Excerpt: Grant Park by Leonard Pitts, Jr.

Grant Park by Leonard Pitts, Jr.

Grant Park is a page-turning and provocative look at black and white relations in contemporary America, blending the absurd and the poignant in a powerfully well-crafted narrative that showcases Pitts’s gift for telling emotionally wrenching stories.

Grant Park begins in 1968, with Martin Luther King’s final days in Memphis. The story then moves to the eve of the 2008 election, and cuts between the two eras as it unfolds. Disillusioned columnist Malcolm Toussaint, fueled by yet another report of unarmed black men killed by police, hacks into his newspaper’s server to post an incendiary column that had been rejected by his editors. Toussaint then disappears, and his longtime editor, Bob Carson, is summarily fired within hours of the column’s publication.

While a furious Carson tries to find Toussaint—at the same time dealing with the reappearance of a lost love from his days as a 60s activist—Toussaint is abducted by two improbable but still-dangerous white supremacists plotting to explode a bomb at Obama’s planned rally in Grant Park. Toussaint and Carson are forced to remember the choices they made as idealistic, impatient young men, when both their lives were changed profoundly by their work in the civil rights movement.


Editorial Reviews From the Publisher

“A novel as significant as it is engrossing.” —Booklist, starred review

“Grant Park is layered, insightful, and passionate. Pitts’s subtly explosive language grips readers with the delicate subject matter and earnestly implores them to understand that ‘[race] has always meant something and it always will.’ The scars will remain, but stunningly powerful examinations like Grant Park can be the salve that helps heal open wounds.” —Shelf-Awareness, starred review

“An important book, one that honestly examines the current, tumultuous racial divide in our country and demands we not turn away from its harsh realities.” —Amy Canfield, Miami Herald

“[A] high-stakes, hard-charging political thriller. . . . The sharply etched characters, careful attention to detail, and rich newspaper lore propel Pitts’s socially relevant novel.” —Publishers Weekly

“Leonard Pitts has written a taut thriller that weaves together a stark look at America’s tortured racial past with a fast-paced tale of terrorist conspiracy and love rekindled.” —Neil Steinberg, Chicago Sun Times

“The book is a page-turner, but also one that commands deep reflection on history, racism, and personal choices.” —Blanca Torres, The Seattle Times

“Pitts masterfully revisits [election night on November 4, 2008] and four decades of the civil rights struggle to create one of the most suspenseful and spectacular fictitious moments you’ll experience this fall.” —Patrik Henry Bass, Essence

“Pitts does a skillful job of building tension in the novel’s historical sections as well as on Election Day. . . . He also does something not every political thriller writer does: builds believable, complex characters.” — Colette Bancroft, Tampa Bay Times

“And then there are those thrills—gasping, mouth-gaping page-turners that author Leonard Pitts Jr. weaves through another realism: truthful, brutal plot-lines about racial issues of the last five decades, mulling over exactly how far we’ve really come. That makes this will-they-live-or-won’t-they nail-biter into something that also made me think, and I absolutely loved it.” —Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez

GRANT PARK: CHAPTER ONE

Martin Luther King stood at the railing, facing west. The moon was a pale crescent just rising in early twilight to share the sky with a waning sun. He leaned over, joking with the men in the parking lot below. A couple of them were wrestling playfully with James Orange, a good-natured man with a build like a brick wall.

“Now, you be careful with preachers half your size,” King teased him.

“Dr. King,” called Orange in a plaintive voice, “it’s two of them and one of me. You should be asking them not to hurt me.”

“Doc,” someone called out from below, “this is Ben Branch. You remember Ben.”

“Oh yes,” said King. “He’s my man. How are ya, Ben?”

Another voice yelled up from below. “Glad to see you, Doc.”

As Malcolm Toussaint moved toward King, it struck him that the preacher seemed somehow lighter than he had the last time Malcolm had seen him. It had been late one night a week before, by the Dumpsters out back of the Holiday Inn. The man Malcolm met that night had seemed… weighted, so much so that even Malcolm had found himself concerned and moved—Malcolm, who had long scorned the great reverend doctor, who had, in the fashion of other young men hip, impatient, and cruel, mocked him as “De Lawd.” But that was before Malcolm had met the man. That was before they had talked. Now he moved toward King, his mind roiling with the decision that had sprung from that moment, the news he had come to share. King, he knew, would be pleased. There would be a smile, perhaps a heavy hand clamping on Malcolm’s shoulder. “Good for you, Brother Malcolm,” he would say. “Good for you.”

Malcolm was vaguely amused to find himself here on this balcony, anticipating this man’s approval. If you had told him just a few days ago that he would be here, ready to go back to school, ready to embrace nonviolent protest, he would have laughed. But that, too, was before. Malcolm meant to raise his hand just then, to catch King’s attention, but a movement caught his eye. Just a reflected ray of the dying sun, really, glinting off something in a window across the street. Something that—he knew this instinctively—should not have been there. He wondered distractedly what it was.

King’s voice drew him back. “I want you to sing it like you’ve never sung it before,” he was calling to someone in the parking lot below. “Sing it real pretty.” And Malcolm realized he had missed something, because he had no idea what they were talking about. His attention had been distracted by… what was that?

“It’s getting chilly.” Yet another voice calling to King from below. “I think you’ll need a topcoat.”

“Okay, Jonesy,” King was saying. “You really know how to take good care of me.”

And here, the moment breaks, time fracturing as time sometimes will into its component parts, until an event is no longer composed of things happening in a sequence, but somehow all happens at once. And you can see and touch and live all the smaller moments inside the right now. This is how it is for Malcolm Toussaint now. King is laughing. Malcolm is taking a step toward him. King is straightening. Laughter is echoing from below. King is reaching into a pocket for his cigarettes. He is becoming aware of Malcolm on his left. His head is coming around. There are the bare beginnings of a welcoming smile. And Malcolm knows. Suddenly knows. And Malcolm is leaping, leaping across space, across time itself, becoming airborne—he was sure of it, that detail felt right, even though by this time King is barely six feet away. Malcolm grabbing two hands full of expensive silk, yanking Martin Luther King off balance, yanking him down hard in the same instant they all hear the popping sound like a firecracker, in the same instant he feels the soft-nosed 30.06 bullet whistle past his cheek like a phantom breath, in the same instant he falls awkwardly across King’s chest.

And then…

And then time seems to reel for a crazy breathless moment, as if decid¬ing what to do now. The fulcrum of history teetering, the future hanging, suspended in midair.
Until all at once and with a brutal force, time decides itself and slams back into gear.

A woman shrieked.

Someone yelled, “Somebody is shooting!”

Someone yelled, “Doc, are you OK?”

Someone yelled, “Stay down!”

Malcolm’s breath was ragged in his own ears. His heart hammered like drums. Then from beneath him, he heard a familiar baritone voice say calmly, very calmly, but yet, with a touch of breathless wonder. “Oh my God. Was that a gunshot?”

Their eyes met. Malcolm didn’t speak. Couldn’t speak. “Brother Malcolm,” said Martin Luther King, his voice still suffused with wonder and yet, also, an almost unnatural calm, “I think you just saved my life.”

Malcolm was overwhelmed by the thereness of the man. He was not myth and mist and history. He was not a posterboard image on a wall behind a child dutifully reciting in a child’s thin, sweet tenor, “I have a dream today.” No, he was there, beneath 20-year-old Malcolm Toussaint, who had fallen crosswise on top of him. Malcolm could feel the weight and heft of him, the fall and rise of his chest. He could see his very pores, could smell the tobacco on his breath, the Aramis on his collar. Martin Luther King was there, still alive, beneath him. Malcolm opened his mouth to speak.

And then, he awoke.

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Leonard Pitts Jr. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Purchase Grant Park by Leonard Pitts, Jr.
Amazon: http://amzn.com/1932841911 
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1QAHE1E
GoogleBooks: http://bit.ly/1VY3qzr
IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781932841916
Agate Publishing: http://www.agatepublishing.com/titles/grant-park
Books a Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781932841916

About the Author
Leonard Pitts, Jr. is a nationally syndicated columnist for the Miami Herald and winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, in addition to many other awards. He is also the author of the novels Freeman (Agate Bolden, 2012) and Before I Forget (Agate Bolden, 2009); the collection Forward From this Moment: Selected Columns, 1994-2009, Daily Triumphs, Tragedies, and Curiosities (Agate Bolden, 2009); and Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood (Agate Bolden, 2006). Born and raised in Southern California, Pitts now lives in suburban Washington, D.C., with his wife and children.

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STATIONS: Changing Your Life – Changing Your Career by Lynda Mubarak

STATIONS: Changing Your Life – Changing Your Career 
by Lynda Mubarak

Is your child a first generation college student? Are you a first generation college student? If you are a school counselor, Student Affairs Coordinator, Upward Bound student, high school student, parents of elementary students, teens, young adults, or a newly hired worker, STATIONS is the quick resource guide that offers suggestions and time-proven recommendations to parents and professionals as they interact with children and young adult workers in a 21st century environment.

STATIONS is a collection of essays that provides food for thought as we make our way through the different situations, events, stages, circumstances and parental decisions that will ultimately affect personal lifestyles and career options. STATIONS examines childhood academic and social skills, and addresses the challenging task of teaching children to be healthy and financially sound while preparing them to thrive and survive in a global workforce driven by cutting edge technology and ongoing competition. STATIONS is concise, amusing, informative and frank in its discussion of life’s everyday circumstances, including social media and proactive workplace practices that affect all of us from childhood through adulthood.

Chapter 13 Excerpt

The Plastic Dollar

This may be hard to believe, but at one time in this country, there were no credit cards, debit cards, electronic checks, online shopping or any other types of paperless financial transactions. Money actually moved from one pair of hands to another, a receipt was written (if paper was available and someone could write), a handshake was exchanged and the deal was sealed.

Well, the honeymoon is over! Somewhere along the banking highway of installment plans and lines of credit things got way out of hand. Now, checks are bouncing, credit scores are crazy, and we’re all wondering how we arrived at this strange, penny pinching destination. And to make matters worse our children seem to manage, or mismanage money and all that goes with it in the same way.

Living in a digital society means that many of our financial transactions are electronic, invisible, and are done quickly with the swipe of a plastic card including phone calls, debit, and credit or gift cards. As a result, our children do not see large amounts of money changing hands very often. It’s no wonder that money seems magical and everlasting to them.

While we smiled our way through images of Hollywood lifestyles, fast food, overpaid athletes, overpriced coffee houses, attitudes of entitlement and weight loss commercials, we forgot to teach our children the fundamentals of money management. Not only did we neglect teaching them the basics of financial stability, we also overlooked the importance of instilling the responsibilities involved with day to day living.

Do your children believe that money grows on trees? Do you ever wonder why? Maybe we need to teach our children financial responsibility early so that their lives won’t fall apart later. It’s not too late to implement a few money basics and the best time to start is now.

Show and Tell
When children learn early that a home operates like a small business, they will be better prepared to deal with the biggest challenge faced by all businesses or homes – daily operating expenses. Begin your money discussion by telling your child that nothing, absolutely nothing is free and use the material things in your home to demonstrate your point. Next, select a room in your home or begin with his or her bedroom. Finally, sit down with your child while both of you calculate the total cost of the room. If you have a teenager this will be quite interesting.

Your calculated items should include furniture, curtains, carpet, clothing, TV, computer, stereo, linen, shoes (and sneakers), cosmetics, yearbooks, iPod, iPad (all versions you have purchased), cell phone updates, high end headphones, sports gear, and the leftover French fries in the McDonald’s bag under the bed.

Finally, after you have recovered from the shock, calculate how many work hours or paydays it took to cover the cost of the room. Discuss the expenses truthfully and completely, including the heating and cooling costs. If it doesn’t impress him or her, I’m sure it will take your breath away and increase your heart rate when you realize just how much you have invested in one room.

Fixed and Flexible
It’s never too late for high school seniors or too soon for elementary aged children to learn the basics of fixed and flexible expenses and it’s best to use familiar physical examples to illustrate your straight talk. Emphasize that fixed expenses such as rent, car payments, or student loans are specific amounts that occur at same time, weekly or monthly, and must be paid on time to avoid penalties. In the same manner, stress that flexible expenses are those things that occur infrequently, never cost the same, and include items like a doctor’s visit, car repairs, or a new prescription for granny’s meds. Other flexible expenses are those we want, but can live without such as summer vacations, eating out frequently, concert tickets, and CDs. And yes, it’s a horrible thought, but it’s also good for them to learn that life goes on without satellite or cable TV.

Whatever happened to pay yourself first?
There is nothing more precious to a child of any age than a personal container in the bedroom or some other secret place quietly holding their hard earned savings. When a child saves money he or she learns patience, persistence, and delayed gratification. While it may be perceived as an old school practice, saving for a rainy day also teaches your child to prepare for future emergencies and set long term goals. In short, saving money has its own rewards and instills a sense of power.

Try to teach a money lesson each week if possible. In addition, remind your children that labor experts are already telling us to be prepared to work until or past age 70 if personal savings are not in place and to guarantee the best return on social security.

So, help your child find a jar, box, or can. Give it a name, decorate it and watch your child slowly fill it with pride. Isn’t life grand as you watch your child count coins and know there are no annual percentage rates, finance charges, pin numbers, passwords, grace periods, late fees, or text alerts from the bank staring you in the face?

In the end it does not matter if your child saves 10 cents or $10.00. It’s the lessons learned and the effort that really counts. It’s priceless!

Purchase STATIONS: Changing Your Life – Changing Your Career by Lynda Mubarak
Parenting, Elementary & High School Student Success, College & Workplace Readiness
https://www.amazon.com/STATIONS-Changing-Your-Life-Career/dp/1478766670

About the Author
Dr. Lynda Mubarak is a native Texan, Army veteran, and grew up in Waco and Ft. Worth. She is a retired teacher and special education facilitator with 37 years of experience in special needs instruction, ESL education at Tarrant County College, and developmental writing at Strayer University. Lynda is a graduate of P.L. Dunbar High School, Ft. Worth, TX. She earned her BS in Elementary/Special Education from Texas Christian University, M.Ed. from Texas Wesleyan University, and Ed.D in Higher Education from Nova SE University. Dr. Mubarak is an active volunteer with several Ft. Worth organizations. She loves crossword puzzle competitions, live theater and contemporary music history. Her favorite hobby is traveling with her husband, Kairi, and Ebony, their rescue dog.

Author website: www.lyndamubarak.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=10001155 

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My Wife’s Lover by RM Johnson

My Wife’s Lover by RM Johnson

My Wife’s Lover by RM Johnson is filled with deceit, suspense, drama and mystery. It will have you guessing and shocked at what this story brings. 

Stan’s wife Erica, told him she was pregnant by another man who wanted no part in raising the baby. Contracts were signed transferring custody and all fatherly rights to Stan. But three years later, he walks in his house to find his wife and her ex-lover in a compromising position. A horrible accident has happened and Michael, the biological father, wants his child back. Erica tells Stan she won’t let the boy be taken, but Stan finds text messages between Erica and Michael, finds proof they’ve been seeing each other, and wonders if Erica is planning on leaving him and taking the little boy to reunite him with his natural father.

Abandoned as a child by his own father, and forced years ago to surrender custody of his daughter, Stan will do whatever he must not to lose his son, including taking a life.

Purchase My Wife’s Lover by RM Johnson 
Sequel to My Wife’s Baby 
Link: http://amzn.com/B00ZAD8WR0

My Wife’s Baby by RM Johnson

My Wife’s Baby is a story of Romance, Suspense, Erotica, Family Life, Drama and Mystery. It will have you guessing and shocked at what the end brings. 

Does the love for a wife and the jealousy for an infant, warrant murder? My Wife’s Baby is a story of Romance, Suspense, Erotica, Family Life, Drama and Mystery. It will have you guessing and shocked at what the end brings. 

Does the love for a wife and the jealousy for an infant, warrant murder? 
After ten years of bad dates and worse relationships, Stan is in heaven, for he has finally found his soul mate, Erica—a beautiful, caring woman who shares all his beliefs, to include not wanting children. They discussed this over bottles of red wine the night they met and promised, if ever they became a couple, they would remain childless and forever the other’s priority.

One year after being married, Erica tells Stan she’s pregnant: news she’s very happy about. Stan considers talking Erica out of it, but that would mean aborting her child, something he knows Erica would never do.

Two months into the pregnancy, Stan notices changes: times he and Erica enjoyed as a fun-loving childless couple are no longer; Erica’s attention is occupied with all things related to the forthcoming baby, and Stan has gone without sex for months.

The child arrives and things get even worse; Stan feels like an outsider: a stranger living among his wife and her son. Erica gives all her time, attention and love to the infant, leaving none for her husband. Stan becomes envious; he looks at the newborn as a threat, tells himself something must be done—but what? He fights his jealous thoughts, knowing horrible things would happen if he were ever to act on them. But one night while drunk, Stan attempts to make love to his wife but is once again rejected. His pride hurt and feeling disowned, Stan stumbles into the baby’s room with intentions of eliminating his problem once and for all, knowing there can only be one man in Erica’s life. That is the promise his wife had made him on the night they met, and it is the promise he intends to make her keep.

Purchase My Wife’s Baby by RM Johnson 
Link: http://amzn.com/B00P3CHSWI

 

 

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What You Won’t Do for Love by Keleigh Crigler Hadley

What You Won’t Do for Love 
by Keleigh Crigler Hadley

Unconditional Love. Unthinkable Choice. 

Eden Price, an unlucky-in-love nurse finds herself in the midst of a heated love triangle. Globe-trotting missionary, Gabe Clark ignites her soul. Who doesn’t want a man with a connection to God? Hard-working, Nemo Gates speaks to her heart. His past has caused a rift between him and God and Eden wants to help him heal.

She ultimately chooses the man that makes her passions come alive, but did she make the right choice? Her husband stuns her with a desperate plea; to prove her love for him in the most unthinkable way – to help him die with dignity.

Book Review: What You Won’t Do for Love

Get the tissues out! What You Won’t Do for Love is a emotional roller-coaster ride. 

The story centers around, Eden Price and the two men in her life, Gabe Clark and Nehemiah Gates. The author, Keleigh Hadley creates an intriguing love triangle and I found myself cheering for one guy, then cheering for the next guy – I was torn! I connected deeply with the main character, Eden Price because she was quirky, compassionate and realistic. Ultimately the love triangle is broken and Eden chooses one of the men, but he asks her to do the unthinkable. I have to be honest, I thought one way about the subject the author tackles in this book, but after reading this and connecting with her struggle, I feel differently. I won’t say how because that would spoil the plot twist. In the end, I greatly appreciated the spiritual insight and encouragement I felt after reading and look forward to reading many more books from Keleigh Hadley. — Reviewed by Gina Johnsond, Reading DIVAZ

Excerpt: What You Won’t Do for Love 

“There goes that Price girl again.” Verdeen Washington exclaimed to her hard-of-hearing sister, Pearleen. They rocked in unison, in the twilight air on their front porch.

Eden Price noted the puzzlement in Verdeen’s booming voice as she steadily passed them by. Heck, the whole neighborhood could hear it.

“She’s a strange bird, if I ever saw one.” Pearleen looked over her thick glasses and pursed her wrinkled lips.

“Good evening, Washington sisters.”

Eden smiled, nodded and kept her legs pumping. She knew they shook their gray wigs as she passed them, but her jogging pace didn’t diminish and she kept on singing.

She knew she was a sight to see and hear.

“Wishing, and hoping and thinking and praying…
planning and dreaming each night of his charms…”

That’s it, Dionne.

Eden sang the tune to Dionne Warwick’s 1950’s classic song. The lyrics had been stuck on repeat in her head all day and the only way to get a song out, is to sing it. So in between breaths, she belted out the infectious tune.

So Dionne, is this the formula for catching a man?

The cushion in her Nike trainers flattened and rebounded as she reduced her pace from a slow jog to a brisk walk. She was two blocks from home and needed to start her cool down.

“…do the things he likes to do… wear your hair just for him… ’cause you won’t get him,
thinking,
and praying,
and wishing,
and hoping…”

Her worn out sports bra allowed too much jiggle and wiggle room for her girls. She could never hope to get a good run in anymore wearing three year-old running shoes and a five year-old bra, but budget constraints did not allow for such luxuries.

Eden adjusted ‘Ben and Jerry’ again to the safe confines of her bra, before she was arrested for exposing herself. Eden hunched over for a moment to catch her breath. Just a few more feet to go. She righted herself, hit her corner, and turned at the intersection of Third ave and 33rd place.

Three threes. The number meant something to her father, God rest his soul. It was his favorite number and one of the reasons he purchased a house on this block. But today, the number three held relevance to Eden too.

This was her thirty-third year of life, she was suffering from her third night of insomnia, and on March third, in three days her life would change – “for better or worse.”

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Keleigh Crigler Hadley. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Order What You Won’t Do for Love  
Link: http://amzn.to/1hhT1Q4



About the Author
Keleigh Crigler Hadley is an author, speaker, and teacher who is thankful God can use her messes for His glory.
She has always loved stories, and she believes the story of the Bible contains the biggest, the most redemptive dose of grace humankind has ever, and will ever, experience. She is the Christian Fiction author of the Preacher’s Kids series,  Revenge Inc., and What You Won’t Do for Love.

If she were to define herself in one sentence, she would say, “I’m a girl who loves to see God working.”  Keleigh writes soul-stirring fiction, with real characters that stay with readers long after they have closed the book, (or turned the e-reader off.)  The only thing she loves more than writing is reading, so contact her on social media and let her know what you’re reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/khadley11
Website: http://www.keleighcriglerhadley.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkeleigh
Books: http://www.amazon.com/Keleigh-Crigler-Hadley

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Hate the Air: The Abbreviated Life of Shea Kennedy by RM Johnson

Hate the Air: The Abbreviated Life of Shea Kennedy
by RM Johnson

HATE THE AIR is a combination of Sci-fi, Dystopia, Mystery, Romance, Action and Adventure. This exciting, speculative, story asks: what would you do if you could only live until your twentieth birthday?

The world’s air became toxic two decades ago. All who have breathed it over that duration have died in the last four months, leaving only those under twenty years old alive. Their parents, guardians and all other influential adults are dead. The new adults scramble to forge a new life and protect themselves against starvation, home invasion, crime, rape and murder.

Seventeen year old Jenna Sawyer, daughter of the deceased President of the United States, was recently elected the new commander in chief under the Legacy Appointment Act—a law passed before the last of the White House cabinet members died, stating: individuals twenty years old and below will be responsible for keeping order, educating our children, caring for our population, defending our nation against threat and preserving humanity. In order for her to manage that task, President Jenna Sawyer asked the remaining living population to come to D.C. to develop a plan for a new world order.

Meanwhile, Shea Kennedy, newly elected Legacy Sheriff and best friend of the president, gathers the last survivors of her small town, her police dog, Tornado, and they start the perilous journey across hundreds of miles to the capital. Even though they resent Shea’s authority, the caravan hopes to arrive before any of them reaches the age of twenty and succumbs to the air. 

Excerpt from HATE THE AIR

I stepped into the open door of the house. I saw no signs of a break-in: the living room hadn’t been ransacked: no furniture upended, cushions knifed open, legs torn off end tables, or lamps broken like cracked egg shells on the carpet. It was the opposite: books lay neatly on the coffee table, burned down candles sat beside them, pocket change: pennies, dimes and a quarter were spread nearby. The kitchen was clean: no trash overflowing in the corner pail. But the cabinet doors hung open. Inside of them there was nothing.

I climbed the stairs, stopped in the second floor hallway, surrounded by four doors, all of them closed. I reached to open one, heard movement behind another, spun and with a grunt, kicked it open. The shadow of a boy rummaging through drawers whirled around, and in the splash of flashlight, I saw the gun as it was turned on me.

“Don’t do it. I’ll shoot!” I cried, my voice tense, high pitched, terrified. The
flashlight beam bounced around his body and face, the thing trembling uncontrollable in my hand. He wore dark pants, a sweater and a ski mask pulled over his head.

“Whatever you have, put it down now!” I demanded.

“Who are you?”

“Sheriff!” I said, trying to sound authoritative.

“Legacy?” He scoffed.

“Freakin sheriff!” I said, again, jabbing my gun at him. “Put it down now or I’ll—“ before I could finish, I felt an excruciating pain shoot through my skull, shudder down my spine, dropping me to the floor. Movement around me, I felt someone step over me, wrench my gun from my hand. My flashlight lay somewhere on the floor, casting a tall, oblong, light circle in the corner of the room. Within it stood the stretched shadow of the boy who had knocked me over the head from behind. He grinned, pulled his bandana down, revealing yellow crooked teeth.

“You about to say you was gonna shoot my friend?” The boy asked, pressing the side of his gun to my head.

I raised my palms, expecting to die, and thinking how disappointed Dad would’ve been if he could see me now. “Please,” I begged.

“It’s a little late for that,” he said, grinning wider, dragging the tip of the gun down my face, pressing it against my cheek so hard I cried out.

“Stop!” The boy I had snuck up on, said. “We’re not here to kill. Food is all we need. Besides, she’s the sheriff.”

The boy with the ugly grin looked harder at me. A glint of flashlight caught the point of a star on my badge. He reached down to snatch it. I grabbed his hand before he could tear it off of me, fought him for it, was ready to die before I let him take it.

“Leave it!” the boy wearing the black mask ordered.

He came up behind Yellow Grin, yanked him off of me, pointed his gun at me, while holding out his palm to his partner, gesturing for him to hand over my gun. He ejected the magazine, the bullet in the chamber and pushed both into his pocket, then threw my gun across the room. He handed the bag of stolen goods to his creepy friend and told him to take it outside.

I stared at the boy through the eyeholes in his mask, watching him, wondering if he’d kill me.

“Mother or father was a cop? Probably your hero, and you’re trying to do what they did,” he said, his gun still on me. “Right?”

My heart pounding, I couldn’t speak, could barely breath.

“Things are different. No more heroes. Just people gagging in the street, and people who gonna gag in the street. Leave this place like everybody else, before you get yourself killed.”

He shoved his gun in the waist of his pants, turned, left me on the floor, shaking, terrified of moving until I heard the downstairs door slam shut. I rolled on my belly, shimmied across the carpet, grabbed my flashlight then found my gun.

Downstairs, I stepped out on the porch, shielded my eyes against the piercing sunlight. Tornado barked frantically at me as though he knew I had acted stupidly—almost got myself killed trying to defend an empty house.

“Shhh, boy. Shhh!” I told him.

I climbed on my bike, kick-started the engine, about to pull off, when the realization that I had almost died hit me hard. Tears came to my eyes and with both gloved fists, I started hitting the bike’s dented gas tank, screaming as Tornado barked louder. “Why would you leave me with this? Why would you think I could do it? Why, Dad?” I cried.

I hammered the tank over and over until my hands ached, finally lowering them on the dented metal. I stayed like that, stretched over the bike until I could stop crying.

Tornado had gone silent, too. I looked at him. He stared back, his head tilted to a side as if to say, now that you got that out of your system, can we please go?

I smiled a little, wiped my face and sat up straight on the bike. Glancing upward, I said, “Sorry Dad, for acting like a little girl. Won’t happen again, okay.”

I pulled down my goggles, toed the Harley into gear then sped off.

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, RM Johnson. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

New Adult Fiction –  Hate the Air: The Abbreviated Life of Shea Kennedy
Link: http://amzn.com/B00WQ3M9AI

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The Reeducation of Aria Jackson by Angelia Vernon Menchan

The Reeducation of Aria Jackson
by Angelia Vernon Menchan

Aria Jackson left Greenfield in search of an MBA from Wharton and her dignity. She felt escaping the hood and her uneducated but loving mother would validate her. However, a job as the youngest Vice President at a local bank brings her home and she has to realize her hometown, her mom and nothing else was what she thought and that one can never escape who they are or where they are from and what part will local philanthropist and entrepreneur, Saul Rathbone add to her mix?

The Reeducation of Aria Jackson covers timely and sensitive issues that plague the prodigal daughters of America’s inner cities.


Excerpt from The Reeducation of Aria Jackson by Angelia Vernon Menchan

Turning to grab a plate, her heart caught in her throat when she saw Saul standing inches from her.

“Are you still ashamed of us Aria or are you finally home?” His voice was low and melodious, sending a thrill up her spine.

“I’m in this town but I’m not going to live in this neighborhood. Left up to me, my mom wouldn’t either.” She snapped. She hadn’t seen Saul in years and they were already in combat. He was a few years older than her but had always taken pleasure in teasing her. She was once good friends with his sister.

“Why not Aria? This is a great neighborhood. It’s chockfull of professionals with white and blue collars and it spawned us, you and I, college educated and upwardly mobile.”

“This is you Saul, not me. It also spawned crack addicts and the like and I want nothing to do with that!” A slow smile covered his face.

“It did, like my sister and your former friend but Sandra is clean and sober and working as a counselor and you know why?”

“I’m sure you’re going to tell me…”

“It’s because of this place and people like your mom. They were never ashamed of her. They loved on her and chastised her and never gave up on her. This neighborhood is famous for that.”

“Well good for them and you but this is no longer me. If my mom weren’t here…”

“You would never come this way… That’s too bad Aria because it’s you we need. The girl born to the single mom who worked cleaning hotel rooms and selling dinners to allow her to live in her own home instead of an apartment or the projects and to go away to get an education. Those checks she mailed you were mailed from the hood post office. So instead of being ashamed of all this, you should be thanking God, Ms. Helen and this hood… But do you. By the way, you look good but you really do need a couple of those wings.”

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Angelia Vernon Menchan. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Order The Reeducation of Aria Jackson by Angelia Vernon Menchan
Link: http://amzn.com/B00UZFZZDM 


About the Author
Angelia Vernon Menchan is a publishing author and entrepreneur who respects history while embracing the future. Through her publishing company, Honorable MENCHAN Media, she and her husband have published more than thirty full length books and countless novellas and short stories of her work. Menchan has also allowed unpublished authors to realize their dreams by publishing their work. To date she has provided that opportunity to twelve authors. When not writing, Menchan is a mentor and public speaker who fearlessly address the issues of young women in today’s world.

Email: acvermen@yahoo.com
Blog: http://acvermen.blogspot.com
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AngelMenchan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angeliam
Website: http://angeliavernonmenchanserials.blogspot.com

 

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Do What You Gotta Do by Christine Young-Robinson

Do What You Gotta Do 
by Christine Young-Robinson

Sequel to We Didn’t See It Coming 

 A compelling story about three Houston sisters, Milandra, Noelle, and Kenley who come from a family of wealth—and whose lives are shattered by tragedy, scandal, secrets, and betrayal.

In this sizzling story of family drama, money, and seduction, one woman’s desire for a luxurious lifestyle leads her to prey on a vulnerable man—until his father’s suspicions threaten to undo everything.

Aniyah Sanchez is a wild, sexy, and seductive woman—and has just been released from prison for crimes of fraud, kidnapping, and embezzlement.

Without parents to turn to, she’s surprised when her aunt Tessa comes to her rescue and sets her up in an apartment until she can find work. But Aniyah is determined to move out and start a new life her own way—by finding a wealthy man who can provide the extravagant lifestyle she longs for.

That man turns out to be Jarvis Powell, Jr., who finds Aniyah very attractive and gives her a job at one of the banks owned by his father. There’s just one problem: Jarvis’s father is suspicious of Aniyah and will do everything in his power to protect the family legacy…especially from a woman he suspects is trying to ensnare his son to get to the family fortune.

Now, with Jarvis, Sr. watching her like a hawk, Aniyah is more determined than ever to win over his son. Will the bond of a father and son undo her plan, or will she finally get her chance at a new beginning?

Excerpt: Do What You Gotta Do

Chapter 1

At last, Aniyah Sanchez would no longer be like a lion locked up in a cage. After spending four years in a South Carolina prison for fraud and kidnapping, she was being released.

As she stepped out of her cell, a male prison guard whispered in her ear, “Fruitcake, I’ll see you when you get back.”

Sniffing the fish odor that escaped from his breath, Aniyah turned up her nose. Didn’t he know after lunch to eat a peppermint?

“Goodbye, Slut,” an inmate yelled from another cell to her.

“You better get your last feel, Officer Mann,” another inmate added.
The inmates laughed throughout the ward, including the guard who sported a broken front tooth. He cupped Aniyah’s left breast with his right hand. Then he took the club he held in his other hand and placed it between her legs.

“I don’t think so!” Aniyah snapped her head, brushing him away. “Your time has expired.”
During her prison term, she had fulfilled the guard’s sexual needs in exchange for protection from conflicts that she had endured with other female inmates.

Aniyah, almost jogging, hurried ahead until she came to a point where she met up with another guard and other inmates that were being released.  Once the official documents were finalized, the guard let Aniyah out of the last door that gave her back her freedom. A chill ran through her body, but it quickly disappeared once the doors were slammed shut behind her. Turning around, she took one last look at the place of residence she had called home. The fourth inmate in line wearing loafers donated by church volunteers, her feet made contact with the concrete ground.
Aniyah adjusted her eyes to the sunlight that blinded her. She pulled down on her red spandex dress that had risen up to her hips. It was the same dress she had worn before she became a part of the prison system.  Her once slender hips stretched the dress to its limits, but Aniyah strutted as if the garment was brand-new. She faulted her excessive weight gain from her no longer being able to shake her hips in the nightclubs. In prison, she mostly sat on her rear in her cell or in ongoing therapy sessions.

