Monday, January 25, 2016
Book Spotlight: Whatever Dude by Dalia Florea
Have you ever wondered about online dating? Journey down the rabbit hole of online dating in this pocket size book of vignettes filled with hilarious stories of meet-ups, musings and more. From Mr. Doesn’t Have A Job to Mr. Takes His Shoes Off During A Date to Mr. Let’s Go For Coffee But Too Cheap To Actually Buy Coffee. This book will have you laughing out loud!
Meet Author Dalia Florea
Dalia grew up in Queens, New York and now makes her home in Northern Virginia outside of Washington, D.C. She is the author of Mirrored and Teardrops Know My Name and Whatever Dude. Her debut, Mirrored reached Amazon’s Bestseller’s list in Women’s Detective Fiction. Her second novel, Teardrops Know My Name also reached Amazon’s Bestseller’s list in African American Mystery, Thriller and Suspense. Whatever Dude a humorous short read reached Amazon’s Bestseller’s list in Humor & Entertainment. She is an avid reader who enjoys writing fiction stories with a mixture of mystery and suspense sprinkled with romance. When she isn’t crafting mystery suspense stories with a dash of romance, she enjoys reading, attending live music concerts, visiting wineries and solving puzzles.
Connect with Dalia
Twitter: @DaliaFlorea
Instagram: DaliaFlorea
Pinterest: Dalia Florea
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Sunday Sample #2 Never Stop Praying
Never Stop Praying
Ephesians 6:18: And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with
all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep
on praying for all the Lord’s people. One of the greatest challenges in life is
including prayer in your everyday life, not just when you are in distress. Hold
tight to your faith, because it will push you to pray more. Remind yourself
that even when things do not look like they are going to work out, you cannot
stop praying.
Prayer is like having a full-time job, and you must keep
going and praying until the job project is finished so that you can start the
next one. Know that God hears all of your prayers, and He has already supplied
the answer. He is just waiting for the right time to show you the results.
Scripture Reading
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ". 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19
Purchase Links
Connect with me:
Author Website: http://latoyaauthor.wix.com/authorlatoyam
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latoyamwrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaToyaauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/authorlatoyam
Instagram: http://instagram.com/authorlatoyam
Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/latoyamurchison
Sample Sunday #1: A Praying Heart Blog: Prayer Closet
Prayer Closet
Matthew 6:6: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then you’re Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you A prayer closet is a designated space that you use to communicate with God without interruptions. It can be in a quiet park, a garden, a little corner in your house, or out on your balcony.
God does not care what space you choose; He is just looking for you to spend some private time with Him. Even when you are not able to have a physical space, it is important for you to become deaf to those things happening around you as you pray.
If it is possible, close your eyes, and allow your imagination to take you to your quiet place, and begin to pray to God in silence. When you enter into your prayer closet, it is not a time for you to relax, but a chance for you to give yourself to God completely.
There are a few things to have waiting for you when you enter your prayer closet:
1.Your favorite Bible
2. Prayer journal.
3. Worship music.
4. Lamp.
Prayer:
Lord, I come to you in my prayer closet, looking to spend some one-on-one time with you. Not because something is wrong, but to build our relationship. I know that I have not spent enough time with you, because things have been busy around me. Help me to become one of your faithful servants. Lord, today I surrender myself to you completely. I praise and thank you for your love, grace, and mercy that you continue to show me every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scripture Reading
“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. ”He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.”~Luke 11:1-4
Purchase Links
Connect with me:
Author Website: http://latoyaauthor.wix.com/authorlatoyam
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latoyamwrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaToyaauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/authorlatoyam
Instagram: http://instagram.com/authorlatoyam
Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/latoyamurchison
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Author Interview with Cheraee
LaToya:
Hi Cheraee thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us
a little about yourself and your background?
Cheraee:
I'm a self-published author who has self-published (4) books
since 2014. I'm the editor of (2) magazines in my hometown Detroit. One is a
hip hop magazine (SDM) and one is a gospel magazine (Indie Faith.) I also do
book editing and ghostwriting in my spare time.
LaToya:
Which writers inspire you?
Cheraee:
The writers that inspire me are Noire, Nikki Turner, Maya
Angelou, and Eric Jerome Dickey.
LaToya:
What are you working on at the minute?
Cheraee:
At the minute I'm working on 3 books I plan to release in the first quarter of
2016.
LaToya:
What genre are your books and why?
Cheraee:
My books are urban fiction, but I have created 2 of my own
genres which I call reality fiction and intellectual, hood fiction.
