ABOUT THE BOOK

Kevin Kennard gazed into the precious face of his newborn son, the offspring of the intoxicating love he shared with his wife, Simone. Closing his eyes, Kevin whispered a prayer of thanks. Life had given him a second chance at happiness far greater than anything he’d fathomed from inside the concrete walls of his prison cell. While Kevin and Simone bask in their familial bliss, those scorned by their union collect the pieces to their shattered hearts and plot the couple’s demise. Darkness hovers the Kennards when their newborn baby becomes the target for revenge. A tidal wave of fatal events stifles the sanctity Kevin and Simone have come to cherish. Kevin had promised those he loved that his gun-toting days were a thing of the past. But with nothing else to live for, he journeys to find the person responsible for the devastation reeked in his world. Someone will pay for what they’ve done to his family, even if it cost Kevin his own life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After an impeccable, award winning career in real estate, Traci Bee decided it was time to acknowledge a yearning that had shadowed her from childhood. An avid reader and lover of creative writing, Traci decided it was time to pen the novel that had dwelled inside of her for over 20 years. In September of 2007, “Two Tears in a Bucket” was born. A compelling story of raw love amidst the harsh realities of urban life, the novel won Traci two awards. Excited about the novel’s potential, Traci decided to take a vacation from the world of real estate to focus on promoting her novel. But life had other plans for Traci as a life altering storm brewed in her horizons. Three years later, Traci’s back and her passion remains unwavering. She started King George Publishing, LLC – a publishing company named in honor of her daddy angel, George. TWO TEARS IN A BUCKET, ANOTHER TEAR and A NICKEL FOR A KISS are just a few of the titles in her arsenal.

MORE INFO:

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/Another-Tear-Traci-Bee/dp/0979179521
Website: http://www.tracibee.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authortracibee
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AuthorTraciBee

The Family
Mallory Haulm has finally carved his place in the Family Business, but his arched nemesis and eldest brother wants him out. With each plot Marc devises, Mallory manages to dodge the bullets. However, with family members turning their backs and betraying Mallory’s trust, Marc’s last plot might be successful.

The Son of God
Since his return to Heaven, Matthew is not happy. He is hell bent on coming back to Earth and reclaiming rightful possession. He will not let anything stand in the way, not even his identity as “The Second Coming.” In his quest to succeed, will he go as far as starting a little fight called Armageddon?

And The Holy Hell Raiser
Silas Xavier Luxapher – a new comer to the scene but not new to the game. With all the distractions of his Million-Man Campaign, raising his Family and running the Empire, Silas’ eyes are set on a new possession. He does not take “NO” for an answer; HE TAKES IT ALL!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TL James graduated with an MBA from LeTourneau University. At LETU, James cultivated an interest in biblical studies and research.

James developed the family drama storyline, (The MPire trilogy) that showcases her love of research, biblical studies and literary classics (i.e., Chaucer, Shakespeare and Mythology).

TL James currently resides in Houston, Texas with her son and immediate family.

MORE INFO

Purchase Link / TL’s Website / TL on Facebook

The Stalker Chronicles by Electa Rome Parks
ISBN-10: 1601623348
ISBN-13: 978-1601623348

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She’s back, and this time it’s all about revenge.

Tall, dark, and handsome bestselling male author Xavier Preston thought his nightmare — in the form of Pilar, a fanatical stalker/fan — had finally ended. Little does he know it’s only beginning.

In Mrs. Black? Cinnamon Brown finally divorced her husband, William Brown, who had flagrantly disrespected their vows for decades. Cinnamon, however is not without sin, she had an affair with Malcolm Black and was set to become his wife. Does Cinnamon and Black get married? And if they do marry will they be able to withstand their comeuppance, because one must always pay for their transgressions. Not only that what could possibly occur if politics enter the already volatile mix?

To find out, delve into the pages of The Blacks: LOVE’S POLITICS – New Beginnings and find out. You will not be disappointed as Angelia Vernon Menchan plunges you into a story filled with love, family, retribution, revenge, politics, and ultimately love.

AUTHOR BIO:
Angelia Vernon Menchan considers writing to be the elixir of her soul. Since learning penmanship at age four, most days have found her jotting down thoughts in a notebook. After decades of journal-keeping she decided to try her hand at writing and publishing books, from which was born her small publishing company, M.A.m.m. Productions through which she publishes her own books that she has coined, ‘Fictionalized Truths, Ageless Fiction and Ramblings.’

STAY CONNECTED:
http://angeliamenchan.com
http://facebook.com/angeliam
http://twitter.com/angelmenchan

We are kicking things off today at Noon EST with two of our author favorites, ReShonda Tate Billingsley & Victoria Christopher Murray.   RAWSISTAZ has selected their upcoming book SINNERS & SAINTS as our January 2012 Book of the Month, so today we wanted to give a little sneak peek into the book, the collaboration between the ladies and of course let you pick a team.  Rachel or Jasmine??  You’ll also have an opportunity to win a copy of the book (release date January 10th) before it is officially released and Team Jasmine or Team Rachel t-shirt are up for grabs!

Stay tuned for the Team Jasmine & Team Rachel poll which we’ll post later in the month.  And mark your calendars because the actual book discussion with our online & local chapters (and all fans of Rachel & Jasmine) will be January 31st.

Victoria Christopher Murray has made Jasmine Cox Larson Bush infamous four times over with A Sin and a Shame (2006); Lady Jasmine (2009); Too Little, Too Late (2008) and Sins of the Mother (2010).

ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s Rachel Jackson Adams has frustrated and charmed readers in Let the Church Say Amen (2004); Everybody Say Amen (2009) and Say Amen, Again (2011).

Now for the first time, bestselling, award-winning authors Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley, bring their favorite heroines together in SINNERS & SAINTS: A Novel  (Touchstone Books / A Simon & Schuster Trade Paperback; January 10, 2012; $15.00; ISBN: 978-1-4516-0815-1) which is bound to delight their fans.

ABOUT THE BOOK

SINNERS & SAINTS: A Novel by Victoria Christopher Murray & ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Touchstone Trade Paperback Original / Simon & Schuster
On Sale: January 10, 2012
Price: $15.00 | Pre-Order the Book | Get the Kindle Version
ISBN-10: 1-4516-0815-2 / ISBN-13: 978-1-4516-0815-1

SINNERS & SAINTS is the first novel of a two book deal with book two releasing in January 2013.  Murray’s next solo project, Destiny’s Diva’s, releases in June 2012.  Secret She Kept will be released by ReShonda in July 2012.

Victoria Christopher Murray’s Jasmine Cox Larson Bush and ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s Rachel Jackson Adams are not your typical First Ladies. But they’ve overcome their scandalous and drama-filled pasts to stand firmly by their husbands’ sides.

But when a coveted position opens up—the President of the National Baptist Association—each woman thinks her husband is perfect for the job.  As Jasmine and Rachel’s husbands are both nominated, the scheming begins and both women are back to their old ways. With their husbands as President, they will have more power, prestige, and money than they could have ever dreamed! The competition is on and both will do anything and everything in their power to get their husbands’ the job.   It becomes a battle of the First Ladies as these women try to one-up each other.

Just when Jasmine and Rachel think they’re going to have to fight to the finish, the current First Lady of the National Baptist Association steps in…a woman bigger, badder, and more devious than either of them. The women have finally met their match, but the conspiracy behind the position runs deeper than either Jasmine or Rachel could have imagined.

Double the fun, with a message of faith, SINNERS & SAINTS will delight readers with two of their favorite characters from two of their favorite authors—Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley—it’s a match made in heaven.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

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

ReShonda Tate Billingsley is an award winning former television and radio reporter, as well as the author of twenty-one books which have appeared on the Essence bestseller list more than twenty times. She is married with three small children and lives in Texas. Visit ReShonda at www.reshondatatebillingsley.com.

For more information on SINNERS & SAINTS please visit:

www.sinnersandsaintsbook.com and www.simonandschuster.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author Chris Shella is a graduate of Morehouse College and the University of Texas Law School and started his legal career in Long Island, New York at the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office. He is admitted to the practice of law in New York, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and North Carolina. Shella is also admitted to the federal court in the Eastern District of North Carolina, the Middle District of North Carolina, U.S. District of Columbia, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, the Eastern District of New York, and the Southern District of New York.He is also admitted to the Bar Of The United States Supreme Court. He and his cases have been covered on Court TV, CNN, and in the New York Times, and other media outlets across the globe. He has represented everyone from lawyers to major drug traffickers to a serial killer in Baltimore. His two most famous case are the Vegan Baby Case and his defense of the Duke Lacrosse Case accuser for the alleged murder of her boyfriend. Chris now resides in Durham, North Carolina with his wife and son. Chris still actively represents clients up and down the East Coast.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Can Jasper Davis pull himself from his life of loose women, liquor, and general debauchery in enough time to win a murder case and possibly save his own hide? Jasper Davis is a criminal trial lawyer in Baltimore who has slowly but surely become like the drug dealers and lowlifes he represents. He spends more time with hookers than clients and more time drinking Jack Daniels than studying the law books. Simply put, he is a shade of his former self.

In Reasonable Facsimile, Jasper is in the middle of a first degree murder trial when he becomes the suspect in the murder of a DEA agent who was set to testify against his client. Jasper is so far gone on women and liquor he sees his trial skills deteriorate right before his eyes. Jasper is confronted by the situation. Is he gonna continue to be a reasonable facsimile of a human being or is he gonna become the man he once was?

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Website:  http://www.reasonablefacs.com
Purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Reasonable-Facsimile-3-Chris-Shella

PHENOMENALLY ME is a carefully crafted blend of classical and modern influences, feminism and post feminism. There is a strong sense of confidence and pure honesty felt from the very beginning all the way to the very end. The reader can feel the pulse of passion on every page. Phenomenally Me is a book that dares you to explore life mentally and emotionally and is a strikingly bold adventure through a woman’s heart, mind, and soul.  It would be a welcome addition to an update of the Ras Baraka and Kevin Powell anthology, IN THE TRADITION.

PHENOMENALLY ME is new wine in new bottles, and Sarah J. Heidelberg is a right poet for the New Millennium worthy of her icons, which include Jessica Care Moore, Alice Walker, Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, and Sylvia Plath.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Heidelberg, born in Kansas, is a carefree spirit with many words flowing from her mind and heart. She’s been through many trials and tribulations and experienced losses, but they have only made her stronger. She doesn´t just write about the trials, she writes about conquering and emerging triumphant. Sarah, 29, graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi (2005) with a degree in English. She followed with a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science (2010).

