4-Author #BookBlast

Write Now Literary is pleased to be coordinating a blog tour for  authors Siera London, Tonya Barbee, Donneil Jackson and Sierra Kay. This book blast tour will run April 20, 2018. Book your own tour here.

                                      Meet Donneil D. Jackson

Donneil D. Jackson is a writer by nature and a Jersey girl by heart. Growing up a sheltered child, she used writing as an escape from her everyday life. She discovered that with writing she could be someone else, do things Donneil would never do and entertain others. Donneil has been writing for as long as she can remember, ever since her mother placed a pencil in her hand. The girl has a niche for painting an elaborate scene while telling a descriptive tale. One day she began writing Chante’s Song marking the beginning of her professional writing career. Learn more at: http://www.donneildjackson.com

                                                    




About the Book

As one of the hottest radio personalities, Kayla, the Gossip Queen, has the fast-paced, glamorous life that many dream of. But one thing eludes her. Love. Growing up in a family where her father was nothing more than a ghost, Kayla sets her sights on finding true love and creating the perfect family of husband, wife, home, and children--even if she has to slip up and make a ton of mistakes along the way. When she meets Shawn Dewitt at a club, their attraction is immediate. Despite the less than perfect beginnings, such as dealing with Shawn’s deranged ex-girlfriend, Kayla finds herself falling hard and fast. All Kayla sees is Shawn's charm, great looks and mind-blowing sex. She braces herself for the highs of love and the lows of perpetual infidelity and lies. After being with a man who constantly makes her question her role in his life and her vision of the perfect family, Kayla has to ask herself, "Am I right to fight for this love, or am I being foolish?" Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction Amazon

                                                                 


Meet Siera London

Siera London, a former naval officer, is a #1 Amazon Bestselling Author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. A native Floridian, her love of coastal towns and bustling cities shines through in her sassy and sexy storytelling. Currently, she resides in southern California with her husband and a color patch tabby named Frie. Learn more at: http://www.sieralondon.com

                                                 
                                       

About the Book

Recently divorced, Sarah Jones no longer looks forward to the cupid and candy holiday. With her shattered heart and designer swimsuit in tow, she plans a little vacation to Adventure Cove Resort and Spa. It’s just the respite she needs from inquiring minds. Quiet and brooding, Deputy Lance Stevens wants to be left alone with the pain of his past mistakes, but his family has other ideas. This contrived vacation is another family intervention he plans to squash, that is until Sarah zips into his life. What’s meant to be Sarah’s escape turns into a steamy attraction to a man who’s too young, and too determined to get what he wants-her. Lance is forbidden in more ways than one and Sarah is harboring a secret that could destroy more than their budding romance. What happens when Ms. Jones realizes there’s more than a Valentine’s Day fling going on? Genre: Contemporary Romance Amazon

                                                       

                             
Meet Sierra Kay

Sierra Kay has an M.A. in Writing from DePaul University, won a Nuyorican Poets Cafe Short Story Slam, participated in comedy fests as a member of the writing teams for Spankx and N20 Comedy. She also writes poetry and suspense novels. Obviously, she’ll try anything at least once. Her two novels are available online. Learn more at: sierrakay.com.

                                                           







About the Book

The Grim Reaper has visited Echo Charles so often he might as well have his mail forwarded to her address. Echo never quite recovered from the loss of her parents to a tragic accident on her twenty-first birthday. Now fourteen years later, she mourns their death of her career, her social life, and if the reaper has his way, the death of her best friend’s lover. The only ray of light in all this darkness is Dr. Brandon Hall, who has had run-ins with the reaper himself—especially when his ex-wife put a choke hold on his bank account along with his belief in love. Dr. Daniel Ellington’s touch provided the electricity that pumped Telia Arthur’s heart, and a life without his smile was unthinkable. However, an unfortunate accident spared the lives of their children and left his hanging in the balance. Now Telia must deal with a challenge only a few people know about, in addition to Dan’s mother who has descended on Telia intent on securing control of Daniel’s wealth as well as his heirs, all while her son is fighting for his life. Telia and Echo began a friendship in elementary school that has blossomed into sisterhood. But their emotions are being dragged over concrete. Will love conquer all or become another victim of the reaper? Genre: Suspense Amazon