LaToya:
In 10 words or less can you create a quote that describes you and your writing?
Cheraee:
A quote that I use to represent myself is "the queen
pen of reality fiction."
LaToya:
Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your
most recent book?
Cheraee:
I would love for Naturi Naughton to play the leading role in
my book.
LaToya:
When did you decide to become a writer?
Cheraee:
I decided to become a writer in 2014 when I started
self-publishing my books.
LaToya:
Do you write full-time or part-time?
Cheraee:
I write full-time.
LaToya:
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
Cheraee:
I don't have a special time to write I just write whenever
I'm inspired.
LaToya:
Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day?
Cheraee:
I don't aim for a set of words or pages a day. I just write
until I fall asleep.
LaToya:
Where do your ideas come from?
Cheraee:
My ideas come from my own life, people around me, and
everyday society.
LaToya:
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes
you?
Cheraee:
I always start off with a general outline, but I let my
ideas do the talking.
LaToya:
How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
Cheraee:
Creatively I have evolved because I am now a more
independent author, and every book I write I become more humble in my writing.
LaToya:
What is the hardest thing about writing?
Cheraee:
The hardest thing about writing is writing new ideas that
haven't been published.
LaToya:
What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
Cheraee:
The hardest thing about writing my last book which was part
of a sequel is making sure it was better and shadier then part 1 and 2.
LaToya:
What is the easiest thing about writing?
Cheraee:
The easiest thing about writing is being able to have the
freedom of speech.
LaToya:
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Cheraee:
It takes me about 3 months or less to write a book.
LaToya:
Where can you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
Cheraee:
In 5 years I hope to have published 20 books, be a national
best-seller, and own my own publishing company.
LaToya:
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Cheraee:
The advice I would give my younger self is to have started
self-publishing when I first started writing novels at 19.
LaToya:
Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
Cheraee:
A famous person I would love to meet is Zane because she is
more than just an author.
LaToya:
If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been
and why?
Cheraee:
I would have loved to be the original author of Candy Licker
by Noire. This was one of the first books I read that made me fall in love with
urban lit.
LaToya:
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Cheraee:
I would advise aspiring authors not to change your writings
for anyone, and not to take no for an answer.
Connect with Cheraee:
Website:
www.cheraeec.com
Facebook:
Sheree Cheraee Cranford
Twitter:
@ashadymission
Instagram:
@literally_raee
Amazon
Author Page: Cheraee C.
Thank
you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in
this interview.
Monday, January 18, 2016
Book Spotlight: After the Pain by Adrienne Thompson
After
the Pain by Adrienne Thompson
About
The Book:
Genre: African American Women’s Fiction/Edgy
Inspirational Fiction/African American Romance
Release Date: Jan. 12, 2016
Blurb:
Barely grasping on to her sanity due to past trauma
and unhappiness, LaVonda Ingram leaves her home in search of peace and finds it
in the love of a beautiful man. But will she be able to hold on to the healing
and peace his love provides?
This is book one of the Latter Rain series—stories of
women over forty finding love.
Tagline: “After the Pain, she needed peace. She found it in his
love…”
Book Excerpt:
It
smelled like rain the day I lost my mind.
As
a matter of fact, the scent of rain clung to the air like an unfulfilled
promise until the sun set. I spent that day, the entire day, sitting on my
front porch, staring at nothing in particular. I can’t say I was deep in
thought because I wasn’t. As a matter of fact, all that seemed to fill my head
was static—white noise. It was as if someone had flipped the switch in my head
from on to off.
I
just sat there and rubbed my hand over my freshly-cut hair, the hair I’d had
cut because I just didn’t have the desire to keep it up, to go the beauty shop
every week like I had in the past. I didn’t eat or drink anything. I didn’t use
the toilet. I didn’t answer the phone when it rang. I didn’t smile or return
the mailman’s hello. I didn’t wave when my neighbor greeted me. I didn’t utter
a word or move a muscle until the sun began its daily descent. And once the
moon took its place in the sky, I stood from my seat, walked out into my yard
and fell to the ground. Pressing my face into the grass, I cried for the rain,
begged for it to stop playing around and go ahead and pour down on me. In my
mind, the rain would make things better, maybe water down some of the pain. I
writhed on the ground, pulling up handfuls of grass until my tears dried and
transformed into soft wails.
“LaVonda?
