GETTING TO KNOW VICTORIA

If you could go back in time, where would you go and who would you like to see?

I would go to Portsmouth, VA to meet my paternal grandmother. She died when I was just three years old. I would love to interview her about what it was like being a black nurse in the 1940’s until she retired.

If you could have dinner with one person, who would it be and why?

It would be with my maternal grandmother. I was just 17 when she died from a massive heart attack. She was my best friend and I miss so much. I would want to have dinner with her so I could tell her I listened to her when she told me to go to school and get my education so I could become “somebody.” I would tell her that I never, ever wore red lipstick again after she told me, “Take that mess of your lips looking like a chicken’s ass.” LOL Her words, not mine. I would tell her how I keep her memory and legacy alive by telling my children, nieces and nephews everything she taught me. I would tell her I love her and my heart still hurts because she’s not here.

Who is the one person in the world you admire the most and why?

I can’t say that I admire one person, because I admire two. And those two people are my parents. I love and admire my mom and dad because they’ve made lots of sacrifices for me and my siblings. My mom was a stay-at-home mother, while my dad was the sole provider for our family. I’m sure it wasn’t easy raising six kids on one income, but my parents made it look easy.  If they were struggling we never knew it. Whenever or whatever we needed my parents always came through for us.

Another reason I admire my parents is because they have been together for over fifty years and are still going strong. Of course they fuss like any other couple, but I must tell you their fussing is like a comedy show. One of them will say something really crazy and the other will burst out in laughter.  LOL! Yep, they’re the best.

ABOUT THE BOOK

As a young widowed mother, love is the last thing on Karen Johnston’s mind. Her busy life revolves around caring for her two young children, which becomes even more challenging when her children begin to show signs of needing a father in their lives. Just as things start to go haywire in the Johnston household, in walks ruggedly handsome Dominic Peretti, Jr. The attraction between the two is undeniable. Karen spends restless nights dreaming of his touch. As he begins to crowd every space of her life, will she give in to her sensual desires? Or will she sacrifice her desires for the sake of her children?

Dominic ‘Dom’ Peretti, Jr. isn’t looking for a serious relationship when he accepts the task of surrogate father to Karen’s children. But he can’t get the ever so lovely and sexy woman out of his mind. His intention is to have nothing more than a hot, steamy fling to satisfy his appetite. However, as he gets a taste of life with the Johnstons, he has a decision to make. Will he give love a chance? Or will he walk away, leaving Karen and her children in harm’s way?

AUTHOR BIO
Victoria Wells resides in Philadelphia with her husband and three children. She has a Master’s Degree in Nursing and works as an adult nurse practitioner caring for adults with sickle cell disease. She is an active member of Theta Chapter, Chi Eta Phi, Sorority, Inc. Victoria enjoys reading, writing, knitting, crocheting, volunteering, and hanging out with family and friends. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached at author@victoria-wells.com.

5 Top Reasons to READ this book

1. Sensual Cover!
2. Rugged, Sexy AND Fine hero!
3. Sweet, Sassy AND Independent heroine!
4. Love IS better the SECOND time around!
5. FULL length novel $2.99!

STAY CONNECTED:
http://www.victoria-wells.com
http://www.facebook.com/vickiwe
http://twitter.com/vickiwe

Be sure and follow the tour each day to learn more about Victoria.  Leave a comment each day to be entered to win a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card courtesy of Victoria!

Residents of Pineview, Texas suspect no foul play when a popular young couple dies in a car accident. However, years later, when another friend of Landan and Janda (the Colquin twins) turns up dead, the twins mull over the possibility of a killer in their midst. Fearing for their lives, can the twins and their friends figure out the identity of the killer before there is another murder?

For all involved, they soon learn life is seldom played by its precedent rules as a haze between the world in which we live and the one in which we wish we did emerges.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JA Adams, author of three psychological suspense novels, uses personal and professional experiences to bring awareness to psychological issues that affect our relationships.

For 30 years, Adams has worked with traumatized victims of violence and crime. Adams’ experience, paired with her writings, allude to healing the spirit and soul of victims.

In 1993, Adams decided to marry her cause with her passion for writing, beginning with contributions to the teacher modular curriculum, Responding to Violence in the Lives of Young Children, at Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University), Educare Training Institute.

Adams currently resides outside of Austin, Texas. She continues to write and volunteers with numerous organization bringing awareness to teen dating violence and women issues, as well as, advocating against intimate partner and family violence. Such organizations include the Ortralla Foundation and Recovery Ministry at Gateway Church. Moreover, she regularly speaks and mentors women using her life as proof that one can love again after trauma.

Stay Connected
Website: http://www.jaadamsauthor.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jaadamsauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjaadams

FROM THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE BOOK

Shelia Rushmore thought she’d be the last woman standing when it was time to fight for her man. Instead Ace, her boyfriend of two years, chose to reunite with his ex-wife, leaving Shelia emotionally devastated. It’s a year later when Sheila is convinced that sneaking into their wedding ceremony will put closure on the gaping hole in her heart.

But it’s on the back pew of the church where a new relationship begins for Shelia. She can’t explain the touch she received from God on that day, but she’s determined to be a better woman-a woman of faith. Since high school, Shelia has been chasing her definition of the good life – it’s left her with no home, no man, and no money. But now that’s she’s living life for God, things should get better, right? Shelia learns that living a faith-filled life isn’t always easy.

With faith, tough love, and some tough decisions, Shelia realizes that the life she’d been praying for she could have for herself is actually attainable. Being wrapped in God’s arms, she decided, was by far the safest place she’d ever been.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TIA MCCOLLORS is a national bestselling author who secured her spot in the publishing industry with the release of her debut novel, Zora’s Cry. She received her B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina. After ten years as a public relations professional, Tia emerged as an inspirational speaker and author of faith-based novels. Her other titles include The Truth About Love and A Heart of Devotion. She continues to pen inspirational works and is currently writing a series of children’s early reader chapter books targeted towards girls, ages 7-9.

In addition to being a novelist, Tia is a motivational speaker and instructor for writing workshops. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers organization, and serves as the vice president of Visions In Print. Tia was voted as the Breakout Author of the Year by the Open Book Awards of the African American Literary Awards Show.

Tia lives in the Atlanta, Georgia area with her husband and son. For more information, visit her online at www.TiaMcCollors.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Visit the author online at http://www.tiamccollors.com.

View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/SteppinIntotheGoodLife

We are featuring our review of her book, as well as the author’s video in which she shares more about her book and how we can live life completely and deal with issues.

BOOK REVIEW

COMPLETELY WHOLE BY Paulette Harper
Thy Word Publishing, August 2010
145 Pages, Paperback, $15.95
ISBN: 978-0-615331010  |    BUY IT

Genre: Christian/Non-Fiction

RAW Rating: 5 (out of 5) – **A TRR Favorite

You Can Be Whole With Christ

There are hundreds, even thousands of Christian self-help books on the market today.  Obviously, Christians often forget that what is needed is to live by the Word and not in the world.  Paulette Harper has a unique voice that reminds the reader that we must be whole in order for God to bless our lives.  She has written a down to earth and discerning self-help guide that is Biblically based.  The format will open your heart and enable you to find answers to your everyday issues.  COMPLETELY WHOLE clarifies how we should seek that fulfillment using scripture.

Harper has the gift to touch each reader at their pain.  The journey the reader is able to take will be based upon where they are in their life.  The prayers and confessions help keep you focused on the change you need to be complete.  The scripture and simple explanations make it easy for the reader to further their Bible study.  COMPLETELY WHOLE is a book you keep and refer to often.  A must have for everyone looking for redemption.

Reviewed by Deltareviewer
for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

FROM THE AUTHOR

Rosa Elmore Ferguson is the author of LOVED TO DEATH: A Different Kind of Love Story and LOVED TO DEATH: The Truth Unfolds. LOVED TO DEATH: The City Speaks will be out in early 2011.

Born Infant Sleigh, Mrs. Ferguson, an adoptee, has been searching for her biological parents for over forty years. Rosa uses her writing to release the frustration and anger caused by failed attempts to find out who she is and where she came from. She would like her readers to have a better understanding of what can happen when they become a part of an unsuccessful adoption triad.

She is the proud mother of two sets of twins and currently resides in Olive Branch, MS with her husband.

In LOVED TO DEATH: A Different Kind of Love Story and the sequel, LOVED TO DEATH: The Truth Unfolds readers are introduced to a fictional Gaston City, Indiana and will see it through the eyes of Morosa Denise McKinley.  Morosa is the adopted daughter of Morrow and Rose McKinley.  Adoption, love, murder and intrigue seem to rule the day with the underlying theme being the pitfalls of adoption and what happens when a person isn’t allowed to know the truth about themselves.  These are the first two books in the LOVED TO DEATH short story trilogy.

Website:  www.RosaFerguson.com

——————

Join the conversation and be entered for a chance to win a copy of LOVED TO DEATH: A Different Kind of Love Story and LOVED TO DEATH: The Truth Unfolds courtesy of the author. The winner will be announced at the end of the tour.

Shawneda Marks

Over the years she found emotional healing through disciplined intimacy with Christ and now wants to empower emotionally traumatized girls and women to do the same. For more information on bringing Diamond Butterfly to your church go to www.diamondbutterfly.info.

Emotional trauma at any age is devastating; at a young age it is brutal. You need a safe place to share what you’re going and have been through. Being open about the pain, hurt, anger and other myriad of feelings present after being grossly neglected, hurt, abused, molested, and betrayed is an important part of being able to heal.

