4 Author Book Blast – Lisa Watson, Nicole Hampton, J.L. Campbell and Perry Busby

Today I welcome authors Lisa Watson, Nicole Hampton, J.L. Campbell and Perry Busby to my blog. These authors are participating in a Book Blast to promote their latest works.

Lisa Watson

Book Blurb

Danger doesn’t make an appointment…it just shows up.

When Sasha Lambert’s debut novel, The Passport Diaries, hits the bookstores it quickly becomes a bestseller. Her ex-boyfriend, and Greek tycoon, Milo Georgopoulos, believes one of the characters in the book sheds a not-so-positive light on his own extracurricular activities. He gives Sasha an ultimatum: Ditch the book or else.

Retired football player, Pierce Deveraux thinks he too has been placed between the pages of The Passport Diaries. Determined to make Sasha pay for putting a ding in his knight-in-shining-armor image, Pierce contemplates how best to even the score.

Suddenly strange things start happening wherever Sasha goes. Even her twin sister, Dr. Sienna Lambert-Deveraux worries for her safety. With an adoring assistant, an ambitious publicist, and jealous ex-lover vying for her attention, Sasha soon finds herself at the center of dangerous tug-of-war.

You can purchase Interview with Danger on Amazon.

About the Author

National bestselling author, Lisa Watson, is a native of Washington D.C., and writes in the Multicultural & Interracial, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, and Sweet Romance genres. Having her debut novel nominated for Best Contemporary Fiction, sparked Lisa’s desire to continue creating engaging storylines, strong characters with universal appeal, and a keen sense of humor. They are drawn together by love, respect, and a strong family ties.

Lisa loves traveling, so weaving beautiful destinations into the pages of her novels as lush backdrops, or the heritage of her characters is not uncommon.

You can find out more about Lisa on her website.

J.L. Campbell

Book Blurb

Aside from a brief stint of madness during their teen years, Vance James and Ayisha Glenn are not each other’s idea of relationship material. Vance, a financial analyst and avid golfer, is preoccupied with getting his fill of women, and finding that special someone doesn’t factor into his plans. Yet all it takes to turn his world upside down is one remark from Ayisha about his lifestyle. Suddenly, his focus shifts and he’s spending his days trying to prove he can be the man she needs.

Ayisha is a go-getter who knows what she’s about—a successful business, a lifetime with the man of her dreams, and children to complete the picture. Vance is an expert at romance, but with Ayisha it’s all or nothing. She’s waited years for Vance to stop chasing the wind in pursuit of what’s already in front of him. Now that he’s set his heart on having her, will she accept his love?

You can buy The Long Game on Amazon.

About the Author

J.L. Campbell is fascinated with Jamaican flora and has hundreds of photos to prove it. She writes contemporary and sweet romance, romantic suspense, women’s fiction, as well as new and young adult novels.

Campbell, who features Jamaican culture in her stories, has written twenty-seven books and two short story collections. She is also a certified editor.

You can find out more about J.L. on her website.

Nicole Hampton

Book Blurb

For Shannon Johnson, full-time wife, mom and freelance writer, life as she knew it changed one spring afternoon with the ringing of her doorbell. On the other side stood Vaneetra James, former mistress of Shannon’s husband, Daniel. With two sons, Shannon resisted the urge to leave Daniel in order to keep her family intact. However, she refused to deal with the issues resulting from Daniel’s extramarital affair.

When Shannon thought her life couldn’t get any worse, a tragic turn of events in Vaneetra’s life turned Shannon’s already fractured world upside down, sending her marriage into an even deeper peril.

Feeling desperate and trapped, Shannon made a series of rash decisions that landed her in the arms of another man, bringing her already fragile world crashing downward. Having to come to grips with the reality that the man she once thought was extraordinary was just ordinary, she had to trudge the road of forgiveness, while learning to love again and accept what she never imagined could ever exist.

You can purchase Glimmer in the Darkness on Amazon.

About the Author

Nicole Hampton is a compassionate woman, who loves to create stories readers can relate to in a way that validates situations that occur daily the lives of many. Her love for reading developed at an early age. She often spent hours becoming lost in the worlds of characters of her favorite books. Born in the South Suburbs of Chicago, IL, reading offered an opportunity for Nicole to dream about life outside of her community and fed her desire to want to explore the world beyond her modest surroundings.

Nicole earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work, and utilizes the skills and knowledge learned to address the issues presented in her debut novel Glimmer in the Darkness in a manner that allows people to connect and understand the struggles of her characters. Nicole lives in North Carolina, is a dedicated wife and mother of six, who spends any time she can snatch, developing characters and story lines to share with her readers. Her second novel, Tears of the Storm, will release in summer of 2018.