Under her armpit, she carried a plastic bag of her belongings and a pair of pumps. Her hands free, she twisted her flowing black hair up in a bun. Other released inmates stopped to say farewell to each other, but Aniyah kept walking, too afraid that she might be called back by one of the guards.  Two female inmates ran past her, once they saw familiar faces of loved ones waiting to take them home. Aniyah was not looking for any family to come to her rescue. She would not know her father from any other black man on the streets. He was her mother’s one-night stand with no name.  Julia, her mother, had died two months ago in Mexico, during the time dyed eggs were given to inmates for holiday treats. Aniyah remembered the day the warden delivered the news to her. Guilt troubled her, since she had run away from home at the age of sixteen, leaving her mother behind to suffer a broken heart.  The only family she had left was her mother’s sister, Tessa Sanchez-Chavis. And she was not counting on her self-righteous aunt to come to her rescue.  Where am I going? I have no idea.  As the heat beamed down on her forehead, sweat dripped down her neck. The spandex dress felt like rubber against her body.

“Rosie Aniyah Sanchez.” She heard the name echoing in her ears.

Her eyes lit up, when she recognized the familiar voice. She locked eyes with her aunt. The solemn look on her face turned into a bright smile. “Aunt Tessa.”

She studied her aunt, noticing how much she had aged. Streaks of gray highlighted Tessa’s jet-black hair. Aniyah, elated, ran into her aunt’s arms. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“You’re family,” her aunt said humbly in her Spanish accent and giving her niece a kiss on the cheek.

Together, they strolled to a parked black Mercedes-Benz.

Admiring her aunt’s ride, before prison life and without hesitation, if a man were driving the Benz, Aniyah would have easily flagged down the ride. She would have unraveled her bun to let her hair fall past her shoulders, propped one hand on a hip and batted her dark brown eyes. Then she would have worked her charm on the man behind the wheel, giving him her middle name instead of using her first name, Rosie. Played him for a sucker.  After all the counseling, her former lifestyle of being an escort and manipulating people, especially men, was supposed to be her past, but only time would tell. Tessa unlocked the car door, hopped in and quickly Aniyah jumped in and took a seat on the butter-colored leather seats. A free ride from her aunt would do.

“How did you know I was getting out?”

Tessa reached over and gave her niece another loving hug. Then she became emotional. “I’ve been keeping up with you. And although I can’t forget what you did to the Houstons or me, you’re still family. I have made peace with it.”

“How about your lawyer-hubby, Baron?”

“He’s Mr. Chavis to you from now on. And, he’ll never forgive you for what you did to the Houston family, nor him,” Tessa admitted with a hint of bitterness.

“It’s not like it was his money.” Reaching down between the seats, Aniyah picked up a bag of boiled peanuts. She cracked open the peanuts, tossing a few in her mouth. While chewing, she continued to speak. “The Houstons are garbage people. Mr. Houston was a male whore. How can you defend him?”

“Don’t speak of the dead in a bad way,” Tessa argued. She recalled working as a young woman in the home of Rupert Houston, owner of Houston Commercial Construction Company. He was a man who loved to have his way with his beautiful female workers.

Aniyah sucked her teeth. “Mr. Houston can rot in hell. And so can his spoiled-ass daughters.” She slouched back in the seat. In past years, Aniyah had crossed paths with her aunt’s prior boss, Rupert. Her greed for money led her to become his mistress. He had promised her a false dream on Lake Murray, South Carolina, to later do away with her. Aniyah vowed to get revenge on him. To keep her quiet, Rupert included her in his will. Aniyah took a few more peanuts, folded the bag, and placed it back where she got it. “I still say you were more loyal to his spoiled-ass daughters than you were to me.”

Staring at her aunt as she drove, Aniyah wanted to grab and shake her. Rupert’s unexpected death had left her a happy and wealthy young woman, instead of his three daughters, until Tessa discovered her wrongdoings. Instead of living the life of royalty, Aniyah had landed in prison. Tessa sensed Aniyah was still bitter. “I believe in doing what’s right. You had no right to do wrong.”

“I didn’t want to be a maid like you and mama. I could have sent plenty of money to Mama.” Aniyah lowered her voice. “Now she’s dead.”

Tessa was surprised. “I asked the warden to not tell you about Julia.”

“You should have come and told me yourself.”

“I didn’t want you to be hurt. You couldn’t go to Mexico to your mama’s funeral.”

“Did you go?” Aniyah asked sadly.

“I went to visit her in her sickbed a month before she went to her heavenly home. She wanted so much for you to come to her bedside. I simply couldn’t tell her that I found you. You were in jail for doing bad things. It would have destroyed her. I stayed by her side to the end.”

Tears flowed down Aniyah’s face. “I’m glad you didn’t tell her.”

Tessa softly patted her niece on the hand. “Your mama loved you with all her heart.”

“I know…I miss her.” Aniyah wiped away her tears.

“Let’s go shopping. You don’t need to dress like you’re a loose girl.” Tessa had witnessed her niece’s dress code. The dress had risen up on Aniyah. It resembled a tunic shirt.

“I’ll go shopping. But I’m not throwing away this dress.”

“It’s too little.”

Aniyah saw her aunt glancing at her. She tugged at her dress, trying to cover her exposed thighs. “So I gained a few pounds. No big deal.”

“After shopping, you’ll trash it.”

“This hot dress stays with me.”

Tessa concluded that it was going to be a long day for her. The sooner she took her niece shopping and got her settled, the sooner she would be rid of her. She sighed. “Aniyah, you have always been difficult.”

“I think for myself. No one tells me what to do.”

***

After shopping, Tessa drove Aniyah to a two-story apartment complex in nearby downtown Columbia.

Aniyah looked out at the buildings as Tessa parked. Startled, she said, “This is where you and Baron live now. What happened to his house?”

“We still have our home. This is where you’re going to rest.”

Aniyah’s voice escalated. “Are you for real? Here?”

“I’m sorry, but there’s no way Baron will let me bring you into our home.”

“I’m your niece. He can now trust me.”

“I’m afraid not.”

Aniyah marveled. She heard the nervousness in her aunt’s voice. She was flattered that her aunt thought of her as a threat. In the past, she had seduced her aunt’s husband, prior to their marriage, in order to manipulate him to get to his client’s fortune.

They got out of the vehicle, carrying shopping bags by the handles. Aniyah followed her aunt to the front door. Unlocking it, they entered the one-bedroom apartment.

She proceeded to the middle of the living room, while Tessa, clenching her handbag, stayed put near the door.

Aniyah felt her aunt’s eyes piercing on her, well-informed that she was uncomfortable being alone with her, but her attention was focused on her living arrangements. Next to a small wooden table, she tossed the bags that she held on a futon. Then she headed to see where she would sleep; leaving her aunt on edge to figure out if she would show any signs of psychotic symptoms.

Inside the bedroom, Aniyah spotted a four-drawer chest and twin-sized bed that was the bottom half of a bunk bed. Secondhanded crap.

“I hope you like it.” Tessa dropped the other bags on the linoleum floor.

Aniyah mumbled under her breath, “No bigger than a jail cell.”

Returning back into the living room, Aniyah decided not to complain. She was convinced without her aunt rescuing her, she might be sitting on a bench like a homeless person.

Aniyah grinned. “It’s good.”

“There’s food in the refrigerator. I’ve stocked it with a few things, sodas and sandwich meats. In the cabinets, there’re cans of corn, black beans and a five-pound bag of rice.”

“Any steaks, lobster tails or shrimp?”

Tessa laughed. “There’re frozen foods, and chicken for you to cook. Tonight you can heat a frozen chicken TV dinner.”

Aniyah went directly into the kitchen adjacent to the living room. She looked in the freezer to see that few products loaded the freezer, including one ice tray. She slammed the door shut. Then she opened the refrigerator section. Removing a can of orange soda, she snapped it opened and took a swallow, quenching her thirst.

Tessa entered. As she watched her niece’s every move, she noticed the spandex dress Aniyah wore had risen up her thighs. “I say you should change into something more appropriate.”

Aniyah tussled with the dress. “Stop looking at my clothes. It’ll fit fine once I lose a few pounds. I’ll get sexy-looking again.” Shaking her hips, Aniyah looked around the kitchen, noticing something was missing. “Hold up…no microwave?”

“You can use the stove to heat a TV dinner.”

“Whatever.” Aniyah rolled her eyes.

“Change your style of dressing. Start off fresh by getting yourself decent work. And, find a good man that you can start a family with,” Tessa lectured with an air of sophistication.

Aniyah stared at her aunt as though she were a hated prison guard. She had not thought about a job. She twirled around. Cheerfully, she said, “I can use a money man.”

“It’s nothing like making your own money.”

Aniyah walked past her aunt, stepping back into the living room. Tessa followed behind her while Aniyah searched for any sign of communication technology.

“No telephone in here?”

Tessa shook her index finger at her. “When you get work, you can buy one.”

“If you want me to get a job, at least get me a cell phone.”

“For now, no phone. I’ll be coming by to check on you.”

Aniyah slouched down on the futon. She shoved her fist into the cushion, feeling the steel frame underneath. “I hate being broke.”

“In due time, you’ll find work. Make your own money.”

“I have no skills. No one will hire me.”

“There has to be something you like to do or you can go to college.”

“Aunt Tessa, getting out of jail is not the same as getting out of high school. I didn’t just graduate. No college for me.”

“You know how to clean.”

Aniyah jumped to her feet. Her mind went to the days she was forced to clean the toilet in her jail cells. Enraged, she yelled, “Hell to the no. I’ll die before I scrub another toilet.”

“It’s an honest living.”

“Never!” Aniyah snapped as she sat back down. “I’ll find something else to do.”

“Start looking for some kind of work.”

Aniyah banged her fist on the table. “I need money now.”

Tessa eased her way near the door. Digging in her purse, she pulled out a few bills. “This should be enough to get you by.”

Aniyah hurried over to her, snatching the money out of her aunt’s hand. Before she shoved the bills down in her bra, she counted up to a hundred.

“The rent on this apartment is paid in full for three months. By then you should’ve found work.”

“Give me a break. That’s not enough time.”

“You must have work by then. Baron won’t allow me to give you any more money after that.”

“He rules you.”

“Nonsense. We agreed on that decision.”

“Tell him what you want…you’re his wife, Mrs. Tessa Sanchez-Chavis. Stop being too easy.”

“I’m loyal to my husband. He’s a good man. I won’t let you ruin my marriage. Three months it is.” Tessa peered at her through hooded eyes.

Aniyah heard the authority in her aunt’s voice and said no more. She was not about to let three months turn into get-out-right-now.

“In the drawer, there’s a nightgown for you to rest in.” Tessa jingled her car keys as she made her way to the door. “I must go. I must prepare dinner for my husband.”

“I need to eat, too.”

“Heat your dinner. I pray you’ll turn your life around. My sister would want that for you. I’ll see you in a few days. And for God’s sake, don’t go anywhere near Milandra, Noelle or Kenley Houston. Baron and I have agreed not to disturb them about your release. They’re in a good place in their lives.”

Aniyah chuckled. “The fake sisters are history to me. I’m going to be in a much better place then, them uppity snobs.”

“I have faith that you’ll do fine, once you find work.” Tessa noticed she still had the apartment key in her hand. “You’ll need this.” She tossed the key to Aniyah. “Don’t lose it.”

Following her aunt outside, Aniyah watched as she got into her vehicle. “Weak bitch,” she hollered, once Tessa drove away.

Back into the apartment, Aniyah slammed the door behind her. She stood in the middle of the living room, sniffing the stale odor. She screamed, “I’m still in jail. The one time my Aunt Tessa could do right by me and she put me in a hell hole.”

Aniyah went into the bedroom. She bounced on the bed. “Dead mattress,” she fussed. “Aunt Tessa is going home to her fancy bed. I’ve got to sleep on a board for a mattress. Once again she shouted, “Weak bitch. Get a job, no way. My job will only be to find me a man with money. You and anyone else that gets in my way, will pay for treating me like I’m beneath you.”

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Christine Young-Robinson. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Purchase Do What You Gotta Do by Christine Young-Robinson
Genre: Fiction. Suspense
Link: http://amzn.com/1593096275 

About the Author
Christine Young-Robinson is the author of the novel, We Didn’t See It Coming and the short story “Miss Amy’s Last Ride,” which featured in the anthology, Proverbs for the People.  A wife, mother, and grandmother, Christine resides in South Carolina. She is the co-chairperson of Eleuthera Book Club. Follow her on social media:

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/christineyr
Website:  http://www.christineyoungrobinson.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/christineyr 
Instagram:  https://instagram.com/christineyoungrobinson 

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Made to Love You by Sheryl Lister

Made to Love You by Sheryl Lister

Devin Simms has never forgiven the woman who walked out on him, but when he sees her again, he realizes the passion between them still burns–and even hotter than before. As they spend an unexpected two weeks together beneath the Caribbean sun he knows he wants more. Can he learn to forgive and reclaim the only woman who’s claimed his heart?

Floral shop co-owner Vivian Michaels believes she has finally put her past to rest. But when a wedding in Jamaica brings her face-to-face with the man she loved and had to leave behind, she realizes that she never stopped loving Devin. Every kiss reminds her of what she’s missed, and perhaps what she can still have if she would only trust him with the truth.

Excerpt: Made to Love You by Sheryl Lister

As soon as they checked in and deposited their bags, the women rushed back to the lobby for the meeting with the wedding planner. They would have had a few minutes to rest, but Vivian was trying to avoid Devin after deplaning and they got caught in the long customs line. She couldn’t help but wonder where he was staying. Seeing him again was hard because, although she had ended their relationship—she didn’t have a choice—she still loved him.

“Too bad you two have to meet with the wedding planner,” Dawn said as they waited at the front desk. “I’ve seen some fine brothers walking around here.”

Vivian laughed. “Try not to have too much fun without us.”

“Yeah,” Mariah added. “Save some fun for after Friday night. There are a couple of tours we should do. I really want to tour the Bellefield Great House and Gardens.”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “Hmph. I should’ve known you’d want to go somewhere that has to do with gardens and flowers.”

“I want to go, too,” Vivian said. “Dawn, it’s one of the oldest sugar plantations in Jamaica.”

“Ms. Irving said she’ll be down in a moment,” the front desk clerk said after hanging up the phone.

“Thank you,” Vivian and Mariah said at the same time.

“Viv and I shouldn’t be long, Dawn. An hour tops. We’re just going over the order with the hotel staff to make sure I have everything I need. We can have dinner afterwards.”

Dawn glanced down at her watch. “If y’all take too long, I’m going to ask one of these sexy men running around here to join me, like that one,” she whispered and pointed to a dark-skinned man who had obviously just left the pool or beach. His damp, muscled skin glistened in the overhead lighting.

Vivian shook her head at her outrageous friend. “Girl, I don’t know about you. Try not to get into trouble while we’re gone.”

“I’ll see what I can do, but don’t hold me to it.”

They all laughed.

“Um, Viv,” Dawn started, her laughter fading, “remember when you said this was a big island? Don’t look now, but I think it just shrunk.”

Vivian followed Dawn’s gaze and her stomach dropped. “I don’t believe it.” Out of all the hotels on the island, what were the odds that she and Devin would end up at the same one? She watched as he and Tony, who she remembered as being one of Devin’s friends, shared a one-arm hug. “This can’t be happening.”

“Oh no.” Mariah laid a hand on Vivian’s shoulder. “Sweetie, I’ve got bad news.”

She couldn’t imagine anything being worse and wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but asked the question anyway. “What is it?”

“That guy Devin was just talking to is Samantha Green’s fiancé. The one time he came with her to the shop, you were out, so I didn’t get a chance to introduce you.”

Vivian was wrong. It could be worse.

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Sheryl Lister. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Purchase your copy of Made to Love You
Novella, Approximately 37k Words
Link: http://amzn.com/B00YB50K7S

About the Author
Sheryl Lister has enjoyed reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She writes contemporary and inspirational romance and romantic suspense. Her first novel, Just To Be With You, earned her a 2015 Romance Slam Jam nomination for Debut Author of the Year. When she’s not reading, writing or playing chauffeur, Sheryl can be found on a date with her husband or in the kitchen creating appetizers and bite-sized desserts. Sheryl resides in California and is a wife, mother of three and pediatric occupational therapist.

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Corporate Thugs by Bridgett Renay

Corporate Thugs 
by Bridgett Renay

What’s the first sign that lets you know you’re dealing with a sociopath? 

Corporate Thugs is riddled with clues.

Set in the new reigning hub of African-American drama – suburban Atlanta – it’s the scandalous saga of the ambitious and untamed Gerald Alexander that chronicles his descent into the dismal world of irrationality. From high school to college and throughout the pros – his story will have you watching your back ever so closely.

Gerald had only two dreams, to play professional football in the NFL and to make the cover of Sports Illustrated. When the former became a reality it was short-lived due to a serious injury. And just like that, all the fame, fortune, parties, and women… gone. On the contrary, his best friend since childhood, Marcus Stone, was on top of the world – a successful business, a beautiful wife, and a fat bank account…he seemed to have it all.

Being a supportive friend, Marcus offers Gerald a job hoping Gerald would have a positive impact on his company. But when jealousy and murder come between them, which one will fall? Could Gerald be so callous that he’d set his best friend up? Is Marcus even capable of unleashing his own wrath?  They solved the riddle. Can you?

Corporate Thugs Book Reviews

I never heard of Bridgette Renay, I was looking for a good book to download, read the synopsis and just had to read the book. I can honestly say that once I started reading I couldn’t put my Kindle down until I finished the book. Very well written and thought-provoking, filled with an array of mystery, drama and intrigue the plot was on point and the characters were real and believable. Bridgette Renay is an author to watch for if all her books are like this one!  –Ms. Mikki, Amazon Review

Corporate Thugs is a for sure “must read”!!! This book had me on edge from start to finish. If you think you know your friends, throw money in the mix and you will find out just who has your back and who will stab you in the back! This will be a stocking stuffer this year for some of my friends. Congratulations, and Thanks Ms. Bridgett Renay for shedding some light on Corporate America. DAMN this was goood!  –Jeffrey B. Johnson, Amazon Review

Excerpt: Corporate Thugs by Bridgett Renay

Brenda and Coach Daniels hosted a Christmas party mid-December and all were invited. Terrell didn’t like hanging out with Fallon’s people, they acted too peculiar around each other for his taste, but he made an exception after Fallon told him she was pregnant.

She didn’t actually tell him she was pregnant, it was more like him noticing the changes she was going through – her behavior, eating habits and weight gain gave her secret away. She told him about the positive pregnancy test, but convinced him she was only waiting to find out for certain from her gynecologist because she didn’t want to cause any false alarms.

Terrell was excited and couldn’t wait to share their news with everyone, but at the last minute Fallon convinced him to wait until after the holidays. She knew how much the news would hurt Dionne who appeared to be in great spirits at the party.

Out of nowhere, Dionne steals the spotlight and makes an over-the-top announcement. Using a butter knife to tap on her glass of water, Dionne got everyone’s attention and spoke in one of her snottier vernaculars she saves for auspicious occasions such as this, “Everyone, everyone, can I have your attention. My husband Marcus and I have some wonderful news we would like to share with you.”

Brenda gave a look that said she didn’t appreciate Dionne taking over her Christmas party, especially without warning the hostess, but she let it go. Being around Dionne was like walking on egg shells. Everyone treated her with kid gloves for the sake of her health.

While Marcus remained seated, Dionne stood up and put one hand on his shoulder striking a distinguished pose as if they were royalty and proudly announced, “The love of my life, Marcus, has been chosen as one of this year’s prestigious Power 30 Under 30. For those of you who don’t know what that is…”

Marcus interrupts, “Baby, I think even if anybody here has never heard of the award, they can imagine from its name what it represents,” Marcus light-heartedly laughs.

Dionne proceeds to lead the crowd in applause. Terrell applauds, but isn’t too happy. Why does everyone always let Dionne steal the scene whenever she wants to throw their accomplishments in other people’s faces? They’re not the only ones living happy, successful lives.

Fallon has had Terrell’s nose wide open since the beginning of their relationship, but this time he wasn’t about to obey her commands. If Dionne can share their good news, so could he. As the applause died down, Terrell stands up and makes an announcement of his own, “Everyone, Fallon and I also bring good news. We’re expecting a baby! She’s three months pregnant!”

Most guests were genuinely happy for the couple. Dionne pretended to be thrilled. Brenda pretended to be surprised. Gerald immediately did the math in his head.

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Bridgett Renay. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Order copies of Corporate Thugs by Bridgett Renay
Link: http://amzn.com/B00UTZFYIO 

Meet the Author
Never has there been a time in Bridgett Renay’s life where she’s laughed harder or played more vigorously…all thanks to writing. Everything she’s done in life has led to this moment. From both an undergraduate and graduate degrees to twenty-four years of service as a Navy Reservist tells the story of a journey that took her to faraway places, introduced her to intoxicating people, and shaped the way she views the world and her place in it. What better time to pen the tales that dances inside her head.

Bridgett: http://www.bridgettrenay.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BridgettRenay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bridgett.renay.3
Instagram: https://instagram.com/undistractedbridgettrenay/
Books by Bridgett Renay: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UTZFYIO

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Ungolden Silence by Lydia E. Brew

Ungolden Silence by Lydia E. Brew

Beatrice James and Elaine Wilson work for a marketing firm in Houston, Texas. Life hasn’t been easy for Elaine as she copes with her disability, and at the same time manages to function in her everyday life. The two coworkers and friends jump at the opportunity to help run a Disabled Awareness Campaign when Mrs. Stevens, from Washington D.C., calls the ladies up and pitches the idea. Elaine agrees to chair the campaign and Beatrice agrees to be second chair. Both women agree to meet with Mrs. Stevens in Washington to get the campaign set-up and running. All goes well until Thomas Paige enter the scene.

Mrs. Stevens herself is excited to meet, for the first time, the dapper and charming Thomas Paige, who is a well-known community leader. It doesn’t take long for the charm to evaporate and Thomas to begin to shed his wool, revealing the wolf underneath the sheep’s clothing. Elaine begins to sense that there’s something more to Thomas than what he’s presenting, but will it be too late when she finds out for certain?

Ungolden Silence will have you peeling off what’s underneath a man’s exterior, before peeling back the sheets.

Through the story Beatrice, Elaine, and their colleagues, Ungolden Silence examines rape in diverse angles; where each of the main characters discovers what they have believed about rape and violence is not entirely true. A good example is when the firm’s secretary is told what happens on the trip. She discovered that some things that she was told when she was young was a myth.

And what about the family of Mr. Paige?  William Paige, local district attorney and Thomas’ identical twin brother, finds that suddenly, he must defend himself. He becomes cognizant of the need for a public awareness campaign of the world of rape. He goes to the Calloway Firm to ask them to do the rape campaign. During the research, The Calloway Firm begins to realize that rape is not an issue that stands by itself. Rape is just a symptom of the bigger issue of violence. The project turns out to be an information guide full of articles about what the main characters find out.

A powerful read that will leave a moving message inside reader, Ungolden Silence scores a major triumph for an author on a mission.


Book Reviews for Ungolden Silence 

Must Read With Sensitive Issues
Reviewed by Misty Iputi 
Ungolden Silence is one powerful book. It may be a work of fiction, however it has some real issues. The issues are to be addressed in the book. This book does give a look at the strength of Christian faith has in dealing with the problems.  If I could give this more than 5 stars it would be well worth it.

Emotional Read
Reviewed by My Cozie Corner Book Reviews 
“Ungolden Silence” is an easy read, but hard read that is well written and very emotional with a topic that needs more recognition. A recommended read to all women.

Book Like No Other
Reviewed by Mz Tiffany Divine Reviews 
I just finished reviewing Ungolden Silence by Lydia E. Brew and I honestly can say it’s not like no other book I have read before. In Ungolden Silence you will meet Beatrice who will take you on a world wind journey of being raped and how it not only affects her but other’s around her. Lydia brings emotions out that you may never knew existed. I was immediately drawn into the characters and could feel the pain that some of them were going through. Lydia E. Brew does an awesome job with this book and I look forward to reading more by her.

Let the Victim Be Heard
Reviewed by Teresa Beasley 
Ungolden Silence is an informative book about disability, rape with a hint of racism. Ungolden Silence brings out different emotions because it deals with a sensitive topic. Any type of abuse causes a difficult change in the victims’ lives. Rape is a violent act, mainly against women, that leaves a lasting effect on the victims. This was expressed throughout this book and needs to be read by all women young and old.

Powerful, Provoking and Inspiring
Reviewed by Beth Cutwright 
Wow. I just finished reading Ungolden Silence. Usually I take a day or two to mull a book over before I try to write my review. But this book was so compelling, I felt the need to share my thoughts immediately, while they were fresh and burning in my soul. This book was definitely enlightening, powerful, painful and emotional. My emotions were totally invested, probably because the subject of rape is so frightening. If we can learn to discuss this type of material, I think we would all be better for it.

Excerpt from Ungolden Silence by Lydia E. Brew

As the four talked for an hour or so, Mr. Thomas Paige did not take his eyes off Beatrice. He ignored Elaine completely. He would often sit by Beatrice and, after a few minutes, she would move. Elaine could see that Mr. Paige liked Beatrice, but she didn’t return the feeling and was uncomfortable and a bit irritated with his attention. When Mrs. Stevens offered to show Elaine the baby grand piano in her music room, Mr. Paige and Beatrice were left alone. Beatrice decided she needed to get a few things straight.

“Look, you seem to be a nice guy, but I’m not interested. You’re making me very uncomfortable,” Beatrice added.

Mr. Paige did not seem to hear her. “Alone at last, Miss James,” he said in a soft, gentle voice as he stroked her face.  The second that Beatrice felt his fingers on her face, her anger turned to fear. She did not want to let Mr. Paige know that he frightened her.

“I did not give you permission to touch me! Listen, I’m not interested in you in any way. Please, just leave me alone!” Beatrice said angrily.

The pleasantness was gone and her teeth were clenched. However, before she finished her statement, Mr. Paige had his hands on her buttocks. In that instance Beatrice remembered when she was sixteen. It was a hot summer day and she was lying on the sofa half asleep. She awakened to her uncle kissing and caressing her face. He did not stop there. He unzipped his pants and began to slide his hand and was pulling down her panties when Judy came into the room. Beatrice’s mind came to the present.

“Oh now, I think that we can have a good time this week,” he said in the same manner as before.

“I said no! Now get your hands off me!” Beatrice snatched her body away from his reach, knocking his shades off. The man’s breath had a faint odor of alcohol. His eyes were glassy red. However, Beatrice did not take notice. She was so shocked from the memory of what her uncle did to her, and the fact that this man was making a move on her was overwhelming.

Mr. Paige returned to his seat and put his shades back on his face only because he heard Mrs. Stevens and Elaine returning. When Elaine walked in and sat down, she picked up on some strange vibes from Beatrice. There was a strange look in her colleague’s eyes. This troubled Elaine because she knew something was upsetting Beatrice.

This man had just made unwanted sexual advances to Beatrice, but she told Elaine and Mrs. Stevens that she had a headache.

( Continued… )

© 2014 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Lydia E. Brew. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Purchase Ungolden Silence by Lydia E. Brew
Link: http://amzn.com/1425798918

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Embrace My Heart by AlTonya Washington

Embrace My Heart 
by AlTonya Washington

All of the delights and none of the drama—that’s what heiress and gallery owner Vectra Bauer wants from her fling with Qasim Wilder. The gorgeous financial adviser has been Vectra’s platonic friend, but now, after the end of her last painful relationship, she’s ready to take a small risk and open her heart.

Settling for a little of anything isn’t Sim’s ideal. Possessive by nature, he makes no secret of how much he wants Vectra. And he can’t understand why she’s hiding from their intense connection that’s way more than just physical. The man who always gets what he wants is embracing his biggest challenge yet: to make the woman he adores believe in love once more…

Excerpt: Embrace My Heart 

They had been friends long enough for her to know that he hated ties. He usually discarded whichever one he wore either just before or right after lunch. The guy loved his comfort and the fact didn’t diminish the stunning craftsmanship of his body or face.

Bottomless dark eyes competed with the ebony richness of heavy brows and the sleep cap of hair he wore close cut. His facial hair was tamed into an intentional five o’clock shadow that partly hid a cleft chin and the faint lines that proved he was easy with his smiles.

Vectra blinked suddenly, at once regretting and realizing how much time she’d taken to admire the man’s face and form. The fact made her wonder whether she’d subjected any of her other male friends to such scrutiny. Doubtful. Her male friends were just that—just friends. Or, rather, they had been…until she met Qasim; he was a male friend she would have preferred become much more.

He opened one of the towering maple doors leading to his office. Vectra quickened her pace when she realized he was going to hold it for her as though she were an actual welcomed visitor. In spite of his polite manners, however, she could’ve sworn she picked up on a low yet distinctive sound of agitation. That sound rumbled through his chest when she passed him on her way into the room.

If ever there was an office that personified its owner, it’s Qasim’s, she thought.

The place was a testament to pretty much everything he held dear. One far, expansive corner was a hive of activity with wide-screen monitors broadcasting both financial and sports news from their perches atop a pair of pristine maple desks. Towering bookcases lined the room and were filled with pictures, plaques, awards and books spanning a range of genres. Above the cases nearest the desks was a stock ticker.

Vectra set her tote on one of the square black leather chairs that surrounded an impressive gaming area. She wondered if nice or nasty was the way to begin their conversation. She didn’t have long to debate.

“Coming to invite me to another party, Vec?”

The words carried over Qasim’s broad shoulder as he headed into his work area. He removed his suit coat, slung it over the back of the sofa he passed and smiled in her direction when he turned.

Okay, then… she decided, accepting that the conversation would be a tad strained. “Actually, I came to ask why I’ve been selected as the lucky one to get the brunt of the petty side of your personality?”

He smiled. While the gesture held a great deal of humor, the air of agitation remained.

“Qasim?” Vectra’s attempt to remain steely gave way, and her curiosity got the better of her. “Why are you angry with me?” She didn’t care for the pleading tone that clung to her words, but she wanted answers.

Qasim appeared taken aback, but recovered soon enough. “I’m not angry with you.” He made a pretense of reviewing the folders lying open on his desk.

“Well, you’re something. What’d I do?” Curiosity had given way to a smidge of self-consciousness while she stood before him. Something changed. His smile was gone, and the look that replaced it was observant in a way that made Vectra flush with heat.

Another of the agitated rumbles surged in Qasim’s chest, and he pushed back the wide black leather chair behind his desk. Vectra could hear nothing over her heart beating wildly as anticipation had its way with her.

Qasim didn’t take a seat in the chair; instead, he headed in Vectra’s direction and then shifted toward the maple wet bar, which displayed a wide array of liquor bottles in various shapes and sizes. Quietly, Qasim went about preparing Vectra’s vodka tonic, which he set firmly upon the bar top. From the full-size black fridge behind him, he retrieved his beer of choice and popped the top.

He tipped the bottle to his mouth. “I’m not angry with you.”

Vectra stood in place, nervously rubbing her fingers together while she observed Qasim with a wary gaze. He motioned with his bottle for her to take the vodka. Vectra didn’t care how eagerly she accepted. The drink went a long way in calming her ridiculously frazzled nerves.

The lush line of Qasim’s mouth grew even lusher as a smile emerged. She rolled her eyes. “You said that already, so excuse me for not believing you.” She gave him her back, keeping the drink clutched securely between her hands.

Qasim allowed his emotions greater purchase while Vectra’s back faced him. He didn’t realize the blackness of his stare softened as it always did when just the mere thought of her stirred.

He watched her sip from the glass but noticed that she didn’t empty it. She put more distance between them, which gave him time to absorb the missed sight of her.

The more time they spent together, the more she stunted his ability to properly think or even speak. He’d masked it for as long as he could. When he could no longer do that, he latched on to his only option.

Because he didn’t want to be her friend. He wanted much more.

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, AlTonya Washington. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.


Purchase Embrace My Heart by AlTonya Washington
Link: http://amzn.com/B00OY9ZAC6

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Justin’s Body of Work by Janice L. Dennie

Justin’s Body of Work 
by Janice L. Dennie

A Woman in Denial
Ashley Jacobs relishes in providing her customers with a soothing and healing environment at her day spa in the Silverado area of Napa Valley. She maintains her even temper and peace of mind, avoiding anger at all costs. But when she faces a vicious lawsuit, from someone she least suspects, her peace of mind comes to a complete halt.

A Modern Day Knight
Justin Underwood is a successful attorney with a stellar resume and a body of work that consists of winning civil rights cases for the disenfranchised. The moment he hears Ashley’s sultry voice and feels her gentle touch, he finds comfort simply by being in her presence. He becomes hopelessly drawn to the siren with the sexy bedroom eyes.

But Ashley has a family secret that prevents her from totally committing to Justin. After taking her case, he watches her coast along, with her head in the clouds, turning a blind eye to the facts of her lawsuit. Can Justin get Ashley to commit to him, and open her eyes to the facts surrounding her lawsuit? Can Ashley overcome her family’s secret that prevents her future happiness?

Order your copy today!
http://www.amazon.com/Justins-Body-Work-Underwoods-Valley-ebook/dp/B00U54S8IC 

THE UNDERWOOD’S OF NAPA VALLEY SERIES 
The Underwood brothers have inherited the character DNA of their male ancestors, a line of old fashioned southern gentlemen who took great pride in protecting their families. The matriarch of the family, Henrietta Underwood, has dubbed each one of her five grandchildren with a character trait.

As the eldest brother, Kenton Underwood is “the protective one.” He’s protective of his family and environment, and stays busy running his family’s winery. Kenton has no room for love until he meets sexy, understated, Briana Rutledge, who finds a special place in his heart. Justin Underwood is “the strong one.” He’s the hotshot civil rights attorney who carries his family with his strength in the court of law. He fights, in court, to protect the woman he loves.