She prays over time you encounter on theses pages and in every area of your life what is needed for God to wipe away the pain until you sparkle and shine. Let the Lord lift every burden and free you from your pain. God protected you against things that have taken many others out. He can give you what you need to mount up on wings like an eagle and let the world see the beauty of your wings when you fly.

Love, life and the capture of joy is not only attainable but guaranteed in life when you decide to commit to an intimate relationship with Christ. Join in the discussion about loving beyond hurt, life after pain and joy instead of bitterness. Abuse, neglect and betrayal are not the end of the world. How you respond is can be the beginning of life more abundantly promised in the Word of God.

Visit her website at http://www.shawneda.com.

For Advanced Reader Copy Excerpts – http://bit.ly/smpeeks

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Multi-published author, teacher, wife and mother, Sherryle seeks to be a fresh voice in Christian Fiction. Her triumphant debut novel, Soon and Very Soon (2007) was followed up by her sophomore release, The Manual (2009). Soon After marks the return of her franchise characters, Pastors WIllie and Vanessa Green and the Harvest Baptist church saga. Sherrryle is currently working on her fourth novel for Urban Christian (Urban/Kensington) titled Taylor-Made. She currently lives in Maryland with her husband and two children.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Ministry birthed by one will be exploited by another. Can Willie Green stand idly by and let that happen?

When Pastors Willie Green and Vanessa Morton got married and moved to merge their churches, they never expected so much resistance. Now it seems someone is sending a strong message by setting fire to the Harvest Baptist Church building.

The newly unified Pleasant Harvest Baptist Church is no more than four months into business as usual before Co-Pastor Willie Green is drawn into the middle of an arson investigation. Alexis Montgomery, an overzealous reporter, sees the experienced pastor as a great source to latch onto as she tries to unearth the stories that might solve the crime. Instead of being bothered by the presence of this woman, Co-Pastor Vanessa uses it as a distraction to help conceal her own secrets.

Orchestrating the unification rift makes Deacon Charley Thompson a prime suspect. His unexpected silence only fuels the accusations of guilt, and his meek wife becomes his unlikely spokesperson. Meanwhile, his nephew, Abe Townsend, couldn’t care less about family allegiances. Led by an anonymous publicist, Abe and the remaining displaced members of Harvest Baptist Church gain notoriety when news reports garner an outcry of sympathy and support.

What should have been a simple unification of two churches has turned into something much more complicated, and it will take plenty of faith to hold it all.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

• Visit the author online at http://www.sherrylejackson.com.

• View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/SoonAfterTour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chizellé T. Archie is  an author, registered school nurse, mother and wife for thirteen years to her husband John Archie.  She works for a private school and lives in Atlanta, GA with her family.

Several years ago, after noticing the alarming statistics of the HIV rate of African American women, Chizellé became fed up with the way her African American  brothers  and sisters (young alike), were beginning to settle for any and everything, in that having safe sex was not an option anymore. As far as the women, as long as he drove a nice car, lived in a fine home, of better yet if he was able to “make it rain,” that was satisfaction enough.  As far as the men, as long as she had a car, maybe a job, or had enough money to pay for her “own drink in the club,” then … everything was good. Furthermore, seeing how the women that have remained faithful to their UNFAITHFUL husbands/boyfriends were contracting this deadly disease, and yet only being guilty of loving someone they thought loved them back.

Lastly, what disturbed her most was that there are so many people sitting in the church pews every Sunday hurting, because of the stigma associated with this epidemic, and yet the one place they feel most comfortable is the one place that leaves them feeling so alone.

Chizellé lands on the literary scene with authority, and it is with great fortitude that she pens her debut novel, The Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Diamond, in which her life experiences have allowed her to grab hold and take nothing less, realizing she is a Diamond!

ABOUT THE BOOK

The posh, yet chic Victoria Cartiér, is an Investment Advisor for a prestigious firm in Manhattan. Residing in the affluent Hamilton Heights of Harlem, seemingly she has it all; success, money, VIP status on 5th Avenue, and a loving husband Malcolm, so she thinks…

Apparently, Victoria feels her marriage is quickly headed for trouble and the day she plans to deliver life changing news to Malcolm, she gets deathly news of her own. The uncovered trails of lies,deceit, and betrayal, changes their lives forever, causing her to loose trust in everyone she loves, even God!

After losing everything, except her new baby, will Victoria’s love for God, her family, her best friend (tell-it-like-it-is Lucy), and her new beau, the God-fearing, charismatic Marcel Bouviér, be enough to convince her exactly how much she is worth, and that if she can only trust God, then she’ll see life is truly worth living?

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR

Chizelle Archie talks about The Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Diamond –>

Chizelle Archie talks about what she hopes the readers will learn from reading The Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Diamond. –>

VIDEO EXCERPT

PURCHASE THE BOOK ONLINE AT:

• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Borders
• Books A Million
• Indiebound

FOR MORE INFORMATION

• Visit the author at http://chizellearchie.com

• View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/DiamondBlogTour

*A Tywebbin/DeeGospel PR Blog Tour

What is your definition of a Holy Roller? Join us today as we chat with ReShonda Tate Billingsley about her new release, Holy Rollers!  **This is not a book discussion, so no need to worry about not having read the book.**

Get your copy of Holy Rollers!!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Holy Rollers tells the story of three life-long friends—Coco, Audra and Nita—and their quest to find true love. The three women have endured their share of heartache: Coco is abused by her boyfriend Sonny; Audra is a single mother who only seems to meet unreliable men; and Nita can’t get over a married man who wants to keep her as his mistress.

Deciding to take fate into their own hands, the three women attend a conference for ministers, hoping to meet men who are God-fearing and wholesome. The results are varied, but the experience with the church changes the lives of these three women in this hilarious and heartbreaking story.

BOOK EXCERPT

“Those preacher men ain’t ready for me.” Nita wiggled her hips in the full-length mirror. She wasn’t trying to be vain, but she looked good. Real good. The mini-skirt hugged her size ten frame in all the right places. She’d taken Audra’s advice and covered up her 38 Triple D’s, but she still wore a form-fitting white ruffled jacket. As always, her honey brown curls cascaded down her back.

“If you say so,” Coco responded. “But what’s with the white suite? I know you’re not going for a virginal look.”

Nita placed her hands on her hips. “And if I were?”

Coco and Audra exchanged looks, then burst into laughter. They were in Audra’s bedroom, where they’d all gotten dressed for their night of ‘holy rolling’ as Audra had dubbed it.

“I have the red shoes to give a hint of bad girl,” Nita said, sticking out her leg to reveal the high-heeled strappy pumps.

Both Audra and Coco shook their heads. Nita waved them off and leaned into the mirror to check her reflection one more time. After licking her thumb and running it over her eyebrow to smooth it down, she turned to face her friends. “Laugh all you want. I’m going for a pure look if you must know. And when I have all these preachers falling all over me, you’ll wish you hadn’t worn that old demon red,” she said, pointing at Audra, “and that library-navy blue,” she added, pointing at Coco.

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Coco said, glancing down at the navy knee length dress with a white lace collar.

“You look like a school marm,” Nita deadpanned. “We’re supposed to be going to catch, remember?”

“I thought this was a look ministers would like – you know, kind of First Ladyish,” Coco said, motioning toward her outfit.

“Girl, I know I haven’t been to church in a long time, but I don’t think that’s what First Ladies dress like. Maybe the First Ladies’ grandma,” Nita said.

“Yeah, Coco,” Audra chimed in. “It is kind of old and homely looking.”

“Whatever,” Coco said. “I think I look cute.”

“If you say so.” Nita walked over to her purse, which sat on Audra’s nightstand, pulled out a Bible and tore the plastic off. “Let’s go. We’ve got some men to snag,” she said, slipping the Bible under her arm.

“Shameful. Just a shame fo’ God,” Miss Bea said when they walked into the living room. She was sitting on the sofa watching “Wheel of Fortune.” Andrew was asleep next to her.

“What’s a shame, Miss Bea?” Coco asked. While Miss Bea gave them all a hard time, each of them loved the cantankerous old woman. Nita would never admit it, though. The two of them were always going at it and Audra swore it was because they were exactly alike.

“Y’all actually going through with it? You actually goin’ hoing rolling.”

“Holy rolling,” Audra corrected.

“I said it right,” Miss Bea tsked. “Blatantly going after a man of God.” She eyed Nita’s five-inch heels. “And you’re even wearing hooker shoes.”

“Operative word, man,” Nita replied. She held out her foot and wiggled it. “And I’ll have you know, these are Christian Louboutin.”

“Christian Lou-booty who?”

“Christian Louboutin,” Nita snapped. “Designer, seven hundred and eighty dollars.”

Miss Bea shook her head in disgust. “That just don’t make sense. That’s my rent for two months.” She eyed the heels again. “And ain’t nothing Christian ‘bout them hooker shoes.”

“They were a gift,” Nita said. “I didn’t pay for them.”

“Oh, you paid for them all right,” Miss Bea replied, shaking her head. “You paid one way or another.”

“Okay, on that note,” we’re going to go,” Audra said.

Of course, Nita couldn’t let the issue drop. “Don’t start judging us,” she said.

“I’m not judging. I leave that to God. But I’m tellin’ you, this ain’t the way to find a man. Hawaiian Luau,” she said, solving the “Wheel of Fortune” puzzle.

