The Lovechild Blog Tour with Ashea Goldson

Ashea Goldson, originally born in Brooklyn, NewYork  is a wife of twenty three years, a mother of two daughters, a grandmother of one,a  graduate of Fordham University, a writer, a poet, a publisher,a reviewer, an internet radio host,an educator, and a co-founder of a Christian preparatory school. Active in the ministry, she is a dedicated member of World Changers Church International for many years. She has a lifetime of experience with writing which ranges from being published in local newspapers, magazines, and online  publications to full length books.

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

The Last Woman Standing Blog Tour with Tia McCollors

Meet Tia McCollors, author of The Last Woman Standing

Tia, tell us about yourself.

Wow! That’s such a broad question. Besides being an author of Christian novels, my first love (and first priority as far as I’m concerned) is taking care of my family. This November my husband Wayne and I will celebrate five years of marriage. Since the day we said, “I do,” we’ve been blessed with two children. Evidently they were sent here to keep us young and spry because we have a very lively three year old son and a daughter who’s almost one.

In my (limited) free time, I love to read, browse through home decorating books (which means I’m a HGTV junkie), and enjoy scrapbooking – which by the way I’m about one hundred and twenty pictures behind on!

Would you say you are an extrovert or introvert?

Definitely an extrovert.

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

Nope..I don’t like to cook, but a person’s gotta eat right? I’m the queen of casseroles because I’m all about mixing ingredients, throwing it in the oven, and setting the timer. But on another note – this isn’t a “cooked” dish –  but I make a slammin’ banana puddin’.

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

I don’t mind when books are turned into movies even though with a movie it’s hard to thoroughly depict every character and include every scene. If I think about recent movie releases, I’d say the producers did a good job with The Secret Life of Bees. And oh yeah, I don’t know how I forgot about The Color Purple.

If your book was turned into a movie who would you cast to play your characters?

For The Last Woman Standing I would cast Angela Bassett as Lynette Bowers (the ex-wife), Taraji P. Henson as Sheila Rushmore (the current girlfriend), and Blair Underwood as Ace Bowers (the man in the middle).

Which social networks do you enjoy the most?

You know what? I really need to get better about maximizing the capabilities of the social networks out there. Right now I tend to be on Facebook the most and have recently been getting tapped back into Shoutlife.

What’s next for you?

I know authors are supposed to think three books ahead, but I can’t say I have a solid idea in mind. I have a few I’ve been tossing around, but nothing concrete. Most of my faithful readers have been asking about a sequel to my first novel, A Heart of Devotion. We’ll see.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lynette Bowers had no intention on falling in love with her ex-husband, “Ace” Bowers. After all, it has been ten years since their marriage ended, and two years since the beginning of his relationship with the younger and prettier, Sheila Rushmore. Besides Sheila, everyone knows that only a fool makes the same mistake twice, especially when it comes to marriage.

Ace seems stuck between his past and his future. With his conflicting emotions, he risks losing two women who hold a significant place in his heart. It’s going to take his faith and God’s love to handle the ensuing drama.

Sheila is starting to see Ace’s ex-wife as a threat to her lifelong dreams of achieving the happily-ever-after. Sheila is used to getting what she wants – except Ace’s commitment to marriage. When Sheila realizes Lynette may be the cause, she launches a plan to play the hand of God, instead of allowing Him to bring the love all three of them desire.

THE LAST WOMAN STANDING BLOG TOUR GIVEAWAY

Tia McCollors is the author of four Women’s Fiction books. Read the question below to see if you can answer it and provide the name of the book in which it was featured.

What is the name of Monet Sullivan’s long-time (but unequally yoked) love interest in Zora’s Cry?

Leave your answer in the comment section. All posts with correct answers posted to the blog comment sections will be entered in a random drawing for prizes. The more you post (with correct answers) the better your chances.  Winners will be contacted via email and also posted on Tia’s Blog, “From Tia’s Pen”.

