resource tool, knowing that it’s possible to creatively turn around the dire situations. Indeed our faith as believers, education and professional experience has contributed immensely in believing in possibilities irrespective of the challenges one may be facing at any given time in life.

BPM: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book? When someone finishes your book, what would you like for them to do?
We will love our readers to be inspired and believe in the possibility of turning around any current challenging economic situation into an opportunity to positively change the course of their economic destiny. Empowering them to gain the confidence and take strategic steps to identify business opportunities, and with the shared principles, systems and invaluable contents of the book start and grow successful enterprises for a secure future. Ultimately, a reader taking advantage of this great tool will be equipped to achieve success in business, which will enhance not only their life but the lives of people within their family, business and community.

READ MORE HERE

Purchase You’ve Been Fired! Now What? 

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Intimate Conversation with Allison Gregory Daniels

Intimate Conversation with Allison Gregory Daniels

Allison Gregory Daniels is president and CEO of ADG Enterprises and All God’s Doing Ministries. She conducts workshops and seminars throughout the United States and abroad for women. She is the author of more than twenty-one books and the coauthor of three books. Currently a book consultant and published author, she lives in Upper Marlboro, Maryland with her husband and two daughters.

Allison speaks with authority, wisdom and experience. Her books are certain to breathe life into those who feel like that can’t go on anymore because of their life circumstances. Her book Life Goes On offers an example of maintaining faith through adversity. Her readers and followers will benefit from her examples. Life Goes On will challenge and encourage readers to look inside themselves for the changes they want to see. This is an ideal book for book clubs, women ministries, women retreats and for Christian women who seek support on their spiritual and emotional journey through life. This dynamic book offer powerful tips, strategies and tools for overcoming your past hurts, surviving emotional setbacks and handling and maintaining your emotions as life goes on.

 
Life Goes On (How to Maintain Your Faith through Adversity) by Allison Daniels

You can maintain your faith even through adversity and begin to live a life of purpose. In Life Goes On, author Allison Gregory Daniels shares how she did just that. She chronicles her life experiences and her refusal to let events destroy God’s calling for her. She offers testimony to the trust that she placed in God and the knowledge that her past experiences did not have to destroy her future dreams. She knew that she would dream again, love again, and laugh again once she changed how she dealt with her past disappointments and found her true path.

The Word of God warns us that the enemy wants to steal, kill, and destroy; even so, if you let Jesus into your life, you can live life more abundantly with His love and guidance. Life Goes On challenges and encourages each of us to look inside ourselves for the changes we want to see and make a difference. The answer lies within each of us, and the time has come to take back our lives and change how we think about ourselves and how God fits into our everyday lives.  Listen to the author read from the book.

BPM: Do you have anyone in your life that was heavily influential in you deciding to become an author?
My mother has been heavily influential in my writer because she encourage me to pursue my dreams and never give up. I have been blessed to have family and friends around that encourage me daily to continue to pursue my dreams and my heart desire.

BPM: Introduce us to the primary topics in your book. What makes each one special?
Life Goes On is a dynamic, step-by-step guide offering powerful tips, strategies, and tools for overcoming your past hurts, surviving emotional setbacks, and handling your emotions. Some primary topics include: The Purpose of my trials, Embracing Change and Personal transition and Life Goes on even in the midst of it all. Each chapter is special to me because I hope to instill confidence, faith, hope and value into the hearts of wounded women.

BPM: What inspired you to write this book? Does your faith or education inspire your writing?
I was inspired by God to write this book to share with other women that you are not alone. I wrote this book while I was going through a healing process within my own life. The Life Goes On book will challenge and encourage you to look inside yourself for the changes you want to see and make a difference. The answer lies within each of us, and the time will come where you will have to take back your life and live again, love again, laugh again, dream again and just began again because Life Goes On.

BPM: What are you most thankful for today?
I am most thankful for God finding Favor in me to be a vessel to help others in their healing process through writing. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to share my ministry with my daughters as well s my audience.