“Well, I guess you would know how to find a man, seeing as how you’ve been married four times,” Nita chuckled.

Miss Bea didn’t see anything funny. “If I’ve been burned enough, it seems like you’d listen to me when I tell you to stay out the fire,” she said, not taking her eyes off of the TV.

“Maybe I like it hot,” Nita said. She always enjoyed getting under Miss Bea’s skin.

“Then you’ll fit in just fine in hell,” Miss Bea said before turning the volume up even more.

Want more? Order your copy today at www.Amazon.com, or wherever books are sold!

View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/HolyRollersBlogTour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ReShonda Tate Billingsley is a national bestselling author of 19 books, all published by Simon and Schuster/Pocket Books. In 2000, after numerous rejections from publishers, ReShonda stepped out on faith, established her own publishing company, and self published her debut novel, My Brother’s Keeper. The book caught the attention of one of the country’s top literary agents, who secured a deal for ReShonda with megahouse publisher, Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books.

The rest, as they say, is history.

ReShonda went on to sign one deal after another with Simon & Schuster and to date, is considered one of the country’s top inspirational authors. Her sophomore novel, Let the Church Say Amen, is being made into a movie of which she is Executive Producer and actress Regina King is the director. ReShonda’s literary career is such a success that in 2007, she was able to leave her job as a reporter with Fox 26 News in Houston to write full time.

ReShonda has appeared on the Essence Bestseller’s list more than 20 times, as well as The Washington Post, Dallas Morning News and Ebony Magazine Bestseller’s lists. Her books include The Devil is a Lie, Can I Get a Witness, The Pastor’s Wife, Let the Church Say Amen, Everybody Say Amen, I Know I’ve Been Changed and My Brother’s Keeper. Her inspirational teen novels include Nothing But Drama, Blessings in Disguise,With Friends Like These, Getting Even, Fairweather Friends, Friends ‘Til the End, and Caught up in the Drama. She has one non-fiction title, Help! I’ve Turned into my Mother. ReShonda has won numerous awards for her journalism, fiction and poetry writing skills. She is a five-time winner of the National Association of Black Journalists Spirit in the Words competition, one of Rolling Out Magazine’s Top 25 Women in Houston and H-Texas Magazine’s Top Professional.

ReShonda’s upcoming projects include Holy Rollers (July 2010), Say Amen, Again (July, 2011), the teen novel Drama Queens (Fall 2010), and two travel suspense novels. The Houston native also serves as a freelance editorial and marketing consultant. She has ghostwritten four fiction projects and five non-fiction projects. She is married with three small children and does not hide her addiction to Reality TV and Facebook.

She welcomes readers to her website at www.reshondatatebillingsley.com.

**A Tywebbin Blog Tour

C. M. Jones is well on her way to becoming a household name. She has just completed her second publication, Nothing Is Too Hard for God, and launched a publishing company with her family, HortonJonesInc., that also mentors young writers. In addition she has begun to offer writing seminars and motivational speaking services. When asked about her endeavors, C. M. Jones has said that writing and mentoring is her ministry and she does it all to the glory of God.

Her debut novella, I Still Do, which was published through Author House but is now apart of the HortonJones, Inc. portfolio, sold thousands of copies in the United States and abroad. This Christian ficton writer indeed is no stranger to writing creative and inspiring stories. She began writing at the young age of eight years old while acting in her elementary school drama club. C. M. Jones has written countless poems, musicals and short stories that include themes of redemption, forgiveness and a real picture of the things that can happen in life, when you have faith in Jesus Christ.

Visit her online at http://www.cmjonestheauthor.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Nothing Is Too Hard for God is the sequel to the novella I Still Do. These three best friends are back to take you on a journey through their past and into their future. This book is full of truth, faith and testaments to what God can do when we submit our lives to Him.

Do you want to know how God brought Deborah through her haunted past and into His saving grace? Would you like to know why Damien was disloyal to Karen and if their marriage can really survive after his affair? Last, but not least, if you want to know how Leslie’s heart went from being as cold as stone to being full of love, then you must read Nothing is too hard for God.

Just when you think you have it all figured out, this novel will take another turn.

AN EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 14 of Nothing Is Too Hard For God

“No, I don’t want to talk about it; let’s just pretend that I came here to help you pick out your clothes and that you didn’t call me over so we could talk about Charles,” Leslie whimpered.

“Child, please, you think you know everything. Let’s go inside and talk, and I’ll let you see my outfit for the wedding,” Vicky snickered.

Leslie knew that she was right about Charles calling Vicky, so she decided to tell her everything.

“Ma, do you remember when Vernon left you for that white woman? I never got over that.” Leslie continued without giving Vicky a chance to respond. “I hated him for it. We were a family, and he just left us. I remember it like it was yesterday. I came home early from volleyball practice, and he was packing his bags. I asked him where he was going, and he lied to me. He said he had a trip to go on for work and that you probably forgot to tell me about it.” Leslie stood up and started pacing about the room.  “You know Ma that was the day I learned how to tell when a man is lying. Yup, Vernon taught me that if a man starts trying to explain himself for no reason, he’s lying.” Leslie had begun to cry but couldn’t understand why Vicky appeared to be frustrated.

“Leslie, what does any of this have to do with Charles?”

“Well, Charles and I are going on a vacation after the wedding. We are going to Florida, and since his parents live there, he wants to take me to meet them, but we got into an argument when he told me that his mother is white.”

“What kind of argument, Leslie, and what difference does it makes what race his parents are?” Vicky said in an irritated tone.

Leslie could hear the irritation in Vicky’s voice, so she thought that she should tread carefully. She had the feeling that she was in for a verbal whipping.

“Well, Ma, I just don’t approve of interracial relationships. I just don’t see why our black men can’t ¾ ”

“Our black men?” interrupted Vicky. “Let me tell you something. Girl, whether you are Black, White, Hispanic, or Interracial, it doesn’t matter; we are all God’s children. And, let me guess, when you learned that Jason’s father was married to a white woman, that brought back all of the memories of Vernon?” Vicky yelled.

“Well, yeah!” Leslie said in a confident tone. She was trying to reassure herself that she had a right be angry.

Vicky stood up and walked around to the side of the bed where Leslie was now sitting.

“You know what, Girl?  You are the most educated yet foolish person that I know.  Are you trying to tell me that you are going to let something that happened when you were in high school keep you from marrying the man of your dreams, the man that you know God has given you? Les, I don’t know why Charles puts up with your stubborn rear. You need to grow up and apologize to that man and go and meet your mother- in- law. After all, you should know what it’s like to fall in love with someone regardless of his or her race. You love Charles, and he is interracial,” Vicky said in a reprimanding tone, although, she knew that sometimes Leslie didn’t take correction too well.  Vicky was hoping that Leslie wouldn’t leave because she still hadn’t told Leslie the real reason why she’d asked her to come over.

Leslie listened to Vicky, and it was as if a light bulb had come on in her head. Charles was the best thing that had ever happened to her; he was the one that had led her to Christ two years ago. They loved each other, they worshipped God together, and he was so patient with her. Not to mention that, he loved Jason like he was his own. Jason would be turning seven years old in July, and he hadn’t spent any time with his father since he was one year old. He was, however, very fond of his soon-to-be stepfather. Leslie thought about all of these things, and she also thought about when she and Charles first met. It was a feeling that warmed her soul.

In this particular passage, Leslie is dealing with her feelings about black men dating/marrying white women. How do you feel about interracial relationships? Does it bother you when you see black men with white women or white men with black women? Why?

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/NothingisTooHardforGod.

Vanessa Richardson is an author, poet, and playwright. Vanessa has written several stage productions and have been blessed to perform them at various venues. Her stage productions includes: Someone To Love Me, Why Do Bad Things Happens To Good People?, Lord, I Don’t Understand, and The Fullness Of Time.

Vanessa wrote her freshman nonfiction inspirational novel titled, The Certain Ones. A spiritual impacting novel that inspires her readers to know that not everyone are called into greatness. Fact: Many can not handle the process that goes along with becoming great. Only the certain ones, who endures; can obtain destined greatness. She is currently working on the second installment of her, Inspirational Suspense Love Series titled, Love Lifted Me.  Visit Vanessa online at vanessarichardson.net.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Mike Montgomery once lived the American dream. Gainfully employed, beautiful home, and a wonderful loving wife. Growing up in a loving family whose faith was unbreakable was his source of strength. Mike’s faith would one day be shaken after losing the love of his life in an unexpected tragedy. Mike thought he would never love again until he meets Sheila Lawson. Everything about Sheila made him want to love again. Could he risk his heart again?

Sheila Lawson, a woman’s health advocate was strong and independent, yet something was missing in her life. Immersing herself in her work, she vowed off any relationships. Sheila would find her self-made decree shaken when she meets tall, dark, and handsome Mike Montgomery. There is an evil lurking in the shadows. Mike and Sheila will have to unite to overcome evil forces trying to keep them apart. Will their love be enough to see them through the testing of their faith?

LOVE FOUND ME EXCERPT & DISCUSSION QUESTION

“Today, beloved, I want to speak to your heart. I pray that you allow me to do so. Allow me access to your spirit. I want to get past the many layers of hurt so you can hear me. Past the rejections so you can receive me. What you’re carrying is too heavy for you,” Pastor Bryan stated.

