Book Spotlight: Tempted to Touch by Nigeria Lockley

I just wanted to write this story that was in my head. A passion project. At least that was what I thought. About a month after I started writing Tempted… I kept hearing the protagonist’s voice directly—like she wanted to tell the story herself. But I didn’t want her to. I found myself fighting with the first person.

I share just about everything I do. I’m a reality t.v. star without a show. However, I do have a blog. When I found myself at a writing halt I voiced my struggle my blog, The Neophyte Author and tried to run away from the first person narrator even after my sister-author-friend, Unoma Nwankwor told me I could do it. The running stopped once I received a phone call from the one and only Michelle Stimpson—author, educator, and my unofficial mentor (I dubbed her my mentor in head, but that’s another story). She’s written over twenty books and more than half of them are in first person. Michelle was kind enough to walk me through her decision to write her first novel, Boaz Brown in first person. It was very natural and easy for her during that instance because she and the protagonist of Boaz Brown shared a lot of the same issues.

Instantly I knew why I no longer had a passion for my passion project. Kira was me and I was Kira. Married and in trouble. When I began Tempted to Touch my husband and I were in this awful and icky place that is usually filled with cussing and drink throwing on reality t.v. Since I’m Christian it was filled with a lot of “Satan I rebuke you” and “The devil is a liar”. I realized then that I would be writing my unhappiness. That wasn’t something I felt comfortable with at the same time I knew that Tempted to Touch was a story that needed to be told. Of course, to keep things on the up and up between my husband and I embellished a bit and gave the characters issues to fight about that were slightly different from ours. Regardless of the changes, I believe that I’ve found healing in certain areas of my marriage and I know that God will use this story to help other women find some healing in their marriage.

Pre-order Links:

Paperback: http://bit.ly/PaperbackTempted (Receive 20% off and a paperback copy)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NfXI94

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/TemptedSmashwords

Author Bio:

Nigeria Lockley possesses two master’s degrees, one in English secondary education, which she utilizes as an educator with the New York City Department of Education. Her second master’s degree is in creative writing. Nigeria’s debut novel, Born at Dawn received the 2015 Phillis Wheatley Award for First Fiction. Nigeria serves as the Vice President of Bridges Family Services, a not-for-profit organization that assists student parents interested in pursuing a degree in higher education. She is also the deaconess and clerk for her spiritual home, King of Kings and Lord of Lords Church of God. Nigeria is a New York native who resides in Harlem with her husband and two daughters.

Social Media Links and Connections:

Subscribe to the Inheritance Books Newsletter for a three chapter preview: http://ift.tt/1Mof9QI

Twitter and Instagram:@NewNigeria

Facebook: http://ift.tt/1Gb1uzv

Author Interview with T.P. Miller

LaToya: If you could choose a famous African American who has impacted your life who would it be and why?
T.P Miller: I can’t pinpoint just one. I’m influenced by the amazing works of people from Tyler Perry to Shonda Rhimes. Good storytelling be it by book or by show influences me to put out better.

LaToya: Where are you from? Where do you live now?
T.P Miller: I was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama.

LaToya: Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
T.P Miller: Not at first but I knew young. My first thought was to be a veterinarian.

LaToya: When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
T.P Miller: I started in middle school and early high school passing stories around with friends and eventually starting my own.

LaToya: How did you choose the genre you write in?
T.P Miller: I was always intrigued with paranormal fiction, mainly vampires, but never saw an all AA cast. So I created my first novel.

LaToya: Where do you get your ideas?
T.P Miller: Music mostly and people watching.

LaToya: Name one book that you would categorize as a life changing read.
T.P Miller: I have too many to pick from. I know that the vampire Huntress Legends changed me and gave me the confidence to really try to write.

LaToya: Who is your favorite author?
T.P Miller:  L.A. Banks, hands down.

LaToya: Name one book you wish you’d written.
T.P Miller: Not so the one book I wish I’d written but I hope that the books I have written will leave people feeling the same way their favorite books made them feel.