Contest prizes include:

1. $5 gift card to Smoothie King or Panera Bread (Winner’s Choice)
2. $5 gift card to Chick-Fil-A
3. $10 gift card for Border’s
4. Autographed copy of The Last Woman Standing
5. Autographed copy of The Last Woman Standing

Follow the rest of The Last Woman Standing Blog Tour at:
http://bitly.com/TheLastWomanStanding

Tia’s Contact Info:

• www.TiaMcCollors.com
• Tia@TiaMcCollors.com
• www.myspace.com/TiaWrites
• http://www.shoutlife.com/TiaWrites
• Visit Tia’s blog: www.TiasPen.blogspot.com

One-On-One with Tanya Marie Lewis (Interview)

Tanya, thanks so much for this interview which will allow our readers to learn more about you.  I’ve known you for what? Almost 10 years?  I’m so proud of you!  It’s wonderful to see your growth and I’m excited to share you with our literary friends.  Let’s start off with an intro.  Who is Tanya Marie Lewis?

TML: I’m a child of God who loves people. I love being apart of this great Body of believers, called Christians and having a part in witnessing and ministering the Word of the Lord to the lost. In addition to that, I love my family and friends and the older I get, the more I realize how important they are to me. Outside of that I’m a writer for the Lord, a professional business woman, a student and teacher of the Word of God.

Why and how did you start writing?

TML: I was nine when I realized I was a writer, though I’d been scribbling stories long before then. I was sitting in math class watching a bird on the windowsill.  He looked how I must have felt…vulnerable. He eventually flew away and in that moment I penned a poem titled, “Unconditional Love” and I’ve not put my pen down since. Of course the school year was out before I realized I didn’t have to be in math class to write. Hence, that’s why I have to use a calculator to this day.  So, that’s where it all began for me, from poetry, songs, plays, short stories and finally novels.

LOL! I can definitely relate to wanting to do something other than math (and the calculator, too). Where did you get the inspiration to write The Carpenter’s Princess?

TML: I was on a three-day fast when I started working on the outline for (then titled Misdemeanor) The Carpenters Princess. During the course of the fast, God gave me the inspiration for the novel which was totally different from the original synopsis.  I have always had an extreme “soft” spot when it comes to love and marriage. I found myself reflecting back on the relationships of my grandparents. They had the type of love that endured; that long suffering kind of love the Bible talks about. If there were problems at home, we didn’t know about it.  I’m certain their love was based on something totally different than what society depicts as ’till death do us part’.

Nowadays, the word love is thrown around like a basketball to whomever/whenever the moment feels right. If they toss it back its love…if they don’t, well, umm let’s just say we begin to back peddle because many of us don’t know the true definition of love.  I just felt God showing me that He is love and without Him as our leading man; wheels are spinning, hearts are hurting and lives are being placed on hold, because we are out of line with the destiny that He created for us.

The character in The Carpenter’s Princess suffered unnecessary pain simply because she wouldn’t line up with God’s will for her life.  Which is why the story opens with the scripture, “Except the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain that build it. (Psalm 127:1 KJV)”

Can you share with us the meaning of the title and why you changed it for the re-release.

TML: Good question. The storyline deals with redemption. I was saved and had a fervent passion for Christ when the story was originally released in 2003. Although I was on a fast when it was written error still managed to seep through the ink of my pen. One thing that we have to remember as believers is that the enemy is subtle in his machinations and the Bible tells us we are not to be ignorant of them. In the months following the original release I transitioned from the church I had  grown up in to the ministry I’m apart of now. God really begin to deal with me concerning ministry and I shut everything down so I could hear Him. I couldn’t serve Him and be attached to the things/people that were coming between us. In that time frameHe began to rebuild, reconstruct, renew my passion. Jesus profession was that of a Carpenter and I felt that I had been made over, much like the character in TCP. I think I had begun to take the gift of writing for granted because I got caught up in the book deals, the best seller list and so on. I had to sacrifice some things and at the time it just happened to be a two-book deal with a major New York publisher. I knew when I let that deal go and the money involved that I was serious about being His writer.

So, when the season presented itself, the Carpenter (Jesus), redeemed the book with a new look, a new name and an opportunity to share the truth.  And the fact that Grant, the male character in the book, bares the name Carpenter  tied perfectly into the storyline. The only thing that you don’t know is does she surrender to her Carpenter. <wink>

I really loved The Carpenter’s Princess, which I first read when it was titled Misdemeanor. I also enjoyed your short story in Proverbs for the People, and other bits of your stories I’ve read over the years.  You have a very distinct voice in your books and stories.  If you had to define it, how would you?