You can find out more about Nicole on her website.

Perry Busby

Book Blurb

Phil Jacobson, a young African-American computer enthusiast and hacker, lands a prized position as a programmer with Intellect Technology Incorporated, a leading technology company. While coping with being one of a select few minority programmers the company has recently hired, Phil discovers a fellow hacker has uncovered evidence that points to his hiring as being part of a more egregious cover up.

On the brink of closing their doors for good, and faced with competition from a growing personal computer industry, Jack Sherman, the CEO of ITI, hedges his bets on his young chief financial officer, Vincent Martello, and a new technology called the Internet. ITI is set to acquire the first Internet browser from WorldNet Labs, a small startup company founded by Phil’s longtime friend, Malcolm Graves. The deal between ITI and WorldNet Labs could potentially be the smartest and most lucrative corporate deal of the century. But, ITI’s questionable employment practices, a reported EEOC complaint, and Jack Sherman’s sordid family alliances, could kill the deal in its tracks. Relying on the skills he learned while assisting his father and information he’s gathered from the Underground (a virtual network of computers on a Bulletin Board System), Phil rushes to uncover ITI’s secret past and put an end to what may be the worst deal ever for his friend.

With Charlotte, North Carolina, as the backdrop Perry Busby weaves a suspense tale about a family confronting life’s changes as society prepares for its next disruptive invention, the Internet.

You can buy the mystery The Hacks of Life on Amazon.

About the Author

Perry Busby is an author and founder of Buzz Word Publishing. In addition to writing, he is a freelance programmer and data analyst. His client list includes both government and private organizations; from NASA, to the Federal Reserve Bank, and political campaigns; from Fortune 100 companies to non-profit organizations and local business. After 30 years of designing and analyzing software and data, Perry now turns his creative energies and keyboard to write about a journey that has been just as adventuresome as it has been nerdy. When he isn’t writing, Perry dedicates time to engage and counsel minority youth and college students on the obstacles and opportunities of working within the IT sector.

You can find more out about Perry on his website.

 

 

Today’s Featured Author – Cheryl Robinson

Please welcome author Cheryl Robinson to my blog. Cheryl is on a virtual book tour promoting her new book, Ex-Ray, which came out January 26th.

Guest Post

To Curse or Not to Curse in Fiction

Most of us know someone who can’t get through a full sentence without using a four-letter word. And even though I don’t curse, I cannot say that I never have.

Every time I start writing a new book, at some point I find myself Googling using profanity in fiction, knowing full well that at least one of my characters will curse, Isn’t that one of the benefits of writing—freedom of expression? Why should I deny my characters that same right?

Maybe I’m thinking about my mother’s Red Hatter group and don’t want to embarrass her. After all, for years whenever I finished a book, my mother’s first question was always the same: “Will the Red Hatters be able to read it?” After my sixth book, I started saying no.

Cursing is a part of my DNA. My father openly cursed without a problem and regularly listened to comedian Richard Pryor. Although he always waited until his children went to bed. One night, however, I didn’t go to sleep. I was nine at the time and listened from the stairway. I had to hold in my laughter. I didn’t know who that man was whose voice was coming through the speakers, but everything he said was funny to me. Richard Pryor soon became someone I snuck and listened to. I even memorized the set he did that dealt with the Patty Hearst kidnapping.

The four-letter words that Richard Pryor used saved my play cousin and me from being beat up after school. Actually, the hit was placed on her, but I couldn’t let anyone beat up my play cousin. I loved her, and she had already saved my life by pushing me out of the way of a moving car as we were walking home from school, so I owed her, too.

It had circulated all day that two girls were planning to beat up my play cousin. I had never been in a fight, then or now, but I was determined to defend her. So, what did I do as the large crowd descended upon us? I cursed those two girls out, and they were visibly scared. Words truly do have power. I watched as their eyes enlarged and their mouths dropped. I was a very quiet child, so I know they weren’t expecting that. Clad in my plaid uniform and loafers, I had transformed into Richard Pryor in front of Gesu Catholic School. And that’s when my love for comedy and my affinity for four-letter words first started.

Being around comedians when I was in my early twenties and hosted a weekly comedy show that featured Faizon Love, Downtown Tony Brown, and Mike Bonner, to name a few, fostered my affinity for profanity.

I never want to use unnecessary profanity in my writing. I never want to have a character curse if it doesn’t add to the dialogue. I only want my characters to use profanity if that’s really what they’d say at the time.