LaToya: Tell us about your latest book. 
T.P Miller:  Nef is plagued by nightmares from her past. With her family murdered and her daughter stolen from her crib in the middle of the night, she seeks revenge on the monster responsible. After more than a century, her world revolves around finding the individual that caused her so much pain.
With new information leading her closer to the answers she seeks and new revelations coming to light about her past and her rightful place in a dark society, she begins a journey where there’s no looking back.

An evil vampire has a plan for the one he left and is dead set on keeping her from taking her place as the Chosen One. She doesn’t know what powers she has and he’ll do anything to get her right where he wants her. With him.

Driven by vengeance and fighting until the end, she’s out for blood and taking no prisoners.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

LaToya: How can readers connect with you?
T.P Miller: I Love interacting with my readers and they can follow me at:

Facebook: http://ift.tt/1MciRgj
Twitter: @vampyrequeen14
Email: vampyrequeen14@yahoo.com  OR vampyrequeen14@gmail.com
Website: http://ift.tt/1FR8DFw
Facebook Fan Page: http://ift.tt/1MciRgl
Instagram: http://ift.tt/1FR8DFy
lShelfari: http://ift.tt/1MciTot
GoodReads: http://ift.tt/1FR8B0n
Tumblr: http://ift.tt/1MciTov

LaToya: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
T.P Miller: Keep writing, keep reading, keep learning. Always be original.

Author Interview with Author Untamed

LaToya: If you could choose a famous African American who has impacted your life who would it be and why?
Untamed: There are so many to choose from, but I’d have to say Tyler Perry. Of course, Tyler Perry has an inspirational life story about coming from meager beginnings to where he is today. However, one of the reasons I decided to become a published author was because of a statement that Tyler Perry made while accepting an award. During a pivotal moment in my life when I was debating strongly whether to pursue becoming a published author, I heard Mr. Perry say in an acceptance speech, “you know when you’re meant to do something when you try to leave it alone, but it won’t leave you alone.” Instantly, my decision was made because that’s exactly what I was going through.

LaToya: Where are you from? Where do you live now?
Untamed: I am originally from Albany, GA, and I currently live in Augusta, GA.

LaToya: Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? 
Untamed: No, I actually wanted to keep writing as a hobby. The need to do more with my writing began to pull at me later in life and that’s when I decided to pursue writing as a career.

LaToya: When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book? 
Untamed: I began writing poetry at the age of thirteen. Later, I began writing short stories and novels. My first novel was completed in 2010 and it was published in December 2012.

LaToya: How did you choose the genre you write in? 
Untamed: I didn’t actually choose a genre because I don’t limit myself as to what I can write. I’m very versatile. My first novel was based off of my life and other women’s lives that I’ve heard of. Since I wanted the novel to be true-to-life, raw and full of emotion, it falls into the urban category. However, I write erotica, poetry, contemporary fiction and street lit. I also want to delve into writing Christian fiction and suspense.

LaToya: Where do you get your ideas? 
Untamed: Usually my ideas come from life experiences, either my own or others. As a writer, the simplest things can trigger inspiration. Actually, I’m currently writing a novel which I’m co-writing with another author which was triggered simply from a picture.

LaToya: Name one book that you would categorize as a life changing read. 
Untamed: Coming of Age by Lorri Hewett. Just as Tyler Perry gave me the inspiration to become a published author, Ms. Hewett’s novel inspired me to begin writing stories. The novel delves deeply into dealing with the social stressors that teenagers face such as popularity, self-esteem, fear of acceptance and fears of the future. It also deals with prejudices and racism. It’s an awesome read and I encourage anyone thirteen and older to read it. I allowed my daughter to read it and she loved it. She was able to relate to it in many of the same ways that I was. It was very encouraging to her in dealing with some of the same pressures of today.

LaToya: Who is your favorite author? 
Untamed: That’s a loaded question! I have several favorite authors. My favorite authors are Carl Weber, Honey B, Sister Souljah and Ashley Antoinette as far as mainstream authors. I also have a few self-published authors who are my favorite, M. J. Kane and Vulyncia Poindexter.