BPM: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book? When someone finishes your book, what would you like for them to do?
Ultimately, I want readers to enjoy reading my book and gain knowledge and insight from the written word. I believe that me sharing my life experience with other women from all walks of life makes this book unique because I pour myself out in each chapter and take you into my world. I hope that this book will encourage, motivate, elevate and uplift each and every person that reads this book. I hope that readers will share my stories with their friends and loved ones once they finish reading the book.

BPM: What are your goals as a writer? Do you set out to educate? Entertain? Illuminate? Inspire?
My goal and purpose is to inspire others to write and share their story to help others with their healing process. I hope to educate and empower others to never give up and never give in. I want to be an inspiration of hope to all that I meet along my journey that nothing is impossible if you continue to believe in yourself because Life Goes On.

BPM: Finish this sentence – “My writing offers the following legacy to future readers… ”
My writing offers the following legacy to future readers to remind them to keep pressing on when others say no. Don’t give up o yourself and don’t give up on your dreams.

BPM: Share with us your latest. How may our readers follow you online?
I’d be happy to! Thank you so much for asking this question because I’m elated about this book but I am working on my next book, it’s not the only book that I’ve written. I’ve self-published over 21 books and co-author 3 books.

I’m currently writing my next book and working on a few projects for other writers. I also offer book consultation sessions for aspiring writers that will guide them through the often complicated process of writing and publishing their own book. Please visit my website, http://www.AllisonGDaniels.com, for more information under book consultant.

Website:  www.AllisonGDaniels.com
Twitter:  @ AllisonDaniels9
YouTube:  AGDaniels29
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/allison.g.daniels
Blog:  http://lifegoeson-allisongdaniels.blogspot.com

Available on Amazon Kindle for Download Today
Non-ficton; Health &Well-being; Coping;  Death, Grief and Bereavement

Purchase Life Goes On by Allison Gregory Daniels
ISBN:  9781475967197   Softcover 
ISBN:  9781475967203     E-Book
ISBN:  9781475967210    Hardcover    

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Intimate Conversation with Ericka Monique Williams

Intimate Conversation with Ericka Monique Williams 

Ericka Williams is a tour de force, a phenomenal woman. She is a compassionate person who not only cares about herself and hers, but she cares about humanity. All of her books are themed to show the unlimited access of human beings to redemption. She is a Christian, spreading the message that Jesus saves; no matter who you are, what you’ve done, or what other people think of you. She uses societal ills, her own experiences, and real situations that we all face, to show that their is a light at the end of every tunnel, if you take God’s hand and let him lead the way. She may not fit the mold of a “saint”, but she sure is a believer and she knows that we all only have the obligation to spread the Word, the way that we personally know how.

Ericka Williams is a mother of two, an elementary school Language Arts teacher, an actor, a director, and a producer of short films. She is currently in the cast of The Cartel Publications, feature “Pitbulls in a Skirt” movie. She continues to write books, act, and prepare to fulfill her dream of having her books turned into films. Ericka Williams is a humanitarian, a mentor, a public speaker and above all, a Child of God. You may contact her at erickawilliamsinfo@yahoo.com. You may “like” her at Ericka Monique Williams on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter @AuthorErickaw

BPM:  When did you get your first inkling to write, and how did you advance the call for writing?  Do you have anyone in your life that was heavily influential in your deciding to become an author?
My cousin Nadja’s death influenced me to write a book for young ladies, my first book All that Glitters. Nadja was older than me and I looked up to her. I wanted to be just like her and emulate her. When she passed I became pregnant with my first child, so I wanted to dedicate something to her to carry on her name and legacy. Although she wasn’t famous, she was a pretty girl who got caught up in the glamour of money and the streets. She inspired me to show the pitfalls of living fast and the results of dying young. She lives on every time someone reads the dedication and reads “All That Glitters”.