STAY CONNECTED

Website: http://www.authorsden.com/sarahjheidelberg
Twitter: http://twitter.com/southernpoetess

“Possession is nine-tenths of the law, and the other tenth is being able to whip your opponent’s ass” was the motto of Trust Nyarai.   It was hard to take shit from a Nyarai woman.  The swamps were littered with those who had tried.  A badass chopper-riding, machete-wielding woman, Trust was good at three things: slinging hash, separating assholes from their entrails, and protecting her family.

Bad tempered on his best day, Thamesis Ceanncath was lethal.  His prowess in battle had earned him a fearsome reputation…and banishment from his native Scotland and pretty much the rest of the world.  Stuck in Georgia, he’d taken up new hobbies: riding choppers and enjoying Southern cuisine.  And then Trust rode into town.  Jealous of the jeans that had the privilege of cupping her ass, he wasn’t prepared for her…on any level but that didn’t stop him from wanting her.

Thus began their relationship…as far as he was concerned.  He decided he wanted her the moment he witnessed her handling her weapon.  He decided he was going to keep her the moment she responded to his threat with one of her own.  She may not have mouthed it, but she yelled it with her eyes.  Later, when they’d had some alone time, she reiterated it with her beautiful, tempting mouth.

Yeah, she was his.  Now all he had to do was convince her…and the rest of Mid NFW, who’d taken a liking to the spirited woman.  No one was making it easy for him.  Instead of getting angry, he simply grew harder and more determined.  Not a man to back down from a fight, he wasn’t going to start now.   Lord help them all.

AUTHORS’ BIO

A kickass tag-team bound together by the pen, Jeanie (the shagalicious wordslinger) and Jayha (the ninja master of h*ll no’s) are forces of nature that will either leave you begging for mercy or begging for more.

We are women who have brains we aren’t afraid to use; feelings we aren’t afraid to express; and, middle fingers that we aren’t afraid to extend.  We pen stories that push all kinds of boundaries and we don’t apologize for it.  Our heroines are feisty; our heroes are hot, and our stories are one-of-a-kind adventures.

STAY CONNECTED

Purchase Link: https://beautifultroublepublishing.com/xcart/In-Love-and-Trust-EBOOK.html

Website: http://www.jeanieandjayha.com/

Facebook Page:  http://www.facebook.com/jeanieandjayha

Twitter Address:  http://twitter.com/#!/jeanieandjayha

Don’t touch the hot Italian was a mantra Gina Robinson had spent the last ten years repeating to herself about her best friend, Nick Da Canaveze. She had to repeat it often, as Nick was hot beyond all reason.

Everyone knew how Nick felt about Gina…except for Gina. Ten years was a long time to wait for the girl you love to get a clue, especially when it only took him a month to realise he wanted to worship at the altar of her body every day for the rest of his life. Gina wasn’t just good for him, she was perfect for him. He’d spent many nights imagining if her beautiful chocolate skin taste as good as it looked and if she’d moan his name or scream it when he brought her to climax?

Once he got around the whole platonic-friendship nonsense that had up to now categorized their relationship, Nick vowed to get around to teaching her new phrases like Harder, Soprano!, Deeper, Soprano!, You’re going to make me break the sound barrier when I scream out your name, Soprano!

AUTHOR’S BIO

Ah, poor Billy. The only girl between two boys who each have nearly a foot on her. Didn’t stop her from starting physical fights with them. She still thinks she can take them. So while she used to hide away in her wardrobe to read a book or four, she started to question why the heroines in those books would just lie there and take it. No, not just sex, but downright James-Bond-backhand-slapping, do-as-you’re-told-woman, inappropriate lie there and take it.

She couldn’t understand it. These women were just playing that mental woman from Coming to America, Miss “Whatever You Like” who barked like a dog and hopped on one foot. Billy didn’t want to do that. Definitely not because one empty-headed fool with different anatomy told her to. So she started to create characters and worlds where the women could own their sexuality, their intelligence, their right to turn around and say “jog on, mate” without apology.

The small problem was that other people wanted to read what she was had written. “Er…why?” didn’t cut it as an answer. After years of prodding and pleading and come on and for goodness’ sake, what’s the point otherwise, she closed her eyes and pressed “submit.” Actually, she had Prosecco, limencello and white wine, then pressed “submit.” Who would have thought people would actually enjoy reading about the crazy characters who live in her head? But they have done, and Billy feels rather proud of that connection with her fellow man.

Billy lives in London with the most patient family in the world and doesn’t forget for a minute how lucky she is. Well, she wouldn’t mind a BBC adaptation of one of her novels… Ooh, with Richard Armitage!

STAY CONNECTED

Purchase Link: https://beautifultroublepublishing.com/xcart/Windows-EBOOK.html

Website: http://sobillysaysshesays.blogspot.com/

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Billy-London/191934367497027

Twitter Address: http://twitter.com/#!/@SoBillysays

What does it mean to have the life you want? To wake up and live to your full potential and never question what has been put in your path. Leland Jacobs felt he had that life. He was part of the perfect Pack run by the perfect Alphas, neat and orderly—just the way he liked it. Then tragedy comes to call one day, and Leland finds his world turned upside down.

What does it mean to live your life by the dictates of others? To wake up and know that you have only reached a fraction of your potential and question what has been put in your path. Morgaine Emrys had that life, and she longed for the day when it would be over. Then a miracle comes to call one day, and Morgaine finds her world turned upside down.