LaToya: Name one book you wish you’d written. 
Untamed: I can’t say I wish I’d written a book because I truly appreciate the talent and craft of each author. Now, I will say there are some books which I wish I could continue with the author who wrote them because I loved the story and the characters just that much! In that regard, The Coldest Winter Ever and Prada Plan 4, I would love, love, love to write another novel either as a series or some type of continuation with the authors.

LaToya: Tell us about your latest book. 
Untamed: My latest book is called King’s Suite the Rise of Pooch Smalls. In my book series, the Never Again…No More series, one of the main characters was a man named Pooch. He was literally one of the most loved and hated characters. His character was even scary for me to write! The readers wanted to know about him and his character so King’s Suite is basically the story of his life from childhood and leads up to the series. It delves into how he’s born into the streets and how he wanted to live a different life but was sort of forced into this lifestyle and then the lifestyle opens up a sleeping beast within himself.

LaToya: How can readers connect with you?
Untamed: Readers can connect with me on through:
Website: http://ift.tt/1FjMEkf
Facebook: http://ift.tt/1FWh8Pu
Instagram: Author Untamed
Twitter @chazz_untamed
YouTube: UntamedAries.

LaToya: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Untamed: My advice would be to learn your craft. Never be afraid to learn more and accept good criticism. Practice it at any given chance. I think that if you take yourself seriously that comes with the territory, and you can’t expect anyone else to take your work seriously if you don’t care enough to better yourself. That’s why it’s important not to have “yes” people in your corner who will be afraid to tell you when something is not on point, not just with the story, but with the technical parts such as spelling, grammar, word usage, word play etc…

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Author Interview with DINA

LaToya: If you could choose a famous African American who has impacted your life who would it be and why?
DINA: This is probably one of the most difficult questions to answer. To narrow down the list of (famous) African Americans who have impacted my life to one, is nearly impossible! But the first to come to mind is Madam C.J. Walker. She had a scalp disease, which caused her to suffer from baldness. However, instead of allowing herself to become a victim, she became a hair guru, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the first female self-made millionaire in the United States! Talk about facing challenges head on – pun intended.

LaToya: Where are you from? Where do you live now?
DINA: I was born and spent most of my childhood in Miami, Florida. My entire adulthood has been spent in Tampa, Florida.

LaToya: Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? 
DINA: No. For a long time, I wanted to be a secretary, an actress, and teacher.

LaToya: When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book? 
DINA: In some way or another, I’ve always been a writer; however, I didn’t take it seriously until 2012 when I wanted to tell my story, hence my first published book, Rewriting My Story which was released on October of that year.

LaToya: How did you choose the genre you write in? 
DINA: I didn’t; it chose me.

LaToya: Where do you get your ideas? 
DINA: This may be a typical response…but EVERYTHING inspires me! From my family, friends, books, news, taking a stroll at park or beach…there’s a story everywhere! The problem is narrowing down my ideas.

LaToya: Name one book that you would categorize as a life changing read. 
DINA: That one is easy – Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. What I find profound about the story of Clarissa Dalloway is that it doesn’t matter what your background is, some way every woman can relate to the main character. Note, that this book was initially published in May 1925, yet it addresses many social and internal issues women face today.

LaToya: Who is your favorite author? 
DINA: William Shakespeare.

LaToya: Name one book you wish you’d written. 
DINA: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

LaToya: Tell us about your latest book. 
DINA: My latest book is actually a short story titled Lost & Found. It’s the story of My-Joy Avery Summer, a young lady who is seeking for one thing – love. But love must come with a hefty bank account. And the sexy business tycoon, Mr. Uri Beaulieu had exactly that – money. What she soon found was that a life filled with lavish shopping sprees, fancy car, a beautiful home, and exotic vacations weren’t enough. She wanted love… and so she left him. But she quickly discovered that her decision to leave Uri came with a price. And she soon uncovers a web of deception that lifts the veil on her past and changes her future forever. The result? Kidnapping. Betrayl. Human Trafficking. and Death… But will she ever find what she desires? Will she ever find… Love?
Lost and Found is currently available only via eBook and can be purchased on Amazon.com.

