Tuesday, March 31, 2015

BRAND NEW RELEASE: Hostile Eyewitness by Tyora Moody

Check out the Newest Mystery by Super-Talented Christian Fiction Writer, Tyora Moody

SYNOPSIS

Hostile Eyewitness
Serena Manchester Series, Book 1

Depressed from the complications of a head injury, SERENA MANCHESTER seeks solitude in the hometown she left almost twenty-five years before. Unknown to Serena, her hometown’s landscape has changed and unseemly elements have seeped into the quaint Southern seaport town.

One night Serena witnesses a gang-related crime. She thinks she recognizes one of the young men, but chooses not to identify him. What if her brain injury has deceived her perceptions? Her estranged family has already reminded her why she left town in the first place. Drawing attention to herself and perhaps threatening her well-being is the last thing Serena needs.

Serena is determined to keep a low-profile, but Trey Evans persistently tries to draw her from her hiding place. With her track record with men, Serena isn’t interested. What does she have in common with a minister even if they were childhood friends?

When tragedy strikes close to home, Serena can no longer keep her head in the sand.  Feeling responsible, Serena’s reporter skills kick in and to the angst of the local police, she decides to start her own investigation.

What began as journey to recover her sanity now becomes a fight for redemption.





EXCERPT


Short Excerpt from Chapter 1 of HOSTILE EYEWITNESS, Serena Manchester Series, Book 1

The boy in the aisle seemed to be backing up to the end of the aisle, away from the front. It occurred to me that he would see me, so I scrambled around to the other aisle. I looked around at my surroundings, trying to figure out what to do. I turned my attention to the mirror to observe the approaching boy. He seemed to be scared and not sure of himself.

It suddenly dawned on me that if he turned around and looked up, he would be able to see me in the mirror. The mirror was angled in such a way that he might be able to see me crouching down like a hopeless idiot. As I attempted to steady my rapid breathing, distant police sirens sounded outside the store.

The boy wearing the red jacket shouted, “Let’s go! Now!” Then he headed out of the store, the boy in the hoodie running after him.

 The boy who was down the aisle didn’t move as fast, and he turned his head as he went, as if looking for an alternate door through which to exit the store. As I crouched on the floor, pain shot through my calves. But that pain didn’t rock me as much as the glimpse I got of the boy in the aisle. Despite the dark blue Charlotte Bobcats cap hanging over his eyes, when he turned, I saw his face in the mirror.

I know him.

I sucked in my breath sharply as I watched the young man finally decide to run toward the front of the store. As he exited the store, in the back of my mind I hoped he didn’t get caught. If he was who I thought he was, I felt for sure that young man was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I waited a minute or two, and then I stood, feeling sharp pains up and down my legs, especially the leg that had the broken ankle a year ago. I limped to the front of the store, almost tripping over my own feet.

“Marty! Marty, can you hear me?” I shouted.

I peered over the counter, catching a glimpse of blood spatter across the tile floor and on items behind the counter. Marty lay in a pool of blood, which appeared to have formed around his head. That boy had aimed directly at Marty’s head. The second shot had been unnecessary, and so vicious. The boy had shot to kill him.

Why was the boy in the Bobcats cap with them?

From the corner of my eye, I could see flashing blue lights as a vehicle pulled into the store parking lot. I would have to figure out what to tell the police when they came inside. I hoped with all my heart that I was mistaken about whose face I had seen. He was family. My family had a reputation is this town, which was one of the many reasons why I had left.


SHORT BIO


Tyora Moody is the author Soul-Searching Suspense novels in the Serena Manchester Series, Victory Gospel Series and the Eugeena Patterson Mysteries.  As a literary-focused entrepreneur, she has assisted countless authors with developing an online presence via her design and marketing company, Tywebbin Creations LLC.  Popular services include virtual event planning, social media management, book trailers and book covers.  She is also the author of the nonfiction book, The Literary Entrepreneur’s Toolkit, and the host of The Literary Entrepreneur Podcast. For more information about her  literary endeavors, visit her online at TyoraMoody.com

Friday, March 27, 2015

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One winner will receive a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card. Enter contest below Book Title: Teardrops Know My Name Author: Dalia Florea

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Romance

Recommended age group? 18 and up

Publisher: Dalia Florea (March 27, 2015)

