Monday, December 28, 2015

13 things I accomplished in 2015 - The year in review

It's that time of year where we look back on what we've done in preparation for setting goals for the new year ahead. So here goes! Here is my year in review:





1. Published 6 books: 


2. One of the above books (Home) was written in first person and entirely from a male's perspective. 

3. Wrote and published my first fantasy-esque story (Summertime).

4. Wrote and published my first work of historical fiction (September).

5. Participated in several events including the Arkansas Literary Festival!





6. Was nominated for 4 Reading Warrior Awards and won in 2 categories. (See pic below)




7. Spent another year being a full-time author!


9. Was interviewed on a statewide television station!


11. Developed an online course that will debut in 2016.

12. Received my first piece of fan art :) 





13. Exceeded my 2015 reading goal by reading 55 books! (I promise this was the hardest goal to accomplish! Finding time to read when I wanted to write was tough. Lowering my reading goal for 2016 for sure.)


How about you guys? What goals did you reach?


Sunday, December 27, 2015

#SampleSunday - After the Pain

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and if you didn't celebrate, I still hope you had a wonderful week! Here's a sample from my forthcoming book, After the Pain, which is Book I of my new Latter Rain Series-coming January 12, 2016. 

Enjoy!!






It smelled like rain the day I lost my mind.

As a matter of fact, the scent of rain clung to the air like an unfulfilled promise until the sun set. I spent that day, the entire day, sitting on my front porch, staring at nothing in particular. I can’t say I was deep in thought because I wasn’t. As a matter of fact, all that seemed to fill my head was static—white noise. It was as if someone had flipped the switch in my head from on to off. 

I just sat there and rubbed my hand over my freshly-cut hair, the hair I’d had cut because I just didn’t have the desire to keep it up, to go the beauty shop every week like I had in the past. I didn’t eat or drink anything. I didn’t use the toilet. I didn’t answer the phone when it rang. I didn’t smile or return the mailman’s hello. I didn’t wave when my neighbor greeted me. I didn’t utter a word or move a muscle until the sun began its daily descent. And once the moon took its place in the sky, I stood from my seat, walked out into my yard and fell to the ground. Pressing my face into the grass, I cried for the rain, begged for it to stop playing around and go ahead and pour down on me. In my mind, the rain would make things better, maybe water down some of the pain. I writhed on the ground, pulling up handfuls of grass until my tears dried and transformed into soft wails.

“LaVonda? You all right?” my neighbor, Bunny, shrieked when she stepped outside her house and saw me. What a dumb question that was. I was rolling around on the ground begging for rain, wasn’t I? Of course I wasn’t okay. And then I saw the worried expression on her face and the ugly dress on her body and all I could do was laugh. I laughed so hard that I started to cry again...







Monday, December 21, 2015

#BookBlast - BEJEWELED: A BEAUTIFUL BLEND by Chelle Ramsey




ABOUT CHELLE RAMSEY:

An original Georgia Peach, Chelle Ramsey is a fiction author, writing stories to encourage, empower, entertain and strengthen readers. Many of her stories are based in her birthplace of Atlanta or her husband’s hometown of Cincinnati, where readers can relate to local hot spots and events. She wants her readers (women and men) to become empowered to rise above adversity, with faith in God, and belief in themselves.

Chelle holds an MBA in Human Resource Management, which she puts to use in her property management role by day, while she writes her fiction novels by night. Her most important roles are those of a wife and mother of three. During her “me time,” she loves listening to music, and becomes enraptured with the enthralling stories of Terry McMillan, and Nora Roberts. She especially relishes trying to solve the engaging mysteries of James Patterson and Stuart Woods, while eating a bowl of her favorite butter pecan ice cream. Chelle resides in a rural community of Atlanta, GA and enjoys writing, family time, and watching NBA games with her husband.

CONTACT INFO:

PURCHASE BOOKS:

PAPERBACKS: (HOBJ1) https://www.createspace.com/4706061; (HOBJII) https://www.createspace.com/5546573; and (HOBJ111)








BOOK BLURB:

BEJEWELED: A BEAUTIFUL BLEND
Olivia believes she can have it all.  A successful business and a loving husband. But his ex-wife is not ready to walk away, and continues to threaten any chance he and Olivia might have at happiness. When Olivia discovers she’s being stalked, secrets her mother took to the grave come creeping out.