But, Ashley Jacobs, has a family secret that prevents her from totally committing to Justin. The Underwood’s of Napa Valley series takes place in a romantic setting that enhances love, passion and relationships, and changes personalities forever.


CHAPTER 1
Unedited Book Excerpt: ARC version

Ashley Jacobs drove her Mazda Miata convertible in the warm morning sun humming to the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. She was happy because she’d just read an online review in the Napa Register News about her spa. Ashley’s Day Spa in Napa Valley is a hidden jewel that provides its customers with a tranquil and healing environment to rest and rejuvenate.

Her day spa was a jewel because she trained her employees to create a peaceful and harmonious environment at work. She taught them to approach customers with an even-tempered attitude, at all costs.

Ashley drove up the circular driveway and listened in horror as Christina, her female masseuse, and India, her top hair stylist, argued with voices so loud that she could hear them from her car.

Ashley entered her spa through the elegant glass doors and stopped at the receptionist desk. The arguing immediately stopped.

“What’s the matter Chris?” Ashley asked her best friend in a soothing voice.

“India is calling me names.” Christina held her hands on her hips.

Ashley placed her briefcase and purse on the reception desk and walked over to Christina. Taking her by the hand, Ashley led Christina to the massage chairs in the manicure room.

“Have a seat Chris. I want to talk to you.”

Ashley and Christina met each other in middle school when both of their father’s served in Desert Storm, and a time in their lives, when they were both awkward tweens. When they turned sixteen, Ashley had developed into a beautiful young woman, but Christina developed into a unattractive young woman with bad skin, that she concealed with heavy makeup.

“India come and have a seat with me. I want to talk to you.” Ashley took India by the hand and led her to the massage chairs in the manicure room. She sat between the two women.

“This is a place of healing. Our priority here is to provide our customers with a peaceful and relaxing environment, so we cannot have any arguing.”

“But Christina is always flirting with every man that walks through the door.” India barked out.

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the new barber I just hired, would it?”

“That’s what this is all about,” India said. “Christina is already dating the man.”

Christina gave India a cool look. “You’re just mad because he didn’t ask you out.”

“Ashley’s Spa has standards of conduct. I had gone over all of that with both of you before you started working here. I’ll remind you again that arguing in this establishment is off-limits. If you two must argue, wait until you are off work and away from these premises. Do you both understand me?”

Christina turned away and inspected her nails. India nodded and turned her face away from Christina.

Ashley’s voice had a soothing effect on them.

“Now, while both of you are at work, I expect you to respect each other. No cursing or gossiping or loud voices. Why don’t you both come into the kitchen and have a cup of chamomile tea with me? There are some positive things that I want you to know about each other.”

The two women acted cordially toward each other in front of Ashley, but Christina cut her eyes at India, giving her an evil look, indicating that this fight was not over. Ashley put the entire incident behind her. She shared her thoughts on some of their positive attributes over a cup of tea. After the discussion, both women went back to their workstations, with a better attitude.

Ashley walked into her office and sat down at her desk. She twisted in her chair thinking about the changes she wanted to make to expand her spa. She wanted to add three more workstations, two more shampoo bowls, two hair dryers and another massage room in the back of the spa near the whirlpool.

An hour later, a man delivered an envelope requiring a signature to Amara, the receptionist, and water therapist.

“I need a signature for this letter.”

Amara looked at the letter and thought it looked important. “Please wait while I get the owner.”

Ashley came out and signed the letter. After opening it, she saw that it was a personal injury lawsuit naming Ashley’s Spa as the defendant and Kimberly Lewis as the plaintiff suffering from a neck injury caused by a massage at the spa.

She and Christina were the only masseuses at the spa. Ashley’s mouth went dry. She tried to remember, but the plaintiff’s name didn’t ring a bell. She’d never met a client named Kimberly Lewis. She picked up the appointment book and took it with her to her office.

“Everything okay?” Amara’s eyes clung to Ashley when she removed the appointment book.

“I’ll bring it back. I want to check something.” Ashley walked away from Amara. “I’ll be in my office if anyone needs me.”

Ashley sat silently for a long time on her white leather sofa in her office. She had a tendency to bottle up her feelings, in an effort to remain even-tempered. Crossing her legs, she leaned back and continued to read the document. She saw that the plaintiff was claiming damages in the amount of $250,000.

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Note: Unedited Book Excerpt. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Janice L. Dennie. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Purchase Justin’s Body of Work by Janice L. Dennie
The Underwood’s of Napa Valley Book 2

About the Author
Veteran author, JANICE L. DENNIE, has returned with a heartwarming new romance set in California’s lush Napa Valley. Kenton’s Vintage Affair, book 1 in the Underwood’s of Napa Valley series, introduces the reader to the fictitious Underwood family, owners of a successful winery in Napa Valley. Justin’s Body of Work (The Underwood’s of Napa Valley Book 2)will be available on May 15, 2015.

Janice began her her writing career in 1997 with her debut novel, The Lion of Judah. Her second novel, Moon Goddess Queen of Sheba, was published in August 1999.

Janice was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Northern California. After graduating from college, she began working for a federal agency. However, writing has always been her passion. Janice services her community through various charities, and non-profit organizations. She currently writes full-time and lives in Northern California with her family.

Visit Janice’s website at:  www.janicedennie.com
Find her books here: www.amazon.com/Janice-L.-Dennie/e/B000APUISO 

 

 

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You Get What You Pray For by E.N. Joy

You Get What You Pray For 
by E.N. Joy

Lorain has been a prisoner of secrets almost all of her life. At the age of thirteen, she’d managed to keep her pregnancy a secret, discarding the infant she’d given birth to and leaving it for dead. She also never revealed the fact that the baby’s father was her middle school guidance counselor. Years later, Lorain’s mother had finally met the love of her life, and Lorain couldn’t find the courage to tell her mother that her new beau was the man who molested Lorain. To complicate matters, Lorain discovered that the baby she’d abandoned all those years ago had survived, and God had placed Lorain in the now adult child’s life. It seemed like the legacy of secrets had been passed on, too, as Lorain helped her daughter conceal the true details behind her own pregnancy.

Lorain has managed to maneuver the secrets and lies like a strategic game of chess, and is now living the lavish fairytale life of a doctor’s wife. But even that is a lie. With the rug about to be pulled from underneath Lorain by the woman who raised her abandoned child, all Lorain prays for is that everything will end well. In this cycle of lies, secrets, shame, and guilt, will Lorain get what she prays for?

Praise for You Get What You Pray For

“It was a very good book from the beginning to the end. I would recommend it to everyone who enjoys a good Christian love story.”  – Michael Dothard

“In true E. N. Joy fashion, this book presented characters who were crazy, funny, and off the chain enjoyable. This story was filled with enough ups and downs, lies and truths to keep the reader’s attention. I loved it!  FIVE STARS!!”  – Tanishia Pearson-Jones

Excerpt: You Get What You Pray For

Lorain closed the door to her last guest, walked into her great room and flopped down on the couch. She took off her shoes and flung them across the room, simultaneously closing her eyes.

“Whoa. I’m glad to see you too.”

Her eyes opened to the medium height, dark skin man. Her sparkling stilettos were at his feet. He stepped over them and walked toward her.

Lorain smiled. “You are exactly what I need right now.”

“Leon is always right on time,” he said, speaking in the third person. “Where’s everybody?”

“The staff is in the kitchen.”

“Your mother and the girls?”

“Next door.” Lorain nodded in the direction of her mother’s house.

“Then it sounds like Leon can take you in his arms.” He walked over to Lorain. “And do things to you that your husband could never dream of doing.”

“Oh, Nicholas can dream, but what Leon does to me is every woman’s fantasy come true.”

“Then why are we wasting time talking, when we—”

“Are all them stuck-up hussies gone?”

Eleanor’s voice came booming from the dining room.

“Looks like Leon will have to take a rain check,” Nicholas said, putting away his alter ego.

Lorain loved it when her husband role-played as Leon. Leave it to Eleanor to spoil the moment.

“Hello, Mother,” Lorain said as Eleanor entered the great room. She looked behind her mother, certain she would have seen two mini figures trailing behind her, but she didn’t. “Where are the girls?”

“In the kitchen eating up those desserts,” Eleanor replied.

“Mom, you can’t let them eat all that sweet stuff,” Lorain said. “You know diabetes runs on my father’s side of the family.”

“It ain’t running that fast,” Eleanor said, “seeing that it ain’t caught up with him and killed him dead. Besides, I don’t see you depriving your size fourteen self of any cupcakes.”

“Twelve,” Lorain said, correcting her.

“Your clothes might be a twelve. That little black thing you wear up under them that cuts off your blood circulation might make you look like a ten, but them hips scream fourteen.”

Lorain was offended. “Well, I never.”

“You never what? Been black before? Because that’s sure how you acting.” Eleanor shook her hand at Lorain. “We black folks . . . that’s what we do . . . eat.”

“And we get high blood pressure and sugar diabetes,” Lorain argued. “I don’t want my girls having to stick a needle in their stomach and prick their fingers all the time.”

“Heck, you married a doctor.” Eleanor rolled her eyes. “Let him do it.” She shooed Lorain. “You worry too much. Let them kids be.” Eleanor pushed Lorain out of the way and headed for the couch. “Now, move before you make me cuss.” She sat down in a huff. “And I ain’t like them ole fake Christians, talking about the cussword slipped out. I cuss on purpose, and you know I know how to string my words together to cut you up so tough, it’ll make ya heart bleed.” She looked up, for the first time acknowledging her son-in-law. “Hey, Nick. How you doing, sweet baby?” Her tone was now as sweet as could be.

“I’m good, Ma.” He walked over and kissed Eleanor on the forehead.

“I don’t know how you stay good.” She pointed at Lorain. “With that one acting like Diahann Carroll, a black woman trapped in a white woman’s body.”

“That is not who Diahann Carroll is,” Lorain said. “That’s just a role she played.”

“My point exactly. You been pretending to be somebody you’re not ever since you got involved with those doctors’ wives.” She shook her head at Nicholas, as if he’d fibbed. “And you good. Tell me anything.” She looked back at her daughter. “But I know you good . . . good at pretending. I watched how you were around them women at that last party thing y’all had here at the house. The all of you fake as a two-dollar bill.”

“Two-dollar bills are real,” Lorain said.

“Then a two-dollar bill’s got one up on you,” Eleanor snapped back.

Nicholas let a chuckle slip out.

Lorain snapped her neck toward Nicholas. “Nick, really?” You’re going to let her talk to your wife like that?”

Nicholas shrugged. “She’s yo’ mama. Besides, if I don’t take her side, she might not make me her famous neck bones and black-eyed peas.”

“Hmm,” Lorain said to Nicholas. “You need to be worried about what you might not get from me.”

“Child, you are forty plus,” Eleanor said. “He ain’t studdin’ none of that vintage vagina.”

“Ahem.” Nicholas cleared his throat. “I’m going to leave you two alone.” He headed off.

“Coward,” Lorrain shot at him, then looked at her mother. “I can’t believe you waste your time going to church Sunday mornings and use that mouth to praise the Lord, when all week long nothing but junk comes out of it. Just sickening.”

“Ain’t church for sick people to go and get better?”

Lorain threw her hands up. “Why do I bother? I can’t beat you.”

“And I thought by now you would’ve stopped trying. But I’m glad you haven’t. Keeps my mind sharp.”

“You mean your tongue?”

As crazy as the stuff that came out of Eleanor’s mouth was, it tended to be on point. Lorain had been trying to cover up her old life because there was too much guilt and shame in acknowledging it. She only needed enough time to pass where she felt comfortable enough to be real . . . with everybody. But time needed to hurry along. If not, one of two things was going to happen. Everyone was going to eventually see right through her phony, plastic self. Or she was going to suffocate underneath it all.

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, E.N. Joy. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Purchase You Get What You Pray For
Always Divas Series Book Three
Genre: Christian Fiction
Link: http://amzn.com/1601626975  

About the Author
BLESSEDselling Author E.N. Joy is the writer behind the “New Day Divas,” “Still Divas,” “Always Divas,” and “Forever Divas” series, coined soap operas in print. And just like real televised soap operas, these stories are filled with drama, romance, chances, coincidences and fate. But more importantly, they are filled with characters that will make you feel young and restless, bold and beautiful; all as the world turns upside down. These divas will be your guiding light to a literary feast. Don’t miss out on the series of a lifetime, because remember, you’ve only got one life to live. Start living it with the New Day Divas.

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WHAT’S SO ROMANTIC ABOUT NAPA VALLEY By Janice L. Dennie

WHAT’S SO ROMANTIC ABOUT NAPA VALLEY? 
By Janice L. Dennie

JUSTIN’S BODY OF WORK, Book 2,  in The Underwood’s of Napa Valley series  was released on May 15, 2015.   I decided to describe the wine country for those who have never heard of Napa Valley. It is a region in Northern California filled with vineyards, wineries, fine restaurants, quaint bed and breakfasts, spas, boutiques and art galleries.

The Underwood brothers have inherited the character DNA of their male ancestors, a line of old fashioned southern gentlemen who took great pride in protecting their families. The matriarch of the family, Henrietta Underwood, wants to marry off all five of her adult grandchildren to loving spouses. She has dubbed each one with a character trait. As the eldest brother, Kenton Underwood is “the protective one.” He’s protective of his family and environment, and stays busy running his family’s winery. Kenton has no room for love until he meets sexy, understated, Briana Rutledge, who finds a special place in his heart.

The next brother, Justin Underwood is “the strong one.” He’s the passionate civil rights attorney, a modern day knight in shining armor, who fights to protect the woman he loves in the court of law. But, Ashley Jacobs, has a family secret that prevents her from totally committing to Justin. There are three more siblings in the series who have their stories to tell.

The Underwood’s of Napa Valley series takes a look at a family that enhances love and relationships in the wine country, and changes personalities forever.

Amazon.com Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/janicedennie 

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Kenton’s Vintage Affair 
by Janice L. Dennie 

Unemployed chef, Briana Rutledge, inherits a cottage on one thousand acres of land in California’s Napa Valley, making her a millionaire. She sets out to turn the cottage into her dream restaurant. But others have agendas to destroy Briana and her plans.

The Underwood brothers have inherited the character DNA of their male ancestors, a line of old fashioned southern gentlemen who took great pride in protecting women and children. As the eldest brother, Kenton Underwood has been betrayed and no longer believes women need his protection. He has no room for love until he meets sexy, understated, Briana Rutledge, who finds a special place in his heart. But Briana harbors a deep seated fear that prevents their future happiness. Kenton has also been scarred by an obsession that fuels his competitive behavior. Can their relationship survive Kenton’s obsession and Briana’s fear?

Excerpt from Kenton’s Vintage Affair by Janice L. Dennie
Listen to the author reading from the book: http://www.audioacrobat.com/note/CPT6vSfx 

“Want some wine?”

“Sure, I’ll have a glass.”

Kenton walked over to the butler’s pantry to select a bottle of wine. He grabbed two red wine glasses, a corkscrew and walked back to the sofa. After leaving the wine bottle on the coffee table, he walked over to his Bose docking station and selected the John Legend song, Best You Ever Had from his iPod. As the music began to play, and the base thumped, Kenton sang along with the song. Baby tonight’s the night….

The excitement of hearing Kenton’s melodic voice singing along with the music added shine to Briana’s eyes. She watched Kenton hold out his hands beckoning her to dance with him. He pulled her up from the sofa. “Come on baby let’s dance.” A faint light twinkled in the depths of his eyes when he pulled her up, holding her around her waist. He pressed her body to his, spinning, swaying and dipping her. Briana realized he was stepping Chicago style. Determined to keep up with his pace, Briana felt dizzy following his lead. She hadn’t stepped in a long time, but the movements came back, like riding a bike. Briana felt alive dancing, spinning, swaying, dipping and twirling in Kenton’s arms.

Kenton complimented her. “You’re a good dancer,” he said, holding her in his embrace. He continued to sing along with the song. I don’t wanna brag…. Briana grinned and leaned her head back in delight. He slowed down, and sang into her hair I’ll be the best you’ve ever had….

“You remembered my favorite artist.” Briana closed her eyes as she laughed. The sound of the music, the smoothness of Kenton’s dancing and singing fascinated Briana. Kenton was the best man she’d ever known.

“How could I forget?” Kenton said in between words to the song.

Briana began to sing along with Kenton. They sang her favorite part simultaneously with loud voices, the best you ever had…. They both paused for a few seconds which felt like an eternity. Within seconds, Briana snapped back into real time, although she felt as if she’d been hanging in space for hours. Looking into Kenton’s eyes, she melted in the tenderness of his gaze.

Kenton twirled her around and then pulled her close. Staring into her eyes, he gave Briana a smoldering look. “How did you like that?”

( Continues… )

Copyright © 2014 by Janice L. Dennie. All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Janice L. Dennie. 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 like this promotional excerpt.

Purchase Kenton’s Vintage Affair by Janice L. Dennie
The Underwood’s of Napa Valley Book 1
Contemporary African American Romance
Print or eBook:   http://amzn.com/B00NS4KW0I 

 

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Stand Your Ground: A Novel by Victoria Christopher Murray

Stand Your Ground: A Novel 
by Victoria Christopher Murray

From the #1 Essence bestselling and award-winning author Victoria Christopher Murray comes Stand Your Ground, a new novel about two women who are faced with the same tragedy.

A black teenage boy is dead. A white man shot him. Was he standing his ground or was it murder?

Janice Johnson is living every black mother’s nightmare. Her seventeen-year-old son was murdered and the shooter has not been arrested. Can the D.A. and the police be trusted to investigate and do the right thing? Should Janice take advantage of the public outcry and join her husband alongside the angry protestors who are out for revenge?

Meredith Spencer is married to the man accused of the killing and she sees her husband and the situation with far more clarity than anyone realizes. What she knows could blow the case wide open, but what will that mean for her life and that of her son? Will she have the courage to come forward in time so that justice can be done?

Book Reviews for Stand Your Ground

“Murray has written a tension-packed novel around the hot-buzz national topic of an unarmed black youth shot by a white male, an act then subjected to the Stand Your Ground rule as a legal defense tactic. . . . Murray’s writing admirably shows the often overlooked human emotions following racial violence. . . . The pulled-from-the headlines storyline will captivate readers.” (Library Journal – Starred Review)

“With artful descriptions, Victoria put me inside their hearts and minds. I did not just enjoy this read, I lived it.” (Michelle Lindo Rice, bestselling author of the Able To Love Series)

Chapter Except: Stand Your Ground

The doorbell rang and a hard knock followed.

Tyrone and I frowned. It was a little after nine, and Marquis and his friends knew they couldn’t hang out on school nights.

Just a couple of seconds passed before the visitor knocked.

“Who can that be?” I asked, pushing myself up.

Tyrone held up his hand. “You stay here. I’ll get it.”

Before my husband could make it to the top of the staircase, I wrapped myself inside my robe and stepped into the hallway. Marquis’s bedroom door was closed, which was the only reason why I was sure he hadn’t bounced down the stairs to get to the door before his father.

By the time I made my way to the top of the stairs, Tyrone was at the bottom and opening the door.

“Mr. Johnson?”

The door was open wide enough for me to see the two policemen, one black, one white, standing shoulder to shoulder, like soldiers.

“Yes,” my husband said, his voice two octaves deeper, the way it always dropped when he stood in front of men wearing uniforms.

“May we come in?” the black one asked.

Those words made me descend the stairs even though I wasn’t properly dressed for company. Not that policemen showing up could ever be called welcomed visitors.

“What’s this about?” my husband asked.

The policemen stepped inside, though Tyrone hadn’t extended an invitation. Both men glanced at me as I stood on the second stair, gripping the lapels of my bathrobe and trying to come up with a single reason why two officers would be in our home.

“Ma’am.” It seemed the black officer had been assigned to do all the talking.

“What’s this about?” Tyrone asked again.

They stood at attention, as if this were a formal visitation. “Would you mind if we went in there?” The black officer nodded toward our living room.

If the officer had been speaking to me, I would’ve said yes because it seemed like the polite thing to do.

But Tyrone said, “That’s not necessary,” because my husband had been raised on the hard streets of Philly, where a policeman, no matter his color, was never an invited guest.

The officers exchanged glances before the black one said, “Marquis Johnson, is that your son?”

Tyrone’s eyes narrowed while mine widened.

“What’s this about?” That felt like the fiftieth time my husband asked that question.

“There’s been a shooting . . .”

“Oh, my God,” I gasped. “Did something happen to one of our son’s friends?”

The officers looked at each other again before the black one continued, “It’s your son, Marquis. He’s been shot.”

“What?” Tyrone and I said together.

“That’s impossible,” Tyrone said. “Marquis is in his room.” He yelled out, “Marquis, come down here.”

Not even a second passed before I dashed up the stairs, moving like I hadn’t in years. Not that I had any doubt. Of course Marquis was in his bedroom. He’d come home while Tyrone and I . . . had been spending personal time together. I mean, Marquis hadn’t come into our bedroom when he came home, but he never did when we had the door closed.

Tonight, he’d been home by eight, nine at the latest. I was sure of that.

I never entered Marquis’s room without knocking. But tonight, I busted in. And then I stood there . . . in the dark. I stood there staring at the blackness, though there was enough light for me to see that Marquis wasn’t sitting at his desk, he wasn’t lying on his bed.

“Marquis,” I called out anyway, then rushed to the bathroom. “Marquis!” Just like with his bedroom, I busted into the bathroom and stared at the empty space.

Then, I felt my heart pounding, though I’m sure the assault on my chest began the moment the policeman had told that lie that my son had been shot.

“Marquis,” I shouted as I searched our guest bedroom.

I returned to his bedroom and swung open the door to his closet before I crouched down and searched under his bed. “Marquis,” I screamed, wondering why my son was playing this game of hide-and-seek, something we hadn’t done since he was four.

I rushed back into the hallway and bumped right into Tyrone. “He’s not up here,” I said to my husband as he grasped my arms. “He’s downstairs; did you check the kitchen or the family room?”

“Janice.”

I looked up into Tyrone’s eyes, which were glassy with tears.

“What?” I frowned. “You don’t believe those policemen?”

He nodded and I shook my head.

“They’re lying.”

“They’re not lying,” Tyrone said softly. “They showed me a picture.”

Now I whipped my head from side to side because I didn’t want to hear anything else. I couldn’t believe that Tyrone would accept the word of men in blue. Wasn’t he the one who said the police couldn’t be trusted?

If he wasn’t going to look for our son, I was. “Marquis!” I screamed.

Now a single tear dripped from Tyrone’s eye. “Janice, listen to me.”

I tried to remember the last time my husband cried. And I couldn’t think of a single time.

“Janice.” He repeated my name.

“No!”

“Marquis is gone.”

“No!”

“He was shot over on Avon Street.”

“No!”

“He’s dead.”

“Why would you believe them,” I cried. “Why don’t you believe me?”

My husband looked at me as if I was talking foolishness. And I looked at him and begged for him to tell me that he was wrong. Or for him to wake me from this nightmare. Either would work for me.

But Tyrone did neither of those things. He just stared into my eyes. And as I stared into his, I saw the truth.

Not many words that Tyrone had shared had made it to the understanding part of my brain. But four words did: Marquis. Gone. Shot. Dead.

“Marquis is gone?” I whispered.

Tyrone nodded.

“Someone shot my son?”

He nodded again.

“And now he’s dead?”

This time, Tyrone just pulled me close, so close that I could feel the hammering of his heart. But though I always wanted to be held by my husband, I didn’t want him to hold me now. Because if what Tyrone had said was true, then I didn’t want to be in my husband’s arms.

If what he said was true, then all I wanted was to be dead, too.

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Victoria Christopher Murray. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Purchase Books by Victoria Christopher Murray
Contemporary Women Fiction >African American > Christian Fiction 
http://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Christopher-Murray/e/B001IO9LP2

Meet the Author
Victoria Christopher Murray always knew she would become an author, even as she was taking an unlikely path to that destination. A native of Queens, Victoria first left New York to attend Hampton University where she majored in Communication Disorders. After graduating, Victoria attended New York University where she received her MBA.

Victoria spent ten years in Corporate America before she tested her entrepreneurial spirit. She opened a Financial Services Agency for Aegon, USA where she managed the number one division for nine consecutive years. However, Victoria never lost the dream to write and when the “bug” hit her again in 1997, she answered the call.

Victoria originally self published her first novel, Temptation and in 2000, Time Warner published that novel. Temptation made numerous best sellers list and remained on the Essence bestsellers list for nine consecutive months. In 2001, Victoria received her first NAACP Image Award nomination for Temptation.

Since Temptation, Victoria has written over twenty other adult novels, including: JOY, Grown Folks Business, The Ex Files, The Deal, the Dance and the Devil, Never Say Never and the popular Jasmine Cox Larson Bush series.

Victoria has received numerous awards including the Golden Pen Award for Best Inspirational Fiction and the Phyllis Wheatley Trailblazer Award for being a pioneer in African American Fiction. Since 2007, Victoria has won seven African American Literary Awards for best novel, best Christian fiction and Author of the Year – Female. Her 2014 NAACP Image Award nomination for Never Say Never was her third Image Award nomination.

Several of Victoria’s novels have been optioned to become movies, including The Deal, the Dance and the Devil and the Ex Files series.  With over one million books in print, Victoria is one of the country’s top African American contemporary authors.

Victoria splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington D.C. In Los Angeles, she attends Bible Enrichment Fellowship International Church under the spiritual tutelage of Dr. Beverly “BAM” Crawford. She is also a very proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  Stand Your Ground available nationwide and online June 30, 2015!

Connect with Victoria Christopher Murray
#standyourgroundthenovel
Website:     http://www.victoriachristophermurray.com
Twitter:       https://twitter.com/victoriaecm
Instagram:   https://instagram.com/victoriachristophermurray 
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/victoriachristophermurray

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Sneak Peek: The Devil Made Me Do It by Colette R. Harrell

The Devil Made Me Do It 
by Colette R. Harrell

The voluptuous Esther Wiley has always known that she is special. She’s a tiara-wearing, wand-carrying kind of Cinderella princess in disguise. The problem that her very own Fairy Godmother, the Prophetess Mother Reed, struggles with is getting her to live like it.

Briggs Stokes is the reluctant heir to his father’s worldwide, multimillion-dollar televangelist ministry, yet he yearns to be his own man. His past mistakes have caused him a private life of hurt and loneliness.

Esther and Briggs meet and develop a deep soul connection, until tragedy strikes and the two are thrust apart. Their separation leads each down a different path scattered with emotional minefields. While each step they take brings them closer to who they were always meant to be, the devil is on assignment. He sends in reinforcements to usher in confusion and create chaos, and soon no one is safe. The members of Love Zion church reel from the rumors, innuendo, and downright sabotage that is going on around them.

When others devise evil schemes to seek the destruction of Esther and Briggs through jealousy, greed, and murder, only divine intervention can save them. As an all-out battle for dominion breaks out in the heavens, will Esther and Briggs become a casualty of war?

Book Review for The Devil Made Me Do It  
“The Devil Made Me Do It”  is Christian Fiction at its best. The novel is full of lessons about passion, pain and God’s abundant blessings. Filled with suspense, laughter and touching moments, this page-turning novel will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page. Colette is a new author to definitely watch. Brava, Ms. Harrell.
— Victoria Christopher Murray, Best Selling Author

  

Excerpt from The Devil Made Me Do It

Prologue
               1975                   

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep (Genesis 1:2).

Two ominous figures sat in quiet contemplation, the larger one’s head was gargantuan in nature, and foul droplets of acidic mucus fell from his protruding fangs. The smaller one stood sixteen feet tall and his rapier tail was wrapped protectively around his middle. He sat as still as cold hard stone. His sinister eyes were yellow rimmed and telegraphed evil cunning. He was known as The Leader.  Their silhouettes cast eerie shadows against the backdrop of the smoke-filled flames that spewed from the lake of fire.

“Ummm, this is my favorite place. Listen to the melodic sound of souls screaming in agony—it is music to my ears.  If you concentrate, you can hear the desperate pleas for release. Yessss . . .It allows me to know that all is right in our world,” The High Master said.

The Leader shuddered as the menacing timbre of The High Master’s voice snaked fear around his chest. For him, it was equal to the singe of demon skin from a thousand innocent prayers; he loathed it. His tail subconsciously tightened as he awaited his newest orders.

The High Master continued, “These human souls are pathetic with their self-serving natures. They frighten at the sound of our bumps in the dark, but create havoc in their own lives. What idiots they are and not fit for company until they have totally crossed to our side. And even then they tire me soooo . . .”

The Leader didn’t stir; his thoughts were of survival. He refused to speak. He knew a wrong word could cause such suffering and pain. The High Master’s punishments are prompt and fierce. One seeks death, but yet, death will not come.

The High Master continued his tirade, his grimace displaying double rows of slime-covered fangs. His was a chilling profile. “Your charges are young. Both are being raised in good homes, and, as a result, they are overconfident creatures. Leader, do not underestimate their youth; innocence is a powerful weapon. In their kingdom, the weak become strong. But we must prey on that weakness and use it to our advantage. You must destroy them before they complete their purpose. I am giving you this head start; you must not fail.”

After speaking, he stood his full twenty feet in height, his shoulders reared back as his frame vibrated with his frustrated bellowing. “In the beginning, we owned their world. After the fall, we adjusted; the land we were given was dark and empty, but we were content with our lot. Then He whose name is not spoken, created man, and we were once again demoted. All we seek is our rightful power, our rightful place. Make haste, bold one, and steal, kill, and destroy all that stands in your way.”

The Leader bowed his head in submission.

“And, Leader—this was a most productive conversation. You are learning.”

The Leader’s tail unwrapped from his torso as he swiftly rose and slithered toward his point of ascent into the Earth realm. He was determined not to fail.


Chapter One

The Detroit pollution and cold, foggy weather covered Esther Wiley’s shivering body in crisp, arctic shades of blue gray, reminiscent of watercolors dancing in the jelly jar after her arts and crafts class. She shivered, but stubbornly refused to let her mother put a scarf around her small head. She was going to be Cinderella. Cinderella didn’t wear an old ugly scarf. Well, maybe when she was cleaning, but she wasn’t trying to be that kind of Cinderella. No ashes to ashes and dust to dust for her. She was all about glass slippers and diamond tiaras.

Esther’s round cheeks were rosy from the wind, her hated freckles beet red glowing in contrast to the caramel cream of her skin. Her knobby knees were pressed together whenever she wasn’t bouncing from foot to foot in the frigid air. She was on a mission. She wasn’t allowing a hideous scarf to mess up her hair in exchange for a little warmth. She had endured two hours of “hold the grease jar lid on your ear pain” that produced silky pressed hair. There was torture in the quest for straight tresses. In her seven-year-old mind, her priorities were clear.

Esther’s petulant voice screeched. “Mama, how much longer do we have to wait? I can’t stand it. I want to try on the glass slipper—right now.”

“Mind your manners. In a moment, I’m going to give you what your Grandma Vic used to call a private deliverance in a public place.”

 A curl of warm breath escaped when Esther sighed. She turned away, rolled her eyes, and then stared defiantly at her mother. The same hands that calmly cuddled her at night now moved restlessly after giving up trying to place a warm scarf on Esther’s head. Esther didn’t dare speak. She had badgered her mother to bring her and her two best friends to downtown Detroit for the Cinderella contest. When they arrived, the line to enter the historical skyscraper snaked around the building. Two hours later they still couldn’t see the front entrance. As the wind bellowed, time stood still, but because of her mother’s mood, she resisted the urge to tell her she was freezing.

She peeked at her friends’ reaction to her mother’s scolding. She could see Sheri and Deborah were indifferent to her embarrassment; their faces tense as they craned their necks to see the start of the line.

Esther puffed warm breath into her mittens. “Y’all shouldn’t have come if you didn’t want to wait.”

Sheri’s elfin face was etched in anxiety. Her shoulders sagging, she grimaced at the time on her watch. She leaned forward in a panicked whisper. “You know I had to sneak out of the house to come. If my mama finds out I’m here, I’ma get a whipping.”

“You should have told her,” Deborah smacked her sour grape gum, then twirled it around her finger.

Sheri’s jaw tightened. “I tried.” She pointed her finger in a mock role play of her mother. “‘Ain’t no such thing as Cinderella, and sho’ ain’t no Prince Charming. Get in them school books. There isn’t anything worse than being ignorant.’ Y’all know how my mama gets.”

Laughing, Deborah slapped her hand against her thigh. “Uh, uh, uh,” she stuck her gum back into her mouth and popped it. “Girl, you sounded just like your mama.”

With hands on her small hips, Esther swung her head toward Deborah. “Well, what about you? You could have stayed home.”

“Oh no, where you two go, I go. You can’t leave me out. I can stand this girly stuff for one day.” Deborah eyeballed her and popped her gum for emphasis.

Esther sighed in her trademark dramatic fashion. “Please stop playing with your gum. That’s just nasty.”

She wished her friends cared as much about the Cinderella contest as she did. Sheri was the smart one, but her whippings from her mama were the talk of the block. Deborah was the tomboy; she had seven brothers.

Esther’s older sister, Phyllis once said, “Deborah’s mama better take that chile in hand quick ’cause if she don’t, she gon’ end up funny.”

Esther tried to explain that’s what she liked about Deborah—that she was funny. Phyllis just stared at her with small slit eyes, sucked her teeth, and told her to get out of her room.

She didn’t know why Phyllis always said that because half the drawers and closet space were hers, and she slept on the bottom bunk bed. But before she got pinched . . . Or worse, she’d leave the room.

Esther understood her friends’ mood; it was her mother, she couldn’t figure out. Mrs. Wiley reminded her of herself when she had to go to the doctor and get a shot; frightened.