ASIN: B00TWQJGQC

cooltext1950057983 pic Dalia Florea is a novelist and native New Yorker. Her debut book “Mirrored” recently reached the top 100 Best Sellers list in Women’s Detective Fiction and rated favorably on both Amazon and Goodreads. When she isn’t crafting suspenseful romance, Dalia enjoys solving Sudoku and cryptogram quotes, attending jazz concerts and visiting wineries. Dalia currently lives in Northern Virginia and is hard at work on her next two novels. cooltext1950058583 book cover Someone is stalking, fashion photographer, Linda McNair and turning her world upside down. She has no idea who it could be. Is it an old boyfriend? Someone in the industry? A complete stranger? The only thing Linda knows for sure is her stalker has to be stopped. Her life may depend on it. When Linda meets Detective Sean Gregory, one of New York’s finest in more ways than one, stories unravel, revealing secrets, lies and betrayal that nearly destroy her, breaking her heart into a million tiny pieces. Linda tries to resist Sean’s affection, but she can’t help wondering if he’s the right man who can put the shattered pieces of her heart back to together. connect socially  

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Contest: Author is giving away One $10.00 Amazon Gift Card download (3) Enter to Win a Rafflecopter giveaway Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author Dalia Florea and is hosted and managed by Paulette from Write Now Literary Book Tours. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Paulette @ pharperjohnson@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Book cover - low res
GOD TELLS THE SUN TO SHINE: An amazing story of love and forgiveness By Femi Bolaji
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About the Book:

God tells the Sun to Shine is a short story about ambition, love, intrigue and forgiveness. The main character is the second-born of twin boys Esau and Jacob. Jacob struggles to come to terms with the privileges that the natural birth order accords the first-born twin Esau. He becomes so obsessed with the desire to become the alpha male in the family enterprise that he plots with their mum to upstage Esau. Although his plan succeeds, he is forced to flee the homeland after Esau plots to kill him in retaliation. For two decades, his life in exile is marked by turmoil in love, marriage and work. When a business arrangement goes pear shaped and he is faced with bankruptcy and the loss of his family, he decides instead to return to his country and face his nemesis - Esau. How will Jacob manoeuvre his way through the ordeal? Femi Bolaji - photoFemi Bolaji is a seasoned writer and commentator on topical Christian themes. He likes to tell Bible-based stories in contemporary language and style that would appeal to all, yet with profound insight and application to the pressures of modern day living. He is an alumnus of the Bartlett, University College London. He lives in London, United Kingdom.
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Enter to Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

Enter below to enter a $50 Amazon gift card, sponsored by author Femi Bolaji! a Rafflecopter giveaway This book blast is hosted by Crossreads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Hot off the Press! A New Beginning by Michelle Stimpson and CaSandra McLaughlin


Book Blurb
Sometimes love doesn’t work out the first time or the second. Now in her third marriage, Angelia is hoping for her happily-ever-after with former pro-football player Darren Holley. But soon after they move into their sprawling mini-mansion, Darren’s new job as a high school football coach in a trophy-hungry Texas town consumes him, leaving Angelia feeling like a single mother to her two children as well as Darren’s twin diva-daughters. Not to mention the drama from Darren’s mother, who can’t get over the fact that her son has married a woman with so much baggage.

When Angelia confides in a few ladies from the local church, their nice, sweet, holy-wife advice may prove ineffective and too burdensome. Should Angelia cut her losses and get out before the ink settles on their marriage certificate, or will she finally learn the true meaning of marriage as she and Darren attempt to blend two very different backgrounds in the face of adversity and nosy church folk?

