New Release! Copycat by Kimberla Lawson Roby of the Seducing the Pen Tours

Copycat by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Release date: January 31, 2017

From the New York Times bestselling author who "writes with high-octane levels of emotion" (USA Today).

Befriending Traci Calloway Cole is the best thing Simone Phillips has ever done. Traci is the kind of woman Simone wants to be--in every way possible. She begins copying her role model. Not because she wants to be Traci. She just wants to be exactly like Traci.

Traci doesn't worry, though. She knows Simone doesn't mean any harm and that her mimicry is only sincere admiration. Until she discovers how far Simone's obsession has gone.

It is then that Simone's entire world begins unraveling, and dreadful secrets from her past are exposed with no warning. Secrets that she'll do almost anything to protect...


Pre-order copies from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, all online retailers and bookstores near you. Visit Kimberla's website for more information: http://kimroby.com

EXCERPT: Copycat by Kimberla Lawson Roby 

Simone made a few more tweaks and then closed out of her Word software and went to Traci’s Facebook page. She read the five reader comments that had already been posted this morning and then pulled up Traci’s Twitter feed. The first thing she saw was Traci’s tweet from two hours ago. It quoted the scripture Philippians 4:13, and read, “‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ ~ (KJV).”

It wasn’t until now that Simone realized she hadn’t posted her own morning scripture, and she had to get better with remembering to do that. She needed to stay consistent—the same as Traci. She wasn’t sure what scripture to post, so she Googled “a great motivational scripture.” Then, when a number of web sites displayed, she clicked on the second one and saw John 6:47 from the King James Version: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” She wasn’t sure why, but there was something about that particular scripture that she liked. Maybe because it offered a certain sense of hope. But then she saw another verse that talked about strength the same as the scripture Traci’s post had mentioned, so she typed that one instead, Isaiah 41:10: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Simone read what she’d typed but then went back to the site where she’d copied the scripture. She actually liked the New Living Translation interpretation better: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” But since Traci always seemed to use the King James Version, Simone would stick with using that. Actually, the more she scrolled through other scriptures, she preferred reading those via the New Living Translation, too, because when she did, the words were much clearer.

Simone browsed Twitter for a few more minutes and then typed in the URL for Traci’s web site. When her home page appeared, Simone clicked on the “Media” link and then played a YouTube video of a television interview Traci had done with a Chicago news station last year. It was during the release week for her second book. Simone watched the four-minute segment. Then she watched it again. Then she watched it again. And again. And again. But now she replayed the intro.

“Thank you so much for having me, Donna,” Traci said, smiling. Simone paused the video. “Thank you so much for having me, Donna. Thank you so much for having me, Donna.” Simone played Traci’s response again. “Thank you so much for having me, Donna.”

Simone paused the video again. “Thank you so much for having me, Donna,” she said, but this time she could tell her tone and diction sounded much more like Traci’s than they had the last time. She also smiled and gave two fast nods, exactly the way Traci had. Simone played the video many more times, all while practicing Traci’s words and facial expressions. She also clasped her hands together and rested them in her lap…the same as Traci had. Soon Simone moved on to every individual response that Traci had given, still practicing and mimicking every aspect of what she saw and heard. Simone started and stopped the video until she had Traci’s behavior and enunciation down pat. Then she picked up her Smartphone and hit the record icon.

“Thank you so much for having me, Donna. Thank you so much for having me, Donna.”

She stopped the recording and played it back. Then she played this particular part of Traci’s YouTube video again. Then she played her phone recording. Then she played the YouTube video again. And then her phone recording. She was so happy with how close her voice sounded to Traci’s that her heart beat faster than normal. She was elated because when it came time for her to do TV interviews, she’d be well prepared. Although, there was one thing that bothered her, and that was her name. Traci Calloway Cole had a special ring to it, and sounded a million times better than Simone Phillips. This also made Simone want to forget about planning a wedding, so that she and Chris could get married right away at the courthouse. This way, she’d be able to use her maiden name and new surname as soon as possible.

“Simone Phillips McCann,” she spoke out loud. “Traci Calloway Cole. Simone Phillips McCann. Traci Calloway Cole.” Her future married name sounded okay, she guessed, but if only Chris’s last name could start with Ph the same as hers, it would be perfect.

She played around with a few examples that would work much better than McCann. “Simone Phillips Phalen. Simone Phillips Phifer.” She would even settle for a last name that began with F, since it would still create the precise kind of alliteration she was looking for.

“Simone Phillips Foster,” she said. “Simone Phillips Faulkner. Simone Phillips Freeman.” Simone knew there was nothing she could do about Chris’s name, but there was a way to fix this little dilemma. She would use a pen name for her books. Writers did this all the time, so why shouldn’t she?

She spoke out loud again. “Traci Calloway Cole. Simone Phillips Freeman. Traci Calloway Cole. Simone Phillips Freeman.” Simone smiled as she repeated Traci’s name with her new name, over and over and over. It was priceless, and she couldn’t wait to use it on her first book, social media pages, and future website.