Esther swallowed, summoned her courage, and pulled on her mother’s coat sleeve. “Mama, what’s wrong? Why did you say we might have to leave before I try on the slipper?”

Her mother’s eyes blinked in rapid succession. “I—well—I—girl, quit asking me questions.”

In a huff, Esther folded her arms, and clamped her lips tight. In a snail-like increment, thirty minutes dragged by, and finally they entered the department store.

***

It was so beautiful; Hudson’s department store had turned the tenth-floor lobby into a lighted winter wonderland. In the center of the room, a handsome prince with dark hair and sapphire eyes kneeled before each little girl as she sat on the white, satin bench and tried on the glass slipper. To a young heart, it was breathtaking.

Esther was so excited that she peed—just a little—in her underwear. When it was her time to approach the bench and sit down, she closed her eyes, folded her hands, prayed, and waited for the miracle that her grandmother had assured her God could deliver.

“Yes. Yes . . . Yes!” she squealed. The glass slipper fit her small foot perfectly.

Her mother cried out, “Oh my goodness; you won, you won.”

Her friends danced around, and they all jumped up and down together. It took them a few minutes—the silence around them incredulous—to notice that they were the only ones celebrating.

Esther hugged her mother around the waist and peeked at the crowd. Somber pale faces reflected shock, anger, and disbelief; it was plain that their small entourage’s happiness lacked the crowd’s support.

The distressed prince rose, his back ramrod straight. He confidently looked over at the tall, austere man who seemed to be in charge.

“I am sorry, miss,” the man advanced on Esther’s mother, his hawkish nose tilted in an imperious manner. “It isn’t a proper fit. Please relinquish the slipper to the next person. You and your daughter are holding up the line.”

Esther wailed in protest. “But, Mama—” Her mother placed a finger over her mouth and used her other hand to wipe her burgeoning tears.

Mrs. Wiley’s voice was soft and gentle, her hands tender in their ministrations of comfort. “Shush, baby, let’s go.” Her face was strained, and her eyes inflamed with a century of unspoken words and kindled rage.

Esther discerned something unspeakable had happened, and she should not ask about it. She grabbed her mother’s hand and placed her other hand in Sheri’s, who then took hold of Deborah’s. They were linked; one.

The friends were confused; somehow they had done something . . . Wrong. The swirling abyss in their stomachs paid homage to their guilt. Shame hovered over them like the Detroit factory’s smokestack stench. They huddled together, drawing comfort from each other. Stiff and silent, they exited the store into fresh falling snow. Esther felt the chill of the cold air all around her. She released Sheri’s hand and with tears frozen on her face, spoke in a meek, trembling voice. “Mama, my face is cold.”

Her mother reached down and slowly tied the ugly floral printed scarf around her silky pressed hair.

As the small, dejected group hurried down the street, a shadow followed along the wall; its long form slithered between the cracks of worn buildings as it hissed along the way. It was oblivious to the noise of traffic and other people rushing to and fro. It was a single-minded creature, and they were not his problem. He was only concerned with his assignment.

Today had been a good start, and he was pleased but not satisfied. He was like The High Master in that regard. Until the fruit from the vine was spoiled, his job wasn’t complete. For each of his young assignments, he was just beginning. He knew from experience it was better to catch the fruit before it matured. He watched as they scrambled forward, seeking solace in each other’s presence. As he followed, he wore a look of utter contempt for his charges. His yellow eyes gleamed eerily with a malignant delight against the growing darkness of the day. After all, it was a job well done.

(  Continued…  )

© 2014  All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Colette R. Harrell.  Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. Copyright infringement is a serious offense. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Share a link to this page or the author’s website if you really like this sneak peek.
 
Purchase The Devil Made Me Do It  by Colette R. Harrell
Amazon   |   Barnes and Noble   |   Powells   |   Walmart  |   On Facebook
Topics include: suicide, abuse, adultery, company fraud, and obsession.

Genre: Christian Fiction

 

About the Author
Colette Harrell, wants you to know that she’s like you, God’s chosen vessel. She has come to be a gift, to be an encourager and a light that reflects God’s goodness.

She’s a wife, mother, author and playwright. A Detroit native, she currently calls Ohio home. She holds a master’s and is a Director of Social Services. Writing with humor and compassion to engage and minister to the human heart. Her motto is: whatever you do, do it “for love alone.”

Her latest novel, Tell The Truth; The Devil Won’t will thrill this October 2015. It is filled with wisdom and humor. This adventurous love story goes where Ms. Harrell loves to tread, down an unbeaten path. No millionaires rescuing damsels in distress—although she enjoys these reads herself—but every day people, falling and getting back up.

The Devil Made Me Do It was her debut novel. It was nominated for The 2015 Phillis Wheatley Book Awards in First Fiction. It has been held as one of Black Pearl Magazine’s, top ten Christian fiction books for 2014. In addition, Read Between The Lines radio show, named it as one of its overall top ten books for 2014.

Make no mistake, her sophomore novel, Tell The Truth, The Devil Won’t will cement her as an author to watch.

Connect with  Colette R. Harrell 
Tell the Truth The Devil Won’t
Sequel to The Devil Made Me Do It
Website:  http://www.coletteharrell.com
https://www.facebook.com/ColetteRHarrellfans
http://www.facebook.com/Colette.R.Harrell 

 

 

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From the Florist to the Forest: Think Deep Before You Leap by Charlie Marcol

From the Florist to the Forest: Think Deep Before You Leap
by Charlie Marcol

Compelling, Real, Essential, Riveting are just a few words to describe From the Florist to the Forest. Invitations, themes, cakes, floral design and bridal fashions have transcended the objective of the institution of marriage. While marriage rates are declining, divorce rates are escalating. This is a cause for concern not only for the institution of marriage itself, but also the stability of families. Marriages are failing because people fail to prepare for matrimony. Everyone has their own vision of love, but there must be a willingness to communicate that vision.

A lack of communication leads to unrealistic expectations, which can cause the demise of a relationship. Discover what you need to know and forget about superficial trappings. In the end, the flowers on your wedding day won’t matter when happiness is but a dream deferred.

Book Reviews
“From the Florist to the Forest is a beautifully transcribed testimony of growth and triumph over uncertainty and disappointment. Charlie’s bravery to share her relationship journey will bless you! Her insight originates from an honest place that many women won’t dare to venture. Her inward self-reflection causes you to assess your own relationship needs, wants, and intentions. This isn’t your momma’s relationship guide! I highly recommend this book for women and men, young and old.”
-Dr. Pamela Price

As a single woman, “From the Florist to the Forest” helped me recognize the part I play in relationship mistakes of the past and has helped me develop a better and introspective attitude about love.
-Melody Kym, Houston

As a woman who has journeyed from the florist to the forest and barely survived it, I wish this impactful and honest account of the reality of matrimony existed for me to learn from while in a daze at the florist. The journey is real, and Ms. Marcol has done an exceptional job highlighting the struggle of two becoming one. Marriage should not be taken lightly and is not for the faint at heart. I recommend this to every woman who “thinks” they are ready for the ministry we call marriage!
-Dr. Quincy Miller, Houston 

Hi beautiful! I just had to let you know I absolutely LOVED your book! From the personal message (thank you) to the last sentence (I don’t want to be like Lott’s wife either!) It truly blessed me, it made me laugh, cry, shake my head, but more importantly it reminded me that God knows what’s best for me! And while I’m waiting I should be working for HIM, as well as on me, so I can be ready for him. The one God made for me. Your book is anointed and I know it will bless many ladies’ lives, because it certainly blessed mine so keep doing what you’re doing. I love you! I want to know how I can buy copies of the book for my friends 🙂
-Nakia Williams, California, Houston

Excerpt: From the Florist to the Forest Chapter One

“The Season of Singleness and the Pressure”

Seasons, people, and trends all change and eventually your season of singleness will change if that is God’s will for your life. The season of singleness can be tough on any woman that has everything her heart desires. I mean, she has it all . . . the car, house, decent career, designer clothes, supportive friends, great family, active in the community and she may even have children. What she does not have is a husband to complete her happily ever after. She’s missing a mate that will display Christ-like love and sweep her off of her feet.

It seems as if a single woman over the age of 30 should walk around with a scarlet “S” on her chest. The “S” is not because she is a super person, but because she is super single and everybody knows it. Society has painted the picture that by the age of 30, a woman should be married, with 2.5 kids, a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence, dogs running in yard, and a SUV sitting in the driveway. This ideology is so deeply woven into society’s tapestry that if a woman has not met these objectives in life, then “something must be wrong with her!”

The irony is that society has drastically changed its view on marriage within the last decade, but the view for heterosexual women has remained the same. This new-age view of marriage reminds me of a fast food restaurant where you can have it your way: quick and made to order. Everything goes from reserved, open, gay, with or without children, pets as children, and some couples don’t even live in the same house. It is complicated, unequally yoked, arranged and deranged, and maybe even common law. Everything else is the new normal, except when it comes to heterosexual women.

For that single woman over 30, the number one question at social functions and family gatherings is “When are you going to get married?” Inquiring minds want to know and people begin to pry and probe. Happy thoughts turn to “Oh no, here it comes . . . the pressure,” followed by doubt, with mixed emotions. Even the overtly confident single woman may begin to question herself and ask “What is wrong with me?” or “Why I am not engaged?” Listening to naysayer’s opinions about your singlehood creates obsessive thoughts about being married. I know it’s hard not to consider others’ judgments, but you must stop over-analyzing “the whys” and the “what ifs” and know that God is working on your behalf. Instead, praise God for his divine protection for preserving you for the right someone. God has a blessing in store for you, but you must wait and be of good courage.

1 Corinthians 7:7 tells us that God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of married life to others. Right now may not be your time but I promise you, it’s not the end of the world. While others are focusing on what is wrong with you, ask yourself, “What is right with me?” No, you don’t need to cut your hair, go natural, get Botox, add extensions, get braces, enhance your breast, whiten your teeth, or lose a few extra pounds to make him come or have an infinite attraction to you. If you want to partake in those things to make you feel better, then by all means go ahead, but if you are doing all that for the sake of a man and a relationship, then stop it! Just continue to be you, the way God made you. When you do some self- reflection, you will learn that everything you thought was wrong is perfect. There is someone that will love your imperfect self, perfectly.

Sure, you probably could be married, with kids, a mansion in the hills, and a nice luxury car; but would you be completely happy with your life and your mate? Alexander Pope once said, “Fools rush in” and some of the fools end up in miserable marriages. Thank your lucky stars that is not you! You are single for a reason . I am certain there have been suitors in your life but you did not settle because you are waiting on him. Hopefully your him is God. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being single when it is a part of God’s plan. In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord tells “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” There is still hope for your future. God ordained marriage and He made time. Everything that we do is on God’s watch and with his infinite wisdom He will pour out a blessing that you don’t have room to receive when the time is right.

Real Talk
Okay, so you are single. To be single is a blessing from God in disguise. Ask the Apostle Paul. He believed being single was a gift and an opportunity to develop a relationship with the Heavenly Father. You may not think so, but God has you in a particular place and space for a reason. For example, how is your emotional landfill? You know that place . . . that ugly, nasty, stinky section of our minds where we burry the truths of our lives. Piling trauma, hurt, calamity, and drama in our emotional landfill should only be temporary, but sometimes we hold on to these memories longer than we should. We learn how to compartmentalize so we can “survive” for the moment. Sadly, too often those moments end up lingering and affecting our relationships. When our emotional landfill starts to overflow, it is because it is too painful to go back to process the situation. Healing only comes when we can fully process the hurt and the pain. Is your landfill spilling over because you refuse to heal and forgive?

It is impossible to be in a healthy relationship when your emotional landfill is filled to capacity. Ask yourself, would you marry you if you were carrying all that junk around?

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Charlie Marcol. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Order From the Florist to the Forest: Think Deep Before You Leap 
Non-fiction; Self-discovery and Self-help
Link: http://amzn.com/B00UXP213Q

Meet the Author
Charlie Marcol, was born and raised in the great state of Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from the University of Houston, where she became a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. She also earned a Master of Education Degree in Counseling from Texas Southern University. From the Florist to the Forest is her debut novel. Although she is new to the publishing world, her book is spreading like wild fire. She was featured on the Day Break morning show in Dallas instilling her motto to “Think Deep Before You Leap” into marriage. Charlie seeks to empower women through awareness, discussions and self-love. She enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and spending quality time with family. Charlie currently lives in Houston with her adorable 10 year old son Gavin.

Twitter: @CharlieMarcol
Instagram: #charliemarcol
http://www.charliemarcol.com
http://www.facebook.com/charliemarcol

 

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Between Love and Hate by AlTonya Washington

Between Love and Hate 
by AlTonya Washington

Cahlir Decker and Bizay Donneeter had an extraordinary involvement that resulted in more than either of them ever intended. Their connection went deeper than the sexual chemistry that sizzled to life between the powerful corporate consultant and the lingerie entrepreneur. At least, that was what Biz thought until their enjoyable time together ended when she woke one morning to an empty bed and no sign of Cahlir. Biz refused to acknowledge how deeply the man had wounded her-how deeply her feelings for him had grown in the short span of time they had known each other. She was angry and hurt and leaned on a fair amount of hate to survive. Not a bad plan until she received word that her family’s advertising firm was in trouble and that Cahlir was its new owner.

Biz didn’t have time to let fear register over the unexpected turn of events. Fear however, did eventually find its way to the forefront of her mind as did a healthy dose of suspicion. Did Cahlir know that she’d left San Diego pregnant with their child? What would he do when he realized she’d had their daughter and had kept her from him for four years?

Excerpt: Between Love and Hate by AlTonya Washington

Biz had never considered herself a short person, but even in the stylish strappy heels, she felt exceptionally small next to Cahlir. He had placed both arms around her waist and held her close to his muscular frame. Biz rested her hands on his chest and enjoyed the scent of his cologne.

“I wonder how I missed you all night.” She said, without realizing she had spoken aloud.

“Excuse me?” Cahlir dipped his head lower.

Biz leaned away from him, so she could look directly into his eyes. “I was just wondering how I missed you all night.” She admitted.

A one-dimpled smirk crossed Cahlir’s face. “Were you looking for me?”

“Well, not exactly, but handsome men interest me. Especially, when there’s a brain to match. I make an extra effort to get to know them.”

Cahlir’s sleek, dark brows rose slightly. “You don’t bite your words, do you?”

“Never,” Was her simple reply.

If possible, he pulled her even closer. “Well, I’d appreciate the chance to show off my braininess by talking to you some more.”

Biz nodded slowly. She took the arm he offered and they walked towards the balcony.

“So, besides being a good friend of my sister’s, who are you?” Cahlir asked, once they stopped in the far corner of the balcony and leaned against the railing.

“Well, I’ve been in San Diego opening my second lingerie store. It’s right next to one of Carla’s nail salons. On a whim, I stopped inside one day and had my nails done. Carla was there at the time, we just started talking and here I am.” She told him.

“You aren’t from California, are you?”

“No, Atlanta.”

“I figured.”

A small frown clouded Biz’s lovely face. “What? Could you detect my Southern drawl?” She asked, deliberately drawing out the last word.

Cahlir smiled in spite of himself. “Faintly.”

“Mmm…well is there anything else you want to know?” She asked, tossing her head slightly.

Cahlir bent over the railing and looked up at her. “You seem pretty young to have opened two stores.” He detected.

Biz nodded, acknowledging his statement. “Well, actually I’m in grad school for my MBA. During college, I worked in my family’s company. Then, I decided I wanted something for myself, so I opened my first store. I’ve done pretty well with it.”

“I’m impressed.” Cahlir complimented. “So you’re a woman who knows what she wants.”

Biz pinned him with a steady gaze. “I know what I want and I go after it.”

The two of them stared at each other for a long while. Biz took a deep breath, and then shook her head as if to clear it.

“Well, now you know my life’s story and then some. So? What about you?” She asked, her brown eyes narrowing slightly.

Cahlir turned and leaned back against the railing. “What would you like to know?” He asked.

Biz’s slender shoulder rose in a lazy shrug. “Well, besides being Carla’s little brother, who are you?”

“Well, I’ve already got my MBA.” He playfully boasted. “Like you, I started my business before I got out of grad school. It’s a consulting firm and my accountant says I should be proud.”

Biz was intrigued. “Well, if you can retain an accountant, you should be proud.” She agreed, clearing her throat. “So, uh-is there anyone to share your success?” She asked, hoping she had not overstepped.

Cahlir did tense a bit over the last question. His daughter and the divorce were two things he couldn’t bring himself to discuss, though he found Biz very easy to talk to. “There’s no one right now.” He finally told her.

“I find that very hard to believe.” She noted.

Cahlir shrugged. “It’s true. I think I’m involved with my business more than anything else.”

“That can’t be any fun.” Biz told him, her voice very low.

“It’s not.” Cahlir admitted, his silvery eyes narrowing.

Strangely, Biz found herself sensing sadness in the man. He seemed to be fighting against something, and was failing miserably. She thought she could see shades of regret in the striking silver depths of his eyes. Deciding that it was not her place to question his mood, she fixed him with a bright smile and nudged his arm with her shoulder.

“How about we go check on that soup?” She suggested.

Cahlir offered her his hand and they went back inside.

The caterers had just set out a piping hot tureen of the creamy creation. Cahlir and Biz were like two starving people as they filled their soup bowls to the rim.

“Would you feel comfortable taking this up to Carla’s den?” He suggested.

Biz smiled at the way he phrased the question. She saw that behind his incredible face and body, his manner had a thoughtful, mellow quality. It was a trait she found very appealing. Very appealing indeed.

“Just show me the way.” She said.

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, AlTonya Washington. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Purchase Between Love and Hate from Barnes & Noble
Purchase Between Love and Hate from Amazon.com

 

 

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With These Hands: A Country Girl Came To Town by Bonnie Taylor-Williams

With These Hands: A Country Girl Came To Town
by Bonnie Taylor-Williams

With These Hands is an inspiring story of the life of Selena, who as a young girl in 1941 arrived in the big windy City of Chicago on a bus from Memphis Tennessee by way of Clarksdale Mississippi with all that she owned in her two hands. Her new baby girl in one arm, her suitcase and handmade quilt was in her other arm. Away from her mother, family and everything considered home for the first time in her young life Selena had no idea what the future held for her…but God knew.

As a young newlywed, new mother in a new town, from cooking all of her meals in her one speckled pan to becoming a successful business woman owning multiple beauty and hair weev salons in Chicago and Detroit. Selena who began as a “kitchen beautician” went from charging fifty cents a head in her kitchen to charging hundreds and then thousands per head in her professional salons.

Teaching and sharing her craft of Hair Weev Technology with cosmetologists all over the world exposed Selena’s perseverance which has always been a part of Selena’s nature way back then and has served as an inspiration to many others ever since.

*Weev: patented spelling

Excerpt from Chapter Nine

Being a single mother, working day and night, trying to feed her four children, it took some time before Mary noticed. Six months passed; Selena began to gain weight and her mother finally figured it out. She didn’t know when, where, how or who, but she knew her daughter’s belly was growing. The baby was just about due by this time. Selena remembered taking her usual bath in the tin wash tub that the family had and noticing her stomach getting bigger, but she didn’t know why.

Mary never, ever talked to Selena about anything. Selena didn’t know about sex and its relationship to making babies. She didn’t even know about her monthly period, until it happened. I guess some parents, especially back in those days, felt if they did not speak about those things, there was a better chance that nothing would happen. They acted as if their children, especially their girls, didn’t know anything; they couldn’t or wouldn’t do anything…so much for that theory.

“WHO DID YOU GO WITH”? Mary yelled at Selena while looking at her stomach. Selena didn’t even know what that meant.

Mama’s voice went up a few more octaves. “Did you lay down with somebody? Who did you lay down with? Who was it?”

Selena began to tell her about JW coming by Daddy’s house because his car had stopped and Daddy and Paul were out in the field working. Mama didn’t say much more to her, except that she would have to write and tell the boy. She instructed her to wait until the baby was born, which wouldn’t be long and send a picture.

Mary had the wind knocked out of her, knowing the difficulties she faced as a single mother, trying to feed her four children and herself while making fifty cents a week doing domestic work, but she cow girled up and did what she knew how to do. She worked hard, prayed and trusted in God.

Once he realized that Mary was not coming back to him or Mississippi. Henry sent money to Mary in Memphis from his wages he received from working in the fields. Cousin Booker was still one of God’s angel’s helping Mary feed her children and helping in any other way that he could.

Mary wrote and told Henry about their daughter’s pregnancy. He was shocked, but he increased his financial support as often as he could.

Paul was old enough to help out now and he got a job working at the drug store, making deliveries, where he met and made a new friend, Elmer Parker. Elmer had a bike that he used to make his deliveries and get around. As Elmer and Paul’s friendship grew stronger, they became real buddies.

The drugstore was owned by a white husband and wife who had a baby. By this time Selena had stopped going to school in the ninth grade. She would stay home most of the time, but she would go to work with her brother, Paul, to get out of the house. The store owner began paying Selena to watch her baby, which allowed the store owner a little more freedom to help her husband in the store. Selena would play with the baby, rock or push the baby around in the buggy for a while.

That is when Paul introduced his sister, Selena, to his new friend, Elmer. Overnight, it seemed, the three of them became tight. Paul and Selena took him home to meet Mama and their two younger sisters. Sometimes he would eat supper with them; sometimes he wouldn’t out of fear that he would wear out his welcome. Though Mary didn’t have much, she would always offer to share whatever she had with him and anybody else.

Elmer liked his new friends. He liked that they were a family. Most of all, he loved the way they treated him. He began to feel a part of their family, but who he liked the most was Selena. She was pretty to him and his heart went out to her as a young girl pregnant, whereas whoever the man or the boy responsible was virtually invisible. There was no one in sight ever, not even a mention of whom the father could be, until Elmer asked. Selena explained that the boy lived in Mississippi. According to her, the putative father was a nice person, who didn’t know that she was pregnant. However, Selena assured Elmer once the father found out about the impending birth; he would help her take care of their baby.

To Elmer, the coast wasn’t totally clear, but he couldn’t stop his heartfelt feelings from growing for Selena and her unborn child. He was very attentive to her whenever he was around her, which was every day as Elmer, Paul and Selena would walk home together. On the days that Selena didn’t work, Elmer would still walk with Paul, rolling his bike alongside of him, just to be able to see Selena.

***

Selena thought of Elmer as a real nice person and a good friend. In fact, she liked him. She liked the way he treated her, but she had reservations when it came to Elmer. For one, she thought as soon as JW and his family found out about the baby, they would probably get married. At the very least, they would see to it that she and the baby were taken care of.

( Continued… )

© 2015 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Bonnie Taylor-Williams. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Purchase With These Hands: A Country Girl Came To Town 
Link: http://amzn.com/B00T57OR76

Meet the Author
Bonnie Taylor-Williams, a twenty-plus years cancer survivor, a professional third generation Hair Weev* technician, designer and instructor credits her mother for igniting her love for reading. Bonnie’s mother began sitting Bonnie and her brothers at the kitchen table and walking them to the neighborhood Chicago public library instilling the importance of reading at a very early age. Unwilling to completely rely on her children’s school teachers and they had great teachers, Bonnie’s mother taught them how to sound out the words, breaking them into syllables, teaching them spelling, how to look them up either in the back of their spelling books or the dictionary and how to create sentences.

As a child Bonnie loved listening to the history of her family through the stories shared and told by her mother Juanita, her grandmother Selena and her great grandmother Mary. Bonnie’s love of reading books and listening to the family storytelling was soon escalated into desires of writing books herself but wondered how it could be possible when she had never seen any books with people or characters on them that looked like her. Neither had she seen any writers of any books she had read that looked like her as a child until that one day her mother surprised her with a brand new book. The book was “I Know Why the Caged Bird sings” by Maya Angelou.

Maya Angelou was one of the people who came on TV along with Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcom X, President Kennedy, Barbara Jordan and Muhammad Ali that everyone in the house had to be real quiet and listen, so that the adults could hear. Therefore Bonnie knew who she was. After reading “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” it was like the lighting of the Christmas tree, an electrifying spirit of hope and excitement filled her heart, mind and body.
Bonnie stated, “It has taken me several years to complete this dream/ book due to everyday life which translates to a lack of dedication. Now, I am loving this writing thing, I knew I would! It takes dedication like anything else you really desire.”

 

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American Pool Player by Calvin W. Maxwell

American Pool Player
by Calvin W. Maxwell

Set in 1984, just as hip-hop culture was beginning to takeover the world, Grice “G-Man” Grafton is a teenager about to enter high school. He loves playing pool but is naive. His friendship with a streetwise kid causes Grice to accept a challenge from a ruthless thug called “Dragon” who is a notorious pool hustler. The days leading up to the match test not just Grice’s confidence as a pool player, but his very soul.

American Pool Player Chapter 1: The Game

My parents didn’t mind me playing pool every afternoon as long as my homework was always done and my grades didn’t meager. I think my parents were proud of the fact that I took such an effortless interest in a sport that didn’t have any remote possibility of concussions or broken bones. Besides, I really didn’t have much of an appetite for boxing gloves or shoulder pads. 

From the time I was 9 to 14 years-old, I would play 8-ball, 9-ball, or straight pool almost every day with Mr. Evans or his youngest son Roy or even sometimes my Dad would play when he didn’t have to work overtime. I studied the legends of the game, like Willie Mosconi, Minnesota Fats, Ralph Greenleaf, Jimmy Moore, Luther Lassiter, Steve Mizerak, and Mike Sigel. I wanted to absorb all I could about those who achieved prominence in the cue arts. I was particularly interested in any great black players. Were there any? Yes. 

His name was Cisero Murphy and he stood toe-to-toe with the best pool players of his era. He was a champion who played the game with intelligence, class and he never forgot where he came from. Other than my father and Mr. Evans, Cisero Murphy became one of my early boyhood heroes.

Amazon Customer Book Reviews

Reviewed by Heidi -American Pool Player is amazing and the writing style is fun and easy to follow. When you start reading it, you just want to continue in order to find out what happen next. The story reflects our everyday life and it shows the reader that learning one lesson does not mean that we actually learn everything in life. I recommend reading it.

Reviewed by Vera Dow -American Pool Player really made me reflect on my childhood and what it was like growing up in the 80s. And this book take a serious hard look at the issues then that mode many of us into who we are today. Very funny parts in the book too 🙂 GREAT READ!!!

Reviewed by SCP -Mr. Maxwell it’s a pleasure to endorse your book thank you for inspiring our youth, as you well know anything that will capture the attention of young minds is a true blessing and it appears you have an absolute WINNER here!

Reviewed by Book Lover -Calvin W. Maxwell is an inspiring author and paints a joyous picture of hope through his book “American Pool Player” I would reccommend this as a must read for any Christian today!

Reviewed by Jessica Miller-Greene -Awesome! Creatively written. Thank Mr.Maxwell for creating a character who is so realistic, and a story of faith and love.

Purchase American Pool Player  by Jr. Calvin W. Maxwell
Printe  and  eBook Download Link: http://amzn.com/1622301412
Christian Hip Hop.  No profanity, drug use or sexual content. Mild violence.


About the Author
Calvin W. Maxwell, Jr. is a teacher and sports fan that lives in the Greater New York area. He writes to encourage and inspire young people.

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Intimate Conversation with Leonard Pitts, Jr.

Intimate Conversation with Leonard Pitts, Jr.

Leonard Pitts, Jr.  is a nationally syndicated columnist for the Miami Herald and winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, in addition to many other awards. He is also the author of the novels Freeman (Agate Bolden, 2012) and Before I Forget (Agate Bolden, 2009); the collection Forward From this Moment: Selected Columns, 1994-2009, Daily Triumphs, Tragedies, and Curiosities (Agate Bolden, 2009); and Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood (Agate Bolden, 2006).

Pitts’ work has made him an in-demand lecturer. He maintains a rigorous speaking schedule that has taken him to colleges, civic groups and professional associations all over the country. He has also been invited to teach at a number of prestigious institutions of higher learning, including Hampton University, Ohio University, the University of Maryland and Virginia Commonwealth University. In the fall of 2011, he was a visiting professor at Princeton University, teaching a course in writing about race.

Twice each week, millions of Miami Herald newspaper readers around the country seek out his rich and uncommonly resonant voice. In a word, he connects with them. Nowhere was this demonstrated more forcefully than in the response to his initial column on the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Pitts’ column, “We’ll Go Forward From This Moment,” an angry and defiant open letter to the terrorists, circulated the globe via the Internet. It generated upwards of 30,000 emails, and has since been set to music, reprinted in poster form, read on television by Regis Philbin and quoted by Congressman Richard Gephardt as part of the Democratic Party’s weekly radio address.

Born and raised in Southern California, Pitts now lives in suburban Washington, D.C., with his wife and children.

BPM: When did you get your first inkling to write, and how did you advance the call for writing?
People ask all the time: “Why did you decide to be a writer?” It’s a question I always struggle with, because I never decided to be a writer. In other words, there was a never a decision process, per se. I knew from the time I was five that this was what I was put here to do. So the goal for the remaining years of my childhood and, indeed, my professional life, was simply about trying to become good at it and then trying to become better. From the time I was young, I liked telling stories, I enjoyed getting reactions. I think all of us are given certain gifts, certain aptitudes, certain things that fit us, that seem to come more easily to us than they do to other people. For me, that was words. In school, I sweated and worked my tail off for “C” I ever got in math. But every “A” I got in English was as easy as pie.

BPM: Mr. Pitts, how did you get started as a writer?
Well, I began to think of myself as a writer from the time I was five years old, which was a good thing, because it gave me a lot of time to be bad at it. I started sending poems and stories to magazines when I was 12 years old, first became published when I was 14, and first got paid for being published when I was 18. I spent the next 18 years working primarily as a music critic for a variety of magazines and radio programs.

I was editor of SOUL, a black entertainment tabloid, did freelance work for such magazines as Spin, Record Review and Right On!, co-created and edited a radio entertainment news magazine called RadioScope and was a writer for Casey Kasem’s radio countdown show, Casey’s Top 40.

BPM: Tell us about your passion for writing. Why do you write? What drives you?
I write because it’s my profession, I write because it’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. I write because, if it wasn’t my profession and nobody was paying me to do it, I know that I would be still be doing it. I write because this is what I love and it’s who I am. I think we tell stories to figure out who we are and what we are about and I am proud of being part of that continuum. I am also driven by the need to see if I can better my best. It’s a never-ending game of “Can you top this?”

BPM: Do you ever let the book stew – leave it for months and then come back to it?
I’ve never left a book for months. I’ve been forced to leave a book for weeks though, because sometimes, life intrudes. But the best way to write a book is in one long push of consistent, daily effort. A novel is, at bottom, an elaborate lie. It’s an unspoken bargain between writer and reader: I’m going to tell you this story of things that never happened – maybe never could happen – and in exchange for you suspending your disbelief, I’m obligated to make sure this tale I tell is entertaining, funny, gripping, suspenseful, emotionally involving, whatever. But to sell the “lie” you’re telling as a writer, you have to first believe it yourself. And I’ve found that if you stay away from a novel for too long, it can damage your ability to believe in the “lie” – the situations and characters you’re chronicling can start to seem cardboard, less real to you. And if you don’t believe in them, the reader definitely won’t.

BPM: Introduce us to your book, Grant Park and the characters.
Grant Park is a novel about racial disillusionment, friendship, and what I have taken to calling the “stupidification” of America.

Forty years ago, two young men had life-altering encounters with Martin Luther King. Malcolm, a black kid, was a college dropout who scorned nonviolent protest, and embraced street violence as a way of bringing social change. A chance meeting one night with King turned him around, forced him to see the limitations of street violence and convinced him to return to school. He was on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, about to share this news with King when James Earl Ray fired his fatal shot. He has never gotten over what he saw. Bob, a white kid, was attending a Bible college in Mississippi where he fell powerfully in love with Janeka Lattimore, a young black civil rights activist. They attended King’s last march – the one in Memphis that ended in a riot. Bob was beaten bloody by an angry young black man in the crowd and right after that, Janeka left him, saying she wanted to go to a black school now, saying she wanted to “be with her people.” “I thought I was your people, too,” said Bob. He has never gotten over losing her.

Forty years later, Malcolm is a celebrated columnist for a Chicago newspaper, burned out by one too many cases of police violence against unarmed African-Americans and white people not caring about. He writes an angry column – “I’m sick and tired of white folks’ bullshit,” he says – and when the newspaper refuses to publish it, he hacks his editor’s computer and publishes it anyway – one the front page of the paper, on Election Day of 2008. Then unbeknownst to anyone, he is kidnapped by two would-be white supremacist terrorists who intend to blow him up in Grant Park, where President–elect Barack Obama is scheduled to speak. 

Meantime, Bob is now an editor at a Chicago newspaper and before dawn on Election Day, he gets a phone call telling him one of his columnists has hacked his computer to publish an incendiary, offensive column. Bob gets fired for it. The former civil rights activist was already sick and tired of black people always complaining, never being satisfied. Now he’s lost his job over black people’s whining, and he’s furious, ready to strangle Malcolm – if he can only find him. Then he gets an email. Janeka is back in town and she wants to see him.

BPM: Are any scenes from the book borrowed from your world or your experiences?
Oh, yes. Much of the frustration Malcolm experiences in dealing with white readers who will not engage on the subject of racial injustice is something I have experienced firsthand. And the one reader email that sends him over the edge is cobbled together from hundreds of similar emails I have received over the years. I identify with Malcolm’s angst, though not with his chosen solution.

BPM: What are your goals as a writer? Do you set out to educate? Entertain? Inspire? 
I think you write to entertain, first and foremost, to tell a story a reader will lose herself or himself in. You try to create characters that will seem real to the reader and then put those characters into situations of physical or emotional danger. Secondarily, you hope that in entertaining people, you can also manage to say something of value, make some observation that will touch them or inspire them or cause them to see old things in new ways.