You all right?” my neighbor, Bunny, shrieked when she stepped outside her house
and saw me. What a dumb question that was. I was rolling around on the ground
begging for rain, wasn’t I? Of course I wasn’t okay. And then I saw the worried
expression on her face and the ugly dress on her body and all I could do was
laugh. I laughed so hard that I started to cry again.
Link
to Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/hSwfVQ75dc8
Link
to Book Soundtrack: http://ow.ly/X3mgH
Purchase
Links:
Kindle: http://amzn.com/B01AHWOI6W
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01AHWOI6W
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01AHWOI6W
Amazon Australia: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01AHWOI6W
Nook: http://ow.ly/X35B4
Author
Bio:
Adrienne
Thompson has worn many titles in her lifetime–from teenage mother to teenage
wife to divorcee to registered nurse to author. This mother of three young
adults currently resides in Arkansas where she writes and publishes her stories
from the soul… for the soul, full time. Adrienne writes stories about
brokenness, healing, and redemption, because she has traveled those roads
herself.
You can connect with her at:
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/A_H_Thompson
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/ahthompsn/
Thank
you!!
Friday, January 15, 2016
Book Review: When a Man Loves a Woman: A Season of Change by Tumika Patrice Cain
When a Man Loves a Woman: A Season of Change by Tumika Patrice CainMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
When a Man Loves a Woman: A Season of Change brings out a lot of emotions because it deals with various issues that are happening today. Avery and Alicia feel in love with each other instantly. Where Avery played close attention to her Avery missed an ignored signed of him being crazy. This book reminds you of the importance of getting to know someone. It also shows us that the way a man treats his mother is a direct indication as to how he will treat you.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the author for an honest review.
Author LaToya Murchison
View all my reviews
Book Spotlight: When A Man Loves A Woman by Tumika Patrice Cain
Avery:
Feeling better than I’d felt in a while, I walked into the condo with a purpose. “Alicia, where are you, baby?”
“I’m in the tub, Avery.” I burst in on her and she looked up at me with a curious expression. “Ave, are you okay?” Her eyebrows raised in question.
“Baby, I’m great!” I dropped down to my knees by the side of the tub to plant a kiss on her perfect face sticking up from the sea of bubbles. She looked adorable. And incredibly sexy. “Mmmm. I missed you.”
She stared at me for a long time before answering. “I missed you, too.” Her face was so serious. Her eyes bespoke of a great turmoil burning in her soul. It was a hard admission for her to make, but nevertheless true. I began to nibble her neck, and I heard her moan. It had been a month since the “incident” and we’d barely touched. Not that I hadn’t tried. She wouldn’t let me too close to her. I missed her softness, and I could tell she wanted me as much as I wanted her. Felt her breath quicken and become labored against my cheek.
“You wanna join me, Avery?” The look on her face was a cross between come hither and nervous anticipation of what was to come by letting me into her space again. In her life. Seeing as how, until that point, I’d been hovering near the edge, just barely able to keep from falling off. That was the sweetest question I’d ever heard.
“Yeah, baby. Oh, yeah.” I growled deep in my throat. Before I could even finish my answer I’d already stripped down to nothing and was climbing into the oversized whirlpool tub to join my wife. The sight of her reaching up to me excited me tremendously. I heard myself groan.
Heated sounds of moaning and ecstasy filled the air as I nibbled and sucked her neck, lips, breasts. A romantic urgency eased between us. “Come to me, Avery,” she panted against my ear. I thought she’d never say it. Our mating was fast and furious as we loved away our hurt and frustrations. We were left panting and clinging to each other. She looked into my eyes and I felt her reach for me again. I picked her up and carried her to our bed. All the urgency of the first encounter was gone, so we were able to love each other slowly, tenderly. Tears slipped silently from her eyes, releasing a host of unanswered emotions, finally being let loose. I licked them away and looked deep into her eyes. “I love you, Alicia. And I’m so very sorry I hurt you. Please forgive me.” I couldn’t touch her enough. I wanted to mold us together to absorb all of the hurt she was feeling.
Excerpt from When a Man Loves a Woman: A Season of Change by Tumika Patrice Cain
Meet Author Tumika Patrice Cain
Tumika Patrice Cain is an award-winning author, media personality, publisher, columnist, poet and book reviewer. Her works center around the uplifting, encouraging and empowering others to live the abundant life. Her works have been described as brilliant wordsmith that paints beautiful word pictures. Experience her writing for yourself!