( Continued... )

Copycat by Kimberla Lawson Roby will be released January 31, 2017. © 2017 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Kimberla Lawson Roby. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

My Review: 5 of 5 stars

First off, I love the title, Copycat. How fitting! From page one until the end, Copycat takes on a journey of every author's nightmare. But it also touches on how easy it can be to cross over the line from admiration to jealousy/envy. A big takeaway is how we cannot be too quick to open our hearts and lives to someone without getting to know them well. Our heroine, Traci so badly wanted a friend that she ignored the warning signs because Simone came with several red flags. Simone, a product of her past, accurately represented the person who repeats the same cycle and makes the same mistakes but refuses to change. Simone had everything she needed but she wasn't satisfied. As I read, all I could think about was how we needed to be content with what we have. We have to learn that no matter the state we're in, to be content. A thoughtful read that opens up conversations and hopefully some life-changing reflection.

Kimberla Lawson Roby

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby has published 24 novels which include A SINFUL CALLING, BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL, A CHRISTMAS PRAYER, THE PRODIGAL SON, A HOUSE DIVIDED, THE PERFECT MARRIAGE, THE REVEREND’S WIFE, SECRET OBSESSION, LOVE, HONOR, and BETRAY, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR, A DEEP DARK SECRET, THE BEST OF EVERYTHING, ONE IN A MILLION, SIN NO MORE, LOVE & LIES, CHANGING FACES, THE BEST-KEPT SECRET, TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING, A TASTE OF REALITY, IT’S A THIN LINE, CASTING THE FIRST STONE, HERE AND NOW, and her debut title, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, which was originally self-published through her own company, Lenox Press.

Kimberla has sold more than 2.7 Million copies of her novels, and they have frequented numerous bestseller lists, including The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, Essence Magazine, Upscale Magazine, AALBC.com, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, The Dallas Morning News, and The Austin Chronicle to name a few, and both BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and CASTING THE FIRST STONE were #1 Blackboard bestsellers for four consecutive months in both 1997 and 2000. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS was the #1 Blackboard Best-selling book for paperback fiction in 1997.

Kimberla is the 2013 NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction, the recipient of the 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 Author of the Year – Female award presented by the African-American Literary Award Show in New York, the recipient of the 2014 AAMBC Award for Female Author of the Year, the recipient of the Blackboard Fiction Book of the Year Award in 2001 for CASTING THE FIRST STONE, the recipient of the 1998 First-Time Author Award from Chicago’s Black History Month Book Fair and Conference, and in 2001, Kimberla was inducted into the Rock Valley College Alumni Hall of Fame (Rockford, IL).

Kimberla’s novels deal with very real issues, including corruption within the church, drug addiction, gambling addiction, infidelity, social status, single motherhood, breast cancer, infertility, sibling rivalry and jealousy, domestic violence, sexual abuse, mental illness, care-giving of a parent, racial and gender discrimination in the workplace, sexual harassment, and overweight issues to name a few.

Kimberla resides in Illinois with her husband, Will. Her 25th title, COPYCAT, will be released Tuesday, January 31, 2017. To share your thoughts with Kimberla regarding her work, please e-mail her at: kim@kimroby.com.

If you would like to schedule a speaking engagement, booksigning event, or media interview with Ms. Roby, please contact her by email at: publicity@kimroby.com


Twitter.com/KimberlaLRoby
Facebook.com/kimberlalawsonroby
Instagram.com/kimberlalawsonroby
Periscope.com/kimberlalawsonroby
Book Tour: http://kimroby.com/events


Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kimberla-Lawson-Roby/e/B001H6S2LK

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/copycat-kimberla-lawson-roby/1123750150

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Review: Behind Closed Doors

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a thriller. I easily traveled from past to present as the story unfolded. Jack was something else. Millie was my heroine. I found myself contemplating how would Grace get out of that web. Wonderfully written and crafted debut novel. I would definitely read more of her B.A. Paris' work.

View all my reviews

Review: The Cure

The Cure by Parker J. Cole
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Kudos to Parker J. Cole on that cover and the title. This is proof that both are important in grabbing a reader's attention. I wanted to read it because of those two things. In The Cure, Savannah and Micah are reunited because of a tragedy. They battle their past and old feelings. I questioned a lot of the characters actions and non-actions especially since the author did a good job of building them one way. There were a few things that would've made it stronger and more powerful read but being a romantic, I was glad for the conclusion.

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Review: Never Let You Go

Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book I've read by Chevy Stevens and it won't be the last. Throughout the entire read, I was held in suspense. Lindsey and Sophie seems to have a penchant for drawing the wrong men to them. Who's wrong and who's right? You will have to read to find out. Never Let You Go was a suited title. Topics ranged from obsession to forgiveness and everything in between. A superb read and well-crafted fiction. Sometimes you never really know a person so the only person you have to get to know is yourself. Sophie and Lindsey's story had depth. Chevy Stevens crafted this story with the right amount of skill and intrigue to keep you turning/swiping the pages until the end.

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Book Review: The Inheritance by Rochelle Alers

The Inheritance by Rochelle Alers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love that this is a second chance at love novel. Some of us don't get it right the first time! I have read Rochelle Alers work before so I was eager to read this story. Thank you, Netgalley and publisher for this opportunity. Primarily set in New Orleans, Hannah and St. John story was encouraging for me. It's rare that you read a novel about older couples. They need love too! There was a lot of facts and information that tells the author did tremendous research. I felt as if I were there and my mouth watered from the tasty food mentioned. Sometimes, it was a bit much (although it didn't take away from the story). The romance was secondary to the journey of the characters to me. It was good to see both characters free themselves from the past and grab hold onto each other for the future. It is a strong foundation read for a series. I look forward to learning Tonya and Gage's story.

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About the Book

In bestselling author Rochelle Alers passionate, uplifting new series, four friends from very different backgrounds find new beginnings amid the sultry beauty of New Orleans 
 Corporate attorney Hannah DuPont-Lowell always pictured herself returning to New Orleans to retire just not yet. But after her Manhattan company abruptly lays off its staff, there s no better place to figure out a next move than the porch of her plantation-style home. 
Nestled in the stunning Garden District, the DuPont House has been in Hannah s family for two centuries. With its eighteen rooms and two guesthouses, it s far more home than widowed Hannah needs. Still, it could make a wonderful inn, especially if she can convince her friends and former coworkers Tonya, Jasmine, and Nydia to join in the venture. But in the meantime, Hannah has a high school reunion to attend 
College Professor St. John McNair, Hannah s one-time classmate, is still the finest guy in any room. Between Hannah s willowy, blonde beauty, and his uncanny resemblance to Marvin Gaye, they make a striking pair. And gradually, their rekindled friendship moves toward romance. Still, Hannah is too bruised by her late husband s infidelities to trust a man again. But her friends arrival and encouragement just might show her a path through uncertainty straight to a vibrant, joyful new life "

Release Date: February 28, 2017
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Book Review: Here and Gone by Haylen Beck

Here and Gone by Haylen Beck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished this read in hours. Excellent storytelling. Audra, a recovering addict seems an unlikely heroine but she is a dangerous mama bear. I loved how the author brings her strength to light. Danny also drew me in with his cunning and wit. But the hero, Sean, Audra's young son showed a grit and tenacity that made this story great. What a tale filled with twists and intrigue. I loved how the author tied everything up and gave a thrilling conclusion. Definitely kept me glued until the end.

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About the Book

Here and Gone is a gripping, wonderfully tense suspense thriller about a mother's desperate fight to recover her stolen children from corrupt authorities.. 

It begins with a woman fleeing through Arizona with her kids in tow, trying to escape an abusive marriage. When she's pulled over by an unsettling local sheriff, things soon go awry and she is taken into custody. Only when she gets to the station, her kids are gone. And then the cops start saying they never saw any kids with her, that if they're gone than she must have done something with them... 

Meanwhile, halfway across the country a man hears the frenzied news reports about the missing kids, which are eerily similar to events in his own past. As the clock ticks down on the search for the lost children, he too is drawn into the desperate fight for their return.

Release Date: June 20, 2017
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Book Review: And Then There Was Me by Sadeqa Johnson

And Then There Was Me: A Novel by Sadeqa Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

And Then There Was Me was a thoughtful read. We meet Bea, a nurse turned housewife who struggles with bulimia. She has agreed to be a surrogate for Mena, her husband, Lonnie's cousin. Bea knows her husband Lonnie is a cheat and has put up with this for years.
This was a flawed heroine who many can relate to in many ways. I became embroiled in her journey and questioned some of Bea's choices but still, I rooted for her. At the end of And Then There Was Me, I was left with things I wondered about, but, I guess life is that way at times. I found the author's writing solid and know this read will lead to a lot of interesting discussions.

View all my reviews

About the Book
Bea and Awilda have been best friends from the moment Awilda threw her fourteen year-old self across Bea’s twin-sized bed as if they had known each other forever. Bubbly, adventurous Awilda taught sheltered, shy Bea how to dress, wear her hair and what to do with boys. She even introduced Bea to her husband, Lonnie, in college, who pledged to take good care of her for the rest of their lives. But philanderer Lonnie breaks that promise over and over again, leaving Bea to wrestle with her self-esteem and long time secret addiction. 

Recently Lonnie has plopped the family in a New Jersey upper class suburb, which lacks the diversity that Bea craves but has the school district and zip code envy that Lonnie wants. The demands of carrying a third child and fitting into this new environment while pretending that her husband is not cheating on her again, is more than she can handle. And just when she thinks things can’t get any worst, the ultimate deception snaps the little thread that was holding her life together and all comes tumbling down.
And Then There Was Me is the story of secrets, lies and friendship, heartache and betrayal. It’s the journey of a woman stripped down to her lowest point and needing to find the will to press on. 

Release Date: April 11, 2017
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WNL Tours Presents Back from Broken

Write Now Literary is pleased to announce Back From Broken by Rosheka Henry Virtual book Tour January 9-20, 2017.

Book Release Date: June 2016

Genre: Religious/Self Help

About The Book

BACK FROM BROKEN is the story of one woman’s journey back to wholeness. It is one woman’s pursuit to getting rid of what was holding her back from being who God has called her to be. This story will give you the heartbreak and bitterness that one holds onto but decides to let go of so that Wholeness can begin.  This book will enlightened you, teach you what you need to know and empower you, and equip you with the tools that you need in order to walk in your wholeness, the last thing that I hope that this book can do for you is to impact you.

About The Author

ROSHEKA SHONTA HENRY is a native of Georgia, and was raised in Alabama. She grew up to love the medical field, and spent the majority of her career working at surrounding community hospitals as a phlebotomist and patient register. She is a proud and devoted member of Word of Truth Ministries, where her father, Pastor John L. Cook is the Sr. Pastor. She is also a certified dance instructor, where she leads the dance ministry at her church. She also teaches praise dancing in the surrounding churches. Rosheka’s praise dance ministry has been featured on local television stations numerous times. She has received awards as well as trophies for her profound work in her dance ministry. She is very devoted to Kingdom work. God is her driving force. She is the author              of            “BACK                FROM BROKEN…A    DANCERS        JOURNEY                BACK  TO WHOLENESS”, which is the autobiography of her life. She has written a gospel song called “Hallelujah” song by an up and coming artist, that can be downloaded on all major online music apps, such as iTunes and Google Play. She is also a single mother of three gifted children.

Her passion in life is to empower women, as well as men, and children. Her love for mankind has driven her to pursue a path that will inspire others to be all that they can be in life and in Christ. She is an inspirational speaker as well as an advocate for women who are broken. She works closely with her church and local food bank feeding the hungry.

Rosheka has also had the opportunity to model for The Wonderful World of Fashion Show. She has been known to grace the camera with her smile for multiple companies in her area. She has a bright future in ministry and is looking to open a Non-profit Organization THE BACK FROM BROKEN CENTER for broken women looking for inner help.

Click here to read the excerpt 

Author Website

Twitter       Facebook 

Click here to follow the tour 

Book Review: The Weight of Him

The Weight of Him by Ethel Rohan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In The Weight of Him, we meet Billy and his family who is grappling with the loss of a son by suicide. We're brought into the world of an obese man who decides to make positive life changes after his son's death. His struggle is real and I enjoyed watching him overcome temptation. However, the author left many unanswered questions and perseverated on his bleak thoughts so much that I felt weighed down. It was well-written and Billy was a complex character but I think there was more that could've been delved into that would have taken this into a 5-star read. At the end, when I began to smile, see a turning point, I flipped the screen and it was over. However, I find this author intriguing and would read more works by her.

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About the Book
In The Weight of Him Billy Brennan undergoes an unforgettable journey in a startling attempt to resurrect his family and reignite hearts, his own most of all.

At four hundred pounds, Billy can always count on food. From his earliest memories, he has loved food's colors, textures and tastes. The way flavors go off in his mouth. How food keeps his mind still and his bad feelings quiet. Food has always made everything better, until the day Billy's beloved son Michael takes his own life.

Billy determines to make a difference in Michael's memory and undertakes a public weight-loss campaign, to raise money for suicide prevention--his first step in an ambitious plan to save himself, and to save others. However, Billy's dramatic crusade appalls his family, who want to simply try to go on, quietly, privately.

Despite his crushing detractors, Billy gains welcome allies: his community-at-large; a co-worker who lost his father to suicide; a filmmaker with his own dubious agenda; and a secret, miniature kingdom that Billy populates with the sub-quality dolls and soldiers he saves from disposal at the toy factory where he works. But it is only if Billy can confront the truth of the suffering and brokenness within and around him that he and others will be able to realize the recovery they need.

Told against the picturesque yet haunting backdrop of rural, contemporary Ireland, The Weight of Him is a big-hearted novel about loss and reliance that moves from tragedy to recrimination to what can be achieved when we take the stand of our lives.

Release Date: February 14, 2017
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Two Days Gone Spotlight!

Praise for Two Days Gone

A January Indie Next Great Read 

“…a suspenseful, literary thriller that will resonate with readers long after the book is finished. A terrific choice for Dennis Lehane fans.”—Library Journal, STARRED review

“Beneath the momentum of the investigation lies a pervasive sadness that will stick with you long after you've turned the last page.”—Kirkus Reviews 

“…skillfully written thriller.”—Publishers Weekly

“…impressive novel…an intriguing thriller.”—Booklist

“…this novel [will] linger in readers’ minds well after Two Days Gone.”—Shelf Awareness

“Two Days Gone is a quiet, intense, suspenseful mystery about a man who has lost everything. Rich with descriptions and atmosphere….Two Days Gone is relentless in its suspense, and the final twists in the novel are sure to not disappoint.”— Foreword Review  

“An absolute gem of literary suspense, pitting ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances and told in a smooth, assured, and often haunting voice, TWO DAYS GONE is a terrific read.”

—Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Wish Me Dead

  

Title: Two Days Gone

Author: Randall Silvis

Publication Date: January 10, 2017

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Format: Trade Paper

ISBN: 9781492639732

Summary:

The perfect family. The perfect house. The perfect life. All gone now.

Thomas Huston, a beloved professor and bestselling author, is something of a local hero in the small Pennsylvania college town where he lives and teaches. So when Huston’s wife and children are found brutally murdered in their home, the community reacts with shock and anger. Huston has also mysteriously disappeared, and suddenly, the town celebrity is suspect number one.

Sergeant Ryan DeMarco has secrets of his own, but he can’t believe that a man he admired, a man he had considered a friend, could be capable of such a crime. Hoping to glean clues about Huston’s mind-set, DeMarco delves into the professor’s notes on his novel-in-progress. Soon, DeMarco doesn’t know who to trust—and the more he uncovers about Huston’s secret life, the more treacherous his search becomes.

First Chapter Excerpt 

The waters of Lake Wilhelm are dark and chilled. In some places, the lake is deep enough to swallow a house. In others, a body could lie just beneath the surface, tangled in the morass of weeds and water plants, and remain unseen, just another shadowy form, a captive feast for the catfish and crappie and the monster bass that will nibble away at it until the bones fall asunder and bury themselves in the silty floor.

In late October, the Arctic Express begins to whisper south- eastward across the Canadian plains, driving the surface of Lake Erie into white-tipped breakers that pound the first cold breaths of winter into northwestern Pennsylvania. From now until April, sunny days are few and the spume-strewn beaches of Presque Isle empty but for misanthropic stragglers, summer shops boarded shut, golf courses as still as cemeteries, marinas stripped to their bonework of bare, splintered boards. For the next six months, the air will be gray and pricked with rain or blasted with wind-driven snow. A season of surliness prevails.

Sergeant Ryan DeMarco of the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop D, Mercer County headquarters, has seen this season come and go too many times. He has seen the surliness descend into despair, the despair to acts of desperation, or, worse yet, to deliberately malicious acts, to behavior that shows no regard for the fragility of flesh, a contempt for all consequences.

He knows that on the dozen or so campuses between Erie and Pittsburgh, college students still young enough to envision a happy future will bundle up against the biting chill, but even their youth- ful souls will suffer the effects of this season of gray. By November, they will have grown annoyed with their roommates, exasperated with professors, and will miss home for the first time since September. Home is warm and bright and where the holidays are waiting. But here in Pennsylvania’s farthest northern reach, Lake Wilhelm stretches like a bony finger down a glacier-scoured valley, its waters dark with pine resin, its shores thick on all sides with two thousand acres of trees and brush and hanging vines, dense with damp shadows and nocturnal things, with bear and wildcat and coyote, with hawks that scream in the night.

In these woods too, or near them, a murderer now hides, a man gone mad in the blink of an eye.

The college students are anxious to go home now, home to Thanksgiving and Christmas and Hanukah, to warmth and love and light. Home to where men so respected and adored do not suddenly butcher their families and escape into the woods.

The knowledge that there is a murderer in one’s midst will stagger any community, large or small. But when that murderer is one of your own, when you have trusted the education of your sons and daughters to him, when you have seen his smiling face in every bookstore in town, watched him chatting with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, felt both pride and envy in his sudden acclaim, now your chest is always heavy and you cannot seem to catch your breath. Maybe you claimed, last spring, that you played high school football with Tom Huston. Maybe you dated him half a lifetime ago, tasted his kiss, felt the heave and tremor of your bodies as you lay in the lush green of the end zone one steamy August night when love was raw and new. Last spring, you were quick to claim an old intimacy with him, so eager to catch some of his sudden, shimmering light. Now you want only to huddle indoors. You sit and stare at the window, confused by your own pale reflection.

Now Claire O’Patchen Huston, one of the prettiest women in town, quietly elegant in a way no local woman could ever hope to be, lies on a table in a room at the Pennsylvania State Police forensics lab in Erie. There is the wide gape of a slash across her throat, an obscene slit that runs from the edge of her jawline to the opposite clavicle.

Thomas Jr., twelve years old, he with the quickest smile and the fastest feet in sixth grade, the boy who made all the high school coaches wet their lips in anticipation, shares the chilly room with his mother. The knife that took him in his sleep laid its path low across his throat, a quick, silencing sweep with an upward turn.

As for his sister, Alyssa, there are a few fourth grade girls who, a week ago, would have described her as a snob, but her best friends knew her as shy, uncertain yet of how to wear and carry and contain her burgeoning beauty. She appears to have sat up at the last instant, for the blood that spurted from her throat sprayed not only across the pillow, but also well below it, spilled down over her chest before she fell back onto her side. Did she understand the message of that gurgling gush of breath in her final moments of consciousness? Did she, as blood soaked into the faded pink flannel of her pajama shirt, lift her gaze to her father’s eyes as he leaned away from her bed?

And little David Ryan Huston, asleep on his back in his crib— what dreams danced through his toddler’s brain in its last quivers of sentience? Did his father first pause to listen to the susurrus breath? Did he calm himself with its sibilance? The blade on its initial thrust missed the toddler’s heart and slid along the still-soft sternum. The second thrust found the pulsing muscle and nearly sliced it in half.

The perfect family. The perfect house. The perfect life. All gone now. Snap your fingers five times, that’s how long it took. Five soft taps on the door. Five steel-edged scrapes across the tender flesh of night.

Goodreads Link:

http://ow.ly/Lbgn306TTEn

Buy Links:

Amazon:

http://ow.ly/dr1j306TTQ3

Barnes & Noble: 

http://ow.ly/eveI306TU15

IndieBound:

http://ow.ly/hupQ306TU93

About the Author:

Randall Silvis is the internationally acclaimed author of more than a dozen novels, one story collection, and one book of narrative nonfiction. His essays, articles, poems, and short stories have appeared in various online and print magazines. His work has been translated into ten languages. He lives in Pennsylvania.

Social Media Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/randallsilvis

Rafflecopter Giveaway Link for 2 Copies of Two Days Gone.   Runs January 10-31 (US & Canada only)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NTRjYTdhZjdlZjllOTI4OGFhZGI5NGU3ODI3MzgxOjQ1NA==/? 

Welcome Lynn Emery of the Seducing the Pen Tours

Into The Mist by Lynn Emery

BOOK 4: LASHAUN ROUSSELLE MYSTERY SERIES

BOOK 4: LASHAUN ROUSSELLE MYSTERY SERIES

Children are missing in ever increasing numbers. LaShaun Rousselle and Deputy Chase Broussard have to make sure their child isn’t next. After a series of gruesome murders, LaShaun has to answer one critical question to stop the bloodbath: are the children victims or weapons?

LaShaun Rousselle finds herself and her young family at the center of a devious and deadly series of crimes once more. A girl goes missing, bad enough. Yet when LaShaun follows the threads, she discovers the six year old is only one of many. What’s the connection to a string of attempts to get at LaShaun’s own child, Joëlle? She must help sort through the facts and evidence to convince level-headed law officers that supernatural forces are at work. Her life and the lives of those she cherish depend on LaShaun making a way out of no way.

LaShaun Rousselle Mystery Series - A Darker Shade of Midnight is the first book in the LaShaun Rousselle paranormal mystery series. The second book is Between Dusk and Dawn. The third book is Only By Moonlight. Into The Mist is the fourth title in the LaShaun Rousselle mystery series.


Purchase Into The Mist by Lynn Emery
Book 4: LaShaun Rousselle Mystery Series 
Topics: Faith, Supernatural forces, Family loyalty, Redemption, Creole and Cajun Culture

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A DARKER SHADE OF MIDNIGHT - BOOK REVIEW

Book Review Written by Beverly Jackson VINE VOICE 
In A Darker Shade of Midnight by Lynn Emery, LaShaun Rousselle is returning home to Vermillion Parish, Louisiana because her grandmother is dying. Shortly after crossing the county line, LaShaun finds herself sitting in the sheriff's station wondering what bogus charges warranted her being detained. Yes, she has a scandalous past that caused her to leave home ten years ago, but that is the past. When the sheriff department finds nothing but a broken taillight, feisty LaShaun cannot help shaking up the sheriff and the department by issuing them a challenge, knowing some fear her voodoo powers. With that settled, LaShaun is looking forward to making peace with her grandmother, Monmon Odette, and catching up with family. Unfortunately, life will be anything but peaceful for LaShaun - greedy relatives, a sadistic ex-lover, an attraction to a deputy, an evil force and murder all come into her life. Fearing that mayhem and evil are a curse she cannot overcome, LaShaun starts to despair that she should not have returned home. Will LaShaun be able to trust her psychic powers, and accept help from unexpected sources, or will the demon win this round for her soul?

A Darker Shade of Midnight is a tale of revenge, deceit, betrayal and political corruption. This combination makes for a juicy murder and the plot serves up several victims. Drama of the family fighting among themselves adds another layer of tension and intrigue to a plot with all kinds of twists. Emery is known for her love of Louisiana, a setting she vividly brings to life in this story. I enjoyed how the paranormal elements were skillfully woven into the storyline with grace and ease, being a natural part of the locale.

LaShaun is an alpha female who fights back at the least challenge, but over the course of the story she learns to accept who she is and how to accept genuine help. It is a nice touch to see her interact with the sexy deputy, Chase Broussard, as the attraction between them allows the reader a respite from all of the mayhem in the story. While fans of the author will love visiting with old friends and new readers will be entertained by the characters, they might be slightly confused by references to previously mentioned events.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy paranormal mysteries and fans of Lynn Emery. A good read for a summer night, as the forces of good and evil battle with each other.

This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes. Reviewed by Beverly, APOOO Literary Book Review

LYNN ON BAN RADIO SHOW

Listen to the BAN Radio Show Interview - http://tobtr.com/s/8159671

EXCERPT FROM BOOK 4: INTO THE MIST BY LYNN EMERY

“To recap your story, you went out to party when you didn’t even know where your six- year-old kid was, left your three youngest here alone, got back drunk after one in the morning, woke up, saw the writing and decided something was wrong.” Det. Anderson pressed his lips together.

Sherry flinched. “I didn’t leave until almost ten, so really it wasn’t all that long.”

“Uh-huh.” Anderson put on his sunglasses and looked away from her.

Sherry faced LaShaun. “They say you’ll know. Tell me what this says. Where’s my girl?”

“I don’t recognize these letters, Sherry,” LaShaun replied. She read regret in the woman’s eyes.

“We’ll have to do some more research,” Chase added. “Det. Anderson, take a set of pictures for the department. Work with Deputy Wilcox to scrape samples of the ink off. We’ll send it to the state police lab for analysis.”

Det. Anderson hissed low. “Right. We’ll track down who decided to be an artist in the middle of the night.”

“It wasn’t me. Tante Alice and grandmamma says it’s evil. If that’s true, then they got my Dina and no tellin’ what they done to her by now.” Sherry’s voice rose to a hysterical whine. “It don’t take long to hurt a little girl.”

At Chase’s signal, the female deputy stepped forward and took her by the arm. Their voices faded as Sherry allowed the deputy to lead her away. “C’mon, ma’am. I’ll take you over to your mama’s house like you said. Let’s pack a few things.”

LaShaun turned to Chase. “Where are the other children?”

“The middle child’s father picked him up. The other two are with Sherry’s mama. DCFS hasn’t made a decision on removing the three youngest yet.”

The Louisiana Department of Child and Family Services, notoriously understaffed and underfunded, might well be leaving the children with relatives. At least Sherry wouldn’t be left alone with them in the short-term. Chase pulled LaShaun aside so that they were across from the action in the dining area. Anderson continued taking pictures yards away. A second deputy helped him. Both carried evidence bags and collection tools.

“Your phone keeps buzzing like a trapped wasp. What’s up?” Chase said low. He watched her read text messages from Miss Rose, Justine and Pauline for several moments.

“They don’t know either, but they’re working on finding out.”

“But you said the writing is in letters.” Chase frowned at the walls.

LaShaun scrolled to the photos of the writing on her phone. She gazed at them as she talked, “Yes, an alphabet. They’re arranged to be sentences I think, not pictures telling a story. But I’m sure no authority on arcane languages. I’ve only studied a few like the Enochian Language, the Rune of Othalan, and a few others.”

“Naturally it couldn’t be something simple. No, we got the Rune of Whatsit.” Chase let go of a long sigh.

“The Rune of Whatsit?” LaShaun grinned at him.

“Do me a favor. Keep that language of the ancients talk between us for now. You know what kind of ink that is because you sniffed it.” Chase nodded toward the writing on the nearest wall.

“Yes…” LaShaun pursed her lips together. Then she cleared her throat.

“That was your cue to give me an answer, LaShaun.” Chase nudged her. When Det. Anderson glanced their way, he waved and put on a neutral expression.

“I don’t think you’re going to like the answer, babe.” LaShaun smiled at the other officers. She turned her back to them as if studying another part of the room.

“Let me think. We got a missing child, demonic scribbles on the wall, a drugged out mother, and a Cajun mafia family. Honey, I already don’t like a damn thing about this case.”

“I never said the writing was demonic or satanic, but from the smell, I’d say the writing was done with Bat’s Blood Ink.”

“Are you freakin’ kidding me?” Chase blurted out. When Anderson jerked around to stare at him. “Nothing, it’s nothing. Just keep collecting evidence.”


( Continued... )

© 2016 All rights reserved. Book 4 in the LaShaun Rousselle paranormal mystery series. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Lynn Emery. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.


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MEET THE AUTHOR

Mix knowledge of voodoo, Louisiana politics and forensic social work, and you get a snapshot of author Lynn Emery. Lynn’s recent titles include murder mysteries set in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana featuring a Creole psychic and a Cajun deputy. The titles in this series are: A Darker Shade of Midnight (#1), Between Dusk and Dawn (#2), and Only By Moonlight (#3). Into The Mist (#4) continues the harrowing case files of LaShaun Rousselle and Deputy Chase Broussard. Into the Mist will be released in fall 2016.

BPM: When did you get your first inkling to write, and how did you advance the call for writing? 
I read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd when I was ten years old. I already loved reading, but that book with its twist at the end did it. I closed the book and decided I wanted to write mysteries. I didn’t even know who Agatha Christie was, or that she was a white Englishwoman who was already dead by then. I didn’t think about being a poor little black girl living in the south who couldn’t even get to a library. I didn’t consult anybody, which meant no one told me my aspiration was outlandish and impossible. I simply said, “I’m going to write a murder mystery. Life happened. High school, college and my entrance to the adult world of working nine to five. Yet twenty years later I went back to my dream and started writing again.

BPM: How did you initially break into the publishing industry? Did you ever self-publish? 
I attended a writer’s conference within driving distance of my hometown. I took a fellow author’s advice to attend writing events where editors and agents would be presenters and taking appointments. The advice I didn’t take was to schedule an appointment with them, a mistake that almost cost me dearly. You see Monica Harris, the founding editor of Arabesque, was there. But I lacked confidence because I hadn’t finished my first book. I was told more than once not to expect to sell that first book. I also was told editors don’t consider, much less buy, unfinished books, certainly not from first time authors.

Another published author who belonged to my RWA chapter was horrified when I told her I hadn’t scheduled to meet with Monica. I was literally the only writer of color at this conference, and Monica was hungry for submissions. A young editor, Monica had been only recently hired by Kensington Publishers and her big assignment was to launch the first, and at that time only, line of African-American romances. My work-in-progress was romantic suspense.

This published author pushed me, not so gently, into approaching Monica during a break between her presentations. I went to my hotel room and quickly practiced a three to five minute pitch. I sweated during her workshop, and then screwed up the guts to follow Monica and introduce myself. In the hotel lobby I breathlessly pitched my book in the five minutes she graciously allowed me. About five or six weeks later, Monica called to offer me a contract. I sold my first book, and even though Monica knew it was unfinished. Night Magic was released in 1995.

BPM: What’s the most important quality a writer should have in your opinion?
I would have to say courage, with a capital “C”. If I hadn’t pushed up my own courage, I wouldn’t have met Monica at all at that small conference. So writers should have courage, which will lead you to another capital “C” word, confidence. Courage will give you the confidence you may lack in your developing skill as a story teller and promoter of your own work. Courage will help writers overcome the tendency to stay in their isolated, insulated little worlds. When you step out of your comfort zone, you’re willing to network with and talk to other writers and publishing professionals.

BPM: Can you share a little of your current work with us? Introduce us to your book and the characters.
Into The Mist is the fourth title in the LaShaun Rousselle mystery series set in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. LaShaun teams up with Cajun Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Chase Broussard to solve grisly killings in this lovely bayou setting. Using her psychic abilities and Chase’s crime fighting skills, they fight human and supernatural killers.

LaShaun Rousselle led a bad girl life in her teens and twenties, using the spells Monmon Odette, her beloved grandmother, taught her for all the wrong reasons. The results led to such a horrible string of events, that she left Beau Chene, Louisiana. LaShaun moved to Los Angeles with the thought that she would never return to Louisiana, much less Beau Chene. The series opens with her arriving back because of Monmon Odette, and over the course of the first three books she builds a life that she didn’t expect to have at all, including or especially in Beau Chene.

Into The Mist opens with LaShaun being drawn into yet another of Chase’s cases, a kidnapping. As the story unfolds, the evil that that seems to have put a child’s life in danger creeps ever closer to those LaShaun loves the most. Everything LaShaun holds most dear is on the line, and she has to find answers to protect her family and the world.

BPM: Are any scenes from the book borrowed from your world or your experiences?
As a clinical social worker, I’ve been involved in child welfare cases, attended school conferences to advocate for children, and conducted abuse investigations. I also worked as a juvenile court consultant and in a psychiatric hospital. Although I do research even with my experience, a lot of the issues about children in the child welfare and special education systems come from what I’ve seen up close. The children in Into The Mist face these same challenges for a unique reason, and flaws in both systems only add to their vulnerability, as LaShaun and Chase discover.

BPM: What genre is this book? Do you write all of your books in this category? Why?
Into The Mist is a mystery with paranormal elements. I write mysteries now, though my first seven books are romantic suspense. What’s interesting is I never intended to write romance. The first writing group I found, or rather a member found me because we worked in the same building, was a local chapter of RWA (Romance Writers of America). I even told her that I wasn’t writing romance, but she said that didn’t matter. So I joined. A published author who belonged to that RWA chapter advised me to try writing romance because editors were in the market for them in a big way (this was the mid-1990s). Breaking into the mystery genre was tough, but for writers of color it was pretty much impossible back then. I felt very discouraged until she told me about romantic suspense, the subgenre I hadn’t even heard of at the time. Once I found out I could kill people, the words started flowing on my first book.

BPM: Are there any areas of your writing career that you wish you could go back and change? 
I’ve learned and been blessed to see the lesson in everything that has happened in my journey, so I can’t honestly say I’d change much. Even the bad helped make me either a better writer or better professional writer in terms of the business side of publishing. In 2000, I was blessed to have BET produce a made for television movie based on my novel After All. Holly Robinson Peete starred as Michelle Toussaint, a character I created. Seeing her on the screen saying that name gave me chills. Still I couldn’t really celebrate because BET used the old publishing contract I’d signed, and they were known at the time, to pay well below the industry standard for the movie rights. That was one bitter pill to swallow. Even worse, I couldn’t stop them from making the movie. Thankfully the script, performance and production came out fine. The only thing I would change, if I could, was for myself and the other Arabesque authors to have more leverage, support or legal alternatives back then. Still, I had fun throwing a premier party at my house. I got to ride in a limo to BET studios twice for interviews. And it’s kind of fun to say, “My second novel was made into a movie.”

BPM: How may our readers follow you online? 
Readers are welcome to visit my website at www.lynnemery.com. I’d love for them to sign up for my monthly newsletter while they’re there. The newsletter includes exclusive free books and other goodies available only to subscribers, in addition to fun articles. Let’s socialize!


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