BPM: What are some of the benefits of being an author that makes it all worthwhile?
Writing a novel is a year, two years, or more of lonely work, staring at blank screens and not really knowing if what you’re doing works or makes any kind of sense. So the best thing about being published is receiving feedback from readers. When somebody tells me they were hurt by something one of my characters did, or a situation a character found him or herself in made that reader cry, that is the highest validation and best compliment I can ever receive. It means the characters seemed real and the story works. Feedback is what makes that lonely year or two worthwhile.

BPM: What’s the most important quality a writer should have in your opinion?
Probably persistence. You have to believe in and hone your talent as a writer and cling to it, sometimes against all odds and common sense. You have to eat rejection for breakfast.

BPM: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from reading your book?
I want them to gain enjoyment and entertainment obviously. I’d love for them to think about some of the issues the book raises.  If you or your readers would like to set up a Skype visit to discuss Grant Park or Freeman, go to my website and contact me there: http://leonardpittsjr.com.  I’m available for blog tours as well.

BPM: How may our readers follow you online? 
Books:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/leonard-pitts-jr. 
Keep up with Leonard at his website:  www.leonardpittsjr.com 
Read Miami Herald column at:  http://www.miamiherald.com/leonard_pitts  
Like Leonard Pitts on FB:  https://www.facebook.com/LeonardPittsJr
Follow on Twitter: Leonard Pitts Jr can be found at @LeonardPittsJr1.

Order Grant Park by Leonard Pitts Jr. 
Link: http://amzn.com/1932841911

Other Titles by Leonard Pitts, Jr.
* Becoming Dad
* Before I Forget
* Forward From this Moment
* Freeman
* Grant Park

 

 

 

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Intimate Conversation with Nichol Bradford

Intimate Conversation with Nichol Bradford

Nichol Bradford, a proud Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority sister, is fascinated by human potential, and has always been interested in how technology can help individuals expand beyond their perceived limits to develop and transform themselves to the highest level.

She spent the last decade exploring these ideas in the online game industry, serving as a senior executive with responsibility for strategy, operations and marketing for major brands that include: Activision Blizzard, Disney, and Vivendi. Most recently she managed the operations of Blizzard properties, including World of Warcraft, in China.

Now, as the CEO of the Willow Group, Nichol is applying those same skills to the realm of elevating psychological well-being. Willow is a transformative technology company focused on employing rigorous scientific research to develop training protocols, hardware and software that can produce a reliable and positive change in the human experience. She is also a member of the African-American MBA Association

Nichol has an MBA from Wharton School of Business in Strategy, and a BBA in Marketing from the University of Houston. She is a fellow of the British American Project, currently serves on the board of the Brandon Marshall Foundation for Mental Health, and is a former term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

BPM: How did you get to be where you are in your life today? Who or what motivated you?
I wrote the book I wanted to read about strong yet vulnerable and intelligent black women committed to a great and grand goal — mental freedom and empowerment for all. I was tired of not seeing heroes that looked like me. I wanted to see someone like me save the world, not as a side-kick or agency head, but as the actual, certifiable central hero. I wanted to read about Olivia Pope back then, but since she didn’t exist yet, I wrote my own. I also wanted really well-developed characters who had something on their minds other than men. So some of the characters are happily married, and some are single, but most of all their focus is not just on their men (or lack thereof) but on their friendship and common goals. I also love technology and so wanted the women to be deeply immersed in that world.

I am deeply motivated by the memory of my mother, Vivian Jones Bradford. My mother is the model for the visionary leader of the Sisterhood, Vivian Delacroix. My mother was an entrepreneur. She was completely committed to helping women and supporting the efforts of black women in particular. She believed most in defending the defenseless and used her legal education to do so. I started volunteering by her side when I was a child and she made sure that my values included service to the betterment of society.

Like the CEO on the book, my mother died suddenly and unexpectedly (months after I graduated from college). She was a young fifty, healthy, and we were very much alike. My last conversation with her was the morning of her death, and I’m so grateful for that. I was devastated. It took at least a year for me to reorient myself. The shock of losing her shaped the way I approach life. It instilled a sense that there’s plenty of time, but no time to waste. I believe in being passionate about the work that you do and who you do it with, because none of us knows how much time we have. I believe in being mission driven. I have the loss of my mother to thank for what I feel is a highly effective approach to a full life.

I’m deeply motivated by the idea of empowering people to free their minds in order to create choice and options in their lives. That thread runs through most of what I’ve done — from writing the Sisterhood, to working at a senior level in the video game industry, to launching an online meditation course, to pioneering the transformative technology sector.

Transformative Technology is about making the technology in our lives support our well-being and not just our productivity. The last decade found me exploring the idea of transformative technology in the video game industry, where I served as a senior executive with responsibility for strategy, operations, and marketing for games internationally for major brands that include: Activision/Blizzard, Disney, and Vivendi. 

Most recently I managed the operations of Blizzard properties, including World of Warcraft, in China. During this time, I also began to meditate and saw interesting parallels between it and gaming. Both enable delight, flow, and access to dynamic states of consciousness. Meditation, though, goes even further and can profoundly and positively impact well-being. It seemed logical to me that technologies that directly impact human experience could do so as well, but no one seemed to be seriously working on it. So, I left Blizzard to pioneer Transformative Technology.

BPM: Who does your body of literary work speak to? Do you consider authors as role models?
My books are for women who want to make a difference with their lives — women who care about their communities, families, and lives and want to make positive change. Black women have a beautiful heroic nature, and I wanted to show that you don’t have to be wearing head-to-toe spanx to be heroic. The “Superwoman” meme sells us short. It makes us think that there’s something wrong with our heroism. We believe that our heroic nature will ensure that we are single and have nine cats so we reject our nature in order to not be alone.

Or we believe that we can’t be heroes and also be vulnerable so we build walls around our hearts while we work ourselves to death. Real heroism is the flexibility to be strong AND vulnerable AND all of those things – while keeping focused on our wider mission. As far as role models go, I think that anyone who is positive and lives with integrity can be a role model — so if an author is doing that, then yes — she or he is a role model.

BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing this book? Why now?
The Sisterhood started on a late night drive home from a success workshop I gave during college. That night, I had this group of beautiful young black women stand in a circle and tell each other, one at a time and by name, that they were smart, beautiful, and could have anything that they wanted and worked for. It was a hard session, each and every young women cried when the group told her that she could actually have what she wanted. And I realized that we don’t know this…not really (even I didn’t always believe this and still have my moments where I don’t).

As I drove home, I felt really inadequate. I know that workshops can help, but they don’t last long enough to really shift someone…or help someone shift themselves. I started thinking about how I could show what it would look like, to be women who believed they could have what they wanted and worked individually and together to make that a reality. So I decided to write the Sisterhood. I conceived of an organization of women, who faced a series of challenges. Addressing those challenges would allow me to show versus tell how an individual can be successful. I went home and jotted the basic plot down which today is more or less the same.

However, it was another eight years before I actually started writing. The events that prompted me to write the book in the Fall of 2000, to actually sit down and type the first word was a break-up that triggered a recommitment to myself. I was in business school and had been dating a sweet man, who though wonderful in many way, was not the right person for me. I also had been interviewing for jobs that truthfully, I was only interested in for the security and the salary. Essentially, I was headed towards a life that was not aligned with my inner North Star. Luckily, the man did something break-up worthy (and so we did) and none of the jobs came through (thank goodness).

I’m a Virgo baby, so every September I do an assessment on my life — where am I mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and professionally. During this period, I also try to clean things up — I ask forgiveness, forgive, clean out my closets, and think about what my goals are for the following year. As a part of this, I had been thinking about my goals, and realized that I had put “write the Sisterhood” on my list for eight years — and I just refused to start another year without having taken an action. Taking that action, after all the difficult things that had happened that year, was a proxy for a commitment to myself, to my intuition, to the life that I truly wanted to lead. It took another eight years to write the entire book, and then two more to publish it.

BPM: Give us some insight into your main characters. What makes each one so special? 
All of the Sisterhood characters are smart and strong…yet flawed like all real human beings. They aren’t perfect — but by working together they complement one another and accomplish great things. Tonia Rawlings is the main character that you follow and I just love and admire her. She’s the head of security for the Sisterhood and carries the weight of her best friend’s death on her shoulders because Vivian, the CEO of the Sisterhood, is assassinated on the first page.

Vivian’s death triggers a chain of events where Tonia is tested more than ever — which is saying allot given a life story that includes an abusive husband, a drug conviction, and the death of a child. In order to navigate the danger, she has to change herself. Watching her wrench a new version of herself from the old is a powerful illustration of how to do the same thing.

The nine leaders in the book are based on ALL the women I know – from the amazing women I grew up around, to those I pledged AKA with in 1990, to the women I met at in the African-American MBA Association at business school, to all the women I’ve met along the way . One of the things I love about this book is that it represents the full diaspora – every size, shape, and hue of black women.  The women come from all backgrounds, educations, and geographies but they share a common bond through their desire to positively impact their world. They are all women who have integrity with themselves and with their Sisterhood, showing what that looks like and the real possibilities it can create in our lives.

BPM: So, who would be a woman/member of the Sisterhood? 
If you are reading this interview then she might just be you. Or maybe she’s the woman who works next to you. From businesswomen to teachers to any profession, any smart and talented woman you admire could be a secret member of The Sisterhood.  That’s part of the fun of the book too – wondering about the women in your life to guess who might be in The Sisterhood already – because maybe it isn’t just a book. 😉

BPM: Why are there nine leaders in the Sisterhood?
The Sisterhood is more than a book, it is also a teaching narrative. Each of the women represents one of nine leadership traits (discipline, self-knowledge, financial stewardship, service, sacrifice, education, vision, innovation, and entrepreneurship). In The Sisterhood, how they address challenges to their survival illustrates what is possible with collective action and individual excellence. They present a powerful illustration of what a group of focused women can do together.

The concept came to me on a late night drive home from a success workshop I gave during college for a group of high-school girls. That night, I had the group stand in a circle and tell each other, one at a time and by name, that they were smart, beautiful, and could have anything that they wanted and worked for. It was a hard session, with most of the girls unable to accept the endorsement without tears. So many of them simply could not see it, much less believe it.

As I drove home, I thought that there had to be a better way to illustrate what fulfilling one’s potential would look like – something more penetrating than quotes from self-help books and short workshop sessions. On that drive, I decided to write The Sisterhood. I conceived of an organization of women, who faced a series of challenges. Addressing those challenges would allow me to “show” versus “tell” how an individual can be successful. I went home and jotted the basic plot down which today is more or less the same.

BPM: What inspired the amazing book cover for The Sisterhood? Is this book available on Nook and Kindle?
I love the new cover of the Sisterhood. It captures the blend of drama, focus and technology that sits at the heart of the novel. You can see it in the eyes of Tonia, the woman on the cover, she will not rest until she perseveres. Also, it has the iconic Sisterhood sword on the cover blended with a data stream that I think is also ancient and futuristic. 

The sword comes from a quote I once read about how the vast continent of a woman’s life crosses the shadow of a sword, where one side lies the known, but the other lies adventure. I would say to the other side also lies purpose and mission. We are vessels of potential and we realize it now more than ever. The e-book is available on Kindle and the hard copies are available at www.mskincorporated.com.

BPM: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I enjoyed learning how to actually write. Though I was an avid reader, I didn’t know how to write fiction. I didn’t know how to show not tell. I had to learn how to write in order to share the story I had in my heart. I was lucky enough to meet the legendary literary agent Marie Brown, who introduced me to the woman who became my editor and my teacher. I remember sitting at my computer at times, crying, because my skills didn’t yet allow me to tell the story I could see in my mind. But I refused to give up. I didn’t stop until The Sisterhood was complete.

Since I was working full time, and more, I wrote at 5AM before work, after work and weekends. I missed parties, dates, and trips. But I got that story out of my heart and onto paper, dammit. It was the most wonderful/horrible thing I have ever done, and I grew as a person and a woman by doing it. I highly recommend making a goal that requires you evolve and learn something new in order to achieve it.

BPM: Where do your book ideas come from? Are your books plot-driven or character-driven? 
My books are mission driven (thank you Mom!). I think of the effect I want a book to have and then craft a story that makes that point. However, even with a mission-driven writing process, the story has to stand on its own, and be worth reading even without an underlying message.

The Sisterhood is more than a book, it is also a teaching narrative. Each of the women represents one of nine leadership traits (discipline, self-knowledge, financial stewardship, service, sacrifice, education, vision, innovation, and entrepreneurship). In The Sisterhood, how they address challenges to their survival illustrates what is possible with collective action and individual excellence. They present a powerful illustration of what a group of focused women can do together.

The book can be read just for entertainment, or it can be read as a skills blueprint. Each of the characters is informed by several major skills and personality testing programs, like the Meyers-Briggs test and the Leadership Women’s EQ. There’s a workbook that allows the reader to assess her own skills as she reads the book and then make an action plan to fill in the areas where she’d like to excel.

I write mission-driven books in order to illustrate a world where women are awake, think for themselves, live with purpose, and work together. All of this is possible, and if we were to live this way, then we could transform our lives, our communities and the world.

BPM: Are there under-represented groups or ideas featured in your book? If so, discuss them.
I’ll answer this question with a summary that was written by one of the LA talent agencies on the Sisterhood.
In this empowering story, African-American women joining together to fight slavery in the new millennium. A reinvention of the futuristic action genre, intelligent technology, hot cars and sleek offices are paired with unique heroines, proud black women. The book is based on a revolutionary premise: black female action hero moguls.

The book’s concept is an original rendition of a classic crime-in-the-future story, replete with a mysterious threat, a radically different government, and teams of highly trained civilian forces. The leads happen to be almost uniformly African-American, and this is, of course, a major difference. The combination of glossy urban environs with soulful leads with deep appreciations of their histories is an original, welcome twist.

In terms of characters, the book is dominated by strong African-Americans who work in a host of capacities, from banking to science, law and law enforcement. All of the leads have well-developed personalities, can effortlessly crunch numbers and beat down villains. They also have highly-defined back stories, husbands, children, professions, which lend them necessary substance. The book thus provides a phenomenal vehicle for female African-American talent.

I love all of the new TV shows with amazing black female leads—when I wrote the Sisterhood these characters were rare in film and TV. Still missing though, is media showing black women working together to achieve something extraordinary. The ensemble casts with black women today show women supporting one another in their private lives with men, children and neighborhood dramas, but not as a team in the world. The Sisterhood represents the next step and as such, is still an underrepresented idea.

BPM: Why should I tell my friends about the Sisterhood and this new movement?
You should tell your friends that you’ve found this great book where the black women save the world. Then tell them that there’s a character in it that reminds you of them – because that will happen while you read it – you will see yourself and all of your closest friends. Then challenge them to read it in the next 30 days so you can talk about it and make your action plans together to fulfill your absolute potential and make all your hopes and dreams possible.

BPM: How does your book relate to your present situation or journey?
I wrote each of the characters as a trait—so at any time you can be like any one of the characters. When you are visionary—you are a Vivian. When you need to connect with your warrior—then you are a Tonia. Likewise, for your entrepreneurial time, your community time, or whatever, you can bring forth the trait that you need when you need it. So what is interesting to me is how I cycle through being “like” the character whose trait I need at that time as I continue my journey.

This also is relevant for teams. Since all nine traits are important for a successful team, you can use the Sisterhood framework to “bring forth” a trait from yourself or recruit someone with the missing trait in order to have a full set of skills on your team.

On a high-level, the work that I am doing in the world mirrors the work that the women in the Sisterhood. Meditation leads to mental freedom, the same objective the Sisterhood pursues. My secular meditation course is very successful at helping people to remove limiting mental blocks and psychological conditioning. We’ll reach tens of thousands easily with our program. My work in Transformative Technology is about doing that at massive scale, and our goal is to help no less than 100M people transform their lives by 2025.

BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing your book?
I learned that I do not quit. I refuse to quit. No matter how hard, or lonely, or tough something gets, I do not quit. That’s a powerful self-lesson to learn. Now that I’ve learned that I do not quit, at the tender age of 43, I’m learning when I should “leave well enough alone” which is an entirely different lesson. LOL.

BPM: What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
My core goal and intention with the book was to inspire women to have the courage to believe in their potential and take action to bring that potential into existence because I believe that empowered women can save the world. I feel that I have achieved the ability to inspire with The Sisterhood based on the emails that I get from women who read the book and then bet on themselves. The email I recall most was from a young college student who had been a child in Rwanda during the genocide. To me, anyone who survived and thrived after witnessing that horror is a hero and has my unending respect.

She wrote an email describing how she was on the verge of a major decision — one path leading to safety and security — and the other leading to a path where success was not certain and winning would require her to become everything she was capable of being. She was struggling with the decision — and then someone gave her the Sisterhood.

After reading that book she took the harder, but more rewarding road. I cried when I read that email because staying committed for 16 years to something is not easy — I definitely sacrificed to write that book. But that one email made everything worth it because one woman stepped towards her full potential.

BPM: What message do you hope for readers of The Sisterhood to gain from reading it?
I’d like women who read the Sisterhood to become inspired to create positive change in their lives and communities. I hope that they embrace their heroism and technology. Black female heroism is perfectly suited for technology because it directly maps from our desire to be the agents of change to the ability to have an exponential impact on the world.

BPM: Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
The book is not just a personal blueprint, but a community building blueprint with real-world insight on how you would fund an endeavor like the Sisterhood to radically transform our communities. The Sisterhood makes its initial wealth from very well placed investments in technology companies. They use that to buy into established but declining industries that they innovate and to set up their own labs to create the technology of the next generation. Being tech-aware and tech-savvy is at the core of their success.

So the people that I met while researching the book were entrepreneurs, financiers, strategists, technologists, and community activists. One person who stands out is Pamela Jolly — a strategist, banker, and more — who is actually written into the novel due to her cutting edge ideas on economic empowerment for communities of color.

BPM: How can I use the Sisterhood to make a Life Action Plan?
The book can be read just for entertainment, or it can be read as a skills blueprint. Each of the characters is informed by several major skills and personality testing programs, like the Meyers-Briggs test and the Leadership Women’s EQ. There’s a workbook that allows the reader to assess her own skills as she reads the book and then make an action plan to fill in the areas where she’d like to excel.  The workbook is free to anyone, just send me an email at: info@mskincorporated.com and I will send you the PDF.

BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
I am really focused on getting the word out about the Sisterhood. The Sisterhood is a part of a trilogy, all of which are outlined. I’m focused on getting part one out to as many women as possible and then will hide myself away somewhere and write the sequel.

BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
Website: http://www.nicholbradford.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicholatsisterh
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nichol_bradford

MSK website: http://www.mskincorporated.com 
Biz Networks: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholbradford
Community: http://www.mskincorporated.com/nichol-bradford/
Purchase Books: http://www.amazon.com/author/nicholbradford

Like on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Sisterhood-by-Nichol-Bradford/136723666351091

Download The Sisterhood: Book One Today!
Amazon Link: http://amzn.com/B006IMLCRE
Afro-futurism; African American Fiction; Mystery; Thriller & Suspense

 

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Intimate Conversation with Alysia Burton Steele

Intimate Conversation with Alysia Burton Steele 

Alysia Burton Steele is a journalism professor at the University of Mississippi and author of Delta Jewels: In Search of My Grandmother’s Wisdom. In 2006, she was a picture editor for The Dallas Morning News photo team that won the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News for their Hurricane Katrina coverage. She designed the National Urban League’s 100th commemorative poem booklet written by Maya Angelou. Prior to teaching, Steele was a photojournalist, who later became a photo editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Articles about her book have appeared in The New York Times, NBC.com, USA Today, Chicago Sun-Times and Southern Living.

BPM: Tell us about your passion for writing. Where does it stem from?
My passion for writing comes from talking with others and sharing history. I focus on nonfiction, narrative stories. I am a journalist by trade and by passion. I’ve always enjoyed talking with people, so it’s just a natural fit to interview people and write about life experiences. I want more African-American history, as told by our people, to be in books. I want a better collection of oral histories. Our country needs it and I am convinced that if more young people-children read our stories, they’d understand their history that’s not mentioned in classrooms and in school books – and these stories should be included.

BPM: What was your primary quest in publishing Delta Jewels: In Search of My Grandmother’s Wisdom?
I did this book, Delta Jewels: In Search of My Grandmother’s Wisdom, because I missed my grandmother, Mrs. Althenia Aiken Burton. I moved to Oxford, MS to become a journalism professor at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS. I saw scenery in the Mississippi Delta that reminded me of my childhood summer days at Gram’s family home in Spartanburg, SC. I wanted to pick up the phone to call and tell her what I was seeing and feeling, but I couldn’t. She passed away 20 years go. She raised me from the time I was 4 years old and she died when I was 24 years old. I regret never really asking her about her life growing up in SC. And I started thinking about all the time I wasted arguing with her over boys, makeup, school, chores – instead of sitting down to listen and learn more about her. When you age you reflect on life. I missed my grandmother. I missed the smell of her perfume, the way she stood in the doorway to watch her loved ones leave. I thought about the skills I had acquired as a journalist and decided I would pay it forward and interview other people’s grandmothers. I wanted to take beautiful, dignified professional photographs of their grandmothers and record stories. Somehow, by the grace of God, it became a book.

BPM: Who did you write this book for? Why?
Initially, I wrote this book for me. I was on a personal journey to understand my grandmother’s contemporaries. It was never meant to be a book, but a project. I was going to self-publish to give the mothers, who agreed to be interviewed, a copy for their families. I couldn’t talk to my grandmother, but I could talk to the women of her generation. I needed their wisdom in my life. I missed my sweet Gram. After The New York Times wrote about my project, I received several offers to publish a book. So, Delta Jewels was published. I am hoping this book inspires MANY younger women to talk to their female elders, male too, but I want the women to have some glory. We need it. I want more African-Americans to record histories. In my opinion, there isn’t enough published in school books, so let’s publish it ourselves and teach our children.

BPM: Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
I’ve met and have been welcomed into the lives of 54 new grandmothers and you know 19 pastors helped me. Couldn’t have done it with Clarksdale Mayor Bill Luckett, who gave me pastors’ cell phone numbers. I called one and we talked. That’s how it started. Rev. Juan Self was the first pastor, and he also the architect who redesigned the Memphis Civil Rights Museum. I drove 6,000 miles to interview women in 27 Mississippi Delta towns. 

I even got to interview Mrs. Myrlie Evers, widow of slain civil rights leader Mr. Medgar Evers. She even shares what “their song” was and it’s a precious moment for me. I’ve met Mrs. Tennie Self, 88, who was so angry when a car dealership refused to sell her a Cadillac, she drove almost two hours, bought one in Memphis and then drove past the dealership who refused to sell her one, honked the horn and waved at them everyday.

I met Mrs. Leola Dillared, 103, who was thrown off a cotton plantation in Yazoo City, MS because she refused to have her little girls pick cotton. She wanted them to go to school. She was told she would be thrown off the land if she insisted because she would “ruin” the other blacks, who would want to send their children to school. She chose to be thrown off the land. All of her children have masters’ degrees and one has a Ph.D.

I have Mrs. Velma Moore, 78, mother of 15, grandmother of 145 (yes, 145!) who dragged a woman out of church because she was talking about how fine Mrs. Moore’s husband was. She felt disrespected. The woman said she didn’t know he was her husband, but she meant what she said, so Mrs. Moore said she meant was she was fittin’ to do – and she punched the woman in the face. Stories that make you laugh, cry and beam with pride. I love each and every one of these mothers and am blessed to know them. Unfortunately four have passed away since the book came out nationwide on April 7, 2015. And this drives home the point of why we must capture our history.

BPM: Walk us through your journey to success. How did you get to this point? 
I started Delta Jewels in summer 2013, so it’s been two years. I didn’t know anyone, didn’t have a grant or sponsors. I saved up $50 here, $100 there – literally, for nine months, for gas money to go interview the women. They all lived two – four hours away from me, and I was teaching three classes at the time, but I drove on days I wasn’t teaching or went on weekends. Thank goodness for my husband who was, and continues to be, supportive. He held it down. He was there every step of the way. He’s a blessing and a man of God. I couldn’t have done it without him. It was tiring, but exhilarating. I had my own private history lesson for nine months – a time I treasure. If I could do this full-time for the rest of my life, I’d do it. I’d just go and collect stories and archive them. I love it. It’s my passion.

Anyway, I reached out to one pastor, who agreed to meet me, hear what I wanted to do and liked my spirit and idea. He connected me to one mother, who connected me with another. In the end I had 19 pastors helping me, initially talking to the mothers for me, who would then talk to me. It was a domino effect. By chance I had a breakfast meeting with my assistant dean, several colleagues and a columnist for the NYT, who was intrigued by my project. Sam Freedman, the columnist, flew down, rode in the Delta with me and wrote about my project. The day it published in the NYT, I had a publisher writing to me. When God gives you a blessing, when you have a destiny, you follow it. I did what I was supposed to do. The women often thank me, but it was me they saved, so I thank them. I think I understand my Gram now.

I’m filing my IRS paperwork to start the nonprofit called Delta Jewels Support Foundation. I am hoping to receive grants, donations to offer college scholarships to children who live in the Mississippi Delta, who attend or graduated from county and city schools only. I am also hoping to give the mothers honorariums and then I want to travel to teach oral history workshops to churches, school, universities, any organization that wants to learn how to do it. Again, I want a movement.

BPM: What has been your greatest challenge and how did you overcome it?
My greatest challenge was fear of the unknown. You have to listen to God and follow your destiny. You have to get out of your own way and do what you’re supposed to do. You’ll know it if you listen. I didn’t have the money, had no idea what I was doing, wasn’t knowledgeable about the Delta, but I did it and am so proud of myself. More importantly, I’m proud of the women for talking to a stranger, opening their hearts and homes – and memories to share. They shared so others could learn. What a blessing! The women thank me for what I’m doing for them, but I thank them. They saved ME from 20-year grief. It never goes away you know, but you just have to step out on faith. It sounds cliche, but it’s true. Step out and do what you’re supposed to do. Everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. Don’t let fear or the unknown deter you. God has you.

BPM: Do you feel as if your writing is making a positive impact on readers, women, or the world?
I’m receiving emails from people in Geneva, Rome, New Zealand, Australia, England – it’s wonderful. There’s so much appreciation from women all over the world who LOVE reading these stories. There are Caucasian men writing to me saying they learned so much and are having their teenage sons read the book. Imagine that! Just today, I promise you, I received this email – a woman told me she reads one story a night to her 6-year-old son. How precious is that?

This books is cutting across race, gender and age and what a blessing – especially considering all the racial tension the media shows. The reality for many in our country is bleak with violence. Young adults are saying this book inspired them to find out more about their parents. It’s uplifting to know that my personal project, the one I did because I miss my sweet Gram, is helping and touching lives. That’s nothing but God.

BPM: What legacy do you think this book offers future readers? 
My writing offers the following legacy to future readers….the importance of oral history. I want to start a movement of recording more oral history from our elders. They say when an elderly person dies, a library burns down. I don’t want anymore libraries to burn down. We must interview our mothers, fathers, grandfathers, grandmothers. We must talk to each other more often and understand the importance of our contribution in American history, and we do that by recording more and saying thank you to our elders. I’m about to start my new book about cotton in a few weeks. More much needed oral history. I’m going to keep going.

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/itsalsteele
Website:  http://www.alysiaburton.com
Instagram:  https://instagram.com/pixlady/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/deltajewelswisdom 

 

 

 

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Intimate Conversation with Victoria Christopher Murray

Intimate Conversation with Victoria Christopher Murray

With over one million books in print, Victoria Christopher Murrayis one of the country’s top African American contemporary authors.  Victoria always knew she would become an author, even as she was taking an unlikely path to that destination. A native of Queens, Victoria first left New York to attend Hampton University where she majored in Communication Disorders. After graduating, Victoria attended New York University where she received her MBA.

Victoria spent ten years in Corporate America before she tested her entrepreneurial spirit. She opened a Financial Services Agency for Aegon, USA where she managed the number one division for nine consecutive years. However, Victoria never lost the dream to write and when the “bug” hit her again in 1997, she answered the call.

Victoria originally self published her first novel, Temptation and in 2000, Time Warner published that novel. Temptation made numerous best sellers list and remained on the Essence bestsellers list for nine consecutive months. In 2001, Victoria received her first NAACP Image Award nomination for Temptation.

Since Temptation, Victoria has written over twenty other adult novels, including: JOY, Grown Folks Business, The Ex Files, The Deal, the Dance and the Devil, Never Say Never and the popular Jasmine Cox Larson Bush series.

Victoria has received numerous awards including the Golden Pen Award for Best Inspirational Fiction and the Phyllis Wheatley Trailblazer Award for being a pioneer in African American Fiction. Since 2007, Victoria has won seven African American Literary Awards for best novel, best Christian fiction and Author of the Year – Female. Her 2014 NAACP Image Award nomination for Never Say Never was her third Image Award nomination.

Several of Victoria’s novels have been optioned to become movies, including The Deal, the Dance and the Devil and the Ex Files series.

Victoria splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington D.C. In Los Angeles, she attends Bible Enrichment Fellowship International Church under the spiritual tutelage of Dr. Beverly “BAM” Crawford. She is also a very proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

BPM: How did you get to be where you are in your life today? Who or what motivated you?
I would have to say my parents had the greatest impact on my life. Not only did they have me believing that I was THE Queen Victoria (I was seven when I discovered that I wasn’t), but they made me believe that I could be and do anything. My parents have been my greatest supporters, my biggest fans and I’ve always wanted to do well and be well to make them proud. My father passed away and my mother is now in her eighties…and I still want to be the kind, generous, giving person that they raised me to be. I want to follow the examples that they set. I still want to make my parents proud and that drives me every day.

BPM: Who does your body of literary work speak to? Do you consider authors as role models?
Even though I’ve been considered a Christian fiction writer for a long time, I don’t feel like that’s who my writing speaks to alone. I write to speak to women who can see themselves in some of the situations that are plots in my novels. I want people to enjoy my books, and even receive a message. Now, I don’t write with messages in mind. Truly, I think that God meets the readers on the pages — of not only my books, but any book. And readers always receive the message they’re supposed to.

As far as being a role model, I think established authors are role models for up and coming authors and I take that responsibility seriously. I believe that not only am I responsible for telling entertaining stories, but I must help others who have the same dream. I have to.

BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing this book? Why now?
The idea for this book came to me over a year and a half ago, when the first verdict in the Michael Dunn trial came down. During the first trial, Michael Dunn (who shot into the car killing Jordan Davis) the jury couldn’t come back with a decision. It was a mistrial and so many people were angry with the jurors. But I had read the transcript and the judge’s instructions to the jury during the George Zimmerman trial and I knew that if anyone used the Stand Your Ground defense as part of their self-defense, that was going to be a hard case to prove. But most people didn’t know that, most people didn’t understand the law. Heck, most people didn’t know that Stand Your Ground was in dozens of states besides Florida.

So, I believed that I had a platform to not only entertain, but to educate and hope that the education would get us to stand our ground and do something about this legal license to kill. This law must be repealed in every state.

BPM: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I’ve always felt a little challenged about the types of books that I’ve written. Yes, I try my best to tell entertaining stories, and yes, I work very, very hard on the craft so that with each book readers can see my growth (readers deserve that.) But to be honest, I’ve never felt that I’ve used this gift to do anything important. I’ve always wanted to write important books, books that make a difference, books that matter. I think Stand Your Ground is the first time I’ve accomplished this. And for me, that made writing this book enjoyable.

BPM: Where do you book ideas come from? 
Even though I “think” I get my ideas from things that happen in the news or around me, I honestly believe that all of my ideas have come from God. This writing is a gift that He’s given to me…a gift that He’s given to me completely. So I have the gift of writing well, I have the discipline to do it, and He’s even given me the stories.

BPM: Are you books plot-driven or character-driven?
My novels are more character driven than plot driven which can be an issue in this market. Readers love drama, drama, drama. (And I’m a reader who loves drama, so I can say that!) Character driven novels move slower because the story unfolds in the character’s time. But, I love being a character driven novelist. I love spending time with my characters (that’s why it takes me longer to write a book.) I love developing characters that stay with the readers long after the story is over.

BPM: Could you tell us something about your most recent work? Available on Kindle and Nook?
I’m going to sum up my most recent work in just a few words: A black teenage boy is dead. A white man shot him. Was he standing his ground? Or was it murder?

And yes, Stand Your Ground is available, on Kindle,  Nook, iTunes…everything. It’s available in Barnes and Noble, Walmart and Target. There will even be an audio version with the actress Suzzanne Douglass reading the novel.

BPM: Give us some insight into your main characters. What makes each so special?
I wrote Stand Your Ground from two points of views: the first from the mother of the victim and the second from the wife of the shooter. I loved telling these two stories because there was such contrast — one black, one white…which tells the whole story in a situation like this. Janice Johnson is a mother who adores her only child, her son who she knew was special from when she carried him in her womb. And now she finds herself in the middle of a nightmare. Meredith Spencer is living a life of privilege, though her world is not all that it seems to be. And she has a secret; she knows something that could send her husband to prison for the rest of his life.

BPM: Are there underrepresented groups or ideas featured in your book? If so, discuss them.
That’s an interesting question. If there is any idea in Stand Your Ground that you don’t see often, it’s the anger that is brewing in the African American community with all of the murders that have come to light. We feel frustrated, and sometimes helpless. Those emotions play an important part in Stand Your Ground and were the driving forces that led to the shocking end of the book.