Leland and Morgaine are two individuals traveling on different paths—until there is only one. Will they continue hand-in-hand…or will they decide that their journeys are best taken alone?

AUTHOR’S BIO

Like most great superheroes (or super-villains, depending on who’s telling the story) Janet Eckford lives a double life. By day Janet is a mild-mannered crusader for justice (or nefarious deeds, depending on who’s telling the story) and by night an indestructible creator of prose (or pathological liar, depending on who’s telling the story) while munching on her favorite cookies—oatmeal raisin. A native West Coaster who hails from the sunny state of California Janet, has loved the romance genre ever since she convinced her dad it was required reading when she was eleven. Janet believes love shouldn’t have a color code and strives to create stories that represent that belief. Send her your praise and adoration and she will return it in kind.

STAY CONNECTED

Buy A Copy: https://beautifultroublepublishing.com/xcart/Time-for-You-and-Time-for-Me-EBOOK.html

Website: http://janeteckford.blogspot.com

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/people/Janet-Eckford/100001718532289

Twitter Address: http://twitter.com/#!/JanetEckford

In the waning days of Indian Territory, the multi-racial, teenaged Rufus Buck Gang embarked on a vicious, childish, and deadly 13-day rampage that shocked even this lawless land. Based on the true story, this is a tale of how real-life figures “Hanging Judge” Isaac C. Parker, notorious half-black, half-Indian outlaw Cherokee Bill, one-quarter Cherokee “gentlemen bandit” Henry Starr, relative of the notorious Belle Starr, and the worst of them all, the teenaged Buck, collided during the summer of 1895. In lawless Indian Territory the end of an era approached. The U.S. government continued to co-opt Indian land for settlement. Judge Isaac C. Parker’s judicial tyranny over 74,000 square miles of Indian Territory was coming to an end.

Against this background, the teenaged Rufus Buck Gang embarked on their mad quest to reclaim Indian lands from US settlement. Rufus is guided by a sense of religious mission, by heavenly visions made manifest in the form of the extraordinary, 13 year-old Theodosia Swain. With his angel to guide him, he sets out to do the impossible with a missionary’s zeal, a child’s anticipation, and a grown man’s violence. In “I Dreamt I Was in Heaven,” famous, historical figures dance with fictional characters to create a turn-of-the-century tapestry of violence and innocence, love and betrayal, butchery and grace–mirroring and chafing against the backdrop of a burgeoning United States, and a disappearing American West.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Raised in New Orleans, Washington D.C., Germany, Missouri, Maryland and elsewhere, Leonce Gaiter is the quintessential army brat—rootless, restive, and disagreeable. He began writing in grade school and continued the habit through his graduation from Harvard. He moved to Los Angeles and put his disagreeability to work in the creative and business ends of the film and music industries. His nonfiction writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Times, LA Weekly, NY Newsday, The Washington Post, Salon, and in national syndication. His short fiction has appeared in the literary magazine Archipelago. His thriller “Bourbon Street” was published by Carroll & Graf in 2005. His historical novel, “I Dreamt I Was in Heaven – The Rampage of the Rufus Buck Gang” is from Legba Books, September 2011. He currently lives in Northern California.

Website: http://www.buckrampage.com

“She passed a hard candy over her shoulder as though whatever was in the tiny wrapper was supposed to make it all better. I clutched the peppermint in my hand and buried my face in the hard leather seat while she explained what was going to happen to me. She promised that I’d be safe from then on.”

And so begins the journey of Naomi, whose amazing story picks up where the past and future intersect. As Naomi struggles to hide the ugly physical and emotional reminders of yesterday that insist on haunting her dreams, she crosses paths with a young boy, Xavier and his quick-tempered mother, Mona, who both share an interesting story much like her own.

Running from Solace is an emotional tale that will send you catapulting on a breathless journey beyond breaking points and will finally lead you to believe in the power of accepting what is to be.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nakia R. Laushaul was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and now resides in Houston, Texas with her teenage son. She is a poet, novelist, and entrepreneur. She spends her free time writing and enjoying her family. Nakia is the author of two works, Running from Solace, a novel and The Truth As I See It: In Poetry & Prose. She is now working on her third book, Do You Know Daisy McCloud, a novel.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Website: http://www.nakiarlaushaul.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nakiaRL

This is a unique collection featuring stories from Victor J. Banis, Kevin James Breaux, Robert Buckley, Amanda Fox, Remittance Girl, Akua Lezli Hope, Jolene Hui, Hzal, Dean Jean-Pierre, D. L. King, Rebecca Kyle, Maxmilian Lagos, C. Dennis Moore, Dorla Moorehouse, Nick Nicholson, Alicia Night Orchid, Art Nixon, Gary Phillips, Cole Riley, Thomas S. Roche, Lisabet Sarai, Savannah Stephens Smith, Alice Sturdivant, Anne Tourney, Allegra Verde, Zander Vyne, Jayme Whitfield, Kalamu ya Salaam.

These selected stories, contemporary retellings of some of the most familiar blues themes, are inspired from the recorded gems of the Delta blues, Chicago blues, Memphis blues and Texas blues. The themes cover every facet of sexual abandon, betrayal, and obsession: the virile man, the willing woman, and the needs, impulses, cravings and urges of the sensual mating dance.