Sheila felt a stirring within. It felt as though he was talking directly to her. She was tired of being a carrier of rejection. She wanted desperately to be free, but how? She had been carrying this burden for so long, she did not know where to begin for the healing to take place. She saw something white out of her peripheral vision.

Turning, she saw Mike offering her his handkerchief. Sheila touched her cheeks. She was shocked to find them wet. Nodding her head, she accepted his offering. Straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin, she vowed she would not feel embarrassed. This was her moment of renewal, and she would embrace it.

Mike’s eyes moved over Sheila’s face. He could see the inward battle she was facing. Her face was just that transparent. He wanted desperately to take away her pain. Mike shook his head at that revelation. This woman was a stranger. Yet, he felt like he knew her somehow. Something about her was calling to him, and he wanted to answer the call.

Hazarding another look at Sheila, he was struck by how beautiful she was. Her skin was clear and healthy. Her hair was full and shiny, softly resting against slender shoulders. Yet, he sensed a hurt within her. Mike wanted to know what caused her hurt. He wanted to know the core of her. What was her love level for God? That was of extreme importance to him.

Realizing it was going to take patience and prayer on his part, he smiled. Mike quickly offered up a prayer for guidance to win the heart of Sheila. That acknowledgement caused Mike to briefly stop breathing. Where did that come from? Why would he want to win the heart of a stranger? It was strange, but he could have declared he’d met Sheila somewhere before. It felt as though he knew her. Expelling a shaky breath, Mike felt the need, and it was a need to pursue this lady next to him, and that he would.

He knew the exact moment Sheila won the battle over her inward war. She was a true warrior. Mike was proud of her, and wanted to tell her so, but felt that would only make Sheila feel ill at ease. Therefore, he did what he wanted to do most. Very gently, he reached out and held her hand and she let him. His heart soared. Hers rejoiced. They looked at each other and smiled in unison. Oblivious to the many stares cast their way. If they had looked around they would have noticed the frowns and scowls of saints and aint’s. Had they looked around they would have noticed the smiles of approvals from the mothers of the church. But they didn’t in truth maybe they didn’t need to.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: Love is such a broad topic with many, many, many layers. The love of family, friends, self, relationships, God; and the battle to overcome evil- with good, makes for a delicious recipe in writing a novel.  Sometimes we do not have to go in search of love. Love has away finding us at the opportune time. Although to the ones experiencing it, their feelings may feel otherwise. Smile.  I think I can see you nodding your heads. Love is risky and scary. Especially when you didn’t grow up with it around you, such is the case with Sheila Lawson in “Love Found Me.”   Unlike Mike Montgomery, our hero; who grew up in a loving family and was blessed to have married the love of his life. An unexpected tragedy occur challenging Mike’s faith, making it hard for him to love again.  Which is better/worst: To never have loved or to have and lost love?

BOOK TRAILER

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/LoveFoundMeBlogTour.

Three of her novels have been adapted for television.   She has been featured in Essence, the New York Daily News, USA Today, Today’s Black Woman, and Black Enterprise among many others.   In 2010 she celebrates her 20th anniversary in publishing.

So Donna…

Mention some incidents when you laughed at yourself?

When I can’t find my glasses.  All the time.

If you were given one million dollars, how would you spend it?

Pay off all my bills and take care of my mom in style.

If you were granted one wish to change the world what would it be and why?

Remove prejudice from the world.

Now, listen to a brief excerpt from What Mother Never Told Me

Donna Hill – Audio Exceprt

Book Synopis

What Mother Never Told Me is the long-awaited sequel to Rhythms that brings Parris McKay face to face with a past that has eluded her and brings two women into her life that have their own troubling issues with their mothers.  It is a book of hope, heartbreak and healing.   A book for every woman, daughter, mother, every family.

Join in the discussion and be entered to win an autographed novel courtesy of Donna Hill!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sherri Lewis’ writing was put on hold while she attended Howard University as an undergraduate, then medical school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. After working almost fifteen years in the medical field, Sherri left her position as a staff physician at a Georgia Department of Corrections’ Women’s prison to pursue writing and ministry full time.

Sherri is co-founder of the Faith-Based Black Fiction Writers of Atlanta with Essence Best-Selling author Tia McCollors. Selling My Soul is the anticipated sequel to Sherri’s debut novel, My Soul Cries Out. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.  Visit Sherri online at www.sherrilewis.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Trina Michaels steps off the plane after her two-year missions trip in Africa, she realizes that other than longing to see her mother and her best friend, her heart aches to fly back to the place that now feels more like home than anywhere she’s… ever lived. And to the man who’s stolen her heart.

Her dream of a quick return to Mozambique fades within hours when Trina discovers that her mother has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Trina is forced to go back to her job as a publicist to cover her mother’s health costs.

She’s assigned a damage control client, Bishop Walker, a megachurch pastor accused of covering up a church sex scandal within his church involving the molestation of young boys. Representing him could cost Trina her most valued friendship, the love of her life, and her soul.

AN EXCERPT FROM SELLING MY SOUL

Before Trina Michaels can get out of the airport after returning from her two year missions trip in Africa, she finds out that all hell has broken loose in her best friend Monica’s life. Little does she know, she’s about to become a part of the problem…

My eyes fell on The Washington Times. My heart fell as I read the large front-page headline. “Church Sex Scandal.”  I glanced down at the picture of two men in handcuffs, being led away by policemen. One guy had turned his head to shield his face but the other had been captured dead on.

I gasped. It was the head deacon at Love and Faith Christian Center, the church I had gotten saved at and the church that Monica had been a member of before she moved to Atlanta. Her husband, Kevin, had been the minister of music there for years, but after everything that happened with them, he had moved to Atlanta about a year after she went.

I scanned the article. The head deacon at Love and Faith and the pastor of their daughter church in Alexandria, Virginia had been arrested the day before. The men were accused of molesting little boys in the church for as long as twenty years. I remembered Monica telling me that Kevin had been molested at the church when he was ten years old. I was sure that it had been by one of those men. The article said the arrest came after the ministry council governing the churches received a letter from a man who had been molested there as a child. He had finally spoken out after God had begun taking him through a healing process.

Monica had told me that as part of his therapy, Kevin had mailed a letter to the Bishop’s council overseeing Love and Faith Christian Center. In spite of his fears that his celebrity status as a gospel artist would be affected by the admission, he couldn’t stand the thought of any more boys being molested.  He felt guilty that he had kept the secret for so long. I was glad they kept the source of the letter confidential in the article. Monica would die if the truth about Kevin’s past life got out.

I read the article further. Since the ministry council had begun their investigation, they discovered that several boys at Love and Faith DC and Alexandria had been molested.  They expected that as the investigation continued, more would come forward.

My stomach churned. Twenty years? How had they gotten away with it that long? How come no one came forward before Kevin had? How many other mens lives had been affected like Kevin’s? How could their pastor, Bishop Walker, not have known what was going on?

Did Monica know that the men had been arrested? How was she going to handle it when she found out? Was it possible to keep Kevin’s past out of the press or would he be exposed and affected by this as well? If he was exposed, how would Monica handle it?

I tucked the newspaper into the front pocket of my suitcase and grabbed both bags and ambled slowly toward the front door to look for my sister and my car.

I was ready to go home. I had hoped to be able to relax for a few days when I got back, but already I had issues to take care of. First order of business was getting up to Baltimore to see how my mother was doing. Second, I had to call Monica to find out what was really going on.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: Trina comes home from Africa to find that her mother has terminal cancer and can’t afford the medical treatment that can keep her alive. Also, Trina’s little sister hasn’t kept up with her mortgage while she was gone, so she’s in danger of losing her house. She has to return to her career as a public relations specialist and is assigned a damage control client, Bishop Walker whose top priority is to keep his reputation intact so he can maintain his mega church status. If Trina refuses to represent him, the bishop threatens to expose Monica’s husband’s past.

Trina has to decide between covering her mom’s medical bills, keeping her house, and protecting her best friend’s family at the risk of selling her soul to the devil. Faced with such a decision, what would you choose to do?

View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/SellingMySoulBlogTour .

*A Tywebbin Blog Tour

LaShawnda Jones is the publisher and author of Jazzy Media LLC. Her latest publication, My God and Me: Listening, Learning and Growing on My Journey is full of inspiration and testimony of personal growth.

Jazzy Media’s early publications brought local recognition to LaShawnda Jones’ work and requests for speaking engagements poured in. In 2004, she began facilitating body image and self-esteem workshops. Over the years, she has facilitated workshop discussions on the effects of family, friend, media and societal influences on our body image, self-esteem. She combines all that and more in My God and Me as she addresses, explores and strengthens her and her readers’ identity in Christ.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Relationships change with the tide of life. When your relationships ebb more than flow, do you find yourself asking, “Were my dying relationships ever real relationships? Are the people who maintain contact, but with whom there is no connection, worth holding on to? Should I expect a person’s presence in my life to equal dependency in my time of need? Does the quality of interaction determine the level of importance?”

These questions and many more flow through the interactions shared in My God and Me: Listening, Learning and Growing on My Journey.

AN EXCERPT FROM My God and Me

Young daughter, as you grow into an inquisitive little girl, a precocious teen and a delightful young woman you may have moments of self-doubt. We all do. But, never forget, life is a never ending journey that began in love. Keep that knowledge – build on it, grow from it, use it to gather strength as you mature on your walk.