So, now, instead of Googling using profanity in fiction, I read the dialogue the way I originally wrote it, leaving the profanity in and then removing it. Then I ask myself if having that word adds anything to the character’s dialogue—the only thing it would add is realism. If the answer is no, I try to remove it. It’s in my DNA, so sometimes I do have to wrestle with myself.

How do you as the reader feel when you read profanity in fiction?

Book Blurb

In this journey into second-chance love, author Cheryl Robinson invites us to ponder whether we would rekindle a romance with someone who had broken a promise to forsake all others.

Meet Ray and Sarita Saint. In 1987, they pledged to love, honor, and cherish each other until death. When Ray goes missing a year later, Sarita wonders whether he’s dead or alive. While she was dreaming of their happily ever after, Ray was exploring greener pastures, a new relationship. Sarita—a virgin until marriage—took her vows seriously and believed Ray did, too. Instead, he left their marriage and their life in Detroit to reinvent himself. Sarita always held out hope that he would return one day. And he does. It’s twenty-seven years later, and Ray is determined to find his one true love. What he discovers has him question everything he thought he knew about Sarita, as well as himself.

About the Author

Cheryl Robinson has the Until Ray trilogy set in her beloved hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Cheryl currently resides in Central Florida. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Wayne State University. This is her eleventh book.

You can find out more about Cheryl on her website or follow her on Facebook.

You can purchase Ex-Ray on Amazon.

 

Today’s Featured Author – Paulette Harper

Today, author Paulette Harper joins me as part of her book blast tour promoting her latest book – Secret Places Revealed – which was released earlier this month.

Interview

Tell us a bit about yourself?

Hello everyone and thank you, Susan, for featuring me today.

In addition to being an award winning author of Completely Whole, I am an inspirational speaker, as well as a writing workshop instructor. I have a passion to coach aspiring authors and speak into the lives of women from every walk of life. My literary works have been spotlighted in a growing number of publications, including CBN, Real Life Real Faith Magazine, and Black Pearls Magazine. I have also appeared on numerous local and online radio shows.

Please tell us about your current release.

My current release is Secret Places Revealed and it’s an Inspirational Romance Novel.

Here is the book blurb:

A broken man, a woman on the run, a love that won’t be denied.

Single—and very content—real estate developer Aaron Blackman is determined not to become involved in another relationship. He’s experienced enough drama to last a lifetime. The only thing garnering his attention now is his growing business. And he plans to keep it that way. Then Simone Herron waltzes into his life, beautiful and confident. Fighting to keep his promise to himself—to remain single—he soon discovers that when it comes to love, some promises must be broken.

After losing her fiancé in an untimely death, Simone Herron relocates. She desperately needs to put the past behind her and start a new chapter in her life. While love is the farthest thing from her mind, she experiences an attraction to the handsome Aaron Blackman that frightens her. She’s built a wall around her heart, but can she find the strength and courage she needs to welcome love again? To do so, she must conquer her fears and allow God to put all of her broken pieces back together.

What inspired you to write this book?

I love reading romance books and writing a story that brings two people together for the sake of finding love was something I thoroughly enjoyed. Aaron Blackman is not looking for love, in fact the only thing he has on his agenda is adding to his real estate development portfolio, while Simone Herron, has her own internal battles, with trust and abandonment. One decision on her part leads her to meet the eligible bachelor who is smitten by her, but has made a vow to himself not to get involved.

I’ve always wanted to write fiction and the idea behind Secret Places Revealed came from a desire to write my own love story.

What fuels you as an author to continue to write?

As an inspirational and fiction writer, I write to inspire and empower readers. I write because I feel I have message to share with readers not only to entertain readers but to help them grow spiritually. I love to mix real life stories into my fiction. Although each story is unique, we experience some of the same feelings, situations and challenges in life in which the reader can identify.

With the ability to craft fiction books, it gives me the opportunity to live through each character. I’ve been blessed to write in several different genre: Christian fiction, nonfiction and children. Although each genre is unique in their own way, I enjoy each one. Developing a craft for writing is an ongoing process. I’ve been able to gleam from so many others. I read books which help me learn the craft as well.

When I pen a non-fiction book, I can go deep into my soul and the soul of the reader. My non-fiction books come from my own personal life experiences, research and biblical studies. I try to connect with readers in a place where the words in the book can leap off the pages and bring about a spiritual change as well as spiritual growth.  Everyone needs to be inspired, empowered and strengthen in every area of their lives and this is where my books are able to touch the readers.

Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I’m learning to be an outliner. Outlining a story, for me, makes it easier to keep focus and it allows the story to continue flowing into each chapter.