These tales of sex and sensuality mirror the power and sweep of the blues. They say we are people who are constantly under the influence of our urges, needs, impulses and desires.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cole Riley is the author of several street classics: Hot Snake Nights, Rough Trade, The Devil to Pay, The Killing Kind, Dark Blood Moon, and recently, Harlem Confidential and Guilty as Sin. His erotica and reviews have been featured on several websites and anthologies including Intimacy and Maxim Jakubowski’s The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica. In 2010, he edited an anthology, Making the Hook-Up: Edgy Sex With Soul, for Cleis Press. He lives in New York.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFO:

Website: http://www.logical-lust.com/boogie.html

“These are truly stories from the heart about “the human heart in conflict with itself.” Creating a set of vivid and memorable characters, centered on Carter Hankerson and his family in northern California, S.R. Martin, Jr. presents a compact cycle of indelible vignettes about growing up black in middle-class America in the mid-twentieth century. Taken all together, they paint a portrait of a larger community and of the irrepressible human spirit at work as it struggles to realize and express itself. These stories represent a separate and unique perspective on the black experience in America and touch on what is universal in all human experience. . Race, music, and religion loom large in these pieces, and illustrate how race is never far from the surface of the American consciousness; what religion does for people and at the same time what it does to them; and the importance of art (music and, indeed, these stories) in finding personal expression and escaping the narrow confines of social stereotypes. Exploring fundamental themes–love, ambition, self-doubt and rebellion, among others; narrated in unique and distinctive male and female voices; and using graphic descriptions, these stories maintain an easy harmony between narration and dialogue. There is much to be learned and gained by pausing to spend a while in Seaside.”

Thomas Grissom, author of The Physicist’s World and Parodies of the Fall. ABOUT THE AUTHORS. R. “Rudy” Martin, Jr.S. R. “Rudy” Martin, Jr. was a founding faculty member of The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. He taught American/African American Studies and was an administrator there until he retired in 1997. His previous major publications are the family memoir On the Move: A Black Family Western Saga (2009) and the novel Natural-Born Proud: A Revery (2010). ]]> http://www.rawsistaz.com/spotlights/book-spotlights/seaside-stories/feed/ 0 http://www.rawsistaz.com/spotlights/book-spotlights/wimbeys-corner-by-david-covin/ http://www.rawsistaz.com/spotlights/book-spotlights/wimbeys-corner-by-david-covin/#comments Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:27:07 +0000 RAWSISTAZ http://www.rawsistaz.com/?p=6104 ABOUT THE BOOK

Wimbey’s Corner is a novel centered in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois during the early 1940s. Most of its characters reside in Wimbey’s Corner, a small, Black Evanston housing development owned by Eskeridge Wimbey, a wealthy Black man. The book’s principal characters are Eskeridge Wimbey; Wayne Hunter, who moved to Chicago from Kentucky; Mackenzie Sweet, who aspires to be the world’s oldest Negro; Claude Bonfils, a prince of Chicago pimps; Electa Wenders, a single mother; and Tommy Brown, a sailor. Much of the book’s tension arises from the question of whether Wayne is the right kind of resident for Wimbey’s Corner, and how that question plays out in the lives of the principal characters and other residents of Evanston and Chicago during WWII.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Covin is Emeritus Professor of Government and Pan African Studies at CSU Sacramento. He is author of the novel, Brown Sky, Path Press, 1987; short stories in Drum Voices Review and the Griot; two academic monographs, Black Politics After the Civil Rights Movement, McFarland, 2009; The Unified Black Movement in Brazil, 1978 – 2002, McFarland, 2006; and The African Race in California, the Center for California Studies, 1994. He and his wife, Judy, have two daughters, Wendy and Holly; and three grandchildren, Nicola, William, and Claire. They live in Sacramento with the Akita, Midori.

Website: http://bluenilepress.com

A young nurse is brutally murdered in her Atlanta apartment. Her boyfriend was quickly indicted and convicted for the crime. This case began the stellar career of, now retired, homicide detective Roger Jennings, who solved the crime. But did he?

Twenty-five years later, college professor Doreen Patrice Grant is struggling with a dangerous memory hidden deep within her mind – a memory that could cost her life. Dr. Tom Richards, Jr., a wealthy family practice physician, is frantically trying to solve the mystery surrounding the presumed suicide death of his father. Will his obsession with the investigation ultimately drive him to the same fate? Someone is hiding a deadly secret that connects Doreen and Tom. Is it the eccentric mystery writer, T. J. Corprou; the ambitious former judge, Bennett Hargrove; or Hargrove’s loyal confidant, cousin and bodyguard, Burke Hargrove? Doreen is beginning to remember the secret that will finally reveal all the answers, if she lives long enough to tell it. Who will silence her memory for good? The clock is ticking . . . and Doreen’s time is running out!

To Silence Her Memory weaves an intricate tale of love, loyalty, betrayal, deception . . . and murder.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Madge D. Owens was named a “Phenomenal Trailblazer” by the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative/Women. The prestigious “Trailblazer Award” is the highest award given to a woman by NOBEL/Women.  She is the author of two novels and weaves exciting tales of mystery and suspense.

The Final Curve has sold out during numerous appearances at book clubs, literary, civic and government events. Madge has been a featured author at Barnes & Noble, Medu Bookstore, Nubian Bookstore, and Densua’s African Treasures Fine Arts Gallery.

Her first novel, To Silence Her Memory, was reviewed by The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers, who described it as “a unique story line” and “a joy to read.” Award-winning journalist Hal Lamar, of The Atlanta Voice Newspaper, described it as a “nail biting who-dun-it based in Atlanta.”