LaToya: How can readers connect with you?
DINA: Readers are welcomed to visit the following sites/pages:
Website
Amazon
Facebook
Twitter

LaToya: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
DINA: Just write! It boggles my mind how many people want to become authors, yet have not written a word. There’s no point in focusing on publishing your book, if you don’t have a book to publish!

Book Spotlight: Out For Blood by T.P. Miller

Excerpt:

Nef is plagued by nightmares from her past. With her family murdered and her daughter stolen from her crib in the middle of the night, she seeks revenge on the monster responsible. After more than a century, her world revolves around finding the individual that caused her so much pain.  With new information leading her closer to the answers she seeks and new revelations coming to light about her past and her rightful place in a dark society, she begins a journey where there’s no looking back.  An evil vampire has a plan for the one he left and is dead set on keeping her from taking her place as the Chosen One. She doesn’t know what powers she has and he’ll do anything to get her right where he wants her. With him. Driven by vengeance and fighting until the end, she’s out for blood and taking no prisoners

Purchase Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Author Bio:

T.P. Miller has been writing since she could remember and as a long time reader, she decided that she would start picking up her pen as just a hobby and soon decided that she wanted more. She sat down and penned her first novel, “Out for Blood: The Chosen One Has Come”. She is currently Co-CEO of Kemet Books and is working on more paranormal drama. She lives in a hole somewhere in Birmingham with her husband and two kids.

How can readers connect with you?

Facebook

Twitter

Email  OR Email

 Website

Facebook Fan Page

Instagram

 Shelfari

Goodreads

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Book Spotlight: Autumn Kisses by Te Russ

Excerpt:

When Rowan Hunter begins to suffer from a bout of the proverbial writer’s block, his editor offers up his beach cottage in Martha’s Vineyard. Prepared to relax, unwind and pray that the words begin to flow again, he gets an unexpected surprise one evening.

To the world she is known as the eccentric jazz singer Sapphire Woods. But to the small town of Oak Bluffs Massachusetts on The Vineyard, she is simply Laurel Asher, their best kept secret. In need of some time out of the spotlight to work on her next album, Laurel goes to the one place that’s always been home.

Thanks to a misunderstanding Laurel and Rowan end up under the same roof. As the house has more than enough room, they decide to share the place. But what neither of them expects is the sensual attraction that begins to build up.

As the color of the leaves begin to change and fall to the ground, these two find themselves falling as well–for each other.

Purchase Links:

Author Bio:

Té Russ found solace in reading at an early age and a vehicle which broadened her horizons. As an adolescent she used writing to express her unspoken words. Since then, she has gone from writing stories in diaries to attending college for journalism and falling in love, which has allowed those youthful words of love to blossom into a series of stories in her romance novels. This Texas wife and mother of three can be found reading, skydiving, cheering for her MMA fighting husband at, buzzing down the interstate on the back of motorcycles, or kayaking.

How can readers connect with you?

Facebook: http://ift.tt/1Kt63UJ

Facebook: http://ift.tt/1KWJhUW

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TeRussNovels

Blog: http://ift.tt/1KWJgjJ

Email: terussnovels@gmail.com

Author Interview with Design of a Woman

In the photo, Lisa is on the left, LaTerra is in the middle, and Amanda is on the right.

LaToya: If you could choose a famous African American who has impacted your life who would it be and why?

LaTerra: Jill Scott because she is so open and honest in her art. She embodies power, grace and majesty. Her work makes me feel beautiful and helps me to embrace everything about me, flaws and all.
Lisa: Oprah Winfrey, because although she encountered obstacles in her childhood, she was not defined by them, rather she overcame them and went on to be successful.
Amanda: Gwendolyn Brooks; writing was always her passion and adversity never killed her vision.