                                                                 




Meet Tonya

Tonya Barbee, Founder of I am Still a Rose, LLC (IASAR), has a passion to help those who want to be helped. It took her awhile to realize that she had to make a change in her life in order to get the change she was looking for. After betrayal, emotional abuse, and other turmoil, she had to self-reflect, learn to forgive, and move beyond her pain. Her commitment is to help inspire and empower those that are ready to start a new chapter and to stop those vicious cycles. IASAR will offer events, conferences, plays, and inspirational products that empower women to get past their circumstances to get to their triumphs. Tonya is an inspirational speaker who uses her experiences to uplift women who have had similar circumstances and are ready for resolution. She’s spiritual, energized, funny, and eager to help encourage others to never, ever give up. Tonya never dreamed of writing books but she’s always enjoyed telling stories and sharing profound testimonies. Her listeners inspired her to write and the rest is history. The Little Girl Inside is her first project, followed by a short story, a collaborative project with ten amazing authors who bared their souls through heart wrenching testimonies. Tonya’s short story is titled, Prayer Works, in Sharing Our Prayers, which is followed by her latest (soon to be released), I Am Still A Rose, a sequel to the Little Girl Inside. She's working on several other exciting projects so stay tuned. Tonya resides in Maryland and enjoys spending time with her incredible four children and seven grandchildren that have stolen her heart. Learn more at: http://www.tonyabarbee.com

                                                     


About the Book

It's love (or the misconception of such). It's betrayal. It's triumph! It is all three wrapped into one self reflecting book written by an author whose relationship struggles helped shape and define her as the self sufficient woman she is today. If you have endured the difficult dynamics of a relationship and often wondered why the cycle kept repeating then this book is the perfect guide to help you evaluate yourself internally before giving your heart externally. You will find the much desired answers to your "who's," "what's," "when's" why's," and "how's" of your past relationship issues. Aren't you exhausted from the same ole same ole? It is time to STOP, reflect and make changes that will help you get it right! As you read this book, you will experience the author’s journey as she continuously seeks the fairy tale relationship only to discover the fairy tale relationship never comes. Her pain will become yours as you begin to relate with the various bad relationships documented. However, her victory will become yours as you will learn how to effectively build upon and maintain a healthy and fulfilling relationship. You will quickly become empowered and inspired to start afresh and live your life to the very fullest. Genre: Nonfiction, Inspirational Amazon

#MarketingMonday - Curated Links for 4/2/18

It's another Marketing Monday here on my blog. Hope these links are helpful to you all!!

What Is The Difference Between Marketing, Advertising, and Branding? A Simple Analogy To Help Explain

Do Book Blog Tours Work

50 Book Marketing Ideas Every Author Needs to Know

Hare and Tortoise — Online Marketing vs Social Media Marketing

Tips on Optimizing Your Submission for a BookBub Featured Deal

Another Fiction Author #Book Blast

Write Now Literary is pleased to be coordinating a blog tour for fiction authors Lisa Watson, Nicole Hampton, J.L. Campbell and Perry Busby. This tour will run March 29, 2018.  Follow the tour here.   Book your own tour here.

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.

Website: http://www.joylcampbell.com

About the Book

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?

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/ya849efr

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.

Website: http://www.lisawatson.com

About the Book

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.

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Amazon: http://ow.ly/G0Kc30i8GJU

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.

Website: http://www.thenicolehampton.com

About the Book

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.

Genre: Women’s Contemporary Fiction

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/ya65ylxc

                 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.  

Website: http://www.buzzwordpublishing.com

About the Book

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.

Genre: Mystery

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077138ZPF

#WriterWednesday with Author Venita Alderman Sadler

Today's author interview is with the lovely Venita Alderman Sadler. Scroll down and get the scoop!!

AT: Where do you live? 

VAS: Wake Forest, NC…. Originally from New Brunswick/Somerset, NJ

AT: Okay, what genre do you write? 