Madge is a native Atlantan and the author of poetry and short stories. She is currently working on her third novel.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Website: http://www.madgeowenswritepage.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/madgeowenswritepage
Twitter: http://twitter.com/writepager

ABOUT THE BOOK

Violet, Shayne, and Fifi are three desperate women living in a quaint suburban town who on the surface appear to have it all, but underneath are in the midst of various crises.

The gorgeous Violet Christianson is a childless, 42-year old widowed psychiatrist who counseled inmates at a local state prison until her millionaire husband died under mysterious circumstances.

The sweetheart Shane Wentworth is a 37-year old ex-beauty pageant queen and mother of five whose husband left her after proclaiming that her revolting appearance and their horrific children drove him into a world of asexuality.

The go-getting Fifi Gentry is a single 28-year old activist who is pregnant by a married, uber-conservative presidential candidate who’s threatening her with bodily harm if she does not abort the baby and forget she ever met him.

Fed up with their bleak state of affairs, Violet decides to blackmail the state prison warden (she knows his secret) into selling each of them their very own prison inmate. In exchange for their freedom, the inmates would be at the mercy of his benefactor’s every wish and whim, regardless of how sinister.

But never in their wildest dreams did the women imagine all the chaos that would ensue from a simple little purchase.

Author Denise Wheatley

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Denise N. Wheatley has been a lover of reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She is the author of three novels, including “I Wish I Never Met You,” published by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Her second and third novels, “Wards of the Women” and “The Road to Bliss,” were published in 2011, as was her paranormal novella, “Shadow of a Man.” Her short story “Coming Full Circle” was published in two books from the bestselling “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series; “Chicken Soup for the Bride’s Soul” and “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Happily Ever After.” Denise is currently working on her fourth novel, “When It’s All Said and Done,” in her hometown of Chicago, Illinois.

For More Information:
Purchase on Amazon
Visit her Website
Facebook
Twitter

Rhonda Bowen is a writer and event planner living in Toronto. When not stressing over her job, she can be found at church stressing over the kids she teaches each weekend. She enjoys spending time with her family, trying on shoes she can’t afford, and enjoying life’s unexpected twists and turns. You can reach her at: rhonda.bowen@yahoo.com or at www.rhondabowen.com.

Betrayed by her cold, callous mother and abused by her alcoholic stepfather, eighteen-year-old Simone Woodard is kicked out of the house like a bag of trash and left to survive on her own. While struggling to create a life for herself, her beauty and innocence captivate Kevin Kennard, a handsome, hazel-eyed felon

with an addiction to all things illegal. For the first time in Kevin’s life, real love has him rethinking his criminal path. But the action on the streets won’t take a backseat to Simone. Who will win this tug of war?

Two Tears in a Bucket is a soulful novel that reminds us how powerful and lasting the bonds of love can be, even among the harsh realities of life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After an impeccable, award winning career in real estate, Traci Bee decided it was time to acknowledge a yearning that had shadowed her from childhood. An avid reader and lover of creative writing, Traci decided it was time to pen the novel that had dwelled inside of her for over 20 years. In September of 2007, Two Tears in a Bucket was born. A compelling story of raw love amidst the harsh realities of urban life, the novel won Traci two awards. Excited about the novel’s potential, Traci decided to take a vacation from the world of real estate to focus on promoting her novel. But life had other plans for Traci as a life altering storm brewed in her horizons. Three years later, Traci’s back and her passion remains unwavering.

TWO TEARS IN A BUCKET was re-released in November, 2010 through King George Publishing, LLC (a publishing company named in honor of Traci’s daddy angel, George.) The novel has since been recognized as AAMBC’s 2010 Book of the Year and is currently the #1 selling ebook for drama on Amazon.

Purchase a Copy – amazon.com or get the e-book

MORE INFORMATION
Website: http://www.tracibee.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com

Just in case you missed debut author Carolyn Moncel & the release of her short story collection Encounters in Paris, we’re showcasing her fall 2010 press release.

PRESS RELEASE

New Short Story Collection Confronts Love and Lost in the City of Light

First-time Fiction Author Carolyn Moncel Releases Encounters in Paris – A Collection of Short Stories

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND, November 9, 2010 — African-American author, Carolyn Moncel announced today the release of Encounters in Paris, her first collection of short stories.

Ellery Martin-Roulet, a 35-year-old American public relations executive living and working in Paris has the perfect life. She is married to a handsome Frenchman, has adorable twin daughters and a successful bilingual PR firm located in one of Paris’ trendiest arrondissements. Unfortunately, Ellery soon realizes that life isn’t always perfect. When betrayal, loss, and regrets enter Ellery’s world at five different periods of time over a ten-year span, she quickly learns that it is how she chooses to deal with life’s trickiest situations that shapes her soul.

“We all have fallen in and out love or encountered life’s various disappointments, but both good and bad experiences make us who we’re meant to be,” says Moncel, a Chicago native, who has lived between Paris and Lausanne, Switzerland for the last eight years. “Working through real-life problems is never neat and tidy. In fact, it can be quite a messy affair but problems remain until they are confronted and resolved one way or another.”