BPM: How does your book relate to your present situation or journey?
I don’t think this book has anything to do with my present situation alone. Stand Your Ground tells the collective story of all of our frustrations. The stories keep repeating themselves in the news: unarmed black teen murdered by a white man/a white cop/a black cop. It plays over and over. And I wonder what are these stories doing to the psyche of us as men, women, mothers, fathers…and especially, what happens when our young black boys see these stories over and over? That’s what I wanted to write about.

BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing this book?
I learned everything that I could about the Stand Your Ground law so that I could pass it on to my readers.

BPM: Can you share any stories about people you met while researching this book?
It’s interesting that you ask that because for the first time, I received a lot of help from men when writing this book. I wanted to put the real emotions of black men on paper. I could imagine how this would affect a mother, but what are fathers thinking/feeling? So, I met a high-powered attorney in Philly who really helped me. And then a young entrepreneur, who actually owns a wine company; he really helped me with the ending of the book. So I’m a novelist who primarily writes for women, but this time, I needed the men to make it happen!

BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
There are a few projects I’m working on — my 2016 novel…the working title is Madam Vice President about a black woman on the presidential ticket…as a Republican. And, I keep thinking about writing The Autobiography of Mae Frances, the story of one of my beloved characters — this is a story that readers continue to ask me to write.

Connect with Victoria Christopher Murray
Join the Movement: #standyourgroundthenovel
Website: http://www.victoriachristophermurray.com
Twitter: @VictoriaECM, https://twitter.com/victoriaecm
Instagram: https://instagram.com/victoriachristophermurray 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victoriachristophermurray

Purchase Stand Your Ground  by Victoria Christopher Murray
Contemporary Women Fiction >African American Christian Fiction
http://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Christopher-Murray/e/B001IO9LP2 
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stand-your-ground-victoria-christopher-murray/1120678787
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Stand-Your-Ground/Victoria-Christopher-Murray/9781476792996 

 

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Intimate Conversation with Colette R. Harrell

Intimate Conversation with Colette R. Harrell

Colette R. Harrell, wants you to know that she’s like you, God’s chosen vessel. She has come to be a gift, to be an encourager and a light that reflects God’s goodness.

She’s a wife, mother, author and playwright. A Detroit native, she currently calls Ohio home. She holds a master’s and is a Director of Social Services. Writing with humor and compassion to engage and minister to the human heart. Her motto is: whatever you do, do it “for love alone.”

Her latest novel, Tell The Truth; The Devil Won’t will thrill in October 2015. It is filled with wisdom and humor. This adventurous love story goes where Ms. Harrell loves to tread, down an unbeaten path. No millionaires rescuing damsels in distress—although she enjoys these reads herself—but every day people, falling and getting back up.

The Devil Made Me Do It was her debut novel. It was nominated for The 2015 Phillis Wheatley Book Awards in First Fiction. It has been held as one of Black Pearl Magazine’s, top ten Christian fiction books for 2014. In addition, Read Between The Lines radio show, named it as one of its overall top ten books for 2014.

Make no mistake, her sophomore novel, Tell The Truth, The Devil Won’t will cement her as an author to watch.

BPM: Can you share a little of your current work with us? 
My sophomore novel is titled Tell The Truth; The Devil Won’t.  It continues the story of some key characters from my debut novel, The Devil Made Me Do It. I had a ball writing this! It deals with overcoming betrayal, second chances at love, and redemption. We find out what happened to our reluctant, tarnished, tiara-wearing Cinderella princess, Esther Wiley. We scream, I told you so, at Briggs Stokes, our long-suffering pastor. Finally, he learns the wisdom . . . If you want to help others, you first have to put the oxygen mask on your own face and breathe! And, there’s Roger, our prisoner of hope. Ready to face the world again—if he can only catch a break.

BPM: What’s the most important quality a writer should have in your opinion?
Perseverance! You can tell a good story . . . know grammar and syntax . . . but, baby, if you can’t stick with it, your writing career will be toast! Despite your nine-to-five job, your family commitments, your church and community responsibilities, and the days you just can’t pull it all together, you have to rock with it! And when you fall behind due to life pushing you around? You have to roll up your sleeves, get it together, and go back after it.

BPM: Did you learn anything from successfully publishing The Devil Made Me Do It? 
Yes, I learned that fear can’t hold me. We can get real caught up in what people may or may not say about us. So much so that it ends up crippling our ability to move. I learned to talk myself off the ledge and place myself into the fray by doing each step by faith. I can tell you this, sometimes the crocodile tears tried to limit my vision, but guess what? I stuck my hand out there and felt my way through.

BPM: What was your primary quest in publishing the second book? Why now?
I felt like the story The Devil Made Me Do It’s original characters weren’t finished telling their story. As long as we are alive our stories continue to unfold, so I knew they had more to tell. Could Briggs and Monica make it? Did Lawton and Esther really ride off into the sunset? Whose baby was Monica having? How did prison affect Roger? And, just a little secret . . . My readers from The Devil Made Me Do It were messaging me, e-mailing me, and stopping me in public. The common thread of their questions? Where’s the doggone second book?!

BPM: We are here to shine the spotlight on your new book, but what’s next?
Oh my goodness! A lot is happening. I am currently writing my third and final book in this series, The Devil Wears Two Faces, and it will be released in April 2016. This book is predominantly new characters, with some characters from the previous two books as backstory. 

This year, I received a nomination for my first novel, The Devil Made Me Do It, from the 2015 Phillis Wheatley Harlem Book Awards. Black Pearls magazine named it as one of their top ten Christian books of 2014, and Read You Later radio show named it as one of their top ten books for 2014. My first year has been eye-opening, dramatic, and a roller-coaster ride. I’m praying that we continue the journey—no seat belts needed.

BPM: How may our readers follow you online? Please share your social media links. 
My biggest challenge is staying up to date on my social media. But, there is nothing more inspiring than hearing from my readers. Y’all hit a sistah up!  It Takes A Village To Raise A Dream.  Be A Part Of Someone’s Village!

Author website:  http://www.writespirit.org
Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/coletteharrell/
FB Profile:  http://www.facebook.com/Colette.R.Harrell
Fanpage:  https://www.facebook.com/ColetteRHarrellFans

Order Tell the Truth The Devil Won’t (Book 2)
Link:  http://amzn.com/1622868196

Order The Devil Made Me Do It (Book 1)
Link:  http://amzn.com/1601627823 

 

 

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Intimate Conversation with Lloyd Johnson

Intimate Conversation with Lloyd Johnson

Lloyd Johnson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Although he has dabbled in the creative arts since elementary school, he rediscovered his passion for writing in 2004, and has been working on his craft ever since.

Lloyd has traveled both domestically and abroad, having visited 14 countries. Besides the relaxation traveling has afforded him, he has found much of his creative inspiration. An avid reader, he enjoys African-American fiction and biographies. Lloyd Johnson is currently working on his third novel. He lives in New England.

BPM: How did you get to be where you are in your life today? Who or what motivated you?
I think just experiencing life has brought me through to where I am today. I like to think that my 20s were the time to mess up in the world; my 30s was intended to learn from my 20s; and my 40s allows me to hit the reset button and take all the lessons I’ve learned and continue to learn and move forward.

BPM: Who does your body of literary work speak to? Do you consider authors as role models?
I consider E.Lynn Harris a role model. He defined a genre. He had a very simple, unpretentious style of writing. I have secretly coveted his demographic: 60% women; 20% gay men; 20% other, all within the 18-49 age brackets. I’ll be happy if I can crack those demographics.

BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing this book?
I saw the movie “Precious” and subsequently read the book, “Push” by Sapphire. I was blown away and decided to write a book with a female protagonist who encounters adversity, but manages to come out on the other side.

BPM: What did you enjoy most about writing this book, The Dog Catcher?
I enjoyed two things: The art of creating and secondly, writing the story was very cathartic for me. I was able to get a lot of anger out.

BPM: Could you tell us something about your recent work, The Dog Catcher?
The Dog Catcher is the story about Cheryl Greene’s choices in men, and how those choices dismantle her life. She’s someone to root for because her intentions are good. She doesn’t dive into drama just for drama’s sake. There is a lot of growth in her arc. It takes her time, but she gets there eventually.

Plez Jackson is evil personified, though that isn’t what we see when we meet him. But he is beguiling enough to make this woman lose herself to him. He has a method to stripping Cheryl down. Plus, his brutality, anger and unpredictability keeps the reader on edge. I had fun writing this villain because he’s one that many women have known. He stays with you.

BPM: Are there under-represented groups or ideas featured in your book? If so, discuss them.
Sexuality is addressed in this book. Cheryl has two gay friends. Her dealings with them inform her views on homosexuality when the issue hits close to home.

BPM: How does your book relate to your present situation or journey?
One thing I’m proud of is Cheryl’s spiritual arc. When we meet her, she is completely turned off to religion and spirituality because her mother is very hardcore. But as Cheryl moves through the story, she develops her own relationship with God, and calls upon that faith throughout her journey. But she does so in what I think is a realistic way. She doesn’t go from zero to ten, but does the best she can.

BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing your book, The Dog Catcher?
I learned that I held a lot of stuff inside and the emotions connected were still very raw. For example, much of what transpires between Cheryl and her eldest son, Lawrence, is based from events that happened to me. To draw from those memories and create fiction was painful at times.

BPM: Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
I think the characters in the book are composites of people I’ve known in my life. People I went to school with and worked alongside with.

BPM: What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
I had three objectives, really. First was to write in a consistent female voice. I think I accomplished that. Secondly, I wanted to write a good book that would allow people to get lost in the characters. I think I did well on that also.

Thirdly, I wanted to bring awareness to domestic violence. People still behave as though this is something that happens every day, but with other people. Especially in light of Chris Brown and Ray Rice who have sort of become the poster boys for men who like to beat up women . But I think that if people really stopped and paid attention they could find people close to them. In fact, some people need only hold a mirror up.

BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
I have a computer filled with files of things I could work on. Some things I work on more diligently than others. I have a story called, “The Broken Dolls Club” which I’m debating whether to leave it as a novella or if I could legitimately stretch it into a full novel.

BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
This is the best part. I enjoy interacting with the readers. They can go to my webpage, http://www.lloydljohnson.net; author Lloyd Johnson on Facebook; and my Twitter handle is @lloydjohnson19.

Purchase The Dog Catcher by Lloyd Johnson
Link: http://amzn.com/0990432432 

Purchase Tricks for a Trade by Lloyd Johnson
Link: http://amzn.com/0990432408 

 

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Intimate Conversation with Anita Ballard-Jones

Intimate Conversation with Anita Ballard-Jones

Anita Ballard-Jones is the acclaimed author of the novels, Rehoboth Road, The Dancing Willow Tree and Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Down. She is a native of Brooklyn, NY and a graduate of C.W. Post, at Long Island University. She is retired from New York State’s Long Island Developmental Disabilities Service Office where she worked as a Treatment Team Leader. She is a long time resident of Long Island, New York and enjoys spending time in North Carolina and Florida. She loves hearing from her individual fans, as well as book clubs.

BPM: When did you get your first inkling to write, and how did you advance the call for writing? 
I was in my early fifties, not like most writers who say they had been writing for as long as they could remember. My unpublished manuscript, Broken Bond, is a memoir about my young life and relationship with my brother who had special needs. It was completed twenty years ago and it was not written for publication. I just needed a vessel to pour out my soul and to come to terms with the issue of the purpose of life for those individual having serious developmental disabilities. I had lived and worked with special needs children and adults almost all of my life and I was searching for their purpose. By the time I completed this manuscript I was at peace; I felt blessed and had my answers. A few months later, I believed the Lord handed me my gift of writing and I wrote the first one hundred pages of the acclaimed Rehoboth Road in just fourteen hours.

BPM: Tell us about your passion for writing. Why do you write? What drives you?
I love to write, but I don’t have a writing routine. I am retired and I am not looking for a career. My greatest joy is pleasing my readers. Sometimes I’ll write a very short story, and other times that short story could be as long as 7,000 words. I don’t push my writing or write outlines; I wait. I guess you could say I wait on the Lord; He sends me pictures and somehow I know it’s going to be another novel. I only create when I’m inspired by my pictures. If I don’t have the inspiration to create, and I want to work, I use the time for refinement and editing.

BPM: How did you initially break into the publishing industry? Did you ever self-publish? 
Yes, after I completed Rehoboth Road, I sent out fifty query letters just to locate an agent and I received fifty rejections. Then, I self-published and sold over three thousand copies. Within that year I signed with a publishing company that never paid my royalties on time, if at all. The one great thing they did was sell my book to Black Expressions Book Club, and I knew I had arrived, even after being contractually cheated on this sale. I found a loophole in the contract and was released from my second book deal and vowed to remain a self-publish author. I told myself that my joy comes from writing and pleasing my fans, and with the proper branding agent and publicist, I could do a very good job marketing myself.

BPM: Do you ever let the book stew – leave it for months and then come back to it?
Yes, all of my books stewed with the exception of The Dancing Willow Tree. This book is the sequel to Rehoboth Road. I received hundreds of emails from my readers requesting a sequel; many people made suggestions of what they thought should happen. I was inspired, I had my visual images, my fans suggestions, and a few twist in mind; The Dancing Willow Tree was completed in three months.

BPM: Are there any areas of your writing career that you wish you could go back and change? 
Without questioning the Lord, I wish I had received my gift when I was younger, but the Lord knows best. I wonder if I would have appreciated it, would I have earn my lifetime experience badge or if I would have had the time to dedicate to the craft? Sometimes I think, if I could have accomplish writing success back in my earlier life I might have been another Alice Walker or Toni Morrison, not for the fortune, but for the pleasure of knowing something I created bought pleasure to so many people.

BPM: What hurdles, if any, did you have to overcome as a new author and business owner? 
I believe the real hurdle is the process of editing. I have hired a professional editor and have used my edit team and there were still problems. Other than the editing process, researching self-publishing and learning all of the aspects of the process are the hardest.

BPM: What’s the most important quality a writer should have in your opinion?
Be able to respond positively to constructive criticism. A writer should never believe they are so great that they have nothing to learn about their craft.

BPM: At what point in your career did you discover your real worth and own it?
Growing up, I always wanted to be a registered nurse. There were two professions I didn’t want any part of, a medical doctor or a writer. The novels, Little Women, Clarence Darrow and Return of the Native, and the likes, really turned me off during my high school literature classes. I cried through them; I am a pre-baby-boomer who attended George Wingate High School in Brooklyn, New York when the African American student enrollment was only two percent. No one told me about Langston Hughes, Zora Neal Hurston, James Baldwin and the others. If you didn’t know about the Harlem Renaissance, you didn’t know to ask and seek it out. I remember standing outside a theater on Manhattan’s Broadway, staring at the marquee and large posters of the play, Porgy and Bess. It was hard to believe these were black people like me, doing what white people did. It seems so funny now, but today’s young people believe they have been robbed of opportunity and I wish I could take them back to my early time and shake them. 

I discovered my worth as an individual early in life, having a very successful career and lifetime experiences. I said I didn’t want to be a doctor, but I became a Treatment Team Leader, whereas I managed an interdisciplinary treatment team which included medical doctors and twenty years of report writing was the precursor to my writing profession in retirement. And now I write.

BPM: Can you share a little of your current work with us? 
In this dark time in our history time, two brothers, Jacob and Jackson shared the same loving father, the same mansion home, but were separated by age and the circumstances of life; Jacob, a mulatto slave and Jackson, the sole heir to their father’s plantation. They were mirror images of each other, both tall and having golden hair, blue eyes and creamy white complexion. Jacob had the soul of a black man and Jackson’s soul was only fed by cruelty, possessions and hatred. Once Jacob was free it wasn’t long before he realized that passing for white was a powerful weapon to be used to free his enslaved family and friends, specially his black pearl, Sula who was pregnant with his child. Nothing could stop him in his quest to reach the safety of Canada before the start of the Civil War, not even murder, assault, thievery or arson. He found great pleasure standing his ground against other white people. 

Throughout Jacob’s triumphs, Brother Jackson was in hot pursuit of him, but little did Jackson know revenge was not in his favor. Jackson’s attempt to kill Jacob would end up causing him more inescapable pain than he could ever have imagined; pain that was a thousand times worse than the pain he allowed his overseers to inflicted on his slaves; pain that could not be undone.

BPM: What genre is this book? Do you write all of your books in this category? Why?
This is a book of historical fiction, pre-Civil War (1860). With the exception of my memoir, most of the time I write fiction, but I tend to write in different eras from 1950 through 1990. As mentioned earlier, my inspiration comes in the form of pictures. I have my ideas of what I want to write about, but after a few paragraphs my story will take on its own life. Very often this dictates the era, storyline, characters and location. For example, someone once told me my grandfather walked from northern North Carolina to south central Virginia. I was thinking what it must have been like for a black man to walk alone on a country road around 1900. The next thing I knew I was writing Jacobs Eyes. My grandfather was a short, small framed man, with ebony colored skin and nappy hair, and Jacob was tall, well built, blue eyes, golden hair and a white complexion. The only thing they had in common was that they walked on the road.

BPM: Do you set out to educate or inspire, entertain or illuminate a particular subject? 
I don’t necessary set out to educate, but my goal is to keep my stories socially clean, historically accurate, entertaining and inspiring. I research even the smallest issue. In my book, Rehoboth Road, I wanted one of my characters to purchase a specific type of car. When I researched the car I found out it had not come out for another five years. In Jacob’ Eyes, I had to learn about growing cotton, the railroad lines that were running in 1860, what shipping lines were sailing. How Lincoln was placed on the ballot, and most of all, documents related to the sale and release of slaves and many other issues. To say the least, I was educated and inspired during the writing of this novel and I hope and pray others will learn from it too.

BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing this book?
Yes, first of all I received a history lesson, and then I learned about herbal tea, juju bags secondary railroad cars, Southern myths and much more. Most of all I learn about myself and to appreciate my gift. I had not worked at writing a novel in some time. My pictures were there for me, but I allowed life and circumstances to pull me away from what I really love doing. I have to say thank you to Jacob’s Eyes for reminding me of my gift and to be grateful to my Lord for it.

BPM: What was your primary quest in publishing this book? Why now?
I did give mainstream publishing serious thought, then I remembered my previous experience and I was not willing to lose my literary rights to my work forever. But I am like an abused woman, time will tell.

BPM: What would you like to accomplish after this book is released?
I just want to keep writing and promoting my work. I love public speaking and traveling, so with the release of this book I will be destination bound.

BPM: Are any scenes from the book borrowed from your world or your experiences?
No, Jacob’s Eyes is a product of my imagination and research.

BPM: What should readers DO after reading this book?
Just enjoy this book for its historical quality and storyline. This is not just another slave book; this is a book where the slaves win. This is a feel good book that will leave the reader saying, “Yes!” Spread the word: ask their local libraries to order it, ask their school board to place it in their high school libraries, introduce it to historically black colleges and universities, suggest it to book clubs, share the book with a young adult and don’t forget to write me and share their thoughts and feeling.

BPM: What are your career goals as a writer? Have you accomplished most of them?
I am retired and I write to please my readers. My goal is to continue writing and sell, sell, sell my work. Nothing makes me happier than to have my fans love my work. My goal is to have a well known name in the industry and I have no accomplished that.

BPM: What have you realized about yourself since becoming a published author?
There are people, other than my family, who appreciate what I have to offer. My family loves me unconditionally. My fans love me and my work; that’s why I always want to give them my very best.

BPM: What are some of the benefits of being an author that makes it all worthwhile?
Being an author, actor, singer or whatever, it really does not matter. We are all people first. Even if I were a filthy rich author it wouldn’t make a different to me; being a good person is more important. For me, the only benefits of being an author are my personal satisfaction and knowing I have made other people happy. This is my gift, but Dear Lord, I always prayed to be a great singer, but I guess You know what’s best for me, so thank you Lord.

BPM: What are you the most thankful for now?
I am most thankful for my Lord and Savior, life and good health, family, friends, my gift, fans and a good life. I am truly blessed; I have it all.

BPM: Do you have any advice for people seeking to publish a book?
Study and do your research before you decide, and then learn to do as much as you can for yourself.

BPM: Finish this sentence – “My writing offers the following legacy to future readers and authors…”
My writing offers the following legacy to future readers and authors because I try to write unforgettable novels that provide teachable moments without an expiration date.”

BPM: We are here to shine the spotlight on your new book, but what’s next? 
My long term goal for the next year is to produce my first manuscript, Broken Bond, my memoir, as well as a book of short stories and to continue as a columnist for the Orlando Sentinel monthly news magazine, A Better You,

BPM: How may our readers follow you online? 
Only on Facebook at Anita Ballard Jones

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Intimate Conversation with J.M. Lominy

Intimate Conversation with J.M. Lominy

Life for J.M. Lominy began in Port-au-Prince, Haiti where he spent his first years with his maternal Aunt and Uncle. At the age of seven, Lominy and his older sister immigrated to the United States in order to reunite with their mother in Brooklyn, New York.

After graduating from James Madison High School, Lominy entered the United States Marine Corps and served during the first Gulf War. At the age of 22, he was honorably discharged and returned home to attend school. He went on to earn his Bachelors of Nursing degree from the City College of New York.

His work, both poetic and determined in voice, places an emphasis on the history of the Haitian experience as witnessed through the life of passionate characters. A husband and father of five boys, Lominy has been writing since 2000 and specializes in historical fiction.

Mr. Lominy currently resides in Georgia with his wife of 15 years and his three younger sons. When he’s not working or taking care of his family he is writing. Lominy states, “I am a writer with a lot of passion and fury.”

BPM: How did you get to be where you are in your life today?
I’ve gotten where I am by being discipline, writing daily, and researching with passion. I live and breathe publishing.

BPM: Who or what motivated you?
I’m motivated by the desire to write. It’s difficult to explain. I guess it’s similar to a painter or a musician that creates without any expectation. They do it for the pure joy of the experience. It becomes a part of who you are.

BPM: Who does your body of literary work speak to?
My body of work speaks to those interested in fast paced thrillers from the Caribbean, Haiti specifically.

BPM: Do you consider authors as role models?
To some extent authors can be role models by encouraging reading and writing.

BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing this book? Why now?
Inspiration for me is like a spark to gasoline. It doesn’t take much to get my pen flowing on paper. It could be something as simple as a word that functions as my spark.  This book is a sequel to The Deadly Rose, An Assassin’s Tale. My characters were already well established in my mind. I’m simply giving them a stage to perform on.

Why now? I spent well over ten years making excused why I shouldn’t write. I simply ran out of excuses.

BPM: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
The research I did was an eye opener into the history of my birth country, Haiti. The joy of research is unmatched. Those who know the true history of Haiti hold her with respect and admiration.

BPM: Where do your book ideas come from?
My book ideas come from everywhere; a spoken word, a dream, conversation, and lets not forget history.

BPM: Are your books plot-driven or character-driven? Why?
The Fatal Rose: An Assassin’s Tale, is character-driven because it focuses the challenges the characters face in life and death issues. My previous book, Policeman Legros is plot driven because it’s a mystery/thriller that centers on a murder.

BPM: Could you tell us something about your most recent work? 
The Fatal Rose: An Assassin’s Tale is the sequel to The Deadly Rose: An Assassin’s Tale. It picks up where the previous book left off with the main character, Pierre-André Franc¸ois (Grimo), is in a life-threatening predicament.
I take you to 1957-1958 Haiti. It was a time of turmoil, violence, and vicious political maneuvering. You get to taste the food, culture, and visit the people. Also, you will get an education in Haitian history.

BPM: Is this book available on Kindle?
The Fatal Rose: An Assassin’s Tale and the first book The Deadly Rose are available on Kindle.

BPM: Give us some insight into your main characters or speakers. What makes each one so special? 
Pierre-André Franc¸ois (Grimo) is the most popular soccer player in Haitian history. He has a well-kept secret, he’s the feared assassin known as The Little Rose.  Father Jean-Marie Lumier, a catholic priest, was a teenage brigand. As a youth he stabbed Grimo and nearly sent him to the grave.

Frank Gaston, Grimo’s maternal uncle, is one of the leaders of Haiti’s largest crime organization. He is the original assassin in Haiti.  Marie-Anne Saviore is Grimo’s friend from childhood. She’s like a sister and mother at the same time. She brings solace to the assassin who kills with little remorse.

BPM: Are there under-represented groups in your book? If so, discuss them.
The under-represented groups in The Fatal Rose: An Assassin’s Tale are the poor, the uneducated, and the unprotected.  The poor are l’invisible in Haiti. They are present but for the most part treated like furniture and unseen. One of the characters, Senator Manipolet, understands this well and uses it to his advantage.

BPM: How does your book relate to your present situation, education, spiritual practice or journey?
Your past is always a window to your present. The turmoil going on in Haiti during 1957-1958 caused my family to immigrate to the United States twenty years later.  Education remains a focal point in my life. I take my research on Haiti seriously. I go to the extent of traveling there to get the full feel of the environment.  For the Fatal Rose, An Assassin’s Tale I traveled to one of the cities in the book to give a true account in my writing. It was a fantastic experience.  I learned to appreciate what I have.

BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing your book?
I learned perception is mostly subjective. What you perceive you tend to believe. If it’s positive it can propel you to success. It’s also necessary to consider others point of view. My characters have flaws in their beliefs. I try not to make those mistakes.

BPM: Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
I travel to Haiti at least once a year and blog about my trips. I speak with the poor and the wealthy they all have stories of their struggles. Two years ago on my last day in Haiti I was coming from the beach seated in the passenger seat beside my guide and driver. We saw three agitated men armed with rock, machetes and a handgun. They stood blocking the entrance to a beach resort frequented by the locals.  My driver was familiar with the men and tried to intervene. The men warned him to move on, it was dangerous times. The rocks went flying and gunfire erupted when we arrive at the entrance to the highway not too far away. So we stopped at a restaurant within eyesight of the resort. The police arrived and more gunfire. The entire area was soon crowded. There were more people than I’ve ever seen during my visit. I soon learned I’d witness a land dispute between a brother and his deceased half-sister’s family. It was the classic land quarrel situation in the countryside I’d heard about as a youth.

Another interesting situation was going into the Haitian mountains and sitting under a calabash tree that surrounds you like a teepee exchanging blag (jokes). It was here I met the toothless magistrate candidate who couldn’t afford to shine his well-worn shoes. This tree also gave me the idea for my character Goo-Gooze a deaf mute that you will meet in The Fatal Rose.

BPM: What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
My goals were to entertain and educate. I am smiling now because this is my best work, so far. A reader may not like my style of writing but they will be entertained.

BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
I have several projects I’m working on. I have two first draft completed for upcoming novels. They’re scheduled for the end of the year. In addition, I have a short story that is almost complete.  My goal is to write four books a year in addition to multitudes of short stories; quite a lofty goal.

BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work? 
Follow J.M. Lominy Online at:
Website:  http://jmlominy.com
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JMLOMINY
Instagram:  https://instagram.com/jmlominy 
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JmLominy

Purchase The Fatal Rose, An Assassin’s Tale by J.M. Lominy
Link: http://amzn.com/B014PU82QY 

 

 

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Intimate Conversation with Trice Hickman

Intimate Conversation with Trice Hickman

Trice Hickman is a self-proclaimed Southern girl, and award-winning, bestselling author. Trice’s love of reading and the power she recognized in the written word inspired her to become a writer. After receiving rejection letters from every agent and publisher she submitted her work to, Trice was determined to bring her stories to life. She self-published her first three novels to great success, and, shortly thereafter, landed a multi-book deal with Kensington (Dafina Books) where she is currently published. When she’s not busy writing and reading, Trice enjoys cooking, traveling, decorating, and meeting good people. Learn more about Trice at http://www.tricehickman.com.

BPM: Tell us about your journey becoming a successfully published author. What challenges did you face, if any?
My journey to becoming a published author has been full of ups and downs, and I’m appreciative of each experience because they have shaped me and helped me grow. I’d suffered from writer’s block for years before I wrote my first book, and once I finally finished it the manuscript was rejected by everyone I sent it to. Talk about disappointing!

But that disappointment taught me a valuable lesson—just because someone tells you no, it doesn’t mean you can’t do it, it just means you’re not going to do it with them—it’s up to you to turn your dreams into reality. I formed my own publishing company and published the book myself. I worked hard to market and sell my work and when I least expected it, a publisher contacted me and offered me a book deal. That’s proof that things don’t necessarily happen over night, in many cases they happen over time.

BPM: Could you tell us something about your most recent work?
My upcoming novel, SECRET INDISCRETIONS, is the first book in the Dangerous Love series. I’m excited about this story because it’s very different from the previous books I’ve written. I describe this work as edgy sophistication mixed with jaw-dropping drama and mayhem. The first paragraph of the book starts off with a gun pointed between the eyes of one of the main characters, so readers immediately know they’re in for a wild ride!

BPM: Give us some insight into your main characters or speakers. What makes each one so special? 
There are four main characters in the book. Johnny and Geneva Mayfield, and Samuel and Vivana Owens. These two couples become involved in a dangerous love quadrangle that eventually turns deadly. Johnny is a womanizer whom readers will love to hate, and his wife, Geneva, is a good sister who will have readers cheering for her while covering their eyes at the train wreck that becomes her life. Samuel’s character is a testament to that fact that there are still good men out there who want to do the right thing, and his wife, Vivana, is proof positive that you can’t apply logic to an illogical mind! There’s also an interesting secondary character named Donetta, a trans woman who offers startlingly raw insight and perspective on relationships. She’s the type of friend every woman should have because the only way she knows how to communicate is from with and from her heart.

BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing this book? Why now?
I wanted to explore the importance of choosing the right mate. It’s common to hear about relationships that start off well and end badly. But what about relationships that are bad before the “I do’s”, yet the couple still chose walk down the aisle? That kind of relationship is almost certain to careen in a downward slope. Many people who find themselves in bad relationships—if they’re honest—will admit that they saw the warning signs early on, but chose to ignore them. Love isn’t blind, it sees what it wants, and it can make a person justify practically anything to suit their needs. I thought it was important to write this story now because people need to see that it’s possible to start off badly but end up end up happy, if you learn how to make the right choices. Although there’s a lot of deceit within the pages, there’s also a lesson about true love, and how to live your best life when you do it as your authentic self.

BPM: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
 I enjoyed the twists and turns the characters took me on, which at times made me shake my head and say, “Did I just write that?” I also enjoyed connecting with trans women, whom I met during my research. These women opened my eyes to a part of life that has made me more aware, tolerant, and informed of something I knew very little about.

BPM: Where do your book ideas come from? Are your books plot-driven or character-driven? Why?
My book ideas come from asking the question, what if? You can have a very basic idea and turn it into a completely different situation by asking, “What if such and such happened?” My books are character driven because I find human nature to be so very interesting. Human beings are beautifully complex people, and we make for some great stories.

BPM: Are there under-represented groups or ideas featured in your book? If so, discuss them.
Yes, the trans community is underrepresented in our society, and I introduce readers to that world through one of the secondary characters named, Donetta Pierce. I wrote a character bio of Donetta in 2013, two years before Caitlyn Jenner’s presence brought gave attention to a community that has long been present, but tucked away in the shadows. I know many people have strong views about gender and sexuality, which are two different things. But I think we can all agree—no matter your position on the issue—that the overwhelming majority of people, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status, all want to be loved. This book is about choosing love.

BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing your book?
I sure did! The characters in this book taught me how important it is to balance making good decisions with taking chances. It sounds easy, but it can be a tricky thing.

BPM: What defines success for you, as a published author? What are your ambitions for your writing career?
 If I’m able to complete a story, that is success! If someone reads and enjoys my book, that is success! Whether I sell ten or ten million books, that is success! I measure success the way I take life, one step at a time. Each day I open my eyes and move forward, that’s success! My ambitions for my writing career is to continue to write interesting, thought-provoking stories that will entertain and delight readers.

BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
 I’m currently putting the finishing touches on DEADLY SATISFACTION, which is the sequel to SECRET INDISCRETIONS. I’m also gearing up for a book tour to promote SI, as well as providing book coaching sessions for aspiring authors, and re-designing my blog, Fabulous Southern Belle.

BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?  
 I absolutely love connecting with readers! To learn more about me and my work, you can visit my website, www.tricehickman.com.   I’m a down-home Southern girl, and I invite readers to check out my blog www.fabuloussouthernbelle.blogspot.com

You can also reach me by email at tricehickman@yahoo.com. Readers can connect with me through social media on the flowing sites:

facebook/tricehickman
twitter/tricehickman
instagram/tricehickman
pinterest/tricehickman
linkedin/tricehickman


Order Secret Indiscretions by Trice Hickman 
First book in the Dangerous Love Series
Link: http://amzn.com/1617737437 

 

 

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Intimate Conversation with Bridgett Renay

Intimate Conversation with Bridgett Renay

Never has there been a time in Bridgett Renay’s life where she’s laughed harder and played more vigorously while remaining self-assured…all thanks to the power of the written word. Everything she’s done in life has led to this moment. From both an undergraduate and graduate degrees to twenty-four years of service as a Navy Reservist tells the story of a journey that took her to faraway places, introduced her to intoxicating people, and shaped the way she views the world and her place in it. What better time to pen the tales that dances inside her head.

BPM: How did you get to be where you are in your life today? Who or what motivated you?
The United States Navy motivated me and has played a huge role in where I’m at today. Before 9-11 I was a regular Navy Reservist – weekend warrior – who was also very comfortable in my cushy, corporate job. But after 9-11 I was recalled to active duty where I served in the Middle East as a security patrolman. Not only did I spend ten months seeing first-hand how other cultures lived in dire straits, but I also saw a lot of my military comrades either lose their lives or lose their ability to function normally. It reminded me how fortunate I was to have so many opportunities in America that I made a promise to myself and God that if he returned me home in one piece I would follow each and every dream I’ve ever had. I can honestly say that I have. 