VAS: A Family of Secrets is Fiction: Drama and Mystery 

AT: I love a good mystery! Are you a published author or aspiring to be published? If published, how many books are out there with your name on them? 

VAS: I’m published. I have one full length novel, A Family of Secrets. 3 journals; A Bitter to Better Journey, A Pieces to Peace Journey and From Gloom to Gleeful Journey. I’m in 3 anthologies Daddy’s Girl in Turning Trials into Triumphs, Sister Grinch in All I Want for Christmas and Online Secrets in The Ex-Chronicles. 

AT: Awesome! What inspires you to write? 

VAS: I’m inspired by my family and friends. Music and poetry inspires me. I’ll throw in nature also, the flowers, trees and looking at the clouds. 

AT: Same for me! Name one book you wish you’d written. 

VAS: The first thing that came to mind was the dictionary. If only I knew every word in there.

AT: I like the way you think! What was the last book you read? Did you enjoy it? 

VAS: Quagmire from Brian W Smith; it was my book club's June pick. Yes, I enjoyed the book. 

AT: Oh, I love his work! Who is your favorite author? Why? 

VAS: I have a few favorite authors. One of them is Jacquelin Thomas. I love the way her characters and the story line mesh together. Her latest book, Legacy, is a historical fiction book and when you read about the characters and the timeline, you’ll see what I mean. It’s a great book! 

AT: Definitely going to check that one out! Now for the fun questions! You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What color would you be and why? 

VAS: Olive. Because I like all shades of Green. 

AT: Nice! What would your autobiography be called? 

VAS: The woman whose Creativity was Unleashed.

AT: LOVE it! Do you believe in love at first sight? 

VAS: Yes, I fell in love with each of my kids as soon as I laid eyes on them. 

AT: Awwwwww! If a genie granted you three wishes, what would they be? (can't ask for more wishes) 

VAS: For my kids to remain; healthy, happy and positive productive individuals. 

AT: Beautiful! Are you spring, summer, fall, or winter? Please share why. 

VAS: Fall. I like the changes you see during the transition. The chill in the air, the colors of the leaves. 

AT: Yeahm I'm a fan of fall, too. Tea or coffee? 

VAS: TEA! 

AT: No ambiguity there, huh? LOL. Tell us about your most recent/current project.  

VAS: Here's an excerpt from A Family of Secrets. I’ll share the Prologue… 

“Aauugh,” he screamed in agony.

“Shut up, you…” Possum yelled. “You lying, cheating, trifling, disgusting, ughhh...” 

Possum looked at her brand-new Magnum Bronze, Desert Eagle and decided to send two shots in his calves.

“Aauugh, why are you doing this to me?” Malik cried out in between grunts.

Possum could barely see her husband because of the tears in her eyes.

“Why? Did you just ask me why? You always did ask stupid questions.” She let off another shot while yelling “I hate you!”

She didn’t know how much more he was going to be able to take. She’d already put one in his thigh, one in each calf, and one in each arm. She watched as he bled out, screaming the whole time.   Then she began to wonder how she was going to clean up once it was done. 

She shook the thought away once she remembered all the crap he put her through. She stuffed his mouth with three-one thousand dollar bills that she took from his safety deposit box; each bill represented the next three victims. He groaned, prompting her to, stuff more hundred dollar bills in his mouth. She shot him one last time in the stomach.

“Die slow. You deserve it,” she said calmly before grabbing a chocolate chip cookie off the counter and walking out the door.

Possum never even realized that she was being watched the entire time. 

AT: Oh, dang! Now, that's an excerpt! How can readers connect with you?

VAS: www.venitaaldermansadler.com 

www.facebook.com/venitaaldermansadler

www.twitter.com/venitaasadler

www.instagram.com/venitaaldermansadler

AT: Any final words? 

VAS: Thank you for allowing me to participate on your Blog. 

AT: It was my pleasure!

#WriterWednesday with Author Mary McClurkin

Please welcome Mary McClurkin to my blog and get to know this wonderful woman who became an author at 80!