Excerpt

I closed my eyes and opened them again to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I wanted to be sure that this beautiful 2 story, 6 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 2 half bath house was really mine. Darren had told me that he was ready for us to get settled in a house, but never in a million years did I think it would be like this. I’d seen gated communities on TV and even joked with Darren about living next door to Tyler Perry or even owning a home similar to T.I. and Tiny’s. I never expected Lancing Springs, Texas to have houses this beautiful.
“Angelia, do you like it?”
“Oh my God, Darren, are you kidding me? I love it, honey and I love you too.” I ran into his arms and planted a big kiss on his lips. “I can’t wait to decorate every room.”
“Come on, baby let’s get unpacked; we can worry about decorating later. Amber, Marcus, come on, let’s get these boxes in the house.” 
 I stood there watching Darren unload the U-Haul truck. I took out my cell phone and decided to take a few selfies with our new house in the background. I couldn’t wait to for all of my family and friends to see that I was finally getting it right. After two failed marriages, I finally understood that the good guy really is the best choice.
The first time around, I was married to my daughter, Amber’s dad, Javar Norell. Javar and I were only together for three years. I honestly thought that we would be together forever, that is, until he started drinking. Javar was a very spontaneous guy. He loved to hang out, take road trips and loved spoiling me with gifts, but I never knew how he was able to afford those gifts. I was so far gone that if Javar told me to jump, I asked how high. My mind was just gone, but that’s what happens when you’re young and in love.
Javar worked for a pest control company for a living, but after being with him for about a year I heard rumors about him being involved with drugs. One night Javar and his brother, Leo were at a party and the police raided the place and Javar got into a shootout with officers. He severely injured one and was shot by another. He survived the gunshot wound, but he might as well have been dead to me, because he’s serving a life sentence without a chance for parole.
Witnesses said that Javar was about to surrender when the police started shooting at him. I was devastated and wanted some answers from the police but wasn’t successful in getting them. When I gave birth to Amber several months later, I filed for divorce and moved on with my life.
That was seventeen years ago. Amber’s a college-bound senior. She’s the quiet, nervous type and she’s a loner and that’s probably because she was the only child for such a long time. Needless to say she’s never given me any trouble and she helps me out a lot with Demarcus.
After Javar came Marcus or should I say Mr. America. Marcus is good looking, a Tyrese look alike and he knows it. I’ve never in my life met a man who stayed in the mirror more than me. Marcus was a great provider and he fulfilled all my needs—and the needs of every other woman he met too. The funny thing about Marcus is that I would catch him cheating and he would lie and sweet talk me into staying with him. The final straw for me was when I found out he had a baby on the way. There I was all in la la land in love with him and so was Trisha; we were pregnant at the same time. Our children were born two days apart. My son Demarcus is eight years old now.
I made up my mind that I was done with love. I had planned to raise my children and be by myself until I met Darren. I remember going to Wal-Mart on an ice cream run. I absolutely love pecan pralines and cream ice cream and was having a serious craving. I threw on some sweats, a t-shirt and my baseball cap and went to the store. I went straight to the ice cream aisle and was livid when I realized they were out of my favorite ice cream. I guess Darren noticed the disgusted look on my face and it prompted him to come see what was going on.
“Is there something I can help you with? You seem to be upset?”
“Well unless you work for Bluebell, ain’t a thing you can do for me.”
I was truly irritated by him.
“Well you might be in luck.” Darren reached in his basket and gave me his ice cream, my favorite, pecan pralines and cream.
I stood there with a huge smile on my face and I thanked him. He asked me for my number. At first I was a little hesitant but then thought, Sure … why not. Darren called me that night and we talked for hours. We even slept on the phone. I was so taken by him, I loved how we were able to share so much in just one night.
He told me about his previous marriage and about his twin daughters, Tyler and Skylar. Darren explained to me that he played professional football for two years but had to quit following a terrible knee injury. His ex-wife, Marcy was all for their marriage until he got hurt. Marcy started straying away from him and things around the house became tense. Darren is a family man so he tried to stay for the sake of his girls, but eventually the stress of being unhappy became too much for him to bear.
“I’m not going to lie,” he admitted, “I could have been a better husband. But we were both in it for the wrong reasons to begin with, I think. Just young and stupid.”
Of course, I could relate.
Darren and Marcy divorced and she and the girls moved to Lancing Springs. Darren threw himself into working as a supervisor at UPS. It wasn’t the dream job but it’s what paid the bills while he earned a teaching certificate and coached league football on the side. Because he’d been made wise investments with his NFL earnings, he was still in good shape financially. So while he knew that teaching wasn’t the highest-paying career, the ongoing dividends from short and long-term investments would always provide a comfortable lifestyle.
Darren and I started dating and fell in love real quick.
I wasn’t used to having a good man, so I had to learn to adjust. Darren is truly one of a kind so when he asked me to be his wife, there was no doubt in my mind that he was the one. Darren loves the game of football. Football is his life, which is why we’re here in Lancing Springs. One of Darren’s coaching friends told him about an opening for the assistant coach position here at the high school. Darren interviewed for the job and here we are. Although Lancing Springs is different from my hometown, Dallas, Texas, I’m sure I’ll adjust. I can always go home to visit; it’s only an hour away.
“Baby, what are you doing?” Darren interrupted my thoughts.
“I’m just admiring the house, still can’t believe it’s ours.”
“Well believe it.” He pulled me close and hugged me tight. “Mrs. Holley, I love you.”
“I love you too, Mr. Holley. Or should I say Coach Holley?”
“Coach Holley. Babe, you don’t know how good it feels to be here. This is a dream come true. I’m finally getting my chance to be a coach.”
“Honey, you deserve it. You’re going to help take this team to the playoffs.”
“Babe, thanks for believing in me and standing by my side. Let’s do a little more unpacking and then we’ll grab a bite to eat.”
“Okay, sounds good; I’ll go upstairs and check on the kids.” Darren kissed me again and to my surprise, swatted my behind.
Demarcus cried, “Ewwww!” from the top of the staircase. He ran out of sight.
“You shouldn’t have been spying!” I teased my son, though I was quite glad that he could now witness healthy affection between a man and a woman. I hoped that someday he would love his wife as much as I believed Darren loved me.
I was enjoying our moment until the phone rang.
“Baby, I’ll get the phone, you go check on the kids.”
“Hello,” I practically sang into the phone.
“Hey Angelia, sweetheart, how are you?”
“I’m fine, Mother Holley we’re trying to get settled in.”
Vivian Holley is my mother-in-law. She is trying to get used to the fact that I stole her baby boy’s heart and she also has an issue with this being my third marriage. When Darren and I married I started out calling her mom, but she insisted that I call her Mother Holley.
“Okay dear, I was just checking in with you all. I’m so happy for y’all; God is doing some great things for you and Darren so hopefully you can find a church for your family to join.”
I try my best to tune Mother Holley out; every time I talk to her she shoves the church down my throat. Mother goes to church every other day and is involved in every ministry they have, from the Usher board to the Sunshine committee. I grew up in church but that wasn’t my thing.
“Angelia, I think it’s a great start and exactly what you need so when Darren gets custody of the girls you’ll all be one big happy saved family.”
“Custody of the girls!” I yelled before I knew it. My head was about to explode.
“Yes dear, that’s part of the reason why Darren accepted the job, so that he can get custody of Tyler and Skylar.”
I felt my blood boiling.
“Angelia, surely you didn’t think that you moved into a house that huge just for your kids,” Mother Holley said with an evil chuckle.
I was starting to sweat and needed to get off the phone with her before I said something I couldn’t take back.
“Angelia, are you still there, dear? Didn’t Darren talk to you about his plans?”
I could just wring this woman’s neck; she knew good and well that I was clueless about this. I took a few deep breaths and replied……..