Tumika enjoys reading books of various genres, especially romance, literary fiction and contemporary women’s fiction. Some of her favorite authors are Pearl Cleage, Maya Angelou, Beverly Jenkins, E. Lynn Harris, J. California Cooper, Nikki Giovanni, LaVyrle Spencer, and Danielle Steele. She writes to give herself wings to fly and to give a voice to those who have yet to find their own. She writes to empower.
Connect with Tumika Patrice Cain
Purchase Link
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Author Interview with Author Imani
LaToya: What are your ambitions for your writing career?
Author Imani: I want to write novels that become best sellers. I want to explore more than just drama in urban fiction. I would love to bring crime, thrillers, mystery and suspense all mingled with romance to the urban world. I want my writing to come across as different and unique.
LaToya: Which writers inspire you?
Author Imani: I’m inspired by Zane, James Patterson, Carl Weber, Lisa Jackson and Kiki Swinson
LaToya: What are you working on at the minute?
Author Imani: I’m currently working on a novel called Deception Unleashed.
LaToya: What genre are your books and why?
Author Imani: My books are urban fiction. I won’t say it’s because I’m the most comfortable writing in this genre because I would love to challenge myself to step outside my comfort zone, but for now, this is where my desire is.
LaToya: In 10 words or less can you create a quote that describes you and your writing?
Author Imani: I don’t have a quote that I can create for myself, but I know a quote that best describes me: Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing by Benjamin Franklin and that’s me in a nutshell. I either write something someone wants to read or find something that would inspire to write. I would have it no other way.
LaToya: Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
Author Imani: The leading character is London Forrester and she would be played by Jurnee Smollet-Bell from the movie Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor
LaToya: When did you decide to become a writer?
Author Imani: I’ve been writing since I was a little girl, but I didn’t take it seriously until I was in my late teens, but even then, I was too scared to do something with what I wrote.
LaToya: Do you write full-time or part-time?
Author Imani: For now, I write part-time
LaToya: Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
Author Imani: I write anytime during the day. On my lunch break, in the evening or into the late hours of the night. It depends because sometimes, I just can’t turn it off once the words start flowing.
LaToya: Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day?
Author Imani: I didn’t use to until recently. I started challenging myself to do 5K to 10K per day. Sometimes, I’m able to accomplish that goal. Other times, not so much.
LaToya: Where do your ideas come from?
Author Imani: Sometimes from my favorite TV shows Revenge, Criminal Minds, CSI Miami or Law and Order SVU. Even lifetime movies get my creative juices flowing.
LaToya: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you
Author Imani: Normally, I would just let an idea take me, but recently, I started working better off of outlines.
LaToya: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
Author Imani: I think I’ve gotten better with show versus telling a story and I think my characters are well developed. Also, with every book, my writing gets better.
LaToya: What is the hardest thing about writing?
Author Imani: Promoting and letting my voice be heard.
LaToya: What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
Author Imani: My latest book details someone who is psychotic and has Histrionic Personality Disorder. I can write about a crazy person, but if I’m going to detail someone with any personality disorder, I want to get it right. It’s more to it than someone who is crazy. I have been doing a lot of research on it.
LaToya: What is the easiest thing about writing?
Author Imani: Honestly, there is nothing I consider easy about writing. Writing is hard work in itself and could easily become a full time job - but a job I enjoy doing.
LaToya: How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Author Imani: The first book took a year. Lovin’ the Enemy took a year as well only because I would go over it and over it. Take out what doesn’t work and add what does. It took me awhile before I was completely satisfied with it. Lovin’ the Enemy has a part 2 and it took me 3 months to write that. For me, every book has been different.
LaToya: Where can you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
Author Imani: I see myself as a well-known and well established author with a few best sellers under her belt
LaToya: What advice would you give to your younger self?
Author Imani: If making it as an author was easy, then you’re doing something wrong.
LaToya: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
Author Imani: I will like to meet the Mowry twins, Tamera and Tia (perfect example of people who didn’t turn away from God even after fame). I’d also like to meet Tyler Perry
LaToya: If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?
Author Imani: I would have to say Addicted by Zane. I love Zane anyway, and I love her writing style. Her books are page turners, but even though I read this book maybe a year ago, I still remember the story line. It was the type that made you mad at the character as well as feel sorry for them and even made you shed a few tears. That’s the kind of book I love to write.
LaToya: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Author Imani: Stay true to yourself. Write what you want to write. Don’t try to please people. Disappointments and discouragement are inevitable in this industry, but don’t let it get to you because you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. He gave you the talent so He will see to it that you make it all the way to the finish line.
Connect with Author Imani:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imani.ann.5
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bbygrl032930
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B013N6NLAS
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
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