Moncel is a life-long storyteller. She admits that choosing to write a collection of short stories instead of a novel–an even riskier endeavor for any aspiring author in a down economy–was no accident. In today’s fast-paced society, Moncel believes her fans will want more short stories because they provoke introspection. “To really enjoy a short story, one must slow down and think about the characters and their circumstances,” says Moncel. Short stories are more affordable and easily digestible in one sitting; and can be downloaded and read quickly from eBook readers or smart phones.

“Writing short stories provides the perfect format for inviting readers to take a peek inside the lives of others, if only for a brief moment,” says Moncel. “Stylistically, I am allowed to say my peace, get off the page, move on to another story, and I love it!”

About Carolyn Moncel
A virtual media and web consultant by day and author by night, Carolyn Davenport-Moncel moved to Paris from Chicago, her hometown, in 2001. Known for her online articles on media relations, Moncel owns MotionTemps, LLC (www.motiontemps.com), a Digital Project and Web Content Management firm, and its subsidiary, Mondavé Communications (www.mondaveinc.com), a media relations and publishing company. S

he has written, placed articles and been featured in such diverse publications as Entrepreneur.com, Expatica.com, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Wired News, International Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal, Working Mother, Bonjour Paris and PrissyMag. She currently resides in Lausanne, Switzerland with her husband and two daughters. Encounters in Paris is her first work of fiction. Her next collection of short stories, 5 Reasons to Leave a Lover will debut in fall 2011.  Discover her other works at www.carolynmoncel.com.

About Encounters in Paris
Published in October 2010 by Mondavé Media via CreateSpace, Encounters in Paris – A Collection of Short Stories is now available in paperback and also in digital format for Kindle at all major online bookstores including,

Amazon.com (http://bit.ly/cB9bfR). The retail price for paperback is $17.99. The Kindle edition is $9.99. Single story downloads start at $2.99. The ISBN number is: 978-1-4538-9821-5. Ms. Moncel is available for appearances, book club discussions and interviews.

# # #

TIP FOR WRITERS:
There has never been a better time to become a writer. Everyone has at least one story to tell. Keep writing and never give up.

BOOK TRAILER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD6P8P9AoU0

STAY CONNECTED
Website: http://www.carolynmoncel.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Encounters.in.Paris
Twitter: http://twitter.com/carolynmoncel
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/motiontemps

My Father’s Colors: The Drama-Filled Journey of Naya Monà Continues by Marian L. Thomas
Publisher Name: L.B Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-615-40941-2
Format: Paperback
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

My Father’s Colors-The Drama-Filled Journey of Naya Monà Continues, takes you on the journey of four individuals that lead to one incredible destination, filled with betrayal, lies and shocking secrets.

Naya Monà  is back on another emotional and drama-filled roller coaster as she finds herself  fighting to find her voice, discover her father’s past and search for her daughter.  How do you find a daughter you never knew you gave birth to?

Then there’s Chris—the husband. How far would one go for love? That is the question that Chris wastes no time answering. He will do whatever it takes to remove his wife’s pain, even if it means being the one to cause her the most.

Fierce and Fabulous Misty. Fame and Fortune have been the determining factor for Misty ever since her father passed away. How far will she go, this time, to achieve it?

Introducing, Carl Thompson. Carl has found the love of his life, only she doesn’t know it. Green eyes and hazel brown hair fill his dreams for the future. Does he have enough love for the both of them?

This book is guaranteed to make you laugh, cry and get caught in the drama-filled story of a woman’s journey!

You’re invited to get to know the author by visiting her website at: http://www.marianlthomas.com, where readers can view book trailers, purchase her books through online retailers such as Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Borders , Kindle and Nook or schedule a visit for their book club.

AUTHOR BIO

Angela Nicole Parker is a freelance writer who currently lives in Los Angeles, California. She is the author of Tethered and writes Under the Hill, a column that takes an irreverent look at life as a thirty-something singleton.

TETHERED SYNOPSIS

Madison Baldwin is having a bad year. Her fiancé, the commitment-phobic Spencer Newman, is getting cold feet. Her divorced parents can’t seem to stop fighting or, much to her chagrin, making out. To make matters worse, her “perfect” half-sister Jaqueline has flown all the way from across the pond to make her feel even more inadequate. The only bright spot in her life is Craig Barnett, her life-long friend and champion, whose cool demeanor and playful sarcasm is masking a secret that will change Maddie’s life [Tethered] forever…

LINKS

Angela Nicole Parker’s Facebook Page

Angela Nicole Parker Online, Angela Nicole Parker’s official website

Angela Nicole’s Parker Twitter Page

Under the Hill Blog, an irreverent column on life as a thirty-something singleton

The Parkerverse, Angela Nicole Parker’s official writer’s blog

Off the court, tennis star Jason Cartwright’s playboy image is taking a public beating.  On the court, he’s down forty-love.  A knee injury is shutting down his game, and the paparazzi are splashing his love life on every magazine. A comeback is in order, but the makeover he needs to save his faltering career is in the hands of the woman he loved and left fifteen years ago.

While single-mom, Izzy Connors, sees people for who they really are through the lens of her camera, even without it, she knows Jason isn’t the star he appears to be. Although his charm and good looks haven’t dimmed since he broke her heart, all she sees is his wasted talent and playboy lifestyle.

Can Izzy put the past behind her and help Jason get his game, and his image, back on track? Or will the click of her camera shatter his world as well as his heart?

Author Bio

Nana’s love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she borrowed from her cousin on a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana at a precocious thirteen.  She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since.  With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.