Days may come when you question your purpose. Know that your purpose is for greatness and you were born with everything you need to fulfill it. Every step of your journey is preparation for everything to come. You’ll climb mountains and tumble into valleys; you’ll rest in fragrant pastures and be refreshed with cleansing waters. You may feel like you’re completely alone, but your Big Brother is walking with you. You may feel as if there’s no reason for all the walking and falling, or the long rests and waits, but your Father has a plan. You’ll rejoice with laughter and rant in tears. Give equal thanks for your troubles and your blessings, for even your pain will benefit you.

Don’t be fooled when you view others from the distance of your height or depth or through the lens of your grief and solitude. Their route may look smooth and uneventful. You may be tempted to pray for their ease, swiftness and surefootedness. Don’t. Pray instead for wisdom, guidance, and strength or other characteristics of Grace that will help you through your whole journey, not just a portion of it. Pray that the obstacles you encounter, the enemies you face and the many disappointments that weigh you down become opportunities to fellowship deeper with God. Stay focused, remain faithful, keep moving and your life will be a blessing to others.

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/MyGodandMe.

*A Tywebbin Blog Tour

ABOUT THE BOOK

Many believers have a hard time accepting transformation is a part of God’s plan for their lives. Changes happen every day. We accept address changes, income changes, management changes, and we even agree that our physical appearance changes, but we do not embrace that God wants to change our sinful nature to that of a Holy people. Change is something we all need; however, few are willing to make the change from mediocre to greatness.

Prophetess Lori McKenney shares about the four stages a caterpillar must achieve before it transforms into a beautiful butterfly. In correlation, she imparts how the heart and mind is connected to the complete metamorphosis process. The powerful scriptures and motivational quotes found in “Transformation” also reveal the treasures of how God wants you to have a successful life. A must have for your personal library and chat groups. “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”(Psalm 37:5)

Transformation can be found at most online bookstores and www.amazon.com or at her website: www.lsktransformation.com.

Listen to an excerpt from Pastor McKenney

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/TransformationBlogTour.

Sonya shares her heart with her husband, Pastor Tony Visor, who she calls her better half, for nineteen years. She and her husband have ministered effectively in the city of Racine together at NCC since 1999. Sonya is blessed to love two sons, Jason and Tony, Jr.

Visit her online at sonyavisor.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Who are you when nobody’s looking? It’s time to take off what hides who you truly are…the mask! Are you tired of going around family, friends and church folk with a frozen smile and a broken heart? Unmask your true identity and learn your real name as pastor’s wife and playwright Sonya Visor cuts to the heart with dynamic testimony of sexual molestation at a young age.

BEING SILENT GAVE POWER to the hands that touched her life. Can hands meant to protect you also have the power to crush your identity? YES! But when we stop allowing a mask of shame to hold us captive with CLOSED mouths, WE CAN let Jesus be real in our lives.

Discover who you have become and embrace who you really are in a book that goes past the pews and what other’s think about you — to bring glory to God by being transparent and transformed. It’s time to take off your mask and let the true you show up!

Excerpt from the Book (CHAPTER 7)

Audio excerpt version with commentary from Sonya

Can I Tell You My Story?

Can I talk to you for a minute? I mean like really; can I trust you with my stuff, or my situation? Or are you one of those people who run and thrive off somebody else’s trouble or mistakes? If people are really going to break the silence, are you a safe place for them?

Masking is often implemented because most folk can’t really handle the truth about others or what they are hearing. The situation, if shared, will usually render responses that immediately are classified as judgment or rejection. There’s a rare group of people who can handle the true story that’s being told or deposited into one’s hearing.

If someone came and told you that they were struggling with lust, pornography, lying, stealing, homosexuality, or lesbianism, what would you say? How would you address the problem presented? I mean, both you and the person know that the issue is wrong, so where do you go from there? People are dying because they can’t find anybody to be real with. So they remain quiet and undercover, which will eventually rot the inside of their souls.

My heart goes out to the person who everyone perceives to have all the answers, but in reality, they are barely making it. He finally comes to the point of sharing his heart, only to hear the person he was about to share with speak against someone else with a similar problem. So what happens? The mouth is closed; there’s a retreat. A whisper on the inside says, I can’t tell a soul.

This secret continues to eat at the inside of them. I know, because I felt that I could tell no one my story. It has to come out in order for the individual to be free. I tried, but they responded with the “right” religious jargon, but not the right spirit. Sometimes just having an ear to listen is the best gift you can give someone. The right heart or spirit loves the person right where they are, at that moment.

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/TakeOffTheMask.

Discussion: If people are really going to break the silence, are you a safe place for them?

*A Tywebbin Blog Tour

Visit Dwan online at http://dwanabrams.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lyric Stokes lives, by most standards, a charmed life. Married to Michael Stokes, a prominent heart surgeon, she has financial security and lives in the lap of luxury. All is not perfect, though. Lyric feels inadequate because she gave birth to a daughter, rather than the son that her husband so desperately wanted.

After an unexpected turn of events, Lyric discovers that she’s pregnant again, but now she has to decide whether she even wants to keep the child she has longed for. She seeks solace in her church, where her daughter also feels at home; but they can’t get Michael to join them. Disagreeing with organized religion, he has put his job before all else, including God. The distance between the couple grows further every day.

Nigel Fredericks has a history of stalking women. He’s been accused, but never convicted. Now he’s set his sights on Lyric. She’s at a low point in her life, and Nigel knows just how to take advantage of that vulnerability. Lyric’s life is turned upside down; Nigel is like a cancer eating away at her mental stability, her marriage, and ultimately, her life. Will Michael reevaluate his priorities and his faith in time to save his family?

CHAT/DISCUSSION

Read brief excerpt from My Mother’s Child …

Lyric couldn’t understand why God wouldn’t bless her with a son. If only she could get pregnant. She really wanted to give Michael, her husband of fifteen years, a son, a namesake. No matter how much Michael assured her that he was happy with her and their twelve-year-old daughter, Autumn, a part of her felt as if she were less than a woman because she couldn’t give her husband a son.

On the surface, she didn’t lack for anything―big house, fancy cars, and money. She didn’t know whether she was the luckiest or unluckiest, woman in the world.

A lot of women think that having a husband with money would make them happy.  Why do you think that women who seem to have it all still find something to complain about?  Could it be that some women are never satisfied and want what they can’t have?  LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW.

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/MyMothersChild.

*A Tywebbin Blog Tour

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.~ Psalm 34:18

See details below on how you can participate in the Healthy Heart Blog Tour with Rhonda McKnight.

10% of donation during this blog tour will go to the American Heart Association (AHA).

MEET RHONDA MCKNIGHT

Rhonda McKnight has been writing since she was six years old. Her first book was about a family of mice who lived under the boardwalk near her home in the coastal town of Asbury Park. It’s no coincidence that more than thirty years later, she would pen her first novel about a family.  Family means everything to her.

When she wrote Secrets and Lies her own family was in trouble. Her marriage of nearly ten years was falling apart. While she is clear that the novel is a work of fiction, she admits some elements of the story are her own. The emotional intensity of Faith’s pain was hers and the feeling of utter hopeless filled her heart. Join her today as she shares some of that pain and frustration in her segment on “the broken heart”.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Faith Morgan is struggling with her faith. Years of neglect leave her doubting that God will ever fix her marriage. When a coworker accuses her husband, Jonah, of the unthinkable, Faith begins to wonder if she really knows him at all, and if it’s truly in God’s will for them to stay married.

Pediatric cardiologist Jonah Morgan is obsessed with one thing: his work. A childhood incident cemented his desire to heal children at any cost, even his family, but now he finds himself at a crossroads in his life. Will he continue to allow the past to haunt him, or find healing and peace in a God he shut out long ago?

An Excerpt from the Novel

Faith was surprised she was able to keep up the front of being “okay” until she put the children to bed because, in truth, she was boiling under the surface. How could he do this to her, again? How could he do it to Eric?

She pulled Eric’s bedroom door closed, took a few steps and then stopped. Unable to move forward, she leaned sideways against the wall. Her anger and disappointment were mixing together in her spirit like a cocktail of oil and vinegar. Neither dominated, but each equally strong.

“Lord, how much more am I supposed to take?” she spoke into the darkness of the hallway. “How many more times will it be okay for him to break my baby’s heart?”

Faith is angry with her husband Jonah in the excerpt. He was a no show for an important family activity and as you can see, it wasn’t the first time. She’s heartbroken. I think many of us have challenges with communication and time. The demands in our current workforce make it difficult for families to have quality time. But it’s a must if we’re going to have healthy, happy, strong families. Jonah Morgan’s work is more important than his family, or at least it appears that way. At the heart of his work-a-holism is a childhood hurt that has never healed. His broken heart affects everyone in his life – his wife, children, even his parents. But how much does Faith have to put up with? How much does anyone have to deal with when a person who’s hurting won’t talk about it or get help? I believe we owe our families to be the most healthy, happy, whole person we can be. Because who we are shows up in our relationships and our work and our spiritual lives.

“How many times?” Faith Morgan asks. How many times indeed? God answers Faith. You’ll have to read Secrets and Lies to find out how. But in the meantime – what are some ways you can carve out family time? What might be hindrances to making it happen? What do you think about “for better or for worse” when what’s hurting one spouse is crippling the other? What about the children?