Can you tell us a little about the black moment in your book?

The black moment in Secret Places Revealed came when the hero, Aaron Blackman, felt that he was betrayed, once again by someone he loved. He looked at the situation and made some assumptions that were never backed up with proof.  As, an attorney, he knows the important of having solid, concrete evidence, but when it came to his personal life, he forgot all his teachings.

About the Author

In addition to being an award winning author of Completely Whole, Paulette is an inspirational speaker, as well as a writing workshop instructor. She has a passion to coach aspiring authors and speaks into the lives of women from every walk of life. Her literary works have been spotlighted in a growing number of publications, including CBN, Real Life Real Faith Magazine, and Black Pearls Magazine. She has also appeared on numerous local and online radio shows.

Paulette resides in Northern California.

You can find out more information about Paulette on her website. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

You can purchase Secret Places Revealed on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Today’s Featured Author – Adrienne Thompson

Today, I welcome back author Adrienne Thompson. Her latest book, After the Pain (Latter Rain Series Book 1), came out in January.

Excerpt

My tea cup rattled on its saucer at the sound of his voice. I didn’t dare look up at him as I set the cup down and forced myself not to rush to him and wrap my legs around his waist.

“Thank you, August. Want some tea?” Ms. Dorcas asked.

“Yes, ma’am, I’d love some,” he replied, and then he did something that made my entire body stand at attention; he sat right next to me on the loveseat. From that point on all I could do was sit there and remind myself to breathe as my body temperature began to slowly rise. I shoved my unsteady hands under my thighs and fixed my eyes on the floral-patterned rug beneath my feet. I could smell his sweat, a scent that was beginning to become both familiar and appealing to me, and though I kept my eyes away from him, the image of his face dominated my thoughts.

I glanced around the now painfully quiet room to see all eyes on me—including August’s—and I reacted in the only way I knew how. I stood from my seat and softly said, “Um, excuse me.” And before anyone could reply, I had swiftly left the room, made it to the stairs, and was heading back to Room Ten.

“Wait!” I heard him call.

But I couldn’t stop my feet from ascending the stairs. As I fumbled with my door key, I felt him rest his hand on my shoulder. “Von, wait. Why do you keep running away from me? Is it this?” He spun me around and kissed me again… and I let him. As a matter of fact, I felt relieved, like this was what I’d been needing for a long time. Maybe it was.

His lips left mine and I instantly missed them. “Yes,” I whispered, my eyes downcast.

He lifted my chin, held my eyes with his. “You didn’t like it?”

“I did. That’s the problem.”

“Well, what about this?” He leaned in and gently suckled my neck.

I shuddered, grabbed his head, and held it in place. Then a wave of shame hit me and I pulled away from him. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“You’re enjoying me,” he whispered as he pinned me to the door and went to work on the other side of my neck. “And I’m enjoying you…”

“I don’t even know your last name,” I said breathily.

“Donovan. August Donovan.”

“I don’t know you.”

He lifted his head and gently kissed my lips again. “Meet me on the path after breakfast tomorrow.”

I looked into his chocolate eyes and almost involuntarily said, “Okay.”

Book Blurb

Barely grasping on to her sanity due to past trauma and unhappiness, LaVonda Ingram leaves her home in search of peace and finds it in the love of a beautiful man. But will she be able to hold on to the healing and peace his love provides?

This is book one of the Latter Rain series—stories of women over forty finding love.

Check out the book trailer!

About the Author

Adrienne Thompson has worn many titles in her lifetime: teenage mother, teenage wife, divorcee, registered nurse, and author. This mother of three young adults currently resides in Arkansas in her newly empty nest where she writes and publishes her stories full time.

You can find out more about Adrienne on her website or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

You can purchase After the Pain on Amazon, Amazon UK and Barnes & Noble.

You can also read an excerpt of Your Love is King – her book that was featured on my site in 2013. 

Today’s Featured Author – Melanie Moreland

Today I welcome author Melanie Moreland to my blog. Her latest book, Over the Fence, came out at the end of July.

Interview

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in Canada—Ontario. I grew up in Manitoba which is in the middle of the prairies—very flat. I find Ontario rather hilly, and my ears pop all the time which makes my husband laugh and call me “flatlander.” I work at the local University handling all the ticketing for their sports teams. I love to cook and bake. I read constantly when not writing—I tend to have 3 or 4 books on the go all the time, and I often sit up all night reading when a book captures my attention. I am definitely a night owl.