Waiting for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, Nana, meantime works out her drama, passion and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is.  Though, until that ninja job comes through, you’ll find her acting out scenes for hubby and puppy while catching up on her favorite reality television shows in sunny San Diego.

Her debut novel GAME, SET, MATCH is available from The Wild Rose Press and Amazon.

Additional links:
www.nanamalone.com
www.facebook.com/nanamalone
www.twitter.com/nanamalone
www.thepopculturedivas.com

**If you run into any problems tonight, send a tweet to @rawsistaz and I’ll do my best to walk you through any problems, but do try to test it out a bit early.  If you’re attending and already set up, pls take a minute to send a quick tweet using @rawsistaz, @blackbookchats  and/or #blackbookchats so I can follow you.

Twitter Chat w/Tionna Tee Smalls to discuss Girl, Get Your Mind Right is tonight at 8:30PM EST (Quick Link).  If there are ANY problems, we will move the chat IMMEDIATELY to the RAW Site in the Black Book Chats section (Quick Link)

For those who can’t make the Twitter Chat, don’t/won’t do Twitter, you can join us via the site starting Thursday at noon and it will be up the remainder of the week (and after) for you to participate.  The link will go live after tonight’s chat, for those who want to jump in early.

Twitter Tips for Black Book Chats w/RAWSISTAZ

For those not familiar with Twitter or who missed the Twitter 101 classes via the main group we held last Fall, I have a quick guide below to help you make the best of our Black Book Chats and Parties being held via Twitter.

Step 1 – You’ll need to sign up for a Twitter account at www.twitter.com.  It’s free and I would suggest you use a name that will make you recognizable to other members.  You can find RAWSISTAZ under @rawsistaz and @blackbookchats.

Step 2 – Set up your account and update your profile.  Please keep in mind that if you make your account private, we will NOT be able to see you in the chat.

Step 3 – You’ll want to look around Twitter, check out how things work and send a few test tweets.  (Your messages or status updates are called tweets).  The one thing to keep in mind is that you only have 140 characters to share your thoughts and other comments.  Yeah, I know, this is my biggest struggle w/Twitter.  LOL!! I’m a wordy-lit-diva.

Be sure to follow us and send a shout-out to us by typing something like: “@rawsistaz, we’re following you to stay IN THE KNOW with Black books, authors, & events.”

**When you type in @ and a person’s acct name, it will automatically put your message in their stream.

Step 4 – The hashtag for most of our chats is #blackbookchats. A hashtag is basically what identifies the topic/chat and the # symbol is used in front of it.  To participate in a twitter chat/party, you must use the hashtag given or you will not show up in the chat stream, various 3rd party tools (like Tweetdeck & Tweetchat) or searches. Your tweets will be out there, but may not be seen by the organizer and other attendees.

Step 5 – Now that you have the basics, it’s time to chat.  The easiest way to chat is to use one of the 3rd party tools I mentioned above like Tweetdeck or Tweetchat.com. What these do is allow you to log into Twitter via their platform so you can focus on only the tweets which have to do with the #hashtag you’ve indicated. Or you can use links like the ones below which have been set up already and automatically puts the hashtag in for you in all your tweets.

http://www.twebevent.com/blackbookchats or  http://www.tweetchat.com/room/blackbookchats

That’s it! Feel free to share your twitter names below so we can follow you!!

*Please note that everyone who is following you (and the hashtag) will receive ALL the tweets you send out via the chat room.  So, it can be a lot if you’re heavily participating in the discussion.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Available Wife by Carla Pennington
Life Changing Books
January 2011, $15.00
ISBN-13: 978-1934230176

ORDER NOW – $15.00

Niquole Wright seems to have it all; a loyal and devoted husband, two children and a rising record label that she dedicates more time to than her family. Everything is perfect except for one thing…her husband Germaine. She has run her course with him and he needs to be replaced. When the handsome and seductive Kingston enters her life, he becomes the perfect substitute. Clueless to his wife’s plan, Germaine continues to be a loving, naive husband while Niquole’s full blown affair quickly becomes her obsession. Desperate to start a new life with her new man, Niquole does everything in her power to push Germaine out of the picture. However, little does she know Kingston’s plans are different from hers. Sit back and see what happens when a wife learns that the price of betrayal can have a shattering toll.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carla S. Pennington was born and raised in Prichard, Alabama where she continues to reside with her family. In 1995, she graduated from Mattie T. Blount High School, an all black school. She became a teen mother in 1992 and was advised that she couldn’t return to school for an entire semester after giving birth. This devastated Carla, but she refused to be held back. Her dedication and hard work paid off.  She ranked number five in her graduating class and received an advanced diploma with honors. In 2002, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in journalism from SpringHill College in Mobile, Alabama. After graduation, Carla decided not to pursue her career in journalism. Her heart and mind was set elsewhere. She wanted to write fiction novels and short stories, something that she had been doing since she was a young girl.

In 1996, Carla was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Over the years, the disease has halted her, but she refuses to let it stop her. She is currently working on a number of other projects that she plans to have published in the near future.

In 2005, Carla published her first novel, Fling and from there several short stories which appeared in anthologies across the country. Finally, she landed a deal with Life Changing Books which is set to release the wildly anticipated novel, The Available Wife in January 2011.

CONNECT WITH CARLA

Email – carlapennington@hotmail.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/carlapennington

Life Changing Books – www.lifechangingbooks.net

Visit www.lifechangingbooks.net for tour dates.