LaToya: Where are you from?  Where do you live now?
LaTerra: I’m from Eden, MD and I now live right down the street in Salisbury, MD
Lisa: I am from Eden, Maryland and I live in Salisbury, Maryland
Amanda: I am from Snow Hill, MD and I now live in Salisbury, MD.

LaToya: Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? 
LaTerra: No, growing up I actually wanted to be a Pediatrician. I have always loved writing, but I wasn’t comfortable sharing my work with others.
Lisa: I always knew there were books within me; however, bringing life to them on paper was a different story.
Amanda: No, even though I loved to write, I always wanted to be a daycare provider or nurse.

LaToya: When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
LaTerra:  I started writing as soon as I was able to put sentences together; my first poem was about owls. I finished my first book in June.
Lisa: I started writing as a child and finished my first book in 2015 as a collaborative effort with 2 others.
Amanda: I began writing somewhere around the mid eighties (mostly poetry/small writings). The first book was completed June 25, 2015.

LaToya: How did you choose the genre you write in? 
LaTerra: I have always loved to read and write poetry so it came naturally to me. This particular book was God saving me from myself. It was given to me at 13, the night I decided to take my life. It gave me purpose and made sense of my pain.
Lisa: For this particular book, I was a co-author, so it was decided by my daughter, who started this project.
Amanda: I never had a general genre, but poetry and journal form would be my choice. I enjoy reading poetry; I love how the words flow to give a picture and journaling was pouring the thoughts and emotional part of myself and my perception of others life events on paper.

LaToya: Where do you get your ideas? 
LaTerra: I get my ideas from everyday life. I am a very empathetic person, so I like to look at situations from different perspectives and write from that point of view.
Lisa: From within, from life experiences, from others
Amanda: My ideas come from life situations, viewing people, peers in society, and allowing myself and my writings to be led of God.

LaToya: Name one book that you would categorize as a life changing read. 
LaTerra: For me, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” because it showed me something beautiful and powerful can come from your pain and it pushed me further into my purpose.
Lisa: The Bible
Amanda: No book comes to mind but the Holy Bible. It always reveals a word that brings revelation for a particular season in my life.

LaToya: Who is your favorite author? 
LaTerra: My favorite fiction author is James Patterson. My favorite poetry authors are Maya Angelou and Gwendolyn Brooks; I actually have a poem in the book dedicated to them.
Lisa: James Patterson would rate as one of my favorite authors.
Amanda: I have no particular favorite but E.B. White, Maya Angelou and Emily Dickenson all come to mind.

LaToya: Name one book you wish you’d written. 
LaTerra: I don’t really think there is a book I wish I would have written simply because everyone’s story and imagination is different and I know the books I love wouldn’t be the same from my perspective and I enjoy the peek into the minds of others reading provides.
Lisa: Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas (Alex Cross)
Amanda: Not one, if it was meant for me to writhe then it would have been given to me.

LaToya: Tell us about your latest book. 
LaTerra: Design of a Woman: Heart, Mind, Body, & Soul is a collection of poems and writings reflecting the shared experience of womanhood, the good and the bad.
Lisa: It is a collection of poems and writings inspired by women, for women to get them thinking and to uplift and speak life.
Amanda: The book deals with the heart, mind, body, and soul of women. It touches on embracing and loving the woman you are. It talks about the pain of abuse, suicide, depression, life decisions, and so much more that women silently try to deal with on their own. It gives hope to those who feel lost. It brings hope and healing.

LaToya: How can readers connect with you?
Blog: http://ift.tt/1Jrg1BU (Readers can subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content)
Facebook: http://ift.tt/1Jrg1BY
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DesignofaWoman
Instagram: @designofawoman

LaToya: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
LaTerra: No matter what, never give up on your vision. It took almost 20 years for this book to come to fruition. Trust the timing of your life and maintain focus. Your words matter and your story needs to be told.
Lisa: If you can think it, dream it or live it, then you can write it! Just do it!! Procrastination is a terrible thing.
Amanda: Believe in yourself, write from the heart, never let the dream of writing go unfulfilled, accept criticism, and learn from your mistakes.