Since returning home I’ve earned a B.S. and a Master’s degree, purchased my own home as a single Black woman, finished out my military career and retired with twenty-four years of service, and I’ve written and published my first novel. And every day is a new journey to be grateful for.

BPM: Was there ever a time in your life you let FEAR block your path? If so, how did you overcome it?
Yes, I’m originally from Los Angeles. It was there where I lived the most self-destructive life one could ever imagine. I didn’t know my self-worth and that fact paralyzed me emotionally and spiritually. As I moved into my late twenties, I began to realize how much of a loser I was. I overcame it once I accepted the fact that I had no one to blame but myself because I simply ran out of excuses for being pitiful. I realized what I needed was to remove myself from that lifestyle. 

It was then when I stepped out on faith and moved from Los Angeles to Atlanta, Georgia. Just like that – no job, no money, and no clue as to what I would find in Georgia, but I knew God pointed me in this direction for a reason. Next to going to the Middle East in uniform, it was the scariest thing I have ever done. I have absolutely NO REGRETS in leaving everything behind and starting anew.

BPM: In the beginning of your career, did you ever have a mentor or coach?
No, I didn’t have a mentor and my first publishing experience failed miserably. It actually wasn’t until I saw the promotion for the 2014 Atlanta Chocolate Social that I began to emerge myself amongst other writers and mentors. It really changed the game for me and it’s why I use my book tour to teach and inspire those by using the power of the written word.

BPM: Could you tell us something about your most recent work?
Corporate Thugs is the scandalous saga that ingeniously answers the questions, “When do you know your competition has crossed over to that distant dark side and how can you tell when their wrath is headed straight towards you?” It depicts the hardcore competitiveness of professional football alongside the cut-throat battle for corporate success. I used the psychology of nature versus nurture to tell this wicked tale about two young men.

Gerald Alexander and Marcus Stone were best friends since early childhood despite contrasting upbringings. Gerald was raised in an environment that included abandonment and serious trust issues. Though his talent geared him towards a career in professional football, statistically, his chances were slim. Marcus, on the other hand, was raised in a different environment. He was a clean-cut scholar groomed for the domination of corporate America.

Once adults, their worlds collide and their competitiveness explodes into a page-turning epic where jealousy, greed, and betrayal play host. Whoever said a good friend will only stab you in the front was lying.

BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing this book? Why now?
Once the storyline began to form and a couple of characters were developed, I began taking notes. At one point it seemed like every hour of every day the characters started taking on a life of their own and began showing themselves off in my head. I took that as a sign that I was ready to begin my publishing journey.

BPM: Who does your body of literary work speak to?
I wrote Corporate Thugs for myself and I believe my audience is people who are a lot like me – people who love fictional drama that doesn’t mirror their own life; people between the ages of 21 and 40 who perhaps work in Corporate America and love to escape it with stories about good people doing bad things.

BPM: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I enjoy knowing what real happiness is and living my dream. I love the company I get to keep being an author. Everything about this craft fascinates me.

BPM: Writing gives you a way to share your boundless imagination in your fiction books. But this book is different. How do you use your writing to serve other in this book?
The first sentence in my book’s synopsis is “What is the first sign that lets you know you’re dealing with a sociopath?” There’s so much to that question because a lot of us live our lives allowing other people to share it with us even when we know they are on a path to self-destruction. We forget that people come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. Just because we know that person doesn’t mean we’re obligated to them forever or to the point where their destructive lifestyles begin to affect our way of life and especially our peace of mind. My book, Corporate Thugs, serves the purpose of when you see signs that a person has taken a negative turn and is trying to take you along for the ride; it’s time to let them go. Don’t wait around for something to happen that you can’t reverse.

BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing this book?
What I’ve learned is that you don’t have to be famous to have a voice. The reality is in the majority of cases, you don’t become famous until you let your voice be heard. I’ve learned that my voice is just as important as anyone else’s and I plan to use it to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem. I’ve learned that I don’t have to always sit in the stands. I have the talent and courage it takes to be center stage.

BPM: What were your goals for this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
The goal for this book was to fulfill a childhood dream of being a part of the literary world. Also, to write something people not only enjoy reading, but something they can learn from. According to my reviews, I believe I have accomplished just that. People are not just praising my writing style, but the lessons learned within the writing as well. For me to be able to give that to the literary world is definitely an achievement I can be proud of.

BPM: What projects are you working on at present time?
I have two projects I’m working on – a book tour and my next novel. My book tour, Sacred vs. Scandalous, is a partnership between myself and a dear friend who also happens to be a published author, Sonya Cato-Howard. Together we tour various venues to not only talk about books, but to inspire people to pen their own stories that change lives and leave legacies. Our message focuses on the pathway to freedom and the rewards of living life undistracted.

My next novel, LLP – Lust, Lies & Propositions, is due Fall 2015 and it’s about the frustrations of being Black in Corporate America wrapped in a love story where a bodacious young woman has to choose between love or power.

BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work? 
Bridgett: http://www.bridgettrenay.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BridgettRenay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bridgett.renay.3
Instagram: https://instagram.com/undistractedbridgettrenay/
Books by Bridgett Renay: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UTZFYIO

Order copies of Corporate Thugs by Bridgett Renay
Link: http://amzn.com/B00UTZFYIO 

 

 

 

 

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Intimate Conversation with Calvin W. Maxwell, Jr.

Intimate Conversation with Calvin W. Maxwell, Jr.

 

Calvin W. Maxwell, Jr. is a teacher and sports fan that lives in the Greater New York area. He writes to encourage and inspire young people.

BPM: How did you get to be where you are in your life today?
After being laid-off from my job in corporate and receiving my severance package a few years ago, I took my sister’s advice and became a substitute teacher. At first it was a serious mental adjustment to make – going from a quiet civilized corporate environment to dealing with children, but I liked it. I decided to go back to college and become a classroom teacher. While in college, a professor told me that she thought my writings were good and I should consider doing something real with that skill. Afterwards, as I was working towards becoming certified, I was also working on my first book.

BPM: Who or what motivated you?
John Grisham is my favorite author and in a TV interview he said a good writer needs to write a page a day. I told to myself  “I can do that.”

BPM: Please tell us something about your most recent work? 
I wrote “American Pool Player,” in part, as a way of trying to encourage young black teenagers, particularly boys, to write whether its fiction or non-fiction; western or science fiction. Just write. Tell your side of the story. Record your point-of-view. Write.

BPM: Take us inside the world of your main characters or speakers. What makes each one so special? 
There’s Grice, Knowledge Born, Brenda, and Dragon. Grice is the good-hearted hero that understands the pool table much better than he understands the game of life. Knowledge Born, Grice’s best friend, is the exact opposite. He knows how dangerous the streets are and is always up for the fight. Brenda, Grice’s next door neighbor, is a popular, smart girl that loves to tease and verbally torment Grice. 

Dragon is a pool shark and the meanest thug in the neighborhood. The match between Grice and Dragon isn’t only about winning money. There’s way more on the line than that…

BPM: Are there under-represented groups or ideas featured in your book? If so, discuss them. 
Yes. When I go into bookstores I see a lot of books aimed at white teenagers. However, I see nothing for black teens to read. I want to change that. If we want our young to people to read more, we need to write more.

BPM: Who does your body of literary work speak to?
The body of my literary work speaks to young black people. Not all black teens are lost and troubled. There are good young people out there. They need guidance. And for the ones that are lost and troubled, I feel we can still inspire, encourage and save them.

BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing American Pool Player? Why now? 
I realize in life, if you don’t stand up and speak up for yourself and your community – things will go backwards. For me, writing is my way of standing up and speaking up, especially for those who are no longer among the living.

BPM: What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Where do your book ideas come from?
I played pool as a youngster and my ideas came from that.  I enjoyed reminiscing on my childhood especially the funny parts. Some of the stuff I wrote in this book even made me laugh.

BPM: Are your books plot-driven or character-driven? Why?
My books are definitely character driven. Life is filled with the amazing characters we meet along the way, isn’t it? Sometimes, it’s the worst characters we encounter in life that teach us the most about ourselves.

BPM: How does your book relate to your present situation or journey?
In my book, all my characters are in one form or another fighting for respect. I suppose I’m fighting for that too.

BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing your book, American Pool Player?
I learned that I have a serious funny bone as a writer. That’s a good discovery.

BPM: Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
My imagination and some free time on my hands was mostly all I needed to write this book. I only had to research a few dates and historical facts so that the timeline in the story was accurate.

BPM: What were your goals and intentions for this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
I want to represent my community and my generation in a positive, impactful way that inspires the next generation. Only time will tell, if it worked. At least I’m no longer frustrated sitting down and watching the New York Knicks go through another losing season. I’ve learned to utilize my free time more wisely. Writing for me is a blessing. I hope it can be a blessing for others.

BPM: What are the readers saying about your book? I can only imagine their excitement about a book for young men. The fact that the book is labeled Christian Hip Hop is new and refreshing in itself! I love the fact that it doesn’t have any profanity, drug use or sexual content and only mild violence.
I’ll share just a few of the Amazon Customer Book Reviews for American Pool Player. Here we go:

Reviewed by Heidi  –American Pool Player is amazing and the writing style is fun and easy to follow. When you start reading it, you just want to continue in order to find out what happen next. The story reflects our everyday life and it shows the reader that learning one lesson does not mean that we actually learn everything in life. I recommend reading it.

Reviewed by Vera Dow  –American Pool Player really made me reflect on my childhood and what it was like growing up in the 80s. And this book take a serious hard look at the issues then that mode many of us into who we are today. Very funny parts in the book too 🙂  GREAT READ!!! 

Reviewed by SCP  -Mr. Maxwell it’s a pleasure to endorse your book thank you for inspiring our youth, as you well know anything that will capture the attention of young minds is a true blessing and it appears you have an absolute WINNER here!

Reviewed by Book Lover -Calvin W. Maxwell is an inspiring author and paints a joyous picture of hope through his book “American Pool Player” I would reccommend this as a must read for any Christian today!  

Reviewed by Jessica Miller-Greene  -Awesome! Creatively written. Thank Mr.Maxwell for creating a character who is so realistic, and a story of faith and love.

BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
I’m currently working on a black western book. Not nearly enough of those. No title as of yet.

BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
I’m currently on Twitter: @calvinmaxwelljr

Purchase American Pool Player  
Link:  http://amzn.com/1622301412 

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Intimate Conversation with Charlie Marcol

Intimate Conversation with Charlie Marcol

Charlie Marcol, was born and raised in the great state of Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from the University of Houston, where she became a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. She also earned a Master of Education Degree in Counseling from Texas Southern University. From the Florist to the Forest is her debut novel. Although she is new to the publishing world, her book is spreading like wild fire. 

She was featured on the Day Break morning show in Dallas instilling her motto to “Think Deep Before You Leap” into marriage. She enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and spending quality time with family. Charlie seeks to empower women through awareness, discussions and self-love. Charlie was recently featured in the March issue of Rebook discussing ‘Happy At…’ as a way to share ways to live within your means.

BPM: Tell us about your passion for writing. Why do you write? What drives you? What impact do you want your book to make on the readers?
Writing is very cathartic for me. It started when I was in elementary school as a daydreamer with pieces of paper and eventually I moved over to a diary. I found that I was able to share my inner most feelings that I could not express verbally. Writing has been a part of my healing process. Instead of internalizing the pain and self-doubt as a result of a failed marriage, I recognized an opportunity to share my personal journey. 

The things that motivate me is when I see I have inspired or helped someone else on their journey. That’s what life is about. Helping others see the “big picture.” I’d like to think of myself as a Titus woman. The whole goal of a Titus woman is to train younger women in a Biblical, simple-to-measure, Spirit-empowered, love-based living. They train others in the pattern they have learned. A Titus woman walk speaks louder than her talk. 

So, instead of choosing to take negative energy from the divorce I transformed it into a tool to help those struggling with the same issues. I want readers to walk away knowing that I am a survivor. I did not allow divorce to shake me or break my spirit. It may seem like you are a victim of your circumstance, but with God, time, prayer and a great support system you WILL become victorious. This book serves as my personal testimony of self-discovery and redemption.

BPM: Can you share a little of your current work with us? 
Compelling, Real, Essential, Riveting are just a few words to describe my latest project. From the Florist to the Forest is a modern girls guide and reference book while she is dating and waiting for her mate. Invitations, themes, cakes, floral design and bridal fashions have transcended the objective of the institution of marriage. While marriage rates are declining, divorce rates are escalating. This was cause for concern to me not only for the institution of marriage itself, but also the stability of families. Marriages are failing because people fail to prepare for matrimony. Everyone has their own vision of love, but there must be a willingness to communicate that vision.

I found out that a lack of communication leads to unrealistic expectations, which can cause the demise of a relationship. I wanted people to discover what they really needed to know and forget about superficial trappings that we get caught in. In the end, the flowers on your wedding day won’t matter when happiness is but a dream deferred.

BPM: What was your primary quest in publishing this book?
This book was designed for the reader to search within to assess the reasons for desiring marriage. Is it the marriage you want or the wedding? I truly believe that people are marrying out of convenience and not for love. Tina Turner asked a question in her famous comeback song of 1984, “What’s love got to do with it?” Love has everything to do with Marriage. 

Marriage is the first institution that God created and we are not giving it the respect and honor that it deserves. At one point, everyone around me was getting a divorce. Now, I was joining the ranks too. I hated that I was going to be another statistic so I decided to write a self-help book to share the real, the good and the truth about the marriage process.

BPM: Who did you write this book for? Why?
As women we sometimes mimic what we see. With the explosion of wedding reality TV shows within the last decade, the focus of getting married started to change. It was more about the latest trends and making grandiose statements. Brides opted for over-the-top high end weddings but had lackluster commitments. People were marrying for fantasies and not realities including myself. I too fell victim to the trend. My wedding was my dream but the marriage was a nightmare. This book is open to all; men and women married, single or engaged. Everyone can receive something from the knowledge that I share. There are so many factors that plague single women. Time, age, finances, and the biological clock. 

When writing From the Florist to the Forest, I was thinking about that woman because that woman was me. My prayer is that this book will give the reader insight to look deep before taking the leap. Look deep within yourself and your potential mate. Stop skimming the surface and get to know the real person, not the representation. In the long run it will save them heartache, trouble, money and even a failed marriage.

BPM: How do you stay on top of your game professionally?
Unfortunately, the reality of life is that it’s not what you know, but whoyou know. That means you should make networking and marketing a priority. Research and networking is vital to any success. Use social media for what it was intended for. Conferences are a great place to network and connect with experts in your field as well. I am a novice to this industry so it is important for me to make a good impression. Sometimes that’s the last. I look for opportunities to connect and be visible with individuals that will take an active interest in me and my brand. It helps that I have an excellent mentor too. She is my accountability partner keeping me abreast of what’s going on, encouraging me and offering advice and ideas.

BPM: How can one live authentic life, true to self, personally and professionally?
I try to remain true to myself in all facets of my life by staying grounded, wearing humility as my smile and not becoming pretentious. More importantly, I have a strong spirit of discernment to guide me before making hasty discussions. (The last time I completely ignored my spirit of discernment, I ended up in a miserable marriage.) In order for me to live an authentic life, I must keep genuine people around me in my circle that really love me and desire God’s best for my life. Naysayers, non-supporters and negativity are not welcomed.

BPM: How do you balance your personal life with your professional life?
God and prayer! He is my rock. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul who said, “Whatever state I am in, therefore will I be content.” I may not make as much money as I would like, but honestly I am happy where God has me at this point. At the end of the day, none of frivolous things matter if you don’t have balance and some peace of mind. I find happiness in the simple joys in life. My child’s smile, a kind word spoken or given, Mexican food, a great work-out, waking up each day with my health and strength.

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…
Invest in your marriage, not your wedding. I truly believe there would be more successful marriages, if people would take the time to know themselves first before they seek to explore the mind of someone else. Don’t get caught up in the superficial things, eventually that will all fade away.

From the Florist to the Forest: Think Deep Before You Leap 
Non-fiction; Self-discovery and Self-help
Printed: http://www.amazon.com/Florist-Forest-Charlie-Marcol/dp/0692305203
E-books: http://www.amazon.com/From-Florist-Forest-Think-Before-ebook/dp/B00UXP213Q

 

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Intimate Conversation with Keleigh Crigler Hadley

Intimate Conversation with Keleigh Crigler Hadley

Keleigh Crigler Hadley is an author, speaker, and teacher who is thankful God can use her messes for His glory. If she were to define herself in one sentence, she would say, “I’m a girl who loves to see God working.”

She has always loved stories, and she believes the story of the Bible contains the biggest, the most redemptive dose of grace humankind has ever, and will ever, experience. She is the Christian Fiction author of the Preacher’s Kids series, Revenge Inc., and What You Won’t Do for Love .

Keleigh writes soul-stirring fiction, with real characters that stay with readers long after they have closed the book, (or turned the e-reader off.)  The only thing she loves more than writing is reading, so contact her on social media and let her know what you’re reading!

BPM: What motivated you to sit down and actually start writing this book?
The life story and choices of two very different women with the same medical diagnosis – Kara Tippets and Brittany Maynard inspired What You Won’t Do for Love.

BPM: What separates this story from the millions of other books on the shelves? 
What You Won’t Do for Love is fresh, original and unexpected in the Christian Fiction genre. Rhonda McKnight, Publishing Manager for the Brown Girls Faith brand, says that my writing voice is unique, (my mother always said I was a little different), so that uniqueness sets me apart. Here’s more about What You Won’t Do for Love:

Unconditional Love. Unthinkable Choice. 
Eden Price, an unlucky-in-love nurse finds herself in the midst of a heated love triangle. Globe-trotting missionary, Gabe Clark ignites her soul. Who doesn’t want a man with a connection to God? Hard-working, Nemo Gates speaks to her heart. His past has caused a rift between him and God and Eden wants to help him heal.

She ultimately chooses the man that makes her passions come alive, but did she make the right choice? Her husband stuns her with a desperate plea; to prove her love for him in the most unthinkable way – to help him die with dignity.

BPM: What would you like for readers to take away from your writing? 
I want them to feel engrossed and entertained while reading, and when they close the book, feel as if they are closer to the Creator.

BPM: What topics are primarily discussed? 
In What You Won’t Do for Love, the crux of the story is euthanasia. Would you put your husband out of his misery if he asked you to. Do you love him that much?

BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work? 
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/khadley11
Website:  http://www.keleighcriglerhadley.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authorkeleigh

 

 

 

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Intimate Conversation with Janice L. Dennie

Intimate Conversation with Janice L. Dennie

Romance readers everywhere are enamored of Janice L. Dennie’s handsome heroes and feisty heroines as they tumble breathlessly in love among the pages of exciting stories set against the backdrop of California’s Napa Valley Wine Country. With a luxuriant voice and style reminiscent of the great romance writers, Ms. Dennie’s romances are dishes of luscious ice cream with candy sprinkles that keeps readers coming back for more of her smooth literary desserts!

Born to a military family that settled in San Francisco, California, where Ms. Dennie attended elementary, middle and high school. She later graduated from California State University, Hayward, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Ms. Dennie worked for a federal agency until retiring in 2011.

Ms. Dennie wrote and published two novels that launched her into the limelight of the romance industry. Since her retirement, Ms. Dennie has returned to her first love—writing romance novels that have readers reaching for her books time and again as she delivers love stories featuring beautiful, independent women and tall, dark and dangerous men. Ms. Dennie has made a big splash in a big pond—not bad for a woman who read her first romance novel at 21!

Determined to enjoy her life as she writes her way to the top of the bestseller lists, Ms. Dennie enjoys watching football with her husband, Gregory, and fun visits with her family. Yet she still has time to travel, volunteer in her community, garden, and read her beloved romance novels!

Stamped with her signature of excellence, Ms. Dennie’s latest series, THE UNDERWOOD’S OF NAPA VALLEY are heartwarming romances woven into the gorgeous tapestry of the wine industry, its lush vineyards and the elegant men and women who still believe in the power of love! To learn more about Janice L. Dennie and her books, visit http://www.JaniceDennie.com and indulge in delicious claret of literary pleasure!

BPM: Family is so important in your books. Tell me a little about your family.
I’m married to Gregory D. Reed, Sr. Together we have three adult children, Gregory D. Reed, Jr., Sharita Reed and James Reed and nine grandchildren.

All of the men in my family, with the exception of my paternal grandfather, served in the military. My maternal grandfather, Albert S. Jackson, of Sapulpa, OK, served in France during World War I. My father Lawrence H. Dennie Sr., served in the Korean War. My mother, Wilma Jean Jackson-Dennie, served as a (WAC) Women’s Army Corp during the 50’s. My oldest brother, Lawrence H. Dennie Jr., served in Vietnam, and my youngest brother Albert S. Dennie, served in the Army after the Vietnam War. My paternal grandfather, Alfred S. Dennie was a Jazz musician in Kansas City, MO. He played tenor saxophone with the Benny Moten Band which included Count Basie and other jazz greats.

My parents moved to San Francisco from Denver, Colorado, where I was born, in the 1960s. My siblings and I attended elementary and middle school in San Francisco, before moving to the East Bay. I graduated from California State University, Hayward with a degree in business administration, and began a career with a federal agency, in San Francisco, before retiring in 2011. My sister Linda lives in Tulsa, OK and my youngest sister, Camille lives in Southern California.

BPM: How did you get to be where you are in your life today? Who or what motivated you?
 Higher education was stressed in my family. My parent’s exposed us to as much as they could when my siblings and I were children. Earning anything lower than a C in grade school was unacceptable and meant automatic punishment. My oldest brother was a straight A student, my other siblings and I were A & B students. Both of my parents motivated me to want to accomplish something in life. My parents always said, if you’re going to stay at home, you must either go to school or work; no sitting around. It was implied that they expected me to make something out of myself. I got to be where I am because of my faith in my heavenly father, and the sacrifices of my family. As a working woman, my mother became a strong role model for me to pattern my life after. 

BPM: Why did you begin to write?
I am fascinated with making “something out of nothing.” “I began writing because I wanted to create my own stories and see myself reflected in the character of the heroine. I’m inspired by writers such as James Baldwin, Walter Mosely and Jane Austin.

News articles also inspire me to write. I was inspired to write ‘Kenton’s Vintage Affair,’ when I read a news article about Dr. Earnest Bates, part owner of Bates Winery in Napa Valley. I never knew there were Black wineries in Napa, and I visited wineries there numerous times. That news article inspired me to create the fictitious Underwood family, and give each member a story.”

There are five books in The Underwood’s of Napa Valley Series. “Justin’s Body of Work,” will be released in May, 2015. Carter’s Heart Condition, will be released in December, 2015.

BPM: Who does your body of literary work speak to? Do you consider authors as role models?
My body of literary work speaks to anyone who enjoy reading romances and learning about Black culture and history. My first book The Lion of Judah introduces the reader to the idea of Black royalty. Since we do not live in a country that has kings and queens, I looked to Africa for inspiration. I read an article in Newsweek magazine that referred to Emperor Haile Selassie as The Lion of Judah. I researched the subject and found out the Lion of Judah ruling dynasty descends without interruption from the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. I was shocked. My book came next. After that, I wrote Moon Goddess, Queen of Sheba.

I’ll never forget the time I took a black history class in college and learned about Black scientists and inventors. I brought that book home and my father, an engineer, took it from me after I finished the class. He gave me the strangest look I’d ever seen on his face. He couldn’t believe there was a book about 19th-century black scientists and inventors. I’ve often wondered why African American’s and their great accomplishments were excluded in our American history books. So I set out on a journey to learn as much as I could.

I do consider authors as role models especially for impressionable youth. It’s amazing how words can hurt or help people. I prefer to write stories that uplift the human spirit. I like writing about how characters transform into different people.

BPM: What inspired you to write The Underwood’s of Napa Valley Series?
The News. I was inspired to write “The Lion of Judah,” after reading an article in a news magazine about Emperor Heile Selassie, of Ethiopia. Although we don’t have royalty in the U.S., I thought it was fascinating that he traced his ancestry back to The Lion of Judah ruling dynasty originating with King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The article inspired me to research the topic and write “The Lion of Judah,” followed by “Moon Goddess Queen of Sheba.”

BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing JUSTIN’S BODY OF WORK? Why now?
President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, and their positive attitude toward women’s rights. Although I don’t consider myself a hard core feminist, I do appreciate when people take up a shield to protect women and children. I decided to write JUSTIN’S BODY OF WORK, book 2 in The Underwood’s of Napa Valley Series because Justin’s book is next in line after KENTON’S VINTAGE AFFAIR. Justin’s story came into sharp focus after Attorney General, Eric Holder went to Ferguson, to help the disenfranchised people. I always root for the underdog. Justin fights for disenfranchised, particularly in cases involving sexual harassment, domestic abuse and equal pay. As a successful civil rights attorney, Justin is a modern day knight in shining armor. A man with characteristics every woman dreams about.

BPM: What did you enjoy most about writing JUSTIN’S BODY OF WORK?
I enjoyed creating Justin’s character. I wanted to create a strong male character that women could look up to and respect. So many modern day single women have had to be the mother and the father in many Black families. I wanted to write a story about a woman who could be a woman, and a man who could be her knight in shining armor. I know this sounds unrealistic or archaic at best, but this is the story I wanted to write. I wanted to create an over the top hero who would save the heroine from a vicious lawsuit in the court of law.

BPM: Where do your book ideas come from? Are your books plot-driven or character-driven? Why?
My book ideas come straight from my imagination and my love for African American culture and history. My creative imagination stems from my childhood when I created something out of nothing. My father was a great storyteller who made up this story called THE HARD BISCUIT, which turned out to be a little scary for a five-year-old. I dreamt about that story and even had nightmares, nonetheless, it was my father’s storytelling that also sparked my creative imagination.

My books are character driven because I enjoy falling in love with my characters. I gave all four brother in this series their own love story and a defining character trait. Kenton is the “protective one,” in his book. Justin is the “strong one,” in his book. Justin carries the disenfranchised with his strength in the court of law.

BPM: Could you tell us something about your most recent work? 
JUSTIN’S BODY OF WORK, book 2 in The Underwood’s of Napa Valley Series, is about a successful Napa Valley attorney, Justin Underwood who falls in love with a beautiful spa owner, Ashley Jacobs, who is facing a serious lawsuit. The book is available in Kindle format and paperback on Amazon.com.

BPM: Give us some insight into your main characters or speakers. What makes each one so special?
The heroine, Ashley Jacobs relishes in providing her customers with a soothing and healing environment at her day spa in the Silverado area of Napa Valley. She maintains her even temper and peace of mind, avoiding anger at all costs. But when she faces a vicious lawsuit, from someone she least suspects, her peace of mind comes to a complete halt.

Justin Underwood is a successful attorney with a stellar resume and a body of work that consists of winning civil rights cases for the disenfranchised. The moment he hears Ashley’s sultry voice and feels her gentle touch, he finds comfort simply by being in her presence. He becomes hopelessly drawn to the siren with the sexy bedroom eyes. But Ashley has a family secret that prevents her from totally committing to Justin. After taking her case, he watches her coast along, with her head in the clouds, turning a blind eye to the facts of her lawsuit. Can Justin get Ashley to commit to him, and open her eyes to the facts surrounding her lawsuit? Can Ashley overcome her family’s secret that prevents her future happiness?

What makes Ashley so special, is why she reacts to conflict the way she does. What makes Justin so special is his love for Ashley and his deep desire to protect women’s rights.

BPM: Are there under-represented groups or ideas featured in your book? If so, discuss them.
The issues women face on the job and everywhere, from sexual harassment, equal pay and domestic abuse. All of these issues are discussed in the book.

BPM: How does your book relate to your present situation or journey?
Like myself, the hero and heroine are both college educated, Christian, and business owners.

BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing your book? Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
Several years ago, I sat on a jury in a sexual harassment case. I couldn’t believe how much people lied under oath until I sat on that jury. Writing this book has taught me to scrutinize our justice system and unjust laws such as “stand your ground.” I spoke with the prominent civil rights attorney who represented the plaintiff in the sexual harassment case. After winning the case, she encouraged me to believe that justice is actually possible for the disenfranchised. After viewing that football player knock his wife unconscious in an elevator, I also began researching “adult women of domestic abuse and how it affects their intimate relationships.” I gave my heroine some of those character traits.

BPM: What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
My goal was to show readers how domestic abuse can affect the way a woman handles her life and intimate relationships.

BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
I am working on Book #3 in The Underwood’s of Napa Valley series, coming out in December 2015. Books #4 and #5 will come out in 2016.

BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
Amazon.com Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/author/janicedennie

JANICE L. DENNIE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Website: http://janicedennie.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jdennieauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaniceDennieAuthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/janicedennie/kentons-vintage-affair
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/578414.Janice_L_Dennie

 

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Intimate Conversation with Colette R. Harrell

Intimate Conversation with Colette R. Harrell

Colette R. Harrell is a wife, mother, author, poet, songwriter, and playwright. She holds a master’s degree in science and is in senior management at a non-profit agency. She is co-owner of COJACK Productions, a Christian entertainment company. As an active member of her church, she oversees the drama ministry, as well as being an intercessor and in women’s leadership. She is a motivational speaker and has taught numerous workshops on a national level. A Detroit native, she currently resides in Ohio.

BPM: What drove you to sit down and actually start writing your book series?
Pure guts and faith, I didn’t know I had. You have this dream of living your passion. So, you take steps to make your dream a reality. I sent a short story into this or that magazine with no response back. I’ve started and stopped a million times. Then one day I sat down at a computer, prayed, and a story began to take shape. I’m a little different, and my story is different. But I wrote it anyway, because it wanted—needed—to be told, the way I was telling it.

The story of The Devil Made Me Do It resounded in my spirit because I always liked romance, science fiction, and paranormal stories. I wanted to tell a Christian tale with supernatural activity. God is ever present, but I wanted to also show demons, imps, etc., at work. The resulting story became a page turner.

BPM: Does your upbringing or life experiences inspire your writing?
Absolutely. I’m this city chick with a Southern twang from the hood of southwest Detroit. I was raised in a two-parent household with four siblings. My parents were all about reading versus television consumption. I think we were the last household in the neighborhood to purchase a color television. What we did have were books, magazines, and newspapers. At a young age, reading was my passion, and it still is.

For me, a good book is like good gossip—you just have to share it. By sharing other’s stories, I began to want to tell my own, my own way.

BPM: Do you ever let the book stew—leave it for months, and then come back to it?
Maybe not months. I can’t leave my child alone that long (that would be child abuse). But, yes, I have had to leave it. To let fresh eyes take another look at it later, and create, once again, from the heart. To pray that God gives me an understanding of where my characters are headed and how they will get there. In the meantime, I’m working on something else. Eventually, I will go back to the book and complete it; after all, you have to give the child you birthed a happy ending . . . Or maybe not.

BPM: Introduce us to your books: The Devil Made Me Do It and  Tell the Truth The Devil Won’t. What genre do you consider your books? Is this book available in digital forms like Nook and Kindle?
Yes, both of my books are definitely in Kindle and Nook digital format.  The books are Christian fiction with an “edge.” I say that because, yes, my main characters are Christian, but they aren’t perfect, and they don’t part the Red Sea or walk on water (although I do believe that miracles and wonders still occur). My characters sometimes make poor choices, and they have to face the consequences of those choices. They are not plastic people, but realistic, dealing with current issues.

My main character, Esther, is a beautiful, full-figured woman who always wanted to be the princess at the ball, courted by the Prince Charming. Instead, she settled for the frog, who shared her lily pond. The handsome, charismatic Briggs Stokes appears to have it all—but at what price?

The Devil Made Me Do It  takes a glimpse into the supernatural provides a twist that is “cover-your-eyes scary,” and in the next chapter, “slap the table, fun and humorous.”

Tell the Truth The Devil Won’t  comes out on October 27, 2015.  Here’s the scope:
The Love Zion members are in the middle of a spiritual tsunami. The flood has them up to their necks, deep in muck and mire, and treading water looking for a life raft.

The full-figured Esther Redding doesn’t realize it, but she desperately needs a change. Her Cinderella tiara is tarnished, and her glass slippers are cracked.

Briggs Stokes has always had a soft spot for Esther. She was in his blood, and he didn’t want a transfusion. When he returns to Detroit, he decides that nothing will keep him from her door. Well, nothing but once reformed bad girl Monica Stokes Custer. She’s Briggs’s ex, and she wants to be his “give me one more chance again” wife. The tug of war that ensues may be the catalyst that destroys the person they both love the most.
Don’t blink—pray. These shenanigans are too juicy to miss.

BPM: Give us some insight into your main characters. What makes each one so special?
Esther dares to believe, even from a young age, that she is a tiara-wearing, wand-carrying, princess extraordinaire. Her acting on that belief produces trauma that has a rippling effect. As she suffers a tremendous loss, she vacillates between doubt and hope. Her way of coping is to become the poster child for doing good, even though the devil is prompting her to be bad.

Briggs is a son of privilege, but it’s that same privilege that makes him come to believe that in his truest self, he is invisible. It’s not just about his inherited money, but about who he really is. He struggles with the question: How do you grow up around God’s anointed superstar and still be seen for yourself?

Identity theft was committed long before the computer age. Briggs’s and Esther’s failure to know their purpose could result in a destiny of abusing it.

BPM: What topics are primarily discussed? Did you learn anything personal from writing your book?
Yes, they deal with suicide—a taboo subject in most communities. They also deal with lust and adultery. All of America is hooked on a television show built around adultery with one of the most powerful men in the country. It’s entertaining; it’s riveting . . . but is it biblical?