Do you write full-time? If so, what is your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I work part-time, in a very flexible schedule. Parts of the year it is only two days a week, while other parts can be six of seven days. I tend to write almost every morning after I get up. Often my characters are waiting as soon as I open my eyes, so I get my coffee, sit down and let them talk. I keep a notebook with me and scribble during the day if they start “talking” to me at work. I have been known (often) to go to bed, and get up at 2am and write all night when something hits me—especially if a scene I’ve been struggling with suddenly becomes clear.

How do you conceive your plot ideas?

Plot bunnies hit me everywhere. Over the Fence happened because of a conversation I had with my neighbor—over the fence. I started thinking what if I hadn’t met that person and they were only a voice…and the whole story unfolded. My next book was inspired by something I saw on the internet. The one after hit me when I saw a woman at the bus stop late one snowy evening. It’s like a small nugget in my brain, and they grow. Some get discarded, but if they won’t go away and keep poking at me, I know I have to write them.

How much of yourself, your personality or your experiences, is in your books?

I think we all use our own experiences within our work—draw from our own emotions. My last book, Over the Fence, was extremely personal for me. I used many of my own painful childhood memories in the story to create Kourtney’s past and the way she dealt with the world. It many way it was cathartic, although while writing it, I admit, my emotions ran very high at times. I think using our own experiences can help make the characters more real to our readers, and help bring them to life.

Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I tend to simply start writing. I have tried to outline, but it never follows what I put down. I usually know the start, some key points, and the end. I don’t write in sequence very often. As something hits me, I write it out and go back or forward as the case may be.

Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your next book?

I have two books on the go right now. One is a light romance—zero angst, just a sweet story. The other is far darker, involving a man cut off emotionally from the world and how a tiny change—a reminder of his past—teaches him to live again.

Please tell us about your current release.

Over the Fence is a story of two neighbors that start an unconventional relationship with each other. They become friends, sharing conversations, meals, and computer help – all with the barrier of the fence between them. They are both hiding from the world in their own way, and this is their story about learning to trust and love.

What was the most difficult thing/scene to write in this story?

When Kourtney shared her childhood was a hard thing to write since so much of it were my own memories. Reliving some of that pain was difficult. Kourtney has been taught to see herself in a certain light—a very negative one. There is a chapter in the book where Nathan tells her—shows her—what he sees that is very emotional and pivotal to their moving forward.

If you could jump in to any book, and live in that world, which would it be?

I always think I would love to jump into the era of hooped skirts, courting, balls and horse and carriages. Where men kissed your hand and something as innocuous as a kiss was scandalous between unmarried couples. Where your passion was hidden and only shown behind closed doors. But then I think of corsets, having no free will, or running water, and decide no. I’ll stay here. LOL.

Is there a specific place in the house (or out of the house) that you like to write?

I have a spot in the family room I like to write in. I have a little table to hold my coffee (a must have) my laptop and a notebook close by. I curl into the corner with the laptop, and in the winter the fireplace is on, a blanket is close and I just write. On occasion I sit at the desk in the den and look out the window and write, but I prefer my corner.

Do you have a specific snack that you have with you when you write?

Coffee. Always coffee. I am addicted to it. Maybe a peanut butter granola bar, but I tend to sip and not eat while writing.

Tell us a random fact about you that we never would have guessed.

Well I hate to tell secrets, but I will. I am really Batman.

Book Blurb

Two neighbors—strangers—with one thing in common—they share a fence. But is that the only thing they share? Nathan Fraser lives a solitary life, never letting anyone get too close. It’s safer that way. Kourtney Whyte hides from the world and behind her work, too afraid to really live her life to the fullest. Rejection is what she knows best. But one night, the sound of her soft voice and the tantalizing aroma of her evening meal, prove too enticing for Nathan to ignore. So begins their unconventional relationship—talking, learning, texting, and gradually opening up to one another, all over the fence. That is, until the day Nathan braves the high fence to protect Kourtney from her past, and changes everything forever. Can they move forward together, without the buffer of the fence? Or will their pasts prove to be too much of a barrier?

About the Author

Melanie Moreland lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of twenty-six-plus years. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them. Known as the quiet one with the big laugh, Melanie works at a local university and for its football team. Her job, while demanding, is rewarding as she cheers on her team to victory. While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys travelling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip. Melanie delights in a good romance story with some bumps along the way, but is a true believer in happily ever after. When her head isn’t buried in a book, it is bent over a keyboard, furiously typing away as her characters dictate their creative storylines to her, often with a large glass of wine keeping her company.

You can follow Melanie on Twitter or keep up with her on Goodreads.

You can buy Over the Fence on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.