The baby Nikki and Carlos have been planning is finally on the way. One problem…the paternity is at question, and Carlos is in the dark. To protect her secrets, Nikki’s ready to sever ties to both men that hold the key to her heart. But one half of her heart won’t let go, and the other half is willing to fight until the end. The birth of her child may lead to the death of her marriage.

One test has the power to determine the truth. One test will change their lives forever.

Deception will bring separation, and destiny will mend two broken hearts. And in the end, everyone must work together to create a beautiful blend.



EXCERPT:
Nikki woke with a throbbing pain in her head and neck. Looking around she noticed she was hooked up to an IV and oxygen. Her eyes grew wide as she noticed the monitors beeping overhead. Where was she? Then it all came back. She had told Carlos the truth and he didn’t handle it too well.
She recalled pulling on him, and him pulling away. She remembered falling backwards. Nothing more. She looked around and didn’t see anyone at first. Trying to sit up, she felt a pain so intense in her head that she had to lie back down.
“Nikki, don’t try sitting up, Chula,” her mother affectionately called out. She smiled as she always did when her mother called her ‘pretty girl.’ “Here, let me help you,” her mother stated, pushing a button to lift Nikki’s bed up.
“Mami, the bebé?” she inquired. She noticed her stomach was still large, but she didn’t feel any kicking or anything and worried she may have caused damage to her unborn fetus.
“El bebé is just fine, Chula. Un momento. The doctors will be here,” she said, patting her hand.
“Yamile?” she asked about her sister. She wanted to talk to her in private to find out what had happened with Carlos. She didn’t dare bring his name up to her mother, because she never had anything positive to say about her husband.
“She—” her mother began, just as Yamile walked into the room with a tired, but encouraging smile on her face.
“Nikki!” she called out. “I’m so glad you came around, your hard headed butt had me worried. Mami, can you please go ahead and get your coffee, and get me some juice and some chips while you’re at it?” Yamile said, handing her mother a ten dollar bill.
“But—”
“Pullleeezz, Mami,” Yamile begged. “Don’t worry about Nikki. I’ll stay here with her until you get back. I promise nothing will happen to her. I’m here,” Yamile bragged, flexing her arms to show off her muscles.
“Alright. I’ll be right back!” her mother scolded in her heavily accented voice.
Yamile hesitated a moment, placed her finger to her lip to stall any questions Nikki might have, and then ran to the hospital room door. She peeked out before closing it back again.
“Look, we got a few minutes before old nosey comes back,” Yamile said, lovingly referring to her mother. “I just got off the phone with Wesley and he said he’d be here within 20 minutes.”
“What? Why’d you call him, Milli?” Nikki choked out. Her head was still throbbing and she couldn’t allow herself to get too upset.
“Look, the nurses will be back in a minute, too. He’s on the way here and ain’t nothing we can do to stop that now. He knows what’s going on,” Yamile explained.
“I don’t even know what’s going on,” Nikki whimpered. “Where’s Carlos? My husband should be here.”
“Carlos is in jail,” Yamile muttered.
“For what?” Nikki shouted.
“Because he jumped on you again. He’s where he deserves to be. He’s the reason you’re here!” Yamile hissed.
“No, he’s not!” Nikki bawled.
“What are you talking about, Nikki? Your neighbors called the cops because they said they could hear him up there jumping on you again. They saw you when he brought you over to the house and the next thing they knew things were being broken. They could hear you crying and him ranting and they called the cops. A few of them wanted to come in and jump on him for jumping on a pregnant woman. Just when the cops came knocking at the door, they could hear a loud commotion inside and they broke the door down. When they got in, they found you on the floor passed out and Carlos standing over you. They told Mama the apartment had been ransacked. You can’t keep taking up for him, Nikki. You need to get help and so does he. I don’t give a damn what he does at the end of the day, but I will not be attending your funeral before God calls you home and I damn sure won’t sit back and watch him abuse this innocent bebé!” Yamile wept.
“You’ve got it all wrong,” Nikki blubbered, grabbing a tissue on the stand next to her to wipe her nose. “It didn’t happen that way.”