AT: Where do you live? What’s your town’s claim to fame?
MM: I live in Chester, SC. Although Chester is a very small town, many celebrities have their roots here; My nephew, Donnie McClurkin, Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen, and Tom Joyner to name a few. Also, Chester County Schools was one of the districts used to document the inequalities in the education of black and white students which led to the landmark Supreme Court Case, Brown versus The Board of Education.

AT: Wow! What genre do you write?
MM: African American Fiction

AT: Are you a published author or aspiring to be published? If published, how many books are out there with your name on them?
MM: I self-published my first book this year. At 80 years old, it was the fulfillment of a life-long dream. 

AT: Wow! Congratulations!! What inspires you to write?
MM: Different things, mainly my life experiences inspire me. I have always written raps before rapping became popular in today’s form, poetry, and short stories. I will experience something or hear about an event or person and an idea will pop in my head and I will start writing. I have so many things written on napkins, paper bags or any form of paper that was around me. I had to put my ideas down on paper. Now, I’m looking through those notes for stories for my next book. 

AT: Yep, you sound like a storyteller to me, lol. Name one book you wish you’d written.
MM: T D Jakes, God’s Leading Lady. 

AT: Putting that one on my list! What was the last book you read? Did you enjoy it?
MM: Lady Preacher by K.T. Richey.  Yes, I loved it. Growing up in the church, I could relate to everything in the book.

AT: Oh, I'll have to check that one out! Who is your favorite author? Why?
MM: I like several authors, Toni Morrison, Terry McMillan, Maya Angelou and K.T. Richey.

AT: Awesome choices! Now for the fun questions! You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What color would you be and why?
MM: I would be brown because I love my skin color and I love colorful people.

AT: Yes, it's wonderful to love the skin you're in! What would your autobiography be called?
MM: Not so country: The life and times of a preacher’s daughter.

AT: Love it! you believe in love at first sight?
MM: No. I feel people should be friends first and allow their relationship to grow to a more intimate one. 

AT: If a genie granted you three wishes, what would they be? (can't ask for more wishes)
MM: I would ask for wisdom, knowledge and discernment. So, I can know when people are real with me and to help make the right decisions.

AT: Smart wishes! Are you spring, summer, fall, or winter? Please share why.
MM: Spring. Everything is blooming and the weather is just right. Everything is alive and beautiful in the spring. Flowers blooming, birds chirping and everything is vibrant.

AT: I agree! Tea or coffee?
MM: Coffee. I grew up drinking coffee. I love the smell of the aroma and the strong taste.

AT: Tell us about your most recent/current project.
MM: The Aftermath of Love and War is about a young woman, Ella Mae Williams, who marries a man she has known all her life. Their fantasy life is changed when he enlisted in the military and went to war. He returns home suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and their fairy-tale lifestyle is destroyed. Ella Mae spins a poignant tale of victory and defeat that leads her to becoming aware of what really matters, faith, family and self-preservation.

Blurb:

Bill Anderson was far more important than earrings or makeup or even singing and basketball. He smiled all the time. He was very mature and respectful to his elders. He liked to wear a shirt with a lay back collar so it could be laid outside his sport jacket. His shirt was always very white with no wrinkles. He would unbutton three buttons down from the collar so the hair on his chest would show. He was very hairy. He wore his hair parted on the right side. He kept his hands in his pockets at all times except when he would smoke a cigar or cigarette. One day when he and my brothers were picking peaches, he told my brothers that he was going to marry me. My brother came home and told my mama and I got a whipping because Mama thought that I had to have been seeing him behind her back. She was right. But, it wasn’t the way she thought; the truth didn’t matter. And I was so thrilled when I heard what he said, the beating didn’t matter. I would take a beating for him any day. 

AT: How can readers connect with you?
MM: www.MaryMcClurkin.com
www.facebook.com/marymcclurkin
Twitter: @readmarymac

AT: Any final words?
MM: Follow your heart and dreams. Pray for guidance and understanding. Never give up. Don’t let no one tell you what you can and can’t do.

AT: Yes!!!