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rhonda McKnight is the owner of www.urbanchristianfictiontoday.com, a popular Internet site that highlights African-American Christian fiction and Legacy Editing, a freelance service for fiction writers. Her second novel, An Inconvenient Friend will be released on August 1, 2010. She has two sons, ages four and eighteen and one lonely goldfish. Originally from New Jersey, she’s called Atlanta, Georgia home for eleven years. Her website is www.rhondamcknight.net

ENTER TO WIN 3 GREAT GIVEAWAYS!

GRAND PRIZE (one winner possible)

A “Start” Fitness Pack she purchased from the American Heart Association’s Online store. The online store helps in the fight against heart disease by promoting heart-healthy lifestyles that include physical activities like walking. Net proceeds from the sale of these items support the Start! movement.

The Fitness Kit includes: Start BackPack, Start Water Bottle, Start Shoe Wallet, and the Power to End Stroke 46 Recipe Healthy Soul Food Cook Book.

SECOND PLACE PRIZE (one winner possible)

Autographed hardcover copy of Secrets and Lies will be given away to the 2nd person whose name is pulled in the drawing.

THIRD PLACE PRIZE (one winner possible)

In honor of Rhonda’s birthday on Feb. 6th – a $10 Barnes and Nobles, Borders or Starbucks Gift Card will be given to the 3rd person whose name is pulled in the drawing. (winner chooses).

HOW TO ENTER THE DRAWING:

All entrants with 10 POINTS AND UP will be entered in a drawing to win the GRAND PRIZE – FITNESS PACK.

All entrants with 5 POINTS AND UP will be entered in a drawing to win PRIZES TWO AND THREE.

HOW TO Earn points:

+15 Point ENTRIES: Purchase a copy of Secrets and Lies from the online store during the tour through www.urbanchristianbooks.com.

+1 point ENTRY: join the discussion by commenting on one of the blog tour sites each day (must comment on the day of the tour site by 9 pm). Comment must include your thoughts on the subject. (can not just say – great point or I agree).

+1 point ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING INTERESTING YOU FIND WHEN YOU GO TO Rhonda’s WEBSITE or blog. LOOK AROUND AS THERE IS LOTS TO SEE. HERE are THE LINKs www.rhondamcknight.net and www.urbanchristianfictiontoday.com

+1 point ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY. On Twitter Retweet @rhondamcknight or use the hashtags #Health or #hearthealth

+2 point ENTRIES: Join Rhonda’s Facebook Reader Page or Sign up for her newsletter on her webpage.

THE RULES:

• U.S. Residents Only
• Email address must be included in comment **RAWSISTAZ will provide email addresses upon request to ensure privacy of participants.
• All Entries/Comments must be separate in order to count as more than one entry.
• Maximum of 3 points can be earned on any one tour day.
• Tour host bloggers can not enter to win.

DRAWING WILL BE HELD AT 9 PM EST on FEBRUARY 7th

Kacie Mayweather, stricken with cerebral palsy, has had her share of men—five baby daddies for six children, in fact. But she’s never had one man to call her own.

Take a Peek Inside Kacie’s Story
(excerpt from Beautiful Ugly by Shelia E. Lipsey)

For the fifth time in a week, Kacie couldn’t muster up an appetite, not even for Coco Puffs, which was her all time favorite cereal since she was a little girl. The very thought of milk and cereal sent her to the bathroom heaving.  Having given birth to six children, she didn’t have to go to a doctor, or run to the drugstore for a pregnancy test.  There was no doubt about it.  She was pregnant. Kacie freshened up and when her stomach settled, she drank an ice cold glass of pineapple –orange juice.  Sitting alone at the kitchen table, Kacie stared outside at the orange and gold leaves as they fell to the ground.  The site was beautiful to her.  The leaves fell gently, one by one, some two by two.  Kacie folded her arms inside each other and hugged herself like she was warding off the cool wind blowing through the trees in the front yard.

Standing, Kacie retreated to the living room and started picking up behind the kids.  She paused a moment and massaged her belly.  Looking down; she smiled at the idea of giving birth to the child of the man she loved – the man God had finally sent her way.  “You’re going to have a wonderful daddy,” she whispered. “And, unlike the rest of the bums I’ve had in my life, this time, everything is going to be different.  I wouldn’t be surprised if your daddy asks to marry me.”  She drew back into the living room and leaned against the spotless wall.  She turned with a start when the phone rang.

“Speak of the devil,” she said when she looked at the Caller Id then down at her tummy.  It was Deacon. Kacie beamed with joy.

“Good morning, beautiful.”  The voice on the other end of the phone forced her to smile.

She loved Deacon.  The four and a half months they had been seeing each other seemed like a lifetime to Kacie.  It was like she’d known him all of her life.  Except for the times like yesterday when Deacon seemed like he’d fallen off the face of the earth, their relationship was good.  Maybe he didn’t tell her he loved her, like she told him, but Kacie believed he did.  “Actions are better than words,” Layla reminded her from time to time.  Kacie retained Layla’s words in her mind to retrieve whenever Deacon didn’t call or when she wanted to hear him say those three special words.

“Deacon, honey. I’ve been so worried.  You weren’t at church yesterday and you didn’t answer my calls.  Are you okay?” Kacie asked with grave concern.

“What have I told you about getting yourself all in a tizzy when you don’t hear from me everyday?  I got called out of town at the last minute late Saturday evening, after we talked.  You know how those trips can be.  Quick, exhausting and definitely spur of the moment.  I’m sorry. I wanted to call you, but I was up half the night with a client trying to kiss up to him so he would sign a contract with our company.  It was late by the time I convinced him to sign on the dotted line and I was exhausted.  I didn’t make it back to Memphis until after midnight. I wasn’t about to wake you up then, knowing you had to get up early yourself to get your kids off to school.”

Kacie exhaled. ” I was so worried. When I talked to you Saturday, you said you were going to see me at church.  I just started going out of my mind thinking all kind of crazy thoughts when I didn’t see you. I forgot how your job keeps you on call twenty-four seven.”

“Well, now that, that’s settled.  How’s my favorite girl doing?” he asked.

“Perfect, now that I’m talking to my favorite guy,” she answered.  Kacie walked around the sofa where she spotted one of the boys’ wrestling figures on the floor.

“I was thinking about coming by before going to the office this morning.  You up to seeing me?”

“Do you have to ask?” Kacie sat on the back of the sofa.

“Do you want me to stop somewhere and grab you a sandwich?”  Little thoughtful things like that is what made Kacie adore Deacon.  He was such a considerate man.

“No, I’m not hungry this morning.  I just want you.  You’ll be my breakfast,” she crooned into the phone.

“Hey, hey, I like that.  I’ll see you in about ten minutes, love.”

What Do You Think?

Like many women, Kacie has been searching for a man to call her own. Do you think Kacie is on the right track in the passage above? What do you think she may be or should be doing differently.?

Leave your comments below and DON’T FORGET to leave an answer for the contest question too.

To find out more about Kacie and her two friends, consider purchasing a copy of Beautiful Ugly. This book makes a great book club selection for discussion!

Win an autographed copy of Beautiful Ugly

Shelia Lipsey is the author of three other Christian Fiction novels. The trivia questions below are from one of those novels. Leave your response to the trivia question below in the comment section.

What was the relationship between Frankie and Rena? Tell us the title of the book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author Shelia E. Lipsey is a multi-award winning author.  Her novels are available at most bookstores nationwide as well as online.  Lipsey’s books have been called gripping, life-altering, memorable and realistic. Lipsey was recently awarded the 2009 Top Shelf Award for Beautiful Ugly by Black Pearls Magazine. She also won 2009 Shades of Romance Readers’ Choice Awards for My Son’s Wife in the following categories: Author of the Year, Christian fiction Book of the Year, Christian Romance of the Year, Best Book Cover of the Year, Best Fiction Book of the Year, among several other awards for her novels, Into Each Life and Sinsatiable.

Lipsey is the proud mother of two sons and the grandmother of three blessed young men. She is president of UCHisGloryBookClub.net, founder of Living Your Dreams Now a non-profit organization and MAAW (Memphis African American Writers). For more information, visit www.shelialipsey.com.

Check the tour schedule at http://bit.ly/BeautifulUgly

Ashea Goldson,

Her first Christian fiction novel  is The Lovechild, published by Urban Christian Publishers  in 2008.

For more information about Ashea and her books, visit her online at http://www.asheagoldson.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In The Lovechild, Makaeli Hunt, a successful fashion designer, has been driven far away from home by her family’s dysfunction. While living in Italy, trying to heal the wounds of yesterday, ambition becomes her comforter. When a family emergency forces her to return to her home, in seven life altering days, amidst  memories of a tumultuous past,will one revealed secret drive her away from her family and God forever? Or will she discover what it means to be God’s lovechild?

Dealing with issues of racism, depression, self-esteem, drug addiction, mental illness, verbal and physical abuse, The Lovechild is a story of redemption and re-dedication, confirming our victory in Jesus Christ.

RAWSISTAZ BOOK BLURB

THE LOVE CHILD is an interesting story of how families work with forgiveness and love. The characters were well-developed and it was easily understandable why they behaved the way they did. The entire family is keeping secrets and eventually, in order for there to be peace, those secrets must be told. But do they have the courage? It was an interesting story from start to finish. There was plenty of suspense and tension. I would recommend it.  READ THE FULL REVIEW
- Reviewed by alice Holman

“Through prayer we find a place that guarantees peace,” Rev. Lambert says. “God wants to solve our problems and give us peace.” In his latest book, Ingredients for Prayer: A Practical Approach for Maximizing Your Time with God, Rev. Lambert, pastor of Bethel Deliverance International Church north of Philadelphia, details what he believes is the true purpose of prayer in contrast to the ‘give me syndrome’ of prayer that so many with financial woes seem to have.

