I Ain't Said Nothin' But A Word...

Sometimes I need to weed out crazy. Friend requests on social media tend to come fast and furious and truth be told because I’m opening myself and my life up to perfect strangers I tend to be overly cautious. There’s a lot of crazy out in this world. I read every request. I read the About Me page, scan posts, and gaze at pictures before clicking the accept button. I like to see where perspective new friends are from and what they like or dislike. A recent request seemed normal enough. There were photos of family members, posts and comments from other friends (although the list was short) but overall nothing that raised any red flags. Okay, so maybe that’s not all together true. My radar went off but when I found myself questioning if I was being overly concerned I ignored it. First, he was male, and white, and allegedly in the military. I should have followed my first instinct but I have a number of really great white, male friends and in that moment he seemed to be on the up and...

Although I fancy myself to be a procurer of fine art, I am, in actuality, only a woman who is fond of very pretty things. I was gifted the very first piece of artwork that adorned the walls of my first apartment.  It was a print by Norman Rockwell, his classic The Problem We All Live With , an image of 6-year old Ruby Bridges being escorted into a New Orleans elementary school by US Marshalls in the 1960’s.  It was a wonderful accent piece in the corner where it hung and provoked much thought and conversation in my home.  But it was an image that I saw so many times, in so many places, that many years later it influenced my decision to only buy original pieces of artwork. Because the purchase of original artwork proved to be a very expensive venture I began to seek out up and coming artists whose talents had yet to be discovered and whose price points were more budget friendly.  Fast forward and I am still buying, sometimes blessed with a bigger budget...

Beverly’s relationship has come to an end, finally having run its course. She doesn’t see it, nor is she trying to. The bad times outweigh the good times. She spends more time being unhappy, than she does being happy. And still, she insists that she can change things around, because she can change him, if only he would truly listen when she complains. Arguments are now full-fledged battles. There’s a push and a shove, a slap, even punches thrown that no one is supposed to know about. And the screaming is epic, voices raised more times than anyone would care to count. What everyone has tried to make her understand is that he is still a boy, despite his age. They were both babies when they fell in love and there has been little maturity since. He has no responsibilities, still sucking on his mama’s titties as family and friends take care of all his needs. Right now he’s rolling that program because he can, yet to have a reason to do things differently. What she fails to real...

Another book has been put to rest. I dotted the last i and although I’m not quite sure whether or not I crossed all the t’s, I was glad to push the send button and put it in my editor’s hands. It was only two months late. I have not had a book work me quite so hard. But this one was a challenge. And then just like that it wasn’t and I have a dead Asian woman to thank. For weeks I found myself unable to connect with the characters. I knew who they were, knew their story, could tell you what they liked and didn’t but no matter how I tried to twist and bend the fantasy that was their romance I could not find anything loving about the words. Then the Asian woman began to haunt me. I knew her many years ago. She was kind and good natured with a gentle disposition. She and her son owned a restaurant that I frequented at least once weekly. The woman was a phenomenal cook! I had a favorite meal that wasn’t on her menu but that she gladly made special whenever I wanted. I was crav...

Author Rooms is excited to welcome renowned author Alice Wootson!  Alice Greenhowe Wootson grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She attended Cheyney University and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. She later earned a Masters Degree in Education, and Reading Specialist Certification. Alice is the award-winning author of eleven romance novels. She is also an award-winning poet and a member of the Philadelphia Writers Conference and The Mad Poets Society. Alice has taught writing workshops for several chapters of RWA and other groups. Active in several ministries in her church, she also spends any spare time she can find reading, writing, traveling and enjoying her grandchildren.  Coming soon from Alice is her next release BORDER DANGER , to be published by Prism Book Group. It is an inspirational romantic suspense and deals with the dangers of border patrol agents assigned to the Texas-Mexican border i...