Purchase Link:


Sunday, December 20, 2015

#SampleSunday - Poetry from the Soul: Volume II

New Release!!! Now available!!

Please check out this sample from my new poetry book and then be sure to grab your copy!!!





Honesty

If I am honest with you, I’ll tell you the truth
I’ll tell you that the thought of you scares me

If I am honest with you, I’ll not hide my face
I’ll show you the fear in my eyes

I’ll let you feel my apprehension
Tell you all about my past

I’ll be up front and come clean
About the man who hurt me last

I’ll tell you that what you represent
Scares me to death

I’ll tell you that if you kiss me, touch me
I’ll hold my breath

I’ll tell you that I don’t trust men
Stopped believing in them long ago

I’ll tell you that you don’t stand a chance
That you might as well just go

But if you decide to stay
And tough it out

If you decide it’s worth the effort
To wait me out

If you grab your hammer
And knock down my walls

Maybe I’ll tell you
That I love you after all


Purchase Links:




Monday, December 14, 2015

#MondayMotivation

“It's easy to attack and destroy an act of creation. It's a lot more difficult to perform one.” 
― Chuck Palahniuk

Thursday, December 10, 2015

#ThrowbackThursday - Been So Long

Hey, everyone!! For Throwback Thursday, please check out my second published novel, Been So Long, which was listed at #17 on aalbc.com's list of 2012's top eBooks.

Check out this excerpt and be sure to grab yourself a copy!!



A woman, her married lover, an ex-boyfriend, and the ties that bind them together...





He shrugged. “I’m not judging you, Mona. I just want to know how it feels to sell your soul for a house and a car.”
I sat up on the side of the bed and looked him in the eye. No matter how fine he was, he was barking up the wrong tree with me. Lizzie hopped out of his lap and onto the bed next to me as if she was switching sides in the middle of a battle. “Well, if you wanna take it there then don’t forget about the bank account, the credit cards, and the clothes,” I said.
He reached over and tugged at the lace trim lining the bottom of my short black nighty. “He buy this for you? He likes for you to play dress up for him?”
I stared at him and shook my head. “No, actually, he prefers me naked.”
He nodded. “And you give him whatever he wants whenever he wants it, huh?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Always and without hesitation. He gives me what I want, and I give him what he wants.”

Kindle and paperback: http://ow.ly/dmcbB
Amazon UK: http://ow.ly/miF6M

Friday, December 4, 2015

#Book Blast - Anchored by Love

NRCANCHOREDBYLOVEPHARPERBANNER 


Publisher: KevStel Group LLC (December 4, 2015)
Title: Anchored by Love
Genre: Christian Fiction Romance
 Author: Unoma Nwankwor Publication 
Date: December 4, 2015 ASIN: B0175FT2EC


  anchored-by-love


About The Book

When Jabir Danjuma met Damisi Odinga years ago, it wasn’t necessarily love at first sight. However, their attraction can’t be denied. Just as he begins to feel the forbidden emotion, Damisi breaks up with him and moves half way across the world. Now, Damisi has a request that only Jabir could fulfill. Their encounter sets off a series of events that leave them both with fresh pain and hurt. They vow never to see each other again, but fate has a different idea. Will they stick it out long enough for the Potter to perfect their scars and pain for His purpose or will distance and time steal the day.


  photo


About The Author

Unoma Nwankwor is a romantic at heart. Born in Akron, Ohio to Nigerian parents. She spent her childhood and early adulthood years in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. She is the COO of KevStel Group LLC, a faith based Entertainment Company aimed at providing uplifting and life changing entertainment through its movies and books. Unoma is also the published author of An Unexpected Blessing (2013) , The Christmas Ultimatum(2013), When You Let Go (May,2014), A Scoop of Love (Jan,2015) and Anchored By Love (Dec, 2015). She has numerous published flash fiction and short stories. Her work has appeared in Africa Book Club, USA Today HEA blog and the Kenyan Ezine ;Wamathai and well as numerous radio shows and blogs. She is currently working on her next novel The Final Ultimatum. Her readers are in love with her unique way of telling stories that capture the essence of her present home base; Atlanta Georgia and her Nigerian culture. Her stories which center on forgiveness, faith and hope have been described as a fusion of faith, romance and African spice. After all, “and now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” ~1 Corinthians 13:13 Unoma resides in Atlanta Georgia with her husband and two kids.