3 Reasons Why You Won't Promote Your Book - #WW

I was just sitting here thinking about a social media friend of mine. She's a great person, and I enjoy reading her posts, but I was shocked to recently discover after years of being acquainted with her that she has written and published a book and did so a couple of years ago.

I had no idea.

I have never seen her post about the book, or share about her writing process, or absolutely anything writing or book related at all, and I was shocked!

I literally just happened to stumble upon the information myself and this made me wonder why.

Why would a person go through the trouble of writing and publishing a book (and all that happens in between) and not promote it?

I thought about it for a while, and I believe I havc the answer--or three answers, actually, why people, including you, don't promote their books. Here they are:


1. You think people won't like your book.

Well, let me put your mind at ease on this one.

There will absolutely be people who will not like your book.

As a matter of fact, the more popular your book is, the more likely it is to land in the hands of someone who doesn't like it.

And that's okay, because I can also assure you that there will be people who love it.

Remember, opinions are subjective. Just because a person dislikes a book doesn't mean it is not good. It simply means they didn't like it, not the whole world. Conversely, if someone loves a book, it doesn't mean it's the best book ever written... but it might be.

The thing to understand is, you will never know if you don't give people an opportunity to read it. What I mean by that is they can't read it if they don't even know it exists. And it's up to you to make sure they know it does.

Side note: Be sure you produce a book you can be proud to share; ie: choose a good, professional-looking cover and have your book properly edited and formatted so that you can share it with confidence.


2. You don't think you have the time to promote it.

This may very well be true if, like me when I first started out, you are working full time and have family or other obligations. My solution for you is this:

Make time.

I know, I know, that seems harsh and impossible, but it's not. Grab a calendar and mark down certain days and times of the day to promote. Use social media schedulers like Hootsuite to assist you with scheduling posts across social media platforms. If you have to, get up early or stay up late to get it done.

But do get it done.

A lot of people rely on word of mouth to sell their books, but if you aren't willing to spread the word yourself, how and why would you expect anyone else to?


3. You don't believe you should have to promote your book.

This train of thought most often stems from observing someone else who is successful and barely promotes their work. And for some people, it is true that they don't have to put much effort into promoting their work, This is most likely because they are established and have made a name for themselves. Or maybe they are just blessed enough to have a great readership that is excellent at spreading the word for them. Whichever the case, remember that everyone's journey is different. Don't expect to have the same exact experience as the next author. Commit to your book and yourself, and be willing to do what needs to be done to get your book in front of readers.

On the other hand, you might believe your book is so good it'll sell itself. Well, that is nearly impossible for most of us, and totally impossible if readers don't even know you wrote a book in the first place.

You have got to be willing to share your work if you want it to be read. And isn't that what writers want more than anything? I know it's what I've always wanted.


Well, that's all I have for today. Until later, be blessed, and check out my books via the links below!!

Kindle and paperback:  http://ow.ly/fxVXG

Kobo:  http://ow.ly/fxW6V

Nook:  http://ow.ly/fxW4y

Amazon UK: http://ow.ly/miFUU

Small Talk #Book Blitz

About the Book:

A serial killer has the people of Pittsburgh on edge, and Detective Daniel Hayes and his hand-picked Special Assignment Squad are working feverishly to solve the case before more innocent lives are lost.  But the killer proves to be a formidable foe, whose viciousness appears to be matched only by his ability to elude capture.

Throughout Small Talk, the reader is given glimpses into the mind of this cunning and sadistic murderer, an individual who seeks a face-to-face confrontation with his pursuers, a confrontation Daniel is only too willing to provide.

Read the first seven chapters of Small Talk

About Robert Germaux:

Robert Germaux and his wife, Cynthia, live outside of Pittsburgh. After three decades as a high school English teacher, and now a good many years into retirement, he is beginning to have serious doubts about his lifelong dream of pitching for the Pirates.

Small Talk is Robert Germaux’s second book. His first book, The Backup Husband, is a contemporary romance novel, available on Amazon. 

  *******

Robert Germaux Author Q & A

I see you were a high school English teacher for thirty years. That’s quite an accomplishment!  Were you doing much writing during this time?