It's going to be a BLISSFUL SUMMER as I welcome fellow Kimani authors Cheris Hodges and Lisa Marie Perry with their latest summer blockbuster! They're bringing us two exotic locations and two couples who discover the thrill of rekindled passion in this hot summer read! MAKE YOU MINE AGAIN by Cheris Hodges Supermodel Jansen Douglas is living her dream. Now a wedding in Paris is about to reunite her with the high school sweetheart she left behind. But Atlanta CEO Bradley Stephens won't let their stormy past stand in the way of reclaiming his first and only love. UNRAVELED by Lisa Marie Perry Ona Tracy's plans to seduce her high school crush unravel when the reunion trip she books turns out to be an erotic-themed cruise to the Bahamas! Rather than abandon ship, she recruits blond-haired, silver eyed Riker Ewan to be her hookup, unaware that the hot-bodied ex-marine isn't who he seems to be... The authors were both kind enough to dish on what the insp...

Today,  AUTHOR ROOMS welcomes author SHERYL LISTER . An avid reader who's been writing for as long as she can remember, Sheryl writes contemporary and inspirational romance and romantic suspense. Her first novel, Just To Be With You , earned her a 2015 Romance Slam Jam nomination for Debut Author of the Year.  In Sheryl's next novel, Made To Love You ,  Devin Simms is a man who has never forgiven the woman who walked out on him but when he sees her again, he realizes the passion between them still burns. Vivian Michaels has to face her past and trust her heart when Devin's kisses reawaken memories of the love she still feels for him. Made To Love You is a tale of love lost and rediscovered beneath a Caribbean sun. It's available on July 14, 2015. Sheryl resides in California and is a wife and mother of three.  What does your writing process look like?     I try to write at least five days a week, though not always at the same time. W...

Welcome to AUTHOR ROOMS ! AUTHOR ROOMS is a new series here on my blog that allows us all a peek into the spaces where new and favorite authors create their magic. Ever wonder where a writer actually writes? Have you ever had questions about how an author does what they do? AUTHOR ROOMS will give us all a little more insight as select authors answer five random questions and show us those places where they wrangle their mojo! I’m excited to kick off the series with renowned historical author PIPER HUGULEY . In 2015 Publisher’s Weekly named her a top ten historical romance novelist. The Preacher’s Promise , book one in her “Home To Milford College” series was a semi-finalist in Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write contest, and a quarter-finalist in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. Most recently, Piper won the 2015 Breakout Author of the Year award from the AAMBC Literary Awards. She was also the recipient of two Romance Slam Jam 2015 Emma award...

It's hard out here for a writer. Reviews matter. They make it more likely that other people will buy our books, and sales are what will keep our writing careers afloat. So please post a review on Amazon.com , BN.com , Goodreads.com , or anywhere someone might be persuaded to give my book or another author's books a try. Please help an author where it really counts!  Thank you!

It’s summertime! That means it’s time to sit back, relax and just have fun, right?  Wrong! For Marlena Fernadez, Gloria and Valerie James, and Max and Mickey Martin summer is all about life lessons in these three, page-turning tales about kids in search of The Perfect Summer. Synopsis of each Story Jackie Lee A Lesson for Summer Fourteen old twins, Gloria and Valerie James, had the ideal plan to spend their summer vacation. They would spend their summer shopping, talking about boys, and going to the movies. However, when their dad felt the calling of the Lord, they were now going to have to spend their summer moving to another town and volunteering to mentor a bunch of snotty nose seven year olds. The twins do everything to sabotage their parent’s plans for them. However, in the end they learn lessons in life that truly makes this the Perfect Summer for both of them. Excerpt from A Lesson for Summer I knew that look meant that my twin sister did not like ...

This is what the 2015 year looks like. I won't even mention the surprise or two that I might be throwing in. And 2016 will be just as eventful. At some point I'm going to need a vacation but right now I'm writing my butt off!

I've never been a big fan of self-help books. I’ve read my fair share and more times than not felt like they didn’t apply to me or the problems discussed didn't really mirror my own issues. I always had a wealth of excuses to justify avoiding them all together. Recently, I was excited to support author and friend Val Daye . Val is family and so I purchased a copy of her new book Driven by The Drama . Then Val gave me a copy. An ordained minister Val is also an author, speaker, life coach, and training expert with a sincere passion for people and a genuine commitment toward their success. Now I’m going to be honest. Driven by the Drama threw me for a loop. It took several attempts before I was actually able to finally sit down and finish it. Each time I would get a few pages in when something would strike a nerve. It was attempt number three when I realized I simply wasn't ready to receive the message Val was trying to deliver. I was going through some things. ...