Excerpt


“So I guess you’re my knight in shining armor coming to rescue the damsel in distress…”
The tone of her voice was not lost on him. There was an edge in it he didn’t like.
She continued, “How many of us have there been over the years?”
“What?” He stared down at her.
She sat up straight and scooted away from him. She stared at him. “How many of us have there been? Six years…let’s see…yeah, I remember the three-month rule, so what is that, twenty-four?”
“You want to do this? Now?” His forehead creased in confusion. What had he said? How could she go from sweet one minute to this the next?
“We might as well. All this pretending we’re all good is making my stomach sick.”
He sighed. He wasn’t going to take the bait. Besides, she really didn’t want the answer. She just wanted to find a way to not let him into her heart.
“Answer me. How many?”
“No.”
“No?”
“N-O. No.”


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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

#Book Blast - We Belong Together #SweetRomance

If you enjoy sweet romances, be sure to check out W Parks Brigham's latest book!




BLURB:

Shelly Roberts and Joffrey Matheson have watched friends fall in love and take that giant step—marriage—promising to share their lives together. Now it’s their turn. They’ve been paired as the perfect couple, according to Allanville’s Matchmakers Committee. Yes, their friendship has developed and grown. Yes, they are compatible, enjoy each other’s company, and want the same things out of life. Most importantly, they’re both seeking a meaningful relationship. Family and friends are excited as they cheer them on. Everyone is anticipating and waiting for the big news. 

Humph, that’s a joke! 

Instead, they keep getting sickening, whining excuses; there are no sparks…no chemistry…we’re just friends…you know, a yummy peanut butter sandwich but with syrup instead of jelly. The million-dollar question, how can you develop a serious relationship when you’re still carrying a torch for someone from your past? Where they do that at? In the small town called Allanville?



EXCERPT:

WE BELONG TOGETHER      


Shelly and Joffrey
       “Isn’t this a lovely and peaceful night?” remarked Shelly as she looked out at the colorful waters reflected by the outdoor lights.  “Joffrey, I had a great time tonight.”
            “I’m glad you did,” he said, placing his arm around her shoulder.  It was true that they’d had a fantastic time with dinner and dancing, but very little conversation, which was fine with them.  Now they were sitting and enjoying the gardens and the lake.  Although it was late and they both had to report to their respective jobs in the morning, neither put forth any effort to move. The serenity of the grounds was peaceful and relaxing in spite of them being surrounded by other couples.
            “Shelly, what do you consider a meaningful relationship between two people?” 
            Wow, what a loaded question. She turned to face him. Fluttering her eyelids while thinking carefully before speaking, she began to give her point of view. No doubt, that was what he wanted to know. “Joffrey, I think becoming friends is the beginning of a relationship.  Having the same purpose and desires would also play a major part for it to develop into something more meaningful…love, understanding, trust, communication, compromise, and compassion should be some of the key elements followed by intimacy, only when the two people are ready.” 
            “I see you’ve really given this some thought,” he commented with a smile.
            “What woman doesn’t have the desire to fall in love, get married, and have children?  That’s what we’ve been taught from the time we were old enough to understand the true meaning of love and marriage.”
            “Is that what you were taught and want Shelly?” he asked, taking her hand in his. 
She looked into his tender but expressionless face and said, “Yes.  And you?” she asked.
            “I feel the exact same way, but I have to be honest. I’ve done the complete dating scene, which included satisfying my physical needs as well.”
            “So, what are you saying, Joffrey?  Are you ready for us to become lovers?”
            Hesitating for a second, he then spoke, “Only if you’re ready.”  Reading her face, he knew she wasn’t.  He took her hand and kissed it.  “I know baby, and you don’t have to worry about me pressuring you into doing anything you’re not ready for.”
            Oooo, that was close.  She had a million thoughts running through her brain. He’s just not the one. She leaned over and kissed his lips. “Thank you, Joffrey.” 
            “You’re welcome, beautiful lady. Come on, it’s getting late. We better be on our way.”  He signaled for one of the outside attendants to give his ticket to…