 Purchase Links
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Authors Biography

Michelle Stimpson
 Michelle Stimpson is the national bestselling author of more than 25 books and 50 short stories. Her work includes the highly acclaimed Boaz Brown series, the award-winning Mama B series, and the Dafina title Falling Into Grace, which has been optioned for a television movie.


CaSandra McLaughlin
 CaSandra McLaughlin is a local gospel radio show host who has enjoyed reading and writing for as long as anyone can remember. A native of Marshall, TX, CaSandra loves God, her family, and Mexican food—in that order! A New Beginning is her first book.


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Friday, March 20, 2015

Advice to Writers: Create A Character Outline

I never thought I would be a series writer. When I began writing, I knew I wanted to tell stories. I never imagined that I would create larger-than-life characters with stories to tell beyond one book. I wrote Walk A Straight Line as a standalone.

To my surprise, I received requests from readers to continue Keith, Gina and Michael’s story.  Excited, I develop the plot and began to write the next book in what would become the “On the Right Path” series. Pretty soon I realized that I had forgotten details about characters I thought I knew.

I had to reread Walk A Straight Line to retrieve information such as age, birth dates, appearance, employment, etc. I needed this pertinent information so the timeline in the follow-up novels, My Steps Are Ordered and The Fall of the Prodigal, would be accurate.

This taught me an important lesson. For every story I write, I outline my characters with descriptions and details unique to them. This is evident in their dress and dialogue. If you know your characters, your readers will as well. That is crucial. Readers are quick to note if a character does not talk or behave the way you’ve established. I save the outline and then update it with crucial events from each of the novels to reduce the possibility of inconsistency. Keep your characters consistent and they will drive your story and keep your readers turning the pages.

About Michelle Lindo-Rice


Michelle Lindo-Rice is the bestselling author of the “Able to Love” series. She enjoys crafting women's fiction with themes centered around the four "F" words: Faith, Friendship, Family and Forgiveness. She was nominated for Author of the Year 2014 in Building Relationships Around Books book club. Michelle's first published work, Sing A New Song, was a Black Expressions Editor's Choice featured selection. My Steps Are Ordered, the second book in the "On the Right Path" series made the AALBC bestseller lists on May/June 2014 and August/September 2014. My Steps Are Ordered was also#1 in UBAWA's 2014 Top 100 list. The Fall of the Prodigal, released January 27, 2015 made #2 in Black Christian News bestseller list.

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Please email her or join her mailing list at www.michellelindorice.com

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Be Calm, Be Brave, Don't Be Afraid


About The Book


Ally and Max are a sister and brother adventure team that helps towns in distress. When a rock lands in Ally’s bedroom to give them their mission, the duo is off to solve the problem. This mission has them going into the future and once the duo arrives they are in for a surprise. Will Ally and Max be able to save the town under siege? Or will they become the town’s next victims?

About Imari Douthit


Imari Douthit is a young author wanting to entertain others through her words. She is a creative writer with an exciting and adventurous imagination. Imari’s love for story telling prompted her to become a published author. She resides in Indianapolis, Indiana with her family.
Facebook: Imari Douthit

Twitter: @imaridouthit