BPM:  Introduce us to your book and the main characters. What makes each one special? Do you have any favorites?
A Woman Scorned 3:  Déjà vu is the third installment of the “A Woman Scorned” series. The main character Brielle starts off in the first book as a woman with many inner conflicts and issues. She miscarriages three times, kills her husband, and is lost in the past and afflicted by the lack of love she received from both of her parents as a child.

In “A Woman Scorned 2: Family Ties, Brielle is trying to put the pieces of her life back together with a new love, but her treacherous cousin is trying to keep her down and bound; where her younger sister proves to be an unhealthy comrade and equally negative part of her life. Brielle has got to let go of the past, before she can have her happy ending.

In “A Woman Scorned 3: Déjà vu” she is attempting to finally achieve that. The other important characters in part 3 are Shawn, Brielle’s second husband, and a new character who drives the story is Dr. Nia Gray. Dr. Gray is a psychiatrist who is supposed to be helping Brielle to get better; but who is motivated by a hidden agenda to steal Shawn from her. Dr. Gray’s sister, Danae is an antagonist in this part as well.

BPM:  What inspired you to write this book?  Does your faith or experiences inspire your writing?
I was inspired to continue this story, with a third part because the readers have seen Brielle as a crazy woman. They have seen her family as crazy and they have loved that. We all love drama but I didn’t want to forget to remind everyone that habit is stagnating. When we get so used to bad things happen, that we don’t want or look forward to any good; then we must examine ourselves. “We” used to love happy endings, now we love chaos and dysfunction and although we can pretend that we only love the insane in entertainment it definitely transcends into our personal lives. The first two books ending with cliffhangers. This book was planned to show that we can and will overcome when we leave the negativity behind. Happy endings are certainly possible, if we not only believe in them but strive to attain them.

BPM:  Which character or topic in the book can you identify with the most? Why?
I identify with Brielle because I have acknowledged my own “anger issue” and I face problems in my family that influenced me to write the second part, “Family Ties”. Brielle was lashing out and the people who she felt wronged her, but she didn’t realize her own part in the problems she was facing due to her retaliation, and drive for revenge. I cannot say that I have been wronged but I have felt that my own family has not supported me in my endeavors, as I would have liked them too. I feel that my family has shown more animosity than love for each other. I just don’t believe that blood is always thicker than water. I also have used therapy in the past to help me deal with some dilemmas, and I used “A Woman Scorned” to help promote people to seek help when they are having emotional, mental, or problems dealing with coping and temperament.

BPM:  A Legacy is something that is handed down from one period of time to another period of time. Finish this sentence- “My writing offers the following legacy to future readers… ”
My writing offers the following legacy to future readers…that success is in giving of your self. I have been writing for a long time. I am not one of the top ten authors in this “genre” that has us all lumped together because of the color of our skin. But I know that the people that I do reach, are touched, and inspired. I am fulfilled in knowing that I matter and that I will always be alive, because my books will always be here; long after I’m gone. Being a writer or author is not a get rich quick scheme, or plan; but, it is a sustaining profession.

As long as I write books, I will make a living from it. And as long as I pour my heart into my books, I will be felt. I teach in the inner city, I am from a small suburb of Manhattan; but my big dreams have allowed me to author six books to date. And I am not done. This is what I will do, until the day I die and looking ahead will allow me to leave a trail of books behind. My legacy is in perseverance, persistence, and always redemption, and faith. Just like my novels.   I want readers to know that we all have challenges, but that we can overcome them.

Connect with the Author Online
Website: http://www.Erickaw.com

Twitter: @AuthorErickaw
https://twitter.com/AuthorErickaw

Facebook: Ericka Monique Williams
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ericka-Monique-Williams/389815499992

Purchase the Books in the “Woman Scorned” Series 
Book 1:  A Woman Scorned
Book 2:  A Woman Scorned 2: Family Ties
Book 3:  A Woman Scorned 3:  Deja Vu
Buy now:  http://www.amazon.com/Ericka-Williams/e/B002G5U89U

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