TML: Thank you. I really didn’t understand my voice, until Bittersweet Chocolate was written.  If I had to describe it; intimate communication with someone you can trust.

What are you currently working on?

TML: I am finally prepared to release Bittersweet Chocolate which was my first full length novel. That’s my baby and it’s time I introduce her to the world.  Bittersweet Chocolate deals with love, regret, forgiveness and betrayal on a level that’s so disturbing only God can heal and restore the broken pieces. I’m also in the process of working on an anthology to20be released for the holiday season.

I am looking forward to Bittersweet Chocolate!  To this day, the portions I read of Bittersweet Chocolate are still with me, especially that line about the flower.  LOL. Is it “different” writing in the Christian Fiction Genre?

TML: Since I’ve been writing, God has been at the forefront of my work even when I was playing footsies with sin, He was there. I read things I wrote over twenty years ago and like breathing He entered into my work every time.  The Lord has always been there for me so it’s an honor to write for Him and glorify His name.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned about writing, especially as it relates to your ministry?

TML: Once I realized that a writing is a literary pulpit of sorts it changed my perspective on the seriousness of the call. God has granted many of us with the gift to function in the office of a creative scribe, but its not to be taken lightly. Your work should never be a place for revenge or an opportunity for self-exaltation. I’ve had people ask me if they’re going to be in my book, my initial thought is not if I can help it. I truly attempt to write what God gives me from the title to the character names. When He speaks I write…when He stops, so do I. Again, as a writer you have the power to influence through the power of a pen.

You were once very active and well known in the literary industry and sort of drifted off the scene. Where have you been and what steps lead you back?

TML: Wow, let’s see. I have been in a season of preparation, in the backfield, where I’ve had to fight for love to live a little longer. I’ve been beaten, broken, sliced, diced and spiritually maced so I would be in a place to not handle the word of God deceitfully, but with the compassion of a servant  clothed in a linen robe of righteousness, writing only what’s been given to me from the foot of the Father.

Your writing is just one part of your ministry.  Tell us about your other projects, including your publishing house and magazine. Also, let us know how we can find you on the web.

TML: Yes we have a publishing house with several divisions; a Christian magazine, Sufficient Grace that was launched in April of 2006. Due to personal things that took precedent at the time, it has been on hiatus since Nov/Dec 2007 but don’t fret because SGM makes a return this winter.  We also have a self-publishing division, as well as a graphic/media division. If you would like to contact me you can find my home on the web at www.tanyamarielewis.com or on twitter.com.

Thanks once again for the interview, Tanya.  Any closing words for us?

TML: Thank you Tee C. Royal and RAWSISTAZ for this opportunity. I appreciate the support from beginning of my journey (when I was reviewing books and a literary publicist for others) to now. My word for you is to continue forward, seek God for this next transition in your life and remember the only thing you should ever go back to is your first works.

Truly, I love you,

Tanya Marie Lewis.

Awwww…right back at’cha and I’m proud of you too!  Please keep us posted on Bittersweet Chocolate and your company’s upcoming releases.

Summer Reading with Anointed Authors (June 5)

Anointed Authors on Tour consists of seven award-winning, bestselling authors of Christian fiction and non-fiction publications with a commitment to write and/or publish integrity-based literature, touring as a testament to the power of using gifts and talents for God’s glory. Over the next two weeks, plan to meet Kendra Norman Bellamy, Tia McCollors, Vanessa Miller, Michelle Stimpson, Shewanda Riley, and Dr. Vivi Monroe Congress. Each of these authors have current and upcoming book releases that are must-reads for your summer reading list.

The ladies join us today on RAWSISTAZ to talk about the writing process.

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

KENDRA-NORMAN-BELLAMY: Hmmm…that’s a good question. The most unusual thing that immediately comes to mind is that I have a pack-a-day habit. No, not cigarettes….gum. when I’m writing, I think better when I’m chewing gum. It’s somewhat of a vice for me when I’m crafting stories. The thoughts just seem to flow easier and my fingers dance across the keys quicker when I have a stick of gum in my mouth. I know it may sound crazy, but it’s true. I chew five to ten sticks a day, based upon my workload. I probably should buy stock in Wrigley’s Extra sugarfree gum. LOL!  

TIA MCCOLLORS: Hmmm? That’s a good question and you stumped me on that one. If you asked me about Tia “as a person,” that might be one thing. But as “a writer,” I think I’m pretty normal (laughing). 