“We are often challenged by the worldly view of prayer, and we fall into the trap that makes us think that we are able to use prayer to bully the Lord into doing what we want. Yet I believe prayer is a time for intimacy and connection with God,” Rev. Lambert says. “Prayer by definition is worshipful oratory. By hyper-definition, prayer is an act of intercourse with your soul and God’s spirit. It is you connecting with God until your desires have been replaced by His heart.”

By using “The Lord’s Prayer” as a framework, he examines pieces of this prayer model to show ways to connect with God, like understanding the mind and will of God and becoming dependent upon and receiving the peace of God. Rev. Lambert says having a God-centered and not self-centered focus on prayer helps you to know that “[p]rayer is not about you. It is about the will of the Lord being done through you. To make supplication means that you should bring your request to the Lord; however, you must be sure that your request does not go against the will of the Lord.”

Rev. Eric A. Lambert Jr. responded to God’s call to Jesus Christ in 1971. From that time he was active in Christian ministry, serving in a variety of capacities at Deliverance Evangelistic Church, under the pastorate of the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Smith Sr. In 1987, after God’s leading, Rev. Lambert established Bethel Deliverance International Church in 1987 with seven committed believers, just north of his hometown of Philadelphia. In addition to pastoring, Rev. Lambert is fulfilling his apostolic calling, having planted a number of churches and developed pastoral relationships with both new and seasoned pastors. He remains committed to spreading the love of God to those who do not know Him while stabilizing and fortifying believers. This is evident not only in his church but in the messages of his books.

LISTEN TO A SERMON ONLINE FROM PASTOR LAMBERT

• Renewing The Mind
• Getting Your Fire Back
• Walking In Your Season

For more information about Ingredients for Prayer: Maximizing Your Time with God, visit http://ericlambertministries.com.

Follow the Ingredients for Prayer blog tour at http://bitly.com/IngredientsforPrayer.

Jacquelin Thomas is an award winning, bestselling author with twenty-nine titles in print. Her books have garnered several awards, including two EMMA awards, the Romance In Color Reviewers Award, Readers Choice Award and the Atlanta Choice Award in the Religious & Spiritual category. Jacquelin was a 2005 honoree at the Houston Black Film Festival for the movie adaptation of her novel, Hidden Blessings. She was the first recipient to receive the Writers Achievement Award at the North Carolina Book Festival in Winston-Salem.

Although Jacquelin initially published in the romance genre, she decided to follow the call on her heart to write Christian fiction because she seeks to write books that will touch your heart and uplift your spirits with tales of characters who yearn to have an intimate relationship with God.  Committed to writing books that glorify God and her growing teen audience, Jacquelin published the first of her Young Adult Inspirational Fiction series titled Simply Divine in October 2006.  Her second book in the series, Divine Confidential was nominated for a 2008 NAACP Image Award.  She has since gone on to publish two more books in the series.  When asked why she is so passionate about writing teen novels, Thomas shares that teens are confronted with so much—sex, drugs, violence and abuse, physically and mentally. They need to not only listen to what the world says about these things but also to what the Bible says.

Jacquelin is a member of the National Writers Union, Romance Writers of America and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She is happily married to her best friend and is the proud mother of three children. Jacquelin and her family live in North Carolina.

Jacquelin, list your published books.

• Romance

Hidden Blessings – A Resolution of Love – Forever Always – Someone Like You – Cupid’s Arrow – Family Ties – Love’s Miracle – Undeniably Yours – With A Song In My Heart – After The Vows – Stolen Hearts – Treasures of the Heart – To Mom with Love – The Pastor’s Woman – Teach Me Tonight

• Christian Fiction

Shades of Gray – Singsation – The Prodigal Husband – A Change is Gonna Come – Soul Journey – Saved in the City – Blessed Assurance – How Sweet the Sound – Have A Little Faith – Defining Moments – Redemption – Jezebel – The Ideal Wife

• Young Adult

Simply Divine – Divine Confidential – Divine Secrets – Divine Match-Up – It’s A Curl Thing

Which book did you find the hardest to birth?

I would say it was The Ideal Wife.  I had to write about a subject that I knew would be controversial and I knew that readers would either love the story or hate it.  Writing about the swinging lifestyle would challenge what people believe.

Which book is your current favorite?

My favorite is always the book I’m working on at the moment.

How would you describe your writing style?

I write stories about characters who are deeply flawed, but truly have a heart for God.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind?

I love Gospel music because it really ministers to me, but there are times when I’m writing that I listen to Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston and Mary J. Blige.

Tell us anything about you as a writer that you think might be interesting or unusual.

Probably that I’m a diehard sports fan.  Nothing gets in the way of my football and basketball games.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Keep writing because the more you write, the better you get.  Give yourself permission to write it wrong!  Most writers spend too much time trying to write ‘perfectly’ the first time out–they end up never finishing the manuscript.
Writers are often encouraged to write what they know. Have you found that to be the case with your writing?

I am a researcher, so I tend to do a lot of research for my stories.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jana Collins loves her husband with all her heart. But what if love isn’t enough?

Marrying a handsome, wealthy lawyer and living in a Hollywood Hills mansion . . . it’s a dream come true for twenty-four-year-old Jana, from the moment Lawrence Collins swept her off her feet and into his luxurious world. True, she put her studies at a local Bible college on hold in order to wed after a six-month whirlwind romance. Beautiful and vivacious, with a stunning body, Jana knows men like Lawrence don’t come along every day, and she vows to be a perfect companion—the ideal wife—to this sexy, powerful man. But at what price?

From her wardrobe and hairstyle to her friends and her choice of church, Lawrence seems to want to change Jana into someone she’s not . . . and soon, the man Jana thought she knew will test her values and her faith with a shocking revelation that goes against everything she believes—how far will Jana be willing to go to keep the man she loves? With her “ideal” marriage falling apart, Jana—the real, modest, smart, and strong girl who knows what she stands for—must put her trust in God, and follow His guiding light out of the darkness of a broken relationship.

Drawing from a moving scripture tale with an insightful message for women today, Jacquelin Thomas delivers a provocative and enlightening new novel.

Follow the blog tour at http://bit.ly/TheIdealWife

Read an excerpt at http://www.docstoc.com/docs/9653509/The-Ideal-Wife-by-Jacquelin-Thomas-(excerpt)

For more information about Jacquelin, visit her at http://www.jacquelinthomas.com

Vanessa Miller of Dayton , Ohio is an Essence best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include: Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying and Abundant Rain.

To date, Vanessa has written the Rain Series and the Storm Series. The books in the Rain Series are: Former Rain, Abundant Rain, and Latter Rain. The books in the Storm Series are: Rain Storm and Through the Storm. These books have received rave reviews, winning Best Christian Fiction Awards and topping numerous Bestseller’s lists.

FORSAKEN is Vanessa’s newest book, due out in October 2009.  Forsaken is the story of a fallen pastor’s journey back to God. Vanessa believes that each of her books will touch readers across the country in a special way. It is, after all her God-given destiny to write novels that bring deliverance to God’s people.

List your published books.

Former Rain, Abundant Rain, Latter Rain, Rain Storm and Through the Storm.

Which book did you find the hardest to birth?

Former Rain. I think it was the hardest because it was my first. That book took seven years from beginning to end. It wasn’t seven year of writing. A lot of that time was spent procrastinating. But the book took so long from beginning to completion that I wondered if I could write another. Now my books only take me a few months from beginning to end.

Which book is your current favorite?

Through the Storm. This is my fifth book in the Rain Series and it deals with the power of prayer. But Through the Storm is a very suspenseful novel. I love reading suspense novels and always wanted to write one. When I finished Through the Storm I knew I wanted to write more books like that.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind?

No. I have to have absolute peace and quiet when I write. That’s the probably the reason I don’t often write anywhere else but home.

Tell us anything about you as a writer that you think might be interesting or unusual.

I can’t think of anything interesting or unusual about me. I don’t know, reader might find it interesting that I like for each of my novels to be more than entertainment. I want them to stay with the reader long after they turn the last page. So I pray over my novel – and believe that God allows my books to touch the hearts of my readers in just the way they need to be touched.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Never give up. Even when it looks like things are moving slower than you thought it would. If your heart’s desire is to write, then keep on writing and promoting your work. You never know what’s right around the corner.

Writers are often encouraged to write what they know. Have you found that to be the case with your writing?

I write restoration novels. In other words, I like to deal with imperfect characters and then show how God can turn their lives around. So, yeah, I guess I do write what I know, because I have definitely been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Pastor Jerome Tyler “JT” Thomas is charismatic behind the pulpit, charming to all he comes in contact with, and lethal to those who linger too long. Since the age of twenty-two, when he prayed for God to keep him out of prison, JT knew he would preach the gospel. Bishop Turner makes it possible; but there are strings attached, and now JT isn’t sure he can stay tied down.

Cutting loose causes more problems than JT anticipated. When an old friend from his days on the streets resurfaces and his extracurricular activity comes knocking on his front door, JT’s life and the lives of those close to him spiral out of control. Now he will need divine intervention to make things right. But how much help can a man hope to receive when he feels he’s been forsaken by God?

Follow the blog tour at http://bit.ly/Forsaken.