The characters have to come to terms with physical and verbal abuse, suicide, corporate fraud, and stalking. I also discuss how choices affect our lives. I ask and answer the question: Can one childhood incident shape the rest of your life?   I learned that my best writing came when I allowed my own pain, joy, or insecurities to be transparent in my storytelling.

BPM: What would you like for readers to take away from your writing?
I want them to be entertained. I want them to have Aha! moments that set them on the road to self-discovery. I want them to draw closer to a God who loves them unconditionally.

BPM: How do you go about reaching new readers?
Three avenues: The best compliment I received was from someone stating that their friends who were not Christians would read The Devil Made Me Do It because it was so entertaining. First, tell a good story.

Second, in an excerpt reading with men (who were coerced to come by their wives), their feedback was that it wasn’t the normal chick-flick literature they thought it was going to be, and they all asked me to keep reading. Tell a good story that others can relate to.

And, third, hopefully, people who read this interview will be inspired to run out and buy The Devil Made Me Do It, and then tell others to buy it too. Tell a good story and it promotes itself!  (See how I keep mentioning the name of the book? Subconsciously, you’re hearing—buy the book, buy the book . . . LOL.)

BPM: What defines success for you, as a published author?
Well, here is where I get very philosophical and state that I’m not in this for the money. NOT! This is a time-consuming, not-for-the-fainthearted venture. So, maybe not first, even though it’s listed here as first, I’d like to make a living at this. That would be one form of success.

Another would be for others to enjoy the story so much that they reread it. And that they sit in anticipation for the next book. Those both would be a form of success.

Last, but most important, I would define success as something on the inside of the reader that transcends the mundane and spiritually enhances their life. That would be the ultimate form and definition of success for me as a published author.

BPM: What are your ambitions for your writing career?
Up, up, and away! I would love to do this when I am retired and old, sitting on my screened-in porch, sipping on a mango lemonade under a blue summer sky, typing away. You gotta love it!

BPM: Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included? How can readers discover more about you and your work?
My goal is to continue writing beyond my Heaven over Hell trilogy. I plan to be around for a while. This is that second half in life, the career that everyone is saying is possible.

You can stay current through my blog and website: Writespirit.org, located at ColetteHarrell.com

I’ve developed a fictional character by the name of Mother Maku Sweat, and her husband is Bishop Mo Sweat. She’s a feisty evangelist, full of the wisdom of the ages. I plan to have Mother Sweat’s video advice column on my website as well. Look for Mother Sweat beginning in Fall 2015!

Website: http://www.writespirit.org 
Twitter: @ColetteRHarrell or https://twitter.com/ColetteRHarrell
Colette R. Harrell Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/coletteharrell/
Colette R. Harrell FB Profile: http://www.facebook.com/Colette.R.Harrell
Colette R. Harrell Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/ColetteRHarrellFans
Amazon Purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Colette-R.-Harrell/e/B00II98JUI

Tell the Truth The Devil Won’t (Book 2)
by Colette R. Harrell
Link: http://amzn.com/1622868196

The Devil Made Me Do It (Book 1)
by Colette R. Harrell
Link: http://amzn.com/1601627823  

 

 

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Intimate Conversation with Lydia E. Brew

Intimate Conversation with Lydia E. Brew

Lydia E. Brew was born with cerebral palsy but has not allowed her physical limitations to stand in her way. Her writing provides insights into the world of the physically challenged. She graduated from Texas Southern University where she received The Society of Professional Journalist Sigma Chi Citation for Achievement. She was a member of the drama club and pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Miss Brew founded Lydia’s Educational and Charitable Organization (LECO) when she decided to encourage young people to write.  LECO did this by sponsoring a yearly contest in which the contestant had to write about positive role models who were alive and from the Houston area. Each student who wrote an eligible essay was given a certificate of participation. Winning writers received cash prizes.

Her second book titled Our Learn Together Book is a book for young readers based on the biography of Edith Irby Jones, M.D. It tells her story in a simplified format on one page and allows the reader to write their own biography on the other.  There are activities in the back where younger children can learn developmental skills and older children can learn to do research.  She is a Christian and attends St. Stevens United Methodist Church.

BPM: Lydia, tell us about yourself and how you started writing.
I was born with cerebral palsy but never allowed my physical limitations to stand in my way. I hope that some of my writing also provides insights into the world of the physically challenged.  Under the leadership of one of my journalism professors, I penned my first bookEdith, The Story of Edith Irby Jones, M.D. about the first African-American to graduate from The Arkansas School of Medicine. Upon finishing college, I worked with the Houston Association of Black Journalists. I am a Christian and attend St. Steven’s United Methodist Church.

BPM: What motivated you to sit down and actually start writing this book? 
When I did the first draft of the Ungolden Silence I did no research and I wrote from my daydreams. Like another author said; she made up and wrote the story. That is what I did. People who read the first draft of the story told me that I needed to do some research, which I ultimately did. My research showed that my story was not that far off. 

One thing the book shows is that we do not know what a rapist looks like; it could be anybody. In my story, two women go to the nation’s capitol on business. When they first meet an African American man they did not think that they needed to be careful as if they were in a dark alley.  He was a serial rapist. Most rapists are.  People do not know what a rapist looks like.

I like both reading and writing drama. I chose this particular subject to write about because I did not like the way that the media was so-called “protecting” perpetrator of rape by withholding their names. Yes, rape is a violation, but so is murder. The minute a murdered victim’s family is notified, then the name of the victim is released. Domestic violence crimes are just like any other crime. In Ungolden Silence readers can see where secrets were kept and it led to other problems. Yes, I want to entertain with drama, but I also want readers to think about the problem of rape, which is a part of domestic violence.

BPM: Do you ever let the book stew – leave it for months and then come back to it? 
My stories are from my daydreams and I guess you can say that they stew in my head until I put them on paper. I have many ideas in my head, but when I actually write them down, they may end up being something totally different, but will still represent the basic idea/concept. So, yes, a story must stew until everything is mixed in the pot and comes together to create a delicious literary feast.

BPM: Where do your book ideas come from? Are your books plot driven or character driven?  
As I mentioned earlier, my ideas come from my daydreams. My stories are my daydreams transformed into the written word. In order for me to create a good character I need to see the character. What I do is use the body of a person that I know or am familiar with. I then give them the personality I need them to have to fit the role in the story that I’m placing them in. When it comes to saying whether my books are plot driven or character driven, it’s hard to say. Perhaps a little bit of both. 

In Ungolden Silence, it’s definitely more plot driven because even though I wanted to create engaging and memorable characters, I did not want them their drama to overshadow the important subject matter of the story. It was a challenge to find that proper balance.

BPM: What separates this story from the millions of other books on the shelves? 
Society needs to change the way that is deals with the social taboo of rape.  Ungolden Silence is a novel that will leave the reader with many questions. It will also attempt to answer some of the questions that society asks but never seem to want the answers to. We must look at the history of how men have been allowed to treat women. It is important not to just know the information, it is important to act on it.

Ungolden Silence will illustrate that the criminal is a real person, and rarely do they commit crimes just for fun.
What makes Ungolden Silence different from the millions of other books out there, namely that deal with the issue of rape, is that it tells the story of rape and focuses on more than just the victim. There are many people affected by the crime, including the rapist and his family. Am I kidding? No. In a lot of cases the rapists are well respected. The novel is divided into four parts, The Silent Problem, The Aftermath, Hard to Come Forward, and Something to Consider. I specifically set out to break down all aspects of the issue, versus just the single one that most books about rape address.  The book is available in digital forms.

BPM: What topics are primarily discussed? Did you learn anything personal from writing your book? 
Ungolden Silence is about changing the way that society thinks about sexual abuse as well as the issue of protecting the name of sexual victims. In my opinion, we need to focus on the abuser and putting him or her away. Society hears the words “sexual abuse” and they start blaming the victim by asking what was she wearing or doing. We do not do this for any other crimes. For example: When a person is murdered, the name of the victim is given when the family is notified.  But when a person is sexually assaulted then it is said that the person needs privacy because he or she had been violated.  Hello, taking someone’s life is the ultimate violation. Society needs to understand that abuse of any kind is wrong. Ungolden Silence is an attempt to make society think about victims of rape and how other domestic crimes are treated.

BPM: Were there any challenges in bringing this story to life?
After I did the first draft of Ungolden Silence, I let a few people read it and the feedback was that I needed to do some research on domestic violence. I decided that each of the main characters should write an article for the magazine in which the characters work for. The story is fictional, however, the articles are real with true and factual information. The challenge was to write the articles from the point of view of that character. Writing novels and articles are two totally different animals. Articles are fact based, so of course, I had to get the facts of the subject matters my characters were writing about and weave it into a fiction story.

BPM: What are your goals as a writer? Do you set out to educate or inspire?
As a writer I think that a story has to incorporate a little bit of everything. It should educate, inspire and entertain. And at the end of the day, or should I say story, there should be an obvious message connected to a particular subject matter. Any story must grab the attention of the reader; that is part entertainment. A story can and needs to be both inspirational and educational. Who wants to close a book and be left feeling heavy and drained instead of uplifted or at least enlightened? That is what I think Ungolden Silence does.

BPM: What valuable lessons do you want readers to learn from your book?
It is my hope that while the reader will not only be entertained, they will begin to learn many things about the victim as well as the rapist or batter. Why does anyone stay with a person who abuses him or her? Why does an abuser say that it will never happen again but always does? The answer is never just that simple.

BPM: How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Readers can visit me at my website: www.ungoldensilence.com  or email me at leco@wt.net
I have a blog readers can subscribe to and follow:   www.lydiaebrew.wordpress.com
And, of course, they can reach out to me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Ungoldensilence

Purchase Ungolden Silence by Lydia E. Brew
Link: http://amzn.com/1425798918

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YA/NA Read: American Pool Player by Calvin W. Maxwell

American Pool Player
by Calvin W. Maxwell

Set in 1984, just as hip-hop culture was beginning to takeover the world, Grice “G-Man” Grafton is a teenager about to enter high school. He loves playing pool but is naive. His friendship with a streetwise kid causes Grice to accept a challenge from a ruthless thug called “Dragon” who is a notorious pool hustler. The days leading up to the match test not just Grice’s confidence as a pool player, but his very soul.

American Pool Player Chapter 1: The Game

My parents didn’t mind me playing pool every afternoon as long as my homework was always done and my grades didn’t meager. I think my parents were proud of the fact that I took such an effortless interest in a sport that didn’t have any remote possibility of concussions or broken bones. Besides, I really didn’t have much of an appetite for boxing gloves or shoulder pads. 

From the time I was 9 to 14 years-old, I would play 8-ball, 9-ball, or straight pool almost every day with Mr. Evans or his youngest son Roy or even sometimes my Dad would play when he didn’t have to work overtime. I studied the legends of the game, like Willie Mosconi, Minnesota Fats, Ralph Greenleaf, Jimmy Moore, Luther Lassiter, Steve Mizerak, and Mike Sigel. I wanted to absorb all I could about those who achieved prominence in the cue arts. I was particularly interested in any great black players. Were there any? Yes. 

His name was Cisero Murphy and he stood toe-to-toe with the best pool players of his era. He was a champion who played the game with intelligence, class and he never forgot where he came from. Other than my father and Mr. Evans, Cisero Murphy became one of my early boyhood heroes.

Amazon Customer Book Reviews

Reviewed by Heidi -American Pool Player is amazing and the writing style is fun and easy to follow. When you start reading it, you just want to continue in order to find out what happen next. The story reflects our everyday life and it shows the reader that learning one lesson does not mean that we actually learn everything in life. I recommend reading it.

Reviewed by Vera Dow -American Pool Player really made me reflect on my childhood and what it was like growing up in the 80s. And this book take a serious hard look at the issues then that mode many of us into who we are today. Very funny parts in the book too 🙂 GREAT READ!!!

Reviewed by SCP -Mr. Maxwell it’s a pleasure to endorse your book thank you for inspiring our youth, as you well know anything that will capture the attention of young minds is a true blessing and it appears you have an absolute WINNER here!

Reviewed by Book Lover -Calvin W. Maxwell is an inspiring author and paints a joyous picture of hope through his book “American Pool Player” I would reccommend this as a must read for any Christian today!

Reviewed by Jessica Miller-Greene -Awesome! Creatively written. Thank Mr.Maxwell for creating a character who is so realistic, and a story of faith and love.

Purchase American Pool Player  by Jr. Calvin W. Maxwell 
Printe  and  eBook Download Link: http://amzn.com/1622301412
Christian Hip Hop.  No profanity, drug use or sexual content. Mild violence.


About the Author
Calvin W. Maxwell, Jr. is a teacher and sports fan that lives in the Greater New York area. He writes to encourage and inspire young people.

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Intimate Conversation with Benilde Little

Intimate Conversation with Benilde Little

Benilde Little is the bestselling author of the novels Good Hair, The Itch, Acting Out and Who Does She Think She Is? She has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Essence, Jet, People Magazine, Heart and Soul, More magazine, among many others. She has had numerous media appearances including NPR, the Today Show, and Tavis Smiley.

The Go On Girl Book Club selected Good Hair as the best book of the year. Natalie Cole bought the film rights. Benilde’s writing has appeared in numerous anthologies, including Honey Hush and About Face. She was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award.

A former reporter for The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Star Ledger, People and senior editor at Essence, she has been a creative writing professor at Ramapo College. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey, with her husband, two children and dog.

BPM: You are known for your novels, Good Hair, The Itch, Who Does She Think She Is?, Acting Out, why nonfiction, why now?
It wasn’t a conscious, creative choice to write a non-fiction book. It was the place I was emotionally in, where this was all I could write. The feeling of hopelessness, grief and sadness was so all consuming that I had to get it out of me. I suppose I could’ve approached those feelings in a fictional form, but that never even occurred to me; wasn’t a thought. It was not the write format. Toni Morrison has said to write the book you want to read. I believe that, but I also know that this was a book I had to write and I did write it for me.

BPM: Welcome to My Breakdown, the title of your new book suggests a light tone, but the book is anything but. You write that when your mother died you weren’t sure how you would survive. Was it difficult for you to write about your depression? 
Sometimes, but not as much as one might imagine; I wrote this book in pieces, so sometimes when I was writing about it, I wasn’t consistently living with it. When I’d research other writers talking about their depression, William Styron and David Forster Wallace, in particular, but also Terrie Williams, in her book Black Pain (in which she writes about her own depression and others’), I felt less alone. Feeling less alone helped me to feel somewhat better. What was hard was re-reading the descriptions of that time. There were times when I’d scan it and other times when I’d cry and sometimes I could read it at a remove.

BPM: Do you think that this book might encourage candid conversations in all communities, but particularly the African American community about depression? 
That is my sincere hope. I think it will. It’s been said that the book is honest and bare and I think that will give some people permission to take a deep look at one’s self in an honest, and hopefully compassionate, way.

BPM: Clara Little is the beating heart of this book. What a remarkable woman your mother was, a loving, devoted mom, a wife, a political activist, community organizer, a feminist before the word had currency. What was it like to be the center of that much love and affection? 
You don’t know what you don’t know. I thought all mothers were like her. It wasn’t until I was in adolescence when I began spending lots of time at the homes of friends where I got to see other moms, who were very different than mine. I realized and appreciated her as an adult and especially when I became a mother and I could finally realize what sacrifices she made and what a difference in my life all that love and affection made. It’s why I could grow up in Newark and have the life I have now. Her expectation of my brothers and me was that we become productive, college educated citizens of the world. She’s why we didn’t become teenage parents or get addicted to drugs or crime. And we weren’t put in a bubble, either. The downside of all that intense love and affection is that I have a very high bar for what I expect love to feel like. It’s another reason my grief was so great–knowing that no one will ever love me like she did. It’s a somewhat hybrid blessing.

BPM: Clearly you and your husband are more affluent than you were growing up, you live in a wealthy suburb, and enjoy many material possessions that were beyond your parents’ reach. There are hints here that you are an old school, hands on mother like your mother was. Do you consider yourself the same kind of mother as your mother? What’s the same, what’s different? What’s your most important job as a mother in your view? 
To me the most important thing a mother can give her child is a solid sense of self. I’m not sure it’s possible to do this completely but if you can instill in your kids that they are good just the way they are, then they can do anything. They can be fulfilled, they can be secure and can find their purpose. I don’t think our parents were thinking much, if at all, about our psychological health. 

I think my mother was ahead of her time and she was very intuitive, but I know she wasn’t consciously thinking about it. She didn’t belittle us; she would never slap us in the face because she believed that was demeaning (although she did get that strap and put it on the butt). I’m similar in how I’ve raised my kids in terms of being fiercely in their corner, advocating for them, loving them fiercely, but no spanking. I believe that that diminishes them and it’s not effective. I don’t want to rule from a place of fear. I think if they respect you, they want to please you. This is not to say that they won’t mess up and that they won’t do things that hurt and disappoint you, but ultimately disappointing a good parent is not something a child will want to do. When I got older, college age probably, it was hell to me to disappoint my mother. I see a lot of that in my daughter. It’s there with my son, but buried, I think because he’s a teenager. I believe in punishment for bad behavior. Like my mother, I hate lying and go nuts when my kids have.

BPM: Readers will welcome your candor about dating, marriage, family, and children. You are in a long marriage with a child in college and another in middle school. Can you tell us succinctly how the dream of having it all, like your character Alice in Good Hair reconciles with the reality of family, marriage, and children? 
Well, what I know for sure is that there is no such thing. There have been tradeoffs. I began writing fiction shortly after we got married in anticipation of having children and wanting to be home with them. I began a career I could have and still be home with my kids. I quit my job at Essence because, for me, it was too demanding to do and be the kind of mother I wanted to be. I don’t know if I’d make the same decision today, but that’s what I was thinking at the time. There’s no easy, right answer. You give up your job, you give up part of an income, which impacts your lifestyle, which can impact your relationship. I don’t know if one ever truly reconciles. You might be able to “have it all,” but not at the same time.

BPM: We lose our parent, that’s an inescapable truth. Is there anything about the grieving process that you can share with others to help them through grief? 
Give yourself time. There’s no one-way to grieve and there’s no time limit. There are those stages: shock, denial, anger, bargaining, guilt, sadness, acceptance. Those things can show up in different order or you may not experience each one. For me, I felt like I didn’t have a choice. It was a wave that simply knocked me down and I was in an undertow. The best was to recover in an undertow is to give in to it. I gave over to it. Now, I didn’t have a job in an office where a boss was expecting me to perform everyday. For people who have to get back to work, I would still advise them to give the grieving process as much time as you need. Do your work and go home and give yourself permission to feel like crap, to cry, to rail, all of it.

BPM: In the end, would you say that there was anything beneficial or redeeming about your depression? 
It made me more compassionate, less arrogant, but also less tolerant of people who sit on the sidelines of their feelings. It helped me get clear about who I wanted in my life. I got in touch with my need for gentleness, gentle people who are also willing to be vulnerable and real. I’m no longer close to people who are disconnected from their feelings, because they can’t truly be aware of others.

BPM: What’s the takeaway? What do you want people to get, to do?
To take off the mask. I look forward to having honest conversations about some of the topics in the book, grief, motherhood—staying home/having a career, depression, mid-life, perfection pressure. So much of what we do in this culture is to soothe our wounds: we buy too much, eat too much, and drink too much. Don’t get me wrong, doing the work, looking at one’s self and examining all those warts is not easy. But I believe, in the long run, it’s the only option.

The epigram I used in Good Hair says this beautifully: “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will destroy you.”—Jesus. The Gospel of Thomas

Order Welcome to My Breakdown: A Memoir by Benilde Little
http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-My-Breakdown-A-Memoir/dp/1476751951
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Welcome-to-My-Breakdown/Benilde-Little/9781476751955

 

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Intimate Conversation with Kimberla Lawson Roby

Intimate Conversation with Kimberla Lawson Roby

New York Times Bestselling Author Kimberla Lawson Roby has published 20 novels which include A CHIRSTIMAS PRAYER, THE PRODIGAL SON, A HOUSE DIVIDED, THE PERFECT MARRIAGE, THE REVEREND’S WIFE, SECRET OBSESSION, LOVE, HONOR, and BETRAY, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR, A DEEP DARK SECRET, THE BEST OF EVERYTHING, ONE IN A MILLION, SIN NO MORE, LOVE & LIES, CHANGING FACES, THE BEST-KEPT SECRET, TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING, A TASTE OF REALITY, IT’S A THIN LINE, CASTING THE FIRST STONE, HERE AND NOW, and her debut title, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, which was originally self-published through her own company, Lenox Press.

Kimberla has sold more than 2,000,000 copies of her novels, and they have frequented numerous bestseller lists, including The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, Essence Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Emerge Magazine, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, The Dallas Morning News, and The Austin Chronicle to name a few, and both BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and CASTING THE FIRST STONE were #1 Blackboard bestsellers for four consecutive months in both 1997 and 2000. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS was the #1 Blackboard Best-selling book for paperback fiction in 1997.

Kimberla is a 2014 NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction, the 2013 NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction, the recipient of the 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 Author of the Year – Female award presented by the African-American Literary Award Show in New York, the recipient of the 2014 Black Pearls Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award, the recipient of the 2014 AAMBC Award for Female Author of the Year, the recipient of the Blackboard Fiction Book of the Year Award in 2001 for CASTING THE FIRST STONE, the recipient of the 1998 First-Time Author Award from Chicago’s Black History Month Book Fair and Conference, and in 2001, Kimberla was inducted into the Rock Valley College Alumni Hall of Fame (Rockford, IL).

Each of Kimberla’s novels deal with very real issues, including corruption within the church, drug addiction, gambling addiction, infidelity, social status, single motherhood, infertility, sibling rivalry and jealousy, domestic violence, sexual abuse, mental illness, care-giving of a parent, racial and gender discrimination in the workplace, sexual harassment, and overweight issues to name a few.

Kimberla resides in Illinois with her husband, Will. Her 22nd title, THE ULTIMATE BETRAYALwas released June 9, 2015.

BPM: Share with us your personal journey into publishing. Was this a fun time in your life?
Writing was not a lifelong dream of mine, however, back in April 1995 I sat down and began writing my debut novel, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. It took me about seven months to complete, and I then began querying literary agents in search for representation. I was rejected by all of them. Finally, I submitted query letters directly to editors at publishing houses and received rejection letters from them as well. This is when my husband suggested that I start my own company to self-publish my book, and I did. My mom kept telling me not to give up also. As it turned out, I learned a wealth of important and very helpful information about the business of publishing, and I sold just over 10,000 copies within the first 6 months of publication. This was truly a fun and exciting time in my life.

BPM: How did you get to be where you are in your life today? Who or what motivated you?
My mother and my maternal grandmother were two of the kindest and wisest women I have ever known, and they began instilling a certain level of Christian and family values and wisdom in me from the time I was a small girl. Even after all the rejections, my mom told me I shouldn’t give up (I miss her tremendously), and my husband continues to be my biggest encourager and supporter as well.

BPM: Who does your body of literary work speak to? Do you consider authors as role models?
I believe my literary work speaks to everyone in one way or another. I write about real-life social issues that can and do affect all human beings. Corruption within the church, infidelity, domestic violence, drug addiction, gambling addiction, adult sibling rivalry, care-giving of a terminally-ill parent, childhood sexual abuse, racial and gender discrimination in the workplace, social status, overweight issues, and the list goes on. There is also always some level of redemption and forgiveness in every single book I write. I don’t consider myself to be a role model per se, but if someone does in fact view me in that manner, my prayer is that I am able to represent myself well, particularly to young people.

BPM: Could you tell us something about your most recent work?
The latest novel is titled The Ultimate Betrayal, which is my 22nd book and the 12th title in my Reverend Curtis Black Series. It will be released, Tuesday, June 9, 2015. It’s been four years since twenty-eight-year old Alicia Black, daughter of Reverend Curtis Black, divorced her second husband, the most womanizing and corrupt man she has ever known. Since then, Alicia has been dating her first husband, Phillip Sullivan, a wonderfully kind and true man of God whom she’d hurt terribly by cheating on him. Alicia has worked hard to prove herself worthy of his trust once more, and when he asks her to marry him again, she couldn’t be happier.

But Levi Cunningham, the drug dealer Alicia had an extramarital affair with, has just been released from prison, and he has completely turned his life around for the better. Still head-over-heels in love with Alicia, he will do whatever is necessary to win her back.

Remarrying Phillip is the one thing Alicia has wanted for years, but she can’t get Levi out of her mind. Alicia and Phillip aren’t the only ones in the middle of a crisis. Their best friends, husband and wife Brad and Melanie Richardson, are struggling to keep their marriage together.

Workaholic Brad is never home and has begun losing thousands on bad investments. Or so he says. Melanie, who is certain there’s more to the story, is determined to get at the truth. At the same time, her frustration and stress cause her to eat a lot less, and she behaves in an extreme fashion. Alicia worries that she could be suffering from anorexia, but Melanie steadfastly denies it. Their friendship begins to suffer, and it isn’t long before they’re talking to each other like enemies.

Fresh betrayal leads to consequences no one saw coming, and Alicia’s relationship with Phillip might not be the only thing that needs saving. But is it already too late?

BPM: Where do your book ideas come from?
With every book I write, I first decide which social issue I’m really feeling passionate about at the time and then I create my characters around it. From there, I outline the story.

BPM: Are your books plot-driven or character-driven? Why?
My books can tend to be both, depending on which title. What I hear most often than not, though, from the majority of my readers is that they can always relate to both my characters and the overall storyline.

BPM: Are there under-represented groups or ideas featured in your books? If so, discuss them.
In many of my books, there are. One example, is my novella, A DEEP DARK SECRET where I wrote about a 12-year-old girl who was being sexually molested by her stepfather who was an upstanding deacon in the church. She was suffering in silence and so are millions of children in this country who never tell anyone what’s happening to them.

BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?Readers can visit my web site, http://www.kimroby.com. or visit me through social media at www.facebook.com/kimberlalawsonroby  or  www.twitter.com/KimberlaLRoby 


Purchase The Ultimate Betrayal by Kimberla Lawson Roby
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1455559563/kimlawroby-20

 

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Intimate Conversation with RM Johnson

Intimate Conversation with RM Johnson

RM Johnson is the author of twenty-two novels to include, The Harris Men, The Million Dollar Divorce, the Hate the Air Series (NA), My Wife’s Lover and My Wife’s Baby.  He holds an MFA in creative writing, is the recipient of the African American Arts Alliance Award among many others, and he resides in Atlanta, GA. 

BPM: How did you get to be where you are in your life today? Who or what motivated you?
It took hard work, dedication and sacrifice. Although that sounds like a generic answer, it is true. As a novelist, you alone, do all the work. As another writer said, “There’s no one to throw the ball back to you.” You must be dedicated; writing a novel is not a sprint, but a marathon. It can take quite a long time to write a great one, equally as long to pen one that is horrible. Both are accomplishments, but you can’t finish either unless you stick to it. Referring to success: it likely won’t come without sacrifice. I have an undergraduate degree in science. I left a lucrative career in the medical field to pursue my passion for writing. As any artist will attest, there are as many valleys—if not more—as peaks, but many of chose this: to sacrifice a normal life for that of an artist’s, not for the money, but because we feel this is why we’ve been put on this earth.

BPM: Who does your body of literary work speak to? Do you consider authors as role models? 
My work speaks to Black folks: men and women, married and single, young and old, fatherless and motherless, divorced, deceived and cheated on, poor and affluent. My work speaks to readers who want relevant, heartfelt, relatable and suspenseful fiction. In regard to authors being role models, I’d say only if one wants to be a writer oneself, then authors might be seen as inspirational. Aside from that, I’d say no; authors should not be seen as role models, because many of us can be pretty screwy in the head.

BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing this book? Why now?
Five years ago, a 44 year-old, good friend told me how disappointed he was with the turn his new marriage had taken. During their one-year marriage, he and his wife traveled, partied, drank and loved more than couples half their age. When they had their first child, he noticed a shift in the attention he was getting. It was a hard adjustment for him to make, and although he didn’t say he was, I detected a jealous tone in his voice. I felt there was an intriguing story there: man becomes envious of his newborn son, and does whatever he must to revert things back to the way he preferred them. I decided to write this book when I did, because, for the past several months, I’ve been working on a dystopian novel: Hate the Air, and I needed a break from the heavy lifting of that book, to something a little lighter, more familiar to me.

BPM: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I loved writing this book. Like I said, I’ve been working on something far less familiar to me—something that required a lot of research. “My Wife’s Baby: I Am Not A Murderer” is right in my wheelhouse—my comfort zone. If you’ve ever read “The Million Dollar Divorce” or “Bishop”, you know that I often write about unsettling family situations and the toll taken every day, just to exist in them. This book is first person, from my main character, Stan’s POV, so the reader is right there in his head, experiencing his every thought as he grapples with his unwanted, jealous feelings toward his son.

BPM: Where do your book ideas come from? Are your books plot-driven or character-driven? Why?
The idea for the current novel, like I said, came from a friend. My novels are definitely character driven. I love the conflict, the havoc, the destruction caused by differing opinions: each character believing he or she is right, attempting to impress their beliefs upon the other. It creates the potential for great drama.

BPM: Could you tell us something about your most recent work? Available on Nook and Kindle?
“My Wife’s Baby and My Wife’s Lover” are available on Nook and Kindle and in paperback on Amazon.com. The premise: Stan doesn’t want children and marries a woman who says she feels the same. They have a great year of marriage, childless and obligation-free, traveling and over indulging in each other, when Erica winds up pregnant. To Stan’s dismay, she decides to have the baby. After the baby arrives, she spends almost all her time with the infant, neglecting Stan, and forcing him to take the drastic and unthinkable measure of eliminating the issue he believes is stealing his wife from him.

BPM: Give us some insight into your main characters or speakers. What makes each one so special? 
I like to put my main characters in positions where, the result of them not accomplishing their goal is equivalent to the worst fate imaginable. In other words: if they fail, they die—or they will feel as though they’d want to. So when I write a character that feels he or she must succeed at all costs, they let nothing stand in their way, making them desperate. Those, in my opinion, are the most interesting characters to read.

BPM: Are there under-represented groups or ideas featured in your book? If so, discuss them.
What’s notable in this book are the intimate, emotional, non-fantastical struggles that Black men contend with everyday. It’s not about a kingpin drug dealer, or a cheating minister, or a thug that sleeps with his team of prostitutes. “My Wife’s Baby: I Am Not A Murderer”, is just an extremely intense look inside the thoughts of a Black man when faced with the notion he might lose the woman he loves most in this world.

BPM: How does your book relate to your present situation, spiritual practice or journey?
It really doesn’t. I don’t have an infant child. I’ve never experienced the jealousy, Stan, my main character, has. But men very close to me have. I’ve seen marriages fall apart because—with the addition of the baby—couples seemingly forget how to function as they had before: they forget what brought them together, what made them happy, and in some instances—not all—the mother puts the wellbeing of the baby so far ahead of the father that he feels he no longer has a place in the mother’s life.

BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing your book? 
I think I’m learning more from the reader responses to the book than from the actual writing of it. This is a controversial piece of work: there is subject matter here that some people would rather not address, and issues that provoke people to think about how they relate to their most significant other and their infant. I think the female reader—if nothing else—will be forced to ask herself if she might’ve neglected her husband while caring for her newborn, or the male reader may question if he was understanding enough of the mother’s responsibilities, and was not needlessly envious of his own child during this period.

BPM: Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
I met a woman with two children, both over the age of 18. When I asked her what her situation was like soon after she had given birth, she told me that she spent most of her time with her newborn: some days she spent as many as fourteen hours alone with the child. This time would be spent away from her husband, because she was so engrossed in the care of the infant. What was most intriguing was that she was shocked at the idea that she had done something wrong. She did say that her husband was gone a lot during this period; she did not relate it to the possibility that she might have been shutting him out, just thought his job had suddenly become more demanding. She said, looking back, if she had considered the possibility that her husband might have been envious of the time and attention not given him, she might’ve made more of an attempt to him include him more.

BPM: What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them? 
The most major intention of this book was to shed light on the possibility that some men might find themselves jealous of their own children and enlighten mothers that this envy is real, and although they feel—as one mother told me—that men should be just as excited and wanting to spend every minute of the day with the new baby, that is not always the case. Not to say that fathers don’t love their children as much as mothers do, but when the baby arrives, we have not had the opportunity to bond with the infant. We have not carried the baby for nine months, so we might need more time to build a relationship with the infant.

Do I feel I achieved my goal in the writing of this novel? I’m not certain. I think the novel will incite some serious discussion and maybe a few arguments, but I also believe, those of you who read it, will find it intriguing, disturbing, suspenseful and very enjoyable—which is always my ultimate goal.

BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
“Hate The Air” is about all human beings over the age of twenty years old dying, due to something in the air. Left alive are young adults to fend and fight for themselves, to run the country and to solve the problems of ensuring humanity does not die. It was inspired by the often self indulgent and over confident opinions of kids today believing they could do a much better job running the world than their elders. It will be an ongoing series, but I haven’t determined just how many books there will be.

BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?  
My readers can always contact me directly via email: RMNovels@yahoo.com, Twitter: @Marcusarts and on Facebook at: Facebook.com/RMNovels

Purchase My Wife’s Lover by RM Johnson (Book 2)
Link: http://amzn.com/B00ZAD8WR0 

Purchase My Wife’s Baby by RM Johnson (Book 1)
Link: http://amzn.com/B00P3CHSWI 

Purchase Hate the Air: The Abbreviated Life of Shea Kennedy
Link: http://amzn.com/B00WQ3M9AI
New Adult/Urban Fiction by RM Johnson
Post-Apocalyptic Fiction; Dystopian Fiction; Suspense; Mystery; Romance

 

 

 

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