VANESSA MILLER: 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.

MICHELLE STIMPSON: I don’t really have a method to my madness of writing. Every book is different. The one I’m working on now (a follow-up to Boaz Brown) is really throwing me for a loop because the main character knows she’s doing the wrong thing but she’s still doing it. I just want to slap some sense into her, but I can’t because I do like her. Getting to know my characters is probably one of the most interesting things about writing fiction.

DR. VIVI MONROE CONGRESS: I love to write but hate to promote. That’s so sad…

SHEWANDA RILEY: I’m at best writing with sweet tea and microwave popcorn!   Being in the right frame of mind and having my writing space ready is important to me as  writer.

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

KENDRA-NORMAN-BELLAMY: Definitely. Nobody ever advised me to do that, but I know that when I began novel writing, I was writing what was familiar to me. I never set out to write Christian fiction. Both my parents are preachers, and I was brought up to know the will and ways of the Lord. Aside from home and school, I spent more time in church than anywhere else as a child. So, in essence, what was in me was what was coming out of me, and it just happened to be Christian fiction. Based upon personal experience, I’m inclined to believe that the task of writing is less stressful and takes less effort when a person writes what they know.

TIA MCCOLLORS:  Somewhat. I think there’s a small part of “me” in each of my books, but unless you’re a close friend of mine, you wouldn’t know what that particular thing was.

VANESSA MILLER: 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.

MICHELLE STIMPSON: Yes. Either write what you know or research your subject well!

DR. VIVI MONROE CONGRESS: That has been my case as well, but I’m trying to stretch by writing about things I know little to nothing about directly; things that I have to research and learn without the experience.

SHEWANDA RILEY: Since I write newspaper columns and non fiction, it’s definitely true in my case.   If you write what you know, you can build up confidence as a writer.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

KENDRA-NORMAN-BELLAMY: Prayer, Patience, and Perseverance! Those are the three words that I like to use as a response whenever I’m asked this question because I believe that any aspiring writing will need those three key ingredients in order to break into the world of writing and survive the disappointments that sometimes comes along with it. Nothing happens overnight, so aspiring writers will have to have the PATIENCE to wait without getting frustrated or discouraged in the interim. PERSEVERENCE is needed in order to endure all the negativity with which a writer is sure to be confronted in different stages of the process. And PRAYER….well, it’s not an option. As I’m writing this response, I’m listening to Marvin Sapp’s “Never Would Have Made It,” and I truly believe that whether we think so or not, any of us who have found a level of success in this industry have done so only by the grace of God. If we didn’t have the sense enough to pray for ourselves, I sincerely believe that somebody was praying on our behalf. Any one of us who thinks we’ve gotten where we are (where ever ‘where we are’ is) on our own, we’re sorely mistaken.

TIA MCCOLLORS: My advice to aspiring writers it to keep writing until you get to the end of the book. Don’t look back. Don’t go back and edit. Finish a complete manuscript first, and then work on making it your best. I’ve seen so many get stalled with “analysis paralysis,” meaning they spend so much time trying to perfect the only five pages that they’ve written, that they never write past that point.

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

MICHELLE STIMPSON: Write. Nothing except writing is writing – talking about writing isn’t writing, thinking about writing isn’t writing, going to workshops and reading blogs about writing is NOT writing. Only writing is writing. (Adapted from quote by E. Doctorow).

DR. VIVI MONROE CONGRESS: Go for it, but PLEASE employ a reputable EDITOR–I repeat … PLEASE!

SHEWANDA RILEY: Don’t be afraid to take risks with your writing.   Even if you are more comfortable writing fiction, try non-fiction and vice versa.   You might be surprised with the results.

RECENT AND CURRENT BOOK RELEASES

·       The Lyons Den by Kendra Norman-Bellamy

·       The Last Woman Standing by Tia McCollors

·       Through the Storm by Vanessa Miller

·       Trouble in My Way by Michelle Stimpson

·       Manna for Mamma: Wisdom for Women in the Wilderness by Dr. Vivi Monroe Congress

·       Love Hangover: Moving From Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends by Shewanda Riley

Follow the rest of the Summer Reading with Anointed Authors Blog Tour at http://bit.ly/SummerReadingwithAnointedAuthors.