No, I wasn’t, mainly because I was too busy grading my students’ papers, along with doing the thousand-and-one other things involved with teaching.  And to be honest, I really didn’t think of myself as a writer during those years. 

What made you decide to take the plunge and publish your first book, The Backup Husband?

Pretty much just the desire to put my work out there, to see if it was as good as I hoped it was.

Why did you take the Indie route?

I’d written several books about a private detective named Jeremy Barnes, but my agent and I hadn’t been able to find a publisher for them.  I knew how popular eBooks were becoming, so I thought I’d try that route. 

The Backup Husband is a contemporary romance novel. Small Talk is about a serial killer. Was this a conscious decision to keep your book genre choices open?

No, not really.  I’d had the idea for The Backup Husband floating around in my head for some time, and after I wrote it, I thought it might be the best book for my initial foray into the world of eBooks.  My other books are all crime novels, and that’s the genre I most enjoy. 

What kind of research did you do for Small Talk?

I was fairly knowledgeable about standard police procedures, but I had to do a lot of research into the technical aspects of the investigation by Daniel and his squad, things like facial recognition software, etc.  I also had to educate myself about what can be learned at autopsy, which wasn’t my favorite part of the research for this book.

What would you say has been the most difficult thing about Indie publishing?

I knew next to nothing about Indie publishing, and at first, it seemed as though every time I learned something, that led to two or three other “somethings” I had to learn.  It was very frustrating.

Are you currently working on a new book?

I’m finishing the final edit on One by One, the next case for Daniel and the Special Assignment Squad. 

Do you have any advice for new Indie authors?

I would recommend that they educate themselves as much as possible about the world of Indie publishing, but even more important, try to find someone who already knows all this stuff and is willing to guide you through the process.  When I decided to put The Backup Husband online, I had no idea what I was doing, which made for a long and arduous experience.  With Small Talk, I’ve been lucky enough to have Susan Barton in my corner, making the whole process a delight.

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Readers can connect with Robert Germaux via his website, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon. 

Review copies are available upon request via contact form here. 

Monday Motivation for #Writing

Terra Cotta Beauty #Book Tour

Book Title: Terra Cotta Beauty #TerraCottaBeauty

Paperback: 142 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (June 12, 2014)

ISBN-10: 1491271671

ISBN-13: 978-1491271674

Genre: Fiction

About The Author

Jola Naibi was raised in Lagos, Nigeria and studied in the United Kingdom. She enjoys writing and blogging as a way to satisfy an extremely eager imagination.

About The Book

Follow the daily lives, loves, and hopes of an entire community in Jola Naibi’s moving debut, Terra Cotta Beauty. A carefully crafted selection of short stories, this collection examines life in Lagos, Nigeria, during the era of military rule. It reveals the struggles, loves, and hopes of a disparate group of people whose lives always manage to intersect—sometimes in the most devastating of ways. With each brief conversation and split-second decision containing consequences that reach further than anyone could ever imagine, each of the book’s seven tales is a delicate thread that helps form the social fabric of a nation divided. From a woman whose journalist husband is jailed for criticizing the government to a young man’s reluctant descent into crime, Terra Cotta Beauty acts as a carefully crafted ode to the essence of Lagos itself: its people.

Review

In Terra Cotta Beauty, Author Jola Naibi has penned captivating tales expertly woven together and steeped in Nigerian culture. As I traveled from story to story, I found it hard to put this book down as the undeniable connections of humanity unfolded before my eyes. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about a different culture and human experience. Naibi has a way with words and is a wonderful storyteller. (I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

4 Stars

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#Vote For Me!!

Photo by bredmaker via www.freeimages.com

Please Vote For Me!!!

I am excited to announce that the members of the Building Relationships Around Books (BRAB) online book club have nominated me in the categories of Breakout Author, Best Interracial, Women's Literature, and Christian Fiction for their Reading Warrior Awards!! I am truly humbled and thankful and I wish to congratulate all of the other nominees!!

If you have enjoyed my work, please consider casting a vote for me. I’d truly appreciate it!!

CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR VOTE

***Voting ends October 24, 2014***