Deidra and Cullen                            
            “We’re going to have to do this again,” said Cullen, holding Deidra’s hand as they strolled down the sidewalk.        
             “It’s just as nice on the outside as it is in the inside.”
            “Yes, and next time we’ll have dinner on the terrace.” 
            “Is that a promise?” She asked, smiling. 
            He stopped and held her chin up. Gazing into her amber eyes, he asked, “Can I kiss you?”
            She answered sweetly, “Yes.” Their lips touched and then with a mutual consent, their tongues sought each other while savoring a passionate treat. 
            “Mmmm, I’ve wanted to do that ever since I first set eyes on you tonight.
            “I’m glad you did,” she said and they continued their stroll in comfortable silence. They’d already had an extensive and interesting conversation on relationships and what they were expecting.  Surprisingly enough, they had pretty much the same views on love, marriage, and families, not wanting to rush into anything heavy at the moment.  They did agree to consider themselves a couple. Deidra didn’t bite her tongue in saying she had been a teenage mother and her son was her main priority. She didn’t mention anything about his father which was probably best for the time being.  One thing was for sure, at twenty-six, she had done well.
            Cullen pointed to a couple getting up from one of the benches.  Deidra smiled.  They did a fast-paced walk over in that direction.  He thought it would be nice to sit for a while to just enjoy the scenery. 
            “Too late.” Deidra laughed as they watched an older couple take the spot. 
            He liked the sound of her laugh.  She was always so serious, but tonight he saw another side of her and didn’t hesitate to say so. 
            “Oh, there’s another one about to be vacant; come on, let’s not lose this one,” announced Cullen.  This time, they did a slow run trying not to draw attention, but they did anyway.  The couple who were now heading to their car looked back as they sat down laughing their heads off.  The woman turned back around, but the man stared for a second and then turned as well…



Shelly and Joffrey                            
            Shelly asked, “What’s wrong?”
            “Nothing,” he said and helped her into the car.  Going to his side, he gazed at the couple once again and shook his head.  He was not going to start that again, thinking every honey-colored woman in these parts could be her. He’d done that for too long.  It was time he put an end to that foolishness for good.
            Shelly noticed he was extra quiet once more, and that solemn expression had reappeared.  Not only did they have a wonderful dinner, but a soul-searching heart-to-heart talk about relationships and what they wanted. His attitude didn’t change until they glanced back at the couple that took the bench they were sitting on.  “Did you see someone you know?” 
Man, she doesn’t miss anything. “I thought I did, but as always, I was mistaken.”  And he left it at that. 
Shelly knew exactly who he thought he saw and realized his feelings for her were intense after all this time.  There wasn’t anything for her to say; she understood too well. Like any couple who had someone else heavy on their minds, they rode home in silence.  They arrived at her home in no time.  She had the car door open before he could get around to her.  He took her hand and they walked to the door.
            “Shelly, I’m sorry.”
She put her finger on his lips.  “There’s nothing to be sorry for. Trust me, I understand more than you can imagine.” 
            Like he’d said before, Shelly Roberts was a beautiful, special woman.  And he was happy they’d become good friends.  He held her in his arms, kissed her good night, and then told her to have a pleasant night.
            Shelly locked her front door and went to her room and called Ryane to keep her promise. “Hey girl—” nothing but moans and groans were on the other end. Shelly hissed, “Why did you answer this phone? Bye.”



Cullen and Deidra                                     
            “Cullen, I had a wonderful time,” declared Deidra. She then reached up to give him a quick kiss.  Not this time, he said to himself and caught her around the waist, surprising her with a lip-locking treat.  Not giving her a chance to respond verbally, he said good night and skipped down her four steps. 
            Cullen Davis left her stunned but in a most pleasant way. Deidra closed her door and quietly looked in on her mother and son before going to her room.  Both were sleeping soundly.  And the way she was feeling, she would, too.



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                                Website: www. wparksbrigham.com/
                                          Email: wparksbrigham@writeme.com
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