For more information about Vanessa, visit her at http://www.vanessamiller.com.

In 2004, Hyperion released Dana Davidson’s Jason & Kyra and from there the slow trickle of books featuring characters of color without race being the primary focus began.  And in 2006, So Not The Drama, Chase Hyman’s debut was acquired by Kensington Books to launch their YA line.  She went on to write four more books that followed Mina Mooney and her group of friends and The Del Rio Bay series officially joined the small fray of books depicting a more heterogeneous teen point-of-view.

Since then, Chase Hyman has been on a journey to inject books like hers into the literary mainstream, so they’re mentioned in the same discussion as books by Sarah Dessen, Cicely Von Ziegesar and Meg Cabot.

Paula also co-founded The Brown Bookshelf with five author friends. The site is dedicated to honoring vanguard authors and showcasing the myriad of talented African American children’s lit authors and illustrators flying under-the-radar of librarians, parents and teachers.

Visit her at www.paulachasehyman.com and www.thebrownbookshelf.com.

ONE-ON-ONE (Throwback) INTERVIEW
(Excerpted from our interview conducted March 2007 by Stacey Seay)

RAW:  Tell us all about you, the author.  And then tell us about the person behind the author.

I’m a type A, shoe-a-holic whose habits of multi-tasking have spun so out of control I can only relax 100% if I’m away from email access.  Oops, that’s the person behind the author.  Paula the author is a true pantser (as in, I fly by the seat of them when I write).  Even when I attempt to outline my stories, they tend to wander off where they want to once I begin writing.

RAW:  How long have you been writing and what has the experience been like for you?

I’ve always been a writer.  My parents have boxes of stories I wrote as a kid.  And I have a box, somewhere, of stories I used to write with my best friend, Nicki. It was like a create-your-own adventure deal.  I’d start the story and then she’d add on, then I’d add on etc…  I don’t think the story ever came to a true end.  I really need to find those things. They could make a good book.

Having my first book published has been an eye-opening experience.  There’s so much you learn about the publishing industry that you sort of wish you didn’t have to know, because it infringes a little on the creative side.  I always joke that I’ve gone from green to jaded in 12 months.  But it’s kind of true because so much of what I know now has forced me to always look at my writing as a business, with a critical eye. I have an agent who handles the serious lifting.  Still, I’m much more aware that I have to constantly juggle two very essential components – the business side and the creative arts side.

RAW:  What was the inspiration behind the book(s) and what inspired you to write young adult fiction?

In ’03 when I wrote So Not the Drama, my daughter was eight years old.  She had gotten to a point where she loved buying books and getting books at the library, but she wasn’t finishing them.  An avid reader, myself, this habit bothered me.  But then I began looking around at the books out there for young readers and it surprised me that YA fiction was still very much vanilla, twenty years later.  It wasn’t that books with black characters were lacking, but that 1) they were still either historical fiction or problem novels and 2) YA books, overall, weren’t diverse.  You had books with white casts.  And books with black casts.  Where were the books with multi-culti casts?  My daughter is growing up very much like I did, with a diverse base of friends.  There weren’t any books that showed that side of suburbia.  So I set out to create a book that would.

RAW:  I really enjoyed how you incorporated characters with diverse family lives and backgrounds into the story (Book 1).  Was this something you did purposefully?  How did you create your characters?

The idea for such a large cast came, once more, from my own reality as a teen and my daughter’s.  Some kids roll in huge cliques.  It was six of us, back in the day. And my daughter has no less than four close girl friends and a few close guy friends.  I’ve heard some minor grumbling that it’s “too” many people in So Not The Drama.  But I think a large circle of friends is realistic.  Even if you have one best friend, you have more than just that one friend.  So my Del Rio Bay clique rolls deep.  And when you have a large cast, it’s important that they’re different somehow.  Otherwise the characters begin disappearing into one another.

The friends share a common bond and many similarities, but it would have been unrealistic if they’d all been cut from the same exact cloth.  So yes, I did consciously set out to make the characters diverse.  For example, Mina, JZ and Michael all live in the same exact neighborhood.  But it’s pretty obvious that JZ’s parents are wealthier.  Also, JZ and Mina come from traditional nuclear homes, where Michael is being raised by a grandmother.  So even in the same nabe, there are distinct differences that help flesh out each character.

I’d say that my characters are a hodge podge of my own character traits, my teen clique, my daughter’s quirks.  All rolled into a big old potpourri of wacky, teen angst.

RAW:   How challenging is it to make your characters and plot relevant and interesting for today’s young readers?  What do you do to stay “hip” <<grin>>?

What’s funny is, being hip is so here today, gone tomorrow.  Yet, I can’t lie, I love that people think I’m hip and trendy.  Truth is, writing for teens is just where my heart is. I’ve worked with teens and children since I was in college.  And writing for teens is another way of mentoring for me.  I don’t intend for my books to have a lesson in them.  It’s fun, light-hearted fiction.  But if someone thinks twice about their own actions because of a misstep of one of my characters, that’s cool as hell.

Teens fascinate me.  The way everything is so dramatic and is life or death, it’s really something to behold.  Instead of feeling frustrated that they just don’t “get over it,” I envy that they’re in a place where their drama is relatively harmless.  They’ll figure out soon enough that a break up is nothing compared to holding a marriage together.  Or all the other adult balls life throws at you.

So my plots come from knowing that everything is a massive crisis when you’re a teen.  And I take that notion and run with it.  When you think like that, it’s not hard to create a plot point.  Maybe an adult would read it and think, how is an entire book based on a fight with your friend?  But a teen knows that one simple argument can send seismic waves through a friendship and take days or weeks to right.

RAW: As we close out the interview, share some words of advice or inspiration that have been shared with you that you always hold onto?

Now, I have no idea who uttered these words originally, but my father was the first one to say to me, the only constant in life is change.  I keep those words top of mind, because change is around us, all the time.  And change is the one thing that seems to frighten almost all people equally. Because for every welcome change in our lives there’s one or ten changes we’d prefer to reject.  For some reason, realizing that change is the only constant gave me a sense of control over the uncontrollable.  You may not be able to control some of it, but if you’re accepting of the fact that change is around the bend, you find ways to cope.

THE COMPLETE SERIES

The Del Rio Bay series books are:  So Not The Drama, Don’t Get It Twisted, That’s What’s Up!, Who You Wit’? and Flipping The Script.

DEL BAY BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:

September 15: Shades of Romance
September 16: Devyn Burton
September 17: RAWSISTAZ
September 18: Linda Gerber
September 21: Melissa Walker & Readergirlz
September 22: Mitali’s Fire Escape
September 23: YA Fresh
September 24: Color Online
September 25: APOOO Book Club

Would you say you are an extrovert or introvert?

I’m definitely an introvert.  While I enjoy being around family and friends and am often the life of the party, I get my energy from my time alone.

Do you like to cook? If so, what are your favorite dishes to cook?

I don’t like to cook.  Actually, I can’t cook.  Literally.  Every time I have to cook a dish, I have to call my mom.  I blame my brother for this.  When we were kids, my mother had two jobs so she gave me cooking tasks for after school.  Unfortunately, her first task for me was fried chicken.  How hard could that be?  Well, things fell apart when my brother took his first bite of my golden brown chicken and it began to bleed.  From then on, he refused to eat anything that I cooked so  my cooking opportunities were severely reduced.

What movie(s) have you watched recently that you would recommend?

Transformers.  I loved that movie.  I think I’m in love with Bumblebee.

Do you like books being turned into a movie? If so, what is your favorite book-to-movie?

Let’s put it this way, as an author, I’d love to see one or more of my books turned into movies.

If Sins of the Father was turned into a movie who would you cast to play your characters?

Denzel would play Abraham, Angela Bassett would be Saralyn and Whitney (the old Whitney) would be Leah.

Which social networks do you enjoy the most?

Definitely, Facebook.  I’m hooked.  I really love it over there.  You can find me at http://www.facebook.com/angelabenson every day.  Come on over and join the fun.

What’s next for you?

My contract with Avon/HarperCollins is up with Sins of the Father.  I recently submitted a proposal to them for my next book.  I hope to have some good news in the next few weeks.  In the meantime, I have a novella in the upcoming Millions of Blessings anthology being published by Dafina in March 2010.  Marilynn Griffith and Tia McCollors, two wonderful people and great authors, have novellas in it as well.

About the Book

Successful media mogul Abraham Martin has great wealth, an elegant wife, Saralyn, and a rebellious son, Isaac. He also has a secret: a second family that no one knows about. Now, after thirty years—driven by the urging of his long dormant conscience—Abraham is determined to do the right thing by finally bringing his illegitimate children into the light…and into the family fold.

But beautiful, manipulative Saralyn will never accept the proof of her husband’s indiscretions. Isaac the heir, shaken by his father’s revelations, will fight mercilessly when his world is threatened, and may lose everything that matters as a result. And while Abraham’s forgotten daughter Deborah is open to the undreamed-of possibilities suddenly awaiting her, son Michael cannot forgive the man who cruelly abandoned them to near poverty. And he’s driven by only one desire: revenge!

Angela Benson’s Sins of the Father is a powerful story of a house bitterly divided—a rich, multi-layered family saga of betrayal and redemption, rage and compassion, faith, forgiveness, and ultimately, of love.

Follow the blog tour at http://bitly.com/SinsoftheFather.

For more information about Angela, visit